Meanwhile, still inside Aegis Headquarters, Commander Cromwell, Commander Locke, and Sylvia are heading across a corridor, guarded and escorted by several soldiers as they head somewhere far from all the chaos. They arrive at a control room, with Cromwell promptly signaling two soldiers to inspect the security cameras through a monitor. They oblige and turn on the footage, switching between several camera perspectives until they reach the training room, seeing it destroyed and filled with rubble, much to their surprise. Inside that room, while the other Aegis Surge users recuperate following their run-in with Flare, Jax, Proxy, Pulse, Boltix, Jackpot, Mistrick, and Gauntlet meet up, with Mistrick re-absorbing the black mist all around the room.)
Jax: (grimacing) Oh, man, she really did escape. And with the way she handled all of us… this won’t be easy.
Gauntlet: (shrugging) Did we expect otherwise?
(Gauntlet looks up at the hole in the ceiling while crossing his arms, and it’s then that he manages to at least guess what Flare did back then. Turns out that back then, while Flare was repeatedly launching her fire lances at the floor below her, she was also firing a burst of flames at the ceiling above her with her free palm, and the sound of the explosion was already muffled by her fire lances, allowing her to slip away unnoticed.)
Gauntlet: Though to be fair, for someone who thought Surge users were overrated, clueless brutes, I find it impressive. I’m guessing she was throwing those attacks not to strike any of us, but to shift our attention elsewhere. Of course, with an attack of this magnitude, we wouldn’t see or hear the hole on the ceiling that she caused to escape. Clever girl.
Pulse: And with the distance she gained from us, I can’t keep my Flatline debuff I placed on her active.
Mistrick: And in doing so, she also got the issue with my mist out of the way.
Jackpot: (sighing deeply) So she basically dealt with everything we threw at her with one clever move. She’s smarter than we expected, that’s for sure, and knowing how far ahead she is in raw power alone, I don’t really fancy our chances.
Proxy: (grimly) Yeah. Even if we can track her down, it’s still difficult to stop her.
Boltix: (clapping sarcastically) Yeah, isn’t that reassuring? Good going, folks. Just lemme know when you’re ready to stop glazing Flare. Can’t we just go after her already?!
(The others turn to Boltix with subtly annoyed faces, while Boltix looks away with an impatient grunt before using his Kinetic Surge to propel himself upwards and through the hole in the ceiling. Rolling their eyes, the others exchange nods and follow Boltix: Gauntlet launches a hook at the ceiling with his glove and grapples through the hole; Jax enters his muscular form and grabs both Pulse and Mistrick, using his muscular legs to jump high; and Proxy and Jackpot follow with their air shoes. And so, they all head after Flare, leaving the other Aegis Surge users to recover. Back at the control room, Cromwell, Locke, and Sylvia grimly watch this footage.)
Sylvia: (blankly) Woah. She left behind a mess.
Commander Locke: (grimacing) Capturing the Fire Surge Beacon is proving to be a struggle.
Commander Cromwell: (sharply) Regardless, it must be done. (to the two soldiers inspecting the monitor) Find the Fire Surge Beacon. She surely hasn’t left the headquarters just yet.
(The two soldiers nod and oblige, continuously switching between cameras to find her. As they do so, Sylvia and the two commanders get to see the mess Flare left behind during her escape, but what they see next is even more shocking: the next camera reveals a battalion of soldiers lying unconscious on the floor, and the person towering above all those unconscious bodies is none other than Focus, panting and sweating in palpable agitation. Commander Cromwell grits her teeth in anger and reaches for the communicator in her wrist, while Focus glances at his watch, seeing some of the blue dots darkening, indicating that the soldiers are unconscious.)
Focus: (thinking to himself, breathing heavily) That’s it for all the soldiers. Some are dealt with… and most are too far to be a problem. All that’s left… is the Surge users. (examining the watch, seeing the red dot on the move away from the blue dots) And by the looks of it, she’s managed to lose them for now. (grimacing anxiously) But then what?
Commander Cromwell: (via communicator, clearly angered) Agent Focus! Explain yourself.
Focus: (internally) It’s… the commander.
Commander Cromwell: (scowling) You’ve been seen taking out our soldiers. What do you think you’re doing?
Focus: …
Commander Cromwell: Answer me, Agent Focus! Will you capture the Fire Surge Beacon… or will you not?!
(A dreadful silence ensues between them for those few moments, with Commander Cromwell angrily waiting for a definite answer, but she’s shocked to see that Focus has promptly ended the transmission, adding to her anger. Focus stares at the watch for a little too long with a dejected expression, especially at the continuously moving red dot, but then he gets going at high speed, going up the stairs to the higher floors, though the unease in his eyes never fades. Sylvia and the two commanders watch Focus head off once again through the security cameras, Cromwell being particularly furious about it.)
Sylvia: (blankly) Big oof. This was… telling.
Commander Locke: (grimacing) What’s the meaning of this?
Commander Cromwell: (scowling) I should’ve known.
(She reaches for her watch and turns on a 3D grid, which represents a map of Aegis Headquarters, and she presses on a blue dot, the exact one that represents Focus, and she adjusts its color, turning it into a red dot. At that moment, as Focus uses the map in his watch to go after Flare, his watch suddenly goes off, leaving him without access to a communicator or the grid map.)
Focus: (thinking to himself, grimacing) They’ve cut me off quicker than I expected. With no way to continuously track down what’s happening… I’ll just have to figure everything out myself.
(Focus takes off his watch and throws it away, then he clenches his fists and continues running through the corridor. Meanwhile, Commander Cromwell links up with all of the soldiers and Surge users: the active soldiers around the area, Jax and the others, and Hunter receive a beeping sound in their watches, and as they take a look at the grid on their watches, they find one of the blue dots turning red.)
Jax: (glancing at his watch) Huh?
Pulse: What now?
Commander Cromwell: (via communicator) All active units. Agent Focus has gone rogue. I repeat, he has gone rogue. He is considered the Fire Surge Beacon’s accomplice and, as such, a target as well. Whenever you cross paths with him, apprehend him at once.
Proxy: (stunned) Wait, what?!
Gauntlet: (rolling his eyes) I don’t see why you’re surprised. He made it clear when he stopped Hunter from landing a shot on Flare. It was only going to go one way.
(The Aegis operators react in surprise as they recover upon receiving those orders, and the other soldiers too stop for a moment, exchanging glances in disbelief. Hunter, however, continues running off, only reacting with a scowl of disapproval.)
Hunter: (internally, frowning in disapproval) You’re not thinking straight, Focus. What are you planning now? To sabotage our efforts? And for what?
(He then reaches for his watch to track down Flare, starting to close in on her and possibly cut off her path. His black eyes faintly glow as he hears a faint vibration, which represents the tracking ability of his Predator Surge. With that ability, he runs quicker to track down Flare. Meanwhile, Jax, Proxy, and Pulse exchange concerned glances as they continue, surprised by Commander Cromwell’s orders, while Boltix, Jackpot, and Mistrick are rather unfazed. Even Gauntlet is unbothered for a brief while, but then he remembers the talk he once had with Focus.)
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Gauntlet (flashback): So… what’s it with the Surge Beacon? You seemed pretty persistent when it came to protecting her.
Focus (flashback): (taken aback by that comment) What’s that supposed to mean?
Gauntlet (flashback): You’re teaming up to find the culprit behind all the recent mess, I get it, but with the way you were acting around her, it’s as if you were never tasked to capture her in the first place. I wonder what’s going on.
Focus (flashback): (shocked, a small blush forming on his face) It’s just… the whole thing is — !
Gauntlet (flashback): (turning to him, his eyes narrowing) You do know that she’s ultimately too dangerous for us to spare. Eventually, she’ll have to be detained, and something tells me that this wouldn’t sit well with you. What will you do then, huh?
Gauntlet (present): (thinking to himself) No… perhaps it was clear from this moment itself… that it was going to end up like that.
(His expression turns sharp, as opposed to his previous nonchalance, and he and the others continue running off to catch up with Flare. However, as Jax takes another look at his watch, he’s shocked to see the other red dot approaching him at high speed from his right side.)
Jax: (in disbelief) That’s…!
(It’s then that Focus pierces through the wall on his right side, taking him and everyone else by surprise. For just a brief moment, Jax sees the look on Focus’s face, an expression of dejection and tiredness. That sight horrifies him, and he fails to respond quickly before Focus lands a quick punch at his chest, following that up with a flurry of rapid punches that cause him to lose his balance. He then lands a final, powerful punch at his gut, sending him flying.)
Proxy: Jax!
(The others quickly rush to Jax’s aid, rallying around him as they confront Focus. He’s nowhere close to calm, with his vision still blurry and his breath ragged and heavy. His pupils remain empty, and his expression is weary, but he stands his ground with a shaky stance and a look on his eyes that’s far from truly resolute.)
Pulse: Focus! What are you doing?!
Focus: (hoarsely) Sorry… but I can’t let you get past me.
(Jax gets back up and takes his fighting stance along with all the others, ready to take on Focus, albeit with clear reluctance. Meanwhile, Flare pierces through the ground and reaches one of the upper floors, running off elsewhere without looking back.)
Flare: (internally) Okay, so that’s them out of the way for now. I doubt I’ll be able to lose them for long. Gotta get outta here… but frankly, I have no clue… (letting out a bitter chuckle) and it’s not like I can ask for directions anymore.
(Flare grimaces, her clenched fists shaking as she recalls the moment Focus turned his back on her, but she shakes it away, adapting a sharp expression as she continues running. However, as she arrives at an intersection and faintly turns to her right while running, her pupils narrow in disbelief as she sees someone waiting for her, and their eyes lock in this exact split-second, her horrified eyes meeting his sharp, cold gaze. Her new pursuer… is none other than the Predator Surge himself, who’s here to get the job done above nothing else. It’s Hunter.)
Flare: (internally, horrified) Huh?!
(Hunter gives her no chance to properly react, landing a powerful blast at her gut with one of his dual guns, sending her crashing through a wall. She soon re-emerges from the rubble, finding herself in an adjacent, noticeably wider corridor, with Hunter slowly approaching her and passing through the gap in the wall. She turns to him with a fearful gaze, seeing his chilling composure and piercing glare as he tightens his grip on his dual guns.)
Flare: (grimacing) So it’s you. The one who took down Ethan. I can already tell you’re no pushover.
Hunter: (coldly) I’ve got my orders.
Flare: (scowling) You know, I’ve been meaning to ask… why did you take him away?
Hunter: (sternly) You don’t get to judge what I do. What you see as an innocent boy, I see as a job that needs to be done. (extending one of his guns at her, sharply) I see you the same way.
Flare: Too bad… cuz I won’t let you get the best of me
(Flare lights up her fists with flames, enveloping herself in her fiery aura in anticipation, while Hunter takes a sharp fighting stance while holding his two guns close. Flare attempts to take Hunter by surprise, launching a quick barrage of fireballs, but they instantly get canceled out by several rapid gunshots, much to Flare’s surprise.)
Flare: (internally, shocked) How can he be this fast?!
(Hunter doesn’t even break his stance while doing so, then he lunges at Flare while firing several gunshots at her, but she quickly propels herself upwards to avoid the blasts. Hunter manages to reappear above her just as quickly, taking her by surprise and firing a single, powerful gunshot at her. Flare blocks it with a quick fire barrier, getting sent plummeting into the ground regardless. Hunter quickly drops down for another blow, and Flare propels herself laterally to avoid the blow and then continues running, already struggling to catch a breath.)
Flare: (thinking to herself) Okay, calm down. Calm down, Flare. Think. He’s attacking so quickly, so precisely. He packs one hell of a punch with those gunshots, and I bet his own physical strength isn’t far off. He’s gotta have some sort of blind spot somewhere when he attacks. He can’t be this untouchable.
(She soon notices that Hunter has already caught up to her, running beside her and firing a gunshot. She dodges the gunshot by jumping backwards, getting in behind Hunter, but he quickly turns around to face her, firing a single gunshot at her. Flare cancels it out with both her palms, which get knocked back from the recoil effect, and then, to her surprise, she finds several more gunshots heading her way. She’s forced to propel herself upwards to avoid the gunshots and then acrobatically attempt to get past Hunter. She gasps in disbelief as Hunter takes barely a split-second to respond to her rather quick movement, looking up at her and aiming one of his guns at her.)
Flare: (internally, in disbelief) He can’t possibly react so quickly!
(She struggles to block Hunter’s next gunshot, and it strikes her gut, sending her crashing through several ceilings. She crashes into another ceiling, halting her momentum, but then Hollow — having jumped upwards after her — lands a kick at her gut, causing her to crash through this ceiling as ever and reach a higher floor. Hunter doesn’t lose his momentum and closes in on Flare, landing a roundhouse kick into her face and sending her plummeting to the floor. She groans in pain as she lifts herself back on her feet, seeing Hunter slowly approaching her, his expression sharp as ever.)
Flare: (thinking to herself, frustrated) I can’t seem to figure him out! He’s too strong, too fast! Is he… even beatable?! (scowling with grit) No… I can’t let him get into my head! I won’t let anyone weigh me down! If everyone’s out there looking for a piece of me, then screw them all!
(Hunter lunges at Flare once again, and she attempts to drive him off with a burst of fire while simultaneously propelling herself backwards a little. Hunter fires a few gunshots to cancel out the attack, but he’s taken by surprise when Flare quickly propels herself back at him and actually lands a kick at his face. She doesn’t relent even for a moment, using her palm to land a fire lance at his chest, pushing him further back, and then she lands a punch at his gut, sending him sliding. Hunter regains his balance and uses his gunshots to block a barrage of fire lances from Flare, who stands opposite to him with a gritty fighting stance.)
Flare: (gritting her teeth, yelling fiercely) Wanna make me stand down?! Then you gotta try harder than that! Gimme your worst, you hear me?!
(Hunter is subtly surprised by Flare’s fierce determination, his lips parting ever so slightly, but the sharp look on his face returns once again as he wipes off the dust in his blazer and takes a firm fighting stance. Meanwhile, Commander Cromwell, Commander Locke, and Sylvia continue watching the events that unfold, first seeing Flare and Hunter go on with their battle.)
Commander Locke: She’s not backing down so easily.
Commander Cromwell: But she’s also getting outperformed in every single way. Hunter is the best there is, and just like every other Surge Beacon that encountered him, she’s no match.
Sylvia: (blankly) Sure he can do it?
Commander Cromwell: (grimacing) He has to. Otherwise… no one else will stop her.
(Commander Cromwell then signals the two soldiers sitting at the control panel to switch to a different security camera, and they oblige, switching to footage of Focus’s confrontation with Jax and the others. They’re shocked to see Boltix, Jackpot, and Mistrick groaning as they get back up, clearly well beaten, with Focus nowhere to be seen.)
Commander Cromwell: What happened?! Where’s Focus?!
(One of the soldiers switches into a different camera, and they see Focus running across a corridor, dodging several blasts from Proxy, who continues pursuing him. He jumps back and elbows her in the face, knocking her back, and then he blocks a green energy lance from Pulse, her attempt at a debuff. Jax enters his muscular form and swings his fist at Focus, but he receives a flurry of rapid punches that knock him back, then Focus punches away Gauntlet’s glove, which finds its way back to his hand. Cromwell, Locke, and Sylvia watch the fight in surprise, but suddenly, the monitor is turned off.)
Commander Locke: Huh?! (turning to the two soldiers) What’s the deal here?!
Soldier 1A: No idea!
(Commander Cromwell checks her watch, but it’s also turned off, neither displaying the grid map nor working properly as a communicator. Meanwhile, Boltix, Jackpot, and Mistrick start running across the corridor in an attempt to catch up with Focus once again, but suddenly, someone pierces through the ceiling and lands aggressively on the floor, causing it to collapse and for the trio to start falling. Boltix takes a good look at this individual and immediately recognizes the glowing neon red symbol on his mask and his neon red electric aura: it’s none other than Hollow.)
Boltix: (gritting his teeth) You again!
(Meanwhile, back at a laboratory, several researchers lie unconscious on the ground, with someone pressing on several buttons on the control panel, opening up a containment chamber. It’s Ethan who falls from the containment chamber and lands on the floor, groaning in pain as he slowly starts to open his eyes. He looks up and sees none other than Infinity himself in front of him, being the one who set him free.)
Infinity: (the purple infinity sign on his mask glowing and narrowing) Wake up… Ethan.
