The safety of the world is at stake. The Chinese HEARPE is now fully operational. With the help of Betty and Barnabis, XIII tries to destroy HEARPE while XIII.2 attempts to unleash its destructive force – a terrifying array of natural disasters - on the United States. But only one man will triumph. Only one man will survive. Making his last stand in the bunker, Carrington contemplates extreme measures.

XIII, Betty and Amos escape from The Pit and into Shanghai but are trapped in a mysterious and sinister riot that has spontaneously formed around them. Thirteen-year-old Yen-Boi and his father Ping help them find and fight their way through the chaos. With access to a Navy Seal helicopter, Amos leads them towards the extraction point. Carrington is pushed further into the bunker by Traymore’s forces, and makes a last-ditch effort to rally support.

XIII is thrown into The Pit, an underground dungeon where prisoners are forced to fight to the death in matches broadcast live online. XIII tries to rally the prisoners, which include Amos, Mozambique and Grier, while staying alive long enough to attempt an escape. XIII.2 and Betty mastermind a hostile takeover of Xu Corporation.

Xu Corporation gives XIII the face of agent Victor Gong (XIII.2), which only intensifies his struggles with identity. Betty plots revenge against her father by trying to sabotage his efforts in China. Carrington watches his empire crumble around him.

XIII is delivered into the hands of Xu Corporation, who believe him to be Victor Gong, also known as XIII.2. While XIII allows the deception to continue, he is plagued by memories that force him to question his true identity. President Carrington imposes a state of martial law, halting the transfer of power to Harriet Traymore.

Betty and XIII both question the reality of their situations: concealing his true identity, XIII sails to China, searching the ship for the final letter which has been hidden somewhere on board; Betty is abducted and delivered to her father in London, who claims that her experiences with XIII and the Veil have been nothing but the narcotic-induced hallucinations of a runaway.

XIII, Betty and Mozambique rush to free Vargas before he’s deported to Guantanamo, as they believe he must have information about the letters. Synequanon’s tests of their newest technology have unforeseen, cataclysmic results.

XIII crashes an ultra-exclusive birthday party to find the final letter. The host of the party, and the owner of the letter, is a Russian Oligarch with a penchant for collecting expensive items such as rare weapons and beautiful women, and using the former on the latter. Part of his collection includes one of the Tesla letters, and XIII finds he isn’t the only person who’s come looking for it.