The mission began like any other. Ruger and his squad moved swiftly, eliminating the remaining invader scouts with precision. The team worked like a well-oiled machine, securing the enemy ship for analysis. But something felt off. Why were they tasked with searching for more invaders? That was usually the scouts' job.
Then, the emergency alert on his suit blared. Unauthorized access detected. His heart pounded. Someone was tampering with his prototype. His mind raced. They wouldn't… they couldn't…
But they did.
Ruger bolted, pushing his suit to its limits. The sleek black armor hummed as he accelerated. He remotely activated the suit's self-recovery function. It detached itself from the facility, violently shaking off any restraints as it shot toward him. But something was wrong—the flight pattern was off.
The comms crackled.
"Ruger, slow down!" The captain's voice was calm, too calm. "Don't make this difficult."
Then came the real blow.
"Restrain him."
A massive boulder hurtled through the air—straight at him. The captain's telekinetic abilities sent it flying with bone-crushing force. Ruger barely dodged, the sheer wind pressure sending him spiraling. He stabilized mid-air, rage boiling in his veins.
Nkhensani's voice came through the comms, shaky and hesitant. "Ruger… I—I'm sorry. They told us everything yesterday. I—"
"You knew?" His voice was sharp as a blade.
"I wanted to tell you! But—"
Lethabo cut her off, grabbing her by the arm. "Don't talk to him. Orders are orders."
The prototype suit was closing in. If he timed it right…
With his power reserves running low, Ruger jumped, free-falling through the city skyline. Below, people screamed, their phones capturing every second of the impossible sight—a man leaping between skyscrapers like a god of war.
The prototype suit locked onto him, its energy core thrumming. He flipped mid-air, slamming into the armor with perfect precision. The pieces wrapped around him, the interface lighting up as he took full control. Fully armed. Fully aware. Fully enraged.
His squad hesitated, watching in stunned silence. He had all the power he needed to disappear forever—to expose everything.
But Nkhensani was still in their hands.
And he wasn't leaving her behind.