The chair scraped loudly against the floor. Then the door slammed open. Veyron stormed outside.
Cold air hit his face, but it didn't cool anything. His chest was tight, fists clenched so hard his nails dug into his palms. Gravel crunched under his steps as he paced, breathing sharp and uneven. Yuki followed him out.
"Veyron—"
"Don't," he snapped, spinning around. "Don't act like this is nothing."
Her expression stayed calm. Too calm.
"You didn't tell me," he continued, voice rising. "You let them go without saying a word."
"They made the choice," Yuki replied evenly. "And they promised they wouldn't do anything reckless."
Veyron laughed, short and bitter. "Reckless? Goro? Axel? Breaking into the mayor's place is their definition of a warm-up."
"They said they'd only spy," Yuki said. "Map the place. Nothing more."
"And what if they get a chance?" Veyron shot back, mocking now, anger sharpening his words. "What if they see the external drives right there?"
Yuki tilted her head slightly, a faint smile pulling at her lips.
"Then maybe you finally get powers," she said calmly. "And we can actually start doing this business against the government."
The words hit harder than a punch. Before Veyron could answer, the door burst open again.
Nyra ran out.
Tears streamed down her face as she threw her arms around Veyron, hugging him tightly, like she was afraid he'd disappear if she let go.
"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I should've told you. I should've stopped them. I'm sorry, I'm sorry—"
Veyron froze. He looked down at her, at her shaking shoulders, at the glowing threads trembling faintly around her fingers. He didn't know what to say. So he said nothing.
————————————————————
That day while rest of the gang was driving to the farm. Lake Neoterra.
Water rippled softly under moonlight.
Two dark shapes moved beneath the surface.
Goro and Axel swam slowly, oxygen masks tight against their faces, tanks strapped to their backs. Every movement was controlled, precise. Wasted motion meant wasted air. Above them loomed the only bridge leading to the mayor's house—massive, reinforced, crawling with armed patrols. Boats circled the lake endlessly. Military boats. It had taken them the entire day. Their oxygen tanks were already half-used—stolen from soldiers they'd taken down days earlier, gear they hadn't even been sure would ever matter.
It mattered now.
They surfaced near the island quietly, barely disturbing the water, and slipped into the shadows. Wet and silent, they crawled into the nearest bush by the shore, breathing carefully.
Goro leaned in close.
"Use your powers now," he whispered. "That gives us better odds."
Axel glanced at him. "Better odds to do what. Break in?"
Goro's eyes hardened. "Don't play dumb. You know why we're here."
"We're here to scan the area," Axel whispered back. "Yuki was clear."
"We already mapped the bridge. The lake. Patrol routes," Goro replied. "All that's left is the island's outer structure. We do that and leave."
He paused.
"Or," he continued softly, dangerously, "we stop listening to Yuki. We go inside. Grab a few external hard drives. In and out. No traces."
Axel stayed silent. The seconds dragged. Finally, he exhaled slowly.
"…Okay," Axel said. "We map the inside. If the opportunity shows up, we take the drives. If not, we pull out. Deal?"
Goro's mouth curled into a thin smile.
"Deal."
They shook hands.
Moments later, two soldiers patrolling nearby dropped silently into the grass. Uniforms were taken. Masks pulled on—black fabric stamped with a shark, red teeth bared. Red bandages wrapped tightly around their right arms. Blending in. They traced a wide circle around the mayor's house, hugging shadows, counting cameras, memorizing angles. Soldiers stationed outside barely gave them a glance. Same uniforms. Same masks. Same red bandages. One by one, soldiers disappeared. Always in blind spots. Always silent. A tap on the shoulder. A suppressed shot. A body dragged out of sight. Armor stripped, weapons redistributed. Five soldiers gone before the circle closed. They ended where they started. An open side entrance.
Goro lifted two fingers.
Axel nodded. They slipped inside. The house swallowed them whole.
No lights. No sound. The interior was pitch black, the kind of darkness that erased depth and distance. Without the shark-mask night vision, they would've been blind.
Green outlines flickered into existence.
Walls. Corners. Furniture.
They moved without words, hands speaking instead. Stop. Clear. Left. Right. Every step was measured. Any soldier hidden inside would have the advantage. Floor zero was massive. Too massive.
Wide halls, minimalist design, expensive emptiness. No warmth. No signs of living. They mapped it carefully, room by room, memorizing exits, cameras, cover points.
Nothing.
They moved up. Floor one. A hallway stretched endlessly ahead.
A single soldier stood at the far end. Goro and Axel pressed into the wall just in time. The soldier stepped out casually, then stopped.
"…Hey guys," he said with a laugh. "Why are you hiding?"
Axel felt it instantly. They weren't alone.
"Sorry, uh—yeah," Axel started, forcing his voice lighter. "We were just trying to scare you, haha—"
"You don't sound like them," the soldier said, raising his rifle.
Everything happened at once.
Goro was behind him in a blink, arm locked around the man's neck. Axel raised the suppressed pistol, put it on side of the man's head, and fired. One shot. The soldier dropped. They dragged the body into the shadows and moved on. Floor one took forever. Ten full minutes of walking. At its center stood a massive indoor fountain. Water flowed softly. Piranhas circled beneath the surface.
"Why does this big fucking house not have a toilet," Goro thought bitterly.
"Maybe floor two," Axel whispered under his breath.
They split up.
Floor two, last floor in this house, felt different. Lower ceiling. Same endless layout.
Axel took the left hallway.
Minutes passed. Door after door. Until one sign stopped him cold. Mayor's Bedroom. He opened the door slowly. Empty.
The bed was torn apart, sheets scattered like someone left in a hurry. A half-empty glass sat on the table. Vodka. Cold. Too recent. A dressing room caught his eye. Axel slid the doors open. An elevator stared back at him.
His stomach dropped.
"…What if he escaped—" Axel whispered, blood rushing in his ears.
He rushed to the window.
Outside, headlights cut through the darkness.
Military jeeps poured across the bridge. Parking. Surrounding the house. Axel turned and ran.
————————————————————
Goro was halfway down his hallway when he found it. The only bathroom. Inside stood the wardrobe. He tugged it, nothing. Checked the walls. The floor. No lever. No switch. Annoyance turned into certainty.
Goro expanded his domain. The air pressure shifted. The wardrobe slammed flat onto the ground. Behind it—
A door.
Goro placed his hand on the handle.
He opened it.