Rain shook his head, and the air cleared.
Nightmares? He didn't dream at all. His mind was honed past the point where his brain bothered with unnecessary task that eat up more memory.
"Are you really serious?" Ronaldo wasn't buying it.
"Never mind that. How do you control repulsion here? It defies physics."
The young man let out a pained chuckle, hand still pressed to his bruised ribs. "My ability isn't any crazier than yours. Every attack you made defied human limits."
"Not the same. My strength comes from my muscle fibers developed after forced evolution. They work like springs—compress, store energy, release." He started punching the air, each strike ripping through it with a low, whistling roar.
"That's literally a superpower, man." Ronaldo threw his hands up.
"Then explain your repulsion. It doesn't just appear from nowhere, does it?"
Ronaldo's hand went to his head. "I mean... yeah. That's exactly it."
Before either could speak, a voice raspy interrupted—
"May I explain?" One of the scientists stepped forward, lab coat pristine despite the dark circles carved under his eyes."
"Dr. Doffer," he introduced himself with a slight nod. "Physicist and Quantum Researcher. I believe I can provide the explanation you're looking for."
"Please do." Rain nodded. He had little patience for bureaucracy, but he respected people who dedicated their lives to their craft.
The doctor adjusted his glasses. His shoulders relaxed slightly.
"Number Seven's ability taps into something we're calling 'Shade.' Best we can tell, he's pulling energy from a parallel reality."
The dots connected themselves in Rain's mind. Quantum entanglement.
"This element—Shade—can it be measured? Controlled?"
"That's what our team is working on. The implications go far beyond just awakened abilities, but—"
"Ahem." Jackson cleared his throat. "Master, I'm really sorry, but you can't access more classified information unless you join us."
Rain answered immediately. "That's not in issue. Show me the data."
Jackson exhaled, unable to hide his satisfaction. "Of course."
Before they left, Rain stopped beside Ronaldo and hit three pressure points, making him vomit blood.
The young man wiped his mouth, glaring. "What did you do?"
"Forced your body to start healing. You'll still need rest and medicine, but this gives you a head start."
"Appreciate it." He paused. "You know, you're really weird, but at least you're not like the others, calling me 'Number Seven' and all that."
Rain's expression softened a little. "That name came from your parents. Don't let anyone take it from you."
"Thanks, man. Mom always said I would make the Premier League someday, so she named me after a famous player. I was so close..."
"That door has closed. But the world is changing, and I'm certain you'll make a name for yourself with your abilities."
Something wet gathered at the corners of Ronaldo's eyes.
"Thank you."
Rain didn't reply. Just a brief pat on the shoulder before he turned away.
They followed Dr. Doffer deeper into the facility—sterile hallways giving way to industrial elevators, then finally a massive reinforced door.
Three security checkpoints stood between them and entry. Doffer went through each one—card swipe, thumbprint, retinal scan
Pressurized air hissed out while the door slid open.
"Welcome to ORION—Orbital Reconnaissance and Intelligence Network," he announced. "From here, we monitor the entire planet in real-time. Two hundred satellites, full-spectrum surveillance."
They stood in an observation deck overlooking a massive control center one level below
Operators filled the rows below. Headsets, keyboards, eyes flickering between three screens each.
But the centerpiece dominated everything: a holographic Earth, rotating slowly in mid-air.
Doffer swiped his card at the panel. Hydraulics hissed. A control desk rose from the floor and locked into position
"We equipped our satellites with a new type of scanner. It's calibrated to the unique energy signature of SHADE"
The globe reconfigured itself, highlighting seven zones.
Seven locations lit up: Northwest Canada, California, Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, Norway, Western Australia, Tokyo, and the Sakha Republic in Russia.
The points formed a pattern.
"A heptagon, and —" Rain paused, sensing something was off. The alarms erupted seconds later.
"What's happening?" Jackson had to yell over the sound.
One of the staff pulled up the CCTV feed.
The tunnel leading to the facility was a roaring inferno. Through the flames, five figures in black robes moved forward.
Gunfire erupted. Muzzle flashes lit up the tunnel as the military unleashed everything they had.
The bullets stopped mid-air.
Then they reversed course, tearing back through the soldiers who'd fired them.
"Repulsion!" Jackson's voice cracked. "Another one like number 7—"
"No." Rain's eyes never left the screen. "Magnetism."
Jackson turned to him. "What?"
"The bullets paused before reversing. Repulsion is instant—this had a delay. And look." he pointed at the flickering feed from a secondary camera. "Shell casings, rifles, even belt buckles—all metal objects are being controlled."
"Everyone, stay calm." Jackson straightened his shoulders. "This facility is equipped with military-grade defense systems. They won't make it past the outer perimeter."
Rain's eyebrow arched. "Military-grade? Doesn't that usually mean overpriced and low quality?"
Jackson's confident expression faltered. Several staff members suddenly found their shoes very interesting.
"It's state-of-the-art," Elaine corrected.
Rain said nothing, but the slight quirk of his mouth spoke volumes.
To everyone else, this was a catastrophe—an existential threat breaching their most secure facility. To him? It was just a minor inconvenience.
Unless they were dropping a nuclear warhead on his head, panicking would be a waste of energy.
He turned back to the monitors just as the lead intruder raised both hands. Dozens of armored vehicles lifted off the ground simultaneously.
"Now that," Rain murmured, "is interesting."