Absolutely. Here's the next installment.
---
## **Rise of the Titan Master**
### **Chapter 3: Monsters Among Us**
*\~1,000 words*
---
Smoke rose from the Carter household like a black flag of surrender. The roar of the Armored Titan echoed for miles, rattling windows, freezing the hearts of every person within earshot. Emergency sirens blared as the military perimeter surrounding Westbridge snapped into high alert.
Leo Hart stood calmly on the warehouse rooftop, eyes glowing faint red as the Titan Creator System pulsed in his vision.
> **\[Armored Titan: Activated – Host: Alex Carter]**
> **\[Control Link Established]**
> **\[Autonomous Thought Detected – Loyalty: Unstable]**
Leo's smile faltered slightly.
"Unstable?"
He focused, issuing a mental command.
> **\[Override Host Autonomy – Emergency Protocol A]**
Far across town, the raging Titan paused mid-step, shoulders twitching. It let out a guttural growl and turned its armored head slowly—toward the nearest military truck.
Then it *charged*.
---
### **Carter Residence – Ground Zero**
Alex Carter's mother screamed, clutching her phone and staring at the monstrous figure that used to be her son. Soldiers poured in, shouting orders.
"Target confirmed! Twenty meters tall, armored plating—unknown origin! Fire at will!"
Bullets bounced off the Armored Titan like paper spitballs. It didn't stop. It *couldn't* stop—not with Leo feeding it commands like fire into a furnace.
"Destroy," Leo whispered.
The Titan's fists smashed the convoy. One truck flipped end over end, exploding as fuel ignited. Soldiers screamed.
Helicopters thundered overhead. Missiles locked on.
> **\[Warning: Host Stress Level Critical]**
> **\[Time Remaining Before Automatic Ejection: 4 Minutes, 32 Seconds]**
Leo narrowed his eyes. "Just a little longer…"
---
### **Westbridge Middle – Rooftop**
Maya Trent ran to the edge of the school rooftop, watching in horror as columns of smoke and fire rose from the distance. Her phone buzzed with alerts: **Emergency Evacuation**, **Unidentified Titan-Like Entity**, **National Guard Mobilizing**.
She swallowed hard and dialed the only number she could think of.
"Leo… what have you done?"
---
### **Leo's Perspective – Mental Link**
Leo didn't hear her. He was too deep, inside the Titan's mind—sharing vision, strength, *rage*. It was like flying inside a steel monster.
But something… *resisted*.
"Leo?!"
A voice echoed in the mindspace. Alex's voice.
"*What did you do to me?!*"
Leo gritted his teeth.
"I gave you power."
"You *used* me!"
The world flickered around them. The Armored Titan paused again, fists trembling mid-swing.
> **\[Mental Resistance Detected]**
> **\[Control Sync: 74% → 51%]**
> **\[Host Fighting Back]**
Alex appeared in the vision—a mental projection, half-Titan, half-human. He lunged.
Leo fought back, pushing his will like a tidal wave.
"You don't get to complain. You had everything. You took it all from me!"
Their minds collided, chaos erupting. Leo saw fragments of Alex's memories—football trophies, laughter, admiration. All the things *he* was denied.
"Maybe you didn't deserve it," Leo hissed.
"I didn't deserve *this!*" Alex roared.
The Titan reeled and staggered. A missile struck its shoulder, throwing it into a building.
Leo gasped and snapped out of the link.
> **\[Host Autonomy: Restored]**
> **\[Armored Titan – Status: Berserk]**
> **\[Control: Lost]**
The Titan shrieked. Wild. Unhinged.
"Damn it."
Leo slammed his fist into the rooftop. The warehouse creaked around him.
He had pushed too hard.
---
### **Downtown – 8 Minutes Later**
Chaos ruled the streets. The Armored Titan rampaged through storefronts and traffic, each step shaking the earth. The military response intensified: drones, riot tanks, snipers. Nothing worked.
Alex was losing control.
Inside the Titan, his consciousness flickered.
"Make it stop… make it STOP—!"
He dropped to his knees. The armored plates began to crack, steam hissing out in waves.
> **\[Ejection Detected]**
> **\[Host: Alex Carter – Severing Link]**
With a final roar, the Titan's body collapsed inward. The flesh evaporated into mist. And in its center, curled and steaming, lay a naked Alex—unconscious and broken.
Soldiers swarmed him.
---
### **That Night – Maya's Room**
Maya stared at her ceiling, heart pounding. She had watched it all on livestreams, news reports, social media. The city was in lockdown. People were calling it a "biological weapon." Others said it was the end of days.
But she *knew* the truth.
Leo had something to do with it.
And she was going to find out *exactly* what.
---
### **Leo's Apartment – 2:00 AM**
The system interface glowed brighter than ever.
> **\[Armored Titan: Deactivated – Host Traumatized]**
> **\[Memory Seal Recommended? Y/N]**
Leo hesitated.
If he erased Alex's memory, the boy would forget everything. His own transformation. The system. Leo. It would be like it never happened.
He selected **Yes**.
> **\[Memory Seal Complete]**
> **\[Host Returns to Civilian State]**
> **\[Next Titan Selection: Available]**
Leo stared blankly at the blinking list of names. Nine Titan slots. One filled. Eight to go.
He had made his first move.
But he'd also learned a hard lesson.
Too much power, too fast—it backfires.
He needed candidates that *wanted* it. Not ones he had to force.
He opened a new list.
> **\[Potential Recruits Analyzed:]**
> – Julia Price (Top student. Resentful. Isolated.)
> – Marcus Bell (Delinquent. Loyal. Prone to violence.)
> – Officer Haley Nash (Military. Dissatisfied. Bitter.)
> – Unknown – "Maya Trent" (System Compatibility: *Under Review*)
Leo paused at the last name.
Maya?
He leaned forward.
> **\[Warning: Subject Observing Anomalies]**
> **\[Threat Level: Low → Moderate]**
Leo exhaled sharply.
"I didn't want to drag you into this, Maya…"
He closed the screen.
"…but you're already too close."
---
### **End of Chapter 3**
**Next: Chapter 4 – "The Female Titan's Rebellion"**
Would you like to continue with Chapter 4?