Chapter 280: Catching The Clone [Edited]

The tracking display in the Association’s underground command room was bathed in a furious crimson pulse.

On the main glass map, a sharp red marker moved through the rural expanse of northern Indiana, racing along the interstate toward the Grayland border. Every few minutes, a local garrison marker along the route flickered and disappeared, signaling another breached checkpoint and another hero squad left behind.

Eric stood over the console, both hands pressed against the edge of the table. His eyes were bloodshot as he watched the marker move closer to Grayland.

"He’s not bothering with detours," Eric said, his voice low and rough. "He isn’t hiding in the trees or waiting for darkness. He’s traveling straight down the highway, destroying anything the Association sends after him. At this speed, he’ll cross the state line in less than forty minutes."

Selena stood beside him, quickly pulling up regional maps. "The civilian evacuation along the main highway is only thirty percent complete. If he reaches the suburbs of Grayland, the casualties will be catastrophic. We can’t let him reach the populated streets."

"We won’t," Nicholas said quietly.

He stood near the back of the room, leaning against the wall with his arms folded. He had washed away the Saharan dust and changed into his dark combat clothes. His dark blue eyes remained fixed on the red glow of the map. Beside him, Zero rested a hand on the pommel of his longsword, while Nectron and Vixen watched the display.

"Where do we stop him?" Nectron asked, his deep voice filling the quiet room. "The guy has Phantom’s exact abilities. He can fold space, create crushing gravity fields, and his Void slashes can cut through concrete. You can’t just put up barricades and hope he stops."

"We don’t put up barricades," Nicholas said, stepping toward the map. He pointed to a large gray area five miles north of the state line. "The Old Calumet Industrial Sector."

Selena zoomed in on the area.

The map revealed a large wasteland of abandoned rail lines, rusted furnaces, collapsed grain silos, and empty steel factories. The area covered three square miles of cracked concrete and old machinery, abandoned decades ago during the initial plague chaos.

"It’s completely isolated," Selena said, studying the satellite image. "No civilians, no active power grids, and enough structures to block long-range sight. If we fight him there, we can keep him away from the city."

"A good place for him, or for us?" Vixen asked, raising an eyebrow as she stepped closer to the table. Her green eyes moved to Nicholas. "He has your exact powers, Phantom. But from the footage in Chicago, he fights like a rabid animal. His raw output is massive, and he doesn’t hold back."

"That’s exactly why he’s going to lose," Nicholas replied flatly.

He looked at the others around the table.

"He is a manufactured copy," Nicholas explained. "He was made in a vat, given stolen power, and told he was superior. After tearing through low-tier heroes in Chicago without taking a scratch, his confidence is at its peak. He believes he’s the strongest thing around. When he sees me, he won’t think about defense, saving his Qi, or retreating. He’ll want to prove that the copy is better than the original."

"And you’re going to use that against him," Zero said, a faint understanding appearing in his dark eyes.

"Yes," Nicholas nodded. "He relies on overwhelming force. When someone fights with reckless pride, they put everything into their attacks. Every time he uses a Void slash or creates a heavy gravity well, he leaves himself open afterward. We’ll use that."

Nicholas tapped the industrial zone on the map.

"I’ll take the front," Nicholas said. "I’ll stand in the middle of the main rail yard and make sure he sees me. Once he spots me, he’ll focus entirely on my position. He’ll ignore everything around him and come straight for me."

"And what do we do?" Nectron asked, leaning over the table.

"Vixen and Nectron will stay on the sides, hidden inside the old furnace structures," Nicholas said. "Vixen, don’t attack him directly. Use your spatial folds to redirect his ranged Void attacks and interfere with his jumps. If he tries to fold space toward me, twist the space beneath him and throw off his footing."

"Understood," Vixen nodded, a confident smile touching her lips. "I’ll bend the space right beneath his boots."

"Nectron," Nicholas continued, turning toward him. "Don’t try to match his strength. Wait for my signal. When he commits to a heavy downward attack, hit the ground beneath him with your strongest gravity field. We don’t need to crush him. We only need to hold his feet to the concrete for half a second."

"Half a second is all you need?" Nectron asked with a low grin.

"Half a second is plenty," Nicholas replied. "Zero, you stay on the high ground atop the central crane tower. Keep your Qi hidden until his balance is broken. When his defenses drop, we attack at the same time and cut off his energy before he can fight back."

Eric listened closely, nodding with approval. The plan didn’t rely on brute strength. It relied on fighting a stronger opponent by taking advantage of his recklessness.

"We have two high-speed transport helicopters waiting on the lower tarmac," Eric said, straightening his trench coat. "They’ll drop you at the southern edge of Calumet in fifteen minutes. Once you’re on the ground, all regional communications will switch to a closed encrypted channel. We can’t provide air support. If he detects an aircraft overhead, he might avoid the area."

"We don’t need air support," Nicholas said, turning away from the table. "Just make sure the containment team and suppression restraints are ready at Sub-Level 9."

"Dana already has the holding cell prepared," Selena assured him, securing her tablet and sidearm to her belt. "The energy dampeners are ready."

Nicholas gave a single nod. Without another word, he walked down the corridor toward the elevator leading to the subterranean tarmac. Zero, Nectron, and Vixen followed behind him.

Fifteen minutes later, the two twin-engine transport choppers flew low over the dark ruins of the Calumet Industrial Sector.

The night sky was covered by thick clouds, blocking out the moon and stars. A cold wind moved through the remains of the rusted steel mills and abandoned smokestacks. Below them was a maze of broken gravel, weeds, and rows of old freight cars sitting on forgotten tracks.

The helicopters hovered ten feet above a wide, cracked asphalt area near the southern boundary.

Nicholas, Zero, Nectron, and Vixen jumped from the open side doors, landing before the aircraft immediately pulled away and disappeared into the darkness. Their engine noise quickly faded.

The team separated, each moving to their assigned position.

Zero leaped into the shadows of a towering crane, climbing the rusted supports until he reached the operator cabin eighty feet above the ground.

To the west, Nectron entered the hollow shell of a collapsed blast furnace and crouched behind a large support pillar. He placed his hands against the cold ground and began slowly adjusting his gravity to the bedrock beneath him.

Across the yard to the east, Vixen stepped between two decaying freight containers. Her body blurred as she activated her spatial refraction, blending into the night until she disappeared from sight.

Nicholas walked alone into the center of the main rail yard.

The wind moved against his dark coat as he stopped at a wide, cracked concrete crossing between four converging tracks. He stood with his feet shoulder-width apart, calm and completely still, his hands resting loosely at his sides.

He closed his eyes for a moment, allowing his senses to spread across the silent wasteland.

The air was still. The smell of wet rust, dead weeds, and cold iron filled the night.

Then, five miles to the north, the silence shattered.

A high-pitched sonic boom echoed across the wasteland, followed by the unmistakable distortion of folded space. The air pressure dropped sharply as a massive surge of uncontrolled Qi crossed the state line, heading straight toward the industrial sector.

Nicholas opened his eyes.

His dark blue gaze locked onto the northern tree line.

The trap was set.

The duplicate was coming.