(Meanwhile, back at Infinity’s tower, Infinity silently glances at a monitor displaying a map of coordinates back at a control room with an icy blue energy signature at a specific coordinate, representing the Ice Surge Beacon. Hollow enters the control room to meet up with Infinity himself, having successfully withdrawn from the destroyed camp, and Infinity slowly turns to him as he stands beside him and glances at the monitor as well.)

  Infinity: There you are.

  Hollow: The soldiers were sent to recuperate after the operation and await further instructions. But… I don’t understand. Why did you order us to withdraw?

  Infinity: Because there was simply no need to continue. Your primary objective was to bring out the Ice Surge Beacon and show him the truth of our cause before his own eyes, and you did exactly that. The seeds have been planted in his heart and mind, and once he snaps out of this state, he’ll never be the same again. What happens next will lead to our triumph, and soon, you’ll understand why. (turning to him) But something else disturbs you, Hollow. What is it?

  Hollow: (muttering) It’s nothing.

  Infinity: (with subtle care) You know you can be honest with me, don’t you? What’s on your mind?

  Hollow: It’s just… those people at the camp… I killed several people back there. Looking back at it… was it truly necessary?

  Infinity: (firmly) Our cause goes against needless killing. The goal is to spread the ideology that can drive this world forward, not to lay waste to the world for the mere sake of it. However, the Ice Surge needed to see reason in the words we preach, and for that, he needed to abandon the beliefs of old, even if by force, even if it had to involve bloodshed.

  Hollow: But… they’re still human lives. Did I fail the cause… by having to kill them?

  Infinity: (calm and measured) Listen, Hollow, the value of life is determined by purpose. Without purpose, we have no right to live. Our purpose… all of us… is to spread the truth regarded by the masses as heresy, and the failure to accept that truth… the attachment to the ways of the old world… is reason enough to undermine the value of their lives. Those people were not at fault, yes, but their deaths were for the greater good. You didn’t fail the cause. You supported it by taking the tough decision when it mattered. That said, I’d rather not have to deal with needless casualties. Keep that in mind.

  Hollow: (sighing deeply) Understood.

  Infinity: (turning to the monitor once again) Despite that, you kept casualties to a minimum all while completing the task. I commend you for it. You did well.

  (Hollow firmly nods in acknowledgment, and Infinity returns the gesture. Suddenly, the monitor makes several small beeps, and as Infinity and Hollow take a look at it, they see a crimson red energy signature developing close to the Ice Surge Beacon. They immediately recognize the energy signature, much to Hollow’s surprise.)

  Hollow: (surprised) It’s the Fire Surge Beacon. What’s happening?

  Infinity: (the purple infinity sign on his mask narrowing and glowing, intrigued) It’s emerged once again. This will be interesting, indeed.

  (Meanwhile, back at the destroyed camp, amid the cold, violent winds, Focus, Boltix, Jackpot, Jax, and Gauntlet — as well as Shay and Mr and Mrs Carter, Ethan’s adopted parents — watch in silent dread as two Surge Beacons confront one another: Ethan and Red Flare. The silence between them is deafening, with Ethan maintaining his emotionless scowl in the face of Red Flare, who looks around at the spectators with an amused yet ultimately wicked grin.)

  Red Flare: (chuckling, looking around, her voice now subtly raspier) Look at all those morons. I really feel like burning them all to a crisp after we’re done. They look like they’re about to collapse on the spot, don’t you think?

  Ethan: …

  Red Flare: (turning to him, disappointed) Not too chatty, huh? Not even a ‘grr’ or ‘gar’ this time? Oh, well. It’s not unusual to see the Ice Surge giving me the ‘cold’ shoulder anyway. (her wicked grin returning) Honestly? With how quiet you are, I really wanna know how loud I can make you scream.

  (Ethan remains unmoved and detached regardless, glaring right at Flare with the expressionless look on his face and pupil-less eyes. He forms several ice crystals from the tiny ice fragments scattered by the wind and launches them at Red Flare, but a burst of flames coming from her crimson aura cancels them out, turning into a short-lived burst of steam that clouds Red Flare for a short moment with its vapor. With another burst of flames, she sends the vapor away, standing firmly with her crooked grin.)

  Red Flare: (grinning darkly) That felt a little chilly.

  (Red Flare immediately lunges at Ethan and lands a kick at his gut, launching him through the air. He forms an ice platform to stand on midair, and he sees Red Flare coming at him again for another blow, her fists glowing with crimson flames and her grin widening. Shay and the Carters watch as the battle begins, with the former’s lips parting in shock.)

  Mr. Carter: That girl… isn’t that… her?!

  Shay: (muttering in shock) So that’s the cut o’ her jib. What in the heavens is happenin’ with her now?

  (Ethan keeps jumping between ice platforms in the air while circling Red Flare and firing ice crystals right at her, but she rapidly forms a barrage of fire lances and cancels out the crystals. She also lands a fire lance at the ice platform Ethan just set foot on, causing him to lose his footing. Red Flare then propels herself above Ethan and prepares to launch a burst of fire at him, and he attempts to snuff out the fire with the cold, violent winds, but the flames drive the winds away from it and are launched at him regardless, forcing him to block it with a powerful ice slab and get sent plummeting to the ground. Ethan gets back on his feet and grits his teeth, seeing Red Flare descend to the ground in front of him.)

  Red Flare: (chuckling) Already feeling angry, huh? Talk about progress. But then again, your power is just begging for the ‘cold’ vibe.

  (Ethan pulls a quick ice pillar out of the ground and launches it at Red Flare, who extends his palm at it and simply turns it into vapor with a burst of flames with a chuckle. Meanwhile, Focus rallies with his other allies and watches Red Flare’s ongoing battle against the Ice Surge Beacon in dread.)

  Gauntlet: (muttering with dread) Guess she’s a Surge Beacon for a reason after all.

  (It’s as if Focus, Boltix, and Jackpot all recall Red Flare’s previous appearance in the cavern and the chaos she caused. Jax specifically remembers how she attacked him and his friends and crashed him into a wall. He also remembers the sound of her hysterical laughter back then.)

  Red Flare (Flashback): (wickedly grinning, glancing at her fiery palms) Now that’s what I’m talking about! This power never felt so good! I could burn this dung hill of a world into a crisp a million times over on the mere whim… just because I can! Hell, I might actually get on with that the moment I’m done with you, see how it goes for me! After all… who’s gonna stop me?

  (Jax remembers the way this particular side of Flare faintly glanced back at him, Pulse, and Proxy upon uttering that last line, as if she was intentionally sending that message to them back then. With a grimace, Jax breaks the tense silence.)

  Jax: (grimacing) This isn’t good. Once she’s done with the Ice Surge Beacon… she’ll turn to us next… and after that… all those people.

  Jackpot: But should we really get in the way? That’s two Beacons we’re talking about.

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  (Focus grits his teeth as he finds himself caught in a moment of indecision, but then suddenly, his chest tightens in sharp pain, forcing him on his knees. He clutches his chest in pain as the frost mark on his face widens and envelops almost his entire face other than his eyes and forehead, and it doesn’t even stop there: his hands too develop gradually expanding frost marks, his condition further deteriorating and approaching the point of no return. The others hurriedly rally around him in worry.)

  Jax: Focus!

  (Focus raises a palm at the others, signaling him to back off. He breathes heavily, his breath coming in cloudy puffs, and he shakily gets back up on his feet while activating his navy blue aura, which can only stall his hypothermia for a little longer. He glances at the ongoing fight between the Ice and Fire Surge Beacons, clenching his cold fists.)

  Focus: (muttering weakly) We need… to help. Who knows what could happen between them?

  Jax: But… your condition — !

  (Focus doesn’t pay heed to that and runs off, his steps unequal and shaky as a result of his condition. The others reluctantly follow him to take part in the battle. Meanwhile, the Ice Surge Beacon slides towards Red Flare using his icy feet and eloquently dodges her blow while preparing a cluster of ice crystals. The incoming ice crystals get shattered by a burst of flames coming from the Fire Surge Beacon’s aura, but then she gets struck by an ice staff at her gut, knocking her back. He then launches an icy energy beam at her, but she blocks it with her palms and cancels it out.)

  Red Flare: (nonchalantly) You’ve sure got hands, kiddo.

  (Two giant ice slabs form on either side of Flare and converge on her, but she shatters them with both her hands and then propels herself sideways to dodge Ethan’s subsequent blow. He lunges at Red Flare, using several ice shields to block her barrage of fire lances as he closes in on her. However, he’s taken by surprise when Flare propels herself upwards and launches another wave of fire lances from above at his surroundings, knocking him off-balance. She then lands a roundhouse kick at his face, knocking him into a pile of rubble, but he quickly re-emerges with his detached expression.)

  Red Flare: (darkly grinning) You really are boring with that poker face of yours, pal. Come on! Have a little fun, will ya? Isn’t it exciting that you can lay waste to this world whenever you feel like it?!

  (The Ice Surge Beacon grits his teeth as his icy aura amplifies even further, and Red Flare chuckles in wicked excitement upon seeing this. Suddenly, however, Ethan is forced to block a punch from his right side, which sends him skidding back, and the punch is from none other than Boltix. He charges up his Kinetic Surge and envelops himself in his electric blue and yellow aura, and as Ethan launches several ice crystals at him, Gaintlet steps in and uses his single gauntlet to form an energy barrier that blocks the attacks.)

  Gauntlet: (thinking to himself, pulling a plasma gun out of his pocket) Oh, well. Guess I’ll have to deal with having just a single gauntlet. Surge Erasure isn’t an option anymore.

  (Afterwards, Focus and Jax — in his muscular form — lunge at Ethan from either side of him, and he slides back to dodge their advances. However, just as Boltix is about to join the fight, he receives a surprise punch from none other than Red Flare, getting launched into a pile of rubble.)

  Boltix: (groaning, annoyed) What the hell?

  Red Flare: (slowly walking toward him, her crooked smirk widening) Sit down, Sparky. This fight ain’t for you.

  (He receives another powerful punch, launching him through the air, and upon regaining his footing, he suddenly feels a sharp, tense pain all over his muscles, causing him to lose momentum; his prolonged, uninterrupted usage of the Kinetic Surge has taken a toll on him, and his body has finally given out. Red Flare makes use of that and grabs his face, slamming the back of his head into the ground.)

  Boltix: (internally, wincing in pain) Not… this again!

  Red Flare: (mockingly) I’ll be back for you soon. Don’t run off now.

  (Red Flare turns around and then dashes off, leaving Boltix too exhausted to continue and effectively out of the fight. Meanwhile, Jax repeatedly switches between his muscular form and his normal, more agile form as he lunges at Ethan, using the former to take on his ice projectiles and the latter to maneuver past the Ice Surge Beacon’s surprise attacks. He assumes his muscular form once again and shatters another ice slab, allowing Focus to pass through and swing his fist at Ethan, the latter lands an uppercut at him and sends him sliding. Jax takes Ethan by surprise and lands a roundhouse kick at him, knocking him back laterally, and as Ethan steadies himself, he blocks a whip katar from Gauntlet’s sole glove.)

  (Gauntlet then lunges at him, repeatedly firing at him with his plasma gun, but Ethan easily blocks the blasts with his bare hands. However, he rapidly launches several blasts from his gauntlet at the ground, causing Ethan to lose his footing, and then he propels himself upwards with his air shoes while preparing a strike with his whip katars. Suddenly, he receives a powerful punch to the face from his right side, and it’s from none other than Red Flare.)

  Red Flare: (chuckling) There you are, hotshot!

  (She then kicks him in the gut and sends him plummeting into the ground, much to Jax’s shock. Immediately upon setting foot on the ground, she turns to Jax and launches a burst of crimson flames at him, which he attempts to hold down with his palms. However, the intensity of the flames is too much for his muscular form to handle, and it starts to emit steam.)

  Jax: (internally, through gritted teeth) Her flames… I can’t take them on! My muscular form is giving out!

  (Red Flare then lands a powerful punch at his gut, sending him skidding back, and then she relentlessly launches a flurry of fire lances right at him, dealing more damage to his muscular form. Focus returns to the scene just in time to see Red Flare land the final blow at Jax’s gut with a vile grin, launching him into a pile of rubble, and after that, he can no longer maintain his muscular form, effectively out of the fight. Focus remains shocked as he sees Red Flare chuckling in wicked delight, and then she turns to him, her crooked grin widening.)

  Red Flare: (chuckling) Your turn now, eager beaver.

  (Red Flare rapidly lunges at Focus, and he can’t react in time before she lands a powerful punch at his chest, sending him flying. She moves in on Focus for another blow, and he holds down her hands, his clenched jaw meeting her vicious grin.)

  Focus: Stop this, Flare! We’re on your side!

  Red Flare: (chuckling) Are you now?! And what about the guys you called over?! What about the guys who sent you to begin with?!

  Focus: (surprised) Wait, but how do you — ?!

  Red Flare: (her grin widening) And yet I wasn’t told to expect backup! Why would you possibly keep quiet about this, huh?! What, you’re tryna capture me again?!

  (Focus’s lips part in shock as he hears this, but then he receives a knee to the gut, knocking him off balance, and then he receives a punch in the face that knocks him into a pile of rubble. The residents watch this new development of events, seeing Red Flare’s rampage, and Shay especially is astonished at what’s happening as he sees this version of Flare attacking Focus.)

  Shay: (muttering in shock) She can’t be tellin’ a friend from a foe, she’s just uncontrollable.

  (Mr and Mrs Carter are also horrified by this sight, further adding to the palpable dread. Meanwhile, Red Flare approaches Focus and grabs him by the neck, chuckling wickedly as she charges up her other palm with fire. However, she instead uses that palm to form a barrage of fire lances to shatter a cluster of ice crystals. She throws the weakened Focus away and turns around, seeing Ethan — the Ice Surge Beacon — standing in front of her with that unchanged, detached look on his face and pupil-less, glowing icy blue eyes.)

  Red Flare: (cockily smirking) I almost forgot about you. (charging up her palms with fire) Let’s say we end this on a high?

  (Ethan grits his teeth and charges up her palms with icy energy, amplifying his icy aura even further. The cold winds intensify even further, violently brushing past the horrified residents. Focus watches this from close distance, his lips parted in shock, but Jackpot drags him out of range, helping him meet up with his exhausted teammates.)

  Gauntlet: (shocked, shielding himself from the wind) Oh, my.

  Focus: (weakly) Something massive is about to happen.

  (Everyone around watches helplessly as the Ice Surge Beacon forms countless more tiny ice shards all around the area, his pupil-less eyes glowing even further with icy energy. Red Flare is barely fazed by that show of strength, the violent winds casually blowing past her, and she then sees Ethan yelling with all his effort, to which she reacts with a wide, dark smirk.)

  Red Flare: (with a crooked grin) There’s the yell! (taking a fighting stance) Show me what you’ve got!

  (She rapidly lunges at Ethan with her blazing crimson aura, but he launches her upwards into the air with a powerful ice blast. He then propels himself upwards as well, controlling all of the countless tiny ice shards scattered by the wind and launching numerous ice attacks at Red Flare. She propels herself through the air at high speed while dodging all of his attacks. She launches countless fire lances to destroy his continuously forming ice blasts, all while joining her two palms together to form a powerful fire blast, but this time, she grits her teeth while doing so, her crooked grin wavering. Ethan too joins his hands together to prepare his own powerful energy blast, his detached demeanor replaced by determination, and the others are left to look up at the sky in silent horror as the two powerhouses prepare to end their fight.)

  (The Fire Surge Beacon and the Ice Surge Beacon repeatedly lunge at each other and clash in the sky, their auras colliding with intensity in the distance. As their ice and fire blasts continue clashing around them, they lunge at each other one last time, each of them having fully prepared their finishing blasts of ice and fire. For a moment, everything stops: Focus, Boltix, Jackpot, Jax, Gauntlet, Mr and Mrs Carter, Shay, and all of the other residents freeze in shock. The two Surge Beacons grunt with all their effort and launch their blasts from close range, and they collide. The intensity of the collision causes a massive flash of white that submerges the entire destroyed camp, and soon, Red Flare and Ethan’s yells eventually fade, leaving silence behind it.)