The Call That Changed Everything

Remond's legs burned as he sprinted through the streets. His mind was racing faster than his feet.

Innes was in danger.

Sid's voice still echoed in his ears. "She was digging too deep. They found her."

Beside him, Hayato moved like a shadow, silent but determined. His expression was unreadable, but the urgency in his steps matched Remond's own.

Sid's workshop wasn't far. That was their first stop.

They had to find out exactly what happened.

---

Sid's Discovery

Sid's workshop was cluttered as usual, wires and tools scattered across every surface. He was sitting in front of multiple screens, his face lit up by the glow of his monitors.

As soon as Remond and Hayato burst in, Sid turned, rubbing his temples. "I was monitoring some encrypted calls when I picked up something strange."

He tapped on his keyboard, and a garbled, distorted voice crackled through the speakers.

"...She knows... terminate the target... Axiom orders... no loose ends..."

Remond clenched his fists. "Where was this call from?"

Sid exhaled. "Somewhere near Innes's apartment. The signal was bouncing between different sources, but I traced a rough location." He pointed at the map on the screen. "They're moving fast. We don't have much time."

Hayato grabbed his mask. "Then let's move."

---

A Desperate Escape

Innes's heart pounded in her chest as she darted down a dark alleyway.

She had managed to slip past her pursuers—barely.

She had no idea who they were, but she had a sickening feeling that they were Axiom Syndicate's enforcers.

Her apartment was no longer safe.

She needed to hide.

But just as she turned a corner, she skidded to a stop.

A tall man in a black suit stood there, blocking her path. His eyes gleamed under the dim streetlight.

"Running only makes this harder for you."

Innes swallowed hard. "Who the hell are you?"

The man smiled. "Just someone making sure you don't cause any more trouble."

She didn't wait for him to make a move—she turned on her heel and ran the other way.

But then—

A hand grabbed her wrist.

A second enforcer had been waiting for her.

"Gotcha."

---

The Rescue Mission

Remond and Hayato arrived near Innes's apartment just in time to hear the struggle.

A muffled scream.

The sound of footsteps.

Hayato's eyes narrowed. "Two targets. Moving towards the alley."

Remond didn't wait. He charged forward, his body already glowing faintly with kinetic energy.

Hayato took the rooftops, moving ahead to cut them off.

The moment Remond entered the alley, he saw them—two men in black suits dragging Innes toward a sleek black van.

Innes struggled, her eyes wide in panic.

The men barely had time to react before Remond was on them.

WHAM!

His punch sent one of them flying into the van's door. The metal crumpled from the impact.

The second man reached for a gun—

But before he could pull the trigger, Hayato dropped from above, slamming him into the ground with a powerful kick.

The fight lasted seconds.

The two enforcers were down.

Innes stumbled backward, gasping for air.

Remond turned to her. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, still shaken. "I—I think so..."

Hayato was already checking the bodies for anything useful.

Remond placed a reassuring hand on Innes's shoulder. "We need to get you somewhere safe."

She hesitated. "I can't just back down, Remond. This is bigger than me."

Remond sighed. "I know. But you almost got killed tonight."

Innes clenched her fists. "So did you. And yet, you keep fighting."

He had no argument for that.

"Come on. Let's regroup at Sid's."

---

Axiom's Real Hand

Elsewhere, deep within an underground facility, a man sat in a dimly lit control room.

Multiple monitors displayed live footage from various locations across the city.

A slender man in a lab coat entered, adjusting his glasses.

"Our men failed. The girl was rescued."

The man in the chair didn't look away from the screens. "Expected. She's too close to the truth."

The scientist hesitated. "Dr. Graves is still maintaining cover. But should we intervene more directly?"

The man finally turned, his piercing eyes reflecting the glow of the monitors.

"No. Graves is a useful puppet. Let him keep thinking he's in control. We'll make our move when the time is right."

The scientist bowed slightly. "Understood, Operator Lopart."

Lopart smirked. "Let's see how far our little heroes can go before they break."