August 28 2042, Evening.
The broadcast had ended, but its shadow still lingered over Ultra City like a curse etched into the sky.
Tension clung to every rooftop, every alleyway, and even the most advanced tech couldn't silence the fear pulsing through the city's veins. Alliances were shifting. Hope was fading. And even the Hero Squad—symbols of light in an age of darkness—found themselves questioning whether they could truly stop what was coming.
Location: Ultra City – The Fortress (Hero Association Base).
Inside the main strategy chamber, the core members of the Hero Squad sat in silence, the holographic screen still flickering with the remnants of Sultan's ominous broadcast. Layla Bremm stood at the head of the table, her arms crossed, eyes sharp.
Everyone knew it wasn't a bluff. Sultan's words weren't empty threats—they were a declaration.
Tyler broke the silence first. "So… what are we going to do now?"
Jakson leaned forward, fists clenched. "Don't tell me you're all giving up already."
Derick shook his head. "It's not about giving up, Jakson."
"Then what is it?" Jakson snapped back, fire in his voice.
Sage, ever calm, ever composed, folded his hands in front of him. "It's a matter of whether we're ready for what's coming."
"We're ready. We can take them," Raymond said with unwavering resolve.
Silence followed, heavy with tension and emotion.
Timothy stepped forward. His voice was calm but firm, like a leader addressing his squad for what could be the last time.
"I don't have much to say. And if this is the final time we're gathered in this room… then let me say this: Give it your all. Give everything you've got. Every single person in this city is counting on us. We are their last hope. If we fall… Ultra City falls. But I believe in us. I know we'll win."
Layla looked at each of them, pride and urgency in her eyes.
"We've come a long way in just two months. We've faced down threat after threat, and this—this won't be our end. Sultan has given us a week to prepare. And when the so-called 'Cleansing' begins, he'll regret ever challenging the Hero Squad."
She stepped forward, her tone steely.
"Use this time wisely. Train harder than you ever have. Strengthen your resolve. Because when that day comes, we won't just fight… we'll rise."
The team exchanged glances. Determination burned in their eyes.
They all knew the truth—everything now rested on what would happen on that fated day.
Location: Unknown Hideout – A Dark Room
The dim light flickered above, casting long shadows across the faces of the gathered enemies. Al-Daeem sat at the center, his presence alone commanding silence.
Eric, better known as Wukong, leaned forward with a smirk.
"The city's shaken, and they know the date we strike. So… what now, boss?"
Al-Daeem's gaze remained cold.
"Now, we prepare. Just like they are."
He paused.
"Those so-called heroes… they're stronger than they look. But we'll be stronger. And when the time comes, we'll crush them."
Joshua—Sun—nodded.
"Who should we be looking out for?"
Silas chimed in, his tone casual but serious.
"Yeah, who's their firepower? We take out the right one first, the rest will fall."
Al-Daeem's eyes gleamed in the dark.
"All of them are threats. And they will all be dealt with—
One by one."
Ultra City – Nightfall
Outside the towering walls of the Hero Association's Fortress, the city slept under a restless sky. Storm clouds gathered above as if the heavens themselves sensed what was to come. Neon lights flickered in silence, and down below, the citizens whispered prayers, clinging to hope.
Inside the base, each member of the Hero Squad stood in separate rooms—training, meditating, preparing. The weight of destiny hung over them like a blade suspended by a thread.
In the silence of his chamber, Timothy (Vilex) stared at his bow, tightening its string.
"We don't have to be ready for everything…" he muttered to himself.
"Just ready enough to win."
Across the city, in an abandoned cathedral swallowed by darkness, Al-Daeem stood before a cracked window, his cloak billowing slightly from the wind.
"One week," he whispered, eyes fixed on the Fortress in the distance.
"Let's see whose will breaks first."
Suddenly, a faint glow sparked behind him—red, flickering, unnatural.
"Boss," Wukong said cautiously, eyes narrowed.
"That thing we sealed… it's moving again."
Al-Daeem didn't turn. He simply smiled.
"Then let them prepare. They're already too late."