Shortly after the vault battle…
A bright silver bubble formed as Brad reappeared, holding a shining blue pyrimidal object, the Aether Core. Blaze reappears, setting a phone down as Meghan reappears through teleporting through the phone. “That son of a Bastard, the audacity to foil my plan!” Meghan complained. “When did he get back up?”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdwHGcTosat
Brad perks up from the spot where he lay on the floor; Meghan had not yet noticed him as she paced the room. “Uh, Meghan?” Brad said as he stood up. Meghan shoots him a look of disgust. “What is it, Brad?!”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAM1LW1F0Xm
Brad jumps back, his hands gripping the core, for he had almost dropped it. “Well, fine then, I won’t let you handle the Core,” he muttered under his breath, as he stood up straight and faced away from her, his expression pissed and his arms crossed with the core in one hand. Meghan turned to him, raising her hand before finally noticing the core. “You bumbling buffoon, why didn’t you tell me sooner?” She scolded, her hands greedily snatching the Aether Core from his hands. “This power is mine for the taking; this holds the key to the final downfall of that blasted hero team, then I’ll be able to run this society in a way where I can kill all those who dare speak ill of me.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBabpQEdw4F
An unfamiliar shadow suddenly moved across the wall. Meghan jumped as she saw the shadow disappear. Blaze stared at the place where the shadow had vanished, while Brad’s jaw hit the floor. “Dr. Havoc, is that you?” Meghan asked, her jaw clenched as her hands tightened their grip on the core. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you, especially the crybaby with open jaw in the green hood,” a voice said calmly from the shadows. Brad’s face contorted in anger as he stepped forward. “Shut up!” he exclaimed, shooting a bullet of liquid metal at the man in the shadows.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡee6ku3jvWx
In an instant, the bullet split into liquid metal particles as a bullet rested itself in Brad’s shoulder blade. Meghan and Blaze stood in concern as Brad stumbled backwards, leaning against a wall, holding the clean shot through his shoulder. Blood trickled down his dark green hood as he tried to stop the bleeding.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLgr0NAeYmo
Meghan turned to face the shadow, only to find a smiling man dressed like a mob boss standing in his face. “Hello, there,” He said, his voice calm. Chills ran down Meghan’s spine as she stepped back. “What the fuck?!” She exclaimed, one hand covering her heart while the other protected her core. “That’s a real fancy pyramid you got there. I simply just wanna borrow it, I promise, I’ll return it,” The shadow man said, his eyes growing creepily thin as his smile grew wide and sinister. Blaze stepped forward, his hands going up as he summoned a ball of fire. “What do you want?” Blaze asked, his voice cold, yet harsh. “Simple, I want in on this new society Meghan wants to build, it's all over the streets about how the great sorceress witch, Meghan, mind-controlled a couple of heroes,” The man teased, laughing bitterly as he got closer to Blaze. The man held a 50-Calibur gun up to his head, teasing Blaze.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqeNVJSBoY
Meghan noticed this and stepped forward, grabbing the man’s arm with her bony white hand. “Enough!” she yelled, her hand leaving a scratch mark on the man’s arm. “Now, who are you really?”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDNuawtt37N
The man’s smile faded, the gun moving down as he seemed dissatisfied with how Meghan scratched him. “Well, if you weren’t busy injuring me, I would have fucking told you that my name is fucking, Jake,” the man said, aiming the pistol at the wall. “As punishment for hurting me, you’ll have to work with one less support,” He pulled the trigger on his gun, sending a silver bullet directly into the wall.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6cHtTEOAlr
A yell of pain rang out as the bullet had seeped through the wall until it hit one of their teammates over in their lab. Their scientist walks in with the giant needle still on his back, but this time full of blood. “Who the fuck shot that bullet?!” He exclaimed, holding the side of his leg. “Now, I have to waste my precious blood on healing and not my experiments!’18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7uiLfyHqW
The wound slowly closed as the giant needle on his back slowly emptied. “Hmmm, impressive,” Jake said, his eyebrow raised as his smile returned. “You must be the infamous Dr. Havoc?”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8tvycgZsV5
The scientist grabbed a vial from his chest and smashed it on the floor. A faint glow on the floor slowly consumed his form. As it faded, Dr. Havoc was no longer in thin shape, for he now had muscles big enough to rival a tank. His outfit had changed to a pure white camo shirt with torn sleeves that was styled much like a military uniform. “Dr. Havoc, this is an inappropriate use of your ult!” Meghan yelled, raising the phone she had in hand aside from the core. “Stop!”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPskOEYXAXt
From her phone, a symbol flew, hitting Havoc square in the chest, freezing her in place. “I’ll reprimand you later, as for you, Jake, you can’t just charge in here and hurt my henchmen,” She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. As she looked up, she glanced over at the spot Jake’s bullet had penetrated the wall and realised there was no damage, as if the bullet had phased through. Her eyes narrowed as she started chuckling. “So I guess we have a new ace up our sleeves.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKxkttzt2Wz
She walks towards Jake, placing a hand on his shoulder. “You’re in, but tell us more about how you heard about us?”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7lNwm13SAl
Jake bitterly laughed, his hands at his side as he holstered his 50-caliber gun. “Your ex sent word to me about how you took the core. I found it fitting that I simply joined your side of this war,” He joked, his hands moving from his hips to behind his head. “Damien still hates your guts after that nasty breakup, but that's not stopping me from doing what I want.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7RzIMwJiAM
He glanced towards the wall. “You see, I only gained my power cause my family comes from a long lineage of shadow dwellers,” Jake added, his smile fading.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCeoBt0S2Dv
Meghan perked up as she was unpausing Havoc. “Shadow Dwellers, you say?” She said, her tone laced with interest. “So you’re the remaining survivor of the Shadow Dwellers. That explains why you so easily blended in, but I need to know a little more about why you want in.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSNSb9he4Pj
Jake tugged at his shirt, readjusting it as his smile was creepy yet professional. “I simply want revenge against those who killed my people, I want to enslave them and work them till they drop,” he said coldly. “But back to your ex, did you know he’s teamed up with the hero team as their weapon smith?”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrnrfXyErGY
Meghan’s smile grew as her hand pinched her chin. “So we have more of an upper hand against them, we simply have to cut off their weapon supply.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH98r6XRmwJ
Jake let out a loud laugh that came straight from his gut, before looking Meghan directly in the eyes. “I couldn’t agree more,” he spoke, his smile growing wide once more.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8mndZpDLvQ
Blaze stood up from his position on the floor where he had sat, cauterizing Brad’s bullet wound. “How are we even gonna do that?” Blaze asked, his flame vanishing from his hand as Brad was now unconscious on the floor. “We don’t even know where they hide their weapon smiths.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwb0lRcBJ7d
Jake nods and claps his hands menacingly. “Congrats, you just asked the number one question, now let me answer it,” Jake said with a smile. “After some thorough research and spying, they have it in CervixCityy, five hours west of Apex City Capitol; however, the storage facility where the weapon smiths work is protected by a barbarian tank named Moya and two of Andre’s younger siblings who just so happened to pursue being heroes just like their older brother.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXr5Zd7Peoc
Blaze narrowed his eyes, almost growling. “I don’t trust this guy,” he thought. Blaze paced a few steps to his left before stopping. “So what about the threat of Jaylen’s older sister?”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC0j6umbEkk
The ground started shaking to the beat of someone’s footsteps. “If you need someone to lead a brigade, then I’ve got you covered!” A woman’s booming voice rang out.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7C7qKE48mb
A tall skinny black woman, long black hair with crystal beads laced in it, the sides of her head were shaved, and she had crystal strings threaded into her hair. She wore a white tank top with tons of crystal jewelry layered with her diamond silk leggings. In her hand as she walked in was a diamond-encrusted cannon, the diamonds acting as an outline, glinting at the hint of light. “Names Zyra!” She exclaimed, her cannon being flung over her shoulder dramatically. “Jake found me as I was training to beat her in the elite wrestling championship and told me that someone had to deal with Yana.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNIbjyvQKct
She walks towards them on blue crystal high heels. “I have beef with her anyway, and I’m tired of being beaten, plus I was told I’d be paid a generous amount of money.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPA1sTalLBy
Meghan shot Jake a glance as a crooked smile crossed her face. She fondled the Aether Core a little before handing it to Brad, his wound closing up at her presence. “You will lead this female and a team of your choosing to their Cervix City headquarters and use this to buff the girl.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv69ueHKKvJ
Meghan stood up and started walking away, a sharp grin spreading from cheek to cheek. Brad held the core, confusion evident in his eyes. “W-wha?” He said, hugging the core as he stood up, back to the wall. Meghan’s face dropped as she realized who she had given the core to. She turned around, anger in her gaze. “And don’t make a fool of yourself like at the bunker, find newbies if you have to, just don’t screw us over like you always do!”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTckz8FmFBl
Brad scowled at her as he took a step forward. “I do not…” Brad was suddenly interrupted by Jake. “We’ll get to it, and I’ll ensure he doesn’t screw up,” Jake says, stepping forward, grabbing the core from Brad. “I might also know a few members who can join the ranks.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdvl0ewocag
Meghan’s smile returned as she stepped towards Jake, her arms crossed in an elegant yet brooding way. “Well, don’t you have a way with words?” She smiled as she turned around. “I’ll leave you to it then, I trust you over that bumbling buffoon anyway.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLgRtMfP8VX
As Meghan walks off, she nods her head, motioning for Blaze to follow. Blaze rolls his eyes as he follows, arms crossed. Dr. Havoc followed suit as his ult wore off. His size had shrunk back to the short scientists with a giant needle full of blood holstered to his back. The many tubes attached to the needle are attached to certain vials strapped to Havoc’s chest.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfT8FVFgKQl
As they leave, Zyra approaches Jake and Brad, her high heels clicking on the floor, leaving sharp indentations with every step. “So, what's up with her butt today?” She asked, her smug smile fading as her hand gripped her crystal cannon.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkWTKXYwGYD
Jake sighs and turns to Brad. “She does not like you, does she?” He asked, his hand fondling his gun. Brad’s nose twitched with irritation as his hands met his side, the aether core stabbing his leg. “She thinks I’m useless, but I’ll show her that I’m not to be trifled with,” Brad said, his grip on the core tightening as he gritted his teeth.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsFy9tqSbnn
As his face softened, Brad turned to Jake with a stern expression. “So what’s your excuse for being here, and I mean your real excuse, not the fake bull crap that you fed Meghan,” Brad asked.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs1oG9NNawo
Jake looked up with a grin, meeting Brad’s eyes. “Let’s just say we have a common goal,” Jake said, holstering his gun so his hand could touch his chin. “We both wanna take her out.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRPxYLVKaAZ
Brad perked up as Jake said that, dropping the Aether Core onto the floor with a thud. “So that's the real reason you're here, so I’m guessing you did your research,” Brad pondered, picking up the core.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1CE2FniUOA
Jake let out a loud laugh as his hands met his hips. “I knew you’d get it, but I promise, I’m not with the heroes,” Jake explained, his left hand pocketed while his right hand sparked a cigarette that had found its way to his mouth. “I heard Meghan had come from a long line of liars, and my former friend was caught up in her business, so I’m here to avenge him since she is why our friendship died.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc3To8Cd9Zz
Brad looked at him with unease. “So you're essentially plotting to kill her for that Damien guy who works for Underwatch?” Brad asked, his hand scratching his chin slowly. “How much do you know about Nexus?”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqUb7RBboJ3
Jake pulled out a notepad from his belt as his smile grew wider. “I know more than I tell you, for example, you are only here cause you hate losing and want more power,” Jake said, opening the book to a page in the middle. “Blaze had felt abandoned once his old family named Frost as the successor, so he faked his death with Meghan’s help so he could avenge his own legacy.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcGkVUsVjpg
Jake started laughing maniacally as he flipped the page. “I also forgot to mention the rumors I’ve heard from the roots of Apex City about how their family wanted to kill Frost as some sort of religious thing.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡagn3zZTpaJ
Brad’s eyes widened at Jake‘s statement. Zyra, who was still standing next to them, had lost her spirit at the sound of the rumor. Her weapon was at her side instead of its usual spot over her shoulder. She sighed as she held her arm with her free hand. “That’s messed up, being abandoned by one’s clan only to be driven to being a villain to protect one’s sibling,” Zyra said, releasing her arm. “I personally would have slaughtered them already.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjXh3ao2s07
Jake and Brad gave each other a silent look before looking back at Zyra. “Had Frost not left on his own, Blaze would have murdered them already, so his faking his death saved Frost in a way,” Jake explained, his grip on the notebook tightening as he sighed.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡssoebaRgAa
Brad glanced at him before looking down at his hands. “I grew up being called weak, you know, but it was never as bad as that,” Brad admitted to himself, his brows furrowed as his foot tapped. “It’s better than Havoc’s story tho,” Jake said jokingly. “Havoc was a former scientist who rivaled the support hero, Andre.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlC3o9AF1by
Brad perked up, confused by the change in topic. Zyra moved her cannon back to its original position over her shoulder, her free hand still holding her arm. “Oh, do tell,” She said, her smile returning deviously.
Meanwhile…
Meghan, Blaze, and Dr. Havoc walked down a long black hall decorated in dark purple. Blaze followed next to Meghan, his hand to his chin as Dr. Havoc followed closely behind the two. Meghan noticed Blaze’s silence. “Speak, why must you be so quiet?” Meghan asked, stealing a glance at Blaze.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXgMfaT0ca
Blaze sighed and looked back up, his hand meeting his side. “I don’t trust the new guy,” Blaze admitted.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡffBjpq4uso
Meghan sighed and stopped walking. “Your intuition betrays us, Blaze, but it has kept us safe this long, so I’ll consider his loyalty a possible threat,” Meghan sighed, her arms crossing as she started walking again. “Besides, society can be cruel sometimes, I mean, I would have gotten away with my boyfriend had his friends not intervened.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyA0HFIL4MS
Meghan grunted in anger as she stomped her foot. She sighed and opened a door leading to the kitchen of their hideout. “I want him back, but he refuses to even see me.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwbHMLpyNCg
Blaze followed her in, silent, yet stoic. All three of them sat at a table as a tall, bulky chef, wearing a white, dirtied-up chef’s outfit with tears on every edge and a giant frying pan pocketed onto his back. He scoffed as he turned around to the stove, scratching his dirtied face as he nodded his head, pouring drinks into glasses. “So whatever happened to Jaylen after the battle?” Blaze asked, facing Meghan as a layered fire-colored beverage was placed in front of him.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0hO1aTufV
Meghan sighed, then leaned over to Havoc. “Did he make it back to your lab?”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1F7fD6m4ee
Dr. Havoc looked over and then back at the dark red drink the chef had placed in front of him, fondling it with his crooked black fingers. “He has; me and Dr. Bel have been upgrading his cynetic materials to keep him controlled,” Havoc replied, taking a sip of his beverage. Blaze perked up and looked at Havoc with disbelief, a fire sparking in his eyes. “Wait, he’s part cyborg now?!” He looked at Meghan, ready to pounce. “Meghan, I thought the goal was not to physically alter their form?”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjaaxOWYoY
Blaze slammed his fist into the table as Meghan rolled her eyes and stood up. “Don’t be such a crybaby; he broke free from my control three days after I popped my hypnosis ult on him…” Meghan took a quick sip of the green liquid placed in front of her. “We had to keep him in our control somehow.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7FS8wr8Aqq
Blaze stood up, his chair falling backwards, as his fist caught fire. “But you said!”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJPA00ZtMq
Meghan stood up, growling. “Enough of what I said!” She smacked Blaze’s hand away from the table. “You are either on my side or not. Now, if you excuse me, Chef Colossus has my meal prepared. Now leave before I have someone escort you out.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc7QyMnwmqP
Blaze gazed at her in shock, one hand keeping him from falling, the other still in shock in front of him. As he stood up, he ran his hand through his fiery red hair before scoffing. “Fine, but rely on yourself for these next two battles.”18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLo12yq7rKZ
Meghan rolled her eyes and sat down as Blaze stormed off, burning the kitchen door down as he trudged out. “Hey, at least repair it later!” The chef called out after him, his hands raised in the air with a pan in hand.18Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHDTpgiGU5Z
Meghan motioned for the chef to calm down. “Don’t worry about it, Chef Colossus, but I do have a job for you.”
and then Add to home screen.