(Back at the underground excavation site, Jax and Proxy walk through a tunnel, the latter adjusting her communicator with her Tech Surge while leading the way. They head back to the open area from which the fight first began, and Jax glances at the incapacitated and unconscious Jackpot then glances at Proxy with a grin.)

  Jax: (grinning) Good going there, Prox! (rubbing her head, chuckling) He had no idea who he’s up against, huh?

  Proxy: (giggling, stepping away) Stop it! (smirking, crossing her arms) But yeah. He had no idea who he’s up against.

  Jax: (teasingly) Shouldn’t you be more humble about it, kiddo?

  Proxy: (still grinning) Not when I’m stating facts. (pouting) And you’ll have to stop the whole “kiddo” thing. I’m almost a teenager.

  Jax: And I’ll turn eighteen by the time that happens, so you’re still very much a kid to me.

  (Proxy sighs deeply with a faint grin, then Jax approaches the incapacitated and unconscious Jackpot and carries him under his arm. He glances at his watch, focusing on a signal displayed on his tracker that shows Pulse’s location, then he and Proxy take a turn to another tunnel, the latter linking up with Pulse herself, who is walking through a tunnel elsewhere while dragging along an unconscious Mistrick by the back of her shirt.)

  Proxy: (via communicator, to Pulse) Yo, Pulse! How’s it going with you?

  Pulse: (via communicator, firmly) I suppose you’ve already seen it for yourselves. The mist is down, and so is the person behind it. What about you two?

  Jax: (via communicator) We’ve captured one of them. The other… um… not so sure, but I guess things have calmed down a bit. For now, at least.

  Pulse: If so, then we gotta get back to our main assignment. Our primary target might still be around, and perhaps the same can be said for Focus and the Surge Beacon. Time is of the essence. If we don’t hurry, all of them might end up leaving, and we’d have failed at what we came for to begin with.

  Jax: (sighing deeply) I guess we’ll have to meet up and see what we can do. Meet you at… uh… wherever we’ll end up meeting. Just be careful on the way.

  Pulse: (firmly) Likewise.

  (Pulse ends the transmission and continues to walk through the tunnel while dragging along the unconscious Mistrick, while Jax and Proxy continue their own path, with Jax carrying along an unconscious Jackpot. Meanwhile, deep at the end of the pitfall, Stone lies on the ground unconscious after the fight, and several masked soldiers make it to the location, and upon laying eyes on the unconscious Stone, one of them immediately activates his communicator and links up with the Infinity.)

  Soldier 1A: (via communicator, firmly) Sir, we’ve found him.

  Infinity: (via communicator) Good. I was worried it’ll be more difficult to find him. Now bring him to me.

  (The soldier nods and signals the others to head for Stone, and they first remove the rubble around him then carry his unconscious body along, heading off back to their boss. Elsewhere, the Infinity takes a turn to the left and leaves the tunnel, arriving at an open area. The Catalyst — the green crystal he holds tightly in his palm — starts to glow with energy, and upon noticing that, the purple infinity sign on his mask glows.)

  Infinity: Finally. We’re here.

  (He tightens his grip on the Catalyst and glances at it with intent. He slowly and steadily approaches the center of the open area, standing over it while exuding a calm demeanor. With calculated, deliberate movements, he carefully forms a small crack in the ground with his energized fist and places the Catalyst inside, shoving it a bit deeper before standing back up on his feet. The soldiers watch as their leader glances at the Catalyst on the ground, the silence in the area deafening, but then he finally breaks that silence.)

  Infinity: There’s no going back on this. The others are onto us, and right now, we wouldn’t find a better chance. Once we get this done, our cause will manifest and take shape. Years worth of planning… will receive the payoff they deserve. It’s time to activate the Catalyst… and take the first step in a turbulent path ahead.

  (He lights up his palm with green energy then aims it at the Catalyst, as if activating it with his bare hands, the infinity sign on his mask glowing and slightly widening. He then steps back, and suddenly, the Catalyst whirs with energy. This causes the crack in the ground to expand even deeper, sending energy shockwaves not only through the open area the masked man is in, but through the entire underground excavation site. Flare and Boltix’s fight gets interrupted by this energy shockwave, and the two glance around in bafflement as they see the surrounding area slightly whirring with green sparks of energy as well, coupled with a rumbling sound under their feet.)

  Flare: (baffled) Okay, that wasn’t me! Was it you?

  Boltix: No, of course not! (nonchalantly) Guess that’s the Halloween mask’s business, or whatever he’s called.

  Flare: (raising an eyebrow) Halloween what now?

  Boltix: (smirking) Nevermind that. I’ve got a job, and I know where my paycheck is.

  Flare: (unamused) Somehow I knew you were gonna say that.

  (Boltix immediately propels himself at Flare once again, who blocks his blow with gritted teeth while getting sent flying, then she jumps off a wall and dashes at him once again. Elsewhere, as Focus runs through a tunnel, he gets sent back a bit by an energy shockwave and almost loses his balance with the sudden rumbling going on. He grits his teeth as he looks around at the area.)

  Focus: (gritting his teeth) This could be huge. Gotta catch up with Flare, and fast.

  (With that goal in mind, Focus quickly runs through the tunnels, gritting his teeth. Meanwhile, Jax and Proxy too are taken by surprise by those sudden changes, and elsewhere, Pulse grits her teeth as she looks around at the area.)

  Proxy: (shocked) What’s going on here?!

  Jax: It’s only been madness ever since we walked in! (via communicator, to Pulse) Pulse, are you seeing this?!

  Pulse: (via communicator, gritting her teeth) Yeah. This rumbling… and those energy shockwaves… could it somehow be our culprit’s doing?

  Proxy: (glancing at her watch) I’ve pinpointed the source of this energy influx. Do we go after it or what?

  Jax: (firmly, via communicator) Alright, Pulse. We’ll send you the signal, and we’ll meet up there.

  Pulse: Understood.

  (Pulse ends the transmission and runs through the tunnel, glancing at her watch and receiving the location of the energy influx. Meanwhile, during the scene itself, the Infinity watches the incident unfold with an unreadable expression underneath the mask, seeing the Catalyst whir with energy even further. The effect goes all the way down to the core of the Earth itself, which gets amplified with intense, green energy sparks all over it. The Infinity glances at his watch to study the effect of the Catalyst on the Earth’s Core.)

  Infinity: (glancing at his watch) The Surge energy contents of the Earth’s core are getting exploited. Just as planned.

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  (With the Earth’s core now supercharged, the rumbling and constant energy shockwaves are finally put to an end, which the others — separated in their own paths — notice with bafflement. The Catalyst levitates off the crack in the ground and into Infinity’s eye level, glowing and whirring with energy, and the Infinity promptly grabs it and glances at it, while the masked soldiers around him remain still in awe.)

  Infinity: (firmly) It is done. The Catalyst has fulfilled its purpose—our proof of concept, our triumph of will over hesitation. From this moment forth, there is no turning back. The design is complete, the outcome inevitable. (turning to the masked soldiers) Rejoice, my followers. Our cause is no longer a forgotten dream swept under the rug; it is a storm set in motion. The gears of revolution have begun to turn, and no force—no law, no god, no false savior—shall halt their motion.Tonight, we do not await change. We become it. This wretched world of Surges will tremble before the dawn we bring.

  (The soldiers take disciplined stances, acknowledging their leader, who places the Catalyst inside his pocket. Some other soldiers arrive at the open area through a tunnel, carrying along an unconscious Stone, and the Infinity sees them approaching, glancing at the unconscious Stone in particular, the glowing purple infinity sign on his mask narrowing.)

  Infinity: There you are… Stone.

  (Meanwhile, Flare and Boltix repeatedly lunge at each other, their aura colliding at high speeds. Flare swings her fiery fist at him for a punch, but Boltix jumps up, amplifying his jump with his Kinetic Surge, then launches two lightning strikes at her. She uses a burst of fire to cancel out the lightning bolts, which sends her skidding back regardless, and that gives Boltix the chance to aggressively land on the ground right in front of Flare and launch an energy shockwave that sends her skidding back further.)

  Boltix: (grinning) Come on now! I’m not even trying!

  (He then propels himself at Flare and punches her in the gut with an energized fist, sending her flying. He runs off at high speed after her while launching several lighting bolts at her, but she uses her fireballs to cancel them out, getting sent flying further from their sheer force. He catches up to her and lunges at her for a blow, but she uses her palms to propel herself to the right then propels herself upwards with her feet, ready to launch several fireballs mid-air. However, Boltix beats her to the punch with a lightning bolt that strikes her chin, sending her flying upwards and crashing through a ceiling. She reaches the other end of the ceiling and into another layer of rock, causing the floor to collapse, and Boltix propels himself upwards at her at high speed and reappears above her, getting ready to land a kick at her with an energized leg while she’s still unbalanced.)

  Boltix: (smirking) Too slow.

  (However, before he manages to land the blow, Focus shows up to the scene with a navy blue aura and dropkicks him in the face, sending him flying. As he himself falls, he grabs Flare’s hand and throws her back at Boltix, and she propels himself at him at high speed, landing a punch at him with a fiery fist and sending him plummeting into the ground, while she and Focus land smoothly on their feet. Boltix gets back up on his feet and grits his teeth as he sees Flare and Focus standing before him.)

  Flare: (snickering) How’s that for “too slow”?

  Focus: (to Flare, unamused) You’re taking credit for that? Really?

  Boltix: (gritting his teeth, to Focus) Alright, now how did you get here?!

  Focus: (nonchalantly) Well, you two made enough noise that it was almost impossible not to figure out where you are. (to Flare, firmly) Listen, something weird’s going on here, so we better get this done quickly.

  Flare: (cockily grinning, cracking her knuckles) That sounds right up my alley.

  (Flare and Focus take their fighting stances as Boltix envelops himself in his electric yellow and blue trail. Boltix lunges at the two of them while launching several lightning bolts, and Flare cancels them out with a burst of fire, then Focus and Boltix’s fists collide. He repeatedly jumps sideways around the two while dodging Flare’s fireballs, but then he’s forced to block a punch from Focus, sending him flying. Flare moves in on him for a blow, but he headbutts her gut at high speed and sends her skidding back. The trio then repeatedly lunge at each other, their auras colliding as they clash all around the area. Flare and Focus appear on either side for Boltix for a blow, but he holds down both of their fists then propels himself upwards and pierces through another layer of rock, causing it to collapse and for Flare and Focus to get knocked away.)

  (Before the two get to regain their balance in the air, Boltix propels himself around while kicking the falling pieces of debris at them. Focus stands on one of the falling rocks and knocks away the rubble coming at him, rapidly jumping off rocks until he finally reaches Boltix, who turns to him to block his blow. However, he gets struck in his back by a fireball, and it’s none other than Flare, who managed to use the flames underneath her legs to propel herself upwards, a smirk on her face.)

  Flare: (smirking) You might wanna watch your back.

  (This intervention allows Focus to land a punch at Boltix, sending him crashing through a wall. Focus then takes Flare’s hand, who propels the two of them right back at Boltix with the flames underneath her legs then lets go of the former’s hand. The two move in on Boltix to land their punches, but he holds down their fists through gritted teeth.)

  Boltix: (gritting his teeth) You two are actually a bit of a handful, I’ll admit.

  Focus: Backhanded compliment, but I’ll take it.

  (With a burst of lightning, he sends both Flare and Focus skidding back, then they regain their balance and take their fighting stances opposite to him. He lunges at the two, his aura creating several lightning bolts all around, which Flare and Focus barely lean away from, with Flare simultaneously launching a fireball at Boltix. He acrobatically jumps past the fireball and runs off, prompting Flare and Focus to run after him, leaving a trail of energy behind them as they dash. They catch up with Boltix and appear on either side, attempting to tackle him as their auras clash, and Boltix glances at the two of them with a faint smirk.)

  Boltix: (faintly smirking) Let’s see you keep up from here.

  (Boltix dashes even faster in a beam of lightning, ricocheting off multiple walls and causing several rocks to collapse, then he kicks them all at the duo at high speed. Flare kicks the rock into pieces, only for Boltix to pounce on her and land a punch at her face, sending her crashing into a wall. Focus too punches away the rocks coming at him, but he also parries Boltix’s blow, a parry strong enough to make him lose momentum midair, to his shock.)

  Boltix: (shocked) What the — ?!

  Focus: (firmly) You can be as fast as you like, yet you remain ever so predictable.

  (Flare bounces back and propels herself at Boltix from his right side, kicking him in the gut and sending him flying. He regains his footing and takes a fighting stance as Flare and Focus lunge at him. Elsewhere, as Stone remains lying unconscious on the ground, several, brief flashes of memories flood his mind, instances of him during his childhood years: getting beaten up by a group of soldiers, electrocuted by a device in his hand, and others in which he’s placed in a surgical procedure while conscious, silenced, and forcibly restrained, with several masked doctors getting ready to perform some sort of operation on him, his muffled screams and pleas unanswered. He suddenly is snapped back to consciousness with widened eyes after the Infinity places an energized hand on his chest and panickedly crawls back. He pants heavily as he glances around, seeing himself in an open area with the Infinity and his masked soldiers around him.)

  Stone: (panting) It’s you again.

  Infinity: (firmly) I suppose I never introduced myself properly. For now, you may call me… the Infinity. Regrettably, your team has fallen apart and may have duly been defeated and captured as we speak. The Surge users in here could be onto us.

  Stone: (grimacing) Whaddaya want?

  Infinity: I’ve watched your battle with the Muscle Surge, and frankly, I was both impressed and intrigued. I knew you were Surge-less long ago, even before we met, but the resolve that you displayed has made me think higher of you.

  Stone: What’s that supposed to mean? And how do you know?

  Infinity: It’s only natural that you’d ask so many questions, but do not fret. I will explain everything in due time. Tell me, Stone. Do you remember what Aegis did to you?

  (Stone’s eyes widen at this as he reminisces those same flashes of memories once again, his eyes soon turning fierce and a grim scowl forming on his lips. He clenches his fists as he stands on his knees, while the Infinity glances at him through the mask, the purple infinity sign on his mask widening in amusement.)

  Stone: (grimly scowling) I do. I remember everything in vivid detail. They tried in vain to shut those memories, to extinguish that undying rage, but nothing will put it down. Nothing at all.

  Infinity: (passionately) Splendid! This hatred… this unyielding rage… this is what fuels revolution! You have boundless potential, Stone! Now what if I told you… that I have the means to help you exact revenge?

  Stone: (glancing up at him) Say what?

  Infinity: My ultimate endeavor… is to annihilate Aegis… and end the feckless misuse and exploitation of Surges. You’ve seen the consequences of this perpetually insatiable craving for undeserved power. It was forced upon you. You were reduced to a mere experiment. I see the best of you, and it’s nothing like that. (extending the Catalyst to him) Grab this, Stone, and join my crusade. Let your anger and hatred strengthen you. Let us end this pitiful world of Surges.

  (Stone glances at the Catalyst and its green glow in awe, astonished by its energy, and the Infinity waits patiently for him to grasp the crystal with his palm. However, Jax and Proxy crash through a wall and make it to the scene, with Pulse running through an adjacent tunnel and arriving as well. The masked soldiers immediately raise their weapons at the trio, and Stone is taken by surprise by their sudden appearance, but the Infinity isn’t fazed at all, maintaining his calm demeanor as he turns to them.)

  Jax: (gritting his teeth) Alright, now what’s going on here?

  Infinity: (firmly) I’ve been expecting you. Welcome.