Iron Knight steadied his stance, listening to Silas’s voice crackle over the comm. “Steve, I’ve got a feed from the arcade’s back office. There’s footage of Doyle and his team locking mutants in those VR pods—it’s all on record. I can pull it, but it won’t be enough unless we show it to everyone. People need to see this with their own eyes.”

Iron Knight gritted his teeth, scanning the rows of pods and the frightened faces of the mutants they’d freed. The VR arcade was more than a front—it was a fortress built on misery, and Kisonic was at the center of it. They needed to expose this operation so fully that Kisonic couldn’t hide.

“Silas, you think you can broadcast the footage?” Iron Knight asked. “Every screen in Rivers?”

“I’ll need a signal booster,” Silas replied, his voice tense with the thrill of the challenge. “But there’s one at the corner of 15th. If I link into that, I can broadcast the footage to every screen in the city.”

Iron Knight gave a curt nod. “Then do it. I’ll hold off Doyle’s guards here.”

“On it,” Silas said, slipping through the shadows and out of the arcade.

Iron Knight watched him go, then turned back to the task at hand. Doyle’s voice echoed from down the hallway, barking orders at his men to secure the building. He would know soon enough that Iron Knight wasn’t about to let this go unanswered. The armored figure positioned himself, prepared to confront anyone who tried to interfere.

Outside, Silas darted down the rain-slicked streets, his hood up as he kept his head low. The night was thick with smog, and the streetlights barely penetrated the darkness, casting the alleys in murky shadows. But he moved quickly, his pulse racing with a mixture of fear and determination.

When he reached the signal booster, he scaled the ladder to reach the terminal, fingers numbing as the cold wind whipped around him. He could feel the hum of technology beneath his hands, the signal surging like electricity. Closing his eyes, he allowed his technopathic abilities to reach into the network, feeling the arc of each signal, the rhythm of every line. The booster was powerful, its range vast enough to cover the city’s entire central grid.

“Alright, Steve,” Silas said, his voice hushed as he felt the data flow through him. “I’ve linked in. The footage is ready to go live.”

“Do it,” Iron Knight’s voice came through, resolute. “And let them see every last second.”

Silas drew in a steadying breath, then activated the signal. Every monitor, billboard, screen, and VR pod within range flickered and then synchronized to a single, brutal feed.

Across the city, people paused, their conversations dropping to shocked silence as the footage began to play on every screen. Towering billboards, personal devices, and shop windows alike now broadcast the grim scenes unfolding inside Escape. The footage showed mutants being dragged, shoved into VR pods, and locked in with callous efficiency. Doyle’s face appeared front and center, his mouth twisted into a smug sneer as he ordered the staff to “secure the merchandise.”

People watched, stunned, as the camera caught every horrific detail: the desperation on the captives’ faces, the mechanical hum as the pods activated, the blank stares as each captive was mentally broken down to follow commands. Escape was no longer a neon paradise but a prison, a place that turned innocent people into products.

Gasps and outraged murmurs swept through the crowd. Some recoiled in horror, while others pulled out their comms devices, recording what they saw, sharing it even further on their networks.

Inside the arcade, Doyle’s face paled as he saw the footage playing on the monitors around him. “Shut it down!” he screamed at his guards, but Iron Knight was already there, blocking the control panel with an ironclad resolve.

“Going somewhere, Doyle?” Iron Knight’s voice was ice-cold, his eyes narrowed behind his visor.

Doyle’s usual smug confidence was gone, replaced by a flicker of fear as he took a step back. “You think this little stunt of yours is going to change anything?” he spat. “Kisonic owns this city! You can’t stop them—can’t stop us.”

Iron Knight’s tone was calm but unyielding. “You’re right about one thing, Doyle. Kisonic has been running this city too long, and they’ve been doing it in the shadows. But thanks to you, everyone’s watching now. This operation’s over.”

Doyle lunged forward, swinging a fist, but Iron Knight was faster. With a single, precise movement, he blocked the punch, spinning Doyle around and pinning him to the console. Doyle struggled, but Iron Knight’s hold was unbreakable.

Outside, Silas listened as the city began to respond. Through the signal booster, he could feel the ripple of data, the rise in messages, calls, posts, and conversations erupting all over. The footage had lit a spark—one that would spread like wildfire. He heard voices in the streets, people already banding together, demanding answers, shouting out that Kisonic would no longer own their city.

“You did it, Silas,” Iron Knight said quietly over the comm, a rare hint of pride in his voice.

“Yeah,” Silas replied, still catching his breath. “But it’s only the beginning, right?”

Iron Knight’s silence was answer enough. They both knew the fight was far from over. Exposing one arcade was just the first step, a small victory against a much larger machine. But it was a victory that mattered, one that would resonate across Rivers, shaking the foundation of a corrupt empire built on secrecy and exploitation.

The footage was still playing as Iron Knight led Doyle outside, hands bound, to face the crowd that had gathered, their eyes alight with something that hadn’t existed in Rivers for a long time—hope.

And as the city’s screens continued to broadcast the truth, Silas felt a surge of confidence. They’d dealt a powerful blow to Kisonic, one that even a corporation that large would struggle to bury. With each passing moment, he felt the tide turning, felt the people of Rivers waking up to the reality around them.

This city had heroes now. And they weren’t about to let it slip back into darkness.

Iron Knight Voice Log 2095

Audio Recording Begins

"It’s been just over two months since I started training Silas. In that time, I’ve seen him grow faster than I expected, and not just in power. He’s come a long way from the half-confused, half-cocky kid I pulled out of that VR lab. He listens more now—well, most of the time—and he’s starting to understand the stakes. That’s what matters.

But progress has its own price. The deeper we dig, the more enemies we find. Corruption doesn’t just run through the veins of Kisonic Enterprises—it infects every layer of this city. Each fight we win uncovers three more waiting in the shadows. Still, there’s been one name that keeps surfacing: Scott Gentry, a high-level executive with direct ties to their experiments on mutants and backdoor deals with the N.E.O. A real monster in a suit.

Tonight, we go after him. I’m not naive; Gentry’s got bodyguards who’ve been upgraded beyond anything a regular security detail can handle, and his location is close enough to the central district that we’ll have N.E.O. drones breathing down our necks. But we’ve prepared for this—trained for it. Silas will be in charge of thinning the herd while I deal with Gentry.

This is more than just another mission. It’s a chance to send a message—to let Kisonic know we’re coming for them. I can only hope Silas is ready. I know he’s got the talent, but sometimes talent isn’t enough. This city will chew you up, spit you out, and barely notice you were even here. I have to make sure he survives it, that he doesn’t become another ghost lost to Rivers.

One thing’s for sure: Gentry won’t see this coming. And after tonight, neither will Kisonic."

Audio Recording Ends