Chapter 50: Counter-Attack!
Kayn exited the interrogation chamber, his footsteps echoing down the sterile, dimly lit hallway of the AEGIS Prison as he walked towards a meeting room.
The heavy door behind him sealed shut with a resounding clang, trapping the silence and despair within. Silas' broken mind could only keep emitting mutters and groans. All forms of speech and comprehension had been annihilated by Kayn.
Kayn took a deep breath, his mind replaying the final moments with Silas. The man's screams, his begging, his final, broken silence, everything echoed in Kayn's mind.
It wasn't the first time he had done something like this, but it never got any easier. Still, although Kayn felt uncomfortable the first time he broke someone's mind, every time he did it, he felt slightly better.
This was because every single person whose mind Kayn broke absolutely deserved it, and that naturally allowed him to relax his conscience.
As he approached the secure debriefing room, Kayn relaxed, the cold, emotionless demeanor he maintained during the interrogation was beginning to wear off, replaced by his normal self.
The door to the debriefing room slid open silently, revealing Violet and John Jones seated at a large, circular table. Violet, in her Spectra uniform, looked up as Kayn entered, her expression neutral but her eyes filled with concern.
John, in his human form as Director of the DEO John Jones, nodded solemnly, his expression unreadable.
"What did you learn?" John asked, his tone measured.
Kayn took a deep breath before speaking. "ORION's reach is pretty much as we expected. They've infiltrated multiple levels of government, law enforcement, even some private corporations, I have the names of everyone of their informants. They've been operating in the shadows for years, slowly consolidating power."
Kayn explained, "There's 3 main focuses of their Plan:
Global Control: They plan to destabilize governments and neutralize powerful threats, while replacing the common leadership structures with their own operatives in order to control the world.
Selective Evolution: They are planning to use advanced Magical Technology to create enhanced mind-controlled Humans they can control to take over.
Anti-Hero Doctrine: They also consider Human's a hindrance to humanity's progress. They plan to wipe out all the heroes, starting with us here in National City and then moving outwards. They see us as a threat to their new world order."
John's expression remained stoic as he listened to Kayn's words, taking in all the points as the tension in the room grew thicker, "Send us the file of all the informants, we'll begin slowly taking them out."
Kayn nodded and continued his explanation, "I managed to extract several key pieces of information. ORION has a network of hidden bases, some of which we've already hit, but there are more. There's one in particular, a central hub that coordinates many of their operations. It's located deep in the Amazon Rainforest, heavily fortified and shielded from most detection methods. Silas was involved in its construction and knew about the security protocols."
"How secure are we talking?" Violet asked, leaning forward slightly.
Kayn glanced at her, his expression grim. "Extremely. Advanced technology, some of it alien in origin, heavily armed personnel, and a small contingent of enhanced soldiers, some of them are likely products of their experiments with the Forza drug we've been tracking."
John folded his hands on the table, his expression contemplative. "This hub, if it's as crucial as Silas believed, then it's likely their leadership will be present, or at least connected to it in some way. We need to be prepared for a serious confrontation."
Violet nodded in agreement, "And we need to be careful. If we mess up and if they sense we're closing in, they might go underground or launch a counteroffensive. We can't afford to underestimate them."
John studied Kayn and Violet for a long moment, sensing the cold resolve beneath his calm exterior, " I know you did what you had to, but this path you're walking... it's dangerous. The line between justice and vengeance can blur when you go down this road."
Kayn met John's gaze, his voice firm. "I know. But ORION is a threat that can't be left unchecked. They don't play by the same rules we do, and if we want to stop them, we have to be willing to make hard choices." Kayn explained.
"Silas was a monster, John. He made his choice the moment he aligned himself with ORION. I understand the League doesn't kill, but I'm not the league, and I don't have a fondness for leaving deadly threats wishing to conquer the world alive. I end them once they deserve it." Kayn said, hardening his will.
John nodded slowly, though his expression remained troubled. "Just remember, Kayn, that the power you wield, the choices you make, they define you. Don't let the darkness consume you."
Kayn's eyes softened slightly as he absorbed John's words. "I won't," he said firmly. He killed people who deserve to die, and he'd never ever regret that. Silas deserved to die, and that was it.
"Now back to the main discussion, the Core Leadership of ORION is a group called The Conclave." Kayn said, his gaze intense.
John's eyes narrowed slightly, intrigued. "The Conclave? Tell me more."
Kayn nodded, his voice steady as he continued. "The Conclave is composed of twelve individuals, each of them experts in their respective fields, science, magic, politics, economics, and warfare. They all have combat power around the level of Silas, who was the 7th strongest."
Kayn explained, allowing his words to sink in, the room becoming silent for a couple seconds as John and Violet comprehended his words before he continued on speaking,
" They are the true power behind ORION, each of them were specifically picked by The Grand Marshal for their skills, power and mindset." Kayn said.
Violet crossed her arms, her spectral form flickering slightly as she processed the information. "And Silas? What role did he play in all of this?"
"Silas actually proposed dealing with me himself, after a discussion between The Conclave. They're scared, or at least frustrated with us foiling their plans, which proves we're doing the right thing." Kayn said with a chuckle.
Kayn's voice took on a more serious tone as he explained. "The Grand Marshal is the leader of The Conclave as we expected, the one who coordinates their efforts and sets ORION's overall agenda. Silas met him after The Grand Marshal annihilated his world. Silas had similar ideals to him, and so he willingly joined The Grand Marshal in the purging of his home planet."
"Tsk, what a bastard," Violet said.
John Jones sat up in his chair, his mind was already at work, formulating a strategy to take advantage of the intel Kayn had extracted from Silas.
"Based on the information you've retrieved, we have a unique opportunity," John said with an urgent tone, "ORION doesn't yet realize we've uncovered their secrets. This gives us a very narrow window to strike at their core infrastructure before they can change their locations or strengthen their defenses."
Kayn and Violet both nodded as they listened to John's explanation.
"We'll start by targeting ORION's home bases," John continued, his eyes focused and determined, "Silas's memories have given us key locations, hubs of operations where ORION coordinates their activities. These bases are crucial to their plans, and without them, ORION will be severely crippled."
John turned to Kayn, his gaze steady. "Kayn, you and Violet will take the lead on this. We need to hit these bases simultaneously, with precision and overwhelming force. Our objective is to annihilate these locations completely, leaving no trace of ORION's presence. We cannot afford any mistakes."
Violet spoke up, her voice calm but determined.,"What about their secret operatives? Silas mentioned that ORION has infiltrated every corner of society. We can't let them slip away."
John nodded. "Exactly. While you two focus on the bases, I will coordinate with the members of AEGIS and the DEO to neutralize the secret operatives. Get me a contact channel with your other teammates and I'll handle the planning."
"We'll move swiftly, taking them down before they can go to ground. Silas's memories have provided us with their identities and current locations, so we'll be able to act with precision."
Kayn's eyes narrowed as he processed the plan. "How long do we have before ORION realizes what we're doing?"
"Hours, at most," John replied, his tone serious. "Silas's mind is strong, but the kind of psychic assault you performed would leave traces. ORION's leadership will notice something's wrong when they attempt to contact him. We have to act before they do."
Violet crossed her arms, her expression thoughtful, "We'll need to move quickly and efficiently. No room for hesitation."
"Agreed," John said, "We'll coordinate our strikes to occur within the same timeframe. This will prevent ORION from responding effectively, and by the time they realize what's happening, it'll be too late."
Kayn looked at John, his eyes filled with resolve. "We'll get it done. ORION won't know what hit them."
John nodded, his expression resolute. "Good. Prepare your teams, and let's get to work. We strike at dawn."
Kayn smirked and muttered, "Time to counterattack!"
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