The trio, confidently walking along the snowy road, created the impression of a single whole, a close-knit team, ready to face any difficulties for the sake of their goal. Despite the cold and fatigue, their looks were full of determination. Andrey, deftly navigating the terrain, walked ahead, leading the group. Sofia, following him, every time the wind brought piercing cold, imperceptibly strengthened the cold aura around herself, protecting both herself and her comrades. Ivan, bringing up the rear of the group, carefully examined the surroundings, as if feeling responsible for the safety of the team.
In the darkness, illuminated only by their flashlights, they seemed like ghosts moving through the night in search of their friend. Their steps were quiet but decisive. From time to time Ivan looked around, as if expecting to see something or someone behind him. Sofia, it seemed, was becoming more and more concerned with every step about the fate of Businka, this unusual hare who had become more than just an animal for them.
When they reached the intersection, Andrei stopped, peering at the tracks on the road. Sofia walked up to him and put her hand on his shoulder, as if trying to support him. Ivan, standing behind him, looked concentrated, his eyes constantly scanning the surrounding space.
- The snowfall hid all traces from me... Where could they have gone? - Andrei thought out loud, crouching down to better examine the road in front of him.
“Wherever they go, we will find them.” - Ivan said confidently, approaching him. - Come on, don't let me down!
Sofia nodded, her gaze full of determination.
- We must keep moving. Every minute counts.
- They went in that direction. - Andrey indicated the direction, checking his landmarks.
- We have one goal, to return Bead. And this is no longer an order from management, but our own desire. He is part of our room, and we don’t abandon ours. - Ivan spoke confidently. At this moment, he frowned and put his hand into the inner pocket of his jacket. - The curator is calling...
- Maybe not take it? We’re already AWOL... - Sofia asked. - They can track us...
- Right. - the guy pressed the end button and they continued their journey, running along the night road.
They had to overcome snow drifts, making their way through the darkness of the night. Above their heads, the snow continued to fall like eternal flakes, creating the illusion of infinity in time and space. But neither cold nor fatigue could stop them.
After an hour of tedious trekking through the snowy forest, the trio stopped to rest. Suddenly their attention was attracted by flashes of light in the sky, not as bright as lightning, but quite noticeable in the darkness of the winter night. They flickered and faded like distant stars, replacing each other in a random order. It was like an invisible battle of light waves, a mysterious and at the same time disturbing spectacle.
“It’s strange, I don’t feel any emissions of energy... It seems like someone doesn’t want to be found...” muttered Andrei, looking around the dark forest around. He led the group deep into the thicket, leaving the snow-covered road behind. The branches of the trees thickened above their heads, creating an impassable crown, and the snow crunched under their feet. They moved slowly and carefully, not only because of the difficulty of passage, but also so as not to attract possible attention.
Soon they came to the vast territory of the plant. Tall fences and watchtowers framed it, and inside were metal structures and dark silhouettes of buildings. The factory seemed somehow abandoned and at the same time alive, with dim lights in the windows and shadows moving in the distance.
- People of Fireball! We found their camp! - Sofia was surprised and worried at the same time. The girl looked at Ivan. - We need to report... You understand the importance of the find, right? It's not just AWOL anymore.
Ivan, realizing the importance of the find, took out his phone, but discovered that the connection was lost. He frowned, since before that, she was.
- It looks like everything is being jammed, they have good protection... They are jamming not only your abilities, Dyusha, but also satellite communications.
After some attempts, he went deep into the forest in search of a signal. A few minutes later he returned, nodding to his comrades.
- Message sent. Now we can continue rescuing Businka. They will be here within an hour, during which time they need to get him out before a mess starts. - he said, and they, having gathered their courage again, moved towards the camp, ready to face any difficulties that might lie ahead.
They made their way to the wall, where two men were currently on patrol. Ivan acted quickly. He approached them and, in the end, picking up speed, he created a shield in front of him, with which he hit the two men. They scattered like bowling pins. Sofia quickly crossed the open space, bent over the men and, using her gift, froze them, covering them with a thick crust of ice.
- Shall we go? - Sofia wanted to go further, but Ivan and Andrey stood over their defeated opponents.
- They are super. You can't leave them. - Ivan exchanged glances with Andrey, after which both kicked the frozen opponents in the head area. With a small crack, the heads flew apart. As practice has shown, even after such damage, superi could return to the real world. If, of course, they have enough souls for this.
The girl didn’t say anything, but it was clear that murder in the real world still aroused conflicting feelings in her. They entered the factory territory. The aroma of oil and metal hung here. Above their heads towered the gloomy silhouettes of buildings and cars, which in the night looked like monsters lurking in the darkness. The sky was overcast with clouds, and occasionally the rays of the moon broke through, illuminating their path.
Ivan, Sofia and Andrey carefully moved forward, trying not to attract attention. They jumped over metal pipes, made their way past bulky machines and carefully examined every corner, wary of possible ambushes. Security lights could be seen in the distance, and every rustle made them freeze.
“We are approaching the center,” Ivan whispered, pointing to a large building ahead. This was the main workshop of the plant, where Fireshar and his people could probably be located.
At night, the grounds of the Fireball plant were bustling with activity. Ivan, Andrei and Sofia carefully made their way through the dark corners, trying to remain unnoticed. Ivan counted more than fifteen supers, some of whom were training at the training ground. The group decided to bypass this area and penetrate into the very heart of the plant.
Making his way there, Ivan suddenly stopped, as if pierced by lightning.
- Fireball himself, and Zeus is nearby. What's going on here? He muttered, looking at the two figures standing in the spotlight.
Sofia, however, noticed something else. Their comrade Businka, his ears slightly sticking out from under the snow. The girl immediately drew Ivan’s attention to this.
- Bead... We need to pull it out! – she exclaimed with alarm in her voice.
- Zeus is there! He will grind us into powder and not even break a sweat. We are no match for him. You need to wait for them to leave and act. – Ivan snapped, feeling the tension growing.
The group decided to wait until Zeus and Fireball left. At this moment, the delegation of Zeus and Fireball and their accompanying persons headed further into the plant. To their surprise, Businka began to follow the delegation.
- He's clearly intelligent! – Andrei whispered, watching the hare.
Sofia, nervously rubbing her hands, turned to Ivan:
- You can’t hesitate... Ivan? Ivan!
- Quiet! Start retreating, I'll pick it up and right behind you. It might be possible to get lost among his own people. Leave quickly, I'll take the hare and follow you right away! – Ivan declared decisively, gathering his strength.
As soon as Sofia and Andrey began to retreat, Ivan quickly headed towards the place where Zeus and Fireball were, closing the distance between them. His heart was beating like crazy.
Ivan, gritting his teeth from tension, broke through the factory territory, his steps were heavy and decisive. His skill created a defense. His shield sparkled with the collected energy and a sparkling aura formed around it, making his gait even more powerful. The speed and power of his running were so great that none of those present had time to react.
Zeus, Fireball and the rest of the delegation were only able to create spherical shields to protect themselves from an unexpected blow. The collision was so powerful that they were all thrown tens of meters back. Ivan, at this critical moment, grabbed the hare by the ears, which strongly resisted and even bit his finger.
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- What are you doing! – Ivan exclaimed in irritation, but the hare, suddenly realizing what was happening, quickly climbed onto his neck and created his own soul shield, thereby covering Ivan’s back. This was something incredible, because Ivan always considered his back to be a vulnerable point, but now the hare, his involuntary companion, took on the role of protector.
When a concentrated energy attack swept across the shield, the shield held, and Ivan felt hope ignite in his heart.
- You're part of the team, baby! I won’t let anyone hurt you! - he said, feeling how the hare confidently rested on his neck, becoming his unexpected ally in this fight.
Ivan, using his gift of creating a hemispherical shield in front of him, ran out of the affected area at full speed, covering himself from all attacks. He ran to the meeting point with Sofia and Andrey.
Ivan managed to run far enough when the changed atmosphere forced him to turn around. What he saw was an impressive and terrifying sight at the same time. The night sky, previously plunged into darkness, was illuminated with bright, almost daylight. Fireball stood in the center of the plant, his figure seemed monumental against the background of the huge sun that exploded above his head. It was a show of force that could boggle the mind.
The sun created by Fireball melted steel and exploded oil tanks. It was chaos, a roaring fire that threatened to consume everything. Amid the turmoil that began at the plant, Ivan felt small and helpless before the elemental power of the Fireball. Zeus's cry, filled with rage and bewilderment, echoed throughout the entire territory:
- Are you crazy?! (Are you crazy?!)
Ivan, frozen in the face of death, felt fear for a second. The fiery sun rushing towards him seemed like an inevitable end. But at this critical moment, a feeling of pain in his ear brought him back to reality. The hare bit him and persistently pulled him to the side, showing him the way to salvation. Ivan, shaking himself from his stupor, followed the hare to a strange hemispherical structure, which was some kind of technical shelter.
Ivan, feeling the heat of the sun approaching, involuntarily shrank, waiting for the inevitable. The sky above the plant was illuminated with a terrible light that turned night into day. The huge fiery sun created by Fireball exploded everything in its path, spreading in a wave of heat and destruction.
Ivan's shield, spreading in front of him, created an imaginary protection from the approaching heat. He understood that if the Fireball's sun touched them, they would both die. But at that moment the hare, as if sensing Ivan’s despair, gathered all his strength and expanded his shield, covering both of them. And besides this, the shield was covered with frost, creating a wonderful contrast between the heat of the sun and the icy cold inside their shelter.
Ivan, shuddering from the cold, could not believe what was happening.
- Did you combine my skill and Sofia’s skill?! You're just some kind of monster! In a good way! - he exclaimed.
When Fireball's attack hit them, a battle of elements broke out around them. The heat of the sun met with the frosty cold emanating from the hare's shield. Vortexes of steam and boiling air swirled around them, creating a raging meteorological conflict.
Just a couple of moments later, holes began to appear inside the hare's protective shield, through which tongues of fire uncontrollably penetrated, trying to break the ice barrier. The hare, as if instructing Ivan, opened his mouth and began to actively wave his paw towards his throat. The man, who at first did not understand the animal’s gesture, suddenly realized that the hare required additional energy replenishment.
- Is the energy running out? Hold on! Now! – Ivan exclaimed, transferring the power of his soul to his neck. At this moment, a silver flame resembling a mystical fire burst out from his throat. Alexander, perceiving this as a challenge, actively began to absorb the luminous energy, like a vampire feeding on the power of his victim.
With the flow of soul power, the frost shield around Ivan and the hare was filled with new power, becoming crystal strong. This allowed them to hold back the onslaught of fire that was still trying to break through the defenses. At this moment, an amazing relationship was created inside the shield - the magic of ice and luminous flame melted and intertwined, creating a whirlwind of energy and colors.
As soon as the heat began to subside, Ivan looked out from behind his temporary shelter and rushed towards the exit, trying to leave the danger zone. However, suddenly, a powerful bolt of lightning struck the frost shield, which had not yet completely dissipated. Ivan and the hare were thrown tens of meters away. It was a miracle that they were not separated at the moment of the strongest blow.
The frost shield, under the influence of a terrifying lightning strike, dissipated, leaving Ivan and the hare without protection. Zeus hung in the sky, lightning burst from his body, filling the air with electrical tension. He shouted his indignation:
- Bastards! (Bastards!) - his menacing shout was heard, accompanied by a new discharge directed directly towards Ivan. The man, realizing his defenselessness, stamped his foot, trying to create at least some kind of obstacle to the attack. However, Ivan’s efforts turned out to be insufficient - he was thrown another couple of meters to the side. Ivan's body was burned, and Zeus hovered in the air, mocking the vanquished.
Zeus' gaze turned to the hare, who was struggling to rise to his feet. The animal was looking at him with an inexpressible gaze when Sophia's piercing scream was heard from the side.
- This is my hare! Don't you dare touch him! – the scream was followed by an icy wave. A little to the side, from the ground, the attack hit the guy floating in the air.
An icy stream enveloped Ivan, covering half of his body with frost. The guy himself shouted indignantly:
- By force without evolutions, do you dare to attack me?! See the real power! (With force without evolutions, you dare to attack me?! See the real power!) - Zeus, in response to the brazen attack, concentrated the power of lightning in his palm, hovered for a couple of seconds and released a dense beam of light.
The beam burned a hole in Sofia's body, she fell to the ground, left lifeless and with a frightened look. The power of Zeus was manifested in a horrific act of destruction. Chaos engulfed the plant, and Zeus, hovering in the air, looked at the consequences of his destructive power.
While Zeus was enjoying the results of his destructive actions, the hare saw how Andrei ran up to Ivan and began to lift him, trying to save his comrade. Andrei had difficulty lifting Ivan, but the hare noticed something that had escaped Andrei’s attention: Fireball came out from behind the burning structure of the oil refinery.
Roman transformed, of impressive height and fiery appearance, simply created a fireball in his hands and threw it towards the guys with incredible force. The sound of his attack was like the roar of a jet engine. With a crash, the bodies of Ivan and Andrey scattered in different directions. Ivan, despite his injuries, tried to get up, but Andrei was unlucky - his body was impaled on sharp metal structures, and he died on the spot, pierced in a couple of places, the chest and neck.
Fireball was about to strike a second time, but suddenly his body rose into the air and was thrown to the side. The hare heard a growl behind him and, turning around, saw a flock of huge birds that attacked Zeus. And then I saw people in army uniforms arriving at the scene.
People belonging to the Fireball group also began to resist the supers from the army. A real hell of abilities unfolded at the training ground: walls of fire shot up into the air, generating a burning inferno, strong gusts of wind deflected attacks, and lightning flashed in the sky, leaving destruction in its wake. The scale of the battle became more and more epic, and the abilities that everyone used added even more color and fire to the picture.
Alexander, whose soul was imprisoned in the body of a hare, watched this fantastic scene at the oil refinery. A battle unfolded in the sky: a variety of birds - majestic falcons with razor-sharp talons, fast swifts that accurately cut through the airspace, and graceful swans with powerful wings - attacked Zeus, an American with green hair and a futuristic suit. He floated in the air, supported by lightning shooting from his feet.