"It works!" Adrian exclaimed as he saw the device fulfill its purpose. Without wasting a second, he increased the power from his wristband. Milo let out a blood-curdling scream as he collapsed to his knees, his trembling hands desperately trying to rip off the vest clinging to his body. "What… what is this?" he stammered in a broken voice, his arrogance crumbling along with his strength. "Why am I losing my powers?" His voice turned into a muffled groan before he collapsed completely, overcome by pain.
The mighty enemy, Milo, fell unconscious onto the sweat- and dust-soaked ground. Finally, after so much effort, he was defeated.
"And you said my power was useless," Adrian remarked from his position, a triumphant smile spreading across his face. Rafael applauded in admiration, though his body still showed signs of exhaustion.
"Bootlicker," Akira muttered with a mocking smirk, but Becky only managed a small smile, too tired to make any biting remarks.
"Though I did use my head," Adrian added with feigned modesty, prompting laughter among those present.
"What did you do to him?" everyone asked, looking at Adrian with renewed curiosity. He proudly explained: "I salvaged some parts from the general's weapons before they were destroyed. Those pieces came in handy: I used them to create a powerful device capable of inhibiting a Metalux's powers. By draining his energy, it weakens him until he loses consciousness. Basically, I copied what it did, but improved its function, making it smaller and easier to carry. I thought it wouldn't work because we were in such a rush." Adrian sighed, as if he could hardly believe his plan had succeeded.
"Wow, you really are good," Azulema commented, giving him a sincere compliment. "This time, brains overpowered brawn." Adrian blushed instantly, lowering his gaze as his teammates' laughter filled the air.
Everyone, despite being utterly exhausted, started laughing at the comment. Their bruised and weary bodies dropped to the ground one by one, unable to stay standing any longer. "Now it's really over," they said in unison, collapsing with a collective sigh of relief.
Melisa finished her report in front of the camera, her voice steady and excited: "Evil has been defeated, and the reign of terror under Milo, alias Zeus, has come to an end. We witnessed the downfall of this man who, in the end, could be vanquished." A satisfied smile lit up her face as she added a final phrase: "False gods fall." The camera clicked off just after recording the last word. The team embraced each other, celebrating that they had survived this nightmare.
"Alright, I'll take it from here. I'll place this individual under custody," General Bronjort announced, approaching alongside Major Mike, who was now feeling better. "We thought he had died, but he was still breathing."
Bronjort hoisted Milo over his shoulder like a heavy sack, showing no sign of effort. At that moment, the roar of a helicopter echoed in the sky. The other members of the Square descended with serious and irritated expressions, clearly eager for an important meeting with Bronjort. The general nodded solemnly as he continued carrying Milo. A group of soldiers exited the aircraft to escort the leaders of the Square, ensuring everything was under control.
"You've done good work, agents," Bronjort said, addressing Podbe and Aiden specifically. "Though you're not official agents, your contribution was invaluable."
Before leaving, Bronjort approached Drake with a stern expression. "For now, I'll leave you in charge of the controlled children," he said, his voice firm but calm. "I'll return with an answer I hope will be satisfactory after meeting with my colleagues."
"And what about Aiden?" Drake asked, pointing to his grandson. Bronjort didn't stop walking; he simply replied without looking back: "We'll see."
At that moment, the soldiers grabbed Aiden by the arms, attempting to cuff him as if he were another villain. The group erupted in protest. "Hey! You can't take him!" his friends shouted, as Melisa and her team, along with the agents who were beginning to gather, rushed forward. Even Jake, the shadow agent—a triple agent reporting to Drake, Bronjort, and Hela—intervened. "Without him, we wouldn't have been able to defeat the bad guy!"
"Hero!" exclaimed Hela, one of the leaders of the Square, with disdain, pointing at Aiden. "That boy is dangerous. And we should also take that dog," she added, referring to Podbe, who was completely exhausted, unable to move after depleting all his mana. Then, turning to Azulema and her team, she continued: "Besides, Unit C can erase everyone's minds here and implant false memories to make them think it was something else."
"That woman is such a pain," Maria muttered, crossing her arms. Azulema, her eyes filled with contempt for Hela, retorted: "Neither I nor my team would ever do something like that."
The conflict seemed on the verge of escalating when Bronjort interrupted the altercation. He slammed his boot into the ground with force, creating a thunderous noise that silenced everyone. "Enough!" he commanded in an authoritative voice that resonated through the air. "We must discuss this matter among ourselves and leave the boy for now. Remember that, in the eyes of the world, he is a hero."
"No," Hela insisted, her cold and calculating gaze fixed on Bronjort. "The boy is dangerous, and that dog must come with us too." The other members of the Square nodded, showing their agreement. "You broke our trust," she accused, referring to actions taken behind their backs without properly reporting to THE SQUARE as required.
"Trust?" Bronjort said, raising an eyebrow with irony. He pulled a small candy fragment from his pocket and broke it in front of them, revealing a tiny microphone hidden inside. "What kind of trust is this?" he asked, holding the microphone between his fingers. Lucas, who had been eating candies just moments ago, nervously swallowed. It was he who had placed the microphone, thinking the general wouldn't notice.
Bronjort fixed his penetrating gaze on the group, his face as stern as a stone mask. "Let the boy stay with his family... right?" he proposed, though his words sounded more like a command than a suggestion. Then, he lifted Milo, still unconscious, and slung him over his shoulder with the inhibitor vest on, as if to remind them who the true trophy of the battle was. The leaders of the Square exchanged uncomfortable glances, visibly uneasy under the general's dominant attitude.
Hela closed her mouth, intimidated by Bronjort's threatening stare. The others muttered a quick "Fine, for now." Finally, one of them spoke: "That's all for today. We'll see about things tomorrow. There are dangers we need to discuss, but we'll do it later or tomorrow." Bronjort nodded decisively.
Meanwhile, in her mind, Hela thought: My superiors will hear about this. Just wait, Bronjort.
Without further discussion, Bronjort signaled to the guards to release Aiden. "Let him go. For now, he can return to his friends." The soldiers obeyed, freeing the young man, who ran back to his group, greeted with hugs and pats on the back.
Once the agents were retrieved—thanks to Rafael, who, with the little mana he had left, managed to create an improvised radio—a ship appeared on the horizon. On board were Marie and Omar, who took charge of transporting the group to what remained of the secret base. What had once been a hidden refuge was now little more than exposed ruins, a reminder of the recent battles. Everyone went to the base, including Melisa's team and the two former soldiers of Zeus, Aragon and Gabriel.
Aragon and Gabriel kept their distance, observing from the shadows. For now, no one had identified them as villains; the Square only knew of the "dark knight," but there were no clear descriptions that incriminated them.
Everyone wanted to celebrate the great feat, but amid the commotion, Marie raised her voice: "What about Agent B-12? Where's Nick?" The question hung in the air, heavy with concern. Jake, always silent and observant, extended his hand toward his own shadow, extracting a container. Inside, Nick lay in a coma. "I couldn't carry everyone in my shadow," Jake explained simply. "My mana was at its limit just to hide him." Everyone felt relief at Jake's explanation, especially Marie.
Afterward, a small celebration began among those present, sharing what little they had. True to her word, Azulema kept her date with Adrian during the gathering. He, completely red and nervous, could barely utter a word as she shot him flirtatious glances. Meanwhile, Mark was chased by the girls on his team, eager to see who he'd end up pairing with today. Cadets Rino and Lidia, along with other members of the base, congratulated the team, filling the room with laughter and lively conversations.
Amid the commotion and noise, Aiden opted to step out of the crowded room for a while. Podbe followed, and together they began to explore what remained of the facility. Among the rubble and remnants of technology, they found the container where Nick still lay in a coma.
Aiden approached slowly, gazing at Nick's motionless body inside the container. Podbe stood by his side, and Aiden said through their mental link: "It's funny... Everything started with him giving you the system you now carry."
At that moment, a notification blinked in Podbe's system. Reia intervened: "Remember the mission that was in question marks... Now this message appears: Return what isn't yours to an agent."
"Does it refer to the voice?" Podbe wondered aloud.
"I don't know," Aiden replied hesitantly.
When Podbe placed his paw on the container, a message appeared before them: Yes? No?
"Maybe it's the right thing to do," Podbe reflected. "Perhaps with this, Nick can recover and come out of that state. I should return whatever it is I need to give back to him."
"But... what if I lose you?" Aiden asked, his voice trembling.
"Don't worry, you don't want to meet your father," Podbe responded calmly. "I'll always be your dog and your best friend."
"And you still have me," Reia added, her tone soft but firm.
"That's true. I have both of you," Aiden continued, lost in thought. "And I would like to meet my real father—not the mental vision that was in your mind, Podbe. During this journey, I've met so many people... I even found my family, though it's strange and eccentric. I also encountered some possessed individuals with delusions of grandeur, like Milo... And an uncle who tried to kill me," he said, referring to Gabriel when he was under Geros's control. "I wonder where they've gone. I didn't see either him or Aragon after we got off the ship."
They looked at each other, uncertain but resolute. Finally, they said in unison: "Alright, together."
Together, Aiden and Podbe decided to press the button in their mental space, sealing their decision with mutual trust.
When the button was pressed, Aiden was abruptly pulled out of Podbe's mental space. Reia tried to reach for him, her hand extended as if to grab hold of him, but everything around them began to dissolve into a whirlwind of lights and shadows. When he came to, he found himself standing in front of the tube where Nick, Agent B-12, had been in a coma. To his astonishment, the body inside the container began to stir slowly, and his eyes opened with a faint but conscious glimmer.
"Hello, my boy!" Nick said with a warm smile, his voice filled with affection. Aiden felt a lump in his throat as he watched his father—for he now knew that Nick was much more than just an agent—look at him with pride. It was such an intimate moment that words couldn't fully capture the depth of the emotion.
In a place far, far away, someone sat on a dark and majestic throne, surrounded by shadows that seemed alive, writhing like invisible serpents in the air. The figure remained motionless, enveloped in an aura of power and mystery. Suddenly, a soldier burst into the room, rushing toward the throne with urgency.
"My lord," the soldier said, bowing deeply. "We've managed to intercept some waves... But it's no ordinary message! It's from Urion, and we've succeeded in transcribing it."
The figure on the throne raised a gloved hand, signaling silence. "Give me the message," he commanded in a cold and authoritative voice. The soldier approached, trembling slightly, and handed over a small device. The figure read it carefully, his eyes scanning each line with calculated precision. As he deciphered Urion's encoding, a sinister smile spread across his face.
"So... there's someone who can open portals," he murmured to himself, his tone laced with contained malice. He looked up at the soldier. "You may leave."
The soldier quickly obeyed, vanishing into the shadows. The figure rose from the throne and walked toward an even darker chamber, where a chained silhouette remained motionless in the dim light. Only the echo of his footsteps resonated in the void.
"I still have chances to find what I want... Earth, eh!" he said with a low, twisted laugh, his voice reverberating like a sinister echo in the dark room. His malevolent smile briefly illuminated as a flash of light pierced the shadows, revealing the sharp contours of his face before the darkness swallowed him again.
The chained silhouette remained immobile, but the air in the room grew heavier, charged with an oppressive energy that made the skin prickle. It was as if the very fate of the world hung suspended at that moment, waiting for the next move from this enigmatic figure. A sense of impending danger lingered in the atmosphere, so thick it could almost be felt in every labored breath.
The universe was about to change—and not necessarily for the better.
End of Arc 1.
If you've finished reading or listening to this story and have reached the end of the first arc, I want to say something from the bottom of my heart: thank you so much! Your support during this first part of the journey has been incredibly valuable to me. Every time someone decides to join me on this adventure, I feel like all the effort, hours, and ideas truly come to life.
This first arc has only been the beginning. It has featured some action, revelations, and characters that I hope have managed to find a place in your heart (or at least pique your curiosity). But trust me, this isn't the end. The story will continue in the next arc, and I promise to bring you even more excitement, unexpected twists, and moments that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
I'd love to hear what you think about this first arc. Leave a comment or share your thoughts—every word you leave is a treasure to me and helps me grow as a creator.
Once again, a thousand thanks for accompanying me this far. This project wouldn't be possible without people like you, who decided to give it a chance and stayed until the end.
With infinite gratitude,
The Author Cocoelcool38/Shadowcoco
P.S.: See you in the next arc! Get ready, because what's coming will be even bigger and more epic—I'm turning up the action. This is just the beginning…