A00 stretched slowly on the medical bed, each movement sending waves of pain through his bruised muscles. The battle with Nolan Jackson had left marks that went beyond the physical - his pride was shaken, though he would never admit it aloud.
"I need a shower," he muttered, getting up carefully and testing if his legs would still support him adequately.
Each step toward the base's bathroom was a reminder of the brutal blows he had received. His reflection in the mirror showed a man who had faced something far beyond his capabilities, but his eyes still maintained that characteristic arrogance.
Kel and Shine remained on the high-tech sofa, which automatically adjusted to their bodies as they settled in. On the larger tablet screen, Nolan Jackson's photo stared at them with those red eyes frozen in eternal fury. It was a disturbing image that seemed to follow their movements.
"Fifty years of power evolution," Kel murmured, studying the biometric data he had collected during the battle. "It's as if each year of life had added an extra layer of strength and ability."
While analyzing the information, Kel noticed something that had gone unnoticed during his entire partnership with Shine. A thin black bar partially circled her neck, almost imperceptible against her dark, strange hair. The mark was delicate, but there was something intentional in its design, as if it were more than just a decorative tattoo.
"Those marks are cool," he said casually, trying not to sound too curious. "I'd like to have one just like it."
Shine instinctively touched her neck, her fingers covering the mark as if it were an automatic reflex: "You're perfect the way you are. Why would you need one?"
There was something defensive in her voice, a tension that Kel hadn't noticed before. It was as if the question had touched on something sensitive, territory she preferred to keep unexplored.
"I think they're cool," he insisted gently.
Shine just shrugged, but her eyes avoided his. It was clear there was a story behind that mark, a story she wasn't ready to share.
Meanwhile, in the base's bathroom, A00 adjusted the water temperature until he found the ideal point between refreshing and relaxing. The shower was one of the most practical additions Kel had made to the laboratory - pressurized water jets that massaged tense muscles and filtration systems that guaranteed absolute purity.
His black hair became completely soaked as water ran down his muscular body, washing away the sweat, dried blood, and dust from the battle. Each drop that touched his skin seemed to carry away part of the accumulated tension, providing temporary relief that he rarely allowed himself to experience.
Steam began to form in the bathroom, creating a mist that partially obscured the mirror. A00 closed his eyes and allowed the hot water to relax his muscles, but it was precisely in this moment of vulnerability that his mind was invaded by memories he had buried deeply.
The memory came like an avalanche of vivid images and disturbing sounds.
Inside a modest house with simple furniture and walls that needed painting, a woman with long black hair was kneeling on the worn wooden floor. Her hands trembled while tears streamed down her desperate face, creating small puddles on the dusty floorboards.
The shrill cry of a five-year-old child echoed through the thin walls of the house, a sound that cut through the air like broken glass. It was a cry of pure terror, the kind of despair that only a child can express when their safe world crumbles before their eyes.
A girl with short black hair was huddled in the darkest corner of the room, her small arms wrapped around her knees as she sobbed uncontrollably. Her eyes were fixed on the scene before her, recording every detail in memory with the cruel clarity that trauma can provide.
The blade of a sword gleamed under the weak light entering through the window with torn curtains. It was an elegant weapon, perfectly balanced, held by hands that neither trembled nor hesitated.
A00, visibly younger but with the same cold expression he would carry for the rest of his life, gripped his sword's hilt tightly. There was no hesitation in his movements, only the mechanical efficiency of someone who had been trained to eliminate obstacles without questioning reasons.
The woman on the floor lifted her eyes red from crying and pleaded with a voice broken by emotion: "Please, don't do this! She's just a child!"
A00 stared at her with eyes that seemed made of ice: "Favor? What does favor mean? Perhaps what is called mercy."
He paused, as if considering the concept for the first time: "But that I cannot give you."
His eyes moved to the girl in the corner, who stopped crying momentarily upon feeling the weight of that gaze: "And I take the girl with me, as ordered."
The woman threw herself forward, trying to protect her daughter with her own body: "No! Please, she hasn't done anything!"
A00 raised the sword without showing any emotion. In an abrupt and precise movement, his arm moved with the lethal speed of someone who had practiced that gesture thousands of times.
The sound that followed echoed through the house like thunder.
Back to reality, water still ran down his skin in the shower. A00 slowly opened his eyes, as if emerging from a nightmare, but he knew this was not a dream - these were real memories of missions he had completed without questioning.
He looked down and saw, on his left shoulder, a black bar identical to the one on Shine's neck - a mark a few centimeters long that he rarely noticed, but which was always there.
After the shower, he dried himself methodically and chose modern clothes instead of his hero outfit. Black pants of thin fabric and a simple red shirt - a casual combination that made him seem almost normal, almost human.
"I'm ready," he announced upon leaving the bathroom, finding Kel and Shine still absorbed in analyzing Nolan's data.
Both looked up from the screens, noticing the change in his appearance. Without the mask and outfit, A00 seemed different - younger, perhaps, but also more dangerous in a subtle way.
"The tension from recent events has left everyone mentally exhausted," Kel observed, saving the data on the tablet. "Maybe we should go out and eat something normal."
The prospect of a common meal, away from laboratories and power analyses, seemed strangely attractive to all of them.
"Let's go out and get a taxi," Kel suggested, already heading toward the elevator. "Let's eat pizza."
They rose to the surface in silence, each lost in their own thoughts about recent events and the disturbing revelations that continued to accumulate. The normal world of Kel's common house seemed almost surreal after the intensities of the laboratory.
On the street, they called a yellow taxi that stopped reluctantly. The driver, a middle-aged man with stubble, watched them through the rearview mirror during the entire fifteen-minute trip to the pizzeria Kel had chosen.
Conversation was minimal during the ride. Shine watched the city through the window, lost in thoughts about her own identity and the unanswered questions about her neck mark. Kel constantly checked his phone, monitoring security systems and automatic alerts. A00 simply stared ahead, his mind still processing fragments of memories that continued to emerge.
When they reached their destination, they got out of the taxi in front of a busy pizzeria that radiated warmth and the inviting aroma of baked dough and melted cheese. It was the kind of place that promised normalcy and comfort.
But next to the pizzeria was parked a black car with completely dark windows. The vehicle seemed out of place on that common commercial street, standing out like a dark stain against the colorful lights of the surrounding establishments.
Before they could take even a step toward the restaurant entrance, a weapon was pointed directly at Blood Night's head with military precision.
It was A02, materialized from the shadows as if she had been waiting for this moment for hours. She wore completely black clothes that made her seem like an extension of the night itself. At her waist, several objects in the form of metallic discs gleamed under the light from the posts, suggesting specialized weapons or tools.
Her expression was serious and focused, like that of a predator who had finally cornered its prey after a long and patient hunt.
Shine instinctively stepped back, her combat reflexes activating: "Who are you?"
Blood Night remained completely still, instinctively recognizing that any sudden movement could result in his instant death. His eyes fixed on A02's familiar face, and fragmented memories tried to connect in his mind like pieces of a macabre puzzle.
A02 kept the weapon perfectly steady, her voice cutting through the night air like a sharp blade: "When you killed her, was it by order or for your own amusement?"
**[M.L.P - Multiverse: Forbidden Legacy]**