KRONOS LABS (YABA X)
6:00 AM…
The prison island, once a symbol of containment, had become a fortress of madness. From the observation tower of Kronos Labs, Dr Kane watched the Enforcers and mind-chipped inmates patrol the area. They moved with chilling efficiency, their numbers a testament to the accelerated pace of his "Black Dawn" project. His dark energy pulsed within him, a constant, gnawing hunger that demanded more, leaving him gaunt and his movements frenetic.
Professor Charles, his face pale and his hands trembling, stood behind him. "Sir, please, it's not too late," he pleaded.
"The project is unstable. The neural chips… they're causing mass catatonia, not obedience. You're going to break their minds, not control them. We need more time!"
Kane turned, his eyes glowing with a raw, dark energy. "Time?! There is no more time, you fool!! They are coming for me! I will not be defeated by those boys!" He grabbed Charles by his lapels, his power crackling around him. "Their energy calls to me, Charles! It is pure and potent! It will make me invincible! I will be power itself!"
"But since you're so adamant about the stability of the mindchips, why don't I make… augmentations." Kane said, his voice now calm.
He shoved Charles aside, storming out of the office and heading towards the satellite launch facility. The satellite, a massive, gleaming monolith of technology, stood on the launchpad, humming with a controlled anticipation. It was a weapon, disguised as a communication device, designed to broadcast the mind-chip activation signal to every corner of the globe. The clouds darkened and thunder crackled as Kane walked through the island.
Kane laid his hands on the satellite's metallic hull, closing his eyes. His body convulsed as he poured his dark, vampire-like energy into the machine, charging it, corrupting it with his very essence. He was infusing the satellite with his hunger, his madness. The satellite's surface rippled with a dark, pulsing aura, mirroring the chaotic power within him. He pulled back, panting, and looked at the countdown timer: 00:58:32.
"Let them come," he hissed, a manic smile on his face. "This will be the dawn of my new world and the end of theirs."
THE VAULT
The boys and their allies were in a flurry of activity, preparing for the final battle. Dr Reed, his face etched with exhaustion but his eyes clear with purpose, walked into the training room with four new, upgraded suits.
"Good morning boys, I hope you're well rested for hats to come." he said. The boys continued their training as if he wasn't there. G walks in.
"Boys!" he said. They obeyed and turned to acknowledge Reed.
"An apology for the things I can never take back. I've been working on these since we got here, you can use them in the fight. They're built to withstand Kane's power and to amplify yours."
Ahmad, Umar, Nasir, and Sadiq, their faces a mask of grim determination, nodded and accepted the suits. It was time to look past shortcomings and fight the real enemy. They were forging a deeper understanding of their purpose.
Ahmad smiles softly as he held his new suit, "You're coming with us."
"I… think it'll be…" Reed tried to decline.
"No… you were there at the very beginning with the Nucranium event," Ahmad said.
"You saw and helped make everything Kane has done and built," Umar continued.
"You helped us escape and everything up until this point you've had a hand in it." Sadiq continued.
"So you're seeing this through to the end." Nasir completed. Reed was speechless and just nodded in gratetude.
"Toh, you heard them… suit up. I'll remain here to coordinate." G said patting Reed on the back.
"Ok, time to get to business. Obi and Amara are rallying their forces, and they've agreed to join you for pickup." G said as they all walked to the control centre.
Zainab spoke up from her chair, her voice calm and resolute. "I'll be staying here. My powers are better suited for overwatch. I've been working on a way to link with the mindchips so I can survey the area, the location of their strongest units, and give warning for any ambushes. I am your eyes and ears."
"Are you sure you're ok with that?" Sadiq asked concerned.
"I'll be fine… it's the least I can do." Zainab answered, blushing slightly.
"... Good." Sadiq said softly.
Retro, a solitary figure, grunted without turning. "This is a one-time thing," he muttered, his voice a mixture of arrogance and reluctant loyalty. "I'm only doing this because it'll affect me too."
"Really? I think there's more to you than that." G said.
"Clearly you don't know me very well." Retro said grimly.
"Oya now… everyone get ready and suit up. Its time to finish this." Ahmad commanded.
The boys suited up, their new spandex gleaming with their signature colours under the hangar lights. Ahmad sported a bright red, Sadiq acquired a bright blue, Umar had a yellow suit that fit his physique ell and Nasir sported a white super suit, all designed simple but good looking ith the black base colour. They were a team of young men with extraordinary powers, fighting for the fate of a world that had turned against them.
They walked towards the dropship along with Reed who sported a sleek black tactical gear, modified by him to suit the battle, Obi, Amara, and their respective factions—waiting for them at the pickup location. This was no longer just a small band of brothers; this was a resistance. The doors of the dropship opened, and they boarded, ready to face their destiny.
The dropship lifted off, cutting through the morning sky as the sun rose with a silent purpose. Below, the city of Abuja shimmered, oblivious to the storm gathering on the horizon. The fight was no longer a matter of survival; it was a battle for the dawn. And they were ready for war.
The dropship sliced through the morning sky, its advanced stealth technology making it a silent predator against the backdrop of a stormy ocean. Inside, the atmosphere was thick with a tense quiet. Ahmad sat in the co-pilot's seat, his gaze fixed on the holographic map of the prison island. Umar, Nasir, and Sadiq were behind him, their new suits feeling both familiar and like a heavy responsibility.
"Getting closer," Reed's said, his voice firm as he piloted the ship. "Sadiq, please initiate the data hack now. I'm routing you through my old backdoors. See if you can get us live footage."
A few tense moments passed. Then, the main holographic display in the cockpit flickered to life. The first image was a high-altitude, black-and-white feed of the island. It was a fortress. Enforcers of varying sizes and mind-controlled inmates moved in tight, disciplined formations, a chilling testament to Kane's ruthless ambition.
"My God," Reed breathed. "He has an army."
"I'm in, I'll send it to Zainab so she can give us better intel." Sadiq said
The feed zoomed in, and Zainab's voice, cut through the tension. "I've gained access to a wider network. There are patrols on every major access point. Their powers are amplified by the mind-chips, but they are predictable. Mindless. There weakness is the same, a hit on the back of the neck will destroy the chip and make them unconscious."
The footage shifted to the satellite launchpad. There stood the massive satellite, gleaming in the floodlights, but it was anything but sterile. Dark, tendril-like energy crackled from its surface, pulsing with a life of its own.
"It's him," Reed's voice was a whisper of horror. "He's infused the launch with his own power. It's unstable, who knows what it'll do when it launches."
The screen's display showed a countdown timer: 00:15:10. "Fifteen minutes to launch," Reed stated, his voice laced with urgency.
Ahmad turned to face his team, "Here's the plan. We drop directly on the launchpad. We take out the satellite. No detours, no messing around."
"And Kane?" Sadiq asked, his eyes darting to the screen.
"He'll come to us," Ahmad replied, a dangerous smirk on his face. "He wants this happen, he won't let it be destroyed. We destroy the satellite, and we face him. We're…."
A blast of energy hit the dropship, damaging it slightly, everyone stumbled inside as the ship stabilized. Kane's forces had detected them and were carrying out offensive measures.
"They know we're here!" Umar yelled.
"Well we weren't exactly planning for a stealth approach. Stick to the plan, Amara, join me on the roof to fight back before we land." Ahmad said.
"No need, I've made some improvements to our ship." Reed said with a grin as he pressed some buttons. The dropship made a sound and a shield formed around it as it flew, deflecting the blast coming from the island.
"Nice one." Umar said.
"Yeah, lets get ready to move guys." Ahmad said.
"And the others?" Amara's voice, fierce and determined.
"The rest of your factions will engage the main forces at the perimeter. Create a diversion. Buy us time to destroy the satellite and get to Kane. Retro, support them." Ahmad commanded.
"No problem," Retro's voice, full of arrogant confidence.
"Zainab, start working on disabling the mind-chips from your end. If you can take out their control, even for a few minutes, it will be enough to turn the tide."
"Understood," Zainab replied, her voice filled with resolve.
Ahmad turned to Sadiq. "Dr Reed, you're with me. We need your understanding Kane's energy and fight back. Umar, Nasir, you take point. Sado, give them support. We go in hard, we go in fast. Our fight starts now."
The dropship began its rapid descent, the roar of its engines a deafening sound of defiance. The island, Kane's fortress of madness, loomed large beneath them. The sky, once full of hope, now crackled with the promise of a coming war. The final battle had begun.
The dropship got close to the main gate of the prison compound, its shield flickering as it took damage from all sides
"The main gate is a kill zone," Reed announced, his voice tight as the ship shook violently.
"Go!" Ahmad replied, his eyes blazing. "Amara!, Obi! ENGAGE!" Ahmad commanded.
The comms crackled with the fierce agreement of their allies. Amara and obi dropped down from the hatch as their factions followed suit, they landed with a purpose, ready for the fight of their lives. The mind chipped inmates glared, and the battle began with a blinding light.
The dropship pitched violently as a barrage of anti-air fire erupted from the island's watchtowers. Reed fought the controls, his knuckles white as he they flew towards the satellite.
"Their firepower's too much!" he yelled. "I can't get you to the satellite without getting blown out of the sky!"
"Then get us as close as you can, Reed!" Umar roared, slamming his fist against the bulkhead. "We'll take it from there!"
The dropship descended rapidly, a blur of motion before landing hard in a rocky gorge a few hundred meters from the satellite launchpad. The ramp hissed open, and the boys sprinted out, leaving the damaged ship behind. Faced by the enforcers and inmates ready to fight them.
As they advanced, the ground trembled with the distant battle. Amara's light constructs flared, blinding a line of Enforcers, while Obi's sonic blasts sent others flying. The battle at the gate was a cacophony of sound and power, buying the boys the precious time they needed.
In his office, Dr. Kane watched the live feed with a furious, hungry glint in his eyes. He saw his forces struggling, outmaneuvered by the tactical genius of Obi and the sheer power of Amara. The sight of the boys fighting their way through his inner perimeter sent a manic grin across his face. "They came! Those fools actually came! Along with that treacherous fiend" he cackled, his dark energy pulsing, causing the monitors around him to flicker. "Charles, my plan is ready! It is time for them to die!"
The boys fought as one, a symphony of destruction. Nasir's maelstrom of wind, sharp as razors, shredded Enforcer armor, while Umar's earth manipulation created fissures and rock walls, dividing and conquering the enemy. Sadiq's precise hydrokinesis short-circuited mind-chips and weaponry, and Ahmad's unhinged flames burned through everything in their path. But the Enforcers kept coming, their eyes glowing with Kane's dark energy.
Ahmad, seeing the sheer numbers, looked at Reed. "This will take too long!" he yelled. "Reed, is there another way to shut this whole place down?"
Reed's eyes widened in horror. "The Nucranium cores! He's been using the island's natural deposits to power his operation. We can overload them, but it's suicide! it'll destroy the entire island!"
"Go and start the process, if all else fails that's our plan!" Ahmad commanded. "Sadiq and I will take the satellite! Umar and Nasir, fall back with Reed and help him overload those cores!"
"No, I want to fight that bastard!" Umar protested.
"It's the only way, Umar! We can't lose! We've come too far" Ahmad replied, his voice firm. "We need to get to the satellite now!"
With a reluctant nod, Umar and Nasir separated from Ahmad and Sadiq, joining Reed in a desperate race to the island's core. Ahmad and Sadiq pushed ahead, their eyes fixed on the towering satellite. Just as they reached the launchpad, a figure emerged from the shadows—Dr. Kane, his body crackling with dark energy. The air grew heavy, thick with the scent of ozone and something rotten.
"Greeting boys," Kane hissed, a look of pure malevolence on his face. "I'm glad you came, your friends ere feeling left behind!"
The figures of Lareto, Nkosi, and Acid lay on the ground, their forms limp and lifeless. Kane, a triumphant grin on his face, had already absorbed their Nucranium energy, their essence now a part of him.
Ahmad roared in a fit of grief and rage, his flames exploding outward in a torrent of fury. Sadiq, his heart a cold stone of protective rage, unleashed a powerful, high-pressure water whip. They attacked as one, a storm of fire and water. Kane met their assault with a barrier of pure dark energy, his eyes glowing with a frenzied light. he as more powerful than before.
He blasted them with his dark energy, a concentrated beam that should have obliterated them. But the boys' new suits held, their enhanced Nuragen cells absorbing and neutralizing the attack. "Impossible!" Kane screamed, his voice a distorted shriek of rage and confusion. "Your powers should be mine!"
"Your friend was kind enough to make new suits for us." Sadiq retorted, shrugging off a blast.
"of course he did." Kane scoffed.
Just then, the ground began to tremble, and with a deafening roar, the satellite began to launched, Ahmad shielded everyone from the blazing inferno of the boosters. Kane flew after it while they were blinded, intending to ride it to a new world.
"My dawn will not be denied!" he screamed into the wind.
"Sado! Lets go!" Ahmad yelled, grabbing Sadiq's arm. Their rage a physical presence. They flew after him and clamped onto the satellite, to try to stop him.
On the ground, Dr Reed, Nasir and Umar were making their way underground, fighting off inmates and running with urgency as they were short on time. They finally reached the bottom, where the Nucranium cores were located just as Umar kicked away the last standing inmate.
"That guy been de owe me dining chicken ooo." he said.
"You want dining chicken or Kane to take over the world … there's time to choose, no stress." Nasir sneered sarcastically as he kicked in the enforced door. The room was full of Nucranium, Umar and Nasir felt the power increase in their bodies as they walked in. Reed immediately went to a cylinder and began typing on the monitor attached to it. The cylinder opened and he brought out beakers of Nuragen and held them to his chest.
"These are Nuragen samples, highly unstable and cataclysmic once its made contact with pure Nucranium." Reed explained.
"Ok… now what do we do?" Umar asked.
"Lets wait for Ahmad's signal and then…." Reed as interrupted by a blast fired just beside his foot. Reed turned back to look in the direction the blast came from, it as Professor Charles, clutching a blaster in his hand.
"The idealist returns… with some familiar faces." he said.
"Charles! What the hell is wrong with you? You almost hit the samples, you know what could have happened." Reed said.
"Shut up! I know what could happen old man. After all, I'm the one who engineered them, that's why I shot near your leg." Charles retorted.
"Your doing something incredibly stupid. Destroying the entire island is not the way to stop Dr Kane." he said.
"This is more of failsafe Professor, if we can't stop that satellite from taking off we may as well destroy your base of command. Which has everything from Kronos labs, thankfully. We'll kill the entire operation." Reed explained with a smug grin.
"There will always be more Nucranium and we can make more Nuragen."Charles said.
Reed gaze softened, a new realization dawning ".… I know you want to make something better with Nucranium Charles. You don't want it to be like this." he said.
"Don't patronize me, I have my reservations about his methods, but Dr Kane is the reason I've made breakthrough after breakthrough. Unlike you I won't betray the man who made me what I am today." Charles replied
"That man has made you commit atrocity after atrocity! Everything the Nuragen has to these boys, those inmates, the mindchips you've already distributed around the country turning every Nucron that has into a catatonic Zombies or worse!" Reed yelled.
"You have blood on your hands because of him." he added, with quiet tone.
Charles looked ashamed but quickly recovered, "So do you! We BOTH have blood on our hands." he retored.
"Yes… I do…. but the difference is that I have spent every our of my life for the past few weeks trying to fix my mistakes. What have you done? Except cause even more chaos." Reed said, his face grim. Charles looked away, the shame finally gripping him.
"I did not want it to be this way. I tried to stop him but… he's too far gone." he whimpered.
"Then help us stop him. Or get out of the way." Umar demanded as he stepped forward, fed up of the conversation.
Charles looked at them and nodded slowly, tears wallowing in his eyes. He started to walk slowly towards them, Umar remained on guard. Suddenly Charles raised his gun and took aim and fired two laser blasts at Dr Reed, Umar put his hand the way and the laser bounce off his hand, deflecting it to another direction. The second blast was went past Umar and hit Reed just below his feet. The impact sent him back, he let go off the beakers, one sent flying behind him as he fell to the ground. Nasir with his fast reflexes caught the beaker before it could hit the floor. Umar rammed into Charles with the force a bull, knocking him down.
"This thing don tire me mehn. Just go I don't have time for this." Umar sneered.
Charles looked up, panting heavily "… indeed, you don't have time." as he brought out a remote from his jacket and pressed the big red button. Alarm bells started going off and a green liquid spilled onto the Nucranium cores, making them pulse and glow brighter. Umar kicks Charles away, sending him flying into a cylinder, knocking him unconscious, but it was too late.
"No! That damn fool… that's Nuragen, its reacting with the Nucranium cores, this place is going to explode." Reed said in horror.
"Ok, we'll communicate with them Ahmad and pack out now!" Nasir said. Suddenly a loud thud crashed around them, the ground shaking and intense wave of heat passed through them.
"Damn it! The satellite is taking off!" Reed yelled. They all ran out of the room as the Nucranium cores continued to pulse louder and louder with energy as it charged its explosion. It's a race against time as they rush to aid Ahmad and Sadiq.
A blistering battle of fire and dark energy raged on the satellite as it ascended into the sky. Dr Kane's manic rage evident as it got closer to its extraction point.
"Ahhhh!! get away from my satelite you demons!" Kane screamed as he fired a flurry of blasts from one hand at them. Ahmad and Sadiq blocked and dodged every blast, the strays damaging the satellite.
"You de craze!" Ahmad he fired a blast, fueled by his anger, Kane managed to deflect it but it struck the satellite's launch system. The intricate network of wires and consoles erupted in a shower of sparks, and the satellite's mind-chip signal ceased.
"Nooo!! You useless fool, you've destroyed the launch system!" Kane roared in rage, his plan ruined, but then a final, unhinged thought dropped into his mind.
"You have foiled my plans for the last time… I will destroy you all !!!" he screamed as his energy burst all around them. The dark energy roaring as it crackled around them, Ahmad and Sadiq tried to shield themselves but Kane's rage as too potent, he fired a huge blast at them, knocking them back as they tried to hang on to the satellite. He fired again and again, each blast stronger than the last and pushing them down the satellite even further until they reached the tip of the booster, barely holding on.
Kane cackled, a maniacle, deranged sound, "You have done your part in my story boys. But now its time end this chapter with a BANG!" he yelled as he fired a final destructive blast at them. The blast connected, sending Ahmad and Sadiq flying off the satellite and hurdling to the ground. Before there bodies could get far Umar caught them both mid-air, propelled by Nasir as he flew beside him.
"This guy don finally craze, lets end this!" Umar yelled just as Ahmad regained his wits and boosted himself and flew back towards Kane. He reached the top of the satellite as it flev and charged a huge ball of fire, his face grim with resolve as his eyes blazed and fired at the satellite. Kane saw the blast coming and fired his on beam.
The two beams collided with a flash of light and the two powerful Nucrons refused to relent, Kane laughing maniacally through his teeth, Ahmad remained determined to finish this once and for all. His mind flooded with thoughts and memories of all that happened to him, his friends and families, all because of Kane, his rage boiled over and his flames burst, growing bigger and glowing brighter, his fire beam grew larger than ever before as he roared, completely engulfing Kane's beam and the satellite. The huge flash of light blinded the entire area, the loud explosion echoing far and wide, The clouds cleared, giving way to a new dawn as the boys were finally seemingly triumphant.
As debrea fell all over the island and the Atlantic ocean, the boys landed calmly back on the island, meeting Reed who had a huge smile on his face. Ahmad landed and stumbled to his knees, exhaustion evident from his the burst of energy he just generated. His suit ripped and torn from the sheer force and heat his body radiated previously. Sadiq summoned water from a small pond near by and fed it to Ahmad, which he drank and drank, steam coming off of him with every gulp.
"You try boss." Sadiq said. Ahmad finished drinking and let out a calm breath.
"It needed to happen." he said as he stood up.
"Well done boys… and thank you." Reed said, grateful. They all smiled at each other. Amara and Obi came running to them, a few of their troops trailing behind as well.
"Senior men! I no believe am aje!" Obi said.
"You did well, I'm glad you guys ere the ones to lead us." Amara commended.
"Guys… its not over." Zainab's voice came through the comms. A ball of fire crashed a few meters infront of them. The ground shook as dark energy emerged from the crater, completely engulfing the flames. The energy as unmistakable, Dr Kane had survived and was back for vengeance. He walked briskly out of dark chasm, his face scarred from his forehead down to the tip of his nose, his eyes pitch black, and his face lacked emotion as he stared down the group.
"What the hell?!" Umar exclaimed.
"All I wanted, was to make this country, this entire continent rise above the filth we are now. But you have made it your life mission to stop that evolution." Kane stated, his voice oddly calm.
"Thats not what you've been doing Marcus, you know damn well… that wasn't the way. What did you expect?" Reed queried.
"I warned you, I begged you. But you went ahead, now you can see what been trying to explain to you all these years." he continued.
"Indeed, you did warn me, old friend. And now I know what to do." Kane said, his eyes showing a focused resolve.
"And what's that?" Sadiq asked.
"I've gone passed the point of explaining to you. Just know that there are counter measures in place." Kane anwsered.
"And to be frank, you won't be alive to see them come to fruition." he added as he made a gesture with his hand, his dark beams emerged from the ground around the boys and the others. They dispersed, trying their best to evade and block the beams.
Kane then charged up powerful beam from his chest and fired it from his mouth towards Reed, but before the blast could connect, a digital shield appeared infront of Reed. Retro, standing on the far side of the landscape, his blue power crackling around him. He turns to face Kane, who fires a flurry of dark energy blast at him. Retro deflects them with ease and fires his own barrage of blast, the explosions build up smoke between them, Retro jumps into the air, his phoenix shrieking into life as he landed on its back. The phoenix then fired a massive blast at Kane, the impact burying Kane deep into the land, forming a massive crater.
Retro remained in the air as the dust cleared on the ground, Sadiq looked up, locking eyes with Retro, who smirks and nods, he then turns his phoenix around and flies away into the distance. Sadiq scoffs, but quickly turns to face the threat at hand.
"Boys! We need to finish this… we don't have much time, this island will explode any moment!" Dr Reed yelled.
"Then lets finish this." Umar said clutching his ribs, getting ready to attack.
"Wait! Fighting him will take too long, we need to pushed him back long enough to get everyone else off the island before it goes to hell." Ahmad said.
"Dr Reed, can you pilot that aircraft?" he asked, pointing at a large ship a distance near them.
"Affirmative, but we need to move fast." Reed answered.
"Ok. Obi, have your troops gather all the inmates you knocked out and get them on that plane NOW!" Ahmad commanded.
"Yes boss." Obi answered, taking Amara and their troops to gather the inmates.
"Now lets finish this guy shap shap." Ahmad said, taking a fighting stance. Nasir, Sadiq and Umar took the stance beside him, ready for one last fight.
Kane's energy burst from the crater, swirling like tentacles as it trailed all over the landscape. Kane hovered in the air as he glared at the boys, without saying a word his energy lunges at the boys, aiming to consume them. The boys evade, Ahmad shoots flames to counter the beams but they dicipate the flames and grab Ahmad. Nasir and Umar try to come to his aid but are caught from behind by the energy tentacles. Sadiq summoned water from the ocean and tried to drop it over Kane, he anticipates this and uses a sharp blast from his eyes to hit Sadiq, knocking him unconscious as a tentacle grabs him. Kane now has the boys restrained, he holds them up as his power grows bigger, like a monster from the bottom of the sea. But Kane remains expressionless.
Suddenly, a huge white beam strikes Kane directly in the chest, pushing him bak slightyl but affecting him non the less. At the other end of the beam, Dr Reed stood with a cannon on his shoulder. He fires twice more, hitting Kane directly and making his power smaller and making him weaker. He lets the boys go after the second blast, they observe the scene in shock.
"Hurry up, this place is about to blow!" Reed yelled.
The boys jumped in with vicious speed and resolve. Nasir hits Kane with a powerful burst of air. Umar follows up with two boulders, crushing him between them. Sadiq summons a huge body of water from the ocean and uses it to push Kane further away, disorienting him. Finally Ahmad charges up a giant fire ball above his head using all the energy he has left and launched it at him. The explosion engulfs Kane just as the island began to burst from underground. The dropship hovered over the air and Reed's aircraft lifted off. The boys jump into the dropship quickly, barely escaping the island explosions. They flew away, the explosion forming a mushroom cloud as the ships used all their boost to get away with everyone inside. Victory, at last.