The Aegis Nine—the greatest and most powerful heroes known to man.
Each member was an elite, a warrior of unmatched strength and reputation.
And pure of heart… well, most of them did have pure hearts.
Their names were known across the world:
No.1 Adamant – The team leader, the Hero of Heroes, and the Undying Justice.
No.2 Titan– The indestructible juggernaut of battle.
No.3 Starlight – The sweetheart of the people, the lady of light, and the bringer of hope.
No.4 Shadow-Star – The Queen of Darkness, the counterpart of her sister, Starlight.
No.5 Velocity – The speed demon, the embodiment of lightning itself.
No.6 Frostbane – The Ice Queen, the beauty with brains and ruthless efficiency.
No.7 Stormbringer – The Deity of the Sky, Nature's wrath incarnate.
No.8 Echo – The Voice of the Earth, the team's tactician and strategic anchor.
No.9 Spectre – The Sword Hero, also known as Quick Death—the blade that strikes and leaves no wounds.
Together, they were Earth's ultimate force of justice.
Spark was meant to be among them, which would have made them—The Aegis Ten.
But his record was tainted and his ways were too dark, too brutal. He was the dealer of Depraved Jungle Justice, and the government could never accept him fully.
And today, these nine legends were summoned for something truly unexpected. It was a hostage situation with a peculiar request…
Warp, the space demon, had demanded the presence of not just one hero, but all nine.
The moment they heard it, they glanced at each other, amused.
They could all sense it; the stench of a scheme hung in the air.
But regardless of what lay ahead…
Justice always won!
---
Whoosh!
Nine brilliant figures descended upon the battlefield, landing in formation.
Adamant stepped forward; his presence alone shifted the atmosphere.
"What's going on?" he asked, his voice calm yet commanding.
An agent rushed forward and saluted. "S-Sir! It's an honor! The villain holding the hostage is Warp, the space demon!
"He demanded the presence of The Aegis Nine… and he also claimed he was about to leak something called Code X, which indirectly summoned the top-ranking villains."
Adamant's frown deepened.
He turned toward the group of villains standing in front of Spark.
They were still alive?
In the presence of Spark?
That alone was unnerving; normally, Spark would have painted the streets red by now!
He had to admit, Hateful or not, Spark could single-handedly destroy all ten villains in front of him… well, maybe not all but surely most.
It wasn't a matter of power; it was a matter of restraint.
And yet… he hadn't acted.
Adamant's gaze narrowed. "Why are they still alive?"
The agent hesitated. "Cough! About that, sir… Warp also requested that none of the villains be harmed."
Adamant's frown turned grim. Any lingering doubts vanished; this was a scheme for sure.
Looking at the nervous villains in the distance, he was sure they weren't aware of what was going on.
So who was pulling the strings?
It couldn't be Warp, a mere mid-ranker couldn't possibly mastermind a web this thick!
---
Spark ignored everything else, his gaze locked onto Starlight.
She stood clothed in her iconic white and gold, as the sun literally shone brighter around her.
Her blonde-golden hair danced in the wind. Her emerald-green eyes met his, and for a brief moment, melancholy flickered within them.
A hint of tenderness rose in Spark's pupils.
No matter how unfeeling he was, he couldn't stay the same when it came to her.
She was his anchor; the last thing that reminded him how to be human.
But now…
She was gone.
His eyes shifted and darkened as they landed on the figure beside her.
Velocity!
Her current lover.
A raw and suffocating frigid killing intent poured out of Spark's body.
"Velocity." He growled, his tone filled with uncontained hostility.
Velocity, clad in his tech suit, shivered as a spine-tingling chill crept up his spine.
He was terrified of Spark!
Spark was the only hero Velocity feared; normally, he was a fearless figure, after all, even if he couldn't defeat his foe, he could at least run away.
Velocity was fast, very fast even, but there was a reason he didn't bear the title 'the fastest man alive'.
And he really didn't want to find out who was faster between him and Spark.
He awkwardly waved, hoping to diffuse the tension.
But Spark didn't react.
Instead, his gaze returned to the complex, back to Warp's voice from inside, his aura diffusing with the wind.
"Okay, man! We've done all you asked. Can you come out so we can negotiate this peacefully?"
Everyone on the site rolled their eyes the moment they heard the word 'peacefully'.
Only an idiot would believe Spark wanted to resolve things peacefully.
Adamant's mouth twitched; this fool didn't even acknowledge the presence of The Aegis Nine.
But before Adamant could speak, Warp's voice boomed again.
"Listen carefully! I'm coming out now! And when I do, I will open a portal—you ALL must enter it! No questions asked!"
"And if you refuse—"
BOOM!
A building exploded in the distance, and the sound of screams and cries of civilians echoed.
Suddenly, every display screen in the city glitched, hacked by an unknown force.
The words flashed on every device:
"The Truth Behind Code X."
Both heroes and villains grimaced.
What the hell was Warp up to?!
Why go this far?!
The questions remained unanswered, but Warp finally stepped out of the complex, his voice carrying one last warning.
"I hope you're paying attention. If you don't comply, people die, and secrets will be spilled. And all I have to do is let go."
In his hand, a control remote, his thumb pressed firmly onto a single button.
Tsk! Rebel frowned, it seemed as if they killed him, they might be screwing themselves over.
Spark's expression turned ice-cold; killing didn't seem to be an option anymore.
His eyes locked onto Warp's figure—his skin was coated in a sickly purple hue, veins bulging unnaturally, eyes sunken, body reduced to bones wrapped in stretched skin.
Only one thing could explain this.
Warp had overdosed on Compound X.
Adamant narrowed his eyes.
"… Now this is going to be a problem."