Novastar Alpha

Deep within the ancient, mist-shrouded canopy of the Blackwood Forest, Novastar Alpha sought a moment of sanctuary to commune with the natural energies that fueled her power. She believed the dense foliage and isolation would provide a temporary shield from the growing shadows of The Institute, but the cabal’s reach was longer than any forest branch. High above the treeline, silent thermal scanners had already locked onto her heat signature. The Institute didn't send a battalion this time; they sent a "Ghost Squad"—specialized operatives outfitted in chameleon-fiber suits that rendered them invisible to both the naked eye and Alpha’s heightened senses. The silence of the woods was shattered not by a bang, but by the hiss of pressurized gas and the crackle of high-intensity tranquilizer rounds. Alpha lunged for the sky, her hands glowing with celestial light, but the Ghost Squad struck with surgical precision from the brush. A volley of neuro-toxin darts found their mark, and as she stumbled, an operative emerged from the shroud to deliver a devastating kinetic strike to the back of her head.