Months earlier...
Sigma-9 Star System.
Dante remained motionless, his eyes closed, when suddenly the door to his room opened and a seductive voice broke the silence:
"Our sweet sleeping prince, it's time to wake up. Or perhaps I should give you a kiss so you'll open your eyes."
Dante opened his eyes. His heterochromatic pupils—one electric blue and the other a toxic green—shone in the dim light. As he sat up, the room's lights turned on, revealing a woman with tan skin, jet-black hair, and intense blue eyes. It was Cassandra.
"I heard you're about to die," she said with a tone that mixed mockery with desire. "Considering that... wouldn't you rather be with me before you go? It would be a shame if you died a virgin."
Dante ignored the comment and got off the stretcher, beginning a series of basic stretches. He was wearing only a pair of shorts, leaving in view a physique sculpted by war. Cassandra couldn't help but swallow as her gaze traced the lines of his body.
"Seriously, the thing about sleeping with you wasn't a joke," she insisted. "I could teach you many things for the future... if you survive."
"First: no, thanks. Second: I won't die. And third: what are you doing here?" Dante replied in a monotone voice, hiding his annoyance.
"A two-person mission on a planet full of those filthy insects? If that's not suicide, what is?" she said, shrugging.
"Don't bother me, Cassandra. Besides, I'm not going there to fight those insects to the death," Dante replied with a slight smile filled with killer instinct, which vanished as quickly as it appeared. "I'm just going to... well, let's say deliver a package."
Dante looked at a tablet on the table. The image showed a transparent membrane with a dark core pulsing inside. Cassandra followed his gaze and went pale.
"Seriously... what were the leaders thinking when they decided it was a good idea to release those things just to fight a group of insects?" she asked, a trace of fear in her voice.
Dante didn't respond. He put on a dark sweater and turned toward her. "Well, Miss alarm clock, thanks. You can go."
"How rude. Are you really going to waste your last chance to lose your virginity with me?" she complained as she walked out.
Just before the door closed, she heard Dante's cold voice: "I'm not a virgin."
Cassandra smiled to herself as she walked down the hallway. "Yeah, right..."
Later, in an empty and sterile dining hall, Dante sat next to Kael, his unit partner.
"Are you ready, Dante? High Command already gave us the green light," said Kael, wiping the sweat from his forehead after his own training.
"Yeah. Dropping the egg of the most dangerous creature in the universe onto a planet full of man-eating insects, getting out of there, and waiting for them to kill each other... what could go wrong?" Dante replied sarcastically. "As if dealing with the Zerg and those war-made aliens wasn't enough, now we're adding a being that should be extinct."
Kael let out a dry laugh as he finished his meal.
...
Minutes later, both were equipped: high-caliber ammunition, next-generation battle suits, and a pair of reinforced briefcases containing "the package." Cassandra watched them from the ship's command console, mostly operated by robots.
"Well, boys, I hope you finish quickly and don't die down there. This place will be very lonely without you," she said sincerely.
"We'll be back soon," Dante replied without looking back, waving his hand in farewell.
Kael smiled and tried to step closer to give her a goodbye hug, but Cassandra immediately took a step back, creating an awkward moment. Kael coughed to cover it up. "Well... we'll finish quickly."
Dante and Kael entered the insertion pod. They were ready for launch when suddenly, a circle of neon blue light formed beneath their feet.
"What the he—?" Kael began, but the flash was total.
When the light disappeared on the ship, the capsule was empty. On the floor, only a fading trace of red energy remained.
...
When they opened their eyes, Dante and Kael found themselves in an immense hall of carved stone. They dropped the briefcases instinctively and brought their hands to their weapons, eyes narrowed as they studied the surroundings.
They were not alone.
Besides them, there were eight other men in the room. But their clothing looked ridiculous to them: simple fabrics, outdated cuts, and expressions of absolute terror.
"Hey... look at those clothes," Kael whispered to Dante without lowering his guard. "Looks like they're from the year 2020. Are they cosplaying?"
Dante didn't respond immediately. His heterochromatic eyes scanned the room, noticing the strange energy floating in the air and the absence of technology.
"Interesting," Dante murmured with an icy smile.