THE VAULT
11:00 AM…
The dropship descended into the hangar of The Vault, its engines powering down with a final, weary sigh. The air inside was heavy with a mix of exhaustion and triumph. Ahmad, Sadiq, Umar, and Nasir, battered and bruised but alive, disembarked. Behind them, a stream of newly liberated Nucrons followed, their faces a mix of confusion and awe. Reed, his tactical gear torn and his face streaked with soot, led the group, a look of profound relief on his face.
G stood waiting for them, his expression a mixture of paternal pride and a commander's resolve. He shook each of the boys in turn, his grip firm. "Well done, boys," he murmured. "You did excellent work."
The main room of The Vault, usually a place of quiet strategy, was now a makeshift field hospital. Reed had acquired a team of medics and scientists, and they worked tirelessly to treat the injuries of the liberated inmates, their powers now returned and their minds free from Kane's control. In the middle of it all, standing together with their respective troops, were Amara and Obi.
"Hmm… it's a good feeling." Amara said.
"I swear, I no believe say e go happen." Obi said.
"These your bosses are good, have you offered to join them? Or they join your own faction?" Amara asked.
"Ah… these ones big pass any faction ooo, na their boy I be, if they need help… I go de there." Obi answered. Just then Nasir walked over.
"Take it easy, Obi," he said, smiling softly.
"How are you guys doing?" Nasir asked.
"We're fine… What about you guys?" Amara enquired.
"We're good, Ahmad is exhausted, but he'll be fine." Nasir answered.
"That's good. Then I guess this is where we go our separate ways," Amara said, her voice soft but firm. "My people need me. We have to go back and start fixing things. The mindchips could still leave some people disoriented."
"You can coordinate with Reed, he's trying to deploy teams all over the country, but it'll take time." Sadiq said, walking over. Ahmad and Umar walked over as well, their faces tired.
"Until then, let me get back and begin work." Amara said.
Obi, standing beside her, nodded. "Yeah. My people also have a lot of things to do."
"Has anyone seen Retro?" Ahmad asked.
"Yep, he flew away after a short fight with Kane." Sadiq answered.
"(scoffs) of course." Ahmad said.
They all shook hands, a mutual respect now forged in the fires of battle. "Thank you," Amara said, looking at Ahmad. "For helping us fight back."
"Yeah," Obi added, a rare sincerity in his voice. "We owe you, bosses. I de loyal, always. Anytime you need me, holla." With a final salute, they boarded their dropship and took off, a new, hopeful mission awaiting them.
Zainab, watching the departure from a corner of the room, walked towards them, her face somber.
"Hey… I think I have to go too," she said.
"What?" Sadiq asked, his heart sinking. "What? … Why?"
"I have to go home now." Zainab said, chuckling. "I'm tired and I need to sleep."
"But.. you can..."
"Bros, relax now, she's tired. She wants to go home, allow her. We should all go home." Umar interrupted.
"Yeah. But I... I have to go back and face my family, and I don't know how to do that yet. I need to figure out who I am on my own."
Sadiq nodded, a lump in his throat. He understood her dilemma, the fear of confronting a family that had never understood her. He reached out and held her hand. "We'll always be here for you, Z." She squeezed his hand gently, a single tear rolling down her cheek, and then she walked away, disappearing into the vastness of the Vault.
With their allies gone, the boys were once again alone, but their resolve was stronger than ever. They looked at G, then at Reed, waiting for their next orders.
"What now?" Ahmad asked, his voice now a leader's.
"Now, we figure out our next steps. We've won the battle, but the war is far from over. There's still a lot of crime going on, a lot of people are lost and scared, and others are misguided. Now it's your job to fix those problems."
Reed stepped forward, a renewed passion in his eyes. "Its been a long few weeks. After a good night's sleep, I ill make the appropriate arrangements, but I pledge my unending support to you all. I won't stop until every mind-chip is destroyed and every Nucron is free. And I will work to fix the world, but this time for good. We will build a new world out of this chaos, one that is built on the promise of Nucranium, not the curse of it. I will provide you with all my technology and resources."
"But for now… everybody, get some rest." G commanded
The boys looked at each other, their faces filled with hope. There minds ere full of different crushing thoughts, Ahmad thought about his mom, he planned to find her and let her know the truth. Sadiq thought of Zainab, she'd been through a lot and he wondered if there as still a future for them. Nasir thought of his family, his mom and sisters, their safety, their happiness. He also thought of his father and wondered what he had been up to and if he would ever return. Umar thought of his own secrets, even though it had been months since he last did it, the hunger in his mind and body never stopped raging. G thought of the future, how the boys would go forward, if he could ever get their lives back to some semblance of normalcy. Reed thought of Kane, their time together, their plans, and their real plans; he vowed to fulfil their real plans, the plans to improve humanity with Nucranium.They had been through so much, but they were ready for the fight that was yet to come. They were ready for their new dawn.
At the Atlantic ocean, the area where the prison island used to be, debris floated around. Down at the sea floor, a giant fragment of the prison building remained intact, a probing light flashing faintly from the broken windows, followed by a purple flash.
In an unknown location, a figure wrapped in a dark cloak, sat on a chair, a dim light flashing above him. He was calm and arrogant. A grin grew across his face, a look of pure malevolence now evident on his face as a voice came to him.
"So Professor... it appears my plan worked after all. It's time to show them what a true genius is capable of."
A man with a familiar grin and a menacing look, Professor Charles, stood in the corner of the room, a tray of mind-chips and Nuragen in his hands. "Yes, Dr. Bolaji, it is time."