She Outshines Them All (Athena and Matthew)

After a pause, Zayn said slowly, "I accidentally hit my head, so I don't remember much from that time.

"I can't even recall what you look like or most of the details, Jackal. All I remember is that all the terrorists were there during the explosion, and I thought you were dead.

"If I had known you were still around, I would never have made that movie."

He was not making this up. This was part of why he left the military, but right now, he was buying time, stretching each second he could.

Jackal seemed taken aback for a moment before laughing. "I get it! So, God must have listened to my prayers and sent you right back to me! Now, open the door, walk in slowly, and close it behind you. "And listen up, one more thing if anyone tries to follow, I will kill them and start taking off some hostages' heads."

Without a word, Zayn moved forward, reaching out to push open the door.

On YouTube, someone translated his conversation with Jackal, and viewers started buzzing.

["Boundary Strike"? Where can we watch it? Anyone got a link? please drop it.]

Within minutes, searches and downloads for "Boundary Strike" spiked, with countless people eager to see the movie that led terrorists to launch such a shocking attack in Osceiton.

Even so, they did not stop watching the live stream-this standoff was drawing hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide.

Meanwhile, as Zayn was about to step inside, Jackal's voice cut in again as he said, "Hold on!"

Zayn paused, looking up at the camera. Jackal's grin could almost be heard. "Tonight, you will die by my hand. So, I will let you have a last word before you go in."

Zayn looked straight into the camera and spoke in a steady voice, "I pledged my life to protect my country and my family. Dying in battle for both-it's the honor of my life."

His words were calm, but they struck deep. Every soldier around him saluted, and thousands of people watching on their screens stood and did the same.

The Donovan family watching this scene wept as they raised their hands in salute, and Athena, seated in her fighter jet, lifted her hand in a tearful salute. Zayn was her pride, her hero.

The female major general in the helicopter nodded and whispered, "Zayn, just like those who came before you, you are a real hero."

For a long beat, there was silence from the camera, and Zayn stood unwavering. Then, a mocking laugh crackled through.

"Oh, what a heroic speech. Are those really your last words? So funny! Just too funny!

"Since you are so eager to be remembered as a protagonist, I'll make sure to take my time with you tonight, dragging out every second of your suffering. That way, the world will remember you even better." Zayn smiled faintly. "Well, thank you."

A slow process was exactly what he needed to buy the military time to save the hostages.

After he felt like laughing enough, Jackal ordered, "Now, go and step through the door to your death!"

Zayn moved forward, opened the door, and stepped inside, closing it behind him. From that moment, all anyone could see was Zayn on the live feed.

The room was almost entirely dark

except for a few bright spots. With his hands over his head, Zayn

moved carefully in the dimness,

falling now and then, new Cunet

each

appearing on his body with stumble, visible to the watching netizens.

But before long, Zayn stepped on something sharp, leaving his left foot bleeding. He wiped the blood off his foot with his hand, then continued limping forward. Wyomarlo City was huge, and it would take a while to reach the filming location on foot. As the sky darkened, the city felt even more eerie and menacing.

Meanwhile, an SUV tore through the night and stopped at a checkpoint about 660 feet outside Wyomarlo City's gates.

The door opened, then Jaden and Brandon jumped right out, flashing their IDs. "We are Zayn's older brothers, and we are here to save him."

The guard at the checkpoint held up

a hand. "I understand how you feel, but these are real terrorists. They have committed attacks along the border and killed without mercy. Only trained military and police should handle this.

"Our team is working on sneaking into Wyomarlo City right now. Please just hang tight-we don't want you risking your life for nothing here."

Jaden shook his head. "I don't care. Zayn needs us close."

Brandon added, "For you, this is just duty. For us, it's family. We can't sit back while Zayn faces this alone-we will always stand by him, through thick and thin."

The officer hesitated, then said, "Zayn specifically asked that his family stay safe, so I'm sorry-I can't let you two come in."

Brandon clenched his fists, furious. "That's easy to say when it's not your family. Look, I don't care. I am going in whether you like it or not-"

Just as he was about to argue further, his phone rang. Though it was not the best moment, he glanced down, seeing Athena's name on the screen. Then, he stepped aside and answered quickly, "Hello, Athena?" Athena said, "I am at Wyomarlo City already. I will send you my location. Sneak around and meet me here first, okay?"

Brandon blinked. "Weren't you still in Grythos this afternoon? How did you get here so fast?"

Athena chuckled. "Yeah. I took a modified Yonder jet-it flies at over 1,800 miles per hour."

The details were complicated, so she kept it brief.

Actually, she had started with a

private plane to a hidden Vission Group base.in Uroterin, switched to a high-speed, satellite-dodging

I.ne

fighter jet to cross the Osceiton border, and then hopped on another plane to Gringger City-all injust over three hours.

Brandon, who was still wrapping his head around it, just said, "Alright."

He quickly filled Jaden in, who nodded, keeping his own surprise under control. Together, they slipped back into the car and quietly left the checkpoint.