Chapter 19

We rushed back into the building, our eyes scanning the area for any sign of the weapon. The moment we found it, all of us stopped in our tracks, momentarily frozen in disbelief.

The weapon was massive—far bigger than we had expected. The sheer size of it sent a shiver down my spine. But what shocked us even more was the fact that there weren't just one or two of them.

There were five.

"How the hell did they manage to build this many?" Xavier muttered, his voice laced with both frustration and awe.

The sight alone raised more questions than answers. Where did they get the materials? Who had helped them construct these? And most importantly—how much time did we have left before they were launched?

I forced myself to push those thoughts aside. Right now, we had one priority: stopping the activation.

Xavier moved quickly, searching for anything that resembled a control panel. It didn't take long before he found a large red button encased in a thick layer of glass, boldly labeled "OFF BUTTON."

I narrowed my eyes. "That's… really convenient."

Xavier scoffed. "Yeah, I was expecting something a little more complicated." He lifted his fist and struck the glass, but nothing happened. He tried again—still nothing.

Heesung stepped forward, inspecting the case. His brows furrowed in recognition. "No wonder it won't break. This is reinforced containment glass—the kind used in prisons to hold criminals with dangerous abilities."

"So, we need a key," I realized aloud.

Everyone immediately split up, searching every drawer, cabinet, and corner of the room. We didn't have time to waste, and the tension in the air only thickened as the seconds ticked by.

Xavier slammed a metal drawer shut in frustration. "Nothing. Where the hell would they even keep—"

A slow clap echoed from the entrance.

We spun around to see Catalina standing there, a smug smirk plastered across her face. Dangling from her fingers was a single key, swinging back and forth like a taunt.

But that wasn't the worst part.

In her other hand, she held a small remote.

A sinking feeling formed in my stomach.

I already knew what it was for.

---

Catalina twirled the key between her fingers, the smirk on her face never faltering. The way she casually dangled it, so close yet so far from our grasp, sent a wave of irritation through me.

But that wasn't the worst part.

The small black remote in her other hand—the one she held with a relaxed grip—was far more dangerous.

"You guys sure took your time," Catalina said, her tone light, almost amused. "I was starting to think you weren't gonna make it in time to see this happen."

Desmond stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. He looked a little worse for wear from our previous fight, but he was still standing. That was a problem.

"So, what now?" Kaito muttered under his breath. "They've got the key and the remote. We're screwed if they press that button."

I tightened my grip on my weapon. "Not necessarily."

Catalina let out a mocking laugh. "Oh, please. I know exactly how this goes. You guys are gonna try and fight us, you're gonna think you have a chance, and then—" she gestured toward the remote, "—boom. No more Elites."

She wasn't bluffing. The way her fingers hovered over the button told me she'd launch the weapon without a second thought if we made a wrong move.

I needed to think fast.

Heesung took a step forward, his voice calm but firm. "If you really hated the Elites that much, you could've just left. But instead, you're here, acting like villains, trying to wipe out an entire group of people."

Desmond scoffed. "You think we had a choice? The Elites ruin people's lives, and you want us to just let it happen?" His voice was bitter, full of resentment.

Catalina sighed, rolling her eyes. "Look, we can argue morality all day, but the fact is, we're about to win, and you're about to lose."

She raised the remote slightly, her thumb hovering over the button.

I had to move. Now.

"Bellarose, take the shot!" I shouted.

Without hesitation, Bellarose fired.

Her bullet cut through the air, heading straight for Catalina's hand—but at the last second, Desmond reacted. He grabbed Catalina, yanking her backward just in time for the bullet to graze her wrist instead of hitting its mark.

The remote slipped from her hand.

I lunged forward, sprinting toward it with everything I had. Catalina, despite the pain in her wrist, was already diving for it too.

My heart pounded as I stretched out my hand, fingers brushing against the remote—

Just as Catalina kicked it away.

I barely had time to react before Desmond's fist was flying toward my face. I dodged, countering with a kick to his ribs, but he barely flinched. He was stronger than I expected.

Meanwhile, Catalina was already scrambling toward the remote.

"Someone stop her!" I yelled.

Kaito moved fast, sliding across the ground and grabbing Catalina's ankle before she could reach it. She yelped as he yanked her back, but she twisted midair, using the momentum to land a sharp kick to his jaw.

He stumbled, but before she could grab the remote, Cherry was already on her.

Bellarose kept firing at Desmond, forcing him to stay on the defensive. Heesung had joined me now, helping keep Desmond occupied as we tried to push forward.

I risked a glance at the remote—it was still lying on the ground, untouched for a split second.

This was my chance.

I pushed off the ground, lunging toward it with everything I had. Catalina saw me coming and reached out at the same time.

We both grabbed it.

For a brief moment, we wrestled for control, each trying to pry it from the other's grip.

Then, suddenly—

A gunshot rang out.

I froze.

Catalina's body tensed, her eyes widening in shock. She let out a shaky breath, looking down at her side. Blood was seeping through her uniform.

Bellarose had shot her.

I didn't waste time hesitating. With a final yank, I ripped the remote from Catalina's grasp and tossed it to Heesung.

"Destroy it!" I shouted.

Heesung slammed the remote against the ground, stomping on it until the device was nothing but broken parts and sparking wires.

For the first time since this mission started, I let out a breath of relief.

The weapon wasn't launching today.

But we weren't done yet.

Desmond let out an enraged yell, rushing forward with newfound fury. Catalina, despite her wound, forced herself back up.

They weren't going down without a fight.

And neither were we.

---

Desmond's yell echoed through the warehouse as he lunged at us, his fists glowing with energy. I barely had time to register the attack before he swung at me. I dodged, twisting my body to the side just as his fist smashed into the ground, leaving a crater where I had been standing.

He was furious.

Catalina, despite her wound, was still standing. Blood dripped from her side, but she was gritting her teeth, forcing herself to fight through the pain. Her fingers curled, and within seconds, her wounds were closing up.

Regeneration.

Great.

"Akari, we need to take them down fast!" Heesung shouted as he blocked an incoming attack from Desmond. "They're stalling for time!"

I realized what he meant immediately. The weapons were disabled, and the remote was destroyed, but that didn't mean they were out of options. There had to be a backup plan—something they could use to turn the tide again.

I glanced around the warehouse, trying to find anything that seemed out of place. Then, I saw it.

A countdown.

My stomach dropped.

A small screen was mounted on the wall, and on it, a timer was still ticking down. The launch sequence hadn't been stopped completely.

Catalina smirked, wiping the blood from her mouth. "You thought the remote was the only way to set it off?"

I clenched my fists. "You—"

Before I could finish, she attacked.

She moved fast—faster than before, probably fueled by adrenaline and anger. I barely had time to block as she swung a knife toward me. I caught her wrist, twisting her arm, but she used the momentum to kick me in the stomach, sending me sliding backward.

"Kaito! Xavier! The timer is still running!" I shouted.

Kaito cursed under his breath, turning toward the screen. "I'll handle it! Keep them off me!"

Easier said than done.

Desmond was stronger than before, his attacks fueled by rage. Heesung was holding his own, but even he was struggling to keep up. Cherry and Bellarose tried to give him backup, but Desmond wasn't going down easily.

Catalina came at me again, her blade flashing in the dim light. I ducked under her swing and countered with a punch to her ribs, making her stumble.

"Do you even realize what you're doing?" I snapped. "You're willing to kill thousands just because of your grudge against the Elites?"

Catalina's eyes darkened. "You think we're the villains? The Elites destroyed everything we had! They turned my father into a criminal! They take and take, and when people fight back, they act like we're the monsters!"

I gritted my teeth, shoving her back. "That's not an excuse to kill innocent people."

She let out a bitter laugh. "Innocent? None of you are innocent."

I didn't have time to argue.

Behind me, Kaito was working fast, trying to disable the countdown. Xavier was helping, but the system was more complicated than they expected.

"We need more time!" Kaito called out.

We didn't have time.

Catalina rushed at me again, but this time, I was ready. I dodged her attack and slammed my elbow into her back, knocking her off balance. Before she could recover, I grabbed her by the collar and threw her toward Heesung, who caught her midair and pinned her down.

Desmond saw this and roared in anger. "Let her go!"

He tried to reach her, but Cherry and Bellarose blocked his path, forcing him back with a barrage of attacks.

Kaito cursed. "I can't stop it! The system is encrypted!"

My blood ran cold.

We were running out of time.

I turned to Catalina, who was struggling under Heesung's grip. "How do we shut it down?!"

She smirked, her lips curling into a wicked grin. "You don't."

Heesung's grip tightened. "You'd really let yourselves die just for revenge?"

Catalina didn't answer.

Desmond was still fighting to get to her, his movements becoming more reckless. He wasn't thinking anymore—just attacking blindly. He didn't care if he got hurt, as long as he could reach Catalina.

That's when it hit me.

They were buying time.

Not for the weapon—

For backup.

I felt it before I saw it.

A powerful presence.

A chill ran down my spine as the air around us shifted, heavy with an overwhelming force.

Someone else was here.

Before I could react, a massive shockwave rippled through the room, sending everyone flying. I barely managed to stay on my feet, my heart pounding as I looked toward the entrance.

A figure stood in the doorway, their presence radiating sheer dominance.

They weren't just strong.

They were terrifying.

Catalina let out a weak chuckle. "Took you long enough."

Desmond grinned, blood dripping down his face. "Now… you're all dead."

I clenched my fists, my heart hammering against my ribs.

This fight wasn't over yet.