The sun had barely risen over the smoking ruins of Westbridge when Leo opened his eyes. He stood atop a crumbled rooftop, his gaze fixed on the city's outskirts where military convoys were forming a blockade.
Smoke curled into the sky. The world had changed overnight.
And it was only beginning.
A translucent blue interface blinked in front of him, casting a glow on his bruised face.
[Titan Creator System: Armored Titan Slot Active]
[Assign another user?]
[WARNING: You already have one Armored Titan. Do you wish to proceed with duplication?]
[YES] / [NO]
Leo didn't hesitate.
He pressed YES.
The screen shimmered, then split into a new menu:
[Select subject for Titanization]
Leo looked behind him. Huddled inside the ruined school gym was a kid named Ethan — twelve years old, quiet, bullied just like Leo. The boy hadn't spoken a word since the transformation yesterday. He just sat there, trembling.
Leo walked up slowly.
"Ethan," he said softly. "Do you want to stop being a victim?"
Ethan blinked at him. "What…?"
"Do you want to make them fear you?"
Ethan hesitated. Then he nodded, slowly.
Leo held out his hand.
The system responded:
[Initiating Armored Titan Injection...]
[Subject DNA Rewrite in Progress...]
[Estimated Completion: 10 seconds]
Ethan's eyes widened. His veins lit up beneath his skin, glowing crimson. His body twitched, seized, then—
BOOM!
A shockwave tore through the gym walls as Ethan exploded in size. His skin hardened instantly into gray-white armored plates. His frame cracked and stretched until he stood a towering fifteen meters tall — another Armored Titan, just like Maya.
But not identical.
Ethan's form was bulkier, with jagged, almost spiked armor plating. His hands were larger — built for crushing.
Leo smiled.
[New Titan Created: Spiked Armored Variant]
Military Response: Phase One
Three miles away, Colonel Travis of the U.S. Army watched through binoculars from atop a tank.
"Jesus Christ," he muttered. "We've got visual on two. Repeat, two Armored Titans."
The radio crackled. "Command assumed it was a single biological entity. Are you sure?"
Travis lowered the binoculars. "Crystal clear. They're different. One's spiked, the other's leaner. We're dealing with a... factory."
A general's voice barked through the static. "You are to engage only if provoked. Our scientists are en route. Secure the area, maintain visual."
Travis cursed under his breath. He knew what that meant.
We're expendable.
Maya's Awakening
Back at the school, Maya stirred in the crater where she'd collapsed after her battle.
Her body was reverting. Steam hissed from her skin as her Titan form shrank away, revealing her bruised but breathing human frame. She sat up, clutching her side.
Then she saw it.
Ethan. Towering. Armored.
She blinked, confused. "Leo… you made another one?"
Leo nodded. "We're not limited. We're evolving."
Maya stared at Ethan, then at Leo. For the first time, she saw something in his eyes.
Power. And no fear.
Message to the World
Leo knew what he had to do.
He walked to the city's broken broadcast tower, where emergency news cameras were still half-active. He tapped into one of the remaining local feeds.
He stared into the camera.
"Humanity," he said calmly. "You've created your monsters."
Static crackled.
"I was bullied, broken, ignored. Left to rot. You stepped on people like us. And now, you're going to learn what that creates."
The camera panned as Ethan roared in the background, shaking the sky.
"There are nine Titan forms. But I don't need nine people. I can make an army. And I will."
He stepped closer.
"I am the beginning of the end. Call your armies. Call your governments. It won't stop what's coming."
Then he ended the feed.
Back in the Government Bunker
Fifty feet below Washington D.C., five-star generals and black-ops scientists watched the broadcast.
Silence.
Then the President spoke.
"How many people can this kid transform?"
Nobody had an answer.
One agent finally said, "He's not creating weapons… he's creating a species."
The room fell into chaos.