BOOM—!!
The ground split beneath the force of the brothers' descent.
Twin trails of flame—one deep blue, one searing red—tore through the sky before crashing down like meteorites in the middle of a ruined intersection. Glass crunched underfoot. The husks of abandoned cars burned. A traffic light sparked wildly overhead, swaying in the wind of residual shockwaves.
"Blazing Carousel!"
"Ruptured Chamber!"
Sage landed first—feet wreathed in spiraling blue fire, flames bursting from beneath him as he somersaulted forward in a twisting arc. The force of his landing scorched the pavement in a circle, waves of blue crackling outward like shattered lightning.
Just behind him, Kilo spiraled down in a corkscrewing blaze, red flames encircling him in a violent tornado. His momentum built until he collided with the ground like a warhead—
KA-BOOOM!!
—a fiery shockwave exploding in all directions, scattering debris and shaking nearby buildings.
Their target—a hooded figure half-shadowed by the tattered remnants of a public transit overhang—stood impossibly still in the chaos.
Onnyx.
Unharmed.
He looked ordinary. Almost too ordinary.
Baggy charcoal joggers tucked into well-worn combat boots. A simple utility jacket—gray, unbranded, scuffed from travel. The hood was drawn low, casting a stark shadow over his sharp, unreadable features. Underneath, a plain black tee clung to a lean frame that, at a glance, betrayed no obvious strength.
But something about him didn't sit right.
Maybe it was the way he stood—perfectly still, like a digitized stillframe caught between motion. Or the faint, mechanical whirr that occasionally undercut his movements when he shifted.
His eyes—what little could be seen of them beneath the hood—glinted unnaturally against the sparks in the air. Not glowing, not robotic. But... too focused. Too precise.
He looked like no one. And that's part of what made him dangerous.
"Where is she at!?" Kilo shouted through the smoke. "Give her some room!"
A streak of violet light cut through the fog next—
—Aurora.
"Right behind ya!"
She rose alone above the battlefield, palms glowing with escalating plasma charge. Her eyes narrowed as the radiant beams bled through her fingers.
"Plasma MO: Photon Barrage!"
She launched—
—a storm of high-velocity plasma projectiles tore through the air with shrieking speed, erupting around Onnyx in rhythmic, pulsing detonations.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM—!!
The heat cracked concrete and warped steel. Even the air shimmered from the intensity.
Onnyx's silhouette staggered once—but then straightened. His head tilted slightly.
Then—he laughed.
A low, hollow rasp.
Not amused. Almost… delighted.
"All this," he said, voice wrapped in static and smugness, "and you still can't stop me."
Aurora gritted her teeth, her boots touching back down amid the still-glowing asphalt. "Nyota!"
"On it!"
Across the street, Nyota broke into a sprint, lightning already crackling around him. Sparks flew off his shoulders and heels as blue lightning arced across the ruined concrete beneath him.
He leapt—
"Blue Lightning Modus…"
His body surged midair, limbs surrounded by roaring voltage.
"Roaring Flash!"
ZZZRRRTT—!!
A lance of crackling energy fired straight down from above, spearing toward Onnyx in a pillar of radiant blue.
The shock flung dust into the air again—but this time, Onnyx was hit clean. He stumbled backward a full step.
His cloak tore.
He blinked. Before he could reorient—
A ripple in the shadow behind him—
Then ice.
"Cryokinesis: Frozen Maw!"
CRRRSHHHHH—!!
From seemingly nowhere, jagged columns of glacial ice erupted from the ground around Onnyx's legs and torso, snapping upward to engulf him in a crushing, frozen vise. Malik's form flickered into view a dozen feet away, katana sheathed, frost still coiling off his arms.
Then—
BOOM—!!
The icy trap detonated from within as Onnyx forced it apart with a burst of raw, unseen energy.
The team regrouped across the street, backs squared, breath tight. The air shimmered with residual heat and mist from colliding elemental forces.
The smoke cleared slowly. Onnyx remained standing in the center of the ruined road.
A small trail of blood ran from his lip, but his posture remained steady.
No scorch marks.
No burn.
No frostbite.
No fear.
Nyota narrowed his eyes.
"What's with this guy?"
Kilo spat onto the ground and jerked a thumb toward Onnyx. "Yo, Aurora! Can't you, like—copy him or something? Don't you have a Modus for that?"
Aurora didn't look at him. She kept her eyes on Onnyx as she answered.
"I already tried," she said. "Didn't work."
Kilo's voice rose, half-defensive, half-desperate.
"Then try harder!"
"My Modus only works if what I'm copying is natural and stable. And there's a chance that this is neither."
Kilo blinked. "So what—you're saying he's some kind of… synthetic freakshow?"
Aurora didn't answer. She didn't need to.
Onnyx didn't move. But the smile hadn't left his face either. And behind it, something darker was waking up.
"You people are a waste of my time."
A low hum rippled off his body—faint distortions warping the air around his limbs.
"I need to get back to destroying everything that matters."
His voice wasn't loud. But the venom in it cut through the silence like a blade.
Sage took a slow step forward, flame coiling softly around his forearms. "Honestly," he said, calm but firm, "you're free to destroy whatever… so long as you keep the people out of it."
Onnyx tilted his head. "Then get out of my way."
He raised one hand.
The pavement beneath him cracked.
Blue lightning flashed.
Red and gold fire roared.
Plasma shrieked through the air.
And Zteel attacked again.
Kilo reached him first. He burst from the smoke—his fists ignited with spiraling crimson flame, eyes locked on Onnyx like a bull charging red.
"Don't think I'm done with you yet!"
He threw a wild right hook, flames whirling off his arm. Onnyx ducked. Kilo followed with a sharp uppercut, then a spinning backfist that left a trail of fire carving the air.
"Forceful, scorching, too!" Onnyx weaved through Kilo's attacks like water, each motion tight and precise. His footwork never strayed, his head never moved more than it had to.
"But sloppy."
Kilo roared, throwing a flurry of close-range jabs, heating the air with every blow. One punch grazed Onnyx's jaw, but before Kilo could follow through, Onnyx's elbow shot forward—CRACK—colliding with his sternum.
Kilo grunted, staggering back, only for Onnyx to grab his arm and yank him forward into a devastating knee to the gut.
WHUMP.
Then came a spinning heel kick straight across Kilo's temple that sent him crashing to the pavement.
Onnyx exhaled and rolled his shoulder, stepping over the twitching trail of fire Kilo had left behind.
"Exploding doesn't mean you're dangerous," he said coldly. "Just means you're loud."
Before the smoke even cleared, Sage descended from above in a spin of blue fire.
"Blazing Carousel!"
He twisted through the air, a blur of grace and heat, leaving behind burning arcs that shimmered like dancing spirits. His heel came down like a guillotine, aimed square at Onnyx's shoulder.
Onnyx caught it—with effort this time. A flicker of strain crossed his face, muscles coiling to absorb the hit.
"You're fast," Onnyx muttered, the heat curling off Sage's leg lighting his cheek. "Focused. Refined even…"
He shoved the leg aside, just enough to throw Sage off balance.
"…But just as predictable as that other one."
Onnyx lunged. His fist blurred toward Sage's ribs—but Sage twisted, sliding low in a wave of blue flame and barely slipping past the strike. He spun around behind Onnyx, blue fire flaring from his palm as he launched a burst toward Onnyx's back.
Onnyx rolled forward, letting the flames graze past his jacket. He kicked off the ground and launched himself at Sage, their fists colliding mid-air, blue fire hissing on contact with Onnyx's forearm.
They exchanged a blur of blows: Sage swift, economical, carving lines of heat with every jab and parry—Onnyx brute-force disciplined, adapting, his defense getting tighter, faster.
Sage ducked under a punch and jabbed two blazing fingers into Onnyx's side, searing the fabric. Onnyx grunted—more annoyed than hurt—and slammed a downward elbow toward Sage's collarbone.
Sage flared more flames from his palms, blasting himself back midair and flipping into a crouch, blue heat wafting from his body like smoke from a forge.
He breathed hard, eyes narrow. "You're adjusting," he said under his breath. "Getting used to me…"
Onnyx cracked his neck. "That's what learning looks like."
Before another word could be muttered, Malik's katana shimmered with frost as he routed himself just behind Onnyx. He slashed downward.
CRRSHH!
Onnyx barely twisted in time, ice ripping across his side and cleaving through the street behind him. A deep gash opened across his ribs—apparently sparks and something darker flickering within.
"What the…" Malik muttered to himself before vanishing again into a plume of mist, reappearing beside Nyota.
"You saw that?" he said quickly, steadying his breath.
Nyota nodded. "Yeah. He can bleed."
Malik's eyes narrowed. "Then let's make him."
Nyota gave a sharp nod, his katana already spinning in hand, blue lightning surging like a coiled storm.
Aurora stepped in now, plasma orbiting her arms in a brilliant spiral.
"Photon Barrage!"
She unleashed another blinding salvo—pinpoint pulses of heat and force slamming into Onnyx's midsection. He grimaced, shielding his torso, stumbling a few steps back.
They won't budge, Onnyx thought grimly, as Malik and Nyota pressed in again.
He turned, ripping a streetlamp from its base. In one smooth motion, he broke the longer pole in half and welded the fractured steel together into two jagged weapons—both buzzing faintly with residual heat.
Malik was already moving.
"Left side—go low!"
"I've got high!" Nyota replied, leaping with his katana arcing above him.
Malik struck first—frost crackling outward as he slashed across Onnyx's thigh. The blade cut deep.
Onnyx winced, pivoting. "Tch—"
Nyota followed through from above, his blade slicing across Onnyx's shoulder and collarbone. Sparks flew—followed by blood. For the first time, Onnyx staggered.
"Two hits," Malik said, breath tight.
"Let's make it four."
They surged again. Malik feinted right before darting left, drawing one pole weapon toward him. Nyota, behind him, dashed in and sliced clean through Onnyx's side. Another streak of blood splashed onto the asphalt.
Onnyx snarled and retaliated, both poles spinning outward like twin fans. Malik blocked low with ice-forged defense, while Nyota ducked and rolled under a swing, slashing upward toward Onnyx's abdomen.
CLANG! Sparks erupted as Onnyx barely parried. He winced again—another cut marking his forearm.
He flung them both back with a concussive pulse of kinetic force. They landed roughly but rose again.
"What's your deal?" Malik asked. "Are you a human or some sort of android?"
Onnyx's eyes flashed, his breath now ragged.
"You're persistent," he growled. "But it's not enough. You're throwing everything you've got at me—and you still can't win! Like insects trying to break a wall," Onnyx hissed. "You'll chip it, maybe... but I won't fall!"
Nyota didn't answer right away. His lightning—once blue—was surging more violently now, flickering unpredictably.
It's not enough yet, he thought, gripping his sword tightly. He's too strong. Even with Malik, even with all of us...
Then something shifted.
He heard a voice—Nora's—no louder than a whisper in his mind.
You don't need to become the storm, Nyota, he thought. You need to become its center. Control it. Isn't that what she'd say?
Then, his mind turned to Jora.
It's not about power. It's about clarity.
His breath steadied. The surrounding blue static turned blue, then white... then silver.
Yeah… I'm sure he'd say that.
Malik glanced over. His lightning… it's doing a thing.
Focus, Nyota's silver lightning danced up his arms, casting reflections in the broken glass at their feet.
Onnyx narrowed his eyes. "What the…?"
Nyota's stance shifted. "Silver Lightning: Polarity."
In a blink, he surged forward—katana first. The world around him flashed to grayscale as time seemed to dilate. The silver lightning hummed in harmony with his heartbeat.
Focus. One cut. No hesitation.
Onnyx raised both poles—too late.
Nyota's blade cleaved across his chest in a bright arc of silver light. The force knocked Onnyx clear off his feet, sending him crashing through a chunk of concrete debris.
Smoke billowed.
Everyone stood still, watching.
Then—a cough.
From the rubble, Onnyx slowly rose—blood streaking his chest, one polearm broken.
He looked at them all—not with rage, but with something quieter.
Disbelief.
"…Not bad."
They tensed, preparing for another clash, but Onnyx didn't attack. He turned slightly, jaw tight, blood dripping down one arm.
"This isn't over," he said. "Not even close."
Malik stepped forward. "You're running?"
"I'm waiting," Onnyx replied. "For the next time. You may be stronger then—but so will I."
With a sudden burst of speed, lightning crackled under his feet as he vanished down the ruined street, leaving nothing behind but the hiss of fading ozone.
For a moment, none of them moved. Only the sounds of crumbling rubble and distant sirens filled the space where Onnyx had stood.
Malik sheathed his katana slowly. "He fled."
"Yeah," Sage added. He ran a hand through his damp, ash-flecked hair. "Something about it felt like a test."
Nyota said nothing. His fingers still pulsed faintly with silver light, slowly dimming.
Zteel stood in silence for a few beats longer—battered, bruised, but standing—before Malik broke the brief silence.
"He'll be back," he muttered. "In the meantime, we should search the scene to see if we can find some sort of ID."
As the group split up, Malik and Nyota moved together through the debris. Malik crouched to shift a fallen support beam, then looked over.
"That lightning of yours," he said. "It wasn't like before."
Nyota shook his head. "It's relatively new."
Kilo passed nearby, dusting ash off his uniform. "I think silver suits you."
Nyota gave a tired chuckle. "You think so? I'm still getting used to it."
Malik trailed. "So it's not new…"
Aurora, scanning debris beside Sage, didn't look up. "Only in theory. We weren't sure it'd actually manifest."
"Yeah, well," Kilo grinned, nudging a rock aside with his foot. "Now it's official. The storm's got a new shade."
As the group continued to search around the scene, Malik and Nyota moved as a pair. Sifting through rubble, Malik spoke again. "I know this isn't exactly the best moment, but… after that? I want in."
Sage turned to him. "You want what?"
Nyota cringed as Malik went on.
"I want to join your group. I want to join Zteel officially." His voice wasn't loud, but it was steady. "I didn't exactly come here looking for a team... but I found one."
"Then what were you looking for?" Aurora crossed her arms, concern flickering across her face. "Who are you, again?"
"Malik—"
"Right—Look, this isn't a vigilante club. We fight the kinds of things that don't leave warnings."
"You think I don't know that?" Malik asked. "What do you think I've been doing? I've been alone in this for a while. But that fight? We synced. And I want to stand where I matter."
Sage glanced at Nyota, who hadn't spoken yet.
Kilo remained quiet, casually spectating the exchange with a conflicted expression on his face.
Nyota finally looked up with a panicked sigh. "Look—Malik's a good guy. He helped us just now against yet another thing that didn't give us a warning, right?" He gestured to Aurora. "He helped keep us alive, moved like he's known us for years. And as far as I'm concerned, he has."
Malik blinked—then gave a short laugh.
Kilo inserted a passive comment underneath his breath. "I mean, I wouldn't have needed help. I could've beat Onnyx all by myself."
"We'll talk about this later," their attention shifted when Aurora suddenly knelt among the rubble.
"There," she said, brushing aside debris. "He left something behind."
It looked like a drone core—half-crushed, wires torn and leaking faint green plasma. Sage joined her, crouching down.
"Military-grade," Sage murmured. "District tech. But he didn't mean to leave this."
They powered it up using one of Aurora's energy nodes, hooking it into her portable decryptor. The device hissed and sputtered, then blinked erratically.
Lines of corrupted data scrolled across its cracked screen.
"Most of this is shredded," Aurora muttered, typing fast. "But I can pull a few strings."
Fragments began to stabilize.
Sage read aloud, brow furrowing.
"...PROJECT: REV-0K…
SUBJECT 04…
REV-0K_LVL.X_KERNAL_UPD..."
They exchanged glances.
"'Subject 04?'" Malik repeated.
"'Revok'... sounds like a codename," Sage muttered. "And 'kernel update' implies something—or someone—was being rewritten."
Nyota's gaze darkened. "If Onnyx is 'Subject 04'...then there are others."
"Other what, though?" Aurora added quietly. "We still don't even know what he was."
Sage stood, brushing ash off his pants. "We need to find out where he came from. Who built him—and why."
Nyota stepped forward, picking up the cracked drone casing.
"We will," he said.
Then he looked toward the path Onnyx had fled down, where the smoke was beginning to clear.
And next time, he thought, we'll be ready.