General Ironwood's eyes were very cold.

He stared at Jonah and Vanessa, his face showing no feeling. He was a man who commanded elite soldiers and warriors who had faced down the worst monsters the world had to offer. To him, the two young people standing before him were just children.

"Headmaster," the General said, his voice a low, angry sound. I didn't come here to be briefed by students."

The Headmaster didn't react. "These students, General, were the ones who got into the Bureau's lab. They are the ones who came face to face with the prototype and lived through it. They are more than just my proof. They are the only ones who truly know about this."

He gave Vanessa a small nod to encourage her. "Miss Vane, please begin."

The General clearly didn't look impressed, sitting back with his arms folded.

Vanessa took a deep breath to calm herself. Jonah could see her hands shaking a little, but her voice sounded very sure when she spoke. "General, I know you might not believe us. What we found is... hard to accept."

She stepped forward and placed her datapad on the table. With a tap, it showed a bright, floating picture in the air above it.

"I won't talk to you about magic," she said, her tone sharp and professional. "I'm going to talk to you about an illegal weapons development program."

The General's eyebrows lifted a little. She got him to pay attention.

Vanessa's fingers moved quickly over her screen and the image changed. It showed many complicated charts and power readings. "This is a record of the energy from the lab we shut down. We checked it against the Academy's records. The patterns show that over thirty different living things were forced together."

The image changed again, showing a corrupted computer file. It was Thorne's "Butcher's Bill."

"We also recovered parts of the lead scientist's research logs," she continued. "He detailed his process. He calls it 'synthesis,' but it's more like butchery. He took living things, cut them open while they were still alive for their best parts, and then sewed them together with simple machine parts."

She zoomed in on a glowing line of code in the log. "And this is the most important part. The engine, as he named it. It's a power source that our study shows is a broken copy of a special energy. It comes from the blood of a living being."

She turned off the screen and looked straight at the General. Her talk was over. She didn't show him photos of bad creatures. She showed him clear, true facts. She explained the proof not as a magical problem, but as a scientific crime.

General Ironwood was quiet for a long time, his cold eyes looking at the spot where the information had been. He was not a scientist, but he knew about weapons. He understood what it meant to put different tools together to make something new and very dangerous.

"The work of a madman," he finally said, his voice serious. "But it is still just data. It could be manipulated."

The Headmaster gave a cold smile. "I agree, General. Data can be manipulated. That is why I also brought a demonstration."

He turned his gaze to Jonah. "Jonah. If you would."

Jonah's heart beat fast in his chest. He was standing before one of the most powerful and dangerous men in the country. He took a slow breath, pushing down his fear and making his mind clear. He reached into the inner space he called his Workshop.

He held his hand out, palm up. A soft, golden light started to spin in his palm. The light became solid, shaping itself into delicate shapes. A stem grew, tiny green leaves opened up and then, a series of white petals opened one by one.

Pop. Pop. Pop.

In just moments, a glowing white flower lay in his hand. It was a Sunpetal, a simple bloom known for its gentle, calming energy.

General Ironwood stared at Jonah's hand. His military training kept his face from showing any emotion, but Jonah saw it in his eyes. He saw how surprised he was. He saw that he didn't believe it.

He had just watched something that seemed impossible. He had just seen a boy create life from nothing.

The General slowly looked from the flower in Jonah's hand back to Vanessa. He finally understood. The data she had shown him, the story of a monster made of stitched-together parts... and this. This boy who could create a living thing in a matter of seconds.

He saw how scary and useful it could be for the military. A soldier who didn't need any supplies. A spy who could make his own gear. A one-man army who could build whatever he needed, whenever he needed it.

He understood why the Bureau was so obsessed. And why they had to be stopped.

The General slowly moved closer, putting his hands on the table. The uneasy alliance was about to happen.

" The Bureau's lawless group is a problem," Ironwood said, his voice a low rumble. "It must be cut out. I will help you."

Jonah suddenly felt much better.

"But," the General continued, his eyes locking onto Jonah, "my hands are tied. I cannot officially move my troops against another government agency. That would start a civil war. This must remain off the books."

He looked at the Headmaster. "I cannot give you soldiers. But my office can provide your team with military intelligence. Access to our communication networks. Transportation. Logistical support. I will give you the tools."

"That is all we ask," the Headmaster said.

Ironwood nodded slowly. He stood up and looked at Jonah, his expression was very serious. The alliance had a price. And it came with a warning.

"If what you say is true, son," the General said, "then you are the most dangerous weapon on this continent. I will help you hunt these madmen. But if I ever believe you are the greater threat..."

He let the silence hang in the air for a moment, his promise clear and cold.

"I will hunt you myself."