To Ardor's Forge

The next day, Rosso, Doctor K, Vesper, Theya, C-Saw and Thero entered the room. The oligarch was dragged along too, tied and blindfolded.

"We thought you were dead," the owner of the bathhouse complained, patting the boy on the shoulder.

"Are you alright, my friend?" Rosso kneeled with a warm smile on his face, as he grabbed Roa's hand. "Good to see you, brother."

"I'm alright. You should have seen the other guy. I cracked the smirk right off his face," the hero laughed, groaning from pain.

"The rich prick revealed to us the way to Ardor's Forge, the chokepoint that leads out of the Palace Basements," explained Vesper. "The way goes underground, through the Oilworxx headquarters. It is going to be defended like an army base, and guarded by Shadows armed to the teeth."

"Time is short," said Tanoò, "the Shadows have been caught off guard by recent events, but it won't be long before reinforcements from far away worlds arrive to help Lord Smog. We must leave right away."

"Then we should head out tonight," said Roa.

"You're staying right here. You won't be of help to anyone like this, anyway," Vesper shook his head.

The Sunflower groaned, trying to sit up, but a sharp, stabbing pain—like a sword piercing his side—drove him back down. With a weary sigh, he gave in to the ache.

"I will stay with him. I am the strongest among us, but I am the only one who knows the Heal Gift," Tanoò said, as he lay his head down again. "The rest of you must leave as soon as possible. The more you wait, the less chance you will have to win."

"Thero," called Roa, as the metal ball levitated forward, "it's your time to shine. Before the group arrives at the HQ, you must shut down the Ultracorp grid. Hack it, destroy it—do whatever it takes to incapacitate its defenses. Can you do that?"

"Yes. This is what I was programmed to do," Thero responded.

"Good. I hate that I won't be there for this party, but you can do this. Most of all, work with the other Jumpers, as one. Synchronize your efforts—move together as one unit. The enemy is much stronger and organized—but we can win. I believe in you all." He raised his fist in the air and said, "never give up."

"Never give up," the others repeated, their eyes filled with both hope and fear.

Darkness came and the Jumpers reached the corporation's skyscraper. The whole place suddenly went dark.

"Damn, that robot is good," C-Saw nodded, as she fiddled with the lock of one of the main doors, accessing a large lobby. A sleepy security guard woke up with a jolt, standing up from her chair. Before she could say or do anything, C-Saw appeared behind her, and with a lightning-fast chop to the back of her neck, she collapsed unconscious.

"Scanning environment," Thero floated by, green lasers running the length of the large, modern hall, reflecting off of glass windows and metal rails.

"Which way?" Rosso pushed the oligarch from behind, yanking his tied hands upwards, forcing a grunt out of the captive.

"Down that way," he said, pointing with his head.

Several more guards came out, alerted by the electricity that had shut off. Each Jumper took one on, neutralizing them with ease before continuing deeper underground, through increasingly secure rooms.

"How do we open these doors? Do you know the code?" asked Rosso.

The oligarch shook his head, reminding them that his kind does not get involved with any of the 'dirty work' the rest of the Shadows did. Thero connected to the interface, explaining that it would take a half hour to hack when Theya walked up, roundhouse kicked the door, and warped it wide open.

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"There's your code," she said, picking up the cigarette that fell out of her mouth during her acrobatic spin.

The Jumpers' faces fell as they realized what was on the other side. Three Shadows levitated, as the emergency lights blinked. In the dim glow of the underground corridor, the clash of aura-powered titans began. The heroes darted through the armored hall with incredible speed, their Gifts illuminating the metallic walls in brief, brilliant bursts of light. Rosso led the charge, his crimson aura flaring around him like wildfire as he hurled himself into the fray, fists colliding with a Shadow's chest in a thunderous crack. The Shadows moved together as if guided by a single mind, deflecting attacks with precision. Each strike they delivered was devastating, shattering aura shields with ease. The first wave of combat was brutal; two Jumpers from Tanoò's group fell instantly, their shields smashed, bodies crumpling under the enemy's overwhelming power.

Doctor K and Vesper fought side by side, their Gifts complementing each other. K's Gunhand blasted in waves, briefly holding back their opponents, while Vesper unleashed razor-sharp strikes, appearing out of nowhere. Theya weaved through the chaos, her blue aura shielding allies and amplifying their attacks. Elbows, punches, kicks, blasts—everything mixed in the smoke, as alarms went off, adding to the chaos. Even with their combined strength, the Jumpers struggled to gain ground. C-Saw's blade spun furiously, her loud laughter echoing against the metal walls, as she carved a path through the melee. However, for every Shadow they downed, another seemed to take its place. Smoke and sparks filled the corridor as the enemies unleashed devastating blasts, reducing sections of the walls to rubble.

The battle spilled into a larger chamber, a vault-like room lined with unused tanks and a dormant mechanical armor, looming in the corner. The Shadows increased in number, ten more emerging like specters from the darkness. The coordinated movements of their opponents became a relentless tide, driving the fighters back. Rosso and Theya fought desperately, their aura shields flashing under the adversaries' crushing blows. Three more Jumpers from Tanoò's group fell, lying in a pool of their own blood. C-Saw, bruised but defiant, screamed to regroup. The enemy surged forward, its combined power threatening to overwhelm the heroes entirely. Just as the tide seemed unstoppable, a high-pitched whir cut through the chaos. Thero zipped into the room, scanning, darting toward the dormant mech.

"Hacking in progress," the robot exclaimed, as the large machine lit up with a surge of electronic life. "Forgive me for not executing orders, but I will take some creative maneuvers here."

The armored mech roared to life, its cannons swiveling and targeting the masked men. With devastating precision, it unleashed a barrage of missiles and energy blasts, scattering the enemy forces. The Shadows faltered; their synchronized movements disrupted by the chaos Thero had unleashed. Rallying behind the devastating assault, the Jumpers surged forward with their Gunhands blazing. Within moments, the Shadows were overwhelmed and finally defeated, their once-impenetrable formation—shattered.

"Holy rains of Pardasia..."said C-Saw, panting as she grinned. "That was nuts."

"Hell's yea," Rosso gave a thumbs up.

The Jumpers stood victorious, though battered and mourning their fallen, as the machine's smoking cannons fell silent. Thero moved the armored beast forward, blasting the next set of doors open.

"Knock, knock. Who's there?" said the robot in his monotone voice.

"Thero finally downloaded the humor update," joked Rosso.

"Talk," Vesper shoved the oligarch forward.

"We're almost there. Soon, we will be in a large cave—after that is the Chokepoint—Ardor's Forge. Then, you will set me free, right?" the billionaire pleaded.

"Shut the hell up. You have kept countless people in chains. In chains you will stay," Vesper shoved him forward.

The air in the cave was freezing cold. The place was gargantuan in size. Red lights guided the way forward, blinking in a slow rhythm. Shadows appeared en masse all of the sudden, slamming into the remaining fighters with brutal force, causing the exhausting battle to continue.

"We can't keep going this way. There's too many," screamed Theya.

"My aura is going to be depleted soon at this rate—keep pushing! I see the entrance," Rosso said, blocking a barrage of punches, as Thero blasted the mech's cannons.

"Ammunitions depleted," the robot said as it detached, floating away, scanning. "Twenty Shadows—incoming."

"Damn it!" Vesper blocked several strikes, his movements beginning to slow down, shifting to a defensive stance.

The swarm fell upon them, unleashing a waterfall of pain. The Jumpers were about to be defeated when two huge lights came out of nowhere, blinding everyone.

"Who in the hell…" said Rosso, looking up.

As their eyes adjusted, they saw two men standing ahead, inside of the light, positioned between them and the next wave of enemies. Behind them, the sound of voices grew louder—a river of angry locals from the city joined the fight against their oppressors. Rosso couldn't help but smile at the sight, then turned his gaze forward once more, shielding his eyes with his hand.

"You're a great healer, Tanoò. I think my body will hold for just one more fight. How much aura do you have left?" said the Sunflower.

"Not much at all," the shapeshifter responded.

"Enough?" Roa turned to him, with a look of hope in his eyes.

"I will do my best, my friend—like old times."

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