The arena lights buzzed on overhead.
The floor was metal — wide open, no cover. The walls shimmered with the hum of invisible barriers. Jack stood at the far gate, his Team Black badge still attached to his chest, the others behind him.
Grav slammed his fists together, Riot stretched her fingers with a wicked smile, and Blitz vibrated with twitchy energy, already hyped for blood.
"Let's tear your old friends apart," Riot whispered to Jack.
Jack said nothing.
Across the arena, the opposite gate opened.
And there they were.
Michael. Emily. And a new girl — blonde, calm, floating slightly off the ground. Gravity manipulator.
Michael's flame burned slowly in his palm.
Emily looked at Jack with wide, confused eyes.
The new girl didn't flinch — but her stance shifted like she was ready to fight.
The speaker crackled to life above them:
"Arena Match: Team Black vs Team Sapphire. Combat begins in 60 seconds."
Jack inhaled.
Then he reached into his coat pocket.
---
🌫️ The Betrayal
Blitz grinned and leaned toward Jack. "Ready to go nuts, red-eyes?"
Jack didn't answer.
He dropped a small capsule to the floor — barely noticeable.
It cracked.
PSSSSHHHH.
A thick, pale mist erupted from the capsule, engulfing his entire side of the arena.
The gas wasn't ordinary — it was one of the few tools Jack had crafted himself with the help of Screeching Maw's inner chemical knowledge.
A formula that made people pass out fast, with no permanent harm.
Grav staggered.
Blitz blinked, confused. "Wha—what is this—?"
Riot coughed. "What the hell, Jack?!"
And then — they all dropped, unconscious in seconds.
The entire arena gasped.
The speaker crackled again. "Violation of protocol—"
Jack stepped through the mist alone.
And walked straight across the arena, toward Team Sapphire.
---
🤝 The Offer
Michael flared up in defense. "Jack?! What the hell did you just—?!"
Emily took a step forward. "Jack, what are you—are you okay?"
He stopped in front of them, looked at both of them — his eyes tired, his voice steady.
"I'm not here to fight you," he said. "I won't kill you."
They stared, unsure what was happening.
Jack raised his hands. "I'm here to join you."
Even the gravity girl looked shocked now. "You're serious?"
Jack nodded.
"I choose this team. The one they said is my enemy."
He turned his head — slowly — and looked up.
High above them, behind bulletproof glass, were the staff members. Scientists. Observers. The system.
Jack stared straight at them.
---
⚠️ Rebellion Declared
"I won't fight your way anymore," Jack shouted.
"You want fighters? You want heroes?"
He pointed to his left. "That's my team."
"You said it takes four to make a full team. Well—now we're four."
He clenched his fist.
"I choose them, even if it makes me your enemy."
The arena was dead silent.
A second passed.
Then two.
Then red lights flashed across the arena walls. Alarms began to blare.
"Unauthorized team formation. Violation detected. Operatives out of compliance."
But Jack didn't move.
Neither did Michael.
Or Emily.
Even the gravity girl stepped beside him.
"We'll fight with him," she said.
---
💥 The Crack in the System
For the first time since the program began—
The system didn't know what to do.
Jack stood tall as guards gathered near the lower doors.
His heart was steady. His hands didn't shake.
They could punish him. Kill him. But for this moment, he had done something the program feared most:
He chose his own side.
🚨 The General
The red warning lights still pulsed around the arena. The intercom voice repeated the command:
"Unauthorized team formation. Violation detected. Apprehend the operative."
Doors at every corner of the arena hissed open.
Armed guards began to move in, rifles drawn, stun batons charged.
Jack stood his ground.
Michael stepped in front of him.
Emily raised a stream of water in defense.
The gravity girl's hands lifted with invisible weight already pulsing in her palms.
But then—everything stopped.
CLANK. CLANK. CLANK.
A new door opened on the upper deck of the arena observation room. From the shadows stepped a man covered in reinforced combat gear, black and silver plating strapped across his chest, arms, and legs. Every piece of gear looked custom-built for war. His chest bore a clean, white nameplate.
GENERAL TORVAN.
The guards stopped moving immediately.
Even the staff behind the glass stiffened.
Jack narrowed his eyes.
The general's voice boomed across the arena without a mic.
> "Stand down."
The guards lowered their weapons instantly.
Torvan stepped closer to the glass, staring directly at Jack from above.
> "If this man was willing to gas his own squad, disobey your orders, and walk into death just to return to his former team…"
A beat of silence.
> "Then his loyalty is beyond expectations."
He turned to the silent scientists in the glass room.
> "You say this program builds heroes. But this?" He pointed to Jack. "This is a soldier who chose his people over your machine."
> "He's earned it."
Jack didn't breathe.
Michael blinked.
Emily nearly cried.
Torvan finished his command:
> "From this moment forward, Team Sapphire will include Jack. They are now a fully approved four-person unit."
Then he turned his head slightly toward the lower arena command.
> "Round up Team Black. Return them to their quarters. And don't punish them — they were just following orders."
Guards moved quickly, dragging the unconscious bodies of Riot, Grav, and Blitz away.
> "Escort Team Sapphire — all four of them — to new housing. Let them rest. They'll need it."
Torvan gave Jack one final look.
> "You made your choice. Let's see if you survive it."
Then the general walked away — and the alarms went silent.
---
🧭 Transition
As the gates opened again, four new guards approached Jack and the others.
"We'll escort you now," one of them said.
Jack walked beside Michael, Emily, and the gravity girl — for the first time since the program began, feeling like he was walking forward, not deeper into hell.
They didn't speak.
They didn't smile.
But for now?
They were together again.
And that was enough.