The st iron door smmed shut with a resounding *boom*, sealing away the final crate of kangaroos. Qin Hong wiped sweat from his brow as he and Sisi completed their three-day marathon of marsupial management. Guann approached, his boots crunching on the gravel.
"You two will accompany the convoy to Locke Continent," he said, his voice cutting through the warehouse's metallic echoes. "There's a town called Walchi near the southern release point—that's your destination."
Qin Hong's eyes lit up. "What's the mission?"
Guann's gaze shifted to Sisi. "According to Old Man's intel, all criminal factions in Walchi colpsed within a week. The new power? A middle schooler named Jason."
Sisi's fingers tapped rhythmically against her thigh. "A teenager dismantling entire syndicates... clearly an Ability user."
"Precisely. Normally I wouldn't risk sending you," Guann admitted, "but with my current commitments and Qin Hong being green, you'll lead this operation." His eyes lingered on the younger man. "Your fruit's potential is barely tapped. Succeed here, and I'll personally train you. Fail..." He left the threat hanging.
"Understood!" Qin Hong squared his shoulders, feeling determination crystallize in his chest.
As Guann turned to leave, lightning already crackling around his fingertips, he threw over his shoulder: "Move fast. And watch for Sanctioners." With a thundercp, he vanished into the sky.
"Holy—! That's the coolest exit ever!" Qin Hong gaped at the scorch marks.
Sisi rolled her eyes. "Save the fanboying for after the mission." She strode toward the lead hover-truck, where Xiaoyu sat behind the wheel.
"You're coming too?" Qin Hong asked as they boarded.
"Just delivering the fleet," Xiaoyu replied, engaging the anti-grav drives. "This truck stays with you in Walchi."
As twenty vehicles ascended in a chain formation, Qin Hong watched oceans unfold beneath them like liquid sapphire. A question surfaced: "Who exactly are these Sanctioners?"
The cab's atmosphere shifted. Xiaoyu kept her eyes on the horizon. "Former disciples of Greene. Most were elite operatives trained at Arcadia Headquarters."
"Traitors then?" Qin Hong pressed.
Sisi exhaled sharply. "Call them what you will—their strength is undeniable."
"But why betray—"
"Ask Guann... ter." Sisi's tone brooked no argument. Silence recimed the cabin until Walchi's quilted ndscape appeared below.
---
The hover-truck settled onto an empty field outside town. Xiaoyu leaned out the window. "I'll return after the release. Stay alive."
As the vehicle disappeared over treetops, Sisi surveyed the idyllic township—pastel buildings with flower-box windows, cobblestone streets glowing amber in the sunlight. "Charming pce for a teenage warlord."
"Mission step one?" Qin Hong activated his holographic map.
"Intel gathering. Let's—" Sisi's sentence died as she spotted an ice cream cart. Moments ter, they walked toward the school, licking rainbow-colored cones.
Students in navy uniforms streamed past during lunch break. Qin Hong intercepted a freckled boy. "Excuse me, do you know Ja—"
The boy paled and fled before Qin Hong remembered to activate his transtor impnt.
"Told you," Qin Hong muttered.
Sisi nudged him. "Our informant's at three o'clock." Across the street, a golden-haired teen nursed an iced coffee, his cast-encased leg propped on a spare chair.
As they approached, the boy fumbled for his crutches. "W-what do you want?"
"Just coffee and conversation," Qin Hong said, ordering three espressos.
Sisi turned on her charm. "That looks painful~ Who hurt you, sweetie?"
The boy—Lev—confessed under her hypnotic gaze: "My cssmate... though I deserved it."
Qin Hong feigned disbelief. "Some scrawny kid did this?"
"Jason's different now!" Lev smmed his cup down. "He crushed my ankle bare-handed! Last week he soloed the entire Bck Viper gang!"
Their act perfected, Qin Hong scoffed. "Prove it."
"Central underground fight club! But don't say I didn't warn you!" Lev shouted as they left.
---
Posing as tourists, they strolled through the town square. Sisi suddenly yanked Qin Hong's arm. "Your photography is *disgraceful*!" she shrieked, projecting a blurry holo-image.
Qin Hong caught on instantly—they'd acquired tails. "Maybe you're just unphotogenic!" he shot back.
Their theatrical breakup sent Sisi storming away while Qin Hong drew the surveilnce toward crowded alleys.
The ambush came swiftly. Three thugs materialized—one a bald mountain of muscle, the others scarred veterans. Before Qin Hong could speak, a hood swallowed his vision.
---
Cold metal bit into Qin Hong's wrists as consciousness returned. He sat bound to a chair in a cavernous space, the sole illumination a swaying bulb above a bloodstained boxing ring.
Shadows stirred beyond the light's edge. A youthful voice echoed:
"Welcome to my kingdom, outsider."
From the darkness emerged a slender figure—a boy no older than sixteen, his knuckles wrapped in stained gauze, eyes glowing faintly violet.
Jason had arrived.
