In front of a towering skyscraper in the heart of Novaris…
A black car rolls in.
The wheels stop. Tinted glass.
The rear door opens. City noise floods in.
A foot steps out.
Polished black dress shoes.
Then the other.
A man emerges. Black suit. Long hair.
His face comes into view.
Sunglasses.
Pale gray skin.
It's DARKVIL.
He tilts his head up toward the skyscraper.
The glass reflects the blazing sun.
Then he moves. Steady steps toward the entrance.
Two guards stand at the door.
One steps forward.
"Mr. Victor is waiting for you on the 10th floor. In his office."
DARKVIL walks inside. Calm. Controlled.
His footsteps echo as he passes workers and crowds.
The place is packed with gambling machines.
Movement everywhere.
Like a casino.
He heads for the elevator.
His figure appears on one of the security cameras.
Inside the control room—
Dozens of screens cover every inch of the building.
DARKVIL enters the elevator.
Presses 10.
Two guards step in with him.
They stand in silence. Black suits. Sunglasses.
Like machines.
The elevator hums upward.
"5… 6… 7…"
—
Victor sits in his office.
Slouched. Lost.
His face reflects faintly in the wall behind him.
He looks exhausted.
Red eyes.
Grief hangs over him.
A knock.
Knock. Knock.
Victor snaps toward the door.
"Come in."
The door opens. DARKVIL steps in. Closes it behind him.
Victor's eyes widen.
"You came!"
He jumps to his feet. Shaking.
"I'm being hunted… They want me dead!"
DARKVIL sits.
A soft chuckle.
"Heh… You look terrible.
Look at yourself. You've already lost a big part of your business."
Victor snaps.
"This is all because of you! You dragged me into those mutants!"
DARKVIL's tone hardens.
"Watch your words. Don't forget who I am.
You need us now more than ever."
Victor swallows.
"I… I need protection."
His eyes tremble with fear.
DARKVIL leans back.
"We'll provide that.
In exchange, we take 50% off the goods we get from you."
Victor stiffens.
"That's too much."
"You don't have a choice.
Refuse—and you lose everything."
Victor freezes. Sweat builds on his forehead.
His mind races.
DARKVIL speaks again.
"Fine.
To keep you from going bankrupt…
For every 10 shipments of organs—
we send you one vampire."
(Human organs.)
Victor thinks fast.
"What about this…
For every batch of five from the small suppliers… I get one of your men."
(Children.)
Silence.
DARKVIL thinks.
"…Hmm."
Victor cuts in quickly.
"It's a great deal for you. Please—I don't want to go bankrupt.
We've had a strong business relationship for years.
You've never complained about my goods.
You're my top client. You know that."
Silence.
DARKVIL finally speaks.
"How many were there?"
Victor moves fast. Opens his laptop.
"Maybe six… or seven."
He turns the screen.
"Look… the police managed to capture some images."
DARKVIL stares.
The images reflect in his dark lenses.
Khaled—clear.
Boris—his body covered in metal, collapsed in front of a blurry robot…
Connor—on the ground, in a blue amphibious monster form.
Victor continues.
"There are others. No clear shots."
More images appear.
Simon—just a blur of speed.
Hana—side shot, her body stretching mid-fight.
Ethan—barely visible inside a sphere of water.
DARKVIL reaches out. Taps the screen.
Stops at Khaled.
"This one's clearer than the others."
A pause.
"Maybe they're just fans of yours…
escapees from that prison you kept them in."
Victor shakes his head.
"No. Impossible. I know every mutant I used.
I've never seen these before."
DARKVIL nods slowly.
"I see…
Then there's a chance… they're the ones we've been looking for."
Victor suddenly remembers.
"Wait… something else.
When I was escaping the basketball court, that amphibious monster almost caught me—"
(Connor.)
"Something happened between him… and this mutant."
(He points at Khaled.)
"That's how I got away."
DARKVIL leans in.
"What did they say about the mine?"
Victor frowns.
"I don't remember clearly…
But when the amphibian got hit, he said—
'Don't tell me you messed up like you did at the mine.'"
DARKVIL removes his glasses.
Red eyes.
He stares at the screen.
"So… it's you…"
A cold pause.
"I still don't understand how the werewolves convinced them…
but that doesn't matter now."
He stands. Straightens his tie. Puts his glasses back on.
Victor panics.
"When do I get my protection team?!"
DARKVIL walks to the door. Opens it.
"They'll arrive tonight.
Don't forget our deal."
The door shuts behind him.
—
Knock.
Inside a mutant village.
Khaled sits on a bench in a quiet garden.
Watching endless green fields.
Strong wind brushes his face.
Peaceful. Calm.
"I didn't expect them to agree with Connor's idea…
Maybe I just can't see what he sees.
But that doesn't change the risk—
he could break the team during missions."
He shifts his gaze.
Children play in the distance among the plants.
"Keeping him here is the best option…
But I'm worried.
He might suffer while we're gone.
Especially with her provoking him… and he's quick to anger."
Something moves between the trees.
Khaled narrows his eyes.
"…Chris?!"
He stands. Shields his eyes from the sun.
"That has to be him."
He moves fast.
—
Inside a wooden house in the village—
Boris rushes down the stairs.
"Simon! Where's my jacket?!"
Simon's voice echoes from upstairs.
"I didn't touch it!"
"Don't lie! I saw you wearing it three days ago!"
Boris digs through piles of clothes.
Hana walks in.
"Oh my God… what is this mess?"
Boris shrugs.
"Your brother. He wears something and throws it anywhere."
Simon shouts from above.
"Seriously?! You do the exact same thing!"
Hana facepalms.
"If I leave this house for one day… it'll turn into a landfill."
Boris laughs while searching.
"Hahaha!"
Hana walks toward her room.
"Yeah, laugh. I'm done cleaning up after you two.
Start taking responsibility."
Simon comes down the stairs.
"We need to hurry. We'll miss the bus."
Boris snaps.
"This is your fault!
And I've got an exam tomorrow morning!"
—
In the house next door…
Connor sleeps.
Dreaming.
Dark skies.
Violent winds. Storms.
The ocean is raging.
People scream. Point toward the sea.
Drowning victims.
Lifeguards blow whistles—helpless.
No boats can launch.
They wait for rescue helicopters.
Connor stands there. Heart pounding.
He rips off a lifeguard's shirt.
Then runs—
Jumps.
The ocean drags him in.
Massive waves.
He can't move.
So he transforms.
An amphibious creature.
He shoots through the water like a shark.
Fast.
He surfaces near three girls.
One is sinking. Dying.
Two are holding her down, struggling to breathe.
Connor appears before them—like a shark.
They scream.
One passes out.
Connor grabs the drowning girl.
Her face is pale. Lifeless.
He freezes.
"Please… don't die… please don't die…"
He grabs the other two.
"Hold on to me!"
The last girl panics. Screaming. Thrashing.
"I won't hurt you! Just grab me!"
No response.
She swallows more water.
Connor moves fast. Pins her to his chest.
Pushes toward shore.
—
The beach is crowded.
Police. Rescue teams.
People wave.
Something moves fast beneath the water.
Three girls.
One screaming.
"What is that?!"
"Oh my God!"
Connor emerges.
One girl runs to the police—terrified—collapsing with every step.
Spotlights hit him.
Weapons raised.
"Put the girls down!"
"Don't move!"
Connor looks terrifying—
Massive serrated teeth.
Blue armored scales.
Clawed hands.
Gills in his neck.
White eyes with black lines.
Pure fear.
"I just saved them, you idiots!"
He places the unconscious girls on the sand.
Rushes to help the worst one.
The officers hesitate.
"Stop! Get away from the girl!"
Connor looks at her. Panic rising.
"Please… don't die…"
He presses her chest.
"He's trying to eat her!!" one officer shouts.
Gunfire.
Bullets hit his scales—sparks fly.
Connor shields his head. Jumps back.
"Why are you shooting, you bastards?! She's dying!"
He looks at her.
She's not breathing.
—
Connor jolts awake.
Breathing hard.
He stands up fast. Disoriented.
Then slows down. Breathing steadies.
He walks into the hallway.
Looks at the door.
Opens it.
Outside—
Calm.
Soft wind. Birds passing. Fields whispering.
He sits in front of his house.
Watching village life.
"At least… there are people like me here."
Then memories hit.
News reports.
His image everywhere.
"Sea monster kills 14-year-old girl."
He laughs. Shakes his head slowly.
—
At the edge of the village—
Between the trees—
Khaled moves carefully. Watching his surroundings.
Then—
Chris steps out from behind a tree.
Khaled smirks.
"Took you long enough."
Chris shrugs.
"Been busy. Missions with my team."
Khaled's expression turns serious.
"We've got problems."
Chris nods.
"I know. Saw the news.
Moving without masks was a mistake.
Now the vampires definitely know about you—
especially you. Your face is everywhere."
Khaled thinks.
"You're right… I was focused on exposure to the government… and Victor."
Chris tilts his head.
"And who's Victor?"
"A corrupt businessman.
He used to run fights—mutants and dangerous criminals.
Huge money from betting and spectators."
Chris exhales.
"Got it… and you failed to catch him.
There's a high chance he's a puppet for the vampires.
Or at least working with them."
He steps closer.
"You should be careful.
They'll protect him now that they know he's targeted.
And if not them—the government will.
Either way… he's not easy to take down."
Khaled nods.
"You're right."
Silence.
Leaves rustle.
—
Elsewhere.
Outside the village.
Inside a rented apartment—
Suyo stands in front of a mirror. Buttoning his white shirt.
Diego lies on the couch. Laptop open.
Suyo stares at his reflection.
"You never told me your name."
Diego looks up.
"Diego… Diego Ortega."
Suyo nods, watching him through the mirror.
"I'm Su—"
Diego cuts him off.
"Suyo Zaki. I know."
Suyo frowns.
"I don't remember telling you that."
"You didn't.
I saw your name on your cell wall…
when I broke into the prison the first time."
Suyo turns. Curious.
"Why did you do that?
You said you don't have powers."
"I don't.
Curiosity brought me to this country.
And one day, I ended up at one of Victor's fights.
You were in the arena."
Suyo pauses.
"Really?"
Diego nods.
"I saw how he treated you.
Like tools. For money.
You were injured. Couldn't even stand…
and he forced you to fight three prisoners to the death.
Just to entertain a crowd of blood-hungry psychos."
Suyo puts on his shoes.
"The worst part?
Most of that audience… is elite."
Diego nods.
"Yeah.
All he cares about is money.
After I saw that… I couldn't just walk away.
So I hacked into the place where you were held."
He smiles faintly.
"I made it in…
but I got exposed during another match.
They caught me."
Suyo looks straight at him.
Silence.
"You couldn't have done that alone…
If you're not an agent—who helped you get in?"
Diego grins.
"My friend… I'm a genius.
I've got my ways."
He leans back.
"I'm also the one who sabotaged Malira prison."
Suyo smirks slightly.
"And a good man.
Be careful… next time your heart might get you killed."
He stands. Walks to the door.
"Where are you going?" Diego asks.
"Getting some fresh air."
Suyo glances at the laptop.
"What are you doing?"
"Hacking the central police station.
Maybe I'll find something on Victor… or those mutants."
Suyo pauses.
"Where is it?"
"In the city center. Past the main hospital street—"
Diego suddenly looks up.
"Wait… why are you asking?"
Suyo opens the door.
"I'm going to check it out."
Diego jumps up.
"Are you serious?! You'll die!"
Suyo steps outside.
Cold expression.
Steady eyes.