[Scene: Z City, surface near the lair — three days ago]
Lady Marmalade returned to report the successful delivery of Zerathos's message when two Dark Knights intercepted her path. One of them stepped forward, his voice sharp with irritation.
Dark Knight 1: What the hell do you think you're doing? Leaking information behind our backs?
She didn't slow her stride.
Lady Marmalade: (coldly)Not now, Adam. I have more important matters to attend to.
Adam moved to block her way, his presence heavy and deliberate.
Adam: You really think you can just walk past me? You're going to oppose me now, Susan? Is that what you want?
His lips curled as bitterness seeped into his words.
Adam: You know, I've always hated women who show no respect for their husbands—
Susan: Ex-husband, and don't even think about dragging that subject back up. We're long past it. This assignment came directly from our boss. Apparently, he has no further use for a weakling like you.
She stepped forward again, intent on leaving.
That was when Adam lost control.
Adam: (mockingly) Oh, by the way—how's our daughter doing?
His smile twisted.
Adam: Hope she didn't turn out like you.
The air shifted.
Susan stopped.
Her hand clenched into a fist, knuckles whitening as the restraint she'd forced upon herself shattered. In a single motion, she drove her punch into Adam's jaw. The impact was brutal—bone displaced, flesh torn, the sound sharp and final.
Susan: Don't you dare speak about my daughter. You're nothing but a pathetic excuse of a man—both as a husband and as a father. We disowned you for that reason.
Adam staggered back, then lunged forward, gripping her wrists tightly.
Adam: I've had enough of your arrogance. You're going to die here. Now's your chance, Dennis!
The other knight stepped forward, raising his hand as energy gathered around him.
Dennis: I've already summoned the comets. Three seconds until impact.
The world seemed to hold its breath.
Susan turned just in time to see three comets tearing through the sky, their blazing paths converging directly toward her.
Adam: I win!
Adam spat, laughter spilling from his mouth.
Adam: Begone and rot in hell, bitch.
The comets descended—
—and then they didn't.
In the instant before impact, the world skipped.
One of the comets slammed into Adam's face instead.
Susan: I removed one second of time. Nothing touches me. Not now. Not ever. And you didn't even realize what happened.
Her voice carried an authority that made the air itself feel heavier.
Susan: None but me remain conscious during skipped time. All that exists in this world are outcomes. You are all slaves to fate—but I alone possess free will.
Reality snapped back into place.
Adam hit the ground, screaming, his face scorched and blistered as if it had been dragged across the surface of a star.
Adam: (thought)W–what the hell just happened…?
Dennis stood frozen, no less confused than Adam. Panic surged through him. Instinct screamed at him to summon another comet—to do something.
But Susan turned her gaze on him.
That single look crushed his resolve.
Her eyes were cold. Absolute. Unforgiving.
If I don't act now, Dennis thought, I'm going to die.
Susan: (flatly)Stop what you're doing, Fallzone, It's pointless.
He ignored her.
Energy surged again as he called down more comets.
And then—Susan vanished.
The comets struck the ground instead, carving shallow craters into the stone. Dust and debris billowed outward.
Dennis barely had time to register the impact before he felt it—
—someone standing behind him.
Susan's presence pressed against his spine, silent and lethal.
She raised her hand, ready to end it.
Before she could strike, a voice cut through the tension.
???: That will be enough.
Another knight stepped forward, his aura unmistakably heavier than the others—commanding, refined, superior.
Dark Knight: Lady Marmalade, It would be wasteful to kill a pawn who may still prove useful. Besides—our lord wishes to see you. He wants a report on your mission.
Susan lowered her hand and exhaled slowly.
Susan: Gilbert, perfect timing. I was just about to finish reporting before these two idiots tried to stop me.
She cast a final glance at Adam and Dennis—both broken in different ways.
Gilbert: Go. I'll handle the rest.
Susan turned without another word and walked away, her heels echoing against the stone as the aftermath of her power lingered behind her.
Gilbert watched Lady Marmalade disappear into the depths of the lair before finally turning his attention to Adam and Dennis.
Adam pushed himself up from the ground, his face already regenerating at an unnatural speed, flesh knitting together like a vampire's curse undoing the damage. The pain lingered, but the burns faded rapidly.
Gilbert's expression hardened.
Gilbert: What the hell were you thinking! Do you have any idea how close you came to dying?
Both men exchanged glances before shrugging it off.
Dennis: We were just having a little fun.
Gilbert's eyes narrowed.
Gilbert: "Fun"? You call that fun? Don't insult my intelligence. I know exactly what you were trying to do. She could have killed both of you. Be grateful I arrived before she did.
He turned his gaze to Dennis.
Gilbert: Fallzone. Get back to your post.
Dennis didn't argue. He vanished without another word.
Gilbert then faced Adam.
Gilbert: And you—Living Gravestone. The boss has an assignment for you. Locate Whiskey Lullaby—Ronan—and bring him back. Our main target is not to die before the confrontation.
Adam's eyes widened.
Adam: Ronan? That sick bastard? You're kidding, right? I have zero intention of going anywhere near that psychopathic freak, let alone finding him.
Gilbert's lips curved into a thin, humorless smile.
Gilbert: Well, that's your choice. And you're well aware of the consequences of disobeying the boss.
He turned away, waving dismissively as he descended deeper into the lair.
Gilbert: Good luck.
Adam clenched his fists.
Adam: (muttering)Tch… this fucking job, I hate it.
He exhaled sharply, shaking his head.
Adam: Fine. Let's just hope I don't find him in the middle of some orgy or something.
With that, Adam left, setting out to track Ronan.
[Present Day]
Adam had been searching for Ronan for three straight days.
And his patience was gone.
Adam: ARGH! Where the hell did this motherfucker disappear to?! Three fucking days, and not a single trace!
He ran a hand through his hair, teeth grinding.
Adam: I swear, when I find that useless son of a bitch, I'm gonna beat his sorry ass into the ground.
Moments later, the resort came into view.
Adam slowed to a stop, eyes narrowing as he took in the scene.
Adam: …This place again?
He stepped closer, instinct pulling him toward the dumpster.
Something felt wrong.
Adam: This was where Ronan had last been sensed.So where the fuck was he?
Adam paced the area, eyes scanning the ground, irritation gnawing at him. Then his foot struck something solid.
He stumbled.
Adam: The fu—?
Before the thought could finish, his gaze dropped—and froze.
An arm protruded from the garbage.
Slowly, cautiously, Adam stepped closer. He crouched, eyes narrowing as he examined the exposed skin.
Adam: That tone… that build…No. It can't be... Or can it?
He pulled the trash aside.
His breath caught.
Ronan lay there, half-buried beneath discarded refuse, his neck bent at an unnatural angle—twisted just enough to remove all doubt.
Adam: …There's no mistake,that's him. Dead. But how?
Reluctance flashed across his face before instinct took over. Adam crouched lower and tasted a smear of blood, grimacing as the metallic tang hit his tongue.
His eyes sharpened instantly.
Adam: …A fight, with someone smaller. Possibly a kid.
He straightened, scanning the surroundings. The broken window. The crushed car nearby.
Everything clicked into place.
Adam: The neck snapped on impact, thrown. Hard.
Adam exhaled, shaking his head.
Adam: Guess he finally met his match.
A pause. Then a shrug.
Adam: World's better off without him.
He turned away, already done with the corpse.
Adam: Gotta report this to the boss.
And with that, Adam left.
Back at the Lair
Susan stood before the throne, arms crossed.
Susan: Why did you dispatch our strongest knights against Kael and his friends? It was excessive.
Zerathos didn't look at her right away.
Zerathos: (calmly)I want him to grow, ttronger. Every day.
Susan frowned slightly.
Zerathos: Strong enough to fight me again. Five hundred years ago, he had the potential to destroy me. But now that fate has brought us back, we begin anew.
He finally turned, eyes gleaming with quiet certainty.
Zerathos: That is why I want him to grow.