Judy could never have imagined that the very mutant she unleashed would kill her.
Joshua observed the scene with mild surprise but felt no remorse. If it hadn’t been for Judy’s repeated attacks, especially her obsession with harming Shermaine, she wouldn’t have ended up like this. Her death spared Joshua the trouble of pulling the trigger himself.
The only one shattered was Harry. He threw himself at the mutant, shoving it aside with desperate strength before cradling Judy’s body. His agonized wail echoed through the chamber. “Princess Judy! No!”
Yet, no matter how desperately he cried out, Judy lay still. She was dead. Her neck snapped, eyes bulging in terror, lips parted in a final gasp.
“Princess Judy…” Harry drowned in regret. If only he had been faster… If only he hadn’t been injured… But fate never offered a second chance.
Watching Harry’s grief, Joshua understood his unwavering loyalty. It was love. Nothing else could explain such devotion.
The mutants were relentless, their explosive strength a challenge even for Joshua. Dodging their attacks, he knocked out Apocalypse’s pilot and dragged the unconscious body aside. Apocalypse came to a sudden stop.
Outside, Shermaine sagged in relief as Apocalypse halted. Her mental stamina was spent. Exhaustion clawed at her. She felt dizzy and heard a ringing in her ears. It was a sign of nausea. She closed her eyes, hoping to rest for a while. She willed herself to move and find Joshua right away, but her limbs refused.
Joshua pressed his palm against a control panel. A mechanical voice announced, “Bloodline analysis in progress. Result: 99% match. Welcome, Commander. Apocalypse is fully activated. All permissions granted. Awaiting orders.”
Apocalypse’s AI synced with Joshua’s consciousness, flooding his mind with the mecha’s intricate schematics.
Joshua was stunned, thinking, ‘A marvel of engineering!’
“Hostile behind you, Commander. Activating protective barrier,” the AI warned.
The mutant lunging at Joshua was flung backward. A deafening crash shook the central control room.
“You’re surrounded. Eliminate threats?” the AI asked.
“Do it,” Joshua commanded.
Instantly, nozzles emerged from the ceiling, releasing a dense fog that filled the air. When it cleared, the mutants lay unconscious. Drones swooped in, hauling them away on cables, back to sleeping pods for cryogenic freezing. However, Judy’s body and Harry were gone.
Joshua frowned, “Track Harry.”
A blue hologram materialized, showing Harry carrying Judy’s body into the palace’s depths via an elevator.
As Joshua had suspected, anything unusual usually meant trouble.
“Abnormal energy surge detected underground,” the AI reported. “Explosion imminent in five minutes.”
A number appeared before Joshua’s eyes, climbing rapidly. He asked, “What’s the estimated damage radius?”
A live damage radius simulation appeared–a red circle expanding to three miles.
Harry planned to bury them all.
Joshua barked, “Evacuate everyone within range.”
The AI responded, “Acknowledged.”
Joshua’s gaze snapped to the epicenter of the impending explosion, and his heart lurched. Shermaine’s downed red mecha lay motionless, directly over the blast zone. Joshua tried contacting her through Orthish, but there was no response whatsoever.
Nearby, Shirley and her forces had already evacuated without hesitation. Some civilians within the three-mile radius had fled earlier, wary of the warzone. Others, now hearing the evacuation broadcast, scrambled into vehicles and sped away.
Joshua maneuvered Apocalypse toward the red mecha. The ground here trembled violently, fissures splitting open like hungry jaws. A sinister purple glow pulsed underground, swelling toward detonation.
Shermaine’s mecha was wedged in a widening crevasse. Just as it began to slip into the abyss, Apocalypse swooped in and snatched it free.
On the ground, desperate soldiers screamed for help at the sight of the soaring mecha.
Joshua pried open the red mecha’s cockpit, lifting unconscious Shermaine into his arms. He pressed a kiss on her cheek, his hands trembling with residual fear.
Shermaine didn’t wake, but she instinctively curled into his warmth, nuzzling against his chest.
Joshua held her tighter. Then, glancing down at the stranded soldiers, he allowed a sliver of mercy. Apocalypse descended, its cargo bay gaping open. The soldiers wept with relief, shouting for their comrades as they surged toward salvation.
The ground trembled violently with deafening roars, jolting Shermaine awake.
Joshua cupped her face and kissed her deeply, so fiercely that Shermaine nearly lost her breath.
When he finally pulled back, Shermaine gasped, “What happened?”
Joshua summarized the chaos that unfolded while she was unconscious.
Shermaine frowned. She had expected Judy to fall by her or Joshua’s hand, not be killed by her nation’s mutant. Harry tried to drag everyone into Judy’s grave. A fitting end for that pair. That cruelty was horrifying. The two of them really were a match.
Shermaine asked, “What’s the situation now?”
“We save who we can, then leave,” Joshua replied.
Shermaine understood. She would have done the same. Judy was dead. There was no need for more bloodshed.
“Evacuate in thirty seconds,” the AI warned.
“Understood.” Joshua nodded.
On the mountain, Dave hiccupped, then jumped as a thunderous explosion lit up the horizon.
Floating into the air, it watched purple light engulf Summerbank’s palace, reducing miles of structures to rubble in seconds. Dave knew exactly where Shermaine and Joshua were. A quick scan confirmed their stable vitals. It exhaled in relief.
Meanwhile, Apocalypse hovered in the sky. Under the moonlight, its silver frame bathed in an ethereal glow.
Harry’s final act of vengeance hadn’t reached Shermaine and Joshua, but many people perished in the blast.
News of Judy’s death spread swiftly. The remaining soldiers in Summerbank surrendered. Soon, Shirley would ascend as the queen who unified the Kingdom of Xyperia. Once united, all military power would be redirected toward containing the mutants. Shirley and Judy had once been sisters, yet their fight for the throne had split them into enemies.
Yet not all would bow easily. Some factions would resist and carve out their territories.
Shermaine and Joshua had done enough. These struggles were no longer their concern.
In Baykeep, Jasmine tossed restlessly in bed. In contrast, Damien lay motionless on the couch, his breathing even.
Jasmine wondered, ‘How can he be so calm? Doesn’t he care about Shermaine and Joshua?’
Grabbing his coat, she tiptoed over, intending to drape it over him. The moment she leaned in, Damien’s eyes snapped open, murderous. His hand shot out, clamping around her throat.
Jasmine choked, collapsing against him.
Recognizing her, Damien released his grip. Jasmine’s forehead smacked into his chest as she coughed violently.
“Why approach me?” His voice was icy.
Jasmine pushed herself up, cheeks flushed with anger. “I was trying to be nice.”
Damien said nothing.
Infuriated by his indifference, Jasmine punched his chest. A feeble effort that didn’t even make him blink.
Moments later, Damien said flatly, “Done?”
She huffed, “No!”
Damien stared at her.
Jasmine felt the pain in her knuckles. Driven by sheer frustration, she straddled his waist and bit his neck.
Damien’s veins bulged. Feeling the pain, he moved to shove her off, then froze when his hand brushed something inappropriate.
Jasmine tasted blood and recoiled, guilt flashing through her at the sight of the wound.
Damien’s stormy gray eyes remained impassive. He simply lifted her off and deposited her onto the bed. “Sleep if you’re done.”
“I’m worried about Shermaine and Joshua,” Jasmine admitted.
“They’ll be fine,” Damien said calmly.
“Oh.” She pointed at his neck. “You’re bleeding.”
Damien touched the mark, feeling the wet warmth of blood and saliva. He eyed her disheveled state and lay back down without a word.
Jasmine exhaled in relief, thinking, ‘He’s so forgiving.’
Little did she know Damien, a cold-hearted assassin, never forgot a slight. And she could never guess how he would make her repay this one.