Hero Complex

In a high-tech lab beneath Hephaestus Corporation, James McKay, a bioengineer, contemplates destroying his creation, the Geno Forge Matrix, fearing its misuse by powerful rivals like Echidna Incorporated. His assistant, Lena, urges caution, but before they can decide, masked assailants attack. In a desperate move, McKay launches the Geno Forge Matrix into space to prevent it from falling into wrong hands. During the chaos, McKay is fatally shot, entrusting Lena with safeguarding the Matrix for a better future.

Meanwhile, Mercy Savage, an operative of Echidna Incorporated, retrieves the Matrix's blueprints but laments its loss. She returns to her employer, strategizing on how to deal with the emergence of "meta-humans" resulting from the Matrix's potential spread. Later, Mercy confronts Galen Pope, revealing a complex history and unresolved tension between them.

The story blends themes of scientific ethics, corporate espionage, and the consequences of advanced technology in a world teetering on the brink of superhuman evolution.