Standing before Zavier was a massive door, towering high and carved from black stone that seemed to pulse faintly with alien energy. Beyond it lay the throne room of the alien king.
Zavier's body trembled. He was already battered, his clothes torn and his skin streaked with blood. Every step left a faint trail behind him, yet he forced himself forward. Summoning the last of his strength, he pressed both hands against the heavy door. The stone groaned, grinding slowly open until a blinding light spilled through the gap.
The throne room stretched before him—vast, cavernous, so immense that it could have held three entire human warships. The ceiling arched high above, lost in shadows. Cold air brushed his skin as he limped toward the center.
And there he saw him.
The alien king.
Sitting upon a throne carved from obsidian and bone, the king's body rose like a mountain. His sheer size dwarfed everything in the chamber—Zavier was no larger than one of his toes. Two monstrous eyes burned like dying stars as they fixed upon the intruder. The weight of that gaze alone almost drove Zavier to his knees
"What," the alien king's voice thundered, echoing across the chamber, "is a human doing in my presence?"
Zavier flinched. His throat was dry, but he forced the words out, broken and shaky."Ha… to defeat you."
The king's lips curled into a grin. A deep, guttural laugh rolled out, shaking the walls."Defeat me? Then good luck trying."
He raised one hand lazily. In an instant, Zavier's body locked in place. Every muscle froze. He couldn't move, couldn't speak—only his mind screamed against the invisible grip that held him.
"Come on," the alien king mocked, tilting his massive head. "Why did you stop?"
The king's colossal finger twitched, and a wave of invisible pressure pierced through Zavier's chest. His heart stuttered. Pain unlike anything he had ever felt consumed him. His vision blurred.
The king's colossal finger twitched, and a wave of invisible pressure pierced through Zavier's chest. His heart stuttered. Pain unlike anything he had ever felt consumed him. His vision blurred.
No… this can't be… he thought desperately.
But it was too late. His body convulsed, then collapsed lifelessly onto the cold stone floor. One of the Lights of Justice was dead.
Meanwhile, deeper within the underground base, several A-class heroes were fighting their way through groups of aliens. The lesser creatures stood no chance. With each strike, bodies crumpled, and within moments the corridor was littered with corpses.
Inside, dozens of glowing screens illuminated the dark space, each one showing a different section of the sprawling base. The heroes spread out, scanning the feeds.
"This seems… empty," one of them muttered, his brow furrowed. "Why would the aliens just leave this unguarded?"
Another leaned in closer, eyes narrowing at one of the monitors. His expression shifted to shock."Wait… isn't that…?"
On the screen, the throne room was displayed, and at its center lay Zavier's body—motionless, crumpled on the ground.
"That's one of the Lights of Justice!" another hero exclaimed. "Zavier… he's down!"
The group exchanged horrified glances. Without hesitation, they bolted from the control room to alert the others
Elsewhere, in the dark, blood-stained halls, Adrian still lay unconscious. His breathing was shallow, his body unmoving. Dried blood clung to his skin, and for a moment, it looked as though he might never rise again.
But someone noticed.
From the shadows stepped a man clad in white. His hair was silver, flowing like strands of light. In his hand he carried a blade of pure plasma, glowing brilliantly like a star, its edge humming with restrained energy. The handle, too, pulsed with raw power, giving the weapon an almost divine aura.
He was one of the Lights of Justice.
The man's eyes softened as they fell on Adrian's broken body. Without a word, he raised his sword. A dome of shimmering energy spread outward, encasing Adrian in a radiant cocoon. The light flared, bathing the hall in brilliance.
Moments later, Adrian's wounds vanished. The blood dried away, his breathing steadied, and his strength quietly returned. He blinked, opening his eyes to see the man standing above him.
"Um… thank you, sir," Adrian said weakly, pushing himself up.
The man gave a faint smile. "No worries. We're both heroes, after all. We should look out for each other." He straightened, his plasma sword gleaming. "Name's Cosmic."
Adrian's eyes widened. A Light of Justice had saved him.
Cosmic turned to leave. "Anyway, take care. I still have to find the throne room."
But before he could step away, Adrian quickly called out, desperation in his voice."Wait! Can I… join you?"