(Meanwhile, back at the wide laboratory in Aegis Headquarters, a pair of soldiers keep watch at the entrance, while the researchers get to work inside. It’s none other than Ethan trapped inside the containment tank, dressed in a white t-shirt and pants, as opposed to his previously thick clothing. Inside the tank, his limbs are cuffed and held still, and the collar on his neck keeps him unconscious as one of the researchers inspects his condition on a monitor.)

  Female Researcher 1A: (inspecting the monitor) His vitals are stable. Standard procedure is good to go.

  (The researcher heads for a control panel and presses on a few buttons, beginning the protocol. The containment tank starts glowing with blue energy outlines, and so do the cuffs on Ethan’s limbs, which slowly start to envelop him with energy. His eyebrows furrow, and his muscles instinctively flinch in clear pain, even in his state of unconsciousness. Inside that massive laboratory, there are several more containment chambers around with several more Surge Beacons in permanent stasis, and connected to all of the chambers is a tiny container filled up with small amounts of purple Surge Energy in the form of a viscous liquid, and little by little, that container starts to fill up with a tiny bit more of that liquid.)

  (While the researchers continue the procedure involving Ethan, the two soldiers guarding the entrance turn to watch the process through the transparent doorlite, their expressions a little too sharp. Both of their eyes turn purple as they attentively watch, and seeing through their eyes is none other than Infinity himself, who stands with Hollow and his masked shadow soldiers in a wide, empty room inside his tower, all lined up in anticipation.)

  Infinity: (muttering) They’ve already begun. Just as we hoped.

  (Back at Aegis Headquarters, as a battalion of soldiers march together in search of Flare, a few of them start developing purple eyes under their visors, and Infinity can see through their eyes as well. Even inside the control room with Commander Cromwell, Commander Locke, and Sylvia, the two soldiers accompanying them inside and inspecting the security cameras develop purple eyes as well, and Infinity too inspects the footage through their eyes, getting to see Flare battling Hunter, Boltix, Jackpot, and Mistrick recovering, and Focus taking on Jax, Proxy, Pulse, and Gauntlet. Turns out, the seeds were planted as far back as Operation Black Vector: Infinity’s masked shadow soldiers were able to inhabit the bodies of very few of the fallen Team Gamma soldiers, enough to keep an eye on Aegis Headquarters later on, with the others being none the wiser to this minor detail.)

  Hollow: Is it time?

  Infinity: Indeed. (turning to the masked shadow soldiers) Just as we planned. Get ready.

  Hollow: Master… about what I asked of you…

  Infinity: Yes, Hollow. You are permitted.

  (Hollow and the masked shadow soldiers nod and oblige, splitting themselves up into organized battalions, with Hollow and Infinity each standing solely in anticipation. Infinity pulls out the Catalyst in his pocket and grasps it tightly, which gets energized with electric green energy. The Catalyst keeps getting energized even further until it finally achieves the desired effect. Back at the laboratory in Aegis Headquarters, while the Catalyst gets energized, Ethan too gets influenced in the same way, getting energized in a manner farther from what the procedure allows him to. His entire body gets enveloped in an electric green aura despite his unresponsiveness, and upon noticing that, the researchers are immediately alerted.)

  Male Researcher 1A: (urgently) He’s exhibiting unstable vitals! Quick! We need to tame him!

  (The researchers scatter around to several control panels and desperately attempt to stabilize Ethan’s condition, but it all fails, and he continues overflowing with energy. The extraction process is put to a halt by this sudden change of events, now unsuccessful. This also causes the overall level of Surge Energy in the area — adding to the energy displayed in all the other fights — to rise uncontrollably, providing Infinity with the perfect opportunity to make his move. He raises the Catalyst up and energizes himself as well, forming multiple portals for himself and his troops.)

  Infinity: And now… we shall begin. Remember your objectives.

  (Hollow and the separate battalions of masked shadow soldiers pass through their respective portals, and so does Infinity. Back at the laboratory, as the researchers panickedly attempt to calm down Ethan’s uncontrollable condition, a black portal opens up in front of them, and slowly passing through it is Infinity, walking with composure. As the researchers turn to him in horror, he only utters a single word.)

  Infinity: (the purple infinity sign on his mask glowing) Semi-Eclipse.

  (Upon uttering that word, a subtle wave of shadows spreads over not only the laboratory, but the entirety of Aegis Headquarters, kickstarting Infinity’s attack. Back at the control room, as Commander Cromwell, Commander Locke, and Sylvia watch the fight taking place between Focus and the others in surprise, 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. However, the trio fail to notice the purple glow in the two soldiers accompanying them, being Infinity’s shadow soldiers all along. 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!

  (The trio fall into the floor of a lower floor in a wide, empty room, and upon regaining their footing, they confront Hollow through gritted teeth, who firmly lands in front of them with his electric neon red aura. Meanwhile, as a group of soldiers continue running together to find Flare, a portal suddenly opens ahead of them, stopping them dead in their tracks.)

  Soldier 1B: The hell?!

  (Suddenly, a massive barrage of blasts is launched at them through the portal, taking out several soldiers. They try to compose themselves and return fire, but then the disguised shadow soldiers among them change shape, reverting to their masked shadow forms and firing at them when they least expect it. With that sudden attack, the other battalion of shadow soldiers emerges after quickly dealing with the enemy. Several more portals open up inside the headquarters and even outside of it, with several battalions of masked shadow soldiers emerging from the portals, while Cromwell, Locke, and Sylvia remain none the wiser back inside the control room.)

  Sylvia: (grimacing) What now?

  (The trio exchange nods and head for the exit, but as the two soldiers follow them, they switch back to their masked shadow forms and attempt to fire at the two commanders from behind. Locke reacts quickly and turns around, taking them out with two shots from his gun, but then the exit is suddenly blown away, with several masked soldiers heading for them. Sylvia quickly launches a barrage of club projectiles, blowing them up into shadows. She leads the two commanders as they quickly head out of the control room before the masked shadow soldiers regenerate, and then they turn towards a corridor and run through it.)

  Commander Cromwell: Shadow soldiers? (grimly) That’s… our enemy. But how did that happen?

  Commander Locke: Doesn’t matter now. We need to put an end to this before things get out of hand.

  (Meanwhile, back at the laboratory, the researchers lie unconscious on the ground, and Infinity stands over them. The soldiers standing outside revert back to their masked shadow form and promptly leave. Infinity then turns to the purple viscous Surge energy in the tiny container in the lab, seeing the pedestal on which it’s placed wired to several other containment tanks, with several other Surge Beacons inside, each unconscious.)

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  Infinity: (grimly) So that’s what they’re used for. A painful, long extraction process. (with subtle sorrow) It’s been happening for too long, and I’m not sure they can ever wake up again. (turning to a control panel) They need to finally rest. That’s the greatest mercy I can offer them.

  (Infinity heads for the control panel and accesses information on their weak yet eerily stable vitals, then he promptly deactivates all of their life support systems, ending their lives peacefully. He stands still for a brief moment of silence as he turns to each of the now deceased test subjects, as if grieving them, and then he turns to the purple viscous Surge energy in the tiny container.)

  Infinity: This will have to end.

  (Infinity grabs the Catalyst and shatters the container with it, using the green crystal to absorb the energy. With the out of the way, he heads for the control panel and presses on several buttons, opening up Ethan’s containment tank. He 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 standing over him.)

  Infinity: (whispering) Wake up… Ethan.

  (The boy looks around, his vision still blurry until he finally sees clearly, finding himself in a wide laboratory with several containment tanks and unconscious researchers on the ground. Upon clearly seeing Infinity, he fearfully crawls back, startled.)

  Ethan: (startled) Who are you?! (looking around again) Where… am I? What did you do to me?!

  Infinity: (calmly) I myself did nothing. The people that intended so are lying on the ground as you can see. You may call me… Infinity. I’ve been meaning to meet you, Ethan. (titling his head, intrigued) I can tell you don’t remember what happened. Lemme fix that.

  (Infinity pulls out the Catalyst once again, and Ethan instantly recognizes it as the same crystal that Hollow carried with him. He gets exposed to its influence once again, and he suddenly recalls everything that happened once Hollow confronted him and then recalls for the first time everything he did during his berserk state as the Ice Surge Beacon. The moment it’s over, Ethan angrily lunges at Infinity for a blow, who gets in behind him and causes him to trip.)

  Ethan: (angrily) You’re one of them! Their leader! What do you want from me?!

  Infinity: I want to help you, Ethan. Not just you, but everyone else.

  Ethan: (gritting his teeth) Help me?! Your soldiers destroyed my home! They hurt the people I care about!

  Infinity: And who do you think they blamed for that?

  (This question stuns Ethan, whose lips part slightly in shock, and then he remembers the look one of the residents gave him when he got rescued, a look of fear. Infinity then takes a step towards him and gestures around at the other containment tanks.)

  Infinity: (louder) Look at them! Look at them, Ethan! They had powers, just like you! They were feared, just like you! They were captured, just like you! Look what happened to them! (the glowing purple infinity sign on his mask shaking in anger) They were drained, their souls treated like a mere lid of energy that they kept punching through it again and again until the only mercy they could ever receive is the relief of death, and that I had to provide! This would’ve been your fate, Ethan, and it will be one day! All of us will suffer from this fate, either reduced to weapons or test subjects! That’s our value to them! That’s our value to this blissfully naive world!

  Ethan: (stunned) What’re you… what’re you talking about?

  Infinity: You can’t unsee it now, can you?! Those people never cared for you no matter how much you did for them! That attack was meant to show you this truth, that when things went wrong, they first blamed you! You think they tried to stop Aegis from taking you away?! You think they stood up for you alongside your desperate parents in the face of this injustice?! (sighing deeply, his voice now softer) Your parents loved you, and they were alone in that regard. No one else saw you as something more than this power, but I believe in you, Ethan. We can end this oppression, this hideous exploitation of Surges. All of us… together.

  Ethan: (whimpering) Together? What are you planning?

  Infinity: (extending his hand) Join me, Ethan, just like Hollow did. Your parents will never have to stand against the world for you… because the world that we’ll create will require no such deed. We’ll end our suffering with our own hands. You’ll come back to them in a world that will no longer fear you and live the life you’ve always wanted. We all will truly live.

  (Ethan glances at Infinity’s extended hand, feeling stunned and unable to decide. His body trembles, his parted lips quiver, and his pupils shake as the silence continues to hang between them. Elsewhere, Flare and Hunter’s fight continues, with the former lunging at the latter. Hunter lunges at her as well while firing a barrage of gunshots. Flare cancels it out with a barrage of fire lances and then swings a fiery fist at Hunter, who easily blocks it with a gunshot and knocks her back. She propels herself backwards to dodge Hunter’s next advance, firing a burst of fire at him, which he cancels out with a few gunshots.)

  Flare: (thinking to herself) Okay, now what was my strategy again? Did I even come up with one?

  (Before she can follow up with another round of attacks, Hunter jumps and fires several gunshots at her surroundings, disorienting her, and then he lands a roundhouse kick at her face, laterally launching her through a wall. He moves in for another blow, but Flare propels herself out of the way midair, only for Hunter to quickly catch up and land a blast at her gut, launching her through the air. He moves in with his two guns, but Flare quickly punches them both away and kicks Hunter in the chest. He doesn’t get fazed by the fiery kick and grabs her by the leg before getting knocked back, throwing her into another wall.)

  Flare: (internally) What the hell is this guy made of?!

  (He then lands another blast at her gut, launching her through the wall. Upon steadying herself, she takes a fighting stance in front of the slowly approaching Hunter through gritted teeth, lighting up her fists with fire in the face of his unchanging sharp black eyes.)

  Flare: (muttering) Here goes.

  (Flare suddenly lights up her legs with fire and slams the ground, causing it to collapse and for her to fall into a lower floor. Hunter jumps after her as she continues to fall down, piercing through the lower floors. She quickly throws whatever rubble that forms at Hunter, who blows them up into smaller chunks, as expected. She doesn’t relent, however, circling around Hunter and throwing even more pieces of rubble at him. Hunter blows up some of the debris, only to be caught by surprise when a fire lance immediately follows it and strikes his chest, knocking him back in the air.)

  Hunter: (internally) Huh?

  (He quickly regains his balance mid-fall and notices Flare circling around him and launching the debris at him. He sharpens his reflexes, blowing up the debris and then attempting to avoid the subsequent fire projectiles, but the speed of the attacks is a challenge, even for him, and he ends up receiving a fire lance in the back.)

  Flare: (thinking to herself) It’s working! He surely can’t dodge as effectively when he’s falling, so he’s gotta rely on his guns, and when I overwhelm him with so many attacks, he’ll surely have a blind spot somewhere! This is my chance! I gotta bring him down and get outta here!

  (Flare continues circling around him at high speed, relentlessly launching barrages of fire lances alongside the rubble she throws at him. Hunter sees a piece of debris launched at him and splits it into half with a kick, seeing a fire lance heading right for him. In that split second, he looks around and sees several pieces of rubble around him and Flare still revolving around him, which is when he pulls off his move. He uses a fragment of the debris as a platform and jumps off of it, avoiding the fire lance, then he continues piercing through the pieces of concrete and jumping off of them, which baffles Flare.)

  Flare: (internally, baffled) What’s he doing?

  (It’s then that two blasts are launched beside her and explode close to her, disorienting her midair, and then Hunter cancels out all of her fire lances while jumping from his improvised platforms. He reappears behind her and lands a kick at her back, sending her crashing into a wall, and then he jumps off another platform and lands a blast at her gut, launching her through the wall and into a wide, empty room. As she regains her footing, she groans in pain and starts panting heavily in exhaustion, and Hunter too plants his feet on the ground.)

  Flare: (internally) How did he…? I thought I had him.

  Hunter: (muttering) That was… interesting to see. Oh, well.

  (Hunter capitalizes on her exhaustion and disorients her further by landing a gunshot at the ground, then he smoothly places his other gun in his pocket and grabs Flare by the neck, slamming her into a wall. She attempts to wriggle out of Hunter’s grasp, but he only tightens his grip on her neck even further, his expression cold as ever.)

  Hunter: (coldly) And now… to get the job done.

  (He places the gun right at her forehead, watching her fearful, narrowing pupils with sharp, unfazed eyes. Her body shakes as she starts hyperventilating in sheer terror, but then her narrowed pupils start to glow with a darker shade of red, and before Hunter pulls the trigger, she headbutts the gun itself, knocking him back and breaking free from his grasp.)

  Hunter: (internally) What?

  (She then lands a powerful punch at his gut, her fist getting lit up with crimson flames as she sends him sliding. As he regains her balance, he sees her head bowed and her intense fiery aura resurfacing, this time with a darker shade of red. Her hair and pupils too turn dark red, and then she looks up at him with a wicked, crooked grin: Red Flare has been triggered once again.)

  Red Flare: (wickedly grinning, her voice getting slightly raspier) You up for round two?