Jack sat alone on the metal bench, elbows on his knees, eyes locked on the flickering overhead light.
The countdown timer on the hallway screen ticked away:
1 hour, 58 minutes remaining.
His fingers tapped against his thigh.
He wasn't tired. He wasn't even angry.
He was calculating.
---
đ The Mental Breakdown
He ran through the teams in his head like names on a hitlist:
Team Red â Hot-headed. Prideful. Couldn't handle someone stronger than them. They'd rather burn than share control.
Team Silver â All brain, no blood. They didn't want unpredictability â they wanted machines in skin.
Team Green â Weak hearts. They'd rather die peaceful than live as killers. Jack wouldn't survive a week with them.
Team White â They understood him... too much. They saw through him. And what they saw terrified them.
Team Black â Violent. Unhinged. Dangerous. But honest. They respected strength, not kindness. They didn't care about scars â they wore them like medals.
Jack stared at the floor.
"This place wasn't made for peace," he muttered. "It was made to make monsters obedient."
He looked at his own hands â red lines of vein energy faintly pulsing beneath his skin.
"I already made my choice when I summoned the first one," he whispered. "Now I just have to finish it."
He stood.
And walked toward the black door.
---
â« Return to Team Black
The heavy door groaned open. Inside, the Team Black members were still there â laughing, throwing metal weights, casually treating the program like a playground for killers.
Grav turned first, his steel arms gleaming.
"Well look who came crawling back."
Riot leaned against the wall, twirling a grenade. "Here to beg?"
The speedster hissed under his breath. "He's just gonna snap and gut us."
Jack stepped forward, slow and deliberate.
"No," he said. "I'm here to give you one choice."
Riot raised an eyebrow. Grav stopped smiling.
Jack's voice was calm. Focused. Deadly.
"You either take me in, and I'll keep every one of you alive⊠or you turn me away â and become my enemies."
He met each of their eyes, one by one.
"No more games. No more begging. I don't need you. But if I'm with you⊠we win. Every fight. Every round."
The room went silent.
"You don't have to trust me," Jack continued, "but you will fear what happens if I walk into the next arena and see you across from me."
Grav whistled. "You're bold, kid."
"I'm not a kid anymore."
The speedster stepped forward, but Riot held up a hand.
"Wait," she said, eyes locked on Jack. "I saw what you did to that girl in the last round. The one with the wolves."
Jack didn't flinch. "She hesitated. I didn't
Riot cracked a grin. "Good answer."
Grav let out a low chuckle. "We'll take you. But one thingâ"
He stepped close, his iron face inches from Jack's mask.
"You pull that monster crap on us? You lose control? We don't hesitate either."
Jack nodded once. "Deal."
---
đ§ Inside His Mind
As Jack walked back toward his assigned sleeping area, the hallway stretched in silence.
No applause. No warmth. Just the cold hum of flickering lights.
But inside his head⊠the voices stirred.
> "They finally see it."
"They fear you. They respect you. That's power."
"Don't lose it now. You belong in the dark, Jack."
Jack tightened his fist.
"I'm not like them," he whispered.
But deep down⊠even he didn't believe it anymore.