DEEP SPACE BATTLEFIELD

Explosions rippled through the void as ships clashed in a violent ballet of destruction. Plasma fire streaked across the blackness, lighting up the remains of shattered vessels, broken fighters, and drifting bodies. The evac ships surged forward, engines roaring as they pushed toward the safety of deep space.

But safety was a lie.

They were still trapped.

Markus gritted his teeth, gripping the controls of his fighter as another wave of enemy ships closed in.

"Hold formation!" someone yelled over the comms. "We need to clear a path for the evac—"

BOOM!

The transmission cut out as the ship was torn apart by cannon fire.

"Shit!" Markus snarled, rolling his fighter as debris shot past him. His heart hammered, ears twitching as his targeting system locked onto an enemy squadron. His tail flicked once—then he dived.

BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.

Three ships gone in a blink.

"Markus, ease up!" Kai's voice crackled through the comms, calm but firm. "You're flying hot."

"I'm fine."

He was not.

BOOM.

Kai took out another.

A beat of silence.

"...Alright," Kai muttered. "I trust you."

Back on the ZENITH, the bridge was in chaos. Takashima was barking out orders, his voice sharp over the alarms blaring through the command deck.

"Status!"

"Most of the ships are taking damage!" a lieutenant shouted back. "They're running on forty percent right now!"

Takashima's jaw tightened. "How much longer until we can form the portal?"

"Three minutes... at minimum."

"Make it happen in two."

"...Yes, sir!"

Takashima exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple before pressing down on his comms.

"You guys better get here in like... right now!"

Vayne's voice came through, dry and full of stress.

"WELL, WE'D LOVE TO—BUT..."

Outside, a massive enemy fleet had just arrived.

Fighters swarmed in, their formations tightening around the evac ships like a noose. Dozens. No—hundreds. Plasma fire rained down from all directions.

"They seem to really want us dead!!"

Takashima sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Okay... I'm sending you support."

He slammed a button, switching channels.

"Markus, Kai! Now!! Go, go, go! Lock onto these coordinates!"

Markus and Kai's screens flashed—new coordinates appearing on their HUDs.

"Let's go," Markus said, gripping the controls.

"Right!!" Kai responded.

Their ships shot forward, engines burning hot as they zipped toward the new coordinates, cutting through the battlefield like lightning.

ZENITH - MEDBAY

Inside the medbay, the rest of Angel Squad lay in various states of injury, hooked up to medical scanners, their bodies recovering from the brutal fight on the surface. The air was thick with tension, the steady beeping of monitors the only sound at first.

Then—

CRASH!

A medical tray went flying as Arnik slammed his fist into the wall, his body trembling with frustration. His knuckles burned from the impact, but he didn't care.

"Useless," he muttered, his voice sharp with anger. "I'm completely useless."

He gritted his teeth, his fists clenching. "I should be out there. I should be fighting. Instead, I'm in here, doing nothing."

A sudden SMACK echoed through the medbay.

Rose's fist collided with his jaw.

Arnik's head snapped to the side, his lip splitting slightly from the impact. He turned, rage burning in his eyes—until he saw her glare.

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself," she snapped. "You think throwing a tantrum is gonna change anything?"

Arnik didn't respond, breathing heavy, but Rose wasn't done.

"You're the first mutant, Arnik. Do you honestly think your mutation is gonna do a damn thing in space? What, you gonna punch a battleship?"

Arnik's ears burned with embarrassment. His fists clenched at his sides.

"You're right…" he muttered. "I'm just—frustrated that I couldn't help my teacher."

His nails dug into his palms as he exhaled sharply. "Those demon users… they're strong. And I have a feeling those weren't even his strongest."

Across the room, Aika was still asleep, completely unfazed by the entire exchange.

Rose sighed, shaking her head. "Well, no shit. But sitting here sulking about it ain't gonna make you any stronger."

Arnik exhaled again, slower this time. She wasn't wrong. But deep down, something still gnawed at him.

Just how much stronger were the enemies waiting for them?

Markus and Kai finally reached the evac ships, their fighters gliding in fast to cover them.

But… it seemed like they didn't need the help.

One of the evac ships was flying erratically, swerving through the chaos in a way no standard pilot could manage. It dodged plasma fire, cut dangerously close between enemy formations, and spun at the last second to avoid a missile lock.

Markus squinted. "...Hah. Crowne must be flying that thing."

Kai let out a slow breath. "That explains a lot."

"Man, he's good..."

Their comms crackled.

"Sorry, boys! But we got this!" Crowne's voice rang out, far too smug.

"A heads-up would be nice," Markus muttered.

"Listen! We still need your help!" Crowne said. "One of those warships is hammering our evac ships—we won't last long unless you take it out!"

Markus' targeting system locked onto the enemy warship in question. It was positioned just above the fleet, slowly advancing while raining down heavy plasma fire on the struggling ships. Smaller fighter squadrons swarmed around it, covering its weak points and preventing any clear shots from the evac defenses.

"You must be crazy if you think we can take that thing down," Markus snapped.

"Actually, you can," Vayne's voice cut through the comms.

Markus and Kai exchanged a look.

"The Angel Squad ships are equipped with a very strong magic crystal within their core. Along with an incredibly powerful missile," Vayne continued.

Kai adjusted his glasses. "What kind of missile?"

Vayne's tone was casual, like he wasn't about to suggest something insane. "One that can rip a warship in half."

Markus grinned. "Alright, now we're talking."

"There's just one catch," Vayne added. "It's very close range. So good luck."

Markus' grin faltered. "...What?"

"FYI! Aim for its underbelly!" Vayne said before cutting the channel.

Kai sighed. "Figures."

Markus flexed his fingers over the controls, rolling his shoulders. "Well. No point in overthinking it."

Kai nodded. "Let's not miss."

They punched their thrusters, diving straight into the swarm.

Markus and Kai shot forward, weaving through the chaotic battlefield as enemy fighters scrambled to cut them off. Plasma fire lit up the darkness, streaking past their cockpits as they barreled straight for the warship. The sheer size of it loomed like a floating fortress, its massive cannons glowing with each pulse, raining destruction down on the evac ships.

"Kai, you got a plan?" Markus asked, rolling hard to avoid a missile lock.

"Of course," Kai muttered. "Try not to die before we get there."

"That is the plan!"

The warship was heavily fortified, its hull reinforced with layers of armored plating. Its underbelly—the weak point Vayne mentioned—was partially exposed, but dozens of enemy fighters patrolled the area, their sleek ships forming a deadly blockade. Swarms of drones zipped between the fighters, scanning for threats and relaying targeting data to the warship's main guns.

Markus gritted his teeth. "They're not gonna make this easy, huh?"

Kai's calm voice came through. "Then we'll make them move."

Markus smirked. "Now that's what I like to hear."

They split up.

Kai dove low, hugging the warship's side, while Markus looped around, drawing attention.

Enemy fighters latched onto Markus immediately, plasma bolts tearing through the air around him. The sharp alarms in his cockpit screamed as he twisted through the madness, narrowly dodging another salvo of fire.

"Guess I'll be the bait!" Markus grumbled, flipping his ship into a tight corkscrew as another fighter locked onto him. "Kai, tell me you're getting close!"

"Almost."

"Not the answer I want, buddy!"

Kai's ship weaved through the battlefield with surgical precision, his targeting system running through calculations as he approached the warship's underbelly. The missile was primed and ready—he just needed an opening.

"Markus, I need a clear shot," Kai said.

Markus narrowed his eyes, analyzing the formation of enemy ships. "Got it. Hold tight!"

He pulled a hard turn, letting his pursuers get closer—then suddenly slammed his thrusters, cutting speed instantly. The violent deceleration sent his ship lurching forward, throwing off the enemy's tracking systems.

The enemy ships overshot him, their formation scattering as they adjusted too late.

Markus seized the moment, locking onto their confused ships and unloading a barrage of fire. Three fighters exploded instantly, their flaming wreckage spiraling toward the warship's hull.

"Now, Kai!!"

Kai's finger hovered over the trigger. The targeting reticle flashed red.

Boom.

The missile launched, streaking toward the warship's exposed weak point.

The enemy fighters realized too late.

A massive explosion tore through the warship's core, fire and energy ripping out from the inside. A secondary blast erupted, sending flames and shrapnel spewing into open space. The entire ship shuddered violently, its engines flickering as its structure collapsed from the inside out. The gravitational pull of the explosion sucked in the nearby drones, their fragile frames getting torn apart as they were caught in the shockwave.

Markus whooped as he barreled away from the destruction. "Hell yeah!!"

Kai's ship pulled up beside him, his voice as steady as ever. "Direct hit."

The warship imploded in a final, deafening detonation, sending debris scattering in every direction. The remaining enemy fighters scrambled, disoriented as their flagship was reduced to nothing more than wreckage floating in the void.

The evac ships were finally in the clear.

Markus let out a deep breath. "Alright. That was badass."

Kai sighed. "And reckless."

"You say that like it's a bad thing!"

Their comms crackled.

"Nice work, boys," Vayne's voice came through. "Now get back before you get yourselves killed."

Markus grinned, wiping the sweat from his brow. "On our way."