Logan led the team to an old, unassuming warehouse on the outskirts of Ciudad Juárez. From the outside, it looked like any other abandoned storage facility, but the moment they stepped inside, their jaws dropped.
Stacks of cash were neatly stored in reinforced crates, alongside an arsenal of weapons—everything from compact submachine guns to modified sniper rifles and high-powered explosives. It was a mercenary's dream stockpile.
Matthew let out a low whistle. "Holy shit, Logan… this is a full-on war chest."
William, who usually kept his cool, couldn't help but chuckle. "Man, I knew you were loaded, but this? This is next-level. I gotta step up my game."
Jessica walked around, running her fingers over some of the weapon crates. "You were seriously hiding all of this while we were out there trying to scrape by?" she teased.
Logan smirked. "Had to keep some secrets. You never know who you can trust."
Then, he walked over to a covered vehicle, pulling the tarp off with a single motion. Beneath it sat a sleek, black dominator bike—a monster of a machine with a reinforced frame, jet-black bodywork, and neon-accented detailing. Its design was both futuristic and menacing, with a modified engine that looked like it could tear through the streets at insane speeds.
Matthew's eyes lit up. "Damn. This thing is a beast."
William let out a low whistle. "Okay, I officially need to get myself something like this."
Jessica crossed her arms and smirked. "That is one hell of a ride. What's the story behind it?"
Logan leaned against the bike, smirking. "It was a gift from the cartel that recruited me. Well, technically, the cartel that I later destroyed. They gave it to me after my first major contract, and when I left them in pieces, I had a tech synth in Mexico make some modifications. It's completely custom now—reinforced frame, high-speed boosters, stealth mode, and a couple of surprises I haven't shown you guys yet."
Matthew ran a hand over the seat, admiring the craftsmanship. "Man, if I had a bike like this, I'd never walk again."
William nodded in agreement. "Alright, screw cars. I'm getting something like this when we make enough money."
Jessica chuckled. "And here I thought you were all about practicality."
William smirked. "This is practicality. Imagine rolling up to a mission on one of these. No one's gonna mess with you."
Logan watched them with a rare sense of ease. It felt good to finally let them in on this part of his life. He knew they weren't just impressed by the money or weapons—it was the fact that he had built all of this on his own.
Elsa, who had been leaning against a nearby crate, finally spoke up. "Well, we've got everything we need here—money, weapons, and now a safehouse. Looks like we're officially ready for whatever's coming next."
Logan nodded. "Yeah. No more waiting. It's time to get to work."
With that, the team stood together, fully aware that their journey was only beginning.
---
As the team took in the sheer amount of resources Logan had stashed away, Jessica leaned against a crate, arms crossed, deep in thought.
"Alright, this place is impressive," she admitted. "But we can't exactly live in a warehouse on the outskirts of Juárez. It's too far from the city, and if someone ever traces this place, we'll be screwed. We need a proper base."
Matthew, still admiring Logan's dominator bike, turned his head. "You mean, like, buying a building?"
Jessica nodded. "Exactly. Somewhere in the city—discreet but secure. We keep this warehouse as a backup for our stash, but we need a place where we can actually live, train, and plan our moves."
William rubbed his chin. "She's got a point. The way things are going, we'll need a centralized spot to operate from. With the war brewing, alien threats incoming, we can't be scattered all over the place."
Elsa agreed. "A secure location would also keep us off the radar. Somewhere that doesn't scream 'mercenary hideout' but still gives us the freedom to do what we need."
Logan thought for a moment. "I've got the funds to pull that off. We'll need something with good security, a garage for our vehicles, and enough space for training and storage."
Jessica smirked. "I might know a guy who can hook us up. The underworld scene in Juárez has some real estate connections—safehouses, abandoned buildings, off-the-grid spots. We just need to make sure whoever we buy from doesn't ask too many questions."
Matthew grinned. "I like the sound of this. A proper headquarters for 'Team Logan'—or whatever we're calling ourselves."
Logan gave him a deadpan look. "We're not calling it 'Team Logan.'"
William chuckled. "We'll figure out a name later. Right now, we need to lock down a place before someone else does."
Jessica cracked her knuckles. "Alright then, I'll make a few calls. By the end of the week, we'll have a new home."
As the conversation settled, the group knew that things were becoming more real. This wasn't just a temporary alliance anymore—this was the foundation of something bigger.
After settling on the idea of getting a base, the team started packing up, but Logan had something else in mind.
Matthew was still rambling about how their headquarters should have a proper tech lab when Logan casually handed him a briefcase.
Matthew blinked. "What's this?"
"A million dollars," Logan said nonchalantly. "For your materials, upgrades, and whatever crazy tech projects you've got planned."
Matthew's brain short-circuited. "Wait—what?! A MILLION?" He quickly popped open the case, staring at the neatly stacked bundles of cash like they were radioactive. "Dude, this is way too much—"
Before he could finish, Logan was already walking away.
"Nope. Not hearing it," Logan called over his shoulder, picking up his bag and heading toward his bike. "Take it, use it. Don't argue."
Matthew sputtered, grabbing the case and chasing after him. "I can't just accept this, Logan! You already bought me a van, man! This is—"
Logan sprinted to his dominator bike, flipped onto it, and gunned the engine. "Too late, it's yours now!" he shouted over the roar of the bike.
Matthew reached out to grab him, but Logan was already speeding away, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Matthew stood there, fuming but also stunned, gripping the case. William and Jessica burst out laughing at the sight of him holding a million dollars like it was some cursed artifact.
"Damn, he really just threw money at you and ran," William chuckled.
Jessica smirked. "Face it, Matt. You just got blessed by 'The Logan Holt Fund for Broke Tech Geniuses.'"
Matthew groaned, "I hate him."
Elsa smiled knowingly. "No, you don't."
Matthew sighed dramatically, looking down at the case. "…Yeah, okay, maybe I don't."
Even as he tried to act annoyed, he couldn't help but grin.