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Volume 1 - The Heir of Dorado [right]Yaretzi[/right]
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Necalli had rushed home and pushed through the heavy doors into his sister, Yaretzi's lab. He could instantly feel the hum of advanced technology surrounding him. The sleek, polished floors reflected the glow of various holographic displays that floated in midair, cycling through data faster than his eye could follow. Glass walls sectioned off different workstations, each filled with cutting edge equipment that looked like it belonged in a facility decades ahead of the outside world.

In one corner, a massive quantum computer whirred softly, its core emitting a faint, bluish glow as it processed vast amounts of information. Digital interfaces covered the walls, projecting detailed schematics and intricate 3D models that flickered and rotated with a simple wave of Yaretzi's hand. Drones hovered near the ceiling, quietly observing the various experiments in progress.

At the center of it all was Yaretzi, perched on a stool at her main workstation, surrounded by monitors displaying lines of code, chemical formulas, and real-time simulations. A holographic keyboard materialized as her fingers moved, each keystroke shifting data across the screens. 

"Yaretzi" Necalli called, his voice breaking the soft mechanical hum. He was still in his Black Panther suit. His parents had known better than to hide anything from Yaretzi, despite her age she was by far the smartest of their children. It would only have been a matter of time before she figured out what was going on. Necalli took his mask off.

She glanced up from her work, her brow creased with focus. "Necalli? What are you doing here?" She spun on her chair to face him. "Before you ask, no I can't give you a brain transplant, despite how badly you need one." She grinned. Her brother was in no joking mood and she could feel this. He'd usually send a verbal jab back her way, but this time she was met with only awkward silence.

Without a word, he pulled out the encrypted tablet and the documents he had found on the mercenary leader. "I need your help. This is serious."

Yaretzi wiped her hands on her lab coat, rising from her chair and stepping closer to inspect what Necalli laid out on the workbench. Her eyes flickered over the files and the tablet with growing curiosity. "Where did you get this?"

"Mercenaries attacked the jungle. I stopped them, but their equipment, it's more advanced than anything I've seen. They were after Dorado."

Yaretzi’s fingers brushed over the tablet. "Did they say who sent them?"

Necalli shook his head. "I didn't exactly leave them in a 'chatty' mood after I was done with them. But look, this symbol" He said pointing at the claw stamp. "This is on almost all of the documents and some of their equipment had 'L. Corp.' printed on it. Does that mean anything to you?"

She blinked, clearly taken aback. "L. Corp? No, I've never heard of them."

Yaretzi turned to her computer, quickly plugging the tablet in and pulling up the files. The screen flashed with layers of encryption, but her fingers flew across the keyboard, navigating the maze of codes. "This is…sophisticated. Whoever they are, they're not just some low-level thug. They've got money and resources."

Necalli watched her work, his jaw tightening. "I figured as much. That's why I needed you. We have to know who we're dealing with."

Minutes passed as Yaretzi continued to crack through the layers of security. Finally, she managed to pull up some initial data, but the details were still fragmented. "It'll take more time to get through everything." she said. "This encryption is like nothing I've seen before."

Necalli's frustration grew. "We don’t have time. They'll be back, and next time, they’ll be stronger." He glanced over his shoulder. "Yaretzi, I’m afraid father won't be happy with the methods I used to get this information. I've gone against his orders, but I need to protect Dorado. When he finds out what I've done I might not be able to-" 

Just as Necalli was about to finish, the door behind him burst open. His father, Moquihuix, stormed into the lab, his face dark with fury.

"You defied my orders!" Moquihuix's voice was like thunder. "I told you to deal with them silently, to leave them alive! And now you’ve endangered us all!"

Necalli spun to face him. "Father, I couldn’t stand by and do nothing. They were burning the jungle! They're close to finding Dorado! I had to act."

"You had no right!" Moquihuix's eyes blazed with anger. "You're not ready for this responsibility. Not ready to be Black Panther! You've compromised everything we've worked for!"

"I couldn't just sit back while the council debates in circles!" Necalli’s frustration boiled over. "We're running out of time! Everything we've worked for will be a pile of rubble if we let these savages find us!"

Before Necalli could say more, Moquihuix gestured to the guards behind him. "Take him to the holding cells."

Necalli's eyes widened. "What?!"

"You need to learn discipline." Moquihuix said coldly. "Until I decide otherwise, you'll stay there. Perhaps then you'll understand the weight of your actions."

The guards seized Necalli's arms, and despite his resistance, they led him away. Yaretzi watched in shock, unable to intervene, as her brother was dragged out of the lab and toward the underground cells.

As the heavy doors closed behind them, Necalli#s mind raced. He knew the danger Dorado faced was far greater than his father realized, and now, trapped in a cell, he was powerless to stop it.