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Henry and Eve arrived at the location, hovering above the government facility.
Henry looked down and activated his X-ray vision. Inside the facility, dozens of guards patrolled the corridors.
Eve, floating beside him, asked impatiently,
'So? What do you see?'
'This is it, Eve. They're right below us,' Henry replied.
'Then let's go already!'
Before she could dive in, Henry grabbed her arm.
'Wait, Eve.'
'What now?'
'Take it easy. We still have time to think this through.'
Before they could continue arguing, Henry's phone started ringing.
Blipp-blipp-blipp.
Eve crossed her arms and frowned.
'Seriously? What's that?'
'My phone, obviously.'
'I can't believe you brought that with you!'
Henry pulled the phone from his pocket and answered it.
'Just a second, Eve. It's probably my mom.'
Eve rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips, looking impatient.
On the other end, Lia Matthew, Henry's mother, spoke with a worried tone.
'Where have you been?! Your aunt and I were so worried!'
'Mom, I'm fine. You know that. I hardly ever get hurt.'
'That doesn't matter, Henry! Even with your powers, I'll always worry about you! I was about to send your aunt to look for you!'
'How's Aunt Holly?'
'Same as always—fighting crime and saving the world. You know how she is.'
Henry smiled.
'I know. She's amazing. I love her.'
"We all love her too."
Lia replied. 'But listen, what did I tell you about running around pretending to be your aunt? Did you forget what she told you? Your aunt and I agreed she'd take you along when you turned fifteen. But you disobeyed. You're grounded! No computer, no video games for a week!'
'But, Mom—'
'No buts! Also, Art called about your suit.'
Henry whistled, playing dumb.
'Mom? What suit? I have no idea what you're talking about.'
'The suit he made for you. Don't play dumb with me, kid.'
Henry sighed. His mother was impossible to fool.
'The suit's great, but… now's not the time, Mom. I gotta go.'
'Listen here, young man, if you hang up on me—'
Henry sighed again. He'd have to deal with this later.
Eve smirked.
'Your mom sounds amazing.'
Henry chuckled.
'She is.'
Without wasting more time, he grabbed Eve's arm, and together, they dived toward the facility.
Henry went first. Like a missile, he shot through the base at insane speed, tearing through the structure from the roof to the underground levels. The impact shook the entire facility, sending debris flying and metal screeching.
Eve followed, flying through the dust and wreckage.
'You really made a mess…' she muttered.
The facility's alarm blared. Soldiers rushed into the corridors, armed with tranquilizer rifles. They aimed directly at the two of them.
'Freeze! Don't move!'
Henry wasn't worried about himself, but Eve was just human. If those darts hit her, she'd be in serious trouble.
He stepped in front of her.
'Stay behind me. I got this.'
Eve, however, was already forming a massive energy hammer. Before Henry could react, she swung it, slamming the guards into the walls. The impact was so strong that some were knocked out instantly, while others groaned in pain with broken bones.
Henry blinked at her.
'Guess you had that handled…'
They continued down the hallway. One of the fallen soldiers weakly reached for his gun. Henry noticed and stomped on it before the man could grab it. Then, he kicked the guy in the face, knocking him out.
'Let's go, Eve.'
They made their way to another room, where more guards waited. These ones were different—wearing reinforced armor and carrying deadlier weapons.
Eve readied herself for a fight, but Henry raised a hand.
'I'll take care of this.'
The guards opened fire. The bullets hit Henry, but they did nothing. In a blur, he used his super speed, knocking them all out with precise punches and kicks. He grabbed one soldier and hurled him into the others, taking them down instantly.
Within moments, the fight was over.
Eve followed Henry into the main chamber. Inside, Brandyworth was imprisoned in a high-tech containment tube, his hands restrained. Around him, other captives were held in similar devices.
One of them caught Eve's eye. A woman.
Something inside her twisted. She didn't know why, but she felt an overwhelming pull toward this stranger.
Before she could free Brandyworth, a robotic voice echoed through the room.
'You might not want to do that. If you try to free him, the bomb inside his body will detonate, destroying this entire facility. Additionally, the entire power grid here is linked to his heartbeat. If he dies, this place goes up in flames.'
A nearby monitor flickered on, showing a live feed of Reginald Vel Johnson High School.
'Another bomb has been planted at the school. If the Viltrumite beside you chooses to save Brandyworth, the school will be destroyed. If he disarms the school bomb, this facility will explode. So, what's your choice?'
Henry clenched his fists.
If he saved Brandyworth, hundreds of students would die. If he saved the school, everyone here—including Eve and her mother—would be doomed.
'Shit…' he muttered.
Brandyworth sighed heavily. He had made his decision.
'Eve, listen to me. Leave me here. Save your mother. Get her out of here.'
Eve's eyes widened.
'My mother?'
She turned to the woman in the containment tube. Her breath caught in her throat. Tears welled up in her eyes.
'I'm not leaving either of you!'
Brandyworth shook his head.
'No, Eve. Take her and go.'
He turned to Henry.
'Kid, you know what you have to do. Hundreds of lives are at stake. I'm just an old man. My life doesn't matter anymore.'
Henry exchanged a glance with Eve. She understood what that meant. He had already made his choice.
'Get out of here, Eve. Take your mother.'
'I'm not going anywhere!'
Henry thought about forcing her to leave but knew she'd never forgive him.
Henry flew towards the school at high speed.
At the school, Henry used his X-ray vision to locate the bomb. It was in the gymnasium. He smashed through the walls and grabbed it. The second the bomb detected movement, it began its countdown.
Without hesitating, Henry hurled it upward with all his strength. The bomb shot through the sky at an unbelievable speed, piercing the clouds. A second later, it detonated in midair, creating a massive black cloud of smoke.
He heard another explosion in the distance—back where Eve was.
Floating in the air, Henry turned toward the source of the sound.
Back at the school, students and teachers stood in shock.
William muttered,
'Mark is never gonna believe this…'
Doug, standing next to him, rubbed his eyes.
'I really gotta quit smoking weed…'
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