The underground laboratory was unnervingly silent—
as if every sound had been erased from existence.
Theer sat beside the table, motionless, while streams of data flickered across the transparent holographic display in front of him.
The Hope Cheetar armor clung to his body in a semi-active state, its surface pulsing faintly, like a predator waiting to wake.
Across the room, Dr. Amporn stood at the main console, eyes locked onto stability graphs and neural synchronization readouts. His fingers moved fast, precise—yet his jaw was tense.
Near the wall, Ray leaned casually, arms crossed.
Watching.
Observing.
Silent.
Then—
BEEP— BEEP— BEEP!!!
The alarm ripped through the silence.
Dr. Amporn spun toward the screen.
Encrypted Signal Detected — D. TATT
Theer shot to his feet.
“Tatt!?”
Static burst from the speakers.
Heavy breathing followed—ragged, frantic—like someone running for his life while clutching the last thread of hope.
Tatt’s voice cracked through the interference.
“Dr. Amporn… I—I can’t take this anymore…
They… they found me!”
A violent impact echoed through the transmission.
CRASH!
Then—
BANG!
A gunshot.
Theer’s blood ran cold.
“Tatt! Who is it!? DevaTech!?”
Tatt’s voice trembled, barely holding together.
“No… not them…
It’s—
Black Fang.
Illegal mineral hunters… mercenaries…
They’re— they’re going to kill me—”
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
BANG! BANG!
The shots were closer now.
Too close.
“I’m at an abandoned subway station… Inner District…
Please… hurry… before they—”
The signal died.
Silence swallowed the room.
Theer turned sharply toward Dr. Amporn.
“Who are Black Fang!?”
Dr. Amporn answered in a low voice—calm, controlled, but heavy with something darker.
“A black-market mercenary syndicate.
They hunt illegal minerals.
Professional killers.”
He stared at the dead screen.
“They work for anyone who can pay.”
A pause.
“And they never let their targets live.”
Theer clenched his fists.
“…Tatt is going to die.”
Dr. Amporn didn’t hesitate.
“Then we move. Now.”
Dr. Amporn strode toward the armor vault.
Scan complete.
Authorization granted.
The reinforced doors slid open.
Blue light spilled into the laboratory, flooding the room like liquid energy.
At the center stood the Hope Cheetar armor, fully assembled—sleek, angular, alive.
It didn’t look like equipment.
It looked like a guardian waiting for its bearer.
Theer swallowed.
Fear.
Excitement.
Determination.
All colliding inside his chest.
Dr. Amporn placed a hand against the armor’s plating.
“Theer… this is the moment.”
The armor locked onto him piece by piece.
The instant the final segment sealed—
[Neural Sync: 98%]
[Energy Absorption Panels: ACTIVE]
[Electric Barrier: READY]
The suit responded to his breath.
To his heartbeat.
Ray watched in silence, eyes tracking every fluctuation, every micro-adjustment.
Then he smiled—gentle, reassuring.
“It fits you perfectly.”
Theer let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding.
“I’m ready.”
Dr. Amporn grabbed an equipment bag.
“Good. We leave immediately.”
While Theer ran final armor checks and Dr. Amporn shut down the extraction systems,
Ray stepped outside.
Slowly.
Quietly.
He pulled a small black communication device from his pocket.
Beep.
His voice dropped to a whisper.
“Reporting.”
A calm voice answered instantly.
Marcus.
“Proceed.”
Ray spoke without emotion.
“The targets are on the move.
Destination: abandoned subway station, Inner District.
Three individuals—Dr. Amporn, Theer… and myself.”
A faint chuckle echoed through the line.
“Good. Let Black Fang clean things up first.”
A pause.
“I want to see what Theer in Hope is truly capable of.”
Ray stiffened for a fraction of a second.
Then replied, flat and obedient.
“Understood.”
The device powered down.
Ray’s expression emptied—
like someone who had already severed his conscience.
Then he turned.
And walked back inside.
Wearing the face of a loyal ally.
The night air was freezing.
Wind howled through streets that felt long abandoned by humanity.
They stopped before a massive underground entrance.
STATION 07 — CLOSED / UNDERGROUND LINE
Dr. Amporn spoke quietly.
“…I hope we’re not too late.”
Theer clenched his fists.
“I won’t let anyone die because of me again.”
Ray looked at him.
And smiled.
In the darkness, it was impossible to tell—
Was it the smile of a friend?
Or the smile of someone who already knew how this would end?
BANG… BANG… BANG…
Distant gunfire echoed from deep within the tunnel.
They froze.
The moment they stepped inside—
There would be no turning back.
The camera pulled away.
Revealing multiple silhouettes moving through the darkness.
Black Fang.
Weapons glowing with refined mid-grade minerals.
The faint sound of desperate breathing echoed through the tunnel…
Fade Out.