General Thaddeus Ross kept his expression perfectly neutral.
Inside, however, his thoughts were racing.
After hearing the researchers' reports, a familiar figure surfaced in his mind.
Steve Rogers.
Captain America.
The only confirmed human in history to successfully receive the Super Soldier Serum and reach the absolute peak of human physical capability.
For decades, the military had tried to recreate that serum.
But after Abraham Erskine was assassinated, the true formula vanished with him.
One thing was certain, though.
Gamma radiation had always been part of the equation.
That was the entire reason Bruce Banner existed as the Hulk.
Banner, once a military scientist, had been studying gamma radiation as part of an attempt to replicate the Super Soldier program. The experiment had gone wrong.
The explosion created the Hulk.
The result had been uncontrollable.
But now…
Ross considered the evidence again.
A normal-looking human.
Inhuman reaction speed.
Exceptional strength and jumping ability.
And every trace of gamma radiation from the laboratory—gone.
The conclusion seemed obvious.
The intruder had come specifically for the gamma energy.
And the combination of those facts suggested something extraordinary.
Ross's eyes hardened.
This man might be the perfect super soldier.
"Find him," Ross said quietly.
"Whatever it takes."
His hand tightened into a fist as he stared at the ruins of the Gamma Laboratory.
Instead of anger, his expression carried a strange excitement.
Lucas Kane had no idea that he had just become the focus of Ross's obsession.
Even if he had known, it wouldn't have mattered.
He was already far from Quantico.
Far beyond Washington, D.C.
At that moment, Lucas sat beneath a roaring waterfall.
Water crashed down like thunder.
The torrent hammered his bare shoulders as he sat cross-legged in the pool below, wearing nothing but a pair of shorts.
The impact should have been crushing.
Instead, the water seemed to vaporize the moment it struck him.
Steam rose constantly from his body.
This place lay deep within the wilderness of Cunningham Falls State Park, near the small town of Thurmont.
Few people ever came this far into the forest.
Lucas had been here for over twenty days.
And during that time, he had done only one thing.
Burn his Cosmo.
Inside his consciousness, the Phoenix Constellation blazed brilliantly. The fiery silhouette of a phoenix hovered within the star pattern etched across his inner cosmos.
Lucas had no reason to rush back to New York City yet.
School at Midtown High School wouldn't resume until summer ended.
More importantly, he wanted to give the situation time to settle.
Or rather—
He wanted to see if the military could find him.
If they couldn't track him here, he would simply return to New York later.
If they did…
That was fine too.
Within five miles of the waterfall stretched nothing but untouched forest.
No towns.
No roads.
No witnesses.
If the military arrived, this would become the battlefield.
Lucas didn't underestimate the U.S. military. They were powerful—but like any organization, they respected strength.
If you wanted them to back off, diplomacy alone wouldn't do it.
You had to make them afraid.
Make them understand the cost.
Still, more than twenty days had passed.
No soldiers.
No helicopters.
Not even a stray hiker.
The forest remained silent.
That was fine.
Waiting for the military had never been the main reason Lucas chose this place.
The waterfall was.
He intended to use its crushing force to break through his limits and ignite the Phoenix Constellation completely.
Lucas remained seated beneath the torrent, eyes closed as the waterfall thundered overhead.
For twenty days, his routine never changed.
During the day, he trained under the falling water—throwing thousands of punches against the resistance of the current.
At night, he sealed his five senses and meditated beneath the endless cascade.
The goal was simple.
Touch the edge of the Sixth Sense.
In the world of Saints, Bronze Saints weren't truly considered full Saints yet.
They were warriors in training.
Only those who awakened and mastered the Sixth Sense could truly claim the title.
The Sixth Sense existed beyond the normal five senses.
Those who awakened it could manipulate elements, sense the future, use telekinesis, fly, or wield powerful illusions.
Lucas didn't expect to master it now.
That would take time.
But if he could even glimpse its threshold during this period of training, it would be worth it.
Unfortunately—
He hadn't even located the door yet.
Lucas slowly opened his eyes.
Then he stood.
The waterfall crashed against him, but he didn't move.
Heat surged through his body as blood and Cosmo surged together.
Steam rose in waves from his skin.
Within the swirling mist, a crimson phoenix took shape behind him—its wings spreading wide in flickering flames.
Lucas looked up at the falling water.
Despite everything else—
His primary objective had been achieved.
The first constellation within his Cosmo had finally ignited.
One of the forty-eight Bronze constellations.
The Phoenix Constellation.
Lucas stepped forward.
He raised his fist toward the waterfall.
And threw the first punch of the day.
The next ten thousand punches had already begun.