Xavier stood still in the line, his body tense, but his mind was racing.
'Reva and Lyra… how the hell did they get caught?
Sure, the mercs were tough. Space veterans. Murder for hire types. But Reva had vampire powers and Lyra had real-life experience. They weren't weak either. Not in a straight fight.
So either they'd pulled something on their own—got caught on purpose…
Or the sleeping herb from earlier hadn't fully worn off. Maybe their bodies were still slow and sluggish.'
He didn't know. But he didn't have time to wonder either.
"Hey! You! Take off the helmet!" one of the mercs barked.
Xavier didn't resist.
He took it off.
And the moment they saw his face, the shouting started.
"That's him! That's the bastard!"
"Kill this prick!"
"You think you're smart, huh?!"
They rushed toward him, guns ready. One of them cracked the back of his knee and dropped him to the ground. Another slammed his face into the dirt. Boots stomped around him. Some laughed. Some spat.
