Wait up, man, why are you in such a rush?" Luca called out, half-jogging to catch up with Nicholas.
"You go on ahead to the station. I'm going to swing by the mechanic and check if my car's finally done." Nicholas replied as he stepped out the front door, straightening his jacket.
"Are you kidding me? You want to be late? It's your first day in that damn department!" Luca shot back, irritation flashing in his voice.
"Relax, I won't be late. Thirty minutes tops. Go, I'll meet you there." Nicholas waved him off with a grin before hopping on a passing bus.
Luca exhaled sharply, muttering under his breath, "God, I hope this day doesn't turn into a disaster."
Meanwhile, across town, Natalie, Sam, and Michael exited the hotel, heading toward their car. Behind them, a police vehicle carried the suspects under tight watch.
Inside the car, Michael leaned back and grinned.
"Where do you even get this kind of genius, girl? Mind lending me some of it?"
Natalie shot him a cold, sharp glance. "No."
Michael huffed. "What, cat got your tongue? Scared to talk to us for once?"
"More like you'd be the one losing his tongue if Natalie even got close enough," Sam replied with a chuckle, clearly enjoying himself.
"Let him talk, Sam. I want him to get it all out. He's like my little brother," Natalie said with mock innocence before adding darkly,
"Because no one's going to save him from me when I finally get him."
Sam burst into loud laughter, while Michael stayed quiet, staring out the window with an annoyed expression.
"Cold-blooded, the lot of you," he muttered under his breath.
At the police station, Luca arrived, still fuming over his friend's carelessness.
The moment he stepped inside, he was greeted by none other than the head of the department himself.
"Ah, look who finally decided to grace us with his presence!"
Frank Dawson's voice echoed through the room, laced with irritation.
Luca froze mid-step, blinking in surprise as his eyes darted around the room.
"Uh… where's Nicholas? Isn't today his first day?" Frank asked, narrowing his eyes.
"H-He's on his way!" Luca stammered, swallowing hard. "He just… wanted to check on his car first."
Frank's heavy footsteps drew closer, and Luca instinctively stepped back.
"Dad— I mean, Chief, wait! I'm like your son! You wouldn't hurt me, right?" Luca said with a nervous, almost guilty grin.
"Don't call me Dad in here, you little menace. I'm the chief at this station," Frank snapped, shooting him a sharp glare.
"I swear, you two are going to give me a stroke one of these days! Didn't I tell you to personally drag him here if you had to?"
"I tried! But he wouldn't budge—he insisted on checking the car!" Luca blurted out in a rush, desperate to defend himself.
"Get out of my sight. And when that fool finally shows up, send him straight to my office!" Frank barked before storming out, muttering under his breath,
"I used to have one problem. Now I've got two walking disasters…"
Inside the bullpen, Luca trudged to his desk, still sulking.
"Did you survive the fire-breathing dragon?" Martin asked with a teasing grin.
"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," Luca grumbled, yanking his chair back and dropping into it.
"Your turn will come one day, just wait."
"So, where's your iron buddy? The new transfer?" Martin asked, scanning the room curiously.
Luca groaned, dragging a hand down his face.
"Don't even mention that idiot. He ditched me and swore he wouldn't be late.
And yet, here I am late and he's still not here!"
He sighed heavily, pulling out his phone.
"That's it. I'm calling him. If he doesn't get here in five minutes, my dad's going to kill him before I can."
On the bus heading toward the station near the police department, Nicholas sat on a seat, exhaling in frustration.
It was his first day at the department, and he was already running late.
Though Nicholas was generally cheerful and loved to joke around, being late for the job he loved wasn't something he took lightly.
"Could you go a little faster? I'm already late!" he called out loudly toward the driver.
"Can't you see I'm already speeding? If you don't like it, here—take the wheel yourself!" the driver snapped back sharply, his temper flaring.
Then, in a moment of pure recklessness, he let go of the steering wheel, causing the bus to lurch wildly.
People screamed, some clutching the seats in front of them, others falling to the floor as the bus swerved.
A child cried somewhere in the back, and bags tumbled into the aisle.
On the other side of town, inside Natalie's car—now close to the station—Sam was driving, humming along to the song blaring through the speakers, with Michael joining in his off-key singing.
Natalie sat with her head against the window, exhaling heavily, clearly annoyed with the two fools beside her.
Suddenly, the bus swerved into their lane, nearly slamming into them head-on.
Sam gripped the wheel hard, fighting to keep control as the tires screeched.
Michael clung to the front seat with wide eyes, while Natalie braced herself, her face still eerily calm despite the chaos.
Back on the bus, Nicholas leapt to his feet the moment the driver's hands left the wheel.
Shoving past a few panicked passengers, he moved quickly toward the front, ignoring protests as people stumbled aside.
The driver was already fumbling to regain control, his hands shaking.
"Move!" Nicholas barked, gripping the steering wheel and forcing it straight.
The bus rocked one last time before finally stabilizing.
Both Nicholas on the bus and Sam in the car managed to bring their vehicles under control at almost the exact same moment.
Sam stormed out of the car, pure rage written all over his face, marching toward the bus as if he were about to tear it apart.
"You reckless idiot! Get out of this piece of junk!" Sam shouted, his voice sharp and commanding, making everyone inside the bus freeze in fear after what they had just gone through.
He repeated himself, louder this time, banging on the bus door violently.
The door creaked open, and the driver stepped out, pale and shaken, freezing on the spot when he noticed Sam's police badge.
"Have you not learned how to drive, you fool? Your little stunt could have killed innocent people!" Sam barked, his tone like a whip, making the driver flinch.
"S-Sir, I… I swear I didn't mean it," the driver stammered, clutching his hands nervously, his face completely drained of color.
"Oh, you didn't mean it? Well, my apologies then, that makes everything better!" Sam shot back with biting sarcasm.
"You were about to get us all killed!" he roared, gripping the driver by the collar and yanking him forward violently.
"H-he's the one who provoked me!" the driver said quickly, his voice shaky, pointing toward Nicholas, who was just stepping off the bus.
"He distracted me—he made me do it!"
Nicholas froze mid-step, his jaw tightening as the driver's words hit him like a slap.
Every muscle in his body tensed.
He had been patient enough today—late on his very first day at the job he had fought so hard to get, nearly killed because of this fool, and now being blamed for it?
His hand twitched, and for a moment, he nearly marched forward to punch the man in the face.
But instead, he forced himself to take a deep breath, clenched his fists, and stepped closer, trying to calm both Sam and the situation.
On the other hand, Natalie sits , her features are very excited about what is happening, and she watches Sam's excitement as he grabs the collar of the driver's shirt and there is a strange try to calm him down. She decides to herself that she will go and see what is the matter, casting a look at Michael meaning I will go, so he understands from the look in her eyes and He nodded his head in agreement with her.
"Sir, I really didn't mean it," the driver repeated desperately, regret and panic etched into his features.
"Oh, so what? Next time someone tells you to hurry, you'll pull the same stunt again? Whoever gave you a license should be arrested!" Nicholas shot back, his voice rising with every word.
"Because of your little tantrum, I'm late to work and not just any work!" he snapped, disbelief and frustration boiling over.
"Both of you, shut it!" Sam finally snapped, his patience at its limit.
"Are we going to stand here and argue all day?!"
Before either of them could answer, the sharp click of heels echoed against the pavement, each step heavier than the last, announcing her arrival.
Natalie appeared beside Sam, her cold eyes cutting between Nicholas and the driver like blades.
"What happened, Sam? Don't tell me these two idiots are the reason for all this?"
"Who are you calling an idiot, you bossy princess?" Nicholas shot back instantly, pulling out his badge as if to prove he had every right to stand his ground.
"You think you're the only one who can talk down to people?"
Natalie's eyes narrowed, and she stepped closer, her voice rising like thunder.
"Oh, so I'm arrogant now? You know what—I think you're right. Which is why you're going to spend tonight in a cell."
Her voice was so sharp, so commanding, that even Sam flinched, and the passengers peeking out of the bus windows froze.
Nicholas's anger flared.
His chest heaved, his fists clenched at his sides.
This was supposed to be his first day—his fresh start—and now this woman, this stranger, was about to throw him in a holding cell like a criminal?
For a split second, he considered shouting back, but the look in her eyes stopped him.
Cold. Unforgiving. Deadly serious.
He exhaled slowly, but his glare didn't soften.
If she wanted to drag him to the station, fine—but he'd make sure she regretted it.
Elsewhere, far from the chaos, in a dark, shadow-filled room lit only by a single candle, the man from before sat breathing heavily, fury radiating off him.
The flickering light cast his shadow across the wall like some monstrous silhouette.
He spoke into the phone, his voice low and hoarse:
"Didn't I tell you to get it done? Why haven't you done it yet?"
He paused, his tone growing darker, colder.
"You have one day. If you don't do as I said, you'll pay for it with your life."
With that, he threw the phone against the wall, shattering it into pieces.
Breathing hard, he muttered under his breath, his words barely audible.
"No one escapes me. The hell you fear is already waiting for you."
Natalie didn't wait for another word. She spoke to Sam while pointing at Nicholas:
"Bring him so he can honor us tonight and see the hospitality of the police," she said sarcastically, throwing a glance at Nicholas.
"And you—" she pointed at the driver, "this is the last time you do something like this, because there won't be another chance. Next time will be your end. Now leave."
She said it sharply and loudly, making him flinch before running back to his bus.
Meanwhile, Nicholas's hands almost broke from how hard he was clenching them, controlling himself, unable to prove his identity but with a glint of challenge in his eyes for what was coming, deciding to make her regret treating him this way.
"Let's go," she said, turning back to the car, under Sam's astonished look and Michael watching from the car, surprised she had brought someone other than the driver.
They all moved together heading toward the police department, each of them carrying their own feelings
Nicholas, whose anger was burning in his chest but decided to wait and see the end;
Sam, who wore a relieved, goofy smile at the end of this mess;
and Natalie, of course, cold as ever.
Inside the police department, Luca was sitting almost dead from tension. His friend still hadn't arrived, and if his father came before his friend, that would be his end before even starting work.
In front of the police station, Sam, Natalie, Michael, and three officers got out of the car behind them, holding the culprits, with Natalie holding Nicholas by his handcuffed wrists to keep him from escaping. Nicholas walked beside her, his jaw nearly breaking from how hard he was clenching it.
At the exact same moment they were entering the bullpen, the chief of the department walked in, looking at them in shock and disbelief.
This idiot — the disaster of his life — why was he brought in like this?
And this crazy woman — why did she handcuff him like that?
Everyone in the bullpen stood stunned at the scene unfolding before them, most shocked of all were Luca and Martin, who knew Nicholas's identity.
Natalie noticed the chief coming in and immediately stood at attention, saluting him, followed by everyone else in the bullpen.
"What is happening here?"
A sharp voice cut through the silence — it was Frank's, asking in astonishment.
Natalie answered him with cold indifference:
"Nothing is happening, just a small incident that led to me arresting this unpleasant person."
"Damn it, I want to tear her head off," Nicholas muttered to himself, his anger rising even more.
"Throw them in the cell," Natalie said, pointing at the culprits.
"And this one—" she pointed at Nicholas, "throw him in a solitary cell so he can learn his lesson," she added, heading to her office without a second glance.
"Ohhh, little girl, didn't anyone tell you that you can't arrest me and throw me in a cell?
Because I'm a cop just like you."
Nicholas's voice finally rang out, revealing his identity.
Her whole body froze in shock as she quickly turned toward him, only to find him standing there with a mocking smile on his face.
She threw a look at the chief, who nodded at her, confirming Nicholas's words.
"Yes, Nicholas Collins — the new officer who was recently transferred.
Shock and disbelief — that's all she felt — while mocking smiles surrounded her.
"Her gaze locked on Nicholas instinctively, finding in his eyes a silent promise of chaos—chaos no one would survive.
And from that burning glare alone, she knew: what awaited them was nothing less than World War Three.