East side of Cardio City. Stone maze area.
The late afternoon sun cast long, sharp shadows across the jumble of weathered stone blocks and narrow pathways. The air was still and dusty, smelling faintly of old rock and dry earth.
Noah and Asher sat on a low, flat stone, partially concealed by a tall stone wall near the entrance. Their position offered a decent view of the approach while keeping them obscured.
"Are you sure they will catch our trail and come here?" Asher asked, scanning the quiet maze entrance. He shifted uncomfortably on the hard surface.
"Pretty much," Noah said, leaning back casually against the cool stone wall behind them. His eyes were sharp, constantly moving. "With that many people on their side, I'm sure they have some individuals with the ability to track people or something similar." He gave Asher a sidelong glance. "It's pretty unlikely they only have people whose power is just to fight, right?"
"I see, that makes sense," Asher conceded, nodding slowly.
Suddenly, Noah swung his fist, landing a quick, sharp jab on Asher's upper arm.
"Ow! What—why did you hit me?" Asher yelped, rubbing his arm, hurt and confused. He glared at Noah.
"Does that make me registered as an enemy to you?" Noah asked, completely ignoring the protest. His expression was focused, analytical.
Asher blinked in confusion. "What?" he said, still wincing.
"Your ability is great for a long fight," Noah explained, his gaze fixed on Asher. "But that doesn't mean you need to wait to use it right *before* you get into a fight, right?" He leaned in slightly. "So I wonder, when I hit you, did I trigger your power to activate?" he continued. "Am I considered an enemy by your power or not?"
"Now that you mention it..." Asher said, realization dawning. He looked down at his open palm. A faint shimmer appeared, coalescing into the familiar form of a transparent dice. It glowed with a soft, internal light.
"Sweet!" Asher exclaimed, a grin spreading across his face. "So I can be super powerful from the beginning?"
"Then hurry up and use it," Noah urged, a hint of impatience in his voice.
"Right!" Asher said. He flicked his wrist. The glowing dice tumbled through the air, landing with a soft, almost inaudible clink on the stone beside him. It showed a four.
"Not bad!" Asher said. Immediately, a subtle but palpable surge of energy seemed to ripple through him. His posture straightened, his eyes gained a sharper focus. Power was starting to rush from inside his body.
"Now I need to wait for five more minutes to do it again!" Asher said, buzzing with excitement.
"How long does your power stay active, anyway?" Noah asked, watching him closely.
"Well," Asher explained, "when I'm exiting a fight for around ten minutes – like, no threats around – the effect of rolling the dice will disappear."
"I see," Noah said, a slow, mischievous smirk spreading across his face. "So I just need to punch you every ten minutes then?"
"Eh..." Asher's excited expression faltered, replaced by mild apprehension. "...please don't hit me too hard," he begged, rubbing his arm again reflexively.
"Come on, don't act like a baby," Noah grinned, the threat clearly playful, but present.
---
At the same time, a random motel on the outskirts.
The atmosphere here was charged with predatory energy. Serpent's Slaughter members, fifty strong, milled around the parking lot and spilled onto the street. Their presence was an undeniable threat.
Normal people hurried past, heads down, eyes averted, instinctively knowing they were doomed if they lingered or drew attention. The few motel guests still present were hastily packing cars or locking doors.
"We will use this place as our temporary headquarters," Lexer declared, standing confidently near the motel office door. His dreadlocks swayed slightly as he surveyed his troops.
"Understood, Vice Commander!" the fifty voices responded in a unified, intimidating roar.
Lexer nodded, satisfied. "Good," he said, his voice carrying easily. "And have all of you already received the photographs and quick information about Joker Roulette members?"
"Yes, sir!" they chorused back, a wall of sound.
"Alright, then the hunt begins!" Lexer yelled, punching a fist into the air.
All the members erupted into another huge, cacophonous cheer, a wave of aggression rolling out from the motel.
"Who finds them first will get prizes!" Lexer yelled over the noise, silencing them again. "Report it immediately! Especially if you meet the guy named Noah!" He pointed emphatically. "You're allowed to engage with them right away! Show them the power of Serpent's Slaughter!"
Another deafening round of cheers and shouts shook the air.
"Alright, go!" Lexer commanded, sweeping his arm outwards.
Like a kicked hornet's nest, the fifty members of Serpent's Slaughter dispersed. Some moved alone, melting into the urban landscape; others formed smaller, coordinated groups, heading down different streets. Within moments, the motel parking lot was nearly empty.
Lexer strolled back inside the motel lobby, which had been hastily commandeered. He sank comfortably onto a sofa.
"I'm waiting for good news," he said, stretching out his legs, looking utterly relaxed amidst the tension he'd unleashed.
Across Cardio City, Serpent's Slaughter members were busy. In almost every district, people could see one of them lurking – a menacing presence on street corners, scanning faces in cafes, peering down alleys.
Some operated normally, methodically checking photographs clutched in their hands against passersby, their eyes hard and searching.
Others deployed their superpowers openly. One member near the city center dissolved into a swirling flock of crows that scattered into the sky, dozens of black eyes now scanning the rooftops and streets from above.
Another sat hunched over a laptop in a stolen van, fingers flying as he bypassed security protocols, hacking into the city's CCTV network, trying to find the digital trace of Joker Roulette members on camera feeds.
Down in the grimy underbelly of the city, another whispered commands. From sewers and basements, hundreds of rats poured forth, a skittering tide spreading through the city, directed to search from below, noses twitching for specific scents.
Most searches yielded nothing but frustration and wasted time. But finally, near the industrial district, one member got lucky.
Ethan, leaning against a brick wall, closed his eyes. Through the shared vision of dozens of unwitting civilians he'd subtly influenced moments earlier, scattered viewpoints merged in his mind. Then, in the visual feed of a shopkeeper looking out his window towards the stone maze park, he saw them: two figures partially hidden behind a stone wall.
"I found them!" Ethan exclaimed to his nearby team. "I found Noah and Asher!"
---