Saraz returned to the site of the laboratory to find that their ship had burst into flames. It had only went on to confirm that this doctor was plotting against them from the very start. However, he was not interested in this plot, but rather the motivation behind it.

Utilizing the disabled cameras to his advantage, he manifested twin daggers from a pair of freshly made portals and began to scale the spire, making his way through a window and looking down at the scientist from above.

He was just sitting there on his orb, staring seemingly at nothing. The Enduri then recalled the visor that the man was wearing. Perhaps it gave him another vision beyond what laid in front of his two eyes, not unlike the virtual or augmented reality headsets that were on Earth.

"I did not anticipate to find a being so potent in natural energy here. It is paramount that he is transported off-world immediately for further study. My comrades will be quite pleased with this new development."

Saraz's eyes became more inquisitive at this new revelation. This had moved beyond a small operation. Whoever this man was he had collaborators that were part of a larger conspiracy.

"It is a shame that you didn't travel with your friends, Enduri. I wanted to see how well my prototype would fair against your ilk."

Saraz dropped down from his position, and the doctor tapped his visor. "This device not only connects my eyes to the HUD of my prototype but also gives me enhanced auditory capabilities."

"You keep saying that word...prototype. What do you mean?"

The doctor chuckled. "Isn't it obvious what I mean? I thought you were supposed to be the smart one."

Nijugo shook his head afterwards though. "That is not important. I actually have an inquiry for you myself. Why are you helping the Confederation? They only seek to oppose the supremacy of your race."

Saraz scoffed at the scientist. "No intelligent being in this cosmos is superior to any other. Every race has its own strengths, things that make them beautiful. It is only through the exchanges of culture that society can advance as a whole. I fight because the belief that the Enduri are gods is wrong! We were created through artificial means and imposed a lie upon all other beings in the cosmos. I will not be imposed upon. I will carve my own path and create my own future."

The scientist scratched his chin, unimpressed by the speech that the Enduri had given him. "Bah. You talk so much about imposition, yet you serve an institution that imposes its values on all worlds, even non-members. How many times has the Confederation intervened in the affairs of other planets without request or provocation? How many times have they sided with those who would serve their long term interests and not the interests of the innocent?"

The ginger took out his blades and got into a fighting stance. "A lot of morality coming from a lowly murderer."

Nijugo let out a sigh. "It's a pity we live in such barbaric times. But what I have learned over the decades is that there is no problem that exists without solution."

His sphere he sat on glowed brightly as it began to pepper the laboratory with plasma blasts that burned through the various equipment present, causing a chain of explosions to go off throughout the area. Saraz began to charge him, but the doctor's spheroid proved to be much faster. With a close range blast, the Enduri was staggered long enough for him to reach a considerable distance.

Saraz placed a hand on his chest, feeling his bodysuit having been torn through and his chest scathed by the blast. There existed no plasma weapons this advanced anywhere in the cosmos. If this is what the weak doctor was capable of, his friends truly were in more danger than he thought.

"Asterios! Prepare the shuttle for takeoff, I am on my way!"

The scientist's words echoed throughout the room as he tapped on the sphere. A hole opened up in the floor that he quickly dove down towards on his levitating device. Saraz looked down to see that it was seemingly bottomless. With him referring to a vessel, he could only assume that this tunnel must have led to the ziggurats. Without hesitation he dove down into the abyss, his feet skidding across the walls of the tunnel with sparks flying as he continued to attempt to keep up.

As the two made landing on the surface, Saraz continued to keep pace with the scientist. No matter how many brutal volts were fired upon him or how tired he became, his speed never faltered. The industrial looking tunnel soon faded away and the catacombs of the ancient ziggurat temples began to overtake them. Continuing their advance they eventually came to an ancient subterranean port where an upgraded vessel lay, one capable of making the trip to civilized space. After what felt like an eternity of running, an unstoppable force finally met an immovable object.

The prototype that the doctor spoke of had appeared, coming out from the corner of a nearby wall and slamming Ethan's unconscious body against him with enough force to send the Enduri crashing onto the ground. The beast was a terrifying monster of metal and iron, unleashing a terrifying howl as it struck Saraz.

The Enduri quickly rose to his feet. As he watched the monster carelessly discard Ethan by swinging him away, he knew he had to deal with things quickly lest the foundation of history be threatened. A pair of blades shot out of the wrists of the imposing armor the beast wore. As he brought them down upon Saraz, he grasped the cutting tools with his bare hands.

Even as blood drew from his hands he squeezed the blades with tremendous force and shattered them. He then bashed his fist into the creature's headpiece repeatedly and with the other he grasped the creature's throat to strangle it. As the engines of the shuttle roared he simply became more violent and faster in his strikes until the mask shattered.

Beneath the mask lay a terrible sight. A pale blue face with a layer of charred skin grafted over his eyes and loose, white hair coming from out of his forehead. Saraz came to the awful realization that this monster was the son of the scientist, no doubt transformed into a great beast of war by the sadist. The Enduri raised a fist into the air but relented. He pushed the monster onto the ground where it whimpered like a dog in pain.

Before he could even think to give the shuttle another glance, it burst through the subterranean dock at incredible speeds, leaving the group behind. Saraz then turned over to the creature, utilizing his portal to summon a weapon. Perhaps it was best he put the damned hound of perdition out of its misery. However, Saraz's expression softened a bit. They were both seeds of evil planted by terrible fathers. The least he could do was give the scion of darkness an option. "Your master has abandoned you. You either stand with me or you stand against me."

The monster bowed before Saraz in respect, panting heavily. The ginger then brought out his communicator. With the laboratory in shambles comms were no longer down. "This is Saraz, I am requesting immediate extraction from the planet Laral. We have three people in critical condition."