The adrenaline faded but the tremor in Lucas's hands remained as dawn's pale light filtered through cracked windows of the safe house. The team had barely escaped Nexus Labs, and the world outside had already begun to fracture.
Mira hunched over a battered tablet, refreshing global feeds. "Every major city's experiencing VR blackouts. Players are rioting—storming corporate offices, demanding answers. It's chaos out there."
Thorne, cleaning his blade by an overturned crate, grunted. "Good. They'll know what we faced in the underbelly of their game."
Sera sat apart, eyes distant. Lucas approached gently. "How are you holding up?" he asked.
Sera's fingers twitch as data streams flickered in her vision. "Shattered. Each vision left me more... broken. I saw Nexus Labs using our neural imprints to control policymakers, advertisers—everyone." She swallowed hard. "We set off a global shockwave."
Lucas placed a hand on her shoulder. "We did what we had to. But this isn't over."
A sudden chime rang from Ren's wrist console. He frowned as he read incoming intel. "We've been approached by a faction calling themselves the Vanguard Collective. They claim to have insider evidence on Nexus's board—enough to topple them, if we cooperate. But their terms... are extreme."
Mira looked up, eyes sharp. "What do they want?"
Ren's expression darkened. "Access to Sera's glitchseer abilities—to weaponize them against rival corporations. They promise resources and safe passage—but at the cost of using your gift, Sera."
Tension crackled in the cramped room. Thorne slammed his fist on the table. "We fought to free people, not to hand them over to another power."
Lucas raised his voice, calm but firm. "We need allies—but we must choose wisely. If we join the Vanguard, we risk trading one master for another. If we refuse, we'll face Nexus's retaliation alone."
Sera met his gaze, conflicted. "I want to help—truly dismantle their system. But I can't be a weapon." She closed her eyes, pained. "Every vision costs me a piece of myself."
Mira leaned forward, self-assured. "We stick to our principles: expose Nexus to the world. Gather evidence. Use public opinion, not force. We can't sacrifice our souls for victory."
Ren nodded slowly. "I'll maintain contact with the Vanguard. We'll accept information—but reject coercion."
A hush fell. Lucas exhaled. "Then it's settled. We gather intel, build coalitions with free-net activists and investigative journalists. We'll strike at Nexus's heart with truth, not with stolen power."
Outside, the distant rumble of protest turned to the beat of marching feet. The world was waking to a new reality—one shaped by the Outlaws' reckoning.
As Lucas gazed at the skyline fractured by neon protests and rising barricades, he knew the real war had only just begun.