Battle Of Planets

Chapter 97: Subdue
In Edward’s office, he and Barnes watched the scene unfold on the large screen. A hovering drone streamed a live feed of the battlefield—rogues kneeling one by one, their armors retracting, leaving only two rogues from Babylon and Justin, who still held Nancy tightly.”It appears that things are finally beginning to calm down,” Barnes said with a sigh of relief.

”I don’t think so,” came a voice from the doorway. Sam stepped inside, eyes locked on the screen. ”Welcome back, Barny.”

Barnes gave a brief nod, then turned back to the feed. ”What do you mean?”

Edward remained silent, sensing the weight in Sam’s voice. He knew. Sam had seen something—felt something.

”Danger’s not over yet,” Sam said, eyes still on the screen. ”Justin’s still there.”

Barnes scoffed. ”What can he do? He doesn’t even have armor. He’s just a civilian.”

”That’s the point,” Sam replied flatly. ”He won’t fight... but he’ll make things harder for all of us.”

”I swear, Sam, I never understand a word you say,” Barnes muttered. ”Speak straight. I don’t do riddles.”

Sam shook his head, then turned to Edward. ”General, are you still planning to stay silent? Things are going to spiral. You know what’s coming.”

Edward pretended to think, tapping a finger lightly on the desk, his expression unreadable. The act only deepened the frown on Sam’s face.

”Please, sir,” Sam said, voice firmer now. ”I know he’s your son—but right now, he’s a ticking time bomb. And Justin? He’s the remote. If we keep ignoring this, it’s only a matter of time before it all blows up in our face.”

”What does that even mean?” Barnes asked, confused.

Just then, Justin’s voice came through the drone’s feed, stealing their attention.

---

Meanwhile, on the battlefield—

”Tyson, huh?” Justin smiled, pulling Nancy slightly forward. She let out a soft cry, wincing as he yanked her hair. Her eyes squeezed shut from the pain.

The Rangers, who had been arresting the Rogues one by one, paused—now curious. He was surrounded and clearly outmatched, yet this man had the audacity to smile. What kind of person was he?

”Sir... Let’s surrender too,” one of the Rogues beside Justin muttered nervously.

Justin ignored him.

”Let’s talk. Man to man,” he said, his voice low, calm, and almost friendly. He cast a brief glance at Nancy. ”This girl... I’ve loved her since we were kids. She was just a little thing back then, and even then, we shared something—long before you ever laid eyes on her.”

He paused, tightening his grip. Nancy winced again, tears slipping down her cheeks.

”And yet... every time she is hurt, every time she breaks... it is your name she whispers. Why is that, I wonder?”

Tyson took a step forward, fists clenched, but froze mid-step. She remained in Justin’s grasp. One wrong move and she could be hurt even more.

”Leave her,” Tyson said through gritted teeth. ”W-We can talk this out.”

Justin chuckled darkly. He grabbed Nancy’s chin, forcing her to look directly at Tyson. His voice dropped to a chilling whisper.

”Do you see him, Nancy? This is your fault. We have another man between us, another sheep ready to be slaughtered just like the others back in Babylon. I am tired of killing them, but you always love to force my hand, don’t you?”

Nancy’s eyes widened in horror.

She had always known Justin was intense—even violent. Back in school, he had broken a boy’s finger who dared to confess his feelings to her. After that, she was told he had changed schools. But never, in her wildest dreams, did she think it was because he had killed someone because of her.

”No... No, you didn’t...” she whispered, eyes trembling as she looked at him. ”How could you...”

”I did,” Justin said flatly. ”It was his fault. It was their fault for dreaming of something they could never have. And they paid the price.”

”You killed them? Killed him?” Nancy looked horrified. ”How many have you...”

”I forgot the count,” Justin said in a whisper. ”Only for you.”

Even the Rogues around him recoiled in disbelief. They had no idea who this man truly was. The way he spoke even made them stutter upon hearing him. He killed all the boys who ever tried to get close to her?

The Rangers exchanged uneasy glances. For a moment, they were torn between completing the arrests and preparing to confront the real monster standing before them.

Nancy felt her knees weaken.

Her mind spun with horror, realization sinking in like poison—she was the reason. All those innocent boys... they’d died because of her. Because they liked her, because they had feelings she never asked for.

She felt like a monster.

She allowed them to suffer... unaware that she was playing a role in a tragedy etched in blood.

Across the battlefield, Tyson retracted his helmet. His face was filled with pain—not just from the situation, but as if he could feel the storm inside her.

”Nancy! Look at me—please!” Tyson called out, voice cracking. ”It’s not your fault. You didn’t hurt anyone. You didn’t know—”

”Yes, she did!” Justin screamed.

His voice echoed off the broken pavement, wild and unhinged.

”They died because they were meant to. For us! For our great love story!” he roared, eyes burning with madness.

Nancy shut her eyes tightly, trembling. She couldn’t look at Tyson. Not now. Not like this. Not when her heart screamed guilt. Not when she felt like a sinner. It was like a cursed woman who brings death with a smile.

She wanted to vanish.

”And you—” Justin’s voice snapped again, his rage bubbling up. ”Stay the hell away from her!”

He yanked Nancy harshly, pulling her close. ”She’s mine,” he hissed. ”Mine to possess. Mine to break. Mine to take.”

Nancy cried out in pain, her hands pressing against his chest in an attempt to break free. She thrashed against him—desperate and terrified.

But he held tighter. And in that moment, even the surrounding silence seemed to shake.

----

Inside Edward’s office, the silence stretched thick with tension. It was Sam who finally broke it.

”This is exactly what I meant,” he said grimly, his eyes locked on the screen. ”Justin just pushed the damn button.”

The feed displayed Tyson standing still—his body tense, chest rising heavily. His eyes were cold, yet beneath that was a storm.

Barnes squinted. ”He’s transforming,” he whispered, almost to himself. ”His eyes... they’re not his. It’s like— beast ready to pounce.”

And then—Tyson moved.

In a flash, his helmet clicked shut. His hand gripped the sword. A dash forward like lightning. He aimed straight for Justin’s neck, sword ready to end it—

CLANG!

A rogue jumped in, just barely managing to block the strike. Even at 34 points, the sheer force of Tyson’s blow sent him crashing to his knees, gasping for breath.

”I’ll kill you!” Tyson roared, a voice laced with anguish and rage echoed across the battlefield.

Justin momentarily panicked, taking a step back. He never thought Tyson would decide to go for his head.

”We need to do something, General! If no one steps in, Tyson will kill him.” Sam spoke up.

Barnes clenched his jaw. ”Then I’ll go myself—”

”No,” Edward finally said, his voice low, distant. ”You don’t understand.”

Both men turned toward him.

”If Tyson doesn’t fight now,” Edward said, eyes never leaving the screen, ”if we stop him at this point... he’ll carry that block in his heart forever.”

Barnes blinked. ”What?”

”He’ll regret it,” Edward continued. ”He’ll live haunted, never knowing whether he could have done something... or if he should have. I won’t allow him to carry that burden like I do.”

Sam stepped forward, disbelief in his voice. ”So what? We just let Justin die? I know he’s your family, sir... but the city—what will they say if we stand by and do nothing?”

Edward went quiet. His fingers curled into fists. At this, he was both Father and General, and he had to make a choice.

”No,” Edward said, at last, his voice like steel. ”We won’t stand by... but we won’t stop him completely either.”

Sam narrowed his eyes. ”What does that mean, sir?”

Edward straightened. ”All sergeants in the vicinity—subdue Tyson. Protect Justin. Anyone above that rank—do not get involved.”

The command echoed in the room, and within seconds A.I relayed it to the rangers on the ground.

Sam stepped forward, disbelief creeping into his voice. ”So you really want him to harden himself—even in this situation?”

”Maybe,” Barnes replied, exhaling slowly. ”Maybe this way... if the lower ranks intervene, Tyson won’t feel betrayed. And the city can’t say we stood idle.”

”But what if Tyson still manages to kill Justin?” Sam asked, gaze heavy with concern.

Edward stared at the screen, unmoving. ”Then let him,” he said grimly. ”I’ll take responsibility, no matter the outcome.”

----

Lara and Ken stood frozen, eyes locked on the glowing message flashing inside their helmets. ”Subdue Tyson. Protect Justin.”

Ken gritted his teeth. ”Is this some kind of joke?”

Lara didn’t respond. Her hands clenched at her sides, emotions battling within her—duty versus her idol, the person she admired and perhaps liked.

The other Rangers glanced around, eyes wide behind their visors. No one moved. No one wanted to.

Then Tim stepped forward. His voice was steady, but his eyes held conflict. ”Tyson... calm down. We have orders to stop you.”

The field fell silent. Even the captured Rogues hesitated, unsure of what was happening anymore.

Tyson didn’t even glance at Tim. Instead, he twisted mid-air with brutal precision his boot connecting with a Rogue who had stopped his attack earlier. The force sent the man sprawling back in debris.

”Can you?”