The air felt heavier.
Alex watched as the figure stepped forward, their red eyes glowing like embers.
Jax gulped. "Welp. That's nightmare fuel."
Evelyn gripped her knives. "Who the hell is that?"
Lillian's face was pale.
"Subject Zero… the first successful experiment."
Alex frowned. "You mean—he has time powers too?"
Lillian's voice was grim.
"Worse. He has every power."
Subject Zero finally spoke, his voice deep and inhuman.
"Carter. You were never meant to escape."
Then—he vanished.
Too Fast to Fight
Alex barely had time to react before—
WHAM.
A fist slammed into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him.
He froze time.
Zero kept moving.
Alex's heart stopped. "No way."
Zero smirked. "I am beyond time."
He grabbed Alex in frozen time and THREW him across the room.
Alex crashed through a console. Sparks flew.
Evelyn and Jax opened fire.
Bullets stopped mid-air—then reversed, flying back at them.
Jax yelled as he hit the floor. "OKAY, THAT'S JUST CHEATING."
Zero raised a hand.
The room distorted—as if time itself was breaking.
Lillian grabbed Alex. "We can't win this fight."
Alex gritted his teeth. "Then what do we do?"
She whispered.
"We run."
Escape or Die
Lillian pressed a switch on her wrist device.
BOOM.
Explosions rocked the facility.
Alarms blared. The building shook.
Jax cheered. "YES! I LOVE EXPLOSIONS."
Evelyn yanked his arm. "MOVE, IDIOT."
They ran through the hallways, dodging debris.
Behind them—Zero walked through flames.
Unaffected.
Unstoppable.
His voice echoed.
"You cannot escape time."
Lillian pressed another switch.
The ceiling collapsed.
Zero disappeared in the rubble.
They ran for the exit.
One Last Threat
The team burst outside, gasping for air.
Alex turned back.
The facility was caving in.
For a moment… silence.
Jax panted. "Did we—did we actually win?"
Lillian didn't answer.
Because from the burning wreckage—
A shadow stepped forward.
Zero.
Completely unharmed.
Alex's blood ran cold.
Jax threw his hands up. "OH COME ON!"
Zero lifted a hand.
Time itself froze around them.
They couldn't move.
Couldn't breathe.
Zero reached for Alex's throat.
"You are not ready."
Then—
A blinding light flashed.
A portal tore open.
And someone else stepped out.
A new voice rang through the air.
"Back off, Zero."
A figure in a golden cloak stood between them.
Zero paused. "You."
The cloaked figure smirked. "Miss me?"
Then—they unleashed a blast of pure energy.
Zero vanished.
Time snapped back.
Alex gasped, stumbling forward.
Jax blinked. "WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED?!"
The cloaked figure turned to Alex.
"You have a lot to learn, kid."
The hood lowered.
Alex's jaw dropped.
It was… himself.
An older version of himself.
The cloaked Alex smirked.
"Call me Chronos."