Dominos: Zero Point Awakening

Chapter 41: A world running on wheels?!

As narrated by the event keeper

Planetary Defense Force HQ, moments after Cipher Dashed out

Cornered, Cipher staked everything he’d fought for on a desperate gamble. His was a heart of logic, now flung into fierce defiance by the world’s cruel hand.

Meanwhile, another’s grip on power began to falter, slipping through his fingers like sand.

Malcolm Cole, the HQ defense force advisor, slammed his fist onto the table, his voice a thunderclap of fury.

“Stubborn brat! Where did he go!?” he roared, his eyes wild with desperation to tighten his grip on class-x. “Captain, stop your boy before he ruins us all!”

Captain Agatha rose sharply, her stance unyielding. “I’ve sworn my life to this organization, to the people,” she said, her tone resolute yet strained. “But I’m also captain of the Class-X unit. My duty is to protect my squad—not to watch one of them bear the weight of our survival alone.”

Captain Agatha made her stance clear. The twins, Dmitry and Yukio stood up following.

Malcolm’s face darkened. “What’s that supposed to mean? Are you defying my orders, Captain?”

She turned toward the office door, but before she could step out, William exploded into action. His eyes blazed as he seized Dr. Steven Hush by the throat, pinning him against the wall.

“The real threat’s right here!” he growled, his voice thick with rage.

Commander Grey reacted instantly, his fist clenched as he advanced on William.

“Let him go!” The commander warned him.

William’s glare snapped to Grey, unflinching. “You want to do this here? In this cramped office—right in front of the president?”

Inside the room, Ava Hawkins, president of the Planetary Defense Force, watched in tense silence beside Malcolm. Fighting here was a gamble Grey couldn’t afford—not as her personal guard.

“Stand down, Commander!” Malcolm barked, his authority cutting through the chaos. He whirled on Captain Agatha, his voice rising. “Is this how you train your men, Captain? What the hell are you all playing at?”

The air grew heavy as William’s grip tightened on Dr. Hush’s neck, the doctor’s face reddening. Captain Agatha stepped closer, her voice firm but edged with urgency. “William, let him go.”

But William’s conviction burned deeper. “He’s the root of it all! As long as he can make more of that serum for force, we’re nothing but expendable pawns!”

Malcolm shot to his feet, his tone menacing. “And what? You’ll kill him? Do that, and none of you walk away alive. Understand?”

The captain then noticed that William wasn’t bluffing around.

“William, release him!” She ordered again, her patience thinning.

Others moved to intervene, but William’s iron grip held fast—until Dr. Hush’s choked mumbles broke through. William eased up just enough to let him speak.

“I can’t make the serum!” Dr. Hush gasped, his voice ragged. “I lied!”

William released him, only to grab his shirt and yank him forward. “Another lie to save yourself?”

“No!” The doctor replied, his eyes darting frantically. “The serum’s particles—they don’t exist in this universe! No one can recreate it. I lied out of shame!”

His confession stunned the room into silence. Malcolm leaned in, incredulous. “What nonsense is this, Hush? You said you replicated it—made monsters with it!”

“I didn’t replicate a damn thing!” Dr. Hush’s voice cracked with desperation. “My device is a filter, not a replicator. I extracted the serum’s atomic nuclei from test subjects and reinjected them into others. But it’s finite—three cycles, then it’s done. We need a steady supply.”

Malcolm’s hand lashed out, seizing Dr. Hush by the collar. “Is that why you demanded the Neogens’ bodies after Sane killed them? You lying son of a bitch!”

“You can’t kill me!” Dr. Hush pointed out. “I’m the only one who can extract it! And there’s more—I know how to turn them into monsters. Ultimate weapons to stop the Voldocks!”

The revelation froze them all—until the building itself rebelled. A deafening crack split the air as the walls shuddered and buckled.

The HQ building was cleaved in two, debris raining down in a sudden, violent assault.

Two men stormed the Planetary Defense Force HQ, their bulletproof bodies shrugging off the agents’ desperate gunfire. With unnatural powers, they carved through the defenses, leaving the stationed agents outmatched and overwhelmed.

Inside, Commander John Grey hesitated, his gaze darting to Captain Agatha. His mind churned—protect the president or face the intruders?

The captain, sensing his indecision, took charge. “Go!” she barked. “I’ll keep the president safe!”

Her words snapped Grey into action. Trusting her to hold the line, he bolted outside, drawing the fight away from the president’s position. There, he faced two familiar enemies: Space Divider and Rib-man, the same reckless Neogens Squadron-X had clashed with on Raspberry Island.

After their escape, they’d returned—driven by some unknown purpose—to strike at the heart of the Planetary Defense Force.

A handful of Level One Neogens trailed them, cutting down soldiers with ruthless efficiency. Space Divider led the carnage, his condensed energy vision slicing through steel and flesh alike.

Grey knew he had to end this fast—and Space Divider was the priority.

His high-energy solid-state flared to life, crimson light igniting in his eyes. This time, he wielded his power with precision, capping his speed at Abdu’s peak—lethal yet controlled. In a flash, the commander closed the distance, appearing behind Space Divider. His fist drove through the Neogen’s abdomen, heat surging from his hand to reduce the man to ash in an instant.

The other Neogens froze, their bravado shattered. Rib-man, trembling under Grey’s gaze, saw his own death reflected in those glowing eyes. He collapsed to his knees, voice breaking. “P-please—spare me!”

With that, the coup attempt crumbled. But the true mastermind lurked elsewhere.

Minutes earlier, at General Flick’s residence, an uninvited guest arrived. Derick Haywood, founder of NewAge—a private weapons empire—stepped inside, his presence carrying a dangerous weight.

What he proposed left Flick stunned.

“You want to overthrow the president of the Planetary Defense Force?” Flick’s tone dripped with disbelief. “Are you insane?”

Haywood remained unfazed. “I’ve lined up the pieces. The union’s teetering—a war nearly broke out. When it’s done, her allies will defect to us.”

Flick shook his head. “There are safeguards you can’t crack.”

“That’s why I need you,” Haywood pressed. “Fort Vanguard’s army is loyal to you. Lead them, and they’ll follow. I’ll handle Marcus. With the defense force on our side, this will be a piece of cake.”

Flick rose, his voice iron. “Get out. I’ll pretend this never happened.”

“Damn it Flick!” Haywood’s composure cracked. “The worlds on the brink of collapse! We need real leaders, strong men to stop those aliens—not weaklings playing politics!”

“You’re this for yourself,” Flick shot back. “Leave before I put you down myself.”

Haywood stood, his tone low.

“I’m disappointed. I thought you’d see it—how she discarded you like trash after all you’ve done. The world needs men like us.” He glanced at his watch. “It doesn’t matter anyway. It should be over by now.”

“What are you talking about?” Flick demanded, unease creeping in.

“If you’re not with me, you’re against me,” Haywood said. “The world doesn’t run on wheels flick, we carry it on out shoulders!”

With that signal, the door burst open, and Haywood’s agents stormed in, guns trained on Flick. They fired, but before the bullets could strike, Drake Wilson appeared, shielding the general with his body.

Haywood’s eyes widened—Drake was a Neogen. He fled, abandoning his men.

Drake dispatched them with ease, stripping their weapons and leaving them sprawled on the floor.

“Stop Haywood!” Flick ordered. “He’s after the president!”

Drake gave chase, while Flick radioed HQ. But by the time Drake arrived, the threat was dust—Commander Grey had already crushed the assault.