A changed man
Cassian groaned as he came to, wrists bound to a steel chair in a dimly lit interrogation room. His head throbbed, and the metallic scent of blood filled the air.
Across from him sat Jace, leaning casually against a table, counting credits on his wrist device.
"Well," Jace said with a smirk, "that was easier than I thought."
Cassian rolled his eyes. "Seriously? You sold us out for money?"
Jace shrugged. "Not just money. A lot of money."
Rory, tied to a chair beside him, sighed dramatically. "I told you we should have shot him first."
Cassian grinned. "I know. Next time, I listen to you."
Jace snorted. "There won't be a next time."
A heavy metal door slammed open, and in walked a Sovereign officer in high-ranking armor, his presence radiating authority.
"You are Cassian Vey," he said, his voice dripping with condescension.
Cassian smirked. "That's what they tell me."
The Sovereign ignored his sarcasm. "You entered a forbidden timeline, disrupted our control, and now, you carry something that does not belong to you."
Cassian blinked. "Wait… this isn't about that toxin, is it?"
The man's face darkened.
Jace frowned. "Toxin?"
Rory groaned. "Oh, here we go…"
The Sovereign stepped forward, eyes narrowing. "That 'toxin' is Liranium Essence. It is… unstable. Deadly. And now, you are contaminated."
Cassian flexed his fingers. The Void Corruption burned beneath his skin. His instincts had sharpened. His body felt… off, but powerful.
He grinned. "So what you're saying is… I'm an even bigger problem now?"
The Sovereign sighed. "Kill them."
Jace stepped back. "Whoa, wait—I turned them in! I still get paid, right?"
The Sovereign shot him in the leg.
Jace screamed, dropping to the floor. "SON OF A—"
Cassian snapped into action.
The guard lifted his gun—
Cassian flashed backward three seconds, appearing before his restraints had even been locked properly. He yanked his hands free.
The guard blinked. "What the—?"
Cassian smashed his head against the table.
Rory, still tied up, muttered, "A little help here?"
Cassian snatched a plasma blade off a fallen guard and sliced through her bindings.
"Better?" he asked.
She grabbed a gun and shot two incoming enforcers. "Much."
Alarms blared.
Rory groaned. "Guess we're doing this loud."
Cassian smirked. "Like we had a choice."
---
Cassian and Rory fought their way through the Sovereign stronghold, weaving through dim corridors filled with heavily armed soldiers.
Cassian's Paradox Surge saved him more than once—he'd rewind a few seconds, dodge bullets, and counterattack before his enemies even realized they'd missed.
At one point, a Sovereign soldier got a clean shot at Rory.
Cassian surged forward, knocking the gun away.
Rory blinked. "Did you just time-warp to save me?"
Cassian smirked. "Don't get used to it."
They reached the armory, where Cassian found something beautiful—a stash of time-detonation charges.
Rory grinned. "Oh, you have that look."
Cassian slung a satchel over his shoulder. "We're bringing the whole damn place down."
---
With Sovereign soldiers scrambling after them, Cassian and Rory hijacked a transport vehicle and blasted toward the Syndicate's main tower.
Cassian jumped into the driver's seat, gunning the engine. "Ever driven straight into enemy territory at full speed?"
Rory strapped herself in. "No, but I always wanted to!"
They crashed through the Syndicate gates, smashing through security drones and forcing their way inside.
Cassian moved like a ghost, erasing guards from existence with Void Corruption, dodging bullets with Temporal Instinct, and rewinding time whenever something went wrong.
Rory planted the time charges around the core reactor.
Cassian held off the last wave of guards, his abilities flowing together seamlessly now. He erased a gunner, dodged a plasma bolt in slow motion, and surged back in time to avoid a knife to the ribs.
The Syndicate Warden, the last major obstacle, charged.
Cassian turned to Rory. "Get ready to run."
He let Void Corruption take over, and with a single touch—the Warden ceased to exist.
Cassian staggered, panting. The power was taking its toll.
Rory hit the detonator. The tower erupted.
They ran, escaping just as the entire Syndicate headquarters crumbled into oblivion.
The city streets filled with people, watching the collapse in awe.
Whispers turned to cheers.
The Syndicate was gone.
---
As the dust settled, Rory turned to Cassian. "So. You actually did it."
Cassian smirked. "Not bad, huh?"
She nudged him. "Try not to get yourself erased from existence, alright?"
Cassian activated the portal.
Rory held out a hand. "Take care of yourself, Cass."
Cassian clasped it. "You too, partner."
With that, he stepped into the light.
---
Cassian woke up in his timeline.
Everything looked the same… but he knew he wasn't.
He flexed his fingers. Void Corruption still lingered. His powers were still there.
A smirk crossed his lips.
Maybe this wasn't over after all.