For a moment, no one moved.
The fog slowly thinned, drifting upward toward the broken ceiling vents.
The restroom was wrecked—walls scorched, tiles cracked, Chitki's melted suit pieces scattered across the floor.
But two things were missing.
Drayke.
And Chiki.
Peppy was the first to speak.
"…Where's Chiki?"
Silence answered her.
Tema stepped forward, her eyes scanning the room with unnatural sharpness.
Her telekinesis brushed across the air, searching for residual distortions, traces of power—anything.
Nothing.
"He escaped," Tema said slowly.
Tuka slammed his fist into the wall.
"You mean he just walked in, took Chiki, and left like it was nothing?!"
Bear said nothing. His jaw was tight, eyes fixed on the scorch marks near the portal's last location.
Bandy stood frozen, electricity crackling weakly around his fingers without his control.
"…Chiki was right there."
Chitki pushed herself up, sparks flickering along her damaged mech arm. Her breathing was uneven, but her eyes were burning.
"That wasn't brute force," she said.
"He manipulated air pressure. Space. Direction."
She looked at the cracked wall.
"He folded the environment to move. Not teleportation. Warping."
Tema turned sharply. "Can you track him?"
Chitki shook her head, frustrated. "The portal collapsed instantly. Whoever he is—he knew exactly how long to stay."
The weight of that sank in.
This wasn't a random attack.
This was a retrieval.
Elsewhere
Darkness stretched endlessly.
Chiki coughed as he was thrown forward, skidding across a cold metallic surface. His vision blurred, ears ringing as the fog and noise vanished all at once.
The air felt wrong.
He groaned, trying to sit up. "Man… rude. At least kidnap me after dinner…"
A slow sound echoed.
Footsteps.
Chiki looked up.
Drayke stood a short distance away, coat fluttering slightly despite there being no wind.
His expression was calm—almost bored.
"You talk too much," Drayke said.
Chiki smirked weakly.
"And you kidnap kids. Guess we both have hobbies."
Drayke crouched slightly, meeting Chiki's gaze.
"You're important," he said.
"More than you realize."
Chiki's smile faded just a bit.
"…To who?"
Drayke straightened.
"To someone who's been watching you long before today."
The air shifted again.
And far above them, unseen but felt—
Something noticed Chiki.
Back at Tema HQ.
The emergency alarms blared across the rebuilt headquarters.
Heroes gathered in the central hall, tension thick enough to choke on. Some were injured. Some furious. Some afraid.
Tema stood at the center.
"This is no longer a defensive situation," she said.
"This is a crime."
Bear finally spoke.
"…We bring him back."
Tuka nodded, eyes burning.
"No matter where they took him."
Bandy clenched his fists.
"I won't be late this time."