A Glitch in the Plan

Tson leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples as the control room's soft hum surrounded him. Years of work had gone into perfecting his creations, yet now they seemed sentient—like they had minds of their own. Grayson, Kevin, and Prime—each an anomaly refusing to follow the rules he had set. Kevin had exceeded expectations. Grayson… without Nexus's control, he wasn't quite himself, yet the thirst for chaos remained. And Prime? Tson wished it was just another glitch. But no, Prime was back.

A sharp beep from the console snapped him from his thoughts. A new report—an energy spike in the lower sectors of the city. The signature? Disturbingly familiar. Not a rogue reactor. Not a malfunctioning suit. It was Prime.

Tson clenched his fists. Prime wasn't finished. The so-called heroes were likely already hunting him, but it was clear Prime had already made his move. What was he after now? The thought sent a knot twisting in Tson's stomach.

In the medical bay, Grayson stirred, his breathing erratic. Tson had never seen him like this—agonized. His fingers curled as though grasping for something unseen, his body jerking uncontrollably. Tson hesitated, then placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Grayson? Can you hear me?"

Grayson's eyes fluttered open, glowing faintly—sickly, unnatural. Veins throbbed beneath his irises before vanishing. He groaned, shaking his head as if trying to dispel a lingering fog. Was something moving inside him? Beneath his skin?

"I'm… still here," Grayson muttered, voice unsteady.

Tson's stomach churned. It wasn't convincing, but he forced a small, relieved smile. At least Grayson was awake. Sort of.

No time to dwell on it. The energy spike was growing. If Prime had found a way to refine arc energy into something even more dangerous, Tson couldn't hesitate.

"Rest," Tson said, standing. "I need to check something."

Grayson's dazed eyes followed him. "Still… lost?"

Tson glanced back, grim. He didn't answer. Instead, he moved to his workstation. The surveillance feeds pinpointed the energy readings—an old industrial site, abandoned for years. Yet machinery was coming to life. Prime was building something.

Tson froze as a memory flickered—ancient glyphs from the backup system. That's where he'd found the clues. Prime wasn't just playing with energy. He was evolving.

Tson had installed a backup system—a failsafe that, should he die, would allow him to return through the internet. Clever. And now, with this new development, the opportunity was too tempting to ignore. His fingers flew across the keyboard, writing code for an AI designed to stop Prime. To do that, the AI had to think and grow—its sole mission: erase Prime entirely. Every file, every trace of consciousness—Tson needed to cut it all off.

His face twisted in frustration. He had designed this AI specifically to counter Prime, a program capable of independent thought—an unprecedented breakthrough, but one that edged dangerously close to forbidden territory. Machines weren't meant to have consciousness. That line had never been crossed—until now. But what was it thinking? What did it want? Could this AI betray him the way Prime had?

He couldn't afford another mistake. The thought gnawed at him. How could he be sure it wouldn't happen again? His stomach twisted with uncertainty. No, this time, he was prepared. The moment Prime was dealt with, the AI would be sealed. He had already prepared a USB drive. Once the mission was done, the AI would be trapped inside, locked away forever.

Tson clenched his fists. He couldn't let his creations outsmart him again. Not this time.

Kevin's voice pulled him back. "Tson, what's going on?"

Tson looked up, meeting Kevin's concerned gaze. "Prime's making his next move. And I don't think we have much time before he finishes whatever he's working on."

Kevin frowned at the screen. "Then let's stop him."

Tson hesitated. This wasn't just another mission. Prime wasn't an ordinary threat. If they failed, the consequences would be catastrophic.

Taking a deep breath, Tson activated the new AI. He couldn't afford to think about the risks. Hesitation wouldn't win them this fight.

Cut to the heroes confronting Prime. His suit flickered, shifting from blue to red, as he fought off Tson's AI. The heroes, armed with lasers and determination, took their positions. Prime teleported and warped through the battlefield, narrowly surviving the onslaught.

Sweat trickled down Tson's brow as he watched from the control room. This was it—the critical moment. If Prime escaped, Tson couldn't predict the fallout.

Then—Prime's suit turned blue again, trembling on the verge of collapse. One hero unleashed a final blast—a laser so powerful it burned through the suit, disintegrating it piece by piece.

Tson stared in disbelief as Prime staggered. The energy readings vanished. He lost.

With a burst of frustration, he muttered under his breath, "Prime's out of the picture… check. Now to make sure I don't get exposed."

As the battle settled, Tson leaned back in his chair, eyes flicking to the monitor. "Hero School application? Yeah, that's definitely happening."

Without thinking, he stood and broke into a victory dance.

Kevin, arms crossed, watched before finally interjecting, "You should be happy no one got hurt."

Tson froze mid-move, then quickly nodded. "Uhhh, yeah, of course. I'm happy about that too."

With the Prime matter taken care of, Tson pulled out the USB where he had stored the AI and placed it in a safe that was impossible for anyone to access. After securing it, he turned to Kevin. "You good?"

Kevin looked at him, confused. "Uh, how?"

Tson nodded. "Just say 'Nexus,' and your suit will disengage. You should be good to go home now. And don't worry about the broken glass and dirty floor; I'll take care of that too."

As Kevin started to walk away, he paused and turned back. "Oh, what am I going to tell my parents?"

Tson finished the thought for him. "Don't worry. I took care of that too."

Kevin nodded, then Tson glanced over at the medical bay, his expression somber as he looked at Grayson.