The sun hovered low above the horizon, spilling its golden glow across the coastal city. Streets shimmered in heat, and the air carried the faint salt scent of the sea. Waves rolled gently beyond the line of buildings, and gulls drifted lazily overhead, their shadows gliding over the glassy roofs of parked cars.
Amagi guided Mattel, her sleek, electric-blue vehicle, onto a street that sloped down toward the shore. The car's curved frame gleamed with polished reflections of sun and sky. She could see the distant dock ahead, its long planks stretching over the water like a wooden finger reaching toward the horizon.
As she approached a zebra crossing, a small boy in a yellow T-shirt and denim shorts began walking across with his dog — a light brown retriever with a red collar. The boy's flip-flops slapped against the road, and he clutched his leash with one hand while licking a melting ice cream in the other.
Amagi didn't slow down. Instead, her fingers tightened around the steering wheel. Mattel's engine gave a low, throaty growl. The boy froze, his eyes wide behind thin glasses, and he threw his hands up to shield his face.
Inside Mattel, the gearshifter flickered, the top half glowing with a faint blue light before flipping to reveal a smooth touchscreen panel. Rows of uniquely shaped buttons shimmered across it — squares, hexagons, elongated rectangles — each pulsing with a soft hue. Amagi tapped and held a violet-rimmed one.
For a moment, the world seemed to pause.
A purple ring of light ignited beneath the car, followed by another, smaller one at its center. The pavement cracked slightly from the pressure as energy pulsed through. Amagi released the button, and Mattel shot upward with a thunderous sonic boom vaulting cleanly over the boy and his startled dog.
When he dared to peek through his fingers, the car was already sailing through the air, sunlight blazing off its mirror finish. It landed smoothly behind him with a hiss of compressed air and a streak of tire smoke, drifting slightly as it caught traction again before speeding toward the beach.
Gasps and shouts echoed from both sides of the street. Tourists with sun hats and cameras turned their heads; vendors dropped their drinks; someone screamed something indistinct. Yet Amagi didn't hear a word. Her focus was razor-thin, eyes locked forward as Mattel tore through the last stretch of asphalt and shot onto the sand.
The crowd scattered. Families snatched up their towels, kids ran clutching beach balls, and a group of surfers stumbled out of the water, cursing loudly. Sunlight flared across Mattel's windshield as it drifted, kicking up spirals of sand that glittered in the golden light.
She ignored every voice. The dock was straight ahead long, narrow, weather-worn. Without hesitation, she pressed harder on the accelerator. Mattel roared down the length of the dock, boards trembling under its weight. When the edge came, she didn't stop.
Mattel launched into the air, slicing through sunlight and sea spray before plunging into the water below. A collective cry rose from the dock. Some beachgoers screamed, others rushed toward the edge, peering down at the churning waves.
In the depths, the car's transformation began. Mattel's wheels folded inward, and smooth panels extended across its underside, sealing every gap. The twin exhausts at the rear retracted and reopened in sleeker, water-ready form. An electric-blue shimmer rippled across its frame, and then the vehicle dove deeper, cutting through the water like a torpedo.
Amagi leaned back, her reflection flickering across the glass. Her expression was unreadable calm, focused, almost serene as she guided Mattel toward a massive white yacht anchored not far from the bay.
---
On the yacht's bridge, Captain Nareem, a broad-shouldered man with tanned skin and a salt-streaked beard, sipped coffee while scanning the horizon. A crewman stepped in, voice tight with alarm.
"Sir, radar shows an object closing in fast. No visual yet."
Nareem frowned, glancing at the monitor. A red dot blinked closer and closer. He switched to the rear camera — nothing but shimmering water.
"Raise the guards," he ordered.
Within moments, the yacht shifted from leisure to lockdown. Armed men in dark suits moved swiftly across the decks, their polished shoes glinting under the sun. Near the upper cabin, President Sundara — tall, middle-aged, dark-skinned, dressed in a crisp white linen suit with golden cufflinks — was ushered toward his private quarters. Sweat gathered at his temple despite the ocean breeze.
"Who's coming?" he demanded, his deep voice edged with authority.
"We don't know, sir," a bodyguard replied, his own uniform sharp and black, tie loosened slightly from the heat. A faint scar crossed his jaw. "But we're ready."
---
Then, the sea exploded.
Mattel burst from beneath the waves, trailing a cascade of white water as it landed squarely on the open aft deck. Guards turned, shouting, weapons raised. The car's glass shimmered neon-green under the sunset light, completely opaque.
"Identify yourself!" one of them barked.
No response.
The captain's voice crackled through a headset: "Capture the intruder if they resist, take them down."
The guards tightened formation.
"Last warning!"
Still silence.
Then came the order: "Fire!"
Gunfire erupted thunderous cracks echoing across the water. Shells scattered across the deck. But when the smoke cleared, Mattel stood untouched, gleaming with the reflection of dying sunlight, not a single mark marring its surface.
And then… the tint faded.
For a heartbeat, they could see inside — but the driver's seat was empty.
One guard whispered, "It's a diversion."
"Protect the president!" shouted another, rushing inside.
---
While the car still rested on the deck, Amagi emerged silently from the sea's edge. She had slipped out through the sunroof mid-submersion. Droplets slid off her aqua-fringed mask as she rose, thrusters on her back humming softly. The late-day light made her white top shimmer beneath a short blue jacket, the hem fluttering with each movement. Her skirt reached her knees, rippling with the sea breeze.
With a brief burst, she ascended to the yacht's lower balcony, landing without a sound. Her eyes scanned the corridor — pristine white hallways, sunlight filtering through tinted glass, the distant echo of running footsteps.
A guard turned the corner, spotting her but before he could act,a blur of motion swept past him. The light bent, air hissed, and the guard fell silently.
Amagi moved like a current swift, smooth, unstoppable. She advanced through the corridor, each footstep echoing faintly on the marble floor. When she reached the final door the president's quarters the passage behind her was silent, still, and unnervingly calm.
---
Inside, a few remaining guards stood ready, weapons raised.
The door burst open. Sunlight from the open windows cast long, golden beams across the floor. Amagi stepped in, calm and expressionless.
"Don't move!" one of them shouted but before the sound faded, she vanished from sight in a rush of displaced air. A soft hum filled the room, followed by the metallic click of something mechanical unfolding.
Moments later, the guards collapsed, their weapons clattering across the carpet.
President Sundara stumbled backward, hitting the edge of the bed. His breathing was uneven, a sheen of sweat on his forehead.
She approached, her gaze unwavering.
"Where is the Neuronium?"
"I—I don't know what you're talking about!" he stammered, voice trembling.
She tilted her head slightly, as if listening to something distant, then smiled faintly. "You really don't?"
With a flick of her wrist, a faint vibration filled the air. From the bathroom behind him, a crystal-blue glow began pulsing beneath the circular tub. Then a deep hum, followed by a crack the tiles split open, and the Neuronium crystal floated toward her outstretched hand, swirling with electric light.
The president's eyes widened in disbelief. "That's impossible. Noxora's scientists said it doesn't react with anything!"
"Seems it just needed the right touch." Her voice was calm, almost gentle, as the glowing crystal rested in her palm.
The Neuronium pulsed once, in rhythm with her heartbeat.
Sundara's expression shifted from fear to anger. "Why are you doing this? You're from Solaria, aren't you? Did your president forget our deal?"
Her lips curved into a faint smirk. "You really shouldn't assume."
He tried to stand taller, to regain his authority, but her presence held him frozen.
"So," he said bitterly, "Solaria betrays us."
"I don't work for Solaria," she said quietly. Her gaze sharpened, reflecting the crystal's blue light. "I don't work for anyone."
He stared at her, confused. "Then who—?"
"My master," she interrupted. "I do only what he orders."
Sundara's composure faltered. "M-Master…?"
Amagi's eyes glimmered. "And about that deal," she whispered, stepping closer, her voice soft but heavy. "Don't make me laugh. I know everything."
The wind from the open balcony stirred her hair, carrying the scent of salt and sun. Outside, the ocean shimmered beneath the fading orange sky, and the city lights began to flicker in the distance.
Amagi turned slightly, the Neuronium crystal glowing brighter in her hand. The energy hummed around her like a pulse.
And with one last glance at the trembling president, she stepped back toward the sunlight, her silhouette framed by the dying day.