Liam was leaning against his bike when she stepped out.
One look at her face—and he knew.
Not everything, but enough.
Her eyes were calm, too calm. The kind of calm that only came after doing something painful on purpose.
For a second, his body moved on instinct. He took a step toward her, arms loosening, wanting to pull her in, to let her breathe against him, to protect.
But Emma lifted her hand slightly.
Not a rejection.
A boundary.
Liam stopped immediately.
"…Yeah," he muttered. "Figured."
He exhaled, jaw tight, then looked at her properly. "You did what you had to do, didn't you."
Emma didn't answer.
She didn't need to.
Liam straightened. The softness vanished. What replaced it was sharp, focused, dangerous.
"I know where Vex's new hideout is," he said.
That got her attention.
Her eyes narrowed. "How."
"One of his supply runners got sloppy," Liam replied. "Started asking for parts in the wrong places. My people noticed."
Emma turned fully toward him now. "Where."
Liam smirked faintly—not cocky, just grim. "Old industrial zone. Abandoned water treatment facility. Underground levels. No cameras on the surface."
Emma processed it instantly.
Too isolated.
Too quiet.
Perfect for him.
"…He's not hiding," she said. "He's waiting."
Liam nodded. "Yeah. He wants you to come."
They stood there for a moment, the wind passing between them, heavy with what was coming next.
Emma spoke first. "No police."
"Wasn't planning on it."
"No Diana."
Liam hesitated—then nodded. "That demars girl?, Agreed."
Emma stepped toward the bike. "Then we go. Now."
Liam looked at her, really looked at her. Blood on her past. Steel in her spine. A girl who kept choosing to stand alone so others wouldn't burn with her.
"…You sure?" he asked quietly.
Emma met his gaze.
"I ended things already," she said. "There's nothing left for Vex to threaten."
Liam clenched his jaw.
"…Then let's finish this."
The engine roared to life.
---
The bike cut through the empty streets, engine low, controlled.
"Hold on," Liam said. "Stomach's steadier than my shoulders."
Emma did. Firm. Solid. She noticed the tension under her hands—muscle holding him upright, not for show, just there. She didn't comment.
The city thinned. Concrete turned old. Rusted fences. Dead lights.
"…Why not bring Diana?" Liam asked quietly as he slowed.
Emma answered without hesitation. "She's strong. But she has limits."
That was all.
They parked far from the facility—an old water treatment plant, half-swallowed by weeds, its windows blacked out like blind eyes.
They moved on foot.
Careful. Silent.
Liam signaled left. Emma nodded and followed.
Then—
CLANK.
Something hard struck Emma's head from above.
Her vision flashed white.
She stumbled, hit the ground on one knee, hand bracing instinctively. The world tilted, sound dull and far away.
"Emma—!"
Liam turned instantly, already reaching for her—
She shook her head once, teeth clenched. "I'm—fine."
But her balance betrayed her. Dizzy. Pressure behind her eyes.
From the shadows, metal shifted.
A low mechanical hum answered.
Liam pulled her back behind cover, jaw tight. "Trap," he muttered. "He knew."
Emma forced herself upright, breath steady despite the ringing.
"…Yeah," she said coldly. "He always does."
Ahead of them, footsteps echoed—too heavy to be human.
And deeper inside the facility—
Something woke up.
Meanwhile—
The airport lights reflected off polished floors as Ethan stood near the gate, coat over his arm, a small carry-on at his feet.
Final boarding call.
He exhaled slowly.
France was done. Business finished quicker than expected.
And something—an itch he couldn't explain—had pulled him back early.
He checked his phone.
A message from Asuka.
Still smiling emojis. Still pretending everything was normal.
Ethan frowned faintly.
"…I'm coming home," he muttered to himself.
As he stepped onto the plane, fastening his seatbelt, his gaze drifted to the window. The engines began to hum.
He didn't know why his chest felt tight.
Didn't know why his thoughts kept circling Emma.
But instinct—old, sharp, never wrong—told him:
Something was moving.
And his daughter was in the middle of it.
The plane began to taxi.
Ethan closed his eyes for a moment.
Hold on, he thought.
I'm on my way.
---
The footsteps stopped.
Heavy.
Deliberate.
From the darkness, it stepped forward.
Tall. Broad. Too human in shape.
Metal plating stitched together with flesh—real flesh—veins pulsing faintly beneath transparent sections. Its jaw opened slightly, rows of mechanical teeth clicking as if tasting the air.
A distorted voice echoed from inside it.
"Cannibal Tech."
Emma's dizziness faded instantly.
So that's the second one.
Liam's expression snapped.
Pure rage.
"She got hit," he growled under his breath.
And then—
He moved.
Liam sprinted forward, fast and reckless, looping around the robot's blind side. He jumped, locking his arm around its neck from behind, muscles flexing hard as steel.
"DIE," he snarled.
His fist slammed into the side of the robot's neck—again, again, again—
CRACK. CRACK.
Blood sprayed.
Oil followed.
The smell was wrong. Metallic and rotten.
Cannibal Tech staggered, choking on its own fluids—
Then its arm twisted back unnaturally.
With brutal force, it threw Liam off, slamming him into a concrete pillar. The impact echoed.
"Liam—!"
Emma was already moving.
She launched herself forward, leaping high, both knees driving into the robot's chest. The plating dented inward. She grabbed its shoulder mid-air, flipped, and landed behind it.
Her heel smashed into the back of its knee.
SNAP.
The joint bent the wrong way.
Cannibal Tech roared—an inhuman sound—and swung blindly. Emma ducked, grabbed its arm, and twisted, using momentum instead of strength, tearing flesh from metal.
More blood spilled.
Emma's eyes narrowed.
"…You're not a robot," she said coldly. "You're a corpse."
Cannibal Tech lunged again, jaws opening wider—
But Emma stepped in, forehead slamming into its faceplate.
CRASH.
The mask shattered.
For a split second—
A human face was visible inside.
Dead eyes.
Then Liam was back.
Bleeding from the forehead. Breathing hard.
He grabbed a fallen metal rod and drove it straight through Cannibal Tech's abdomen, pinning it to the wall.
"EAT THIS," he barked.
The robot convulsed violently.
Emma stepped forward, calm, controlled.
She raised her fist.
And brought it down—
Straight through its skull.
Everything went still.
Blood dripped.
Oil pooled.
Silence returned to the facility.
Emma stood over the wreckage, chest rising slowly.
"…Vex," she said quietly.
Liam wiped blood from his mouth, teeth clenched.
"He's watching."
Somewhere deeper underground—
A monitor flickered.
And Vex smiled.
----
Cannibal Tech wasn't done.
With a broken screech of metal and meat, it lurched back to life, pistons screaming. It lunged straight at Emma, faster than before—mouth splitting open wider than it should, rows of teeth grinding as it snapped forward.
Emma twisted—but not fast enough.
Its jaws clamped toward her arm.
Too close.
Liam didn't think.
He threw himself in.
Both hands slammed into Cannibal Tech's chest plating, fingers digging into the gaps where metal met flesh. With a roar pulled from pure instinct, Liam lifted—muscles screaming, veins standing out—
—and SLAMMED the monster into the concrete.
BOOM.
The ground cracked.
Cannibal Tech convulsed beneath him, blood and oil splashing outward as its back smashed flat. The impact knocked the air from everything nearby.
Liam didn't let go.
He dropped his knee straight onto its torso, pinning it down, one hand gripping its throat hard enough to crush internal components.
"DON'T," he growled low, feral, "TOUCH HER."
Cannibal Tech thrashed, claws scraping uselessly against the floor.
Emma recovered instantly.
She stepped forward, eyes cold, calculated.
She grabbed a loose metal spike from the broken machinery beside them.
"No more," she said quietly.
She drove the spike down—
straight through its mouth, pinning the jaws open and punching through the skull beneath.
Cannibal Tech spasmed once.
Twice.
Then went limp.
Liam stayed there a second longer, chest heaving, making sure it was finished.
Only then did he release it and stand.
He turned to Emma.
"…You okay?"
Emma looked at the crushed monster, then at him.
"…Yeah," she said.
Behind them, somewhere deeper in the facility—
Vex's laughter echoed faintly through the halls.
And this time, it sounded nervous
----
Cannibal Tech wasn't finished.
Its hand shot out.
It grabbed Liam's leg.
Before either of them could react, the machine lifted him—one-handed—
—and SLAMMED HIM DOWN.
Once.
Twice.
Again.
Concrete cracked under the impacts. Liam's breath was ripped from his lungs.
"LIAM!"
Emma moved instantly.
Her kick landed flush against Cannibal Tech's head—hard enough to snap it sideways. She was already on him before it could recover, climbing up its frame like gravity didn't exist.
She sat on its shoulder, leaned in close.
Face to face.
Eye contact.
Cold. Focused.
Then—
HEADBUTT.
Metal screamed.
Again.
CRACK.
Again.
She locked her legs around its neck, twisted her body, and fell backward, using her full weight and momentum—
BACKFLIP.
Cannibal Tech was ripped off balance and SLAMMED into the ground with catastrophic force.
BOOM.
Emma landed on top of it.
She mounted its back, forearm pressing down on its skull, grinding its face into the concrete.
Her fist came down.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Each punch precise. Ruthless. Relentless.
Metal dented.
Flesh burst.
Oil and blood sprayed beneath her knuckles.
Cannibal Tech convulsed violently—systems failing, limbs spasming—
Emma leaned in, voice low, almost calm.
"You don't get back up."
She twisted its head sharply—
CRACK.
Everything stopped.
Silence.
Emma stayed there for a second longer, breathing steady, making sure.
Then she stood and turned immediately to Liam, dropping beside him.
"Hey," she said firmly, hands already checking him. "Look at me."
Liam coughed, groaned, but managed a grin through the pain.
"…Damn," he muttered. "You're scary."
Emma didn't smile.
Her eyes lifted toward the dark corridors ahead.
"…Vex," she said.
Cannibal Tech rose.
Broken. Twisted. Half its face gone—yet it still stood.
With a distorted howl, it shoved Emma with raw mechanical force.
She flew—
—and hit the wall hard, concrete cracking behind her. Dust fell. Her breath left her lungs for a split second.
"Emma!"
Liam forced himself up.
Pain screamed through his ribs. His vision blurred.
But he was smiling.
"…My turn."
Emma pushed herself off the wall at the same time, wiping blood from her lip. Her eyes locked with Liam's.
No words.
They moved together.
Liam charged first—straight on. No tricks. No hesitation. He took Cannibal Tech's next swing head-on, catching its arm with both hands and twisting, using leverage and brute force to pull it off balance.
"NOW!"
Emma sprinted in, jumped, and ran up Cannibal Tech's body, foot to chest, knee to shoulder, planting herself high.
She drove her elbow down into the exposed side of its neck.
CRUNCH.
Liam followed immediately—shoulder slamming into its core, pushing it backward.
Emma flipped over its head, landed behind it, and kicked both knees inward.
Cannibal Tech dropped.
Before it could recover—
They hit it simultaneously.
Liam grabbed its head from the front, arms bulging, veins standing out, and held it still.
Emma leapt.
Her heel came down like a hammer—
Straight into the crown of its skull.
BOOM.
The head shattered.
The body convulsed once… twice…
Then collapsed completely.
Dead.
For real this time.
Silence flooded the facility.
Liam let go and staggered back, breathing hard. Emma landed smoothly, steady despite the bruises.
They stood there, side by side, staring at the wreckage.
"…That thing just didn't want to die," Liam muttered.
Emma's gaze shifted deeper into the darkness.
"Which means," she said quietly, "Vex is close."
Emma didn't hesitate.
She ripped a metal rod from the shattered machinery and threw it without looking.
Liam caught it mid-air.
Their eyes met.
"End it," Emma said.
They moved at the same time.
Liam brought the rod down like a hammer—CRASH—straight into Cannibal Tech's spine. Emma followed immediately, stomping down on its head, pinning it.
Again.
Again.
No rhythm. No mercy.
Metal bent.
Flesh tore.
Oil splashed across the floor.
Cannibal Tech twitched violently, limbs jerking in broken patterns, systems trying—failing—to reboot.
Liam drove the rod through its chest cavity.
Emma grabbed the exposed wiring at its neck and ripped.
The machine let out one last distorted screech—
Then—
BEEP… BEEP…
A long, final tone.
Silence.
The lights in its body went dark.
No movement.
No hum.
Nothing.
Emma stayed still, foot pressed firmly against its skull, watching.
Three seconds.
Five.
Ten.
Nothing.
"…It's off," Liam said, breathing hard.
Emma stepped back slowly.
Only then did she let herself exhale.
The facility felt different now—emptier. Like something important had just died.
She looked at Liam. Bloodied. Bruised. Still standing.
"You good?" she asked.
He wiped his mouth with his sleeve, smirked faintly. "Yeah. Took worse."
Emma's gaze shifted toward the open corridor ahead—the one with human footsteps.
"…Then Vex is next."
Somewhere deeper inside the complex—
Vex. Called for help.
Footsteps echoed closer.
Not mechanical.
Human.
A man stepped out from the shadows—late 30s, worn coat, sharp eyes that missed nothing. He stopped the moment he saw Emma.
His gaze lingered.
Too long.
His brow furrowed slightly.
"…No way," he muttered under his breath.
Emma felt it immediately—that look. Recognition.
The man tilted his head, studying her face, her stance, the way she stood ready even after the fight.
Those eyes… that posture…
His thoughts raced.
Ethan's daughter?
No.
Impossible.
Ethan was supposed to be dead.
He let out a short breath, almost a scoff, as if dismissing a ghost.
"…Doesn't matter," he said aloud, masking it. "Guess Vex wasn't exaggerating."
Liam stepped half a step forward, metal rod still in hand. "Who are you."
The man smiled faintly—not friendly. Curious.
"Just a colleague," he replied. "Name's irrelevant."
Emma spoke, voice calm, flat. "Where is Vex."
The man's eyes flicked back to her again—this time sharper.
"…You really do talk like him," he said quietly.
That confirmed it.
Emma's eyes narrowed. "You knew my father."
Silence.
Then the man chuckled softly. "Knew of him. Worked in the same circles once. Different sides."
Liam stiffened. "You're stalling."
"Maybe," the man said. "Or maybe I'm deciding if killing you here is worth the trouble."
Emma shifted her weight slightly.
A warning.
"You won't," she said. "Because you're afraid."
The man paused.
She continued, stepping forward just enough to make the air change.
"You recognized me. And if I'm here… then Ethan isn't dead."
That did it.
The man's jaw tightened—just for a second.
"…Tch."
He stepped back toward the corridor.
"Vex is deeper in," he said. "Third level. Control room."
Then he added, almost casually:
"If you see him—tell him Ethan's shadow finally caught up."
And with that, he turned and disappeared into the dark.
Liam looked at Emma. "Your dad's alive. And people know."
Emma stared down the corridor Vex had fled into.
"…I know," she said.
The man stopped walking.
He sighed.
"…Actually," he said, rolling his shoulders, "I'm bored."
He turned back.
Emma felt it instantly.
Not killing intent.
Not rage.
Experience.
Before either of them could react—
He moved.
Too fast.
Liam swung first, metal rod cutting through the air—
The man stepped inside the swing, grabbed Liam's wrist, twisted—
CRACK.
Liam flew sideways, smashed into a railing, skidding across the floor.
Emma attacked immediately—low kick, sharp, clean—
He blocked it with his shin, caught her ankle mid-motion, and threw her into the wall like she weighed nothing.
She rebounded, barely landing before—
A fist struck her stomach.
All the air left her lungs.
She dropped to one knee.
"…Yeah," the man muttered. "Definitely Ethan's blood."
Liam forced himself up, roaring as he charged again—
The man ducked, elbowed Liam's ribs, then slammed his head down into the concrete.
BOOM.
Liam didn't move.
Emma pushed herself upright, vision swimming, teeth clenched.
She attacked again.
Fast. Precise.
He parried every strike.
Blocked. Redirected. Countered.
A punch caught her jaw.
She spun, hit the floor hard.
The man stood over them, barely breathing hard.
"…You two are strong," he admitted. "But strength without refinement is just noise."
He grabbed Emma by the collar and lifted her slightly, studying her face.
"So close," he said quietly. "If Ethan had trained you longer… this would've been interesting."
He let her drop.
Emma hit the ground, coughing, furious—but unable to rise.
The man turned away again, bored already.
"I'll let Vex finish it," he said over his shoulder. "If you survive, maybe we'll meet again."
Footsteps faded into the dark.
Emma lay there, shaking—not from fear.
From anger.
From realization.
They weren't ready.
Far above—
A plane touched down.
And Ethan stepped onto American soil.
---
Liam didn't stay down.
He ripped himself up from the floor, ignoring the pain screaming through his body, and threw the metal rod with everything he had.
The rod smashed into the man's head.
CLANG.
The man stopped walking.
Slowly, he lifted a hand to his temple.
Blood.
Actual blood.
He stared at it for a second.
Then he smiled.
"…Oh?"
He turned.
His eyes locked onto Liam now—not Emma.
"Interesting."
He rushed.
Fast.
Too fast.
Liam barely dodged, the man's fist grazing his jaw. Liam pivoted on instinct and spun, his heel crashing straight into the man's head.
THUD.
The man slid back a step.
Emma's eyes widened slightly.
Liam pressed.
A straight punch to the chest.
Another to the jaw.
A knee to the ribs.
For a moment—
Liam was overpowering him.
The man blocked, but he was actually being pushed back now.
"…So," the man muttered, wiping blood from his lip, eyes sharp, "you're stronger than her."
That realization changed everything.
His stance shifted.
No wasted movement now.
No boredom.
No looseness.
Serious.
He stepped in and caught Liam's next punch, twisted, and drove his elbow down into Liam's shoulder.
CRACK.
Liam grunted but stayed standing.
Emma forced herself up, blood at the corner of her mouth, eyes burning.
The man glanced at her briefly.
"Stay down," he said calmly. "This is between men now."
Bad move.
Emma's expression went cold.
She moved.
The man reacted instantly this time—blocking her strike without looking, countering with a kick that sent her sliding across the floor again.
But that second—
That half-second—
Was enough.
Liam roared and slammed his shoulder into the man's chest, driving him back into a support pillar.
BOOM.
Concrete cracked.
The man laughed softly, even as he pushed Liam off.
"…Good," he said. "Now this is worth my time."
The lights above flickered.
Somewhere deeper in the facility—
Vex was watching, sweating.
The man finally found the opening—caught Liam mid-movement, twisted, and slammed him to the floor with crushing force. Liam skidded, breath knocked out, trying to rise but failing this time.
Silence.
The man turned.
He walked toward Emma.
She tried to move—her body refused.
He stopped in front of her and, without permission, lifted her chin with two fingers. Not gentle. Not cruel either.
Evaluating.
"…Pretty," he said flatly. No admiration in his voice—just observation.
Emma stared back, unblinking.
For a split second, his expression changed.
Something old surfaced.
"…That look," he muttered. "Yeah."
He crouched briefly, pressing two fingers against her abdomen—not intrusive, just assessing muscle, tension, control.
"Definitely," he said to himself.
He released her and let her drop back against the wall.
"You've got Ethan's face," he continued calmly. "And his build. Same core strength. Same refusal to break."
Emma said nothing.
The man straightened. "But you're not him. Not yet."
He glanced once at Liam on the floor.
"…Tell Ethan," he added, already turning away, "that ghosts don't stay buried forever."
Then he walked off into the darkness—unhurried.
Emma clenched her fists.
This wasn't over.
Not even close.
.
.
.
.
"...Hey."
The man stopped.
Mid-step.
Just one word.
Frank froze.
That voice.
Slowly, he turned around.
From the shadows, a figure stepped forward—calm, upright, untouched by panic or haste.
Ethan.
"Hello, Frank," Ethan said evenly.
Frank's eyes widened, just a little. Enough to betray him.
"…How?" Frank muttered. "You—"
He cut himself off.
Then he laughed under his breath, shaking his head.
"…Right. I forgot. It's the guy who killed."
Paused, "....Vencor." Frank said
Ethan kept walking. Every step was measured. Heavy. Not rushed—certain.
"I survived," Ethan continued. "You always underestimate how hard I am to kill."
Frank swallowed.
Up close, it was undeniable. The same presence. The same pressure in the air that used to make rooms go quiet.
His gaze flicked—Emma. Then Liam. Then back to Ethan.
"…Your daughter," Frank said slowly. "You raised her well."
Ethan's eyes hardened.
"That," he replied coldly, "was the last free sentence you get."
Frank adjusted his stance.
Muscles tensed.
He remembered now.
He remembered exactly how strong Ethan was.
---
Frank moved first.
A sudden rush—fast, brutal, meant to overwhelm.
Ethan didn't even flinch.
He stepped aside with effortless precision, Frank's attack cutting nothing but air.
Slap.
It wasn't loud.
It wasn't flashy.
But it was humiliating.
Frank staggered half a step, eyes wide before he could even react.
Ethan turned to him calmly.
"You dare hurt my daughter."
Before Frank could answer, Ethan's hand wrapped around his neck.
One hand.
He lifted him off the ground like Frank weighed nothing—boots kicking uselessly in the air.
Then—
SMASH.
Frank's head hit the wall.
Again.
SMASH.
Cracks spread through concrete. Blood streaked down the surface.
SMASH.
Frank's body went limp, consciousness barely holding on.
Ethan leaned close, voice low and absolute.
"Apologize. To her."
He dragged Frank across the floor like trash and dropped him in front of Emma.
Frank coughed, shaking, vision blurred. He looked up at her—really looked this time.
"I… I'm sorry," he muttered, voice broken. "I shouldn't have touched you."
Ethan didn't respond.
He grabbed Frank again and threw him—hard—across the room.
Frank landed at Liam's feet, rolling once before stopping.
Ethan spoke again.
"And now—him."
Frank forced himself up on one knee, breathing ragged. He looked at Liam, fear clear in his eyes now.
"…I'm sorry," Frank said. "I underestimated you. I shouldn't have attacked you."
Silence.
Ethan stood between them all—Emma behind him, Liam to the side.
A wall.
A warning.
And Frank finally understood something he should've remembered a long time ago:
Hurting Ethan's family wasn't a mistake.
It was a death wish.
---
Ethan turned to Emma first.
Without a word, he lifted her into his arms—steady, careful. She didn't resist. Didn't react. Just let herself be held.
He brushed her hair aside, fingers checking the side of her head where she'd been hit. His expression didn't change, but his jaw tightened just a little.
"…You're hurt," he said quietly.
"I'm fine," Emma replied, flat as always.
Ethan didn't argue. He never did with her.
He set her down gently, then turned to Liam.
"Are you okay?"
Liam straightened slowly. His body hurt—bad—but he stood anyway. Pride. Instinct. He nodded.
"I can stand."
Ethan studied him for a long moment. Not as an enemy. Not as a friend.
As a father.
Then he asked, directly:
"What are your intentions with my daughter?"
The room felt heavier.
Liam didn't answer immediately.
He looked at Emma—just once.
Then back at Ethan.
No excuses. No bravado. No lies.
Silence.
But Ethan understood.
He saw it in the way Liam stood despite the pain. In the way he'd thrown himself at Cannibal Tech first. In the way he'd taken hits meant for Emma.
"…I see," Ethan said.
That was enough.
They left together.
No victory speeches. No relief. Just movement—out of the hideout, into the night. Emma walking beside Ethan. Liam a step behind, bruised but breathing.
Before crossing the threshold, Ethan stopped.
He turned his head slightly.
His eyes locked onto the shadows—onto the small, hidden lenses tucked into corners of steel and concrete.
He stared straight into them.
And spoke calmly.
"You're next, Vex."
A pause.
"Stop it."
Then he turned away.
And they were gone.
Chapter End