A soft hum buzzed faintly in the silence that followed the stand-off. Division-7 troops began pulling back, rifles lowered but still watchful as they secured the perimeter.
Inside the dimly lit living room, Rena, Lila, and Dævd stood facing one another in a triangle of tension.
The atmosphere was strained not hostile, but weighed down by unspoken history and the sharp tang of recent battle.
Rena crossed her arms. "That sword…" she nodded toward Lucent Grave at Dævd's side. "Whatever it is, it's not human tech."
Dævd didn't flinch. "It's not from Earth."
"I figured," she said dryly. "You're not exactly subtle."
Lila exhaled slowly. "He's not a threat, Rena. But something is coming. And we're barely prepared for it."
"I'm not in the business of chasing shadows," Rena replied coolly. "I need data. Not prophecies."
Dævd stepped forward, his voice low. "Then start watching the skies. What came tonight was just a test. There's more on the way."
Rena studied him carefully, not with suspicion, but calculation.
"You speak like you've seen it before."
"I have."
"And you're saying these… invaders? They're after you."
"Yes." Dævd's eyes narrowed behind his blindfold. "And anyone who stands in their way."
Rena's expression flickered at that, not fear, but understanding.
She turned to Lila. "Whatever mess you've stepped into, I hope you know what you're doing."
Lila gave a small, tired smile. "You always did underestimate me."
That earned the faintest twitch of amusement from Rena.
She turned toward the door as her troops began to regroup. "We'll clean up the mess outside. But I can't guarantee we'll always be nearby."
She glanced over her shoulder at Dævd. "For what it's worth… I don't think you're the enemy. Not yet."
Then she gave Lila a nod. "I'll see you around."
And with that, Rena stepped back into the night, her Division-7 agents following in disciplined formation. A few moments later, the low thrum of hovercraft engines lifted into the sky, fading into the Lagos night.
The silence returned once Division-7's hovercraft faded into the clouds, an eerie calm that wrapped the house in a kind of fragile stillness.
Lila locked the door behind her, then turned to see Dævd still standing where Rena had left them. His hand hovered near the hilt of Lucent Grave, though the sword now rested quietly at his side.
"You okay?" she asked, her voice softer now.
Dævd didn't answer at first. He slowly removed the blindfold, letting it hang around his neck. His silver-white locs fell across his face, sweat and dried blood still clinging to his skin.
"She didn't trust me," he murmured.
"She doesn't trust anyone," Lila said, moving to the sink to run water over a rag. "She's not the enemy, but she's not your friend either."
She tossed the damp cloth to him, and he caught it without looking.
"Do you trust her?" he asked, wiping at the blood streaking his jaw.
Lila paused.
"I trust her to do her job," she said. "But if it comes down to it… she won't hesitate to put a bullet in anything she doesn't understand."
Dævd's hand stilled.
"She's not the only one who sees me that way," he said quietly.
"No." Lila crossed her arms, leaning against the counter. "But she hasn't seen what I've seen. Not yet."
He looked at her, tired, bruised, but eyes still burning with that quiet storm.
"I thought we had more time," he said again, barely above a whisper.
Lila nodded slowly. "So did I."
The Next Morning – Kade's Workshop
Dævd stepped through the rusted garage doors of Kade's underground workshop just after sunrise. A metallic chime echoed through the space as he entered, the smell of soldered wires and engine grease thick in the air.
Kade, bent over a cluttered workbench, didn't look up right away. He had his goggles on, sparks dancing off the gauntlet he was recalibrating.
"You're up early," Kade said without turning.
"I couldn't sleep," Dævd replied, stepping further in. "Too much on my mind."
Kade finally looked over, eyes narrowing at the bruises across Dævd's neck and collarbone.
"That from last night?"
"Yeah. One of Kael's Branded. His name was Rukorr."
Kade muttered a curse under his breath. "Damn… already?"
Dævd nodded. "This wasn't just a warning. They know where I am. Others are on their way."
Kade pulled off his goggles and tossed them on the table. "Just a sec."
He motioned toward a reinforced suit he'd been upgrading.
A futuristic and tactical streetwear, with faintly glowing lights. At the top is a sleek, jet black undersuit, skin-tight, textured like it was woven from some advanced synthetic fiber. Around the waist hung a utility belt studded with pouches, glowing clips, and tools. Holsters were strapped to the thighs, not for guns, but for strange, compact gear that hummed with dormant power. The trousers were loose and layered, gray like steel, folded in a way that suggested both freedom and readiness. They tapered into reinforced boots designed for grip and speed, splashed with the same sharp blues and blacks seen across his gear.
"I've been modifying this ever since you got here," Kade said. "Stronger than kevlar, light as a t-shirt. It'll hold up better next time some pyro-hulk decides to level half the city. She's not a miracle, but she'll keep you standing."
Dævd ran a hand along the suit's surface. "Thanks."
"Don't thank me yet," Kade grunted. "Still gotta test it. And if they're sending Branded now, we're way behind."
Dævd looked toward the workshop's wide open skylight, sunlight breaking through, sharp and clear.
He could feel it in the air, the storm wasn't coming. It was already here.