Chapter 35: Orders are Orders

Liam emerged from the rubble to see a familiar figure standing before Serafina. He walked back out cautiously. “Director?” he called out, causing Grey to turn slightly backwards to look at him. “Stay back, you stupid boy!” Grey commanded, stretching his left hand backwards in a gesture for Liam to halt.

Liam slowed his steps to a stop. Grey’s head turned back towards Serafina, who was looking at him with disgust and fury. “Out of my way, Garene! I’m taking that boy’s head,” Serafina snarled.

“Not on my watch!” Grey replied immediately.

“Then be sure you’re at your best, because you’re going to die with him,” she said, her aura flaring as the avatar behind her readied the scythe in its hand.

Liam spoke from behind Grey, lightning now coursing through his skin. “Director, get out of the way.” He was ready to face Serafina.

“Liam, you have been given director’s orders. Stand down! I will not repeat myself again,” Grey threatened, casting this dangerous look back at Liam.

The air between them grew tense. Liam clenched his fist but eventually powered down. However, only out of respect and not fear. Then with a voice, calm yet pointed, he said to the Director: “Maybe you can also ask Miss Serafina why she sent her visor Ray Hooks after my sister tonight?”

“What?” Serafina said, frankly caught off-guard. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Yes, he came after me, and when he couldn’t find me, he abducted my sister and brought her right to this place,” Liam pointed towards the now-destroyed warehouse. “I came here to rescue her.”

Serafina didn’t say anything after that. She knew one thing for certain—Ray was a vengeful person. He was so petty he wouldn’t let even the smallest slight slide.

Grey sighed in confusion. “And Ray?”

Liam scoffed. “I hope the Grizzlies make a good T-shirt to remember him by.”

Serafina raised her head at this point, staring at Liam with fury in her eyes, then let go with a sigh. Ray had been too much of a headache, and if that was truly the reason, then she couldn’t argue. She was also “pro-woman”, it was stupid to abduct a girl who couldn’t fight back.

Then she turned her back and slowly started walking away. Right before she took to the skies in flight, she said, “Grey, Dallas Grizzlies will not be party to an agreement involving the Netherlights.” Then she took off. Her subordinates, who had watched from a distance, saw her fly off and made their way back to their vehicle to leave.

That was understandable. The Netherlights wanted compensation for the death of their A-tier visor, but since Ray, the one who killed their A-tier visor, was already dead, and before any official papers were signed regarding the agreement, it was only fair they had no other obligations to the Netherlights.

“I’ll be heading off now. I need to find where Yae went,” Liam said. He had been fighting Serafina the whole time and hadn’t had the chance to worry about her whereabouts. At least she hadn’t been in immediate danger of being kidnapped.

Grey, who was deep in thought about everything he’d just heard, asked Liam, “The little lady with battered clothes and blood stains?”

“Precisely that one,” Liam replied. In that instant, it hit him. “Wait, did you see her?” Grey nodded. “Yes, come with me.”

…

Later that same night, Liam and Yaela arrived home. Liam had carried her in a cradle hold and flown all the way home. They walked back into the house, and damn, it was a complete mess. Broken plates, blood spills, and furniture moved aside in different positions.

Liam looked at all of this disappointingly, but what bothered him most was that somehow Yaela had gotten into danger. It was entirely based on luck that Yaela was still alive today. What about next time? he asked himself. What if he didn’t have that potion tonight? Would that really have been the end for her? Many things immediately bothered him, and Yaela noticed.

“Hey, what is it?” Yaela asked, her face showing concern.

“It’s nothing. It’s just that I’m really sorry about all of this, Yae. I keep getting you involved in things that make you worry, and then today, you nearly died. I’m really so sorry…” Liam went on apologizing, and Yaela chuckled at some point.

Liam had a wry smile. “What’s funny?”

“You, dumbass,” she said, chuckling slightly again before continuing. “It’s okay, Liam. You can start making it up to me by buying me new glasses…”

That was when Liam noticed she wasn’t wearing her glasses. She continued, “Mine flew off my eyes earlier. I can’t remember when, but it was when that bad man took me.”

“I’m sorry,” Liam apologized again. “I’ll get you an even better pair.”

“Stop apologizing, Liam. It’s fine,” she smiled. Liam nodded affirmatively, and then she said, “I’ll be back.” She walked over the broken shards, looking at her feet to be careful not to step on any, then slowly went back upstairs.

Liam watched her retreat before his gaze fell back on the living room. He sighed, knowing it was going to be some work getting the place cleaned. “Well, I’d better get to it,” he said.

Yaela got to her room and closed the door behind her, pressing her back against it as she slowly sat on the ground. Tears rolled down both her eyes as scenes from earlier flashed through her mind; the plates she threw at Ray trying to escape him, the slaps she got in return, the wound carvings he gave her, and how she screamed through the pain before he eventually stabbed her. It was all too much for her to bear.

She only tried to act strong because she didn’t want to worry Liam even more, but this was all too much for one regular person to handle. However, as she cried, little did she know that mana had begun surging slowly out of her.

…

Back at USOV, it was already late, and agents were beginning to head home in pairs and vehicles. However, Grey and Kent still remained in the office. A conversation between them both was currently ongoing.

“He can easily kill S-tiers now. I don’t know if I should be worried,” Kent expressed his concerns.

“Lucien will be in Detroit pretty soon. Calling the Seven will be dependent on his evaluation of the boy,” Grey said, barely paying attention to Kent’s concerns.

He pulled out his drawer, retrieved a file, and drew out pictures from within the file, then placed them on the table. “I need you and Quinn on this as soon as possible,” Grey said.

Kent picked up the pictures. One showed a person with tousled white hair wearing a kimono. The other picture showed the same person transformed, but less human, with scaly features and horns protruding from his forehead. This was Kai Egnis, the heavyweight champion Liam had fought not so long ago.

“Okay, sir, but what is it about this fellow? He looks like a transformation type,” Kent said.

“Kai Egnis, at least that’s what he goes by. But it’s not just the transformation. I have it on good account that he’s related to one of the families,” Grey said convincingly.

“Well, the white hair suggests he’s a Zelkier,” Kent said, pressing his fingers on his chin as he studied the photographs.

“Yes, I thought so too, but my main concern is why someone from the Zelkier family would be participating in an underground fighting ring, right here in Detroit,” Grey said, then added, “His last battle was also against Liam.”

“Hmm, and too far from home too. Wasn’t their main family branch in Japan?” Kent asked, trying to reconfirm his thoughts.

Grey nodded affirmatively, and Kent said, “I’ll get on it.”

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