Zane stood in The Vault's lab, surrounded by glowing Synthorium fragments that hummed like a choir in his head. His hands hovered over a sleek workbench, where a palm-sized shard—his shard—pulsed blue, ready to become something more. The SYNEX-01, his exo-suit, was taking shape, and for the first time since the truck explosion, Zane felt like he could control his future. Clara's words echoed in his mind: You're a good person. Keep doing good. He was trying, but the weight of his new life pressed hard.
The lab buzzed with energy, screens flashing data, and tools floating in magnetic fields. Jaxon leaned against a wall, his armored jumpsuit off, revealing a plain tee and a grin. "You sure you're a mechanic, rookie? This looks like sci-fi movie stuff."
Zane snorted, tweaking a holographic blueprint. "I fixed cars, not spaceships. But this—" He tapped the shard, its hum syncing with his heartbeat. "It's like it's telling me what to do." The Synthorium's voice, faint since Mara's attack, whispered: Create. He trusted it, even if he didn't trust himself.
Liora sat at a console, her braid neat again, sparks dancing on her fingers as she scanned security feeds. "Don't get cocky, glowstick," she said, not looking up. "That shard's powerful, but it's not a toy. One mistake, and you're a puddle."
"Thanks for the pep talk," Zane muttered, but her warning stuck. Mara's red crystal had nearly drained him, and her escape with a Synthorium fragment meant she or someone worse was still out there. He thought of Clara, safe in their Brooklyn apartment, and Sophia, probably stressing over his vague excuses. He had to protect them, and the SYNEX-01 was his way to do it, hide his identity, balance his normal life with whatever this superhero gig was.
Kael, the Virellion superhero, stood nearby, his black cloak replaced by a simple gray tunic, his blue eyes steady. "You're doing well, Zane," he said, voice calm but heavy, like someone who'd seen too much. "The Synthorium's guiding you, but you need to guide it too. Focus your will."
Zane nodded, sweat beading on his forehead. Kael had lost his family, his world, just like Zane had lost his dad and almost lost Clara and Sophia to his "death." Kael's words from yesterday still rang true, pushing him to keep going. "I'm trying," Zane said, pressing the shard into a mold. Blue liquid flowed, forming the suit's core. "This suit… it's gotta keep me safe. And them."
"It will," Kael said, stepping closer. "But a suit's only as strong as the man inside. Let's train. You need to sync with the Synthorium before you wear it."
Zane's stomach twisted. Training meant facing his powers head-on, something he'd barely managed against Mara. But he followed Kael to a sparring arena, a wide room with shifting walls and holographic targets. Jaxon and Liora tagged along, Jaxon cracking jokes, Liora watching like a hawk.
Kael raised a hand, blue energy swirling. "The Synthorium responds to thought," he said. "Picture what you want, shield, blast, anything, and make it real." He fired a pulse, slow and controlled, at Zane.
Zane ducked, heart racing. "Warn me next time!" He focused, Clara's advice grounding him. His hands glowed, forming a shaky shield that blocked Kael's next pulse. The impact rattled his arms, but he held.
"Good," Kael said. "Now attack."
Zane pictured the pulse that stopped Mara. Blue energy surged, shooting from his hands, but it veered, scorching a wall. "Crap," he muttered, wiping sweat. "No one told me this s like driving a car with no brakes."
Jaxon laughed. "Keep practicing, man. You'll be Iron Man in no time."
"That guy died right? Not ready to be him," Zane teased.
Liora's sparks flared. "Focus, both of you. Something's off." She nodded at a screen showing a faint red signal, the same beacon from Mara's attack. "It's stronger now. I can't trace it, but it's not random."
Zane's chest tightened. Mara? Or the voice that said Extraction imminent? He pushed it down, focusing on Kael. "Again," he said, raising his hands. They trained for hours, Zane's shields getting steadier, his pulses sharper. Kael's calm guidance helped, but Zane's mind drifted to Clara's warm kitchen, Sophia's worried eyes. He was doing this for them.
Back in the lab, Zane worked late, the SYNEX-01 taking shape. The shard's liquid-state assembly flowed, forming a sleek frame—adaptive armor, neural link, all per his design. He named the AI LYNX, its voice already forming in his mind: System initializing. Ready for input. The suit felt alive, like an extension of him.
Kael watched, arms crossed. "You're building more than a suit, Zane. You're building a choice. To stand up, no matter the cost."
Zane paused, Clara's words echoing. "I know. I just… I don't want to lose them. Clara, Sophia—they're all I've got." His voice cracked, and he looked away, embarrassed.
Kael's hand rested on his shoulder. "I lost my daughter because I hesitated. You won't. You're stronger than I was." His voice was raw, and Zane saw the pain in his eyes, pain like his own.
Zane nodded, throat tight. "Thanks, Kael." He turned back to the suit, pouring his heart into it. The Synthorium hummed, ready to protect, to create. He was scared, but he wasn't alone.
As night fell, Zane slipped out to check on Clara and Sophia. The city buzzed, cars honking, neon signs glowing. He reached their brownstone, heart pounding. Through the window, he saw Clara knitting, Sophia scrolling her phone. They were safe, but he couldn't go in—not yet. He had to be sure the suit worked, that he could keep them out of this.
Back at The Vault, Zane ran the SYNEX-01's first test. He touched the shard in his chest, and blue liquid surged, wrapping him in 2.4 seconds. The suit formed—sleek, black, with blue lines like his skin. The NeuroVisor flickered on, LYNX's voice calm: SYNEX-01 online. All systems green. Data streamed—vitals, maps, even a joke from Jaxon on a team channel. Zane grinned, feeling unstoppable.
"Looking good, rookie!" Jaxon called, clapping.
Liora smirked. "Don't break it, glowstick."
Kael nodded. "Try the neural link. Think 'move,' and it will."
Zane focused, picturing a step. The suit moved, smooth and fast, like it was part of him. He raised a hand, and a hard-light shield formed, solid and bright. "Whoa," he breathed, LYNX chiming: Shield stable. Ready for combat mode.
But the test cut short. A screen blared, the red beacon's signal spiking. Liora's fingers flew over the console. "It's not just a signal," she said, voice grim. "It's a lock. Something's targeting The Vault... now."
Zane's heart raced, the suit's HUD flashing warnings. The Synthorium hummed, but a low growl echoed through the lab, like the Harvesters' but deeper. The air warped, and a crack split the floor, red light pouring out. A voice, not Mara's, not Kael's, rumbled: Host acquired. Prepare for extraction.