My son is here to protect me, but what about them... especially young Ethan? Damian can handle whatever comes his way, but that boy has already suffered far too much, Ophelia thought, her gaze lingering on the sealed door.
"Damian is going to be busy..." her son murmured, his voice dropping into a low, measured tone before he suddenly cut himself off.
Ophelia turned to face him, her eyes narrowing slightly. "Damian will be busy? Did he say something to you on the drive over?"
Her son gave a subtle shake of his head. "No. Before I reached the clinic. Someone was tailing us—or, more accurately, he was after Damian."
Ophelia's eyes flicked down to his left hand, where dark, sticky crimson blood glutted across his bruised knuckles.
Before she could speak, the soft rustle of footsteps echoed down the corridor as Isabel approached. Kneeling close to Ophelia's ear, Isabel whispered in a hushed, urgent tone, "My Lady... our perimeter guard just recovered a body in the alley two blocks down. He was wearing specialized tactical armor. His bones were... snapped in impossible angles."
Ophelia looked back at her son's bloodied knuckles, a sharp, aching pang piercing her heart. She offered a quiet, somber nod.
"What are your orders regarding the body?" Isabel asked smoothly.
Her son stepped forward before Ophelia could answer. "I'll handle it."
Isabel inclined her head respectfully. "Understood. My Lady, the transport is waiting out front."
"Thank you, Isabel," Ophelia replied as her attendant bowed and stepped away.
Ophelia signaled one of her trusted aides standing nearby. "Inform Damian and Ethan that the car is ready."
Once the aide hurried off, Ophelia turned back to her white-haired son. She reached out gently, taking his blood-stained left hand in her warm palms.
"Please... just stay safe out there," she whispered, her voice thick with maternal concern.
He gave a single, firm nod. Ophelia lifted her other hand, tenderly running her fingers through his snow-white hair before leaning in to press a gentle kiss against his forehead.
Without another word, her son turned and melted back into the shadows of the corridor.
Far across the frozen Siberian wilderness, amid a blinding white blizzard, the stealth DWO VTOL transport descended toward an seemingly featureless expanse of snow.
Suddenly, the frozen earth groaned as massive hydraulic plates slid open, revealing a subterranean hangar bay buried deep beneath the tundra. The transport touched down smoothly, and the snow-draped doors sealed shut above them, erasing all trace of their landing.
"What is this place?" Cheetah muttered, unbuckling and peering through the armored viewport.
"A hideout here in Russia, specifically in Siberia." Liam replied, securing his tactical tablet.
T-Rex nodded, his massive frame shifting in his seat. "I heard about a buried Siberian contingency base a while back, but I didn't think it was fully operational yet."
"Man, taking out Philip was an absolute nightmare," Scorpion grunted, adjusting his blood-soaked arm sling. "Far worse than I calculated."
Cheetah agreed, shaking her head. "Who would've thought the guy was a complete psychopath?"
Terminator sat quietly in the captain's chair, ignoring his squad's chatter as Philip's final, desperate words echoed endlessly in his mind.
A heavy, muffled step approached, and a figure sat down on the bench directly beside him. Terminator glanced over to see Zero, her shoulders wrapped in thick medical gauze and fresh bandages across her brow.
"Zero," Terminator said softly. "You fought well out there."
She gave a small, respectful nod.
"Sir... you're unusually quiet," Zero noted, eyeing his solemn profile. "Is something wrong?"
"It's nothing," Terminator replied, his voice barely louder than a whisper. "I was just reflecting on how I've spent my life up to this point."
Zero blinked, genuine shock flickering across her usually stoic face.
"Sir... don't let Philip's garbage get inside your head," Zero said, casting a sharp glance toward the back of the cabin where Philip's unconscious, restrained body lay. "He's just a madman."
"What do you really think of him, Zero?" Terminator asked calmly.
"I used to respect his scientific achievements and other ways how he helped The Organization," Zero admitted. "But after everything he pulled today... he's nothing more than a monster."
Terminator nodded slowly. "Yes... a monster. Driven completely insane by his love for his family."
Zero studied Terminator's face, listening as he let out a low, barely audible murmur: "...Just like... me...?"
"Sir, you are nothing like that man," Zero said firmly, her voice leaving no room for argument.
Terminator remained silent, staring down at his scarred, calloused hands.
"Sir, Remember when you saved my life... back when I was just a kid?" Zero continued softly. "And just recently... you chose to let that boy go. You let Ethan live."
Terminator looked over at her, his expression softening as he gave a single, meaningful nod.
At that moment, the heavy hydraulic elevator shuddered to a halt, and the cabin lights turned green.
"Boss, we've reached the lower bunker levels," T-Rex announced, stepping into the aisle.
Terminator stood up, his leader's demeanor instantly returning. "Bring Philip's body. Take him directly to level 5."
Meanwhile, in Japan...
The sliding glass doors of Asahikawa Airport opened as Eliza, her Aunt Maya, and her elder brother stepped out into the crisp evening air. The winter breeze carried the faint scent of fresh snow as they made their way toward a high-end hotel in the city center.
After checking into their suite, Eliza tugged lightly on her aunt's sleeve. "Aunty... can I look around the lobby for a little bit?"
Maya opened her mouth to instinctively refuse, but seeing the bright, hopeful smile on Eliza's face, her expression softened.
"Alright, Eliza. But stay inside the hotel, and don't wander off too far."
"I won't!" Eliza promised, wandering toward the grand glass atrium.
As she walked near the main lounge, something caught her attention. A few yards away, a regal, elegant woman was kneeling down in front of a young boy.
What's going on over there? Eliza wondered, pausing her steps.
She watched as the woman pulled the young boy into a tender, protective hug. After releasing him, she patted his head and said,
"Let's go Hayato." She said.
Then, the woman took his hand, and together they stepped into an open elevator.
"Eliza!" Maya's voice called out as she hurried down the hall.
Eliza turned. "Aunty?"
"Come on, sweetheart, let's head up to our room," Maya said, taking her hand. "Your brother is waiting for us."
Eliza nodded obediently, turning to walk alongside her aunt. But as she moved away, she couldn't resist looking back one last time toward the closing elevator doors.
In that final split second before the heavy doors slid shut, the boy inside shifted his gaze—locking his cold, piercing eyes directly onto hers.