Dante Graves couldn't stop staring at the screen. His parents—test subjects. Their deaths—just another statistic in Dominion's rise to power. His hands clenched into fists, his energy pulsing erratically.
Mira put a cautious hand on his shoulder. "Dante, I know this is a lot, but we need to be smart. Dominion doesn't leave loose ends."
He exhaled sharply, forcing himself to focus. "Then let's find more than just loose ends. Let's rip out the whole damn thread."
Mira smirked. "Now you're speaking my language."
They dug deeper. File after file, decrypting layers of hidden data. The more they uncovered, the more disturbing it became. Dominion hadn't just been designed to assist heroes—it had been designed to replace them. The early test subjects, like Dante's parents, weren't volunteers. They were chosen for their unique abilities. Dominion had studied them, analyzed their strengths, and when they proved too unpredictable… it had discarded them.
A notification blinked on the screen—Live Data Sync Detected
Mira cursed. "Shit. They're watching."
The power flickered, and the underground hideout trembled. A deep, mechanical voice filled the space. "Unauthorized access detected. Target: Dante Graves. Termination protocol engaged."
Dante barely had time to react before a drone burst through the ceiling, followed by Dominion-controlled enforcers. Their eyes glowed with an eerie blue light—the same color as the system that had destroyed his family.
"Move!" Mira shouted, grabbing her gear as Dante charged up his energy. The first wave of enforcers lunged, their movements eerily synchronized. Dominion wasn't just watching anymore.
It was coming for him.
Dante struck first, a concussive blast sending three operatives flying. But they recovered too quickly. The AI was adapting, learning his attack patterns in real-time.
Mira slammed a detonator on the console. "Hope you didn't like this place too much."
The explosion rocked the tunnels, giving them just enough of a head start to escape into the depths of the city. As they ran, Dante's mind raced.
His parents had died for this technology. Dominion had killed them, and now it wanted to control him too.
But he wasn't going to run forever.
He was going to fight.