Deep within the ultra-secret base of Zeus, the air thrummed with a tense silence, broken only by the constant hum of servers. Maos had set an undercover operation in motion to locate Richard Laos without alerting Dr. Swang. He didn't want to raise suspicions or invite uncomfortable questions. Meanwhile, Richard, caught in a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, confronted a truth that challenged his sanity.
"How is this possible?" Laos muttered to himself, clenching his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his palms. His breathing came in ragged gasps as he tried to process what the security cameras had revealed: Geros, that monstrous and strange creature, was his father fused with GOL. "It can't be real," he murmured through gritted teeth, refusing to accept it. If it were truly his father, why wasn't he searching for him? Why had he allied himself with Maos, his enemy?
Frustration exploded inside him. The underground laboratory where he stood smelled of rusted metal and ozone, a byproduct of machines that never rested. His eyes fell on the black rock, that precious relic he had been studying for weeks. It was more than an object; it was his obsession, his key to understanding his father's legacy. But now everything felt like betrayal. Everyone—Maos, Swang, even Geros—had conspired against him.
"They can't take my rock from me," he thought resolutely, running his fingers over its cold, rough surface. The sensation sent a shiver down his spine. "They all deceived me. They wanted to take this away from me, but I found it. It's mine."
A cruel idea began to form in his mind. If everyone had betrayed him, then he would have done the same. He would lure his enemies into exposing themselves. Yet something inside him hesitated. A small part of his heart still yearned to believe that Geros really was his father. Taking a fragment of the synthesized rock, he carefully placed it into a test tube. "If this thing can help him with whatever he's going through—and maybe return him to his original form, proving he's truly my father… perhaps he deserves another chance."
But if it didn't work, he would show no mercy.
With precise movements, he inserted the tube into a small robot designed to resemble a butterfly. The delicate wings of the device shimmered under the artificial light, as if made of liquid crystal. He released it into one of the ventilation ducts, watching it vanish into the darkness.
The robot traveled silently through the metallic conduits, guided by advanced sensors. Finally, it emerged in the room where Dr. Swang worked alone. She looked up, startled by the unexpected appearance of the robotic butterfly. She had never seen anything like it before. Slowly extending her hand, intrigued, she touched it, and a recorded voice echoed from the device.
"This is what you're looking for, Maos. Give it to him. I never want to see you again. You betrayed me and allied yourself with those I now consider my enemies. If you want to stay alive, deliver this and flee this place."
Swang froze, her heart beating in her chest. Her trembling fingers clutched the tube containing the black liquid. Laos' words reverberated in her mind like a painful echo. "Damn you, Laos," she whispered, closing her eyes. "I loved you… I mean, I still love you, despite working with that madman, Maos. But I see you think I betrayed you." Tears welled up in her eyes, but she held them back. "I'm sorry, Richard. Where are you?"
In another corner of the base, Laos continued working in his hidden laboratory. The holographic screens projected lines of code that danced before his eyes. With a sinister smile, he sent an encrypted message to his enemies. "Well, let the game begin," he muttered, spinning his chair to face the capsules where several unconscious subjects lay.
Each of them was part of a larger experiment. He wanted to control them, ensuring they would always act in his favor while retaining their thoughts and personalities. "They just need a little adjustment," he reflected aloud as he pressed a button on the control panel. A message appeared on the screen: "Sent."
Swang rushed agitatedly to Maos' office, eager to share her discovery. She knocked urgently on the door before entering without waiting for a response. "Look what I have for you!" she exclaimed, showing him the tube with the black liquid. "From Richard. I don't know where he is, but he sent this."
Maos examined the tube with interest, his eyes gleaming with a mix of greed and satisfaction. "Interesting," he said finally, tucking it into his pocket. "That damn Laos had this rock. If he has this bit, he must have more." He ordered several robots to search for him immediately. Then, with a brusque gesture, he signaled for Swang to leave. "Alright, you can go. I have things to do."
The door closed behind her with a sharp click, leaving Swang furious and humiliated. "Fool," she muttered, walking quickly down the hallway. "How dare he treat me like that?"
Meanwhile, Maos strode confidently toward where Geros waited, guarded by sentinel machines. He held the tube carefully, as if it were an invaluable treasure. "I hope this is enough for the master," he murmured, adjusting his posture as he entered the room.
Geros observed him silently, his imposing figure dominating the space. Maos placed the tube on a nearby console and stepped back a few paces. "Things will improve soon," the scientist declared, trying to mask his nervousness with a facade of confidence.
Swang walked through the cold, sterile hallways of the base, her thoughts revolving around a single question that echoed persistently: "Where are you, Richard?" Her footsteps rang out against the metal floor, though she barely noticed. The sting of rejection still burned in her chest, mingling with the frustration of being excluded from something important. Maos hadn't given her a clear explanation, and that only fueled her distrust.
In the meantime, elsewhere in the world, the reconnaissance ship piloted by Tron glided silently over one of the points Marie had indicated. The lights of the instruments flickered faintly in the dimness of the cockpit, illuminating the focused faces of the team led by Drake. The steady hum of the sensors filled the air, creating an atmosphere of contained tension.
"First point verified," announced Tron, the robotic assistant, in its metallic and precise voice. "No intelligent life detected, nor any human traces."
Drake nodded briefly, his dark eyes fixed on the holographic screen in front of him. "Next location."
The process continued until they reached the last search point, finding nothing but dark water and waves crashing against the invisible hull of the ship. Drake slammed his fist against the control panel in contained fury. "Damn it!" he growled, his voice heavy with frustration. "How is it possible there's no trace of them?"
Podbe, seated in his chair, muttered to himself, almost like a prayer: "Where are you, Aiden? We can't fail now."
It was then that an unexpected voice cut through the cabin, slicing through the air like a knife.
"Hey, did you guys hear that?" asked Adia, jumping to her feet. Her gaze swept across the room, searching for the source of the sound.
"That voice… it sounds familiar," she said slowly, frowning. "It's like that mad scientist… what was his name? Doctor Malos?"
Richard Laos' mocking laughter emerged from the speakers, distorted but unmistakable.
"No, that's not it. My last name is Laos, and for you dimwits, I'm Richard Laos," he replied in a sarcastic tone.
"Where is he? Where is he hiding? This must be the base where they're holding the boy, right?" Drake indicated.
Drake exchanged a glance with Adia, both now on high alert. "We're not alone," he murmured. "Where are you? Where are you hiding?" Drake asked, trying to locate the source of the transmission.
"You don't know this, but if you want to see the kids, this little butterfly will give you the coordinates," Laos responded with calculated calmness.
Adia crossed her arms, suspicious. "And how did you find us? This seems too convenient. It's definitely a trap."
Laos' laughter echoed again, this time tinged with superiority. "It was easy. I attached a nanobot to the dog's collar. But don't worry, I can only use it once. After that, it'll burn out so you can't trace it back to me. So, do you want the location to save your friends or not?"
Drake clenched his teeth, weighing each word before speaking. "Alright, but tell me: what do you gain from this?"
Laos' response was swift and venomous. "Those bastards betrayed me. They used my research, my father's work, and now mine. Zeus left me out of the game. Plus…" He paused dramatically, as if savoring his next words. "You seem familiar to me, Drake. You were one of the first subjects, along with that woman who still looks young, from my father's initial experiment."
Drake narrowed his eyes, vaguely recalling that name. "I see. Your surname did sound familiar."
"Alright, let's say we believe you," Adia interjected impatiently. "How do we get there?"
The answer came in the form of light. A small robotic butterfly materialized out of nowhere, floating in the air. It projected a holographic map onto the central table of the cockpit, clearly displaying the coordinates. "This is where they are," Laos explained coldly. "But if you come, you'd better be well-prepared. There are many more under control there, including Zeus himself and an alien creature called Geros. If you're not strong enough, it will destroy you quickly. Good luck, fools. You'll need it."
With those final words, the communication cut off abruptly. The robotic butterfly emitted a bright flash before self-destructing, leaving behind only a faint smell of ozone.
"Quick, Tron! Input the coordinates into the ship," Adia ordered, pointing at the holographic map still floating in the air.
Tron processed the information in seconds. "Here it is, ma'am. They're located in a spot in the Pacific Ocean."
Leila, who had been silently observing, spoke up with a confused expression. "But how? It's not that cold there this time of year. How can they be hiding there?"
"They're probably using advanced technology to manipulate the climate," Drake replied, adjusting the ship's controls. Meanwhile, he sent an urgent message to Marie: "We have the coordinates. We're heading there immediately."
The ship accelerated, cutting through the night sky like a silver arrow. On the horizon, the stars twinkled like tiny omens, silent witnesses to the mission about to unfold.
Deep within the bowels of the enemy base, the air was thick and charged with static electricity, as if the walls themselves were on the verge of collapse. Maos strode confidently through the metallic hallways, carrying the vial containing the dark liquid. The substance seemed to move inside the container, as though it had a life of its own, reflecting black glimmers that absorbed the surrounding light.
Finally, he arrived before Geros, whose imposing figure cast distorted shadows on the walls. The alien sat on a makeshift throne, surrounded by cables and machines that hummed with constant energy. His grayish skin shimmered under the dim light, and his calculating eyes locked onto Maos as he approached.
"Very well, sir," said Maos, extending the vial toward him. "Here is at least one sample. That stubborn son of yours escaped with the rest, and we haven't been able to locate him."
Geros took the vial with a trembling but determined hand. His long, slender fingers held it delicately, as if it were an invaluable treasure. "It doesn't matter," he replied in a deep, almost guttural voice. "This will be enough to heal me and multiply my power."
Maos nodded quickly, adjusting the controls of a nearby machine. "And what will happen, sir?" he asked, his tone a mix of scientific curiosity and nervousness.
"I don't know," admitted Geros, his lips curling into a grin that revealed his sharp teeth. "But it will give me power."
Without further preamble, Maos injected the liquid into a device connected to Geros. The needle pierced the alien's skin with a barely audible hiss, and the liquid began to flow slowly into his body. At first, Geros closed his eyes, as if savoring the sensation. But soon, an immense pain coursed through every fiber of his being.
A blood-curdling scream echoed throughout the base, so powerful that it made the walls vibrate. It was an animal sound, filled with pure agony, freezing the blood of anyone who heard it. Geros writhed in place, gripping the arms of the throne so tightly that his nails left deep marks in the metal.
"Sir!" exclaimed Maos, instinctively stepping back. "What's happening?"
But Geros couldn't respond. His body convulsed violently, and his skin began to change color, adopting dark and reddish hues that pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat. The surrounding machines emitted frantic beeps, unable to process what was occurring.
The pain was so intense that it seemed to consume everything in its path. Geros felt as if his body were being torn apart from the inside, as if the black liquid not only granted him power but also sought to claim him as its own. Every cell in his body burned, and his mind fought desperately to maintain control.
Finally, the scream ceased, leaving behind an eerie silence. Geros remained motionless for what felt like endless seconds, breathing heavily. When he opened his eyes, they glowed with an intense red brilliance, like embers burning in the darkness.
"It worked," he murmured, his voice now deeper and more resonant, charged with newfound energy. "I feel it... inside me. It's... powerful."
Maos watched in awe mixed with fear. He knew something had changed, but he wasn't sure if it was for the better. Then he smiled—a Machiavellian grin—as if his mind were already scheming.