The large, holographic screen illuminated the dark room at the EVA headquarters, casting a cold blue light over the faces of everyone present. A map of the city appeared, gradually zooming in until individual buildings and streets were visible. The cyber expert worked quickly, fingers flying over the keyboard, as he spoke up.
"Sir, I've located a potential target."
Henry, standing at the head of the room, turned sharply to face him. "Well, what do you have?"
The cyber expert paused, pulling up a live feed from a security camera. "It's... a boy, sir. I ran a facial ID and confirmed his identity. It's Chase Adler."
A ripple of murmurs passed through the crowd, and Henry's eyebrow shot up. "Chase Adler?" he scoffed, clearly unimpressed. "We're in the middle of an apocalyptic threat to humanity, and you're wasting my time on a single kid?"
"Sir, it's just... he's Dr. Adler's son. I thought you might be interested."
"Chase is alive?" Kellie's voice cut through the silence as she pushed forward, almost knocking over the cyber expert in her urgency.
"Kellie, stay back!" her father, Steve, grabbed her arm, his voice tense. "Let them handle this."
"But Dad, he's out there, alone!" Her voice trembled with a mixture of anger and fear. "If there's a chance he's alive—"
The cyber expert's voice turned grave, interrupting her. "I'm afraid he won't be for long."
Henry's interest was finally piqued. "Show me," he ordered.
The live feed flickered to life on the screen. There, alone on a rooftop, stood Chase. He was breathing heavily, his face covered in sweat, clutching a rusted metal pipe in his hands. Opposite him, a creature twice the size of a large dog, with six muscular legs and two snarling heads, advanced menacingly. Its two sets of eyes glowed with a vicious, almost mocking intelligence as it prowled closer.
---
A few minutes earlier, Chase had burst onto the rooftop, his heart racing as he searched frantically for anything he could use as a weapon. His gaze fell upon an abandoned metal pipe lying near a shattered vent. He picked it up, feeling the cool, sharp edge bite into his palm, and took a shaky breath as he steadied himself. Every instinct screamed at him to run, but he forced himself to stay rooted, a fierce resolve in his eyes.
He heard the creature's growl before he saw it. The exit door behind him was wrenched open with a screech, and the beast emerged, each head snapping and snarling as it fixated on him. Chase swallowed hard, adjusting his grip on the pipe as he felt his muscles tense.
The beast lunged without warning, closing the distance with terrifying speed. Chase swung the pipe, managing to block one of its claws but failing to stop the other as it scraped across his shoulder. Pain shot through him, but he didn't retreat. Instead, he countered, driving the pipe down with all his strength against one of the creature's necks.
At the EVA headquarters, the crowd watching on the screen collectively held their breath.
"He's got guts," one of the soldiers murmured.
Chase's initial attack struck true, slicing a shallow cut across the beast's neck. Blood oozed from the wound, but it was far from fatal. The creature snarled, its heads baring sharp, bloodstained teeth as it circled him again, this time with caution.
---
"Come on, Chase," Kellie whispered under her breath, her fists clenched tightly as she watched.
The others in the room, even those who had never met Chase, found themselves silently rooting for him. It wasn't just about one boy fighting a monstrous alien; it was a symbol of humanity's will to resist, to stand against the horrors that had overtaken their world.
The creature lunged again, this time darting to Chase's side in an attempt to flank him. He managed to deflect one of its heads with the pipe, but the other caught him off-guard, swiping a claw across his chest. He stumbled back, dropping the pipe as he fell to his knees, blood trickling from the fresh wound.
A murmur of despair rippled through the room. Hayley, standing in the corner with a smirk, muttered, "This was bound to happen. He's just a kid—he doesn't stand a chance."
Kellie turned, her face livid. "Shut up, Hayley!" She took a step forward, her hand raised as if she would strike her. Her father grabbed her wrist, holding her back.
"Don't waste your energy, Kellie," he whispered. "Focus on Chase."
---
On the rooftop, Chase's vision blurred as he fought to stay conscious. Pain radiated through his chest, each heartbeat sending a fresh wave of agony through his body. He felt a strange crawling sensation, like something was slithering just beneath his skin, clawing its way out.
"No," he muttered, shaking his head. He couldn't give in now. He had made a promise. He could see his father's grave in his mind's eye, hear his father's voice reminding him never to turn away from those who needed him. Gritting his teeth, Chase forced himself back onto his feet.
The creature seemed almost amused as it stalked toward him, its heads low to the ground, saliva dripping from its jaws in anticipation.
"Come on," Chase hissed through clenched teeth, his fingers curling into fists as he steadied himself.
The beast darted forward, each head moving in perfect coordination as it went for the kill. In a burst of adrenaline, Chase pivoted to the side, narrowly dodging one head, then swung his fist directly into the second. It wasn't much, but it threw the creature off balance for just a moment.
At the EVA headquarters, everyone held their breath, unable to look away from the screen. Belinda whispered, "Please, just one more push, Chase…"
Summoning the last of his strength, Chase seized the metal pipe again, tightening his grip as he ran toward the creature. He aimed for the already-bleeding wound on its neck, plunging the pipe into the gash with every ounce of strength he had left.
The beast let out an ear-splitting screech, both heads thrashing wildly as it tried to dislodge the pipe. Chase refused to let go, twisting the metal deeper, until the creature's movements grew sluggish and it finally collapsed, lying motionless on the ground.
The room erupted into a mixture of relieved sighs and cheers. Kellie's hands were clasped over her mouth, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"He did it," she whispered, almost in disbelief.
Even Henry, who had initially dismissed the boy as unimportant, gave a nod of grudging respect. "Maybe there's more to him than I thought," he muttered.
Chase, panting heavily, staggered back from the lifeless creature, his vision swimming as exhaustion overtook him. He sank to his knees, his body aching from head to toe, but a small, triumphant smile crossed his face.
Back at EVA headquarters, Henry addressed his team with a newfound urgency. "Prepare the A3 units," he commanded. "This isn't over."
Everyone nodded, the sense of hope tempered by the knowledge that the battle was only beginning. The EVA organization would have to unleash every weapon in its arsenal if humanity was to survive this war.