Mandora and meds rushing at Alex and James , when she saw the lady , she hugged her ," aunt and how are you doing !".
she held her " you grew up ! How are you !"
Mandora looks at her and says " did you see Alex !".
she laughed and said " he contacted me with code ! so I woke up and ran to her ! but he was already finishing the fight !".
she looks at Alex and says " did you both syringes ! kids!".
Alex nods and says " yep i take heart enchantment and physical enchantment !".
she looks at the lightning flow and says " idiot ! you use all the forbidden techniques !".
James laughs and says " hey sister dora ! I think we messed up !".
She saw James' leg and said " good job 4 weeks for you ! 6 weeks for Alex !".
" 4 extra weeks for his habitation for both of you !".
Some meds run at them , Alex and James are put on carry beds .
"Alex! Greet your aunt!" Randye beamed, standing proud with hands on her hips. "Randye Brave—Light Author—and your favorite nanny!"
Alex blinked, smiled faintly, then nodded. "Thanks for the help, Aunt. And… Please don't scold my team. I'm responsible for all of this."
Randye crossed her arms. "We'll talk about that later—after I meet them. They'll be tested… thoroughly."
Her eyes held that dangerous sparkle only strict mentors have.
The medics gently began lifting Alex and James onto stretcher beds, weaving through stunned onlookers.
Everyone was surprised to see James laughing—grinning beside Alex like the whole near-death thing was just a training drill.
James raised a hand, halting the medics. "Wait—stop for a second."
His eyes locked on the rubble nearby. Under a crushed rooftop, a faint glow pulsed.
A small vortex of devil dust swirled down from the sky, lifting the debris. Beneath it, a boy—unconscious, glowing faintly—was revealed.
The medics stared, stunned.
"Please… take care of him too," James murmured, collapsing back. One of the medics whispered with respect:
"Thank you… Captain Ace."
[Evening Training Grounds – Ben, Athina, and Gwen]
Three hours of intense drills left the trio sprawled across the field, soaked in sweat and breathless.
Suddenly, a gust of divine wind blew through the air. A woman descended—cloaked in a white maze-stitched cloth over her head, like a specter of discipline.
"Training?" she snapped. "You're chilling while your captain was fighting a demon commander with two reckless fools—and yet they proved more reliable than you!"
The three froze in confusion. Then—
Gravity doubled.
Ben rose slowly, unwavering despite the crushing pressure. His eyes were sharp.
"What happened to him?" he asked.
He snatched a blade from the shelf and broke into a run.
"The fight's over," the woman said. "I came from the battlefield. Who here wears the Maze mark? You. With me."
Gwen's eyes welled with tears. "Where is he?! I need to see him!"
The woman stared at her for a beat, then muttered under her breath:
"Damn. This kid… must be in love. Anyone can tell."
"You all lack responsibility and order." She vanished in a blink, the gravity pressure fading with her.
Gwen fell to her knees, crying. Athina joined her.
"That idiot's hurt… We have to go," Ben growled, fists clenched. "I'm going to him."
The three raced to a nearby car. Ben called his father.
"Dad, where's Alex?"
"That zone is restricted. Come home—don't make a scene."
Ben hung up and immediately called James's number.
"James! Where are you?"
"Somewhere near Cross Valley, I think."
"Send me your live location—now."
James did. Ben shoved the phone at the driver.
"Catch that vehicle. That's an emergency transport."
The old man blinked. "What's going on?"
"Alex is hurt. We're visiting him—no matter what."
The driver nodded, adjusting his cap. "Seatbelts, kids. Princess, hold on. You're still sick."
He flipped on the sirens and shifted gears. The car took off like a bullet.
[Inside the Ambulance – Alex & James]
Lying side by side in the back, bruised and bandaged, James turned to Alex.
"Alright. If we're gonna be stuck in recovery for weeks... we need a plan."
Alex raised a brow. "Plan?"
"A game plan. Xbox. We're making a list."
Alex chuckled. "We just survived a demon commander. And your priority is co-op gaming?"
James grinned. "Damn right it is."
Sirens wail faintly outside. Inside, Alex sits up slightly, bruised but still smirking.
ALEX
"Hey doc… where exactly are you taking us? Another hospital?"
DOCTOR (without looking back)
"To your sister's institute. A.R.M.O.R.—Advanced Research for Mechanized and Organic Reinforcement."
JAMES (eyes widening, instantly panicked)
"What?! No—nonono—leave me here! I don't want to be a lab rat! I'll go to Apollo, Nexys, anywhere with pizza and dignity!"
DOCTOR (dead serious)
"Kid, if you don't calm down, I'm opening a window. Or I'm drugging you. Either way, you're staying in this van."
Alex chuckles, nudging James.
ALEX
"He's joking. I think."
He leans toward the doctor with mock innocence.
ALEX
"You're letting us out at least once a week, right?"
DOCTOR
"Negative. No outside access until full recovery."
ALEX
"...Visitors then? At least our friends?"
DOCTOR
"If they pass clearance."
ALEX (gulping)
"...We still get food, right? Chicken? Spicy fries? Maybe lobster if we say please?"
DOCTOR
"This isn't a buffet, son. You're lucky if you get boiled vegetables and protein paste."
Alex gasps dramatically.
ALEX
"Oh my god. We're going to jail. No—worse. SCIENCE jail."
He throws his arms to the roof, shouting into the heavens.
ALEX
"DAD! UNCLE SAM! UNCLE JOHN! AUNT AMBER! SOMEBODY SAVE US!"
JAMES (whispers, deadpan)
"Shut it, idiot! Stop shouting!"
He pauses, eyes narrowing.
"You hear that? Someone's calling us."
A siren wails, tailing the ambulance like a wolf stalking prey.
ALEX (perking up)
"Hey! James, open the door!"
Alex turns to him, wild-eyed.
"Blast the damn thing!"
JAMES (doubtful)
"Are you sure about that?"
ALEX (grinning)
"Just do it, asshat. My dad'll buy us another one!"
James charges a Qi pulse and blasts the back doors clean off.
Outside—chaos. Gwen, Athina, and Ben shout at once.
ALEX (dramatically)
"Whoo! Guys, save me! They're kidnapping me to a lab!"
Ben leaps onto the car deck, balancing like a ninja on adrenaline. He lunges for the ambulance—
But a man steps in front of the entrance.
MYSTERIOUS GUARD
"Sorry. No one's allowed in."
He kicks Ben mid-air, sending him crashing sideways.
Suddenly—
Randsy appears, eyes blazing.
"STOP IT, idiots! Why are you making a mess?!"
She explodes the tires with a flick of her fingers.
Ben ignores her and leaps again—
She counters, slamming him to the ground with a perfect arcane lock.
ALEX (groaning)
"I hate you, my favorite Nana!"
JAMES (confused)
"What was that?! Do you even remember her name?"
ALEX (wincing)
"I couldn't hear clearly, man! My ears were still buzzing from the fight!"
The doctor turns back, calm as ever.
ASH
"Guys, we're entering A.R.M.O.R. HQ."
The gates part with a mechanical hiss, revealing a sprawling fortress-lab carved into a mountain. Glass, steel, secrets.
Drones hover like vultures. Giant mechs stand silent in towering hangars.
The ambulance slows, scanners sweeping its chassis with a low hum.
ALEX (pressed to the window)
"This looks like Stark Industries married Area 51 and gave birth to a Bond villain's dream house."
JAMES (muttering)
"And we're the test rats."
The vehicle halts. Robotic arms lock the ambulance in place. Back doors hiss open.
Medics in black-and-white combat scrubs approach, visors reflecting the boys' battered faces.
ASH (flanked by researchers)
"Welcome to A.R.M.O.R., boys. You're not prisoners—you're assets. Now move. Before your cells destabilize.
Madam Mandora will explain everything later."
ALEX (wide-eyed)
"...Wait. Cells now? Are you injecting a virus in me!".
[ Medical Bay]
JAMES (softly)
"Alex… that was our last fight, huh?"
They lie side-by-side on the beds. A med-drone injects a stabilizer into their veins.
JAMES (turning to Alex)
"Let's bet. Who's got more wounds?"
ALEX (grinning)
"Alright, what's the wager?"
JAMES
"I'll give you my first-day rations—real food. Tasty stuff."
Both lie still, listening to the hum of machines.
DOCTOR (walking in, sarcastic)
"Hey kids. Heard we're a bit irritating?"
ALEX (deadpan stare)
"Doc. Can I ask a question?"
DOCTOR (smirking)
"Shoot."
ALEX
"Tell us about our wounds."
The doctor laughs, a warm but twisted sound.
"You kids are tougher than most soldiers I've seen."
DOCTOR (reading tablet)
Alex –
"Multiple tendon cuts on both legs, rib fractures with augment implants, heart enchantment layer stable, lungs were practically shattered by the blast. Plus bruises, lacerations, and a few broken dreams."
James –
"List's longer. Twelve ribs cracked. Left leg crushed—bone shatter beyond clean healing. But hey, your hands are fine."
JAMES (groaning)
"Well... I guess I will win."
ALEX (laughing through pain)
"Yeah, yeah. You get your damn food."