The Noids were not The General's final precaution.
That distinction belonged to his Captains.
Their plan was simple: let the Noids weaken Bryce, then step in and finish the job, if The General is unable. The plan shattered the moment Bryce disintegrated The General. They saw the energy it gave him. The raw, terrifying power.
They were afraid. So they hid, leaving the work to the mindless machines.
They surrounded the bathroom block, scrambling for cover when the explosion tore through it. As the dust settled, they emerged with fire extinguishers and weapons, hoping to carve a path to Bryce's weakened body so they could avenge the death of their Superior.
Vengeance wasn't the real motive pushing them, they were driven by fear, the fear of finding him alive. More precisely, they were afraid of him letting him activate his Homo-Dues System. The Noids that were preventing him from activating his system had been burned to ashes.
They were stopped.
Choppers and jets landed in the barracks as five generals stepped out, barking orders that would surely lead to their deaths if disobeyed.
**********
Bryce lay on the ground. The alert about the robbery had jolted him, but the adrenaline was fading fast.
"Athena," he whispered, blood bubbling on his lips. "Activate the Homo Deus System."
The transformation was a wave of relief. His body reverted, swelling with renewed strength and youth. The ancient man was gone, replaced by a figure in his prime.
Data streamed across his vision:
USER: BRYCE ONYX
MODEL: 96.45
HDC: 100.00
<100/100 EXP>
STRENGTH: 94.3
STAMINA: 103.3
HEALTH: 110.34
Bryce stood. His fingers tightened around the spherical bomb.
"This Vampire Mode will grant me the power I need to make the World a better place." He muttered then he leaped.
He landed back on the main battlefield. He expected carnage and cowering captains.
He found an army.
High ranking Militants filled the field. The Captains were already in handcuffs. The Five Generals stood in a formal line, their attention fixed on the burning bathrooms. He had landed behind them.
Bryce smoothly slid the bomb into his pocket.
They surrounded him instantly. Weapons remained lowered.
"You are under arrest for murder," General Aries announced, his voice cutting through the air. "You will be detained pending a full investigation."
"I'll cooperate," Bryce said, his tone flat. "Do not rough-handle me."
Park and Raymond were already gone, evacuated in an emergency chopper. The Captains were being loaded into a secure vehicle. The field was littered with the dead, groaning and unconscious militants who were alive, but broken.
"Medical backup is en route," General Jay reported. "The survivors will be treated and detained."
"Let's move out," Aries commanded.
The entourage retreated to their vehicles. Choppers and jets lifted into the Martian sky, their downdraft scattering red dust over the wounded.
Across Mars, people began to switch off their B-Wax feeds, the drama had been concluded.
Then, a unified gasp echoed from those still watching.
Everyone scrambled to turn their feeds back on. They were too late.
They had to watch the recordings.
The footage showed the fleet of jets and choppers flying away. Then, a head emerged from one chopper's window.
Bryce Onyx looked down at the barracks below.
He dropped a single, spherical bomb.
The world turned white, then red in flames. Barrack Fifty-Nine erupted into a firestorm, consuming the conscious, the unconscious, the wounded, and the dead.