The Boys: I'm the Origin of Compound V

Chapter 25: The Breaking Point

The van hummed quietly as it weaved through the city's industrial district. Adam sat in the back, his eyes closed, mentally running through the plan for what felt like the hundredth time. The others spoke in hushed tones, their voices blending with the faint hum of the engine.

Lena sat across from him, clutching the edge of her seat. Her face was pale, her eyes darting nervously between the team. Adam opened his eyes and gave her a reassuring nod.

"You don't have to come," he said quietly.

"I do," she replied, her voice steady despite the tremor in her hands. "They took everything from me. I need to help stop them."

Adam's lips twitched into a faint smile. "Alright. Just stick close to me."

Butcher's voice cut through the moment. "Right, listen up. Once we're inside, there's no room for mistakes. Frenchie and Hughie handle the diversion. Lena, you stay with Adam and cover him while he gets the data. I'll be watching your backs from the perimeter."

"Sounds good to me," Frenchie said, his grin sharp. "I've always wanted to blow up a fuel depot."

Hughie shot him a nervous glance. "You're enjoying this way too much."

The central hub loomed ahead, its steel and glass facade reflecting the faint glow of the city lights. Guards patrolled the perimeter, their movements precise and methodical. Security cameras tracked every angle, their lenses glinting ominously.

Adam activated his invisibility, the air shimmering briefly around him. "I'll scout ahead," he whispered into his comm.

"Be quick about it," Butcher replied.

Slipping past the guards, Adam approached the side entrance. The lock was a biometric scanner, its surface glowing faintly.

Adam pressed his hand to the scanner, releasing a controlled pulse of energy. The device beeped and turned green, the door sliding open.

"Entry point secured," Adam said into the comm.

The others moved in quickly, Frenchie and Hughie peeling off toward the fuel depot while Adam led Lena toward the server room.

The server room was a stark contrast to the rest of the building—cold, sterile, and bathed in the faint blue glow of countless monitors and data terminals. Adam moved quickly, inserting a flash drive into the central terminal.

"Of course," Adam muttered, his eyes scanning the room for potential threats.

Lena stood near the door, her hands clutching a stolen weapon. Her knuckles were white, but her stance was steady.

"You okay?" Adam asked.

She nodded, though her voice betrayed her nerves. "I'm fine. Just... hurry."

Alarms suddenly blared through the building, the sharp sound slicing through the silence like a knife.

"Frenchie, what the hell's going on?" Adam barked into the comm.

"Ah, small problem, mon ami," Frenchie replied, his tone alarmingly casual. "One of the guards didn't like our fireworks. You might want to move faster."

Adam gritted his teeth, watching the data transfer bar crawl across the screen. "We don't have time for this," he muttered.

The door burst open, and a pair of guards stormed in, weapons raised. Lena reacted instantly, firing a series of shots that dropped one guard and sent the other scrambling for cover.

"Nice shot," Adam said, unleashing a burst of energy that disarmed the second guard.

"Thanks," Lena replied, her voice shaky but determined.

"Got it!" Adam pulled the flash drive from the terminal and nodded to Lena. "Let's go!"

The hallways were chaos. Guards swarmed the building, their shouts and gunfire echoing through the corridors. Adam and Lena moved as one, ducking and weaving through the fray.

They reached the rendezvous point just as Frenchie and Hughie arrived, their clothes singed but their expressions triumphant.

"Everyone accounted for?" Butcher asked, appearing from the shadows with his weapon raised.

"We're good," Adam said, glancing at Lena to ensure she was unharmed.

Frenchie grinned, holding up a detonator. "And the fuel depot? Let's just say it's no longer functional."

"Good," Butcher said. "Let's get out of here before they—"

A deafening explosion cut him off as the building behind them erupted into flames. The force of the blast knocked them off their feet, the shockwave rattling their bones.

Adam scrambled to his feet, helping Lena up as debris rained down around them.

"Was that us?" Hughie asked, his voice tinged with panic.

Frenchie shook his head. "No. That wasn't us."

Through the smoke and fire, a figure emerged—tall, imposing, and glowing with an eerie red light. Adam's stomach sank as recognition dawned.

"Henshaw," he muttered.

The scientist-turned-supe smirked, his voice cold and mocking. "You thought you could destroy my work? Foolish."

Adam stepped forward, his energy flickering to life in his hands. "You're not walking away from this."

Henshaw's smile widened. "Neither are you."

The air crackled with power as the two prepared to face off, the battle ahead promising to push Adam and his team to their very limits.