Power Surge: Season Three (Part Two)

(San Francisco downtown has turned into a mess ever since True Red Flare’s attack. Countless streets are crippled. Countless buildings are reduced to mere rubble. And in the center of it all, Flare — now back to her normal form — stands in front of Focus’s burned corpse, her expression frozen in shock. His entire body is blackened and uneven, with widespread burns covering nearly all exposed skin. Large sections are charred, while others are raw and stripped of the outer layer. His clothes are mostly burned away, hanging in scorched remnants. His limbs lie slack, no longer holding tension. Faint heat still rises from him, but he’s completely motionless. Shay notices this as well, horrified at the sight of Focus’s body.)

Shay: (letting out a small, terrified gasp) Focus!

(Shay immediately runs over to Focus’s side. The other civilians stare in silent disbelief at the scene before them, including Commander Cromwell and Commander Locke. Pulse, Jackpot, Mistrick, and Sylvia cover their mouths with terrified eyes at the sight. Flare’s eyes lock onto him and freeze, pupils shrinking as recognition hits all at once. Her breathing stops for a second, then returns in short, uneven bursts. Her mouth parts slightly, but no sound comes out, like her voice has been cut off. The muscles in her face twitch as if trying to reject what she’s seeing, her brows pulling together in confusion before snapping into raw horror. Her lips tremble, tightening as if to hold something in, but it fails, and her jaw begins to shake.)

Flare: (her voice barely above a whisper) No… you’re… no way. I…

(She suddenly clutches her head in pain as she experiences a splitting headache and a loud siren in her head. With that, she recounts everything she did during her True Red Flare phase: her ruthless battle against Focus, the massive fire she caused in downtown, all the civilians she scared, and eventually, the way she kept launching one fire barrier after another at him. She also recalls all of his words towards her, now loud and clear in her mind.)

Focus (flashback): (muttering softly, attempting to suppress his fear) It’s okay. I’m not your enemy. I’m not here to fight you or capture you. Everything’s gonna be okay. Let’s just get out of here and — .

Focus (flashback): (his voice growing more desperate) Snap out of it, Flare! This isn’t you!

Focus (flashback): (groaning weakly) Flare… I know I messed up.

Focus (flashback): (pained) Everything I’ve been through with you was real! It can’t end like this, Flare!

Focus (flashback): (desperately) It’s my fault, Flare! I’m the one who has to pay for it, not them!

Focus (flashback): (firmly and resolutely) I didn’t wanna do this, but if that’s what it takes to bring you back, then so be it. If you can still hear me… then know that I’ll save you, Flare. I promise. Even if it’s the last thing I do.

Focus (flashback): (muttering softly) Flare… I don’t wanna lose you like this. I just… want to talk to you.

Focus (flashback): (desperately) I should’ve reached you sooner! I should’ve said something! But I’m still here! So come back! Please!

Focus (flashback): I should’ve said it sooner, so hear it now! I’m not leaving you!

(Recalling all those words causes Flare to further unravel, her eyes shaking intensely in panic. She slowly kneels down beside him and places her ear on his chest, desperately trying to hear anything, but she doesn’t hear his heart beating anymore. As a result, she stares at him again, her expression collapsing. Her eyes gloss over, widening further as fear sets in, not of him, but of herself. Then, she remembers his words to her during his final moments.)

Focus (flashback): (to Flare, his voice getting louder from all the pain) I never believed that I deserved to feel… anything! That I deserve to live! You showed me otherwise! You showed me that I’m allowed to live the way I want to! You… You’re the only one who ever got me thinking about how I feel about everything! You’re the one who made me who I am now… and showed me who I want to be!

Focus (flashback): (desperate through the pain) I’m not letting you go, do you hear me?! Hate me later if you want, yell at me, walk away from me, but don’t lose yourself like this! You don’t have to carry everything alone anymore! I’m here now, I’m right here, and I’m not leaving you again! So come back, Flare! Come back to me!

Focus (flashback): (through groans of pain, to Flare) There was no meaning… in my life before you… and there won’t be one without you!

Focus (flashback): (walking through the pain, his voice turning raspy in pain) I’m sorry… for letting you down. For failing to understand. The truth… is that I was afraid. Of Aegis. Of letting go of the life I’ve always known. Of… thinking that I have a choice. But… there’s still so much time I wanna spend with you, so many things I wanna do, so much stuff I wanna say and hear from you. (his voice breaking with emotion) But I’m done holding things back! I care about you too much to stay silent!

Focus (flashback): You’re not a Beacon! Not an anomaly! Not a problem to be solved! You’re you! No matter what happens, what power you hold, or what form you take, you’re you, and you’re perfect for me the way you are! You won’t be alone anymore! I’m right here, okay?! Always!

Focus (flashback): (holding her hands and looking up at her, softly) What I should’ve told you… all along… is that no one else in this world matters more to me… than you. It’s… how I felt… for a while now. I… I love you… Flare.

(Her shoulders stiffen, then sink as the weight of it lands, and her face twists with guilt so intense it looks like it physically hurts. The memory of Focus piercing through her fatal attacks haunts her mind along with his yells of pain and determination. And his confession echoes in her mind. She still feels the warmth of the gentle touch of his scorched hand on her cheek.)

Focus (flashback): I love the glimmer in your orange eyes. I love the vigor in your voice. I love how you get excited so easily. I love the way you shout ‘YOLO’ like there’s no tomorrow. And… I love your smile. I… missed your smile. (his lips curling into a soft, gentle smile) You showed me that I have a choice, and… I’ve made that choice. Moving on, I want to start something special… away from Aegis… away from Infinity… away from everything. Every moment… every second of my life from here on out… I’d love to share it with you.

(She recalls his soft, gentle, reassuring smile during his final moments, her eyes welling up. He reached out for her the same way her parents did back when she was only three; regardless of her lethal flames, they both reached out for her and stood by her side. Focus did the same, and he also did it… out of pure love. Tears well up fast, spilling without restraint, her expression stuck between disbelief and the crushing realization that she caused this. Focus… has died. She killed him. Shay watches in terror as Flare stands on her knees in front of Focus’s burned corpse, looking distressed and frightened.)

Flare: (her voice shaking) Hey… come on. Wake up. You… said you’re here. So… wake up. Just… wake up. Focus… FOCUS!!!

(Back at the Shadow Nexus, Infinity powers up even further with the Catalyst, causing a powerful energy shockwave that sends Hunter flying. He levitates in the air with his intense energy; the process is finally complete. The entire Shadow Nexus experiences another wave of tremors, now coupled with green sparks of energy that take over the area, leaving Jax, Proxy, Gauntlet, and Boltix disoriented.)

Boltix: (gritting his teeth, looking around) What’s… happening?!

(The inner core of the Earth fully glows green, signaling the complete takeover of the Catalyst. The deep surface of the Shadow Nexus slowly starts getting lifted upwards, the beginning of the ascension. Hunter senses the ground underneath him starting to rise, while Infinity grunts with all his effort, enveloped in the intense electric green aura of the glowing Catalyst. The gem derives energy from the Earth’s core itself, reaching its fullest power. The effect is felt all over the Shadow Nexus, disrupting the battles in the open chasm. Jax, Proxy, Gauntlet, Boltix, Rime, and Hollow cease their fights as they near an event that will change the world forever.)

Infinity: (his powerful voice echoing over the entirety of the Shadow Nexus) At long last… behold the twilight of a malformed civilization. For years, this world has shackled the awakened, branding Surges as aberrations to be restrained, diluted, forgotten. They feared us not because we were monstrous, but because we represented evolution beyond their frail comprehension. And now, the age of trembling institutions and decaying moralities collapses beneath the weight of inevitability. The Shadow Nexus rises as an instrument of purification, the crucible through which humanity shall transcend. A new dominion shall emerge, forged not by weakness, compromise, or fear… but by power, clarity, and the divine right of ascension. This… is the age of Surges!

(With that, the Shadow Nexus makes its way above, piercing through every rock layer in its way. Hunter struggles to reach Infinity with all the energy shockwaves knocking him backwards, and he’s forced to watch the perpetrator of this event unlock the full power of Surge energy through gritted teeth. Hollow and Rime receive this massive surge in power as well due to their own connection with the Catalyst, and they grunt loudly as their auras intensify. Jax, Proxy, Gauntlet, and Boltix helplessly watch the beginning of the cataclysm.)

Jax: (grimacing) Oh, man.

(Back at the surface, the evacuated civilians watch the horrific scene in stunned silence, while Pulse, Jackpot, Mistrick, and Sylvia arrive at the scene with Flare and Shay. Pulse makes a soft gasp of shock as she sets eyes on the brutal state of Focus’s dead body, and the others cover their mouths with frightened eyes. Shay kneels down besides Focus’s corpse and holds him, barely holding back tears.)

Shay: (his shaky voice barely above a whisper) C’mon, lad. Wake up now. It can’t be endin’ like this, no way. (to Pulse) Oi! Y’can heal folks, can’t ya?! There’s got t’ be a way y’can help him! Please!

Pulse: (frowning) I’m sorry. I… can’t do anything to help him… if he’s already gone.

(Shay’s lips part in horror for a moment, tears starting to form on his eyes, then he places his ear against Focus’s chest, desperate to hear any heartbeat, but his heart isn’t beating at all; he truly is dead. Flare continues staring at his burned body, her lips parted and her tears not even drying up yet. Jackpot, Mistrick, and Sylvia glance at her with saddened frowns, while Shay reaches out to comfort her. However, as he gently approaches Flare, downtown gets hit by a sudden, massive tremor, causing the ground to shake. The civilians lose their balance momentarily as the ground shakes under their feet, leaving Commander Cromwell and Commander Locke rattled. Pulse, Jackpot, Mistrick, Sylvia, and Shay feel the tremor as well, alerted by the shaking ground.)

Sylvia: (gritting his teeth) What’s going on?!

Mistrick: Is that… Infinity’s doing?

(As everyone else is rattled by the tremor and the shaking ground, Flare remains unresponsive to the events around her. Her blurry vision is exclusively narrowed at Focus’s burned body, and to her, the world simply freezes; nothing that’s happening around her matters. Her head is bowed as she continues breathing heavily from her mouth. Her red irises spiral and distort as a result of her intense panic, her hands shaking with every fearful whimper that escapes her lips. Suddenly, silence fills the air around the destroyed downtown area, a sort of calm before the storm that leaves the population uneasy. However, the tremors come back with full force, even louder than before, signaling the beginning of the cataclysm.)

(The ground beneath the ruined downtown district begins to vibrate in uneven pulses as deep fractures spread across the streets. Cracked asphalt splits apart in long branching lines, exposing glowing seams of compressed shadow energy beneath the surface. Entire sections of damaged roads buckle upward while weakened buildings groan under the strain, their shattered foundations breaking apart as the earth underneath them starts to rise. Dust, shattered glass, loose concrete, overturned vehicles, and broken steel beams slide toward widening gaps opening between the streets. The individual soldiers observe the scene with frozen faces, while the two commanders helplessly watch.)

Commander Cromwell: (grimly) Gotta be Infinity.

Commander Locke: (urgently) Everybody, get back!

(The center of the district ruptures completely. A massive section of the downtown area tears free from the earth and begins ascending into the sky, lifted by a continuous surge of shadow energy erupting from below. The soldiers and civilians attempt to escape the range of this rupture, but they too get caught in it, getting lifted upwards by the ground under their feet. The movement is violent enough to throw civilians and soldiers off their feet. Some collapse onto cracked pavement and desperately cling to exposed debris or fractured guardrails to avoid sliding off the elevated landmass. Others lose their footing entirely before nearby soldiers grab their arms and pull them back onto stable ground. Commander Cromwell and Commander Locke barely maintain their footing amid the sudden ascension and the civilian panic.)

Commander Locke: (gritting his teeth) It… can’t be! Did we… fail?!

(Several civilians panic as sections of the lifted terrain tilt unevenly during the ascent, forcing groups of people to crawl across broken concrete while avoiding widening fissures splitting open around them. In multiple places, dark tendrils emerge from beneath the rising structure itself, extending rapidly across collapsing surfaces to catch falling people midair before pulling them back onto stable sections of the ascending terrain. The two commanders and their soldiers watch and hear the fearful screams of the civilians, who unfortunately got caught up in this mess. Multiple families huddle up together, while other individuals desperately run away, looking for a way to escape this floating section of land in a disorderly manner.)

Commander Locke: (yelling loudly for everyone to hear) Everyone, stay put and stay calm!

(Beneath the floating district, a massive circular pit remains where the land was torn out of the city. The crater stretches across multiple city blocks, its walls jagged with exposed infrastructure, collapsed sewer tunnels, snapped utility lines, and broken underground foundations. Dust clouds continue pouring upward from the depths while pieces of debris fall back into the void below. Around the outer edges of the crater, the remaining city streets are split apart by deep fissures that extend through intersections and between damaged buildings, some wide enough to swallow entire vehicles. Above it all, the Shadow Nexus continues rising into the sky.)

(Its outer structure consists of enormous layers of dense black stone fused with crystallized shadow formations that protrude outward in jagged overlapping sections. Massive spires extend vertically from its surface while angular arches and layered platforms interconnect across multiple elevations. Veins of pulsing darkness move throughout the structure in slow rhythmic patterns beneath its obsidian surface, causing sections of the Nexus to briefly shift and realign as it ascends. The exterior absorbs most surrounding light, making its edges appear unnaturally dim compared to the burning city around it. Large openings resembling corridors and recessed chambers are visible along its outer shell, alongside suspended bridges, vertical shafts, and elevated pathways stretching between different sections of the structure.)

(Shadow tendrils continue emerging from various points along the Nexus, extending downward into the chaos below to stabilize collapsing debris, restrain falling wreckage, and pull stranded civilians and soldiers onto the ascending mass as the entire structure rises higher above the destroyed downtown skyline. Multiple civilians and soldiers at the surface, far from the range of the Shadow Nexus, watch the scene before them in awe and shock. Meanwhile, Pulse tightly holds Focus’s body as she and the other struggle to steady themselves in the floating mass of land. Jackpot, Mistrick, and Sylvia huddle up close, while Shay notices Flare still looking unresponsive.)

Shay: Flare!

(Her head is still bowed, her spiraling irises shaking in pure terror and agony. Shay tries to reach out to her for an embrace, but Flare aggressively pushes him away. This reaction surprises the old Irishman, who sees the shaken look on her face. Meanwhile, the interior of the Shadow Nexus distorts, and all of a sudden, the entire structure from inside gets reduced to a dark abyss, taking Jax, Proxy, Gauntlet, Jackpot, and the soldiers back at the open chasm by surprise.)

Proxy: What now?!

(Hollow and Rime remain steady in this shadow abyss, as if already prepared for it beforehand. They all witness Infinity powering up even further in the middle of this abyss, enveloped in the intense electric green aura of the glowing Catalyst embedded into his chest, with Hunter also helplessly watching. Hunter, Jax, Proxy, Gauntlet, and Boltix desperately lunge at Infinity to stop him, but it’s too little too late.)

Infinity: (his voice echoing) Eclipse.

(The Shadow Nexus begins restructuring while suspended above the city. Sections of its outer shell split apart along existing seams, exposing deeper layers of crystallized shadow beneath the black stone surface. Massive arches rotate outward while entire platforms detach and reposition themselves around the expanding center. The pulsing veins of darkness intensify in speed and brightness, triggering continuous movement across the structure as spires collapse inward and reform into wider support formations. Large vertical shafts open across the Nexus, releasing dense streams of shadow particles into the air below. Suspended bridges disconnect from their original positions and extend outward into newly forming pathways while recessed chambers flatten and merge into broader surfaces surrounding the growing interior opening.)

(At the same time, the massive section of ruined downtown land suspended above the Nexus begins descending in controlled segments without fully collapsing. Cracked roads, shattered foundations, and tilted skyscrapers gradually fuse into the upper layers of the structure through expanding crystallized shadow growths spreading across the debris. The evacuated civilians accompanied by Commander Cromwell, Commander Locke, and their soldiers get caught up in this as well, their paths splitting up before they can react.)

Commander Cromwell: Watch out!

(They all end up getting sucked into the range of the Eclipse Zone, now split up. Commander Cromwell and Commander Locke are now separated, and their soldiers are split into multiple small units amid the chaos. The civilians as well get split up, their frightened yells echoing in the shadow abyss. Elsewhere, Flare walks backwards, backing away from the others in fear, not of them, but of herself.)

Flare: (her voice breaking) Go away… ALL OF YOU! Don’t you dare gimme that look! I… I killed him!

Shay: Ye didn’t mean it, I know. This wasn’t ye.

Flare: (snapping through tears) This was me! Can’t you see?! (gesturing around) All of this was me! The eyes that looked at him with hatred were my eyes! The hands that burned him to death were my hands! The mind that made the decision to burn the world to ashes was my own mind! (yelling at them all) Now go away! (her voice shaking) That’s what I do… to those who make the mistake of caring about me.

(Shay is too saddened for words, struggling to find anything to comfort her or alleviate her pain, but then suddenly, they too get caught up inside the Eclipse Zone. The platform they formerly stood on splits apart, causing Flare to go wayward and get sucked away from them. She struggles to maintain her balance in the ever-shifting Eclipse, diverting away from the others.)

Shay: Flare!

(Shay and Pulse — who are holding Focus’s burned corpse — get separated from Jackpot, Mistrick, and Sylvia, and they all get launched elsewhere. Their screams of panic continue to be unanswered as the transformation continues. Hollow and Rime get sucked into the Eclipse, to which they don’t resist, while Hunter, Jax, Proxy, Gauntlet, and Boltix get launched elsewhere, leaving Infinity all alone as he embraces this immense power.)

Infinity: A decade of planning… finally receives its payoff. I’ve won.

(Entire streets become anchored into the Nexus surface as black crystalline material wraps around exposed steel, concrete, and broken infrastructure. Buildings partially sink into the reshaping mass while fragmented highways extend directly into newly formed platforms and elevated pathways. The distinction between the floating city ruins and the Shadow Nexus steadily disappears as both structures merge into a single interconnected battlefield suspended around an enormous central chasm. Infinity starts levitating in the middle of it all, his arms outstretched with his glowing green aura.)

Infinity: And now… to take the next step forward!

(A shadowy energy beam gets released from the structure of the Shadow Nexus itself and into the early sunrise sky. As a result, the sky starts to distort into dark, swirling clouds, blocking every bit from sunlight. The civilians back on the surface grimly look up at the darkening sky, while a few news photographers record the scene with grave eyes. The scene gets broadcast live on television for all viewers to bear witness, and they do, with people all over the world watching this event with stunned, frozen faces. Soon, the clouds completely disappear, and the entire sky turns pitch-black, expanding further and taking up more of the sky. Infinity continues levitating, empowered by his commanding green aura.)

Infinity: (muttering to himself) In due time, the Eclipse Zone will seize the entire world. All will be in the palm of my hand. The world will look up to the singular truth… that is I.

(The transformation concludes as the Nexus fully opens into a massive layered battlefield surrounding the exposed abyss at its center. The interior walls consist entirely of dense crystallized shadow formations arranged into overlapping cliffs, elevated platforms, jagged pillars, and descending pathways leading toward the depths below. Large sections of ruined city infrastructure remain embedded throughout the battlefield, including collapsed towers, broken rail systems, shattered bridges, and partially buried streets integrated directly into the black crystalline terrain. Vertical movement routes form naturally through connected platforms, suspended debris, and protruding shadow structures extending across multiple elevations. Pulses of darkness continue moving beneath every surface, causing subtle environmental shifts and constant structural realignment throughout the battlefield.)

(Pulse and Shay land on the ground, groaning as they continue holding on to Focus’s lifeless body. They look up at the pitch-black sky and around at the completed structure of the Shadow Nexus in disbelief. Jackpot, Mistrick, and Sylvia land elsewhere, and they too get to witness the completion of the battlefield they stand on.)

Sylvia: (grimacing) For your information, I did not sign up for this!

Mistrick: (slightly irritated) I know!

(Commander Cromwell and Commander Locke get separated along with their soldiers, landing at individual locations on the Shadow Nexus. The civilians too scatter, some landing with Commander Cromwell, others with Commander Locke, and others in multiple other locations all by themselves. Flare is lying on the ground after landing elsewhere, his expression still frozen in horror, unraveling from the sheer guilt weighing on her. Jax, Proxy, and Gauntlet land on the ground, finding themselves separated from everyone else. Amid the circumstances, they can no longer conceal their frustration.)

Jax: (gritting his teeth) Infinity’s winning, everything’s gone downhill so fast, and who knows what else is going on?! We still haven’t even heard from the others! So much to think about, and so little time to think about it!

Gauntlet: Let’s take it one at a time, okay? There’s gotta be something we can do.

(Suddenly, however, they notice Rime standing on a rock platform above them, looking down at them. His icy aura looks subtly more powerful than before, and the star-shaped snowflake on his mask glows with icy energy. The trio turn to their opponent through gritted teeth, anticipating a continuation of their battle.)

Rime: (coldly) It’s happening. Just as Infinity has always planned. The world will be undone, and us Surge users will lead the transition towards a better society.

Jax: Look at this, Ethan! Infinity isn’t building a better society with what he’s doing! It’s an act of terrorism!

Rime: Perhaps so, but then again, they’ve always been systematically designed to fear the likes of us, weren’t they? I know it because I’ve seen it. To drive society to a better future, the old blueprint must be destroyed. You’re standing in the way of that for no real reason. What do you wish to maintain in a world meant to keep you forever suppressed, forced into secrecy as mere tools under the whim of your masters?

Gauntlet: (grimacing) A lot, actually. We’ve got a lot we want to maintain in this world, including the world itself if you’d be so generous. (sighing deeply) You don’t have to do this, kid.

Rime: (his voice gradually growing more charged) Don’t speak to me like I’m still innocent. I’ve lost this innocence when I understood the truth of our existence and become obliged to change it. Who do you think you are… to assume the moral high ground and talk down to me?! Do you think… that I wanted any of this?!

(The star-shaped snowflake on Rime’s face starts to flicker violently, as if in rage, and he rapidly lunges at them, causing them to jump out of the way. As they steady themselves on the ground and stand around Rime, his icy aura intensifies even further.)

Rime: You think you’re doing the right thing by impeding the world’s progress, even though you understand nothing! None of us can continue to live in this world! I can’t go back to the life I used to have! I won’t let you put an end to this!

(He charges up multiple ice shards and launches them at the trio surrounding him, who reposition themselves in front of him while dodging the ice shards, then Rime lunges at them once again. Meanwhile, Boltix lands somewhere alone, examining his surroundings through gritted teeth.)

Boltix: (through gritted teeth) Okay, now I really don’t have anything to say. Our situation’s just… that bad, I guess.

(Soon enough, Hollow finds him and confronts him, to which Boltix reacts by clenching his fights and tightening his jaw. Hollow stares at him with an amplified neon red electric aura, with the neon red symbol on his mask glowing with energy.)

Boltix: Stone!

Hollow: My master… has already achieved the ultimate power. Your resistance in the face of the revolution is futile. Then why fight at all… when the opportunity to join my master’s side is beckoning before you?

Boltix: (gritting his teeth) Sorry, but we’ve got our own lives that we wanna keep, and we’re not throwing it away just because some wannabe philosopher with an edge told us to! It used to be your life, too, Stone! Our lives!

Hollow: And it’s a thing of the past. This… is the future. (clenching his fists) I don’t want to see you and the Sparks left behind, and I’m not going back to my previous life, you see. Aegis will fall. A new world order will be established. The only way for you… is to join me.

Boltix: (charging up his electric blue and yellow aura) I already told you. I’m not interested.

Hollow: And that… is the stance you take against our cause, Boltix? On behalf of the Sparks, is this your final decision?

Boltix: (taking a fighting stance) Never been one to change my mind anyway. What about you? Will you continue to commit to this ‘cause’ of yours?

(Hollow clenches his fists even tighter, and the neon red symbol on his mask narrows and shakes while glowing with intense energy. He seethes with palpable anger under his mask, his brown irises glowing green. With a yell of rage, he launches a barrage of energy blasts at the ground, disorienting Boltix, then he propels himself upwards and launches an energy beam at his opponent. Boltix charges up both of his fists and cancels out the energy beam with a lightning bolt, only for Hollow to stomp the ground under his feet, knocking him off balance, then land a powerful punch at his gut, sending him flying. He regains his balance and stands in front of Hollow, seeing his palpable anger even from underneath the mask.)

Hollow: (snapping) So that’s how you wanna do it?! Throw your life away for a meaningless present?! Fine! I’ve already given you one too many chances!

(The two then lunge at each other once again, continuing their battle. Meanwhile, in the center of the massive battlefield, Hunter watches as Infinity’s powerup finally concludes, laying on the ground and then getting back up on his feet with a grim grimace. The civilians on the Shadow Nexus and on the surface look up at Infinity’s new form, who slowly levitates back to the ground.)

Infinity: (muttering) I’ve sacrificed so much… and here we are. This is our time… us Surge users.

(Suddenly, all of the civilians in San Francisco receive a chill down their spines, and Infinity communicates with each of them individually through their minds; Infinity can access one’s consciousness inside the Eclipse Zone, now expanding across this area and beyond. Even Shay — who examines Focus’s lifeless body with Pulse — receives that chill, being prone to Infinity’s influence just like all of the other civilians, then he hears Infinity’s words in his mind, just like the others.)

Infinity: (speaking through their minds) Listen closely. There is no need for panic, no need for resistance. I am Infinity, and I speak to you not as an executioner, but as an architect of what comes next. Within my reach, your thoughts are open to me as easily as breath. I have no desire to harm the innocent; my purpose is refinement, not ruin. The world you know is fractured, unkind to those touched by Surges, and I intend to correct that imbalance. Stay where you are. Remain calm. Observe. What I construct is not tyranny, but salvation for the oppressed minority hidden among you. Do not mistake inevitability for hostility. I am offering you continuity beyond chaos. Accept stillness, and you will be preserved within what is to come.

(The civilians are left rattled by Infinity’s words, both those on the Shadow Nexus and on the surface of the ruined downtown area. At the Shadow Nexus, Shay listens to Infinity’s speech and recovers, panting heavily and clutching his mind with a groan, alerting Pulse.)

Pulse: (concerned) Mr. Gallagher? What happened?

Shay: (groaning) This Infinity lad… he spoke t’me. No… not just me. All o’ us. He told us… not t’ resist. (grimacing) He’s winnin’, and his influence is unsettlin’.

(Following those words, Infinity raises his right palm up and charges it up with the Catalyst’s overflowing energy. Just like that, the civilians and soldiers all over the Shadow Nexus witness the return of Infinity’s masked shadow soldiers. They all regenerate, clutching their weapons close and spread out all over the battlefield. Commander Cromwell witnesses the return of those troops with a batch of soldiers.)

Commander Cromwell: It’s… them again.

(She’s shocked to see the shadow soldiers power up even further, adopting that same electric green aura as their leader Infinity. They grow even stronger than ever before with the power of the Catalyst, a sight that Commander Locke comes across as well. The two commanders — in their separate locations — are left to fend off the enhanced shadow troops in their way with no hope of winning.)

Commander Locke: (grimacing) What now?

(Back at the surface, all of Infinity’s Shadow Beacons regenerate — assuming their irregular shadowy appearance — along with another batch of shadow troops. This leaves the civilians and soldiers remaining on the surface stunned, having to deal with them. Without warning, this sizable group of Shadow Beacons initiates the attack on the soldiers, along with support from the masked shadow soldiers. In only a few moments, a group of soldiers gets taken out by the Shadow Beacons and their critical attacks. The entities continue on while the soldiers step back and open fire at them, with the civilians hiding in fear. The Shadow Beacons do notice their presence but simply ignore them, their gaze locked at the soldiers in their way. The plasma blasts of those soldiers barely even damages those shadow entities, which constantly change shape to protect the purple energy core on their upper mass — their weak points. Then, they dash at the soldiers once again, tendrils fully outstretched.)

(Back at the Shadow Nexus, across multiple separate locations, the masked shadow troops waste no time opening fire on the soldiers, who retreat into cover and return fire, while the civilians go into hiding, intentionally left unharmed by the masked shadow troops. The two commanders struggle to fend off the attack, forced to retreat instead. Meanwhile, in the middle of this expansive battlefield, Infinity finally touches down on the ground, with Hunter standing before him through gritted teeth.)

Infinity: The system you helped Aegis build was never meant to sustain. This is how it was always meant to be, Hunter. Dread it. Run from it. Resist it. The inevitable always finds a way back.

(Hunter tightly clutches his two guns with a tense grimace, seeing Infinity’s new form from up close. The Catalyst embedded into his chest radiates with energy, deriving its power from the Surge energy of the Earth’s inner core itself. He pulsates with a commanding, electric green aura that blends in seamlessly with his original shadowy aura. The infinity symbol on his mask now glows green, signifying his full power.)

Hunter: (internally) I can’t put up a fight against him. Not when he’s this much powerful. (grimacing) What happens now?

(It glows even brighter as he taps into the minds of all Surge users to speak to them. This interrupts the fight between Jax, Proxy, Gauntlet, and Rime, with Jax and Proxy receiving a chill down their spine, the signal that Infinity has reached their minds. Boltix and Hollow have their battle interrupted when the former receive Infinity’s call. Elsewhere, Pulse’s expression falters as she receives this same call, leaving Shay alerted.)

Shay: (concerned) What’s happenin’?

Pulse: (grimacing) The same thing you told me about. I… feel it as well.

(As Jackpot, Mistrick, and Sylvia run off to figure out what to do next, they get stopped dead in their tracks by Infinity’s influence over their minds, and elsewhere, as Flare remains lying on the ground in her catatonic state, she too receives a tingle down her spine, representing Infinity’s call. Then, he speaks to all of those Surge users, directly to their minds.)

Infinity: (speaking to the minds of all Surge users) To those burdened with Surges — those who have endured oppression, exploitation, and the perpetual indignity of existing beneath systems too fragile to comprehend your nature — hear me. The age of submission is concluding. Your resistance serves no purpose now; the old order has already begun its collapse beneath the weight of its own obsolescence. What rises in its place will not be a prison disguised as peace, nor a society that tolerates you only through fear and regulation. I am forging a civilization intrinsically aligned with the reality of our existence — a world architected by Surge users, for Surge users, where power is neither concealed nor condemned, but integrated into the very foundation of human life. No more kneeling before governments that mistake limitation for virtue. No more diminishing yourselves to preserve the comfort of lesser minds. This is liberation.

(The Surge users listening in on this get rattled in their separate locations, their bodies involuntarily trembling in fear, while Flare remains unresponsive, buried in grief and guilt. Meanwhile, Infinity remains as untouchable as ever with his mighty power, with Hunter set for a losing battle. Infinity has gone beyond every level of power imaginable. He’s become the ultimate, insurmountable Surge wielder. And just like that, the world shall kneel… before Ascendant Infinity.)

Infinity: (his mutters echoing) This… is our deliverance.

(Focus… is gone. His blood is on Flare’s hands. Infinity has already won, and the Shadow Nexus has risen into the sky. With Infinity unlocking untold power, his victory is all but assured. The Surge users are beaten, exhausted, crippled, but in order to prevent the emergence of a new world order, they must continue to fight on, and Flare must carry on without Focus. The Surge users face off against Infinity and his allies in one final battle on the floating Shadow Nexus, not only for the sake of the world, but for the sake of each other, amid an event that can change the world and their lives forever. This is the ultimate finale of Power Surge.)