Chapter 51: Kitsune!
Kayn sat at the round conference table in his home, his posture relaxed but his eyes focused. Violet was sitting beside him in her Spectra uniform, with a similar composure as her gaze was fixed on the holographic display.
The room around them was mostly dimly lit. Around the conference table was detailed holograms of Soren, Mika, Hugo, Damon, Kayle, Laura, and Hakeem. Each hologram was lifelike, capturing the nuances of their expressions and body language as if they were physically present in the room.
Above the table floated holographic images of key points around the country, each one a glowing beacon on a map, marking strategic locations, ORION bases, and informant networks.
"This is it," Kayn began, his voice steady and confident, " We have information. The majority of their main strongholds are in National City, but they still have dozens spread across the US and the world. Your tasks are to take down these bases and operatives."
Kayle, with her technological expertise, added, "I'll be working on taking down their communication networks and electronic defenses. Without their tech, they'll be vulnerable and won't be able to communicate as quickly to react to our attacks."
"The individuals we're going after," Kayn continued, "aren't all the same. Some of them are deeply entrenched in ORION's evil, complicit in atrocities and crimes against humanity. These people those who are truly beyond redemption, must be eliminated." Kayn explained.
"They've made their choices, and they deserve the full weight of justice. We destroy their operations, and we kill them if we have to." Kayn finished, allowing his words to sink in.
The room was silent, the air thick with the unspoken understanding of what that meant. Kayn's expression was cold, his resolve unshakable. To Kayn, it was useless trying to reason with the more evil members of ORION, simply destroying them was enough to ensure peace.
"But," Kayn's tone softened slightly, "not everyone in ORION is beyond saving. Some of their agents are in too deep, caught up in something they can't escape from, or coerced into joining. They might not be innocent, but they're not irredeemable either." He said.
"For those who aren't as deep in, our objective is different. We restrain them, neutralize their ability to fight back, and send them to AEGIS. We'll deal with them later, give them a chance to answer for their actions, and maybe find a way back. If they refuse to surrender though, lethal force is acceptable."
Kayn paused, allowing his words to sink in. He could see the reactions from the team. All of them were on board with this plan. After their experiences in Russia, killing evil people wasn't foreign to them at all.
Soren's hologram leaned forward slightly, his voice calm but determined. "We'll follow your lead, Kayn. We know what needs to be done."
The others nodded in agreement, their resolve clear.
"Good," Kayn said, his voice filled with quiet authority. "Then let's get to work. We strike hard, and we strike fast. ORION won't know what hit them."
The screens flickered as each team member signed off, ready to begin their operations.
The time for preparation was over. Now, it was time to fight.
---
Kyoto, Japan!
Mika stood on the edge of a high rooftop overlooking the city of Kyoto, her sharp fox-esque eyes scanning the streets below.
Over the recent period, she had been diligently training alongside the Elders in the Kitsune clan, and became a popular Superhero in Japan, with the name 'Spirit Queen'. Her power had massively improved, and this was the first time she'd have a real test.
The ORION base she was about to assault was hidden beneath the facade of a private research facility. It was located on the outskirts of Kyoto, buried under layers of magic and technology, which stopped ordinary mortals from detecting it.
However, Mika could easily sense the dark energy emanating from the ground below.
As she stood, her six-fox tails swayed behind her, their rainbow-colored fur glowing faintly in the moonlight. Mika took a deep breath, centering herself, and then leaped from the rooftop, descending silently toward the facility.
Mika landed gracefully, making no sound as she touched the ground. Immediately, she could sense the barriers protecting the facility.
With a fluid motion, Mika raised her hand, summoning a small, glowing orb of foxfire. She whispered a few words in the ancient Kitsune language, and the orb shot forward, slamming into the barrier.
The foxfire quickly consumed the barrier, shattering it into a thousand sparks that faded into the night.
The facility's entrance was now exposed, and Mika wasted no time. She moved like a shadow, slipping inside the building, her senses on high alert.
The hallways were eerily quiet and Mika could feel the presence of ORION operatives nearby, but they hadn't detected her yet.
As she approached a security checkpoint, she paused, listening. She could hear the faint hum of machinery, the clicking of keyboards, and the muffled voices of the guards.
With a flick of her wrist, Mika summoned another orb of foxfire, this one larger and more intense. It hovered in the air for a moment before splitting into several smaller orbs, each one zooming off in a different direction.
The orbs passed through walls and floors as if they weren't there, seeking out the guards.
Moments later, the facility was filled with screams. The foxfire orbs exploded in bursts of blue flame, incinerating the guards where they stood.
Those who weren't killed instantly were disoriented, blinded by the intense light and heat. Mika moved swiftly, taking advantage of the chaos to slip past the checkpoint and deeper into the facility.
The further Mika went, the darker the energy became. She could sense the presence of dark magic, twisted and unnatural, permeating the walls around her.
It made her skin crawl, but she pushed forward, determined to root out the evil that had taken hold here.
As she rounded a corner, Mika came face-to-face with a group of ORION operatives. They were heavily armed, their faces obscured by tactical gear, and she didn't give them a chance to react.
With a flick of her tails, Mika unleashed a wave of spiritual energy, knocking the men off their feet. Before they could recover, she was upon them, her movements swift and precise.
Mika struck with deadly accuracy, her hands and feet glowing with the power of her Kitsune heritage. Each blow landed with the force of a sledgehammer, breaking the bones of the enemies.
One of the men managed to get off a shot, a magic bullet whizzing past Mika's ear. She retaliated with a snarl, summoning a large foxfire orb and hurling it at him. The orb exploded on impact, engulfing the man in blue flames.
He screamed, his body consumed by the fire, and then fell silent.
Mika didn't stop to assess the damage. She could sense more enemies approaching, and she continued on deeper into the facility, planning to destroy the core.
Finally, Mika reached a large, reinforced door at the end of a long corridor. The door was marked with various magical symbols. Whatever was behind this door, ORION didn't want anyone to find it.
Mika narrowed her eyes, her tails bristling with energy. She reached out with her mind, calling upon the Kitsune spirits that had guided her throughout her journey.
She could feel their presence all around her, their ethereal forms flickering in and out of existence.
With a whispered incantation, Mika unleashed the full force of her power. The Kitsune spirits surged forward, their forms merging with her own. Her body glowed with a bright, golden light, nine tails whipping around her like a storm.
She raised her hand, and with a single, powerful gesture, she tore the door apart, the magical wards shattering like glass.
The room beyond was a nightmare.
Rows of tables and machines lined the walls, each one occupied by a human subject. The people strapped to the tables were in various states of disarray, some were unconscious, others moaned in pain, their bodies twisted and deformed by the experiments being conducted on them.
The air was thick with the stench of blood and chemicals, and the walls were splattered with dark, ominous stains. In the center of the room stood a group of scientists, their lab coats stained with blood and other fluids.
They turned in shock as Mika entered, their eyes wide with fear. They knew who she was, or at least what she represented, and they knew they were doomed.
Mika's eyes blazed with fury as she took in the scene before her. She felt a deep, burning rage rise within her, a primal instinct that demanded retribution.
"You monsters..." Mika's voice was low and dangerous, filled with barely contained fury, "You will pay for what you've done."
The scientists barely had time to react before Mika was upon them. She moved with lightning speed, her form a blur as she struck out with her claws.
The first scientist went down with a single swipe, his throat torn open by her razor-sharp nails. The others tried to flee, but Mika was faster. She cut them down one by one, her rage driving her forward.
Blood splattered the walls and floor as Mika tore through the room, her movements precise and deadly. She showed no mercy, these people had crossed a line that could never be uncrossed, and for that, they would pay with their lives.
As the last scientist fell to the ground, Mika stood in the center of the room, her chest heaving with exertion. The bodies of her enemies lay around her, their blood pooling on the cold, sterile floor.
She looked down at them, her anger slowly fading, replaced by a cold, grim satisfaction. They had deserved every ounce of her wrath, and she felt no remorse for what she had done.
But there was still work to be done. Mika turned her attention to the human subjects strapped to the tables. Most of them were beyond saving, their bodies too twisted and broken to survive.
But a few still clung to life, their eyes pleading for mercy.
Mika moved quickly, freeing the survivors from their restraints. She summoned the Kitsune spirits once more, their gentle energy soothing the injured as she guided them to safety.
She could feel the life force fading from some of them, but she did what she could, easing their pain and helping them find peace.
Once the survivors were safe, Mika turned back to the room. There were stacks of files and papers scattered across the tables, filled with details of ORION's experiments.
She gathered them up, and placed them away, before heading out of the facility, taking down all of the remaining ORION operatives who slipped through the cracks.
Once she was done, Mika left the facility, purifying the surrounding area, allowing the dark energy that permeated the air to dissipate, cleansed by the Kitsune spirits.
With a final glance back at the facility, Mika disappeared into the night, her figure melting into the shadows as she made her way back to her allies.
The Kitsune spirits followed her, their ethereal forms flickering in the darkness, ready to assist her in whatever battles lay.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone