Chương 76: Episode 21: Frustration

In the computer room, Vironos stood before a towering holographic screen with his body flickering in violent static distortions. Every movement glitched and skipped as if his form were struggling to hold itself together. His claws clenched tight while his glowing eyes scanned the security feeds.

"This security isn't working…" His voice crackled, warped and unstable.

"We'll have to step in ourselves." The doors hissed open, slicing through the steady hum of machinery, and every worker froze mid-keystroke. Vironos snapped his head toward the sound, static sparking sharply across his frame as Dr. Madman stepped inside. This was not the Madman they were used to. His hat and crooked grin were gone, replaced by something colder and unreadable. He walked forward with measured steps, stopping near the display to glance at the feeds with a sharp, restrained frown.

He turned toward Vironos with precise, almost mechanical control.

"Excuse me, sir… Do you know what happened to Don and Starla?" Vironos twitched as static snapped violently across his shoulders, but he said nothing, only shaking his head with his eyes locked on the screens. In the top corner of the feed, a glowing readout pulsed fifty-nine percent power drained over a hologram of the Lost Gem. The feed shifted to STAGE 4, showing a grainy image of Don and Rai sprawled across the ground, unmoving.

Madman flicked his hand, generating a holographic life-signal tablet that he shoved toward Vironos' face. The display read Don Black beside flat lines that showed no pulse. Vironos pushed the tablet aside without a word, letting out a low, static-filled sigh. Madman's lips curled faintly, though not quite in a smile.

"So… what do we have to say about that?" He turned and strolled between the rows of desks as workers pretended to focus on their screens. Reaching the door, he leaned casually against the frame with crossed arms, his fingers brushing along his mustache as his gaze hardened.

"Listen carefully," Madman said, his tone sharpening.

"I've already done more than enough trying to capture your little prisoners, but it looks like they've slipped through your fingers. Yes, they're separated, and yes, they're stuck in the White Space. But clearly, that's not enough." The door slid open behind him, and he straightened up to leave.

"If Don stays down long enough, I'll capture him, but we'll need proper containment for that one. Anyone who can rip a heart out doesn't belong in a regular cage." He stopped mid-step and glanced back over his shoulder without a trace of casualness left in his expression.

"And you'd better pay me more than you used to." With that, he was gone, and the doors sealed shut with a soft hiss. Silence settled over the room, broken only by the low hum of machines and the uneven flicker of Vironos' glitching form. He stood motionless as static surged across his body, sparking and snapping until a low, frustrated grunt escaped him. He raised his fists as if about to tear the consoles apart, causing the workers to freeze in panic. Then he stopped.

A long exhale hissed through him, heavy with static, as his head lowered and his fists slowly uncurled.

"…Dammit. I wish never left…" No one responded. The workers turned back to their screens, pretending everything was normal while the thick, unbroken tension lingered in the air.

T-Ex trudged through the endless snow, his claws crunching against the frozen ground. The night was heavy and sharp, painted silver by the glow of not one, but two full moons. Their light spilled through torn clouds and reflected off jagged walls of ice that jutted from the land like broken glass. He shivered as we moved. Dinosaurs weren't built for this—reptiles and snow didn't mix—and I could feel every tremor in his steps beneath me.

The saddle creaked with each step, my armor clanking softly, while Eddy clung to my back for warmth. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. The wind howled like a living thing, biting straight through my face. We moved carefully across the frozen remains of a city. Pink and blue crystal towers stabbed upward like jagged monuments, ice crunching underfoot while snow piled against the walls like ancient ruins. Every breath burned my lungs.

I adjusted the strap of my pack, feeling the familiar weight of the blue shard tucked inside. Just in case. Ahead of us, the cyan figure walked like the cold didn't exist. Arms folded behind his back. Calm. Controlled. His aura flickered faintly, glowing like a star trapped in human form. He hadn't said a word since we arrived in Ickeris. He had just appeared and kept leading us. From behind a massive shard of pink ice, smoke curled into the sky—dark tendrils lit orange by a distant glow. An explosion.

Eddy leaned closer, his voice muffled by his scarf.

"So… you gonna talk to him, or are we just trusting the glowing cyan stick?" I exhaled, frost spilling from my lips.

"Yeah. I'm done waiting." I straightened, glaring ahead.

"Hey. You—who are you? And why are you following us? That explosion better not be nothing." He didn't stop. But he heard me. His glowing cyan eyes shifted over his shoulder, glinting with something mischievous.

"I'm Speed," he said calmly.

"A Zenith." My eyes narrowed.

"Zenith? …Cyan Power Gem. You work with Power?"

"That's right, and I was following you because there's… a very important reason." I leaned forward as T-Ex's heavy steps shook frost loose from nearby crystals.

"Then explain the explosion. You dragging us all this way for fireworks? If you've got something to show me, it better be serious." The wind howled louder as we kept moving, the orange glow growing stronger until I could taste smoke in the back of my throat. Burnt metal cut through the air. We reached a wall of frozen rock. Speed raised a hand and motioned for us to follow, then slipped around it. T-Ex stomped after him. I leaned forward—and froze. A crater stretched before us, carved deep into the ice.

Flames licked along the edges while black smoke spiraled into the sky. I slid off T-Ex and crunched forward, my heart pounding. At the bottom—a figure. Not fully human. Not fully machine. A kid. Maybe twelve. Her body was twisted and burned, metal plating scorched, synthetic skin torn. Small clear horns jutted from her head, cracked but intact. One side of her face was human, dirt and ash clinging to her cheek. The other—exposed machinery. Her cybernetic eye was dark. A jetpack fused into her back sparked faintly.

She looked like she had crawled out of fire and collapsed.

"…Damn," I muttered, sliding down into the crater. Ice cracked under my boots as I landed. I moved cautiously before kneeling beside her. Her skin was cold, covered in burns and scratches. No movement.

"…If only Lonnie and Angel were here," I muttered.

"Where do I even take you…?" I carefully lifted her. Way too light. I climbed back up, holding her close. Eddy shifted uneasy on T-Ex's back. Speed just smirked.

"Follow me." He dropped down and walked toward a frozen rock wall. Eddy narrowed his eyes.

"Oh great. Secret base moment." T-Ex tilted his head. I followed, holding the girl. Speed pressed his glowing palm against the ice. CRACK— The wall split open, revealing a hidden passage that pulsed faintly with light.

"…Okay, yeah, that's actually sick," Eddy admitted. I pushed him back by the face.

"Stay here. Both of you. If anything shows up—you handle it." T-Ex rumbled low but nodded. Eddy groaned.

"Yeah, yeah… bossy." I adjusted my grip on the girl and turned toward the glowing passage. Speed grinned.

"You ready?" I nodded.

"Let's do it." He jumped first with a yell. Of course he did. I took a breath, tightened my hold, and jumped. The world flipped. Ice slammed into my back, and then I was sliding fast. The tunnel twisted, throwing me side to side. My armor scraped against jagged walls, sparks snapping in the darkness. My stomach dropped with every curve. I didn't let go. Not once. The slide got steeper, faster. Cold air tore past my face, burning my skin. WHAM! I slammed into the wall, spinning. Air. For a split second. CRASH!

I hit the ground hard, the breath blasting out of me.

"…Ow." I groaned, pushing myself up slowly.

"…Hey…" I froze and looked down. The girl stirred in my arms. Her cybernetic eye flickered on, glowing faintly. Her human eye blinked open and focused on me.

"…You're not trying to kill me, right?" she asked weakly, her voice glitchy—but clear. Words, not static. I blinked.

"…No? You good?" She winced, trying to move, then gave up.

"…Define 'good.'" I let out a breath.

"Fair enough." She looked around slowly, taking everything in, then back at me.

"You carried me out of a crater. So… thanks." A small pause.

"…I'm Bite."

"Olsen," I replied.

"And yeah—you're lucky we found you." She gave a faint smirk.

"…Yeah. I don't usually get lucky." Her gaze dropped—something heavier behind it—before she steadied.

"…But I'm still here," she said quietly.

"So I can still do what I'm supposed to."

"What's that?" I asked. Her eyes met mine, clear and focused.

"… Protect people. And not fail this time." That hit harder than expected. Before I could respond, a glow filled the room. I turned and froze. Zeniths. Everywhere. One bounced around glowing white with endless energy. Another pink one blew kisses at the air. The silver one adjusted glowing glasses, looking annoyed. To the side, an orange one with a flaming head was yelling at a literal hamster in a glowing cage. A green one meditated in silence. In the corner, Strength casually curled weights the size of trucks.

My jaw dropped.

"What the heck…" Speed leaned against the wall, arms crossed and smirking at my reaction.

"Welcome," he said.

"To the Station of Zeniths."