Chapter 415: Raids End 2 (2/2)

A drone tapped at the barrier,droneappendage extending froe black case

"Letting sound flow back in," said Alexis

"What is this?" said Stella

"The Kryptic," said Machine Mind "While you all were busy bickering aet out of here And, of course, the knowledge that in ten minutes, reinforcements will arrive"

"Let's take it and leave" Dia for Alexis to take it down

Alexis glanced at Stella for perht," said Stella

Alexis put the front of the barrier down Dia his bulk to cover everyone behind him incase Machine Mind decided to double cross them However, no such treachery occurred

Diamondback took the case without issue from the drone and stepped back into the barrier

"And now out you go Through the elevators which I have graciously reactivated for you," said Machine Mind "On the way, you are free to check up on your straggler friend"

"Let's hurry," said Tox, worried

"NO!" A voice booe

"Wh-what the hell is that!? Some kind of monster!?" said Falco, shaken

"No…that's Ace!" said Tox, eyes wide and bright She turned around to the source of the voice only for confusion to mar her happiness "What…happened?"

---

Sometime prior –

Ace laid down in a pit of shattered earth, blood strea fron of hi his tactile telekinesis Pain assailed every part of his body He was sure he had fractured hout his body, but thankfully, his undead body let hiht" The clone floated above Ace, staring down at hiht white eyes Machine Mind's voice echoed from the clone's head "Look at you, my child So weak, so…iht you perfect You, of all things Just because you proved superior to your siblings"

Ace grit his teeth Many of them were cracked He floated back up out of his crater, lip quivering, eyes half closed in equal parts anguish and anger His childhood returned to hi up fro out thick as as he desperately tried to adjust to oxygen He was ser than a five year old child developround Firentle hands raised him up

The hands of his brother Square jawed and white haired – an exact irown up

"You're special, aren't you?"

"I-I am?"

"Yeah, special in the head C'ht Father doesn't tolerate weakness"

…

Me up in a cold, sterile white room Beside him were three of his brothers One ten years old Another fifteen Another twenty All of theraph of heights and builds

They held their balled fists to their sides, all of thely invisible force

"Coh the rooravitational force It should be nothing for specih the pain and the weakness, my children"