Ed pov
"Don't mention it," I said.
After those words, I slowly released my hand from General Hale's neck. Then, with a flick of my wrist, I opened a glowing portal leading directly to the base where Ruby was being kept.
If you're wondering how I found it— it wasn't that hard.
It was tucked away in Hydra's internal network. We might not have uncovered every hidden base yet, but we've managed to crack a few. And this one? This one stuck out like a sore thumb.
I nodded toward the portal.
"You first," I told Hale.
She didn't hesitate—walked right through. I followed her in.
We stepped into a modest room. Ruby's room. She was lying on her bed, flipping through a magazine, music playing softly in the background through her earbuds.
That peace didn't last long.
The moment the portal opened behind her, Ruby's instincts kicked in. She jumped up, eyes sharp, already reaching for a nearby weapon. Fast. Trained. Just like I expected.
And—of course—she had a dog.
Right. I forgot Hydra assigns dogs to all their student operatives. It's part of their loyalty-conditioning program. This base wasn't just a facility… it was a Hydra school.
Not that it mattered right now.
We were here for one thing.
To get Ruby out.
"Mom?" Ruby said, confused and immediately on edge.
"Ruby, I know how this looks, but please—just let me explain. Hydra has betrayed us." General Hale's voice was firm, but there was a crack of urgency underneath.
"What? What are you talking about?" Ruby narrowed her eyes, disbelief painted across her face. "Hydra would never betray us… or me. I'm there top student. You said they were grooming me to be Hydra's next leader."
Hale stepped forward, her expression softening. "I know what I said, and I believed it at the time. But Arsenal—he gave me something. Data. Proof. They're planning to experiment on you, turn you into some kind of super soldier… a cyborg. But here's the thing—no one has survived it. Every test subject Dr. Whitehall experimented on… they all died, Ruby. Every. Single. One."
Ruby's eyes narrowed. "Then they were just weak. I'm stronger than all of them." She folded her arms, defiant. "And how do you even know that info is real? It's probably fake—something Arsenal made up to trick you into betraying Hydra."
"Ruby…" Hale's voice cracked with emotion. "I checked it. It's real. Dr. Whitehall is going to kill you. Hydra is going to kill you. They lied to us. They lied to me. Please, just trust me—I want to protect you."
I crossed my arms and let out a sigh.
"Okay, clearly this is going to take longer than I thought," I said, stepping forward. "And this is not the best place to have this conversation. So I suggest we move it somewhere safer."
I opened a new portal beside me.
"What makes you think I'd willingly go with you?" Ruby asked, her grip tightening on her weapon.
"Because if I wanted to, I could knock you out in less than a second," I said casually. "You know that, and so do I."
She flinched slightly, caught off guard. The realization set in—she was standing in the same room as the second-strongest hero in the world.
"You don't believe your mother, which honestly surprises me," I continued, calm but stern. "But I get it—you probably trust cold, hard facts more than people right now. So go through the portal. I'll show you everything. Then you can decide for yourself."
Ruby hesitated. Her eyes darted between me and her mother. Then, without a word, she clipped a leash onto her dog and stepped through the portal.
General Hale followed.
I went in last.
We emerged in one of my throwaway bases in Gotham. Nothing fancy. Just a secure, nondescript facility I will use for the future members I don't trust.
"So this is where the second strongest hero does his work? Real cozy. Let me guess—cape's in the closet?" Ruby muttered sarcastically.
I chuckled. "If you thought I was bringing you to my real base, you must be crazier than Hydra."
She rolled her eyes but didn't respond. I motioned for them to follow me to the terminal, where I quickly pulled up the same encrypted files I had shown General Hale earlier.
"Here. See for yourself."
Ruby leaned in, cautiously. I kept a close watch—making sure she didn't try anything clever, like uploading spyware or sneaking in a tracker.
She started scrolling.
At first, her face was unreadable—calm, skeptical. But as the minutes passed, that mask started to crack. Her eyes widened. Her lips parted. Her breathing grew shallow. The deeper she went into the files, the more the horror settled in.
It took her almost thirty minutes.
When she finally pulled back, her hands trembled slightly, and her expression had changed completely.
She looked like someone who just realized they'd been raised inside a lie.
Ruby didn't say anything for a long moment. Her eyes stayed glued to the screen, even after it dimmed. Her dog, sensing the shift in her emotions, let out a soft whine and gently nuzzled her hand.
When she finally spoke, her voice was quiet—controlled—but you could feel the storm building underneath.
"You said I was going to be the next leader of Hydra."Her voice trembled, not from fear, but fury. "You said I was made for it. That all the pain, all the training, the sleepless nights, the broken bones… all of it was to mold me into something powerful. Every time I cried, every time I broke, you told me to push through it because I was 'destined' to lead them."
Her eyes began to water, but she didn't shed a tear. Not yet.
General Hale took a hesitant step forward."I know... I truly believed that, Ruby. I believed Hydra wanted what was best for you. I didn't know they'd do this. I don't know why they betrayed us, or why they want to experiment on you knowing the fatal risks. But that doesn't matter right now. Arsenal made me an offer… I took it. I'm going to be his spy. He's going to protect you."
Ruby's jaw clenched.
"It doesn't matter?" Her voice cracked with disbelief. "It doesn't matter that I trained until my body gave out? That I was forced to feel pain no child should ever experience? That I killed someone when I was sixteen—all in the name of a cause that turned out to be a lie?"
She turned to her mother now, voice rising with every word."I spent half my life living in a cage, breaking myself for something that never cared about me! And you—you were the one holding the leash!"
General Hale looked stunned by the anger, the betrayal in Ruby's voice.
"Ruby… It's not my fault I believed in Hydra, too. I thought I was doing what was best. I didn't know what they were planning for you. I swear to you, if I had known—"
"It's not your fault?" Ruby snapped. She started walking slowly toward her mother, gripping her weapon tightly. "Not your fault? Who filled my head with dreams I never asked for? Who told me to kill the part of me that felt? Who taught me to ignore my humanity and worship Hydra like it was a religion?"
She was in front of her mother now. Her breathing was sharp and uneven, and the rage was undeniable.
"You didn't protect me. You turned me into a weapon."
Hale's voice cracked. "I'm sorry, Ruby. I really thought it was right at the time—"
But Ruby didn't want to hear it. She raised her arm sharply, weapon in hand, aiming to strike—her fury boiling over.
I caught her wrist before the blade could fall. I didn't flinch. I saw it coming before she even moved.
"That's enough," I said, my tone low but firm.
Ruby stared at me, breathing heavily, tears welling in her eyes but refusing to fall. She wasn't just angry.
She was broken.
"Let me go."
"No. Not until you calm down," I said, my voice low but steady. "You were about to do something you'd regret for the rest of your life."
"Ahhh!" she screamed, lashing out with her free hand. I caught it with ease.
Now I held both her wrists, firm but not hurting her. She struggled, kicking, thrashing, trying to wrench herself free. Her rage poured out in every movement, every scream. But I didn't budge.
I stood still.
I took it all.
Because I understood.
Her screams slowly shifted—less fury, more pain. Her voice cracked. Her strength wavered. The fight drained from her.
She wasn't just angry.
She was shattered.
Her entire life, she'd been trained, molded, told she was destined for greatness… to lead Hydra. And now she knew it had all been a lie. Just another pawn, used and discarded. And her mother—the one person who should've protected her—had stood by and let it happen.
Her knees gave out.
I went down with her, holding her so she didn't hit the ground too hard. She wasn't fighting anymore—she was crying. Broken sobs that came from deep inside, raw and uncontrollable.
I released her wrists and gently pulled her into a hug, one hand on her back, the other resting against her head.
And she hugged me back.
No words.
Just pain.
Just comfort.
I whispered to her, voice soft and sure."It's okay. I've got you."
I held her tighter.
"I promise you this, Ruby. Hydra will never hurt you again. I will make sure every last one of them faces justice. Whether they end up in prison… or a grave, they will pay."
She didn't say anything.
She didn't have to.
She just cried harder into my shoulder, holding on like I was the only solid thing left in her world.
And I didn't let go.
We stayed like that for an hour—no Hydra, no missions, no lies.
Just a girl who'd lost everything…
And someone who refused to let her fall.
After a while, Ruby slowly pulled away from me. I let her go, loosening my arms. She wasn't crying anymore, but her eyes were red and puffy, her expression hollow. She looked me in the eyes.
"What happens now?" she asked, her voice low, defeated, and tired.
"Now, I protect you," I said gently. "You're coming with me—to my main base. You'll be safe there, I have friends there, and you'll get the help you need. No one will hurt you again."
She looked down for a moment, then said quietly, "I'm guessing no one there's going to trust me either. There's no way you didn't tell them that I was... that I used to be Hydra."
I nodded. "They know. But they also know your situation. You'll have supervisors, yes, and you'll have to go through therapy. But you can earn their trust. You're not Hydra anymore. You were just on the wrong path."
She didn't respond right away, but eventually, she gave a small nod.
"And Ruby," I said, getting her attention again. She looked up.
"I'll be by your side. You're not doing this alone."
She gave me a small, tired smile. It wasn't much—but it was a start.
I could see she was still weak, emotionally drained from everything. Without another word, I gently picked her up, carrying her princess-style. She didn't resist.
I turned toward General Hale.
"I'm taking Ruby to my base now. And you have my word—she'll be safe there."
Hale looked at us, her expression somber.
"I believe you," she said softly. "And I'll keep my word too. I'll give you everything I know about Hydra and keep you updated."
She didn't look Ruby in the eye. I could see the guilt all over her face—the shame of what she'd allowed to happen to her daughter.
I opened a portal back to Hale's office so she could return. Without another word, she stepped through it and was gone.
I opened another portal, this one leading to the new room I'd prepared between Battle Beast's and Alyssa's quarters. As I stepped through, I gestured for Ruby's dog to follow—and it did, tail low but loyal.
The room was simple, clean, and calming. Ruby still looked exhausted, so I gently laid her down on the bed. I was about to turn and leave to give her some space…
But she reached out and grabbed my hand.
"Can you… just stay a bit longer?" she asked, her voice small, but with a flicker of hope.
"I'll stay as long as you want me to," I said without hesitation.
With a quiet hum of telekinesis, I pulled a chair over beside the bed and sat down. Ruby still held my hand, even as she closed her eyes, finally allowing herself to rest.
And I stayed there, silent and still—because right now, that's what she needed most.