Apprehension

The rooftop was silent except for the distant hum of the city below. A cold wind howled between the buildings, tugging at Scorpio's jacket, but he remained motionless. His fingers curled around the hilt of his sword, ready to draw at a moment's notice.

Across from him, Maverick Ozen stood with an easy smirk, arms folded, his bruised face illuminated by the flickering neon lights below. The prince looked completely at ease, despite standing in the heart of enemy territory.

"I came to talk," Maverick had said.

Scorpio didn't trust him.

He could sense movement nearby—shadows shifting, energy building, unseen eyes locked onto them. The operation was already in motion.

A trap had been set.

Maverick tilted his head. "You're awfully quiet. I'd expected a 'get lost' by now."

Scorpio's crimson eyes remained locked on him. "Talk fast."

Maverick's smirk widened. "Right. Straight to business." He took a step closer, and Scorpio's hand twitched over his blade.

Maverick noticed but didn't stop. "You know as well as I do that last night was only the beginning. My father won't let this slide, and your Monarch knows it too. War is inevitable."

Scorpio said nothing.

Maverick continued. "But what if it didn't have to be?" His smirk faded slightly, replaced by something more serious. "What if, instead of bloodshed, we found another way?"

Scorpio scoffed. "You expect me to believe you're here for peace?"

Maverick exhaled, shaking his head. "I'm not stupid. I know what people think of me—some spoiled prince with a silver tongue. And maybe they're not wrong." His brown eyes darkened. "But I also know that if this war happens, thousands will die. Innocent people. And I don't plan on letting that happen just to satisfy my father's ego."

Scorpio's grip tightened. The idea of avoiding war was tempting. He didn't want more innocent blood on his hands. But this was Maverick Ozen—heir to the Perol throne. He was a tactician, a manipulator. There was no way he wasn't planning something.

"You hesitated last night," Maverick said suddenly.

Scorpio stiffened.

Maverick smiled faintly. "That's how I'm standing here, talking to you instead of rotting in a grave." He took another step forward, lowering his voice. "I think there's still a part of you that doesn't want to become a monster, despite what everyone else believes."

Scorpio's expression didn't change, but deep inside, something twisted.

Before he could respond, the air shifted.

A sharp whistle cut through the night.

The trap was sprung.

An unseen force crashed down around them like a tidal wave. The air grew thick with energy, and before Maverick could react, dark metallic cables erupted from the shadows, snaking around his limbs and torso, yanking him off his feet. He barely had time to struggle before his entire body was locked in place.

A mechanical hum filled the air.

From the darkness, two figures emerged—Cancer and Pisces.

Cancer, with his measured steps and cold, calculating gaze, observed the restrained prince like a scientist examining a specimen. The glow of his energy restraints pulsed in the dim light. Beside him, Pisces' expression was unreadable, his lime green hair swaying slightly in the night breeze. His fingers twitched as if feeling the energy currents in the air, ensuring the bindings held firm.

Maverick's smirk wavered, but he recovered quickly. "Can't say I expected such a warm welcome."

Cancer ignored his sarcasm, turning to Scorpio. "You performed adequately in keeping him occupied."

Scorpio's jaw clenched. He hadn't been stalling Maverick—he had simply let the conversation happen.

Maverick chuckled. "So, what now? You gonna throw me in a lab and poke at me until I spill some royal secrets?"

Pisces, his voice quiet but firm, replied, "You'll be secured. Whether you talk is your choice."

Maverick sighed. "Well, that sounds fun."

Before he could say more, the sound of boots echoed across the rooftop.

A new presence had arrived.

Leo.

And he was furious.

His golden eyes burned as he stormed onto the scene, followed by others—reinforcements who had been waiting below. His presence alone shifted the atmosphere.

He stopped in front of Scorpio, arms crossed, expression livid. "Are you insane?"

Scorpio met his gaze without flinching. "What?"

Leo gestured sharply at Maverick's restrained form. "You actually entertained him? Listened to his nonsense? What if this was a trick? What if he had backup?"

"He didn't," Scorpio said flatly.

Leo's eyes narrowed. "And you knew that for a fact?"

Scorpio didn't answer.

Leo scoffed. "Unbelievable. Do you think this is a game? You let a prince of Perol talk to you like some old friend while the rest of us were actually doing our jobs."

Scorpio's hands curled into fists, but he kept his voice steady. "I did what I thought was necessary."

Leo stepped closer. "No, you did what you wanted, without thinking about others." His gaze hardened. "You put all of us at risk."

Scorpio held his ground.

Maverick, despite his situation, let out a low whistle. "Damn. You guys are tense."

Cancer shot him a sharp glance, and the restraints tightened, cutting off any further comments.

Leo exhaled, rubbing his temples before fixing Scorpio with a final glare. "Next time, don't act like you're the only one who matters in this war."

Scorpio said nothing.

Cancer and Pisces exchanged glances before Pisces finally spoke. "Enough. Take him."

With a wave of Cancer's hand, the restraints lifted Maverick effortlessly, carrying him toward the transport waiting below.

Scorpio remained on the rooftop as the others followed, watching as Maverick disappeared into the night.

Despite everything, a single thought gnawed at him.

What if Maverick was telling the truth?

As the transport disappeared into the distance, Scorpio remained still, the city lights casting long shadows over his tense form. Leo had already left, his frustration still lingering in the air, while Cancer and Pisces were undoubtedly on their way to oversee Maverick's containment.

Later that night at the containment at 9:32pm-

No alarms sounded.

No guards reported any unusual activity.

There was no sign of forced entry—no security breach, no flicker in the dampening field. The cameras? They never stopped recording.

And yet, one moment he was there, and the next, he was gone.

The guards who came for their scheduled check froze at the sight. The chains that had bound him lay shattered on the cold steel floor, their once-glowing sigils now dead and broken.

Inside the cell, something had been left behind.

A single ace of spades—its edges charred as if it had burned its way into reality.

No footprints.

No forced locks.

Just that single card.

As the alarms finally blared across Containment Omega.

"This isn't possible," one of the security officers stammered.

Cancer, the very man who had sealed Maverick with his own chains, remained silent. His cold eyes studied the broken links with something bordering on unease.

"No one breaks my chains," he murmured. "Not without help."

That was when the true horror set in.

Someone had been here.

Someone who could bypass the containment absolute security.

Someone who had freed Maverick without leaving a trace.

Later that night at the rooftop of the building where he met Maverick, Scorpio couldn't shake the unease creeping up his spine.

Maverick's words echoed in his mind.

"I think there's still a part of you that doesn't want to become a monster."

Scorpio exhaled sharply, forcing his fingers to unclench from his sword hilt. He had spent years honing himself into a weapon for this war—one that would not hesitate. And yet, last night, he had.

That hesitation had let Maverick live.

And now, a nagging voice at the back of his mind whispered: What if you made the right choice?

A flicker of movement to his left snapped him back to reality.

"Are you going to stand there brooding all night, or are you coming?"

Aquarius.

She stood at the rooftop's edge, arms crossed, watching him with a knowing expression. The neon glow from below reflected off her sharp features, and despite her usual aloof demeanor, there was something softer in her gaze tonight.

Scorpio let out a breath. "You saw what happened."

Aquarius tilted her head. "I saw Leo lose his mind and Cancer act like he already owns the battlefield. What I didn't see was you actually explain yourself."

He frowned. "There was nothing to explain. Maverick approached me. I let the conversation happen."

Aquarius stepped closer, her eyes searching his. "And did you want it to happen?"

Scorpio hesitated.

Aquarius nodded to herself. "I thought so."

He sighed. "It doesn't matter. He's captured. The mission is done."

"Is it?" Aquarius's voice dropped lower, barely above a whisper. "Because you don't look like someone who just won."

Scorpio didn't reply.

Aquarius studied him for another moment before stepping past him. "Come on, let's get off this roof before Leo decides to rip your head off in round two."

"I'm not afraid of that cocky bastard." Scorpio scoffed at her words

Aquarius smirked. "Sure you're not."

Scorpio exhaled, the weight of the night pressing against his shoulders. His gaze drifted to the skyline, where the transport carrying Maverick had vanished. The city below buzzed with life, oblivious to the war that crept closer with each passing day.

He turned away, stepping toward Aquarius. "Let's go."

As they descended the rooftop access ladder, Aquarius glanced at him. "You should talk to Leo before he explodes. Again."

Scorpio didn't respond. He didn't need to. Leo's anger wasn't what was bothering him. It was the doubt clawing at his mind.

Maverick Ozen had a reputation—a cunning strategist, a silver-tongued prince who could twist words like a blade. And yet, something about his plea felt genuine.

If there was even a sliver of truth to it…

No. Scorpio clenched his fists. He couldn't afford to second-guess.

By the time they reached the lower levels of the building, the air was thick with tension. Leo stood at the base of the staircase, arms crossed, eyes like molten gold burning into Scorpio.

Before he could speak, Cancer's voice crackled through their communicators.

"We have a problem."

Scorpio stiffened. "What is it?"

Cancer's usual calm tone carried a rare edge of urgency. "Maverick has escaped from his containment ."

A beat of silence.

Aquarius frowned. "Escaped? What the hell do you mean he escaped?"

Pisces' voice came next, softer but tense. "He just vanished. We were monitoring the containment where he put him, and in one moment, everything was fine before you know he was just and chains who used to bind us shattered and my security can't find anything yet."

Leo cursed under his breath, his earlier frustration morphing into something sharper. "It's an extraction. Someone broke him out."

Scorpio's mind raced. This wasn't a coincidence. Someone had planned this out. And now, Maverick Ozen was back in play.

Cancer's voice returned, brisk and focused. "We're retracing his heat signature and scanning for anomalies. But if someone had the tech to pull this off, they planned for it."

Pisces added, "We need to regroup. Get back to HQ."

The line cut, leaving them in heavy silence.

Aquarius exhaled. "Well. That's bad."

Leo's glare returned to Scorpio. "This is on you."

Scorpio met his gaze, unflinching. "I'll fix it, Let's head to HQ."

After an hour at 10:35 pm, Scorpio left the HQ unannounced as he turned and strode into the night, determination hardening his steps.

Maverick was out there. And Scorpio was going to find him.