"My God! What have we done?" Lydia exclaimed, her voice laced with anguish. Her crew searched frantically for a glimmer of hope, but found none. Moments later, Maya and Ava rushed to her side, their faces ashen. "Lydia, it's catastrophic," Maya said, her voice trembling. "The artificial universe is destroyed. Every upload intelligence is gone, their subconscious eradicated beyond recovery." Ava added, "It's as if they never existed. Only we remain."

Lydia's heart sank. "We've made things worse," she whispered, the weight of her mistakes crushing her.

Axel approached, his eyes filled with concern. "What do we do now, Lydia?"

Lydia took a deep breath, her mind racing. "We can't afford to disrupt the timeline further. We risk being consumed by it." She paused, her gaze drifting to the futuristic locket projector in her vest. The holographic image of her deceased future parents, Mark Junior and Amanda, flickered to life, their smiles haunting her. She knew what she had to do.

"I'll go back in time alone," Lydia said, her voice firm. "I won't burden you with my mistakes. I'll stop my past self from killing Mark McCoy, no matter the cost."

With a resolute determination, Lydia steeled herself for the journey ahead, knowing that altering the past would come at a steep price.

"What could have caused this?" Lydia wondered, her mind racing. "The future was safer before the invasion. Everyone had access to the UI at will, whether they chose to upload or remain on Earth." She paused, her eyes scanning the horizon. "Something isn't right."

Her gaze landed on a glowing light in the distance, and she alerted her crew. As they approached the fortress, they were met with a shocking sight: Xentrocurnia prime Tekdroids, thought to be destroyed in battle, now stood guard.

"How is this possible?" Zane whispered.

"They're protecting something... or someone," Kai replied, his voice barely audible.

Lydia and her crew steeled themselves for a confrontation, infiltrating the fortress and overcoming obstacles along the way. But nothing could have prepared them for the revelation that awaited: Teknight, once corrupted by Xentrocurnia prime tech, had revived his human form, fusing it with the technology. The remnants of Tetroid, gradually corrupting him, had driven him to madness.

Teknight, now a twisted fusion of human and machine, had assumed the identity of Tetraman. He had created clones of Tetraman and Tetronian droids, hell-bent on conquering the future and building a new Tetronian empire.

Lydia and her crew stood stunned, speechless in the face of this unprecedented threat.

Lydia and her crew charged at Teknight, determined to stop him. But Teknight was unfazed, his eyes gleaming with malevolence. "You fools," he sneered. "I've been expecting you. Your efforts to kill Mark McCoy only made my plan easier to execute."

With a snarl, Lydia launched herself at Teknight, her fists flying. But Teknight was too powerful, his movements lightning-fast as he dodged and countered her attacks. Axel, Kai, and Zane joined the fray, their superhuman strength and speed on full display. Axel's razor-sharp claws swiped at Teknight, but he blocked them with ease. Kai unleashed a barrage of energy projectiles, but Teknight deflected them with his advanced technology. Zane's telekinetic powers sent nearby objects flying at Teknight, but he simply laughed them off.

Meanwhile, Maya and Ava worked in tandem, their powers complementing each other perfectly. Maya summoned a fierce gust of wind, knocking Tekdroids off their feet, while Ava hacked into nearby robots, turning them against their former allies. But despite their valiant efforts, Teknight seemed to predict their every move, countering with devastating precision.

As the battle raged on, Lydia found herself facing off against Teknight alone. His eyes seemed to bore into her soul, his smile twisted and cruel. "You think you can defeat me, Lydia Baraq?" he taunted. "I've been manipulating events from the start. I provided you with the ultra K9 virus, and I allowed you to travel to the past. And now, my plan is coming to fruition."

With a snarl, Lydia attacked, but Teknight overpowered her, his strength too much for her to handle. As her crew faltered, surrounded by Tekdroids, Teknight raised his hand, ordering his minions to finish them off. But just as all hope seemed lost, a force field materialized, protecting Lydia and her crew from the lethal attacks.

The corrupt future Teknight's eyes widened in surprise, but only for a moment. "No matter," he sneered. "The Tetronian empire will rise again, and you will all be crushed beneath its heel."

The Tekdroids were lifted into midair and crushed like insects, their metallic bodies crumpling to the ground. Teknight's eyes widened in shock as he realized the true extent of Teldra's powers. The future daughter of Mark McCoy and Zipporah stood tall, her eyes blazing with determination as she protected Lydia and her crew.

"Get to safety, now!" Teldra ordered, her voice firm and commanding. But Lydia hesitated, her eyes filled with regret as she gazed at Teldra. She felt responsible for altering the past and putting everyone in danger.

Teldra's expression softened, but only for a moment. "Lydia, go!" she yelled, snapping her back to reality. "I'll handle Teknight!"

Lydia nodded, still filled with remorse, but she knew she had to act. "Teldra, I—" she began, but Teldra cut her off.

"Go! Run, Lydia!" Teldra shouted, her voice echoing through the battlefield.

As Lydia and her crew turned to flee, Teknight activated more Tekdroids and drones, sending them after the group with relentless ferocity. The air was filled with the whir of machinery and the clash of metal as Lydia's crew fought to reach the time machine, their only hope for escape.

Teldra stood firm, her powers unleashing a maelstrom of energy as she battled Teknight and his minions. The outcome was far from certain, but one thing was clear: only one side could emerge victorious.

Teldra and Teknight collided in a maelstrom of fists and feet, their blows generating shockwaves that shook the sky. Flashes of light illuminated the battlefield as they exchanged strikes, each one landing with precision and force. Teknight summoned a barrage of obstacles to impede Teldra's advance, but she tore through them with ease, her movements a blur of speed and power.

With a swift kick, Teldra sent a nearby Tekdroid flying into Teknight's face, its metal body disintegrating upon impact. She followed up with a flurry of punches, each one aimed at Teknight's vulnerable core. Teknight retaliated with a wave of energy blasts, but Teldra dodged and weaved, her agility allowing her to avoid the attacks with ease.

As they clashed forearms, Teknight's voice dripped with venomous malice. "Your parents, the legendary warriors, were nothing but mere prey to me. And don't forget, Teldra, how your father was ravaged by Teldrea's mother, a violation he couldn't defend against. Yet, despite their bravery, they still fell before me, like beasts slaughtered in the arena. And soon, you'll join them in oblivion."

Teldra's eyes blazed with fury. "Not if you're going down with me, Teknight. They trusted you, had faith in you, and you betrayed them."

With a mighty roar, Teldra broke free from the forearm clash and landed a massive punch on Teknight's face, sending him crashing to the ground. The impact created a shockwave, sending nearby debris flying.

Teknight struggled to rise, his face twisted in a snarl. "You may have power, Teldra, but I have the advantage of technology and strategy."

Teldra stood tall, her chest heaving with exertion. "We'll see about that."

With a swift kick, she sent Teknight flying across the battlefield, his body crashing into a nearby wall. Teldra charged after him, her fists flying in a flurry of punches and kicks, each strike aimed at Teknight's vulnerable core.

Teknight retaliated with a barrage of missiles, but Teldra ripped them apart with her bare hands, the explosions harmlessly dissipating around her. She landed a devastating kick on Teknight's chest, sending him flying into a nearby mountain.

The mountain crumbled, burying Teknight beneath the rubble. Teldra stood victorious, her chest heaving with exertion. But as the dust settled, Teknight emerged, his body glowing with an eerie blue light.

"You may have power, Teldra," Teknight sneered, "but I have the power of technology."

Teknight's face was a grotesque mess, his skin hanging in tatters as he cackled maniacally. "You're no hero, Teldra. Your xenomorphic heritage won't save you this time. The ultra K9 virus will ensure your demise, and with it, the resistance will perish."

With a twisted grin, Teknight activated his failsafe, releasing a quantum bomb fused with the ultra K9 virus into the atmosphere. The air began to toxify, spreading the virus's corrosive influence. Teldra's skin started to decay, her hair falling out in clumps as rash and boils erupted, oozing pus and blood.

Despite her resistance, Teldra's body began to deteriorate rapidly. Her skin sloughed off, revealing raw, red flesh beneath. Her eyes bulged, blood vessels bursting as her vision blurred. Her once-strong physique now trembled, her muscles weakening as the virus ravaged her body.

With a Herculean effort, Teldra carried the ticking bomb, now a dead Teknight, into the upper atmosphere, heading towards space. The virus's influence spread, poisoning the air, withering and disintegrating everything in its path.

Teldra's body continued to decay, her flesh melting away like wax in a furnace. Her screams echoed through the void as she fought against the inevitable, her xenomorphic heritage struggling to maintain a semblance of life.

Lydia stood frozen in horror as Teldra, her body a decaying husk, carried the quantum bomb into space. The virus spread its toxic influence, claiming some of Lydia's crew as its victims. They clutched their throats, gasping for air as their lungs disintegrated, their bodies crumbling to dust.

Zane, his eyes bulging with blood, used his telekinesis to thrust Lydia into the time machine mere seconds before the virus consumed him. His body disintegrated, his screams echoing through the void as Lydia watched in terror.

As the time machine activated, enveloping her in blinding light, Lydia witnessed the universe's destruction. Stars imploded, planets crumbled, and galaxies unraveled like threads pulled from a tapestry. The quantum bomb's influence ravaged the fabric of space-time, leaving nothing but an endless expanse of desolation.

The time machine's energy shielded Lydia from the destruction, but she felt the weight of her crew's sacrifice. She was the last hope, the sole survivor of a universe that had been annihilated.

As the machine whirled around her, Lydia's mind reeled with the memories of the apocalypse she had witnessed. The faces of her fallen crew haunted her, their screams echoing through her mind like a chorus of the damned.

Unbeknownst to Lydia, a Tekdroid from the future locked onto her and fired a tracking beam alongside it fragment that followed her into the past. Shortly after her arrival, Lydia sought to prevent her past self from killing Mark McCoy, who lay incapacitated and vulnerable. Meanwhile, Lydia's past crew held Mark Junior and Amanda at bay, preventing them from intervening.

As Lydia's past self was about to strike down Mark McCoy, Lydia from the present intervened, blocking the fatal blow. The sudden appearance of another Lydia stunned everyone—her past self, the crew, Mark Junior, Amanda, and several onlookers.

Lydia from the past's eyes widened in shock. "What sorcery is this?" she exclaimed, bewildered.

"What is this?" Lydia from the past demanded, glaring at her future self.

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"Listen to me," Lydia from the present urged. "I'm you from the future, and what we did changed nothing. It made everything worse."

"Mark McCoy isn't the enemy. I wouldn't have made it to this moment if it weren't for our best friend, his future daughter, who saved my life."

Lydia from the present tried to reason with her past self, but she was met with resistance. "You're a liar!" her past self spat, attacking her present self with ferocity.

"Are you saying we failed?" Lydia from the past's voice was sharp, disbelieving.

"We didn't just fail," Lydia from the present replied, "we doomed everyone. Even those from the UI didn't survive because Mark isn't the enemy."

Lydia from the past, furious and unwilling to accept the truth, shushed her future self. "Lies!" she shouted, considering her future self an enemy. She resumed her attack, her strikes brutal and relentless. The two Lydias clashed, their movements lightning-fast as they exchanged blows. The crew watched in stunned silence, unable to intervene, unsure which Lydia to trust.

"You must listen to me... Tek... Tek... Night... Isn't... To... Be... Trust...ed," present Lydia gasped, her words fragmented as she deftly avoided her past self's attacks.

The battle was fierce, a deadly dance of skill and fury. Finally, present Lydia overpowered her past self, pinning her down. Just as she was about to reveal the truth, a blindingly bright beam from the future shot through the air, striking her in the back. Her body jerked forward, the force of the impact tearing through her chest and leaving a gaping hole. Her heart dangled grotesquely from the wound, held by a few shreds of flesh like frayed threads.

Lydia's eyes filled with blood. She looked down at her hands in horror, her vision blurring. The sight stunned everyone—Mark Junior, Amanda, the crew, and passersby—into silence. Lydia's body convulsed, her heart pulsing weakly as blood poured from her chest.

She tried to speak, but her words were barely audible. "Tek...Night...Isn't...To...Be...Trusted..."

As she fell to her knees, she managed to whisper, "Teknight... betrayed... us..." before collapsing in a pool of blood. Her past self, shocked and horrified, stared at the gruesome scene, the weight of the future crashing down upon her. Confusion and anger etched on her face. The crew rushed to Lydia's side, but it was too late. Her body went limp, her eyes frozen in a permanent stare.

The air was thick with tension and the stench of blood, leaving everyone in stunned silence, the gravity of Lydia's final words hanging heavy in the air.

The origin of the beam became clear: a Tekdroid from the future emerged, its cold, calculating eyes fixed on Lydia’s lifeless body. The Tekdroid was a fusion of cybernetic and holographic technology, rapidly reconstructing itself for combat. As the crew, still reeling from the shock, attempted to confront it, the Tekdroid cut them down with ruthless efficiency, leaving only Lydia's past self standing.

The Tekdroid’s beam targeted Lydia again, but she barely dodged the attack. Furious and driven by vengeance, she charged at the Tekdroid, determined to avenge her present self’s death. The ensuing battle was fierce and chaotic, both combatants exchanging brutal blows. The Tekdroid’s advanced weaponry clashed with Lydia’s skill and determination.

Despite her valiant efforts, Lydia managed to secure victory at a tremendous cost. The Tekdroid lay defeated, its once-imposing form now reduced to smoldering ruins. Lydia had pierced it with a high-tech spear, fused with Tetrenium, Tetrenite, and an ultra K9 virus. As the Tekdroid disintegrated, Lydia, panting and wounded, turned her gaze toward her present self’s lifeless body. The reality of her failure weighed heavily on her.

Before she could fully process her next steps, Lydia noticed a bloodstain spreading rapidly on her chest. Her clothes were drenched, and she staggered uncontrollably, the spear slipping from her grasp. She had been injured during her fight with the advanced Tekdroids from the future.

"Lydia!!!" Zane’s voice broke through the stunned silence, filled with fury and concern.

"OMG!" Axel and Kai exclaimed, their eyes wide with disbelief.

"No! No... No!!!" Maya and Ava cried out, rushing towards Lydia to catch her as she began to collapse. But to their shock, they too started to fade from existence, their forms becoming translucent as they disintegrated, alongside Axel, Kai, Zane, and the deceased Lydia.

Past Lydia, also fading away, fell to her knees, her strength waning. With her last remaining energy, she struggled to reach Mark Junior and Amanda. The horror of the situation was evident as she used her final moments to try and reach them, her efforts becoming increasingly desperate.

Mark Junior and Amanda rushed to Lydia’s side, their hearts heavy with compassion. They could see the mixture of regret and pain in her eyes as she glitched between realities, her body flickering with distortion and agony. Lydia's weak, shaky hands stretched out to touch them one last time, her tears mingling with blood that streamed down her face.

"I... am... sorry... I... failed... you..." Lydia’s voice faltered, each word barely audible amidst the distortion. "Mo... Mom... D... Dad," she added with a dying smile, her body glitching and flickering with each word.

Amanda, tears streaming down her face, tried to offer comfort. "It's okay! You're going to be alright, help is on the way," she said, her voice trembling with grief and empathy as she struggled to instill hope in Lydia.

"Tek... Tek... night," Lydia managed to say, her voice breaking apart, her lips and entire body cracking with light. As she continued to fade, her words became cryptic and unclear, her form disintegrating into tiny particles and specks of light. Mark Junior and Amanda watched in awe as Lydia’s remains shattered into dust, fading into the atmosphere.

Mark Junior and Amanda watched in horror as the fading Lydia made one last attempt to protect them, her form dissolving into nothingness. The scene was a haunting mix of desperation and loss, marking the end of a timeline teetering on the edge of annihilation.

Amanda, overwhelmed by the tragic scene, embraced Mark Junior with fervent emotion. She expressed her sorrow, reflecting on how painful it was to witness someone she barely knew—or didn’t know at all—die. Despite the circumstances, she believed that even the most cruel person could find redemption.

Amanda spoke of the strange connection she felt with Lydia, as if they were somehow bound by blood. She described how Lydia’s eyes had seemed to yearn for redemption, a feeling that was difficult to articulate but profoundly affecting.

As Amanda's emotions poured out, sirens wailed in the distance. Government agencies, including the VCPF (Vill-City Police Force) and ambulances, arrived at the scene. Mark McCoy, unharmed but shaken, was taken to the medic for a check-up, accompanied by Mark Junior and Amanda.

The once chaotic scene began to settle as the authorities took control, the echoes of the tragic encounter still lingering in the air.

The government agencies, amidst the chaos, managed to secure the high-tech spear fused with Tetrenium, Tetrenite, and an ultra K9 virus. Despite the disruptions, the weapon had not been erased from existence and was taken into custody for further analysis.

At the Guardians of Earth headquarters, Tetra, upon hearing the distressing news, immediately flew to Vill-City hospital. Her primary concern was to ensure her son’s safety. Upon arriving, she was relieved to find that Mark McCoy was unharmed. Meanwhile, Mark Junior’s parents also visited their son, providing comfort and support, while a few government officials were dispatched to check on Amanda and escort her home.

In the secret chamber of the Guardians of Earth headquarters, Teknight was preoccupied with his own internal issues. He had been noticing unusual changes in his system operations and was alerted by his Tek computer to a severe problem. The computer revealed that Teknight was being gradually corrupted by the Xentrocurnia Prime tech, remnants of the shattered Tetroid. The corruption posed a significant threat, jeopardizing both his system’s stability and his effectiveness as a guardian.

***

In the far reaches of a planet under Tetronian control, the remaining survivors of the failed Earth invasion reported back to their Empire. They recounted their inability to breach Earth's defenses and their retreat due to Teknight's overwhelming power.

Tetramand, infuriated by the news, faced the kneeling Tetronian soldier delivering the report. With a menacing glare, his six eyes glowed ominously. Without warning, he unleashed a searing, multi-laser blast from his eyes. The soldier’s body was instantly engulfed in intense, white-hot flames. The heat turned his flesh to molten sludge, causing his bones to crack and splinter. His screams were drowned out by the roar of the blast.

The soldier’s body disintegrated violently, turning into a grotesque mess of burning tissue and blood. As the flames roared, chunks of charred meat and bone flew through the air, scattering like macabre confetti. The smoke billowed thickly, obscuring the scene for a moment before the air cleared, revealing nothing but smoldering, blackened remains. The ground was stained with dark, coagulated blood and ash, a grim testament to Tetramand’s rage.

Rising from his throne, Tetramand unleashed his immense speed, hurling a Tetronian soldier and several subjugated alien creatures through the air with a violent sweep of his six arms. The air crackled with his fury as he sent them flying in opposite directions. Some evaded the initial assault, but most were caught in his relentless onslaught.

With breathtaking swiftness and precision, Tetramand snatched the tumbling creatures mid-flight. His enormous, muscular, and androgynous form moved with terrifying efficiency. Using the upper and lower hands on both sides, he seized each victim by their limbs—grabbing hands and legs with brutal force. The sheer power of his grip tore them in half, their bodies splitting grotesquely in midair. Blood and organs rained down, spilling in a horrific cascade of gore. Their exposed skeletons, stark and white against the carnage, were left hanging in the sky before crashing to the ground.

The remaining subjugated aliens watched in terror, paralyzed by the sheer violence. In his unrelenting rage, Tetramand grabbed another of the alien captives, holding him firmly with all six arms. He stretched the victim’s limbs to their breaking point, inflicting excruciating agony. Tetramand's upper right hand clutched the captive's right hand, his middle arm locked around the waist, and his lower hand gripped the right leg, pulling until the flesh stretched painfully. On his left side, his upper left hand covered the victim's face completely, his middle left hand held the left hand in a torturous stretch, and his lower left hand gripped the left leg, pulling it to the brink of tearing apart.

With a sharp exhale, Tetramand wrenched the alien apart with a horrific crunch. Blood and shredded flesh fell in a grotesque shower, organs splattered across the ground. The creature's torso exploded in a grotesque burst of blood and torn flesh as Tetramand's right middle hand crushed the remains into a pulpy mess.

Drenched in the gore of his victims, Tetramand turned his furious gaze to the remaining warriors. His voice, seething with rage, echoed through the chamber. "If you want something done right, then you have to do it yourself."

Sensing the presence of Mother Tetora, he turned towards her. She regarded the scene with a cold, approving nod and a sinister smile, signaling her support for his brutal actions.