The Tokyo facility was hidden beneath a popular gaming company. Hundreds of young people worked above, unaware that their basement contained a horror show.
Alex's international team materialized on the roof at midnight. Maya had recruited three Japanese system users. Elena brought two corporate infiltrators from her network. David coordinated with local law enforcement.
"Thermal shows sixty enhanced individuals below," reported Kenji, a speed-based system user from Osaka. "They're expecting us."
"Good," Alex replied. "Expectations can be weapons too."
The plan was simple. Maya would hack their security. Elena would cut power. The Japanese team would handle evacuation. Alex, David, and the heavy hitters would engage the enhanced guards.
It went wrong in the first thirty seconds.
"Maya!" Alex called as alarms started blaring. "They've got countermeasures!"
"Working on it! They upgraded their systems since Switzerland!"
Enhanced security poured from hidden elevators. These weren't the crude modifications from the university. These subjects had been refined, perfected, turned into living weapons.
*ENEMY ANALYSIS: JAPANESE ENHANCED UNITS*
*MODIFICATIONS: SPEED, PRECISION, COORDINATION*
*THREAT LEVEL: EXTREME*
The battle was chaos. Alex's team was outnumbered three to one by opponents who moved like deadly dancers. Every strike was calculated for maximum damage.
"Elena! Status!"
"Power's cut, but they have backup generators! And Alex - the subjects downstairs aren't students!"
"What?"
"They're children! The youngest is maybe eight years old!"
*MORAL OUTRAGE: CRITICAL LEVELS*
*ALL LIMITATIONS REMOVED*
*SYSTEM EVOLUTION: PROTECTOR MODE*
Alex felt his enhancements explode beyond their normal limits. He moved through the enhanced guards like a force of nature, each strike precise and devastating.
"Maya, disable their pain inhibitors!"
"Already done! They're feeling everything now!"
The enhanced guards began screaming as their artificial systems turned against them. Without chemical numbing, they couldn't handle the damage their modifications had done to their bodies.
Alex reached the basement laboratory in minutes. What he found made him want to burn the world down.
Dozens of children in enhancement tanks. Ages six to fourteen. Their small bodies twisted by forced modifications. Some had extra limbs. Others glowed with unstable energy.
"Who did this?" he whispered.
"I did."
Alex turned to face a woman in a white lab coat. Dr. Yuki Tanaka, according to her name tag. She looked proud of her work.
"These children were going to be abandoned anyway," she said calmly. "Street orphans, runaways, unwanted births. I gave them purpose."
*ABSOLUTE EVIL DETECTED*
*RESTRAINTS REMOVED*
*ELIMINATE THREAT*
Alex's hand moved without conscious thought. Dr. Tanaka was dead before she hit the ground.
*FIRST KILL: NON-COMBATANT*
*SYSTEM CONFLICT: HERO VS VILLAIN*
*RESOLUTION: JUSTIFIED EXECUTION*
"David!" Alex called. "We need medical teams now! These kids need help!"
David's voice came through strained. "Emergency services are en route. How bad is it?"
Alex looked at the children floating in tanks, some of them watching him with eyes that held too much understanding.
"Bad. Really bad."
The rescue operation took six hours. Most of the children survived, but their modifications were permanent. They would need special care for the rest of their lives.
As dawn broke over Tokyo, Alex stood in the destroyed facility with Director Chen.
"Eleven more sites," she said quietly.
"Eleven more chances to stop this," Alex corrected. "Maya, where's the next closest facility?"
"Mumbai. Intel says they're working on mental enhancements there."
"Mental modifications on children?"
"Worse. They're trying to create psychic weapons. Children who can kill with their thoughts."
Alex felt his system pulse with dark energy. The villain side wanted efficiency. Quick, brutal solutions. The hero side demanded justice and mercy.
Both sides agreed on one thing: Project Olympus had to die.
"Gear up," he told his team. "We're not stopping until this is finished."
*QUEST UPDATED: ELIMINATE ALL OLYMPUS SITES*
*PROGRESS: 2/13 FACILITIES DESTROYED*
*VILLAIN POINTS: 30,000*
*HERO POINTS: 15,000*
*SYSTEM STATUS: EVOLUTION IN PROGRESS*
As they prepared for the flight to India, Alex received an encrypted message that made his blood run cold.
*FROM: UNKNOWN SENDER*
*TO: ALEX CHEN*
*YOU CANNOT STOP US ALL*
*FOR EVERY FACILITY YOU DESTROY, WE CREATE TWO MORE*
*THE CHILDREN YOU SAVE TODAY WILL BE OUR WEAPONS TOMORROW*
*PROJECT OLYMPUS IS ETERNAL*
Alex deleted the message and smiled grimly. They wanted to play psychological warfare?
He was the wrong person to threaten.
*RESPONSE SENT TO ALL OLYMPUS FACILITIES:*
*I'M COMING FOR ALL OF YOU*
*SURRENDER NOW OR DIE SCREAMING*
*YOUR CHOICE*
*- ALEX CHEN, SYSTEM BREAKER*