Continuation...
TWO DAYS LATER
ZACK
The school gates creak as I step through, my movements deliberate and unhurried. I see Jennifer from across the playground. She doesn't see me at first, not until it's too late. The terror in her eyes when I grab her sends a ripple of satisfaction through me.
Next, I'm at the office building, Sam's fiancée just stepping out for her lunch break. She barely has time to scream before I pull her into the waiting car.
Hours later, I call Samuel.
"Hello?" His voice is tense, confused. He doesn't recognize the number.
"Samuel," I say, keeping my tone flat. "Do you remember me?"
"Who is this?"
"The man whose offer you rejected." I let the silence linger for a beat, then, with a cold satisfaction, I bring the phone closer to their screams. Jennifer's cries cut through the speaker, sharp and desperate.
"What the hell did you do, Zack?" Sam's voice breaks, panic rising.
"What I had to. Your family is feeling the pain now, Sam. The same pain I felt when you turned your back on me. Meet me at Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue in Victoria Island. Come alone."
I hang up before he can say another word, the sound of their suffering still echoing in my ears.
SAMUEL
I activate my Time Manipulator armor, the familiar hum of its power filling my ears. Without hesitation, I shoot into the sky, racing toward the Civic Tower. The tower looms in the distance, its sleek glass façade reflecting the fading sunlight. Its tall, angular structure tapers upward into a sharp spire, cutting through the skyline like a needle piercing the clouds. The glass windows shimmer, giving it an almost ethereal glow against the evening backdrop, while the broad base stands solid and imposing against the waterfront. It's a symbol of power and status—fitting for the battle to come.
As I approach, the wind whipping past my helmet, I catch sight of Zack. He stands atop the tower, perfectly still, waiting. His robotic form is unmistakable, a lone figure against the vast sky. Even from this distance, I can feel the tension radiating from him. He's ready for war.
Within minutes, I reach the building. My descent is rapid and deliberate, my armored boots slamming into the rooftop with a force that rattles the glass beneath me. The impact sends a shockwave through the structure, but Zack doesn't flinch. He's waiting for me, his mechanical frame casting a long shadow over the edge.
I clench my fists, the energy from my suit surging through me. Weapons armed, heart pounding, I take a step closer. This is it—the fight I can't avoid, the battle that might decide everything.
I narrow my eyes at him, my voice low and menacing. "Where are they?"
Zack smirks, calm, unbothered. "Don't worry, they'll be fine. Let's talk."
I don't give him the chance to say more. In a split second, I'm airborne, charging at him with all the force I can muster. But Zack moves just as fast. From his shoulders, two heavy cannons emerge, firing three rapid shots. I twist midair, narrowly dodging the bullets, and slam my fist at his face—once, twice—each punch reverberating through his metallic frame.
Zack doesn't hesitate. The ion blasters retract, replaced by two elongated robotic arms springing from his back. One strikes, but I block it with my forearm, countering with a crushing blow to his jaw. The second arm swings in, but I deflect it again, driving another punch into his side.
Suddenly, his right arm shoots forward, the metallic hand clamping around my chest. Before I can react, Zack hurls me into the glass wall in front of us. The impact shatters it into a million shards, and I'm sent crashing through the floor below, struggling to regain my balance. As I fall, Zack's right arm morphs into a ion blaster. He fires four shots in quick succession. I dodge three, but the fourth slams into my chest, ripping through my armor. Pain surges through me as I crash into the ground. But Eddie 101 is quick—the bullet is ejected, and my suit seals the breach almost instantly.
I hover midair for a heartbeat, locking eyes with Zack as he descends. No time to think. I blast upward, meeting him head-on in the sky. Our fists collide with brutal force, the shockwave splintering glass across the entire building.
We move away from the building, flying through the city, trading blows that echo through the skyline. Zack fires off lasers, bullets, rockets—anything he can conjure. I parry, block, dodge, retaliate. Explosions rip through nearby buildings, debris raining down as our battle tears through the city.
The fight drags us onto a speeding train. I barely have time to orient myself before Zack is on me again. His shield deflects the mini-rockets I fire at him, but I close the distance fast. My legs morph into a single, powerful limb, and I drive a kick into his chest with enough force to send him flying across the train.
He recovers quickly, rushing at me. I transform my arms into heavy rods and smash them into his face—once, twice, three, four times. Zack staggers, but then his robotic eye glows ominously. A searing beam of laser shoots out, faster than I expect. I barely manage to raise a shield, deflecting the blast, but the force pushes me back, my feet dragging along the train's roof.
The laser intensifies. My suit activates the magnetic clamps beneath my boots, but I can still feel the pressure as I'm slowly being forced back. I grit my teeth, digging in, determined not to give ground. But Zack's relentless, and the force finally throws me off the train.
I tumble through the air, but I don't waste a second. I rocket forward, landing hard on the train again, just in time to see Zack toss something my way.
The brake lever.
I catch it, confusion twisting in my gut. Why would he—?
My HUD flashes a warning: **Train speed at maximum. Brakes destroyed.**
Zack's laughter echoes as he rises into the air. "You've got a train to catch, hero," he taunts before shooting skyward.
I glance at the train speeding beneath me, the city blurring past in a dizzying rush. The passengers' lives hang in the balance. My jaw tightens. This fight isn't over.
Not yet.
"If I don't stop this train, everyone onboard is dead," I mutter under my breath, my mind racing as I assess the speeding machine. My armor, Eddie 101, chimes in, calm and focused.
"Why not use the humongous armor to stop it? Just the hands and legs."
I nod, thinking fast. "Good idea. Just the hands from the elbows, legs from the knees down."
Instantly, my armor responds. Two massive mechanical limbs shoot out from the sky, locking onto my arms and legs, transforming them into powerful extensions. I leap ahead of the train, landing hard, bracing myself on the tracks. The rumbling beneath me intensifies as the train barrels toward me at breakneck speed.
I plant my boots firmly on the rails, the sharp points beneath them digging into the steel. My robotic hands extend, meeting the front of the train with a thunderous clash. The force nearly knocks me back, but I dig in, pushing with everything I have. The train screams against my grip, sparks flying from the rails as my hands press into the metal.
Inside the train, I hear panicked screams.
"We're all going to die!" a passenger shouts, his voice full of terror.
"Shut up!" another yells back, defiant. "Time Manipulator's got this. I know he'll save us!"
Their belief fuels me. I grit my teeth, straining against the train's momentum. It feels like pushing against a hurricane, but I can't let go. Slowly, agonizingly, the train begins to lose speed.
I hold on, the weight of the machine threatening to crush me, but I don't falter. My legs remain anchored to the rails, and with each passing second, the train slows, inch by inch. The screech of metal fills the air as we near the end of the track. Then, finally—mercifully—the train grinds to a halt.
I exhale, my chest heaving with relief. "Thank God... we did it, Eddie 101."
At my front, cheers erupt from the train. Passengers are shouting, crying, hugging. The driver leans out of the window, his face pale but grateful. "Well done, my hero. Thank you."
But before I can respond, something heavy slams into the back of my head. Pain explodes through my skull, and the world goes black.
The world around me is a blur, and for a moment, I'm not sure if I'm awake or still trapped in some nightmare. My armor, Eddie 101, whirrs to life, the faint hum of its systems coming online slowly, too slowly. I blink, trying to make sense of the fuzzy shapes before me.
"Where… am I?" My voice sounded distant, even to myself. I can't think straight, my thoughts sluggish as Eddie 101's internal systems struggles to catch up.
"Oh, your hero is awake." That voice—it is familiar, and my blood runs cold. Zack. That bastard. The one I fought, the one who took everything from me. I try to stand, but my legs give out beneath me, the world spinning as I collapse. I grit my teeth, forcing myself up again, swaying unsteadily on my feet. My vision swam, shapes blending together behind the tinted visor of my helmet.
"Relax, Samuel." Eddie 101's voice is calm, as if none of this mattered. "You need to calm your head down."
"Calm? How could I be calm? "I can't rest," I snarled. "He has them. My sister, my friends… Susan." Her name catch in my throat. I had to save them.
Then I see them. Chioma, Jennifer, Desmond—and Susan. All of them chained, beaten, bloody. The sight of them hit me like a punch to the gut. I try to move, tried to rush toward them, but my legs won't cooperate. The room spins again, and the darkness swallows me whole.
When I wake, it is like surfacing from deep underwater. My body feels stronger, my mind clearer, and the haze is gone. Eddie's voice comes through as clear as day. "You've been out for three hours, Mr. Vincent. You are now fully operational."
I push myself to my feet, the weight of my armor familiar but heavy. I scan the room, my eyes locking onto Zack. He stands by a briefcase, watching me with that same cold, detached expression. His words are casual, but they carry the weight of a threat.
"Build my robotic armies and the machine," Zack said, his voice devoid of emotion. "Or lose your family. Choose wisely."
I didn't hesitate. "No. I won't do anything for you."
Zack don't seem surprised. "Very well," he said, his voice eerily calm. He gestured, and one of the Terminators steps forward, dragging Susan to him. My heart stopped.
"Zack, wait," I said, stepping forward without thinking, but Zack holds up his hand, stopping me in my tracks.
"Stay where you are," he warned, one hand gripping Susan's shoulder. His other arm begins to shift, the smooth metal transforming into a drill, whirring ominously.
I can't breathe. "Zack, you don't have to do this," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, trying to keep him talking. "Killing her won't bring Helen back."
His eyes darken, his face twisting in rage. "Don't say her name!"
"You don't have to destroy everything because of her," I pleaded. "Zetacode didn't—"
"Shut up!" Zack's voice cracks through the air, raw and broken. "He let her die in my arms. He did nothing." His grip on Susan tightens. "Last chance, Samuel. Build my armies, or she dies."
"Brother, please," Jennifer's voice was soft, trembling. "Do what he says. He'll kill us all."
I shake my head, tears stinging my eyes. "I can't," I whisper, turning back to Zack. "Please," I said, stepping toward him, my heart pounding. "Don't kill her. I'm begging you."
Zack's eyes are cold, his face set in stone. "Don't beg me." And before I can even process it, he plunges the drill into Susan's back.
Time seemes to freeze. The sound of the drill ripping through her flesh echoes in my head, drowning everything else out. Susan gasps, her body jerking in Zack's grip as blood sprays from her chest. I scream, running to her, my helmet retracting as I catch her before she hit the ground.
"Susan!" My voice was frantic, broken. I cradle her head, pressing my hand against the gaping wound, but there is so much blood. Too much blood. "Stay with me, please," I whispered, my hands trembling. "You'll be okay. I'll fix this."
She looks up at me, her eyes glassy and fill with pain. "You're sure?" she whispered, her voice barely a breath.
I force a smile through my tears. "Of course," I lied. "You won't die in my arms. Not today."
But Eddie's voice is cold, detaches, like a death sentence. "Sir, she's lost too much blood. She won't survive."
"No," I whispered, my voice cracking. "No, no, no. Susan, stay with me. You're going to be fine."
"I won't…" Her voice is barely a whisper now, her breaths shallow and uneven. "Promise me," she said, her eyes locking onto mine, desperate. "Promise me you'll save them. Avenge me."
"I promise," I choke out, the words heavy in my throat. "But don't go. Don't leave me."
Her eyes flutter shut, and just like that, she is gone. I hold her limp body, my hands stain with her blood, tears streaming down my face. Around me, I can hear Chioma, Jennifer, and Desmond sobbing, but it all feel far away, like a bad dream I can't wake up from.
"How does it feel?" Zack's voice cuts through the air, cold and venomous. "How does it feel to lose someone you love?"
I didn't answer. I can't. I gently lay Susan down and stand, turning to face Zack. He's already by Chioma, his arm shifting into a gun, the barrel aims squarely at her head.
"No," I said, my voice hoarse. "Spare her, and I'll do it. I'll build your armies. I'll do whatever you want."
Zack's eyes narrow. "No tricks?"
"No tricks." My voice is hollow, lifeless. "I'll do everything you ask."
He smiles, satisfies, and hands me the briefcase. "Good choice. I'll take you to the room where you'll start."
As he leads me away, I glance back one last time at Susan's lifeless body. I had promised her I'd save them. I can't fail. Not now. Not after losing her.
To be continued...