(Omni-Base)
As Zayne stood quietly pondering what to do with the fragment stored inside the UPP, the control room doors slid open.
Hiss—
Peter, Ethan, Conner, and Trent walked in together. They were still in their suits, but their helmets and masks were off. Sweat clung to their brows, their shoulders slumped slightly, and the fatigue on their faces was impossible to miss.
Zayne casually stored the UPP away and turned to face them.
At first glance, nothing seemed unusual. But after a closer look, he noticed the exhaustion etched deep into their expressions—the kind that only came after intense combat.
"They must've completed a mission as well," Zayne thought to himself. It was the only reasonable explanation for their worn appearances.
"Hey, boss," Ethan managed to say, forcing out a weak grin.
The others didn't even bother speaking. Peter lifted a hand in a lazy wave before dropping into a chair. Conner leaned against a console, arms crossed, while Trent wordlessly sat down, eyes half-lidded.
Zayne didn't comment on their behavior.
Instead, he allowed them a moment to breathe, silently deciding to let them recover before asking about their mission.
"Would you guys like a drink?" Zayne offered, his tone relaxed as he tried—successfully—to sound like a reliable leader. Not that he wasn't already one.
The moment the word drink left his mouth, their dead eyes lit up instantly. Heads snapped toward him, nodding in unison like ducks spotting grain.
Zayne chuckled softly, amused by their reaction.
Without wasting time, he gave a silent command. "Alpha."
Minutes later, a small vortex shimmered into existence beside him. One by one, five cold energy drinks popped out, hovering briefly before dropping neatly into the air.
Zayne picked one up, nodding in satisfaction as he felt the chill against his palm and recognized the familiar branding.
With a flick of his wrist, he tossed the drinks toward the team.
Each can landed perfectly in their hands.
No spills. No misses.
Then—
Gulp… gulp… gulp…
The sound of aggressive chugging echoed throughout the control room. Everyone downed their drinks like their lives depended on it—except Zayne, who merely sipped his calmly.
"Ah~!"
A collective sigh of satisfaction escaped their lips almost simultaneously.
"This is good stuff," Peter said, wiping his mouth. "What brand is it?"
Zayne glanced over at him. "Produced by yours truly. Made using special ingredients found around the base. It works as both a recovery and energy potion."
The team's interest visibly spiked.
"It's pretty common," Zayne continued. "You'll find it in the public vending machines across each building."
The moment he said pretty common, their eyes practically sparkled.
An energy drink that restores stamina and boosts recovery? Readily available? That sounded dangerously close to an infinite energy exploit.
Zayne immediately caught on to their thoughts and raised a finger. "Before you get any bright ideas—there are limits."
Their expressions stiffened slightly.
"While it's a safe source of energy, over-reliance will negatively affect your natural recovery ability," Zayne explained calmly. "Meaning if you depend on it too much and suddenly don't have it in battle, you'll fatigue faster than normal."
As his words sank in, the excitement faded into understanding.
Yeah… that made sense.
Anything this convenient had to come with drawbacks. Otherwise, they could theoretically grind down any enemy through sheer attrition.
"Good," Zayne thought inwardly, watching their expressions settle. "That should discourage reliance on external tools. In the end, one's own strength is what matters most."
Satisfied, Zayne finished the last of his drink in one large gulp and casually tossed the empty can toward the waste bin.
Zappp!
The bin fired thin red rays, instantly pulverizing the can into nothingness.
No one reacted.
They were already used to it.
After all, they'd been training in the Omni-Base for days now.
Zayne leaned back slightly, folding his arms. "So…" he began, his gaze sweeping across them. "Mind telling me why you all look this, uh… beat up?"
At his words, Conner's eyes sharpened, clarity returning as if a switch had flipped.
Conner took a slow breath, his posture straightening as he gathered his thoughts. The exhaustion in his eyes didn't fade, but clarity returned, sharp and focused.
"After you and Tommy left for a mission," Conner began, "and after Kira and Gwen went out with MJ, the rest of us stayed back at the base to continue training."
Ethan nodded beside him, rubbing the back of his neck as if recalling the strain. Trent remained silent, arms crossed, listening intently.
"Everything was normal at first," Conner continued. "Training went as it should. Then…" His jaw tightened. "We got an emergency alert from the base system."
Zayne's expression didn't change, but his attention sharpened.
"Fortunately for us, the alert wasn't vague," Conner said. "Full holographic data. Location. Visual feed. Live recording of the incident."
Peter let out a breath through his nose. "Yeah… we would be left with no direction without those."
Conner nodded. "When we pulled up the data, we recognized the energy signature immediately. It was one of Mesogog's generals. One of his higher-tier crooks."
At the mention of Mesogog, the atmosphere in the control room subtly shifted. Even after everything they had faced, that name still carried some weight. He had almost destroyed the entire city several times after all.
"According to the intel we'd gathered earlier," Conner went on, "the monster's objective was simple—but catastrophic. Flood the entire city."
Ethan grimaced. "Not just a district. Not a sector. The whole city."
Zayne's eyes narrowed slightly, though his tone remained calm. "So you mobilized immediately."
"Yeah," Conner replied. "We couldn't afford to hesitate. If it succeeded, civilian casualties would've been unavoidable."
Trent finally spoke, his voice low but steady. "The mission wasn't straightforward."
Zayne turned his gaze toward him.
"The monster had control over aquatic life," Trent explained. "Fish. Large schools of them. It could command them like extensions of its own body."
Peter clicked his tongue. "And before you ask—no, they weren't just regular fish once it got involved."
Trent nodded. "They were aggressive. Coordinated. Acting almost like living weapons. If we'd gone straight for the monster, the fish would've swarmed evacuation routes, harbors, even underground water systems."
Ethan exhaled slowly. "Civilians would've been caught in the crossfire."
"So we made a call," Trent continued. "We split our focus. First priority was neutralizing the monster's control over the aquatic life. Only then could we engage it directly."
"That part was hell," Peter added casually, though the tension in his shoulders told another story. "Underwater combat, limited visibility, terrain disadvantage… not exactly my favorite environment."
Conner gave a short nod. "But we stuck to the plan. Coordinated strikes. Area denial. Gear synchronization."
His gaze flicked briefly toward Zayne. "The training you put us through mattered. A lot."
Ethan raised his drink can slightly, as if in salute. "Same with the new gear. Without it, we'd still be down there getting chewed on."
Peter leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head. "In the end, we shut down the external threat first. Once the fish were no longer under its control, the monster lost its biggest advantage."
Trent finished calmly, "After that, taking it down was only a matter of time."
Silence followed.
Not an awkward one—but a heavy, reflective pause.
Zayne looked at each of them in turn.
Despite their exhaustion, there was no hesitation in their eyes. No fear. No doubt. Only the quiet confidence of a team that had faced a real threat—and overcome it together.
A smile slowly formed on Zayne's face.
"Well done," he said. "You assessed the situation correctly. Prioritized civilian safety. Adapted to a hostile environment. And executed as a unit."
The team straightened slightly at his words.
"Power isn't just about strength," Zayne continued. "It's about judgment. Discipline. Knowing when to press forward and when to hold back. You all demonstrated that today."
Peter grinned faintly. "Guess the drills paid off."
"They did," Zayne replied. "But don't get complacent. Every victory is just another step. Keep refining yourselves."
They nodded, absorbing his words.
Then—
Bzzzt.
A sharp buzz echoed from Zayne's Morpher, cutting cleanly through the atmosphere.
The holographic interface flared to life.
Kira's voice came through, urgent and tense.
"Zayne, we need your help. It's an emergency."