The sun had barely set when Kayn, still dressed in his sleek Super-Suit, stepped out of the Command Centre, his mind already working through a series of complex strategies.
This was finally a chance to not only test the limit of his power, but the power and efficiency of his team, and AEGIS to a broader scale. This would be their 2nd real threat after APEX, and the first threat they'll be dealing with entirely by themselves.
Violet walked beside him, her steps confident and steady as they moved through the corridors of their base, "What do you think?" she inquired.
"We're ready. This battle is important for everyone to prove that we don't need the Justice League and can handle ourselves on our own. The Grand Marshal might be powerful, but he's not invincible. We just need to be smarter, faster, and more ruthless." Kayn responded.
Violet nodded, "I'll keep everyone on high alert. If ORION makes a move, we'll know."
"That's what I like to hear," Kayn replied before stepping outside, his form blurring as he shot into the sky.
---
Kayn was currently floating above National City, watching as its lights twinkled like stars against the dark canvas of the night. Kayn's senses were currently extended far beyond the physical plane, probing the city for any signs of dark magic and unusual activity.
The information provided from the Fortress of Solitude had given Kayn a solid target to look at, and Kayn had every intention of finding ORION before they could strike.
Kayn's philosophy was very similar to a certain slogan from a TV show in his previous life,
Strike First, Strike Hard, No Mercy!
From floating above, the city seemed peaceful, yet Kayn knew it was the exact opposite, with a war brewing underneath the surface.
Activating his earpiece, Kayn spoke, "Francis, report."
A moment later, Francis's voice crackled through, steady and professional as always, "Kayle has got a few leads, but nothing concrete yet. There's been some unusual activity in the docks area, shipping containers being moved in the dead of night, no records, no manifests. It might be worth checking out."
"Send me the coordinates," Kayn replied, his gaze shifting to the horizon where the docks lay.
"Already done. And Kayn... be careful. This feels different."
Kayn allowed himself a brief smile. "When am I not careful?"
Without waiting for a response, he leaped off the building, his body slicing through the air as he sped toward the docks.
_________________________
The Docks
The docks were quiet, eerily so. The usual hustle and bustle of late-night workers and security were absent, replaced by a heavy silence safe for the faint clattering of chains and the occasional thud of crates being moved.
Carefully, Kayn glided across the roofs of the buildings, silently moving towards the sound. Below, he could see a group of figures moving between the containers, their movements deliberate as they wore dark cloaks, hiding their faces as Dark Magic energy emanated from them.
"ORION," he muttered under his breath, his eyes narrowing.
"Violet, I've got eyes on a group of ORION operatives at the docks. I'm going to move in." Kayn said over the comms.
"Understood," came Violet's response, "Backup is ready if you need it."
Kayn smirked. "No need, this is easy."
With that, he moved, his body a blur vanished into the shadows. The first man didn't even see him coming. Kayn emerged from the darkness, his hand clamping over the man's mouth as he drove a precise strike into the base of his skull.
The man crumpled silently to the ground, unconscious and Kayn dragged his limp body behind a stack of crates, out of sight. He was gone before the man's body had even settled.
The second operative was pacing nervously, his hand twitching near his weapon as he scanned the area. He turned to glance over his shoulder, just as Harbinger slipped out of the shadows behind him.
A sharp SuperHuman jab to the nerve cluster at the back of the man's neck sent him collapsing forward, unconscious before he hit the ground. Kayn caught him, lowering him gently to the ground and pulling him into the darkness.
Another one down.
The third and fourth were standing together, murmuring quietly about their instructions. Kayn listened for a moment, catching the name "Grand Marshal" before he struck.
In an instant, he was between them, a flurry of silent, precise strikes leaving them both gasping for breath, he grabbed their necks before they could speak, casting the sleep spell "Hypnos," making them collapse unconscious.
The others continued their vigil, oblivious to the danger closing in around them. The fifth operative had just started to turn around when Kayn's arm wrapped around his neck from behind, cutting off his air.
The man struggled for a moment, his hands clawing at Kayn's arm, but the hold was unbreakable, Kayn casted the sleep spell and put him to sleep, hiding his body away and vanishing back into the shadows, targeting his next target.
Finally, Kayn reached the final target, a tall burly man with a scar running down the side of his face. Kayn could feel the MetaHuman signature emanating from his body.
Kayn watched him for a moment, assessing him. The man was clearly confident, perhaps too much so. Finally, Kayn stepped out of the shadows, his presence no longer hidden. The man stiffened, sensing him, and turned slowly to face him.
"So, you're the infamous Harbinger. The boss said you might show up." The man said, his voice deep and gruff.
Kayn's eyes narrowed, "The boss?"
"The Grand Marshal. He warned us about you. Said you're the one who likes to stick his nose where it doesn't belong. Says you are seeking death." He replied.
"The Grand Marshal told us to give you a message," the scarred man continued, his tone mocking. "He said you should back off and mind your own business, or you'll end up regretting it. No one crosses him and lives to tell the tale."
Kayn met the man's gaze, his expression unreadable, "Is that so?"
The man grinned, mistaking Harbinger's calm demeanor for fear, "Yeah, that's so. You might be a big shot around here, but the Grand Marshal? He's on a whole other level. You think you're tough, but you're just another insect under his boot."
"Last chance," the scarred man said, his voice growing harsher, "Turn around and walk away, you may kill us, but the Grand Marshal will return, he'll break your body and torture you until death is mercy, you'll be a warning to anyone else stupid enough to cross ORION." He spoke.
For a moment, there was nothing but silence, the air heavy with anticipation. Then, in a blur of motion, Kayn moved.
Before the man could react, Kayn had already closed the gap, his hand tightly gripping his neck and lifted him off the ground with ease.
"Tell the Grand Marshal," Kayn said, his voice deadly calm, "That I'm not interested in backing down. If he has a problem with that, he can tell me himself. I'm actually quite interested in fighting him."
The man gasped for air, scratching and clawing at Kayn's hand desperately as his bravado evaporated, now struggling to be released.
Kayn chuckled and hurled the man into a nearby stack of crates, leaving him fallen on the ground.
Kayn walked slowly to him, the sound of his boot touching the floor signaling his impending arrival to the terrified man. Finally, Kayn arrived, crouching next to him as he gripped his throat.
"The Grand Marshal," Kayn hissed, his voice low and dangerous. "Where is he?"
The man gasped for air, his eyes wide with fear, "I... I don't know...You~You better let me go, Master won't stand for your disrespect forever. "
Kayn tightened his grip, his eyes narrowing. "Don't lie to me."
"I swear... I don't know! If I live, I'll make sure to tell the boss to torture you extra harsh. " the man choked out, his hands clawing at Kayn's arm slowly as he lost consciousness.
The scarred man, barely conscious, looked up at him with a mixture of fear and disbelief, "You… you're making a mistake…"
Kayn crouched down beside him, his voice barely above a whisper, "The only mistake would be letting the Grand Marshal think he can intimidate me. I suggest you remember that when you crawl back to him."
"Send him a message for me, "Kayn said, "Tell him to run, run all the way into another Universe, because if I catch him....death will be his mercy for threatening me and my city."
With that, he released the man and stepped back, watching as he slumped to the ground, gasping for breath.
Kayn turned and walked away, leaving the man to scramble to his feet and flee into the night. He took all the other men he had knocked out, restricting them and taking them to the D.E.O.
As for the final man, his status didn't particularly matter,
The message had been delivered.