1:45 PM - The Fortress
Both heroes, Superbolt and Blaze, walked into the building. Inside were the rest of the squad, along with the two women—Miss Bethany and Miss Tomika. As Jakson and Max settled in, Jakson glanced toward where the ladies sat, mildly surprised.
"Didn't know you two were still around," Jakson said.
"Are you trying to chase them away?" Larry responded with an awkward grin.
"No, I'm just shocked they've stayed this long with you guys. Thought you would've bored them out by now," Jakson shot back.
"They haven't been here that long. And even if they had, they're free to stay as long as they want," Larry replied. "We should be glad women even visit this place feels like we've had no female company in forever."
"What do you mean no women come here?" Derick said from the side. "Commander Layla comes here."
Everyone turned to stare at Derick. Max leaned toward Jakson, but said it loud enough for the room to hear.
"He just called that scarecrow a woman, didn't he?"
Jakson didn't miss a beat. "He did."
Rudy chimed in, raising a brow. "How much is she paying you?"
"She's not paying me anything," Derick replied, confused. "I just meant it's not true that no woman comes here."
Before things could spiral further, Timothy stepped in sharply.
"Enough. Leave Layla out of this and focus. The woman in question will be here soon she called me earlier, she's on her way."
Raymond nodded, arms crossed. "Jakson, give your report."
"Sure. The guy's name is Scythe or something. He wields one hell of a weapon and he's—" Jakson was cut off mid-sentence.
"Sorry to cut you off, Jakson, but did you just say Scythe?" Timothy interrupted, narrowing his eyes.
Jakson nodded in confirmation.
Timothy turned to Raymond. "Have you heard about him?"
Raymond leaned forward, expression serious. "I think I have. Back at the Academy, I came across some classified files on a few dangerous individuals. If Scythe is here in Ultra City... that's big. Really big."
Just before they could continue, the fortress doors creaked open.
Walking in was none other than their iron lady—Commander Layla. She wore a sharp tailored jacket over smart trousers, and combat boots that echoed with authority. Beside her walked Johnathan Flicker, ash-blond and confident in a black turtleneck and brown pants.
"And here she is," Rudy muttered.
"Yes, Mr. Rudy—I'm here. Deal with it," Layla replied dryly as she stepped in.
"Good afternoon, everyone," Johnathan greeted with a small wave.
Layla scanned the room. "Looks like everyone's here." Her eyes caught the two unfamiliar ladies seated to the side. "And who are these beauties?"
The two women stood up politely.
"My name is Tomika Smith," the first said.
"I'm Bethany Stewart," the second added.
"It's good to finally meet you," they said in unison.
Layla smiled. "Nice meeting you too. Smith, huh? So you're related to Tyler. And you—?"
"I'm Tyler's girlfriend," Bethany said with a small smile.
"Well, welcome. Nice seeing you both. Unfortunately, we can't chat much now. We've got work to do. I'd love to talk more later."
Tyler stepped up and approached the two ladies. "Beth, Mika, come with me."
He led them down the hall to a quiet room and turned to them. "You two will stay here during the meeting."
Tomika folded her arms. "Why are we staying here all of a sudden? You all were fine with us being there. What changed?"
Tyler looked conflicted, struggling to find the right words.
Bethany, catching his hesitation, placed a hand on Tomika's arm. "It's okay. We'll stay. Don't worry about it."
Tyler smiled, grateful. "If you need anything, just text me." He nodded and stepped out.
Tomika slumped onto the couch, visibly annoyed. Bethany leaned toward her.
"Come on, Tomika. You know Tyler wouldn't just kick us out. The guys were fine with us there, but now their commander's here. They need to look professional."
Tomika's face flushed red as she looked away. "I know... I was just... looking at something."
Bethany raised a brow. "Looking at what?"
"Nothing important," Tomika muttered quickly.
Bethany chuckled, shaking her head.
Meanwhile, Tyler returned to the main hall and took his seat beside the others.
Johnathan clapped his hands once and said, "Alright. Can we begin now?"
***
The meeting began with Jakson taking the floor.
"Like I said before, the guy I encountered was called Scythe. A really strong fighter who wields a massive scythe. The way he controlled his weapon… it was like an extension of his body. And his awareness in battle it's scary. He reads the environment like a book."
"If he's that good, how come you looked untouched when I got there?" Max asked, raising a brow.
"Yeah," Larry added. "When we saw you, there was no sign of you being hurt or even tired."
"Not every fight is fought at full strength," Sage cut in calmly, turning to Jakson. "Right?"
Everyone's eyes landed on Jakson.
"Yeah," he nodded. "When I was up against him, I was giving it everything I had. But him? He was holding back. He made it seem like we were equals but we weren't. He was on top. That punch you landed, Max... I think he didn't expect it. But even then, he was quick he almost blocked it before you landed the hit."
The room went quiet.
"He's gonna be a problem," Max said. "But not one we can't handle."
"I mean, he's just one guy," Derick added confidently, folding his arms.
"Yeah one guy who made one of the strongest among us look like a lightweight," Sage countered.
Rudy let out a soft scoff. "Or maybe it's just Jakson being weak, making the guy look like a big deal. Ever thought of that?"
Jakson's eyes narrowed.
"Oh, me? Weak?" he fired back. "Funny, because while I was out there defending this city, you were in here laying your ass down, probably napping."
"You don't have to get all furious," Rudy replied coolly. "Just stating the obvious. Maybe you were just shitting it all up out there."
Jakson stood up and jabbed a finger toward the training room door.
"That so? Then let's go in there and find out who's really weak."
Rudy stood too, smirking. "What a wonderful idea. I'm all in."
Tension rippled through the room like a sudden heatwave. Everyone tried to de-escalate, voices overlapping in protest. But neither of the two seemed ready to back down.
Then—
SLAM.
Timothy rose to his feet slowly, his voice suddenly booming.
"Enough!"