---
It was getting dark. Duplikate and Robot were hiding in the nearby bushes, observing through binoculars.
The government base was completely destroyed, torn apart. There was a marked perimeter around the house warning people not to enter.
Several agents in radiation suits were scanning the area.
'Where are they? They're not here yet,' whispered Duplikate.
Robot received a notification.
'They're on their way,' he replied.
'Good. We really need our heavy hitter.'
Robot looked at her and said, 'I think we can handle this without them.'
'I don't know… I think we should wait,' said Duplikate.
Without any subtlety, Robot stepped out of the bushes and blasted the gate open—it had been locked with a metal chain.
Duplikate, who was right behind him, joined him and muttered, 'Shit.'
She used her power to create three clones.
Besides the agents in radiation suits, there were also soldiers equipped with full-body armored suits and advanced laser weapons.
Someone heard the explosion and shouted:
'Go check that out—all of you!' The person who gave the order was Steven Erickson, one of the people responsible for the Phase One project.
'What the hell was that?' Steven asked.
His soldiers formed a line and pointed their weapons toward the source of the sound—the gate.
They saw a robot flying around the perimeter wall. As soon as they spotted him, they opened fire. The bullets lit up the night as they hit the walls.
Robot zipped around them, dodging the shots with ease.
Steven turned to his scientist, Rodgers, who wore a white lab coat and had a robotic left eye.
'I'm gonna need my weapon,' Steven said.
Duplikate didn't go in guns blazing like Robot. She was just a human who could replicate herself and had enhanced but limited strength.
She moved in quietly, unnoticed at first, since the soldiers were too focused on Robot. She got as close as she could before one of them spotted her and opened fire. Most of them still hadn't noticed her.
She quickly dove behind cover. The soldier approached, aiming his weapon toward where she had taken cover.
When he got close, Duplikate popped out, summoned more clones, and they rushed him.
He tried to shoot her, but she was too quick—dodging every shot. When he ran out of bullets, the clones advanced and knocked him out with a kick to the face.
Steven was now holding his weapon—a large device powered by an energy pack on his back, similar to a high-tech backpack. The weapon fired explosive energy blasts.
He fired several shots, trying to hit Robot, destroying more of the area around them in the process.
As Robot dodged the blasts, he noticed Duplikate being cornered and flew to her side to defend her.
He called in some drones he had left nearby in reserve. He controlled them directly, using them as shields to protect her.
Then, Robot fired an energy wave at the soldiers, sending some of them flying.
He grabbed Duplikate and flew her to safety behind cover.
Duplikate was struggling in open combat. Her fighting style was up-close, and she couldn't close the distance easily.
Robot, on the other hand, was more worried about her safety.
'What now? There's too many of them,' said Duplikate.
'No need to worry. Reinforcements are here.'
'They are?' she muttered.
Steven and his men saw Robot and the girl retreat. He ordered his men to advance. He was still holding his massive weapon, nearly as big as his own arm.
As they were closing in on Robot and Duplikate, they suddenly heard a boy shout from the side. He wore strange superhero gear and a visor that covered his face. In his hands, he held a metal bar.
'Catch this, you bastards!' Rex yelled, throwing the bar charged with his power straight at them.
'Shit! Fall back!' Steven tried to warn his men, but it was too late. The explosion hit Steven's soldiers head-on. The unlucky ones, closest to the blast, were killed. The luckier ones survived thanks to their armor.
The explosion tore apart even more of the area.
'No...' Steven shouted. He didn't care about his injured or dead men. What really upset him was that the blast had destroyed the remaining tech fragments left in the house.
Duplikate was on Robot's back. He had used his own body as a shield for her—they were under heavy fire before Rex appeared and helped them. They were pretty close to the explosion.
Robot's body was tough, but even he might not have survived that blast.
But before his body could be destroyed, someone came down from the sky, landing hard in front of them and cracking the ground beneath.
'Stay behind me. Don't move,' said Henry, landing with his back to Robot and Duplikate.
Henry used his body as a shield. When the explosion hit, fragments flew in every direction, hitting his body—but they didn't leave a scratch.
Duplikate, still behind Robot, slowly lifted her head, struggling to see through the strong wind. She saw the cape fluttering in front of her and smiled, knowing she was safe now—there was nothing to worry about anymore.
After the explosion, Robot and Duplikate stepped out from behind him.
'Are you guys okay?' Henry asked, reaching out a hand to help them up.
Rex, who was on the other side, approached.
'Rex, you almost killed them. I said to help, not blow everything up,' Henry said.
Rex scratched his head, apologizing.
'Sorry. I went a little overboard with the blast.'
Robot added, 'Good thing you're here. Any help is welcome.'
'I can't wait to smash those guys' faces in,' said Rex, stretching.
Steven's surviving soldiers slowly got back on their feet and retrieved their weapons, which had been blasted from their hands.
They pointed their guns at Henry.
Steven had seen the moment Henry arrived. He wasn't clueless—he knew exactly how difficult it would be to fight someone like Henry.
He didn't even react. He wanted to order his men to fire, but once he saw Henry, he knew there was no hope of escape.
The remaining soldiers were terrified—completely panicked.
They opened fire on Henry, but the bullets had no effect. The more they shot, and the less it worked, the more scared they became.
'He's a monster! Shoot him!' they screamed.
Henry had enough. His eyes glowed red, and twin laser beams shot out, slicing their weapons in half.
Rex, standing nearby, said, 'That was way too easy. We barely did anything.'
'It was only easy because he's here,' Robot added.
Henry heard them and scratched his head. 'You guys helped a lot too,' he said with a weird smile.
They all looked at him and laughed.
'What do we do with them now?' Duplikate asked, pointing at Steven's remaining goons.
Robot contacted Cecil. His mind was probably the smartest on Earth, able to process dozens of thoughts at once.
'I already notified the GDA. They're sending agents.'
Robot and the others tied up Steven and his soldiers and left them there. The mission was done—they headed home.
'Bye, I'm heading out,' Duplikate said, and Robot did the same.
Robot took her away on his bike.
Only Rex and Henry remained.
'I've got to go too,' Rex said.
He really wanted to see his family again—it had been years.
'Alright. Don't forget to call,' Henry said, handing him a phone number.
Rex took the number and walked away.
He had nowhere to go. His parents had abandoned him, and he had accidentally killed the person who "adopted" him. Still, he was determined to find his family.
But he didn't even have a place to sleep. Still wearing his suit, Rex wandered the streets in the middle of the night.
'Need a hand?' Rex heard a voice and looked up. Henry was flying, and landed right in front of him.
'Nowhere to crash tonight? I can hook you up with something nice,' Henry said.
'I don't have any money,' Rex replied, turning his pockets inside out.
'You won't need it.'
Rex thought about it and accepted. He had nothing to lose.
---
Henry and Rex were waiting under a streetlight in the middle of the night. Henry had made a call and told him to wait. Rex was getting impatient when a yellow Lamborghini pulled up next to them.
Inside was a chubby kid who looked Thai. He got out of the car and handed the keys to Henry.
'Thanks for lending me the car, Ned. I'll bring it back tomorrow. If you need to, take mine,' Henry said.
'No worries. I've got another one,' said Ned, scratching his head.
Rex looked at the chubby kid, shocked. Ned didn't look like someone who'd own a Lamborghini—he looked more like a nerd than a rich guy, which made it all even weirder.
After grabbing the keys and getting in, Henry stuck his head out the window and asked,
'You gonna be alright?' he asked Ned.
'I called a cab.'
'If you ever need anything, just call me. I'll come.'
Ned nodded. They bumped fists, and Henry drove off.
Henry was driving Ned's Lamborghini Murciélago LP640. He had disabled his suit and was wearing regular clothes. Rex was still in costume, sitting beside him.
He was talking to Cecil on the phone while speeding through the streets.
'I'm bringing you another one. I'll drop him off tomorrow. Save me a spot in the penthouse,' Henry told Cecil.
'Fine,' Cecil replied, sounding irritated.
Henry kept talking to him while weaving through the city.
Eventually, he hung up.
Rex was beyond impressed by the car. He'd always been poor, never even close to anything worth thousands of dollars. He looked at Henry and asked,
'Who was that chubby guy?'
Henry, hands on the wheel, replied, 'A friend.'
'I see… How'd he get a car like that?'
Henry glanced at Rex but didn't answer.
He drove Ned's Lamborghini to the most expensive hotel in the city. He parked out front and told Rex to get out. There was a red carpet and some people waiting by the entrance.
Rex stood there, mouth open, staring at the building.
'Your room's in the penthouse. You've got a job interview tomorrow. Take a shower. I'll pick you up at noon,' Henry said, still in the car.
Rex, amazed by the hotel, replied, 'Tomorrow? I've got something I need to do.'
'Fine. I'll reschedule—but don't take too long.'
After saying that, Henry drove off. He was exhausted and ready to crash.
Rex was still standing at the hotel entrance. A staff member came up and said,
'Come with me, sir. Your penthouse is ready. Would you like something to eat or a shower?'
'Penthouse…?'