The base doors slid open with a hiss. Chris and Elara walked in, tired but relaxed after their day out. The moment the lights flickered on—they froze.

Click. Whirr.

Red eyes blinked to life from the shadows.

X-Bots.

Dozens of sleek, black-armored humanoid machines emerged from the walls, raising weapons.

Chris didn’t hesitate. His eyes lit up.

FLASH.
In seconds, his body surged into his powerful form.

“Stay behind me,” he told Elara.

Then he charged.

Metal fists clashed. Sparks flew. Chris crushed, dodged, and slammed his way through the first wave of bots. Limbs flew. Circuits fried. Within minutes, the room was littered with broken machines.

Then a hologram flickered to life above them.

X.
Tall. Calm. Smiling.

“Well done,” he said. “I knew you’d beat them. So I built something special just for you.”

From the shadows, a new bot stepped forward. This one was taller, heavier, glowing with energy.

It lunged.

Chris punched. The bot blocked. Then it hit back—hard.

Chris flew across the room, crashing into a steel wall.

He tried again. Faster. Stronger.

But this bot was just as powerful as him.

Blow for blow. Hit for hit. Until Chris was on his knees, panting.

Elara, furious, grabbed a plasma rifle and fired. Then she leapt onto the bot’s back, smashing it with a steel pipe. But the bot turned—and backhanded her across the room.

She hit the floor, hard.

As the bot raised its fist to strike her again—

WHAM.

Chris caught the punch. His eyes flared with fury.

“No way, bro,” he growled.

He slammed the bot into the ground.

More power-bots burst through the ceiling. Chris grabbed Elara and they ran.

Dodging bullets. Leaping over explosions. Chris tore through the enemies in his way.

“Elara—go! Get to the chopper!” he shouted.

She nodded, sprinting off.

Chris held the line, smashing, ripping, blasting.

But then—X’s voice returned.

“She’s using you,” the hologram echoed in his ear. “Elara Voss doesn’t care. She never wanted to help. Just wanted to study you. Play with you. Abandon you.”

Chris paused, fists clenched.

“You don’t see it now,” X whispered. “But you will.”

In the distance, Elara’s helicopter rose into the air—but she was being followed.

Two flying mechs closed in fast.

Chris turned and sprinted. Faster than ever.

Wind whipped past him. Buildings blurred. The ground cracked beneath his feet.

Then—

BOOM.

He super-jumped into the sky, crashed into a flying bot, tore it apart midair, then threw its flaming pieces at the second one.

BOOM. BOOM.

Both bots exploded.

Suddenly—a missile launched. Heat-seeking.

Chris ran. It followed.

He zig-zagged, but it stayed on him.

Then—he jumped, slammed his foot off a skyscraper, launching himself higher.

The missile missed—and hit the building.

RUMBLE.

Debris began falling. Below—civilians screamed.

Chris super-jumped again, clapped his hands together midair—

THUNDERCLAP!

The soundwave blasted the rubble away, saving everyone.

He landed, panting.

Then without missing a beat, he leapt high into the sky again—grabbing the edge of Elara’s helicopter and pulling himself in.

Elara blinked. “...Good job.”

They flew to a new hidden base, this one deeper underground and even more secure.

Elara set up her equipment. Chris laid on a cot, exhausted.

Later that night, Chris got up, thirsty. He noticed her laptop glowing.

Curious, he walked over. It was unlocked.

Files were open.

[SUBJECT: CHRIS]
"Goal: Observe. Record. Extract genetic energy. Disappear."
"Once full data obtained, detach from subject. Do not form attachment."

Chris froze.

His hands trembled.

He looked back—Elara was asleep on the couch, peaceful.

He didn’t wake her.

He didn’t say a word.

But his eyes dimmed. Something inside him cracked.

He quietly closed the file... and walked away.