The outer grounds of Area 68 echoed with the sound of alarms and pounding footsteps as Dashuan fought for his life on the outskirts. He had stumbled into the heart of the government's Aberrant defense program and now found himself facing an army of enhanced soldiers.

Dashuan's body ached from his earlier beating, but adrenaline and desperation fueled him. He flailed out with bursts of gravitational force, sending armored figures flying into walls and each other.

"Stand down, Aberrant!" a voice boomed over the facility's speakers. "You are in violation of multiple federal laws. Surrender now, and you will not be harmed."

Dashuan's response was to tear a section of the outer gate down, blocking the corridor of fences behind him.

He knew it was a lie -– he had seen firsthand what happened to Aberrants who surrendered.

As he rounded the final gate, Dashuan came face to face with a squad of soldiers wearing suits reminiscent of Derek's, though clearly less advanced in nature. They raised their weapons, energy crackling along specialized barrels.

"Last chance," the lead soldier warned. "Stand down Meta."

Dashuan's eyes narrowed to pinholes. "There's always a hard way with you fuckin' people."

He struck first, warping gravity to yank their weapons away quickly. The soldiers stumbled, caught off guard, but recovered. They might lack Derek's full capabilities, but their suits still granted them enhanced strength and durability.

Dashuan used every trick he had learned over the past months, combining his gravity manipulation with the environment around him. He tore panels from the walls to use as shields, crushed light posts, and constantly kept moving to avoid being pinned down.

The soldiers were well-trained and coordinated.

They worked in tandem, covering each other's blind spots and pressing their edge whenever Dashuan showed signs of fatigue. Slowly but surely, they were wearing him down with their many blasts and cheap shots taken when he was not looking.

Just as Dashuan felt his strength beginning to fail, a familiar crackle of electricity filled the air. Arc appeared in a flash of cyan light, her eyes wide.

"Dashuan, stop!" she shouted. "You're only making things worse!"

Dashuan used a gravitational push to knock back two soldiers before responding as they screamed. "Worse than what, Arc? Worse than slaughtering innocent Aberrants? Worse than turning our backs on our own kind?"

Arc's face twisted with anger. "You don't understand anything! We're trying to build a future where Aberrants and humans can coexist--It's not fucking black and white!"

"It means playing God!?!" Dashuan retorted, narrowly avoiding an electric blast from one of the soldiers and retaliating with a blistering knee to his chest.

For a moment, something like doubt flickered across Arc's face; But then her expression hardened. "I'm one of them, Dashuan. A True Aberrant. You're just a human at heart. What right do you have to tell me how to protect my people when you wanted to be a fucking comic book character since day one?"

The words hit Dashuan, causing for pause. He had always known he was different from the other original Aberrants, having gained his powers and refusing to use them in life. But to hear Arc throw it in his face like this...was worse than the doubt he had already felt in himself.

His moment of distraction cost him.

A soldier managed to land a solid hit to his kidney, sending Dashuan crashing into a cement wall. He sagged to the ground, his vision gliding as the squad closed in around him.

"It's over," the lead soldier said, raising his weapon. "Don't make this any harder on yourself, animal."

Dashuan looked up at them, defiance burning in his lilac eyes despite his battered state. "It's never over," he growled. "Not as long as people are willing to fight for what's fucking right."

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The soldier's finger tightened on the trigger.

Suddenly, a yellow blur streaked through the corridor, accompanied by a deafening sonic boom. The soldiers were torn to bloody pieces, their suits crumpling and nearly exploding from the impact.

As Dashuan's vision cleared, he saw a scrawny, light-skinned black man wearing a sickly puke yellow ski mask standing before him. The newcomer's posture radiated annoyance as he flicked chunks of bone and metal from his tattered clothing.

"Who the fuck--" Dashuan breathed, not recognizing the figure in the slightest.

The man rolled his eyes, which were encased within the pale yellow glow. "Shut up, you stupid shit-baby dickhead. Wanna explain why I had to leave my perfectly good river bank nap to deal with this nonsense? Ultress said you were just some loser, seems like she was right if you can't handle a few humans in tin-skin."

Before anyone could respond, another figure stepped into view.

This one was a woman with an aura of authority that seemed to fill the entire embattled stretch of desert government land. Her pink eyes held keen intelligence, and Dashuan felt an odd pressure in his mind as she looked at him.

"That's enough," she articulated, her voice calm but brooking no argument. "You did well Air Force."

"Ultress," Arc whispered while stepping back.

Ultress surveyed the scene, her unblinking gaze moving from the downed soldiers to Dashuan's bleeding and exhausted form, to Arc's conflicted expression. When she spoke again, her voice had changed subtly, taking on a more analytical tone.

"Intriguing," she mused. "The Ability to manipulate gravity..." She shook her head, and when she continued, her voice had regained its previous steel of a warrior queen. "No. Focus. We have more pressing matters to attend to."

Air Force let out an exasperated sigh into the night air. "Can we speed this up? Some of us have fucking better things to do than play peacemaker in a government black site for some shit-stick loser from the boonies."

Ultress shot him a quelling look before turning her attention back to Dashuan and Arc. "I've been monitoring the situation from afar, but it seems things have escalated beyond what any of us anticipated. Derek's actions, and those of the government he's allied with, cannot be allowed to continue--He lied about being able to make headroom."

Arc stepped forward, electricity crackling around her nervously. "But Ultress, we've been working so hard to build trust, to create a place for Aberrants in society..."

"At what cost?" Dashuan interrupted, struggling to his feet. "How many innocent lives are you willing to sacrifice for your 'greater good'?"

Ultress held up a hand, silencing them both. "I've seen into the minds of those in power, Arc. The trust you think you've built is an illusion. They see us as weapons to be controlled, not as people to be integrated--This was all a small part of my designs though, nothing changes about the end goal."

Air Force snorted as he picked his nose aggressively. "Told you so. Humans can't be trusted. We should have carved out that piece of shit Derek's skull after our deal went tits up 2 months ago."

"That's not the answer either," Dashuan argued. "We can't just separate ourselves from the rest of humanity. There has to be a way to coexist peacefully."

Ultress nodded, a small smile crawling across her lush lips. "And that, Dashuan, is why we need you. Your perspective as someone who lived as a human gives you insights the rest of us lack. I apologize for my neglect since your arrival into our...situation."

She turned to address all of them. "The time for half-measures and compromise is over. Derek and those like him have shown their true colors. If we want a future where all Aberrants can live freely and safely, we must take decisive action." Ultress clenched her eyes at the incoming soldiers.

"What are you suggesting?" Arc asked, her voice barely above a whisper as the soldier ingressed.

Ultress' eyes gleamed back at their advance. "We're going to war, Arc. Not against humanity as a whole, but against those who would seek to control or destroy us. We're going to build something new-- a true sanctuary for our kind."

Air Force perked up at this new revelation. "Now you're fucking talking. I was starting to think I was the only one with any sense around here...Humans need a godamn wakeup call."

Dashuan looked between them. "Wait, are you saying you have a place already? Somewhere safe for Aberrants?"

Ultress made no reaction. "We've been preparing for this possibility for some time. A location that will serve as both a haven and a sovereign nation for our people--we needed to be sure it was truly necessary before taking such a drastic step."

"And now?" Arc asked, her earlier certainty clearly shaken.

"Now we act," Ultress declared. She fixed Dashuan with an intense gaze. "Are you with us? Will you help us build a true future for Aberrants, one where we don't have to hide or compromise our values?"

Dashuan hesitated for a moment.

This was more than he had ever imagined, a complete paradigm shift in how he viewed his role and responsibilities. But as he thought of all the Aberrants he had failed to save, of the betrayal by those he had once called friends, he knew there was only one answer he could give.

"I'm in," he said firmly.

"Whatever it takes to protect our people and show the world a better way."

Ultress smiled once again, genuine warmth in her expression. "Then let's not waste any more time. Air Force, can you carry Dashuan? He's in no condition to fly on his own."

Air Force grumbled but moved to Dashuan's side. "Fine, but don't expect me to give 'em a happy ending--And if you puke on me, so help me god; I'm dropping you."

Arc looked around nervously. "What about Derek?"

Ultress's expression hardened. "They've made their choice. From this moment on, we stand apart from them and the system they've chosen to support."

With a gesture from Ultress, Air Force scooped up Dashuan, and in a burst of speed that left his stomach lurching, they were airborne. Arc followed close behind, electricity crackling around her as she made a vast pulse-assisted jump. Ultress brought up the rear on a hovering vehicle that seemed to defy all logic, its spinning sides like that of a frisbee but her feet were stationary.

Dashuan felt a mix of emotions swirling within him.

Fear of the unknown future they were flying towards.

Anger at the betrayal that had led them to this point.

They were no longer alone, no longer fighting a losing battle against overwhelming odds. They had a plan, a destination, and most importantly, they had each other.

Whatever challenges lay ahead, they would face them together.

As the lights of civilization fell away beneath them, replaced by the vast wilderness of an unknown frontier, Dashuan made a silent covenant within his soul.

He would help build this new sanctuary, this haven for all Aberrants brick by brick.

The wind whipped past them as they flew towards their uncertain future, four figures united in purpose, carrying with them the hopes and dreams of an entire people.