Their amazement quickly turned into giddy excitement as they clenched their fists, marveling at the raw power coursing through their bodies. "This is insane!" Gray roared with laughter. "I feel like I could punch straight through the planet!"
"Yeah! Forget earth—maybe even the moon!" Samuel added, flexing his biceps dramatically. The sheer strength had already inflated their egos to cartoonish proportions.
As they reveled in their transformation, their attention finally shifted to Zack, who stood a few feet away, arms crossed and a decidedly unamused expression on his face. "Oh, right," Gray said, his excitement momentarily subdued. He dropped to his knees. "Thanks, Sir! You've blessed us with this amazing power! I owe you everything—"
"Idiot!" Samuel hissed, yanking Gray back up by his arm. "Why are you kneeling? We're stronger now. He should be kneeling to us!"
Gray blinked, realization dawning on his face. "You're right!"
Straightening up, Gray patted his knees and cleared his throat. "Thanks, Sir Zack ," he said, a smug grin spreading across his face. "I gotta hand it to you—taking the risk to test this on us first instead of keeping it for yourself? Real generous of you."
"Yeah, super generous!" Samuel chimed in, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "You probably figured, 'What's the worst that could happen, right? They die? No big deal!' But guess what? The experiment worked! And now, here we are—stronger than ever!" He spread his arms wide, his laughter echoing through the lab.
"Bet he didn't see that coming," Gray added, nudging Samuel. "Look at him—he's too stunned to speak! Probably thinking about how he just created two unstoppable forces!"
The pair erupted into laughter, completely oblivious to the growing darkness in Zack's expression. "…Ego," Zack muttered under his breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Please remind me…"
"Yes, sir?"
"How exactly did I end up with these two idiots?"
Ego's silence was deafening. Samuel couldn't resist stepping forward with a mocking grin. "Sir Zack, cat got your tongue—" But before he could finish, his words caught in his throat. The Zack standing in front of him began to fade until he disappeared entirely! A sharp gust of wind whipped past Samuel, making him shiver. It was only then that he realized—the Zack he'd been taunting wasn't real. It was an afterimage!
Boom!
A deafening crash erupted behind him. Samuel spun around, his face pale, just in time to see Gray, who had been acting cocky a moment ago, flung through the air like a ragdoll. His body curled up in pain, resembling a shrimp, before smashing into the basement wall with a thunderous impact. The force embedded him into the half-meter-thick concrete, leaving him stuck like a broken doll.
Zack's speed was terrifying. Even though Samuel himself had been enhanced with a super soldier serum, he couldn't keep up with what had just happened. He didn't even see Zack move. Gray, who had been behind him, was sent flying with a single punch and ended up fused into the wall. "You wanted me to talk?" Zack now stood where Gray had been moments ago, his cold gaze drilling into Samuel.
"Gulp..." Samuel swallowed hard. His mocking expression vanished, replaced by fear. He remembered the rumors back at the northern base—the ones claiming their new leader had strength far beyond human. They'd said he could take down a mutated bear soldier with his bare hands. Samuel hadn't believed it then. But now... It was all true.
"Sir, Sir!" Samuel stammered, stumbling backward. His bravado evaporated like smoke. "I... I was just joking! I swear! I—" He tripped over his words, scrambling to salvage his pride. Fear gripped him as his earlier confidence popped like a balloon pricked by a needle. All that remained was dread—a cold, creeping terror that locked him in place.
"Do you know why I hit him first?" Zack asked, his tone chilling as he examined his fist.
"B-Because... his farts smelled?" Samuel blurted in desperation, his face twisted with fear.
Zack smirked faintly. "Bingo. Here's your reward." Before Samuel could react, Zack's fist was already closing in on his face. He saw it—clear as day—but his body refused to move.
Boom!
The punch landed with a dull, drum-like thud. Samuel's face caved in, and the sheer force launched him backward into the concrete wall. Like Gray, his body was embedded, his head buried in the unforgiving surface. "Still alive?" Zack glanced at the two motionless bodies. The holographic projection confirmed they were clinging to life. "Their brains are intact. Prep them for the procedure," Zack commanded, his tone flat. "No point wasting good serum."
Mechanical assistants, resembling oversized spiders, scuttled forward with tools in their claws. With electric drills and accurate movements, they extracted Gray and Samuel from the walls, then performed lobotomies on the spot. Micro-control chips were implanted into their brains, the same kind used in Fearless Warriors. Once complete, the machines hauled the limp bodies away for further processing.
Zack wiped his hands with a towel handed to him by another mechanical assistant. "Experimental results confirm it—mutants can handle the serum. Time to prepare injections for Annie and the others."
"Sir," the AI, Ego, interrupted. "The Fearless Warrior transformation is progressing. One hundred and fifty are complete. Should I prioritize the remaining candidates?"
"No rush," Zack replied, shaking his head. "The southern base is stable for now. Focus on securing resources and expanding our operations. The other bases can wait." A sly smile tugged at his lips. "Of course, if anyone dares to provoke me... well, I'll deal with that when the time comes."
Zack's gaze turned toward a nearby monitor displaying satellite feeds. Thanks to his advanced reconnaissance system, any movements from rival bases were crystal clear. Attempts at surveillance, whether by drone or plane, were swiftly neutralized by his defenses. None had succeeded in transmitting data back. He let out a soft chuckle, dismissing the petty attempts. "Let them keep trying. They'll learn soon enough."
Zack, a master of countless advanced technologies, was destined to rise to dominance. His rapid progress wasn't just because of his brilliance—it was also because his enemies right now weren't strong enough. But this wouldn't last forever… One last thought lingered in his mind'The limit of superpowers is to turn an individual into a god. The limit of technology? To elevate a civilization to godhood.'
With the experiments now complete, Zack instructed Ego to manufacture several brand-new injection chambers, built to the highest standards. He was preparing to inject the serum into Annie and the others.
Stepping out of the biology lab, Zack was greeted by the warm midday sun. The crisp autumn air carried a faint dryness, distinct to the season."By my estimate, The Farm should be ready for the harvest soon," Zack said in a calm tone.
Sing Sing Prison had been completely transformed into Sing Sing Farm. Outside its once-ominous walls, fields of rice and wheat now flourished. Under the care of the elderly, the weak, and the disabled, crops grew abundantly—even better than on the most fertile soils. If all went well, the harvest would secure NYC City's food supply for the next two years.