Hero Town — Dark Aera Headquarters
The night was thick with silence, broken only by the distant hum of engines as the Dark Aera convoy vanished into the shadows. Carter, Locki, and Bruce crouched behind a cluster of crates, watching the tail lights disappear.
Bruce cracked a sly smile. "Perfect. Now's our chance."
No time for hesitation. Carter extended a hand, and with a flick of his Dark Faith, a rope slithered through the air like a living thing, melting a section of the sixth-floor window into molten glass. Hands linked—Carter to Bruce, Bruce to Locki—they swung upward, clinging to the rope like acrobats in a deadly circus act.
The landing was silent, almost too easy. They found themselves in the Boss's office. Gilded frames glared down at them, the expensive furniture polished to a mirror sheen. Every detail screamed wealth… and danger.
"Search for a clue," Bruce ordered, voice low but firm.
Drawers were rifled, paintings peeled back, every inch scrutinized. Nothing. Frustration curled at the edges of their patience—until Bruce's hand brushed against a statue of a warrior clutching twin axes.
One axis rotated under his touch. Then the other. They clicked into an X.
The floor tile beside the statue slid open, revealing a hidden safe. Bruce's grin widened. "Now we're talking."
Seconds later, the safe surrendered its prize: the Magnifying Glass. Bruce scooped it up. "Got it. Let's go."
They activated the hidden wings in their suits, the mechanism whirring like a living thing. The melted window awaited… freedom was just a leap away.
Then the air cracked. A fireball shot at Carter, scorching the edge of the wing. He instinctively raised a Ki barrier, deflecting the molten projectile. Below, an army waited, rows upon rows of soldiers frozen in predatory silence, anticipation dripping off them like venom.
Heavy footsteps pounded from the hallway. Locki's eyes glowed faintly, a pulse of otherworldly energy rippling beneath them. The souls trapped in the building stirred, clawing through the floor, wrapping around the soldiers' legs. Roots of spectral power snared them in place, teeth of the ethereal world sinking into the physical.
The office's main screen flickered to life, static crackling. The Boss appeared, a cruel smile cutting across his sharp features.
"So," he said, voice smooth and venomous, "the Protector has come."
Bruce froze, fingers tightening around the Magnifying Glass.
"That Magnifying Glass you're holding," the Boss continued, stepping closer into the flickering light, "is fake. A trap. None of you leave here alive."
Time slowed for a heartbeat. Every muscle tensed, every breath measured. Carter's mind raced. Bruce's smirk faltered—but only for a moment, replaced with that signature steel-cold focus.
Perfect! Let's fully immerse the Ron + DA + mysterious woman scene into novel-style, adding tension, internal thoughts, and cinematic flow while keeping the humor and DA/Ron dynamics intact:
Elsewhere
The air shimmered, thick with a strange luminescence that bent reality like heat on asphalt. Ron followed DA cautiously, each step uneasy. Ahead, a woman moved gracefully, as if she owned the laws of physics themselves. Her presence warped the world around her; even shadows hesitated to cling to her.
Ron kept sneaking glances at DA. Something about the way DA's eyes flicked toward her made his stomach twist. They knew each other. They had to. But DA's expression remained unreadable, flat, almost annoyed. Maybe this was another world entirely—and DA didn't want to risk breaking the timeline by acknowledging it.
"Sit wherever you like," the woman said, placing delicate cups of tea on the low table. Steam rose in impossible curls, defying gravity.
Ron cleared his throat. "So… miss, what's your name?"
Her gaze slid to DA. "Ask him. He knows me very well. We were close… back then."
"You've got the wrong guy," DA said flatly, his voice calm but precise, like a blade sliding across stone.
Ron sighed and dropped into a seat. "Forget it. What is this world?"
"This world exists beyond every concept you've ever known," she explained. "Space, time, death—they don't function here. The bears I killed earlier? They revived in their den the instant I struck them down."
Ron's eyes widened. He glanced at DA. Even the unflappable strategist had a bead of sweat tracing his temple.
The woman studied Ron closely. "Who are you? You remind me of my teacher."
"Teacher?" Ron frowned, confusion mixing with unease.
"Yes. There was a man who trained me, DA, and Black Heart. We don't remember his face, but… you. You carry the same presence."
Ron waved his hands. "Nah, I'm not him. Definitely not him."
Red and purple energy swirled around her palm, fusing into something alive and dangerous. The hairs on Ron's arms stood on end.
"This power was taught by him. And yet… you carry it. Why? Who are you?" She drew her sword, its edge shimmering with an impossible hue.
Ron took a step back. "You're wron—"
"He is not that guy," DA interrupted, calm, cold, and final.
Her eyes sharpened, slicing the air between them. "So you finally speak. Then tell me—who is he?"
"He's just searching for his past," DA replied, voice even but carrying weight. "We tried to visit it… but thanks to that damned shark, we ended up here."
"Then… is he related to my teacher? His son, maybe?"
"No. I know Ron's parents. No connection. Stop digging into him. Tell us how to leave this world," DA commanded, cutting through the tension like a hot knife.
Ron stayed silent. His heart thumped in his chest. And then a message flickered before his eyes, letters glowing like neon:
[Mr. Gonzalez is watching you.]
"Mr. Gonzalez? Why now?" he thought.
[He's curious how you'll return to Hero Town.]
[No one has ever returned from this world. It's called Scrubskey Gelenia-2]
"Scrub… what?" Ron whispered, blinking.
"No one has ever left this world," the woman said softly, almost mournfully.
"You've been trapped… all this time?" DA asked, voice tight with disbelief.
"Yes," she admitted. "Ten billion years."
Ron's stomach flipped. If someone near DA's level had been stuck here… their chances of escape were—statistically speaking—negative. Below zero.
"I have a plan," DA said, calm and deliberate.
Ron's eyes lit up. That's my man! The master strategist! He leaned forward, heart racing, waiting for brilliance. The woman mirrored his anticipation, curiosity sparking in her gaze.
DA sat. Silent.
"…Well?" Ron demanded, a growl of frustration escaping him.
DA glanced at both of them, expression bland. "I forgot."
"Damn youuuuu!" Ron exploded, throwing his hands in the air.
The woman let out a low, melodic laugh, the sound bending the impossible air around them.