"Nothing can ever be simple with you, can it?" Lily grumbled, her exasperation seeping through the TEK transmitter.

  Leo huffed in response. "I resent that. I'm just doing my job here. How the hell could I have known that some overgrown wasps took over this place? Don't pin this on me. For once, I'm innocent."

  "I know," she growled. "I know," she repeated in a much softer tone. "It's just… This was supposed to be a quick in and out. We have plenty of other Void Gates to worry about anyway."

  That we do, Leo silently agreed, thinking of the three other gateways their scouts located near London. Two of them he still had to deal with before returning home—though that might change depending on how this conversation played out.

  "So what now?" he finally asked. "Do you want me to just go back, or…"

  "We both know that's not a choice, Leo," Lily said. "You said it yourself—without you, we are barely stronger than them, and even that's up to the debate."

  He couldn't argue with that. The combination of advanced technology and invisibility was lethal enough, and he had no illusions that he had seen the full extent of Hexadrones' capabilities. There was always something more—maybe a skill, a trait, or even an affinity.

  He sighed. "In that case, we have a few options left. One, I activate the old Cerevod and our problem ends here. Two, I stay, learn more about them, and try to figure out where they came from. Or three… I kill them all."

  Silence stretched after his announcement. Leo wasn't even surprised. Killing a few aliens was one thing; contemplating a potential genocide was another. Though was it really a genocide? A massacre, maybe, but he really doubted that those were all the Hexadrones in existence. A species like this had to have more survivors.

  "Would you… would you really do that?" Lily asked, at last breaking the silence.

  Leo nodded without hesitation. "I would. They are a threat that cannot be reasoned with. Letting them live is asking for trouble."

  "I…" She trailed off, and even though she wasn't physically there, he could imagine her shaking her head. "Okay. If you say so… Give me a minute or two. I need to contact the others."

  "Take your time," he replied while opening his link to Nyx. If you weren't listening, there might be a change of plans. Want to help?

  Instantly, he felt the feline rummaging through his recent memories. He didn't have to wait long for a response, and just as he had expected, Nyx didn't disappoint.

  'Of course I want!' she exclaimed. 'Forget what I said about the other gates. This will be fun! I wonder how they taste…"

  Leo rolled his eyes, though a faint smile tugged at his lips. That he didn't feel repulsed at her words went a long way to show just how much had changed since the Outbreak began. A few weeks back, a deadline was the worst of his worries. Now, he was planning a genocide on an alien species.

  Don't let anybody hear you say that, you glutton, he chided. But yeah, you're right. It could be fun. I still have some things I want to test out.

  'As long as your 'testing' doesn't kill them all in a single attack, I don't care,' Nyx said. 'Do you want me to come through now?'

  Leo shook his head. Wait for now. If Lily agrees to my idea, I will return to the Void Gate for you. Only then will you come through.

  'As you wish.'

  With that, their link went silent. Leo quickly released a few more Hunter's Pulses just to make sure he was still alone and nodded when the skill found nothing. It kind of made him wonder if the Hexadrones had already noticed how many of their kind had died in the past hour.

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  Probably. He hummed. The ones I captured somehow called for reinforcements, so a telepathic link isn't out of the question. But why aren't they trying to find me if that's the case?

  Leo sighed, shelving those thoughts for the time being. In the end, none of that mattered. Depending on Lily's decision, the Hexadrones might not be a problem for much longer.

  Well, at least those on Terlasfor, he internally corrected himself just as a familiar crackle came from the transmitter in his hand.

  "All right, I'm back," Lily announced, her voice firm and steady. "You still there, Leo?"

  "That I am. So what's the verdict?"

  Lily audibly cleared her throat. "If you're really up for it—and please, please, Leo, tell me if you aren't—then we proceed with your final idea. You were right; it's best to deal with this problem before it can become one."

  "Good." Leo smiled. "What did the others say?"

  "Honestly? I didn't even have to convince them. The moment they heard about your idea, they all agreed." She paused for a moment. "Isn't it weird? We all just casually decided to let you slaughter an intelligent alien species like some dogs. That's so messed up…"

  Leo couldn't help but chuckle. "Is it really? Have humans ever cared about anything more than themselves? We will do whatever it takes to survive. If that means leading some aliens to extinction, so be it."

  "But they haven't even done anything to us."

  "Yet," he stressed the single word. "They haven't done anything to us yet. And that's all that matters, doesn't it?"

  "I guess," Lily muttered. "I just hate that we are making you take the role of executioner again. Last time it was me, now… I feel like the worst sister in the world."

  "Hey, don't do that. This is my choice," he reassured. "Trust me, if I didn't want to do this, I wouldn't. Neither Holden, Malcolm, nor Frank can order me around. I'm helping because I want to, that's all."

  "Fine." He heard her sigh. "I will leave this to you and Nyx. Be careful and come back in one piece. Oh! And don't worry about the other gates. We will figure something out in the meantime."

  "Thanks," Leo said. "I will call you once I'm done here."

  "I will be waiting. Good luck, brother."

  He smiled wider and muttered as the call disconnected. "I won't need it."

  Nyx! We have our green light. I will be there in a minute.

  'They definitely know you've killed their people,' Nyx commented as they observed the sprawling village from their perch high in the trees.

  That they do, he agreed, keeping his eyes on the multiple Hexadrone groups patrolling the area.

  Before, the aliens had looked somewhat relaxed—just going about their lives—but now, there was a noticeable tension in their bodies. The addition of armor and additional weapons everywhere also didn't go unnoticed.

  Guess that was to be expected… Leo turned to his companion. How do you want to do this?

  Nyx shrugged. 'We split and start at the opposite ends of the village? We can deal with any potential runners once we meet in the middle.'

  Fine by me. He agreed, and after a shared nod, the feline left their tree, speeding toward her chosen position. Let me know when you are ready.

  'Will do.'

  Following Nyx's steps, Leo dropped from his perch and approached the massive wall protecting the village. The thick vines and tree branches blocked his sight, but he didn't need it—his Hunter's Pulse knew well what was on the other side.

  Now, how to go about this…

  If Moonless Night covered larger areas, then the choice would be obvious. Nothing could escape him once the skill was deployed. Not that it was even an option—the village was just too big.

  He could also jump in with all his enhancing abilities active and slaughter everything in his way. That would most likely work—the level gap made sure of that. However, Leo didn't come here just to partake in a mindless massacre.

  Stormveil it is…

  The floodgates opened, and he didn't hold back. Essence gathered in his palm in waves, and slowly, he manipulated it to his desire. A pulled string here, a bit of intent there. Purification, compression, purpose.

  Yet, it didn't stop there. Even with half of his Essence already gone, Leo pushed more and more into the growing violet orb pulsing above his hand. The little storm inside it raged, lightning crashing against the boundaries of its prison in hopes of earning its freedom.

  Not yet.

  Just like he had practiced over the past week, he grabbed a tiny bit of Ruination—an almost unnoticeable speck—and injected it into the orb. The storm within stilled, crimson combining with the violet lightning. At the same time, he spotted cracks spreading across the orb, even with all his power focused on keeping it in one piece.

  There we go. Leo grinned and, without further ado, flung the orb toward the sky above the village. Let the storm come.

  And so it did…

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