At first, he was shocked. But that quickly turned into excitent. If things went as expected, he might have just saved himself two million dollars.
He knew the SWAT team had the place surrounded, so when he woke up, he stayed quiet.
But then he overheard the SWAT captain talking to Celeste, and that's when the confusion set in. This wasn't playing out the way he had imagined.
Still, with powerful connections backing him, he sat up and threw out a few threats, assuming they'd hesitate.
Instead, he got a brutal kick to the neck.
From the way everyone looked at him, it was clear— even if he survived, he'd probably end up paralyzed for life.
Outside, ambulances lined up in a steady stream, operating like a factory assembly line. One after another, the injured were loaded up and driven away.
Finally, once the last stretcher was carried out, the SWAT team wrapped up, lifting the lockdown.
Only then did Lyla and Celia step inside.
Ethan finally realized that the two of them had been right behind him when he arrived at the gym.
When Lyla saw cops lying unconscious inside, she knew things had spiraled out of control and imdiately called Celeste.
As it turned out, Celeste had already been on her way, delivering their Ninth Division assignnt docunts. After getting Lyla's call, she wasted no ti. Within minutes, she contacted her team, launched an imdiate investigation, and had the necessary files printed.
The efficiency of the Ninth Division was no joke.
In just over ten minutes, they had compiled records on over thirty people, including seven police officers— tracing their entire family history.
By the ti Celeste pulled up to the scene, Lyla and Celia had only been waiting for a few minutes. Monts later, a man arrived with a file folder. She even took the ti to change in her car, slipping into her uniform before stepping past the SWAT barricade.
The man who delivered the files? He appeared out of nowhere and vanished just as fast. One mont, he handed over the folder, and by the ti Lyla turned to thank him, he was already gone.
Celia had rubbed her eyes, convinced she was seeing things. But when she spotted the folder in Celeste's hands, she knew she wasn't imagining it.
She even glanced around, searching for the man, before turning to Lyla. "Where did he go?"
Lyla shrugged. "I didn't get a good look."
But deep down, she knew the truth.
That man was one of the Ninth Division's elite operatives. The way he arrived and disappeared in an instant? It had to be so kind of speed-based ability.
The Ninth Division was no joke.
...
Soon, the internet was in chaos.
First, videos surfaced showing Leo and Williams beating up a group of n. They were quickly labeled as violent criminals. Then, another video erged— Leo capturing Len, dragging him off.
But within minutes, every single video disappeared.
Not long after, a statent from the Ember City Police Departnt hit the trending page.
"This morning, a criminal syndicate with ties to organized cri was apprehended. Several corrupt officers providing them with protection have also been taken into custody."
The full report was filled with official jargon, detailing the cris of the gang led by a man nad Leon.
It even referenced the video footage of Leo and Williams, with their faces blurred, clarifying that they were not criminals. Their identities remained classified.
The report also warned citizens against spreading misinformation. Anyone caught distributing the original videos or related files would face legal consequences.
And just like that, everything was handled. The dust had settled.
___
Sowhere in Ember City, inside a hotel room.
A woman sat on the edge of the bed, staring at her phone, reading the sa news article.
"This... this can't be real… Ethan…" Her initial shock twisted into deep, seething hatred.
If Ethan were here, he'd recognize her instantly—it was Jade Taylor, the woman he had once spared.
Furious, she shut off the video and threw her phone onto the bed.
A mont later, she picked it back up, scrolled through her contacts, and dialed a number.
"Hello? I need to speak with Mr. Henry Joe"
___
anwhile, Ethan and the others were treating Celeste to a well-deserved al. After saving them twice—whatever her reasons, she deserved a proper thank-you.
But what Ethan didn't know was that a plan for revenge was already in motion, creeping toward him.
Just before noon, Celeste glanced at the ti and stood up. "I have class this afternoon, so I have to go."
Before leaving, she gave them a warning. "Get ready. You'll be getting an assignnt soon."
Ethan raised a brow. "How soon?"
"Could be tomorrow. Could be in a few days," Celeste said with a shrug before walking off.
Ethan couldn't help but feel a surge of curiosity. His first mission, what would it be?
Victor and Leo, on the other hand, were downright thrilled. After four years out of the military, they missed the rush of action.
As for what the mission was? They didn't care. They were just eager to jump in.
___
That afternoon, Ethan returned to the gym, which was still temporarily closed.
He had already sent Quinn ho for a break. After what happened that morning, she had been terrified. He figured she deserved a few days off.
With a few calls, he had a cleanup crew take care of the ss Leo and Williams left behind, then hired soone to fix up the damage.
Once everything was arranged, he settled behind the bar, flipping through the financial records on his laptop.
A few minutes in, his head was already spinning.
That's when Celia walked over. "Ethan, need any help?"
Ethan's eyes lit up the mont he saw her. He rembered Victor ntioning her background, she had worked in HR for a foreign company and had a degree in accounting.
Even though her job was in a different field, she had been doing well. If she hadn't moved to Ember City, she was on track for a promotion.
Without hesitation, he slid the ledger toward her. "Celia, this one's all yours."
Celia smirked. "I knew you'd struggle with this. Victor told to stick around and help. So, tell , Mr. Boss, does this count as an interview?"
Ethan chuckled. "Are you kidding? I'd be lucky to have you. I just hope my little gym is big enough to keep soone like you around."
After today's chaos, Ethan had already considered replacing Quinn as the gym's manager.
Her intentions weren't bad—renting out the gym for extra revenue, but her decision-making and execution were seriously flawed. Worse, she hadn't even consulted him before making such a big call.
Of course, even if she hadn't booked the event, Leon would have found another way to make trouble.
But still, not even running it by him? That crossed a line.
Ethan didn't care too much about the gym, but he wasn't about to just shut it down either. If managed properly, it could still bring in good money.
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