UNKNOWN LOCATION
3:45PM…
The sleek, black dropship sliced through the afternoon sky as a distant storm clouds gathered on the horizon. Inside, G sat at the console, his face a mask of grim determination. He was on his way to meet Reno, the only man he fully trusted to give him the truth about this whole mess. The information Obi had unwittingly dropped in Jos, about the "factions" and the school fight, had shaken G to his core . He needed answers, and he needed them now.
The dropship descended into a secluded, heavily wooded area, far from any recognized landmarks. The canopy of trees swallowed the vessel whole. As the ramp lowered, the scent of damp earth and thick vegetation filled the air.
Reno emerged from the shadows of the trees, a tall, imposing figure even in the dim light. He carried no visible weapons, but his posture radiated coiled strength, a testament to his own past as a high-ranking operative. His expression was serious, devoid of his usual lightheartedness.
"Dabo," Reno greeted.
G stepped off the ramp, the weight of the last few hours heavy on him. "I need to know everything, Reno. No more half-truths, no more 'above your pay grade' bullshit. Tell me EVERYTHING." he demanded.
Reno nodded, gesturing for G to follow him deeper into the woods, towards a small, camouflaged structure almost swallowed by the undergrowth.
"That's why I agreed to meet. Things are moving faster than any of us anticipated. Kane… he's accelerating the timeline for his 'Black Dawn.' And the government's official narrative is a carefully constructed lie." Reno explained. They entered the hidden outpost. Monitors glowed with encrypted data, and holographic projections flickered across a central table.
"Tell me about these factions," G commanded. "Show me what was shown on the news, the story that happened at Excellence Secondary College months ago."
Reno sighed, pulling up a detailed timeline on the holographic display. "It started subtly. The initial Nucron outbreaks were chaotic, disorganized. Then, as the threat grew, smaller groups began to form, driven by fear, survival, or opportunism. Some were defensive, trying to protect their communities. Others were… more aggressive, leveraging their powers for personal gain, turning to crime. The 'bandit' groups your boys encountered, for instance ."
"And the factions?" G pressed.
"As the number of Nucrons grew, so did the organization. Natural leaders emerged. Some groups became mini militia's, offering protection but demanding absolute loyalty . Others became outright criminal syndicates. But the biggest catalyst… was the official government response." Reno explained.
"When the antidote was released, and Kronos Labs branded all Nucrons as 'threats' or 'resistants' if they didn't comply, it polarized everything . People chose sides. Those who feared the antidote formed alliances. Those who were stripped of their powers felt betrayed. And the government, under Kane's influence, began hunting down anyone with active abilities. That's when the factions truly solidified, fighting for survival, for power, or simply for their right to exist."
"And the school fight?" G's voice was barely a whisper. "The one with fire and lightning Nucrons? That was Ahmad and Bala, wasn't it?"
Reno nodded grimly, pulling up grainy surveillance footage on a screen. It showed the chaotic brawl between Ahmad and Bala, the flaring powers, the explosions, the panic .
"Kronos Labs spun it as a factional dispute, Nucron on Nucron crime. They used it to justify the Task Force, to push the narrative of uncontrollable superhumans. It was a perfect propaganda piece. And it happened right before they deployed the Enforcers nationwide. You were caught in the middle of a carefully orchestrated campaign, Dabo."
G watched the footage, his jaw clenched. His boys had been pawns, their raw, untrained power used to fuel Kane's agenda. His anger flared anew, a cold, dangerous fire.
"Kronos Labs developed basic mind-chips early on. They were experimental, often caused cognitive dissonance or aggressive behavior. It's why they sent them back for 'advanced testing'. Kane would have been testing its efficiency on those with latent powers." Reno continued.
"So the antidote was never about removing powers, was it?" G asked, piecing everything together. "It was about identifying the more powerful Nucrons for their twisted cause and then capturing and chipping them. Turning them into his loyal soldiers."
"Exactly," Reno confirmed. "But I think they did it by accident, cause your boys were the furthest ahead and I don't see anything that entails they knew about them before they first took the antidote. It contained a dormant Nuragen strain. Those whose biology reacted positively became stronger, their Nucron cells evolving . Those who didn't… well, they lost their powers, becoming complacent civilians who wouldn't pose a threat. The ones who did react, and resisted the chips, became the 'missing.' The ones who accepted the chip became the 'Enforcers.' Kane played everyone."
G stood in silence, absorbing the horrifying truth. The scale of Kane's deception, his ambition, was far grander and more sinister than he had imagined. It wasn't just about controlling Abuja; it was about controlling the entire Nucron population, turning them into his personal army.
"So, what's his endgame, Reno?" G finally asked, his voice low.
"Project 'Black Dawn'," Reno replied, the words hanging heavy in the air. "He plans to activate all mind-chipped Nucrons simultaneously across major population centres, starting with Abuja. A global takeover. Total control. The world will witness his power and bow to him."
G closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "This means war."
"Yes, Dabo. This means war. And you and your boys are right in the middle of it. The question is, what are you going to do about it?"
THE VAULT
4:00PM…
The dropship touched down in the hangar of The Vault, the hiss of its ramp lowering echoing in the massive space. Ahmad, Umar, Nasir, and Sadiq disembarked, their faces grim, a storm brewing in their eyes. The successful mission of recruiting Obi and Amara from Jos and Kaduna felt hollow, overshadowed by the chilling revelations they had found out about the state of the nation. The fragmented news reports they'd seen of widespread unrest and the realization that their own fight months ago had been twisted into propaganda, had left a bitter taste in their mouths .
Reed, fully knowing what was coming, brased himself and gave them a tired smile.
"(sighs) I know you want answers, please just…" he began to talk but Umar rushed into him, grabbing him by the neck and slamming him into the door with immense speed.
"I've heard enough of you talking." Umar growled as he tightened his grip. Ahmad marched forward, his flames flickering subtly around his fists, a clear sign of his barely contained fury. Nasir, and Sadiq flanked him, their expressions mirroring his anger.
"Pl… please, let me explain…" Reed struggled to speak.
"You lied to us!" Umar yelled. "You held back information! You let us believe everything was fine, when you know say Kane don use am turn everybody against us and other Nucrons!"
Nasir stepped closer, his voice low and dangerous. "You let our parents worry, let the whole country believe we were criminals or cultists. All so we could 'fix' YOUR mess."
Reed swallowed hard, he looked from face to face, seeing the raw anger, the betrayal. He knew he had to tell them everything. The full scope of Kane's manipulation, the true purpose of the antidote, the Black Dawn initiative, and his own complicity.
"Let him go Umar… he's going to talk." Ahmad said, his voice filled with rage. Umar obligied and let Reed go, his body collapsed to the ground as he clutched his neck, coughing as he tried to catch his breath
"I… I didn't want to burden you," Reed stammered, staggering to his knees. "I wanted you to focus on developing your powers, on becoming strong enough to fight back. The truth would have demoralized you."
"Demoralize?" Ahmad scoffed. "The truth is what sets us free, Reed! You think we're just blind tools for your redemption?!"
"No! Never!" Reed pleaded, his voice rising. "I joined you because I saw Marcus's madness! I betrayed him because I believe in what you represent! I believe you are the only ones who can stop him!"
He took a deep breath, trying to regain some semblance of control as he stood up. "Yes, I withheld information. I manipulated the narrative. But it was for a greater good! You are the only chance we have at stopping 'Black Dawn'!"
He then began to explain, detailing the true nature of the 'antidote' as a Nuragen-activating agent to enhance Nucrons and identify those who could be chipped and eliminate those who would stand with Kane . He spoke of Kane's plan to remotely activate all mind-chipped Nucrons, turning them into a global army, starting with Abuja . He laid bare his own conflicted past with Kane, and how he believed the boys were the only ones capable of truly fighting back due to their unique Nuragen enhancement.
The boys listened in silence, the pieces of their own experiences snapping into place with chilling clarity. The 'factions', the Enforcers, the chaos gripping the nation, it all made sense in this terrifying new light. When Reed finally finished, the silence in the hangar was heavier than before, thick with the weight of the monstrous truth. The boys looked at each other, the anger still there, but now mixed with a profound sense of shock and dread.
"So… our parents think we're cultists," Umar said, his voice flat. "Our friends… the country… all of them."
"And Zainab… she was a test subject," Sadiq murmured, his earlier concern morphing into heartbroken fury.
"That's why she changed." Ahmad clenched his fists. The immediate anger towards Reed was still there, but now a more primal rage burned within him, directed squarely at Kane.
"We need to go home," Ahmad declared, "Now. We need to find our families. We need to fix whatever relationship we have left with them. Tell them everything."
"But… the mission," Reed interjected, cautiously. "Kane… he's accelerating."
"Kane can wait!" Ahmad roared, his eyes blazing with crimson light. "My family comes first! Our families come first! We find them. We tell them. We protect them from all this madness."
Umar nodded fiercely. Nasir and Sadiq, though normally more composed, were equally resolute. The betrayal cut deep, and their loyalty shifted from the grand mission to the immediate, desperate need to protect their loved ones.
"Ayah," Ahmad commanded, "Prepare the dropship and set a course for Landvilla Estate, Wuye. Once we get there we'll splitting up."
Reed tried to protest again, but G's voice, now strong and clear from the comms, cut him off. "Let them go,Reed! They need this. They won't fight for a world they don't believe they can save. They need to protect what they love first. It's the only way they'll ever truly fight for anything else. So shut up and get of the way!" he commanded
Reed, defeated, lowered his head. "Understood, Commander."
The dropship hummed to life. The boys, their faces a mixture of exhaustion, anger, and fierce determination, strode towards the ramp. Their journey to save Nigeria had just taken a very personal turn.