— The Run —
Raider, who had been sent by Lexy to back up his teammates, was running and panting, replaying his delay in his head. He had wasted precious minutes saving a child—an eight-year-old girl who'd nearly been raped.
"Damn bastards," he murmured angrily. "Trying to take chances with a little kid… disgusting."
A female voice called from behind him. He turned, and his face flushed red.
"Paloma…?"
His classmate approached with hurried steps, explaining she was supposed to join him as backup but thought she'd arrived late.
Raider managed a soft smile. "Nah… I had to stop. Some guys tried to hurt a little girl. Couldn't just leave her."
They bent into an alley together, trading words, when Raider suddenly stopped. The sound of buildings collapsing echoed in the distance. His brows furrowed.
"What kind of fight is going on out there…?"
Paloma glanced that way, her eyes troubled. "We're about to graduate… and this fight's our last mission before we do. A week or two more, and it'll all be behind us."
Raider nodded silently. He chose a shortcut, but when they turned the corner, both froze.
— The Discovery —
Ahead, a group of people were loading weaponry and high-level tech into vans. Among them stood Bahlah, casually smoking as he counted crates and exchanged words with War.
Raider's body stiffened. He wanted to rush forward, but Paloma's hand touched his shoulder.
"There's too many… we should call for backup."
He hesitated, torn, but finally sighed and agreed. They slipped back into the shadows. Raider pulled out his phone and dialed the heroes—
But before he could speak, the line cut.
—
Wild Scream, on the other end, frowned at the sudden drop. "That was Raider's call…" She hurried to inform Lexy, who instantly grew tense.
Just then, another hero burst into the room, showing Zoe's live broadcast on his phone. Heroes and soldiers shifted uneasily. Lexy demanded the feed be shut down, but the hero shook his head.
"We tried. No use. The rifts to the abyss… they're already open. Top heroes—K20, SEER, Vektor, Black Ranger, Celestial—they're handling it, but… things don't look good."
Lexy cursed and turned to the president. "Give us permission to take matters into our own hands—"
"No," President Verek snapped.
Lexy's anger boiled. "Then I'll break orders, sir."
"How dare you—!"
"I'll do the right thing," she shot back, her voice sharp. "We're sitting here while kids we trained are dying out there. Enough of this! I'm going to put an end to that brat and save our students."
The other heroes nodded, determination blazing in their eyes. Verek exhaled, defeated.
"Go. Do whatever you want."
As they filed out, Lexy paused at the door, her tone calm. "We'll resolve this after the fight." She didn't notice the faint smile creeping onto Verek's lips as he watched the screen.
— The Ambush —
Back in the alley, Raider frowned at his dead signal.
"Why was the call cut…?"
A voice answered behind him, cold and mocking.
"How annoying. Looks like our operation's been discovered."
Killer stepped into view, slipping his hand away from the wristwatch jammer.
Before Raider could react, Killer lunged. Raider barely dodged his fist, and Paloma quickly swung him into a wall with her telekinesis.
The impact drew attention from the others. Bahlah stepped forward, frowning.
"What the hell's going on?"
"Bahlah!" Raider's voice cracked with desperation. "What the hell, I thought you were with us—to help capture that bastard!"
Bahlah opened his mouth, but only a dry chuckle escaped. Raider and Paloma froze.
Killer pushed off the wall, sliding his mask into place. "The thing is… Bahlah was never with you guys from the start."
Paloma blinked in confusion. "But… he helped us find members of the Unknown!"
Raider cut her off, pointing to the crates. Each bore the unmistakable insignia of the Unknown. His gaze darted to the young men unloading—some their age, some even younger.
His chest sank. "Paloma… don't panic. But we're standing in the middle of the Unknown's core members. Everything was a setup."
Her heartbeat spiked. "Rick… what do we do? Should I call for backup, or—"
"It's Raider," he corrected gently, gripping her shoulder. "Stay calm. We'll get through this together."
War's voice suddenly sliced through the air, psychotic amusement dripping.
"Stop lying to the girl, man. Things are about to get worse, you know." He laughed. "Demon's orders were clear—eliminate all treats."
Killer cocked a brow. "You mean threats. Not treats."
"I know what I said!" War snapped back.
Killer smirked. "You dumbass. You were too busy stuffing your face to hear straight."
They bickered, their banter sharp and childish. Even Bahlah muttered with irritation, "Ah… kids. I forgot you're still teenagers."
— The Breaking Point —
Raider seized the moment, trying to edge Paloma away—but she shrieked in pain, collapsing as a dagger buried itself in her thigh.
Blood poured. She clutched the wound, eyes wide. Raider bent to help, panicked.
Killer's voice was ice. "Don't even dream of escaping." He advanced, but Paloma, trembling, forced him back with another telekinetic shove.
Then War was suddenly at her side, gripping her wrist. "Nice ability. Wanna see mine?" With a sick grin, he crushed her wrist, tearing it apart.
Her scream split the night, her eyes rolling back before she fainted. Even Bahlah shivered at the sound.
Raider froze, his mind fracturing. I'm supposed to graduate soon… I'm trained to read battlefields… so why can't I see the bigger picture? What is their endgame…?
Sweat poured. Anger surged. "Get away from her!"
He lashed out with a kick, but War caught his leg like a toy and flung him aside. Raider's face split open against the ground.
We've fought monsters… cracked cases… so why am I this weak? Why can't I protect her? I haven't even told Paloma how I feel…!
With a roar, he grabbed a steel pipe and swung it. War took the blow head-on, then smirked as the wound healed instantly. Raider's eyes widened in horror—just as Killer's fist slammed into his throat gagged blood. The kicks didn't stop. Killer and War pummeled him mercilessly, dragging his body across the alley.
"Hey, that looks fun," War grinned. "Mind if I join in?"
The two teens laughed, their violence disturbingly playful.
— The Fall —
Paloma's eyes snapped open again. Through her pain and bleeding, she saw Raider being brutalized. With every ounce of will, she screamed and hurled both War and Killer against the wall, slamming them again and again.
For thirty-seven seconds, the alley shook. Bones cracked. But War finally broke free, appearing in her blind spot.
"Too slow."
His hand pierced into her back, tearing into her spine. Paloma choked, blood spilling from her mouth as she collapsed.
"Paloma!" Raider crawled, gathering her into his arms. Tears streamed as he begged.
"Please don't… don't do this to me. I'm sorry for yelling. Don't die. Help is coming—we'll be okay!"
Her lips trembled. "I… I thought… graduation… our careers…" Tears fell as her voice broke. "Rick, I don't want to die. I miss home. I miss our classes. Please… don't let me go…"
Raider clenched his teeth, sobbing. "No! We'll graduate together, okay? Things will be fine… you'll see." He forced a laugh, broken and wet. But then he felt it—her life slipping away.
"No… no, no, no!" His scream shattered the alley. He shook with grief, pulling a grenade free. "You bastards—I'll kill you all!"
He lunged toward Killer.
But before the pin could be pulled, gunfire erupted. Bullets tore through him. Raider collapsed over Paloma's body, lifeless.
War sighed, brushing dust off his clothes. "What a waste…"
The others finished loading the vans.
And just like that, the alley fell silent.