The workshop was loud.
Not messy loud. Not noisy loud. Working loud.
Sparks snapped from Viper's tools. Wires hung loose from half-built machines. The gravity core sat in the middle of the bench, humming low like it had a heartbeat.
Nico leaned against the wall, arms crossed. Rex sat nearby, still breathing heavy from the training session. Chica stood off to the side, watching everything as though it all actually mattered.
Viper adjusted a dial.
The core flickered.
"…Almost," he muttered.
Rex wiped sweat from his face. "That thing better be worth it."
"It will be," Viper said.
Silence settled in.
Then Rex spoke again.
"…That guy."
Nico didn't move. "Which one?"
"The black one."
"…Noir."
Nico finally looked up.
Rex leaned forward slightly. "He was different."
A short pause.
Then Nico spoke, calm.
"I was stronger."
Rex frowned.
Nico's tone didn't change.
"I was stronger… way stronger, even in my base form."
Chica blinked. "Wait, seriously?"
Nico shrugged. "Yeah."
Viper nodded without looking down at the core. "He's right."
Rex looked between them. "…Then why did it feel like we were getting destroyed?"
Nico pushed himself off the wall.
"Because he was better."
That shut it down.
No one argued.
But the question was still there.
Viper crossed his arms.
"Power wasn't the issue."
"…Skill was."
Nico cracked his neck. "Which is why we're fixing that."
Viper pressed a button.
The ceiling panels slid open.
Drones dropped one after another, falling smoothly to the floor.
Sleek.
Fast.
Different.
"Adaptive units," Viper said. "They make decisions mid-fight."
Nico smirked. "Good."
Rex stood up. "Finally."
Chica stepped forward with them. "I'm joining."
Nico looked at her. "Don't slow us down."
She grinned. "I won't."
They moved.
Nico vanished first.
A drone turned toward him.
But too late.
CRACK.
It shattered instantly.
Then another.
Then three at once.
He moved through them as if they weren't even there.
Fast.
Overwhelming.
But not clean.
Every motion was bigger than it had to be. Every dodge had extra movement. He was winning easily, but wasting effort.
Viper watched closely.
"…Inefficient," he muttered.
Rex fought differently.
He didn't dodge.
He took hits.
THUD.
A drone slammed into his side.
He didn't even flinch.
He grabbed it.
CRUSH.
Gone.
Another hit him.
Then another.
Still standing.
Still brute-forcing everything.
Chica was different.
She slipped through attacks rather than meeting them head-on.
Light on her feet.
Sharp.
She adapted as she fought, adjusting and reading the drones instead of forcing her way through them.
Nico noticed mid-fight.
"…Not bad."
She smiled. "Told you."
It didn't take long.
The drones were gone.
Pieces scattered across the floor.
The room settled.
Chica turned toward Nico.
"Fight me."
Rex let out a short laugh. "This'll be quick."
Nico shrugged. "Alright."
She came at him easily.
Fast.
A step to the side. A pivot. A feint.
Nico didn't attack.
He just watched her.
She circled, then dashed in.
Clean.
Precise.
Her fist drove right into his ribs.
A perfect hit.
The impact landed solid.
And did nothing.
Nico didn't move.
Not even a step.
He looked down at where she hit him, then back at her.
"…That it?"
Chica froze. "…What?"
Rex burst out laughing.
Viper shook his head. "Yeah. That's the gap."
Nico looked at her again.
"That was clean."
For a second, she straightened.
Then he continued.
"But your power's too low to matter."
Her expression dropped.
"…Wow."
Rex came forward, still grinning. "Okay, watch this."
He rushed Nico.
Same approach.
Same idea.
Nico moved once.
CRACK.
Rex hit the ground hard.
"…See?" Nico said.
"Predictable."
Chica laughed this time.
Rex groaned from the floor. "I hate this place."
Viper turned back to the core.
"…Alright."
He activated it.
The hum deepened.
The light pulsed.
At first, nothing changed.
They all stood there.
Rex blinked.
"…Did you turn it on?"
Viper checked the readings.
"…Yeah."
Nico shrugged. "Too weak."
Then the core surged.
WHOOOM.
The entire room shifted.
The air got heavy instantly.
Rex's knees buckled.
"Okay… yeah… this one's real…"
Chica dropped slightly, catching herself. "Why is it so heavy…?"
Viper grabbed the edge of the table. "…Output spike…"
Nico stayed standing.
But slower.
Way slower.
"…Now this is something."
Even lifting an arm took effort.
Every movement dragged.
Like their bodies were being pulled down harder than they could handle.
Then sparks burst from the core.
BZZT.
It shut off.
The weight vanished instantly.
Rex stumbled forward.
Chica nearly lost balance.
Viper steadied himself.
Silence.
Then Viper smiled.
"…Cool."
They looked at him.
"I built the core."
A short pause.
"Now I just have to build the room."
He adjusted his goggles.
"Won't even take a day."
Behind him, a screen flickered.
Just for a second.
A signal.
Unknown.
Then gone.
Viper saw it.
But said nothing.
Later, the sun was already setting.
They stood outside the workshop.
The air felt calm again.
Rex stretched. "That 100x thing… we're gonna die in there."
Nico shook his head.
"Nah."
He looked out toward the ocean.
"We'll adapt."
Chica crossed her arms. "I'm not falling behind."
Viper nodded. "You won't."
The wind moved through the grass.
Back inside, the gravity core hummed.
Stronger.
More stable.
And for the first time since the incident…
They had a real way forward.