Vek observed the soldiers and their equipment with clinical precision. They wore sleek, matte black exo-suits that covered them from head to toe, reinforced with segmented plating. Thin lines of crimson energy pulsed across the armor, tracing intricate patterns along the chest, arms, and helmet, giving off an ominous glow. Closer inspection revealed hexagonal nano-weave patterns running along the joints and undersuit, shifting subtly with each movement like living machinery. At the center of each chest plate was a simple, stylized "S" carved into the metal. The soldiers'' gauntlets were reinforced with servo-motors that greatly amplified their strength, while accelerators embedded within the leg plating enhanced their speed.


    Their helmets featured smooth, featureless visors made of seamless one-way obsidian glass that reflected Vek and Jorrax''s human disguises back at them.


    "I said put your hands up!" the squad leader ordered again, voice distorted slightly by their helmet''s audio system. Unlike the other soldiers, the leader''s suit featured a bulkier chest plate with a glowing red emblem embedded on the upper right shoulder.


    Vek''s gaze shifted to the leader''s weapon. It was longer than a standard assault rifle, its barrel reinforced with carbon-steel heat shielding. Running along its length was a faint blue glow that traced through a coil-like rail system, pulsing every few seconds like a heartbeat waiting to accelerate. Its black chassis was lined with micro-servo stabilizers that adjusted in real-time to compensate for movement and recoil. The grip was textured with a matte-polymer weave, and its adjustable stock compressed automatically based on the user''s stance. This weapon represented the pinnacle of human weaponry—and currently, six of them were aimed directly at Vek and Jorrax.


    Vek assessed the threat with detached amusement. These humans had advanced remarkably for a species without developed Higher-Dimensional Energy manipulation, but their weapons—no matter how advanced—were still fundamentally limited to three-dimensional physics.


    Vek took a single step forward and vanished the instant his foot made contact with the floor. The sapphire patterns beneath his skin flared briefly.


    The soldiers reacted with startling speed. "Open fire!" the leader commanded, and the hallway erupted with the deafening sound of gunfire. The muzzle flashes illuminated the sterile corridor as bullets tore through the air where Vek had stood a moment before. The guard at the desk joined in, adding to the chaotic barrage, while his partner moved quickly out of the firing line.


    "Switch to thermal vision!" the leader ordered as a cloud of dust and debris obscured their view. "Find the other one!"


    As the soldiers'' visors adjusted, they discovered that Vek had completely disappeared from thermal detection. More alarmingly, the heat signatures of the guards now lay motionless on the ground. And the thermal signature of Jorrax was... changing shape.


    Inside the cloud of smoke, Jorrax had discarded his human disguise. His true form emerged as the holographic projector deactivated, revealing his alien physiology in all its glory. The sapphire patterns beneath his rose-tinted skin pulsed with increasing intensity as they powered his combat systems. He moved directly toward the soldiers with casual confidence.


    The squad opened fire into the dust cloud, targeting Jorrax''s heat signature. A flash of brilliant blue light erupted from within the smoke—Jorrax''s shield matrix activating—and he emerged, charging toward the nearest soldier.


    Despite the concentrated gunfire, Jorrax remained completely unscathed. The bullets ricocheted off the large reinforced plates that covered his chest, shoulders, and arms. Each impact created a momentary flicker of blue energy as his shield matrix effortlessly absorbed and dispersed the kinetic energy.


    The patterns on Jorrax''s skin intensified to an almost blinding blue as power flowed to his gauntlets, which morphed into massive pile drivers. He let out a war cry that sounded more like electronic distortion than anything organic as he drew back his arm and swung at the nearest soldier. The servos in his suit whirred with accumulated power.


    "Oh sh—" The soldier''s exclamation was cut short as Jorrax''s pile driver made contact.


    The impact created a thunderous shockwave that reverberated through the hallway, disorienting the remaining soldiers. Where the soldier had stood was nothing but a fine red mist and scattered fragments of the advanced exo-suit. Blood spattered across the pristine white walls and the visors of the other soldiers.


    Throughout the facility, a silent alarm had been triggered. Security personnel watching through surveillance cameras quickly initiated evacuation protocols, silently directing civilian staff to safety while mobilizing additional forces.


    "Gauss-Pulse! Switch to Gauss-Pulse mode!" the leader shouted, pressing a sequence on their weapon. The faint blue light running along the barrel intensified and shifted to a deep red. The other soldiers followed suit, their weapons emitting a collective harmonic hum that resonated at a frequency that made Vek''s teeth vibrate.


    As they pulled their triggers, there were no gunshots—just a deep, concussive thrum as hypersonic rounds tore through the air.


    Jorrax had no time to dodge as several rounds struck his shield matrix. Though they didn''t penetrate, the impact was substantial enough to stagger him momentarily.


    "Warning: Sustained fire will deplete shield matrix," his suit''s AI informed him through their neural link.


    Jorrax rolled his shoulders, the impact having been more significant than he''d anticipated. "That... was surprising," he admitted, his voice betraying a hint of respect. "They''ve developed better weapons than I expected."


    His patterns glowed brighter beneath his skin as they redirected additional power to his shield matrix. Despite the impressive technological achievement of the human weapons, Jorrax knew they posed no real threat unless he stood perfectly still and allowed them to deplete his shields—something he had no intention of doing.


    His suit whirred as the patterns on his body glowed brighter, charging for another devastating attack.


    "Fuck this," one of the soldiers at the back muttered, audible through their external comm. They turned and began sprinting in the opposite direction, the micro-servos in their leg armor whirring to life as they accelerated to superhuman speed.


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    "Soldier, get the fuck back here!" the leader commanded, but it was too late.


    Before the fleeing soldier could take another step, Vek materialized directly in their path. He too had abandoned his human disguise. Unlike Jorrax''s bulky combat armor focused on strength and durability, Vek''s suit was sleek and form-fitting, designed for stealth and evasion.


    The iridescent patterns on his skin pulsed brilliantly as they powered his armor systems. The armor plating on his right arm reconfigured into a razor-thin energy blade that hummed with barely contained power, capable of severing not just physical matter but the very bonds between dimensions.


    Without uttering a word, Vek swung his arm in a precise arc. The energy blade passed through the soldier''s neck with minimal resistance, cleanly separating helmet from torso.


    As the decapitated body crumpled, Vek took another step and vanished again, his patterns flaring as they bent space around him. He reappeared beside another soldier. In one fluid motion, he drove his energy blade through the soldier''s chest plate. The blade pierced the advanced armor as if it were paper, the energy disrupting not just physical matter but the very molecular bonds holding it together.


    Panic spread through the remaining soldiers as they realized they were trapped between two lethal alien warriors. Some turned to fire at Vek, but it was futile. His suit enhanced his neural responses and physical speed to levels far beyond human capability. Any bullets he couldn''t dodge were harmlessly deflected by his shield matrix.


    "He''s too fast!" one soldier shouted, spraying bullets in a desperate arc.


    "Maintain discipline!" the leader commanded, but the fear in their voice was palpable.


    Vek continued his deadly dance, disappearing and reappearing around the corridor with lethal precision. Each materialization resulted in another soldier''s death, his energy blade leaving nothing but cauterized wounds and the acrid smell of burnt circuitry.


    Within moments, only the squad leader remained standing. Their weapon flashed a red warning indicator—ammunition depleted. The leader pressed the trigger repeatedly, producing nothing but hollow clicks that echoed through the corridor now painted with their comrades'' blood.


    As the futility of resistance finally registered, the leader dropped their weapon, which clattered to the floor with a metallic thud. They backed against the wall, hands raised in a gesture of surrender.


    "What... what are you?" the leader asked, voice trembling.


    Jorrax answered with action rather than words. His pile driver gauntlet connected with the leader''s chest, reducing both soldier and advanced exo-suit to a fine red mist that splattered across the reinforced door behind them.


    "Their weaponry was surprisingly advanced," Jorrax observed, examining one of the fallen Gauss-Pulse rifles with genuine curiosity. His patterns had settled into a calmer glow now that the immediate threat had passed.


    "Advanced for their level, perhaps," Vek replied as he materialized beside his companion, his energy blade retracting into his arm plating with a soft hiss. He gestured toward the reinforced door. "Let''s complete this bounty and depart."


    Jorrax nodded and approached the door. Drawing back his pile driver gauntlet, his patterns flared as they channeled additional power to his weapons. He struck the reinforced barrier with enough force to tear it from its frame. The door flew inward, embedding itself into the opposite wall with a thunderous impact that sent vibrations through the entire facility.


    As they stepped through the mangled doorway, they were met with an unexpected sight. Instead of finding their target, they entered a long, sterile hallway lined with numerous doors on both sides. Each door was heavily reinforced and marked with a number above its frame. Beside each door was a monitor displaying a live feed of the room''s interior.


    The rooms were small and spartanly furnished—each containing only a bed, basic bathroom facilities, and a desk. Most surprisingly, each room contained a child, seemingly oblivious to the carnage that had just occurred mere meters away. Some slept peacefully, while others sat at their desks, reading or writing.


    Vek''s scanner hummed as he swept the area, confirming what his instincts had already suggested—each of these children emanated a Higher-Dimensional Energy signature. Not the artificial kind that he and Jorrax utilized, but pure, natural HDE, flowing directly through these young human vessels.


    "So this is what they''re doing here," Vek murmured, a hint of genuine surprise in his voice. "They''re studying natural HDE manifestation in human children."


    "Natural users," Jorrax observed, his tone suggesting newfound respect. "Their civilization is further along than we thought. Earth is already producing natural HDE conduits."


    "The Galactic Federation''s classification is clearly outdated," Vek agreed. "These humans are at the early stages of becoming a true HDE civilization. These children could be the forerunners of what humans would call... ''magic users.''"


    "But which one is our target?" Jorrax asked, looking at the rows of doors. "The bounty only specified a name and location, not which numbered room."


    Vek considered their options. "I suppose we''ll have to ask." He approached one of the doors and examined the monitor. Inside, a young boy of perhaps twelve years sat cross-legged on his bed, reading from a tablet.


    Drawing his energy blade once more, he carefully cut a square through the reinforced door. The section fell inward with a heavy thud, revealing the room''s occupant, who now stared at the alien with wide, terrified eyes.


    The boy scrambled back against the wall as he took in Vek''s alien form, the blood spattered across his armor, and the energy blade still humming from his arm. A scream built in the child''s throat and then erupted—high-pitched and filled with primal fear.


    "Stop screaming," Vek commanded, his voice firm but not unnecessarily harsh. "I''m not here for you." He paused, considering. "Unless, of course, you are Dante Hallow?"


    Despite his terror, the boy managed to control his breathing enough to respond. "N-no," he stammered, eyes darting between Vek''s obsidian eyes and the glowing energy blade. "I''m not Dante."


    Vek noted the faint blue aura surrounding the child—natural HDE manifesting in its earliest form, still untamed and largely unconscious. Beyond this basic HDE signature, there was nothing particularly special about this child. Not their target.


    "Then perhaps you can tell me where to find him?" Vek asked, retracting his blade in a gesture of goodwill that seemed to ease the boy''s immediate fear slightly.


    "I-I''m not sure exactly," the boy replied, his voice steadying somewhat. "The scientists don''t tell us anything about each other. They only call us by our numbers." He hesitated, then added, "But maybe if you describe him?"


    Vek accessed the bounty details through his neural interface. "He would be approximately this tall," he indicated with his hand. "Olive skin, black hair, unusually pale eyes. Thin build."


    Recognition flickered in the boy''s eyes. "That... that sounds like Number One," he said, emphasizing the designation. "He''s different from the rest of us. His power is... scary. The scientists are always taking him for special tests." The boy pointed down the hallway. "If you keep going and turn left at the end, you''ll find the testing chambers. He''s probably in one of them right now."


    "Efficient," Vek remarked, genuinely pleased at not having to interrogate multiple subjects. "Thank you for your cooperation."


    As he rejoined Jorrax in the hallway, Vek transmitted the information through their neural link. "Our target is in the testing area. Left at the end of this corridor."


    "Excellent," Jorrax replied, his gauntlets reconfiguring into a more neutral position. "Let''s finish this bounty. I''m hungry."


    As they proceeded down the hallway, Vek couldn''t help but think about the children behind those reinforced doors. For the briefest moment, he wondered what experiments these human scientists were conducting on children with nascent natural HDE abilities. Then he dismissed the thought. It wasn''t relevant to their mission, and the Galactic Federation''s regulations were clear—non-interference with primitive species. A regulation they were already breaking by accepting this black market bounty.


    They turned left, toward the testing chambers and their target.