Zeff would've loved to say he alone was enough to fight the soldiers blocking his way. But even though he had recovered somewhat from his fight with Leo, he couldn't afford another battle.
His healing powers were barely holding his internal organs together. The only reason he wasn't writhing in pain was that he'd cut off his neuro-receptors back in the armory. After that fight, it had simply become too much. His mental state was in tatters.
He could still pull a few tricks, like erasing his presence for now. But his magical energy was running dangerously low. He was drained—physically and mentally.
Damn it, shithead! You'll pay for making me deal with your problems, he cursed internally, thinking of Kai.
There was no other choice. It was, once again, do or die—nothing unusual in his daily life, but still a huge pain in the ass.
Robert, on the other hand, knew Zeff was playing his game. He knew every nook and cranny of MB-35. He had been expected to memorize it all when he joined.
He wanted to strike while the iron was hot. If the criminal escaped today, he'd lose his only chance for revenge. And given how long it might take to get another opportunity—not to mention the chance that Zeff could grow stronger—the next time they met, they might not be evenly matched.
Robert was sure Zeff wouldn't be in any shape to make it this deep into a military facility unless he was desperate. Not if he was alone.
He had to be exhausted, and Robert intended to exploit that. Strike him when he was at his weakest.
He's hiding, Robert thought.
The tunnel was pitch black, but his suit's night-vision glasses helped him see. Still, he was sure Zeff was nearby. His instincts told him—and he never questioned those.
Zeff hadn't recovered all his energy. To keep the invisibility cloak active, he needed a massive amount of magic. It drained him, too. Kai couldn't use as much of Zeff's power, which was why he'd had a hard time infiltrating. Not that Zeff would've helped him unless forced.
The cloak consumed more than magical energy, so Zeff only intended to use it until he was sure he wouldn't have to fight his way through.
But staying still was wasting too much time. Robert was blocking his path, armed with unfamiliar weapons. Things could get ugly fast.
If that's the case, I need to finish this fight quickly, Zeff thought, deactivating the invisibility cloak.
The reason was simple. Although he had powerful abilities in his arsenal—like Seodt—Zeff was severely limited. One of the worst restrictions? He couldn't use more than one ability at a time. He had many powers, but only one could be active at any given moment.
If he wanted to fight, the cloak was the worst choice. Delaying could mean death. So, to make up for it, Zeff activated his powers in the span of microseconds—faster than the eye could follow.
Before Robert could register anything, Zeff funneled magical energy into his fist. A surge of power exploded from his body, breaking the stillness in the air.
He bent his knees and launched himself toward Robert like a bolt of lightning.
Take out the leader first, Zeff thought. A lesson he'd learned working as an operative for Spades.
Take out the head, and the body crumbles. It was a rule Zeff found most effective in fast, unpredictable battles. If he had to fight on enemy ground, by their rules, striking first was his only strategy.
And just as Robert sensed movement, it was already too late.
Zeff's fist smashed into Robert's face, shattering his armored mask and breaking his glasses. Robert's vision blurred as he was hurled backward, landing hard on the back of his head.
A sharp pain shot through his nose, so intense he didn't even register his slowly dislocating jaw.
The remaining soldiers reacted too slowly. As Robert collapsed, a man appeared in front of them—seemingly from thin air. The sheer force he'd demonstrated the moment Robert called him out gave them all goosebumps.
The idea of someone that powerful standing among them filled them with dread. They stared at Robert's broken form, terrified.
Startled, they took a step back, clutching their weapons tightly, but dared not fire. Not yet. All eyes locked on the man before them.
They were frozen in shock. The perfect moment to strike.
But Zeff didn't move.
He stood motionless over Robert, unfazed. He didn't follow up on his momentum. He didn't strike again.
Damn it! I'm reaching my limit, Zeff thought, staring down at the barely conscious man. I put too much strength into the first hit.
His body, though healing, was still a wreck. Like a crumbling house under renovation. It was his habit to go all in with the first blow—he never considered the aftermath. Why would he? It wasn't his body, not really. So when he was in the 'seat,' he never held back.
No matter how much he wanted to kill everyone around him and press forward, he couldn't.
Silence settled.
Blood dripped from his clenched fist. The pain was sharp but familiar. Numbness clouded his mind, wearing him down.
All he craved was rest—and maybe a hot bath. But reality denied him both. Surrounded by enemies, he couldn't afford even a second of hesitation. In this condition, there was no way he could win alone.
But he wasn't alone.
"Damn fox! Get me outta here!" he shouted. He hated asking for help. In his mind, everyone but himself was an obstacle. But at this moment, survival outweighed pride.
A pair of silvery-white eyes glowed in the shadows around him. Daksha had been waiting, hiding in the dark, ready to pounce the moment Zeff created an opening.
The roar of a beast echoed through the tunnel. Soldiers turned in horror as something massive crept up behind them.
"No wai—" one soldier began before massive fangs closed around his upper body, biting him in half. Blood sprayed across the tunnel walls as the lower half of his body collapsed, limp and lifeless.
What followed was a one-sided massacre.
The entire sequence had been planned. Zeff hadn't expected his body to start failing, but he'd coordinated with Daksha to attack the moment the soldiers were distracted.
None of them knew where the monster came from. By the time they reacted, it was too late. They were already at the mercy of Daksha's razor-sharp claws.
***
Meanwhile…
"Stop this right now!!" Crimson shouted at Koul, grabbing him by the arms before the two disappeared into the thick smoke covering Area Four.
The soldiers halted their fire, startled by the sudden turn of events. Someone had appeared—awakened, likely with fire-based abilities. Probably a leader.
Bucky, the lieutenant at the front, raised a hand and motioned for his troops to hold.
If we're not careful, this could drag in innocent civilians, he thought grimly.
They were in Area Four. The area was flooded with some unknown gas—smoke or worse. If it was explosive, one wrong move could blow everything sky-high.
We have to avoid that at all costs.
Bucky had learned all the base's secrets the day he became lieutenant. Like every officer before him, he'd sworn to use that knowledge only to protect his nation—or take it to the grave.
And while he had inspired his men to fight for the innocent people trapped inside the base, his true motivation was more personal. He was looking out for himself—and for his only family, his sister.
If the bombs deep within Area Four were triggered, nowhere in New York would be safe. This was the last place he had any power, any authority. He couldn't let it fall.
"Pull back!" he shouted. "Pull back, now!"
The enemy's use of smoke was unexpected, and they had to be cautious. As the highest-ranking officer present, Bucky couldn't lead his men into a trap—or worse, set off a chain reaction that would destroy them all.
Only he knew the truth.
***
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