Alphonse paced back and forth in his private office, the dim light of his cigar glowing as the smoke curled upward into the darkness. His mind was sharp, calculating, as he gave orders to his men. They were to deal with the intruders quietly, discreetly. He couldn't afford chaos, not with Gil Felcoms—a key ally in his operation—being toured around the building by Lenore.
"Capture the vigilante," Alphonse barked into his comm device. "No noise. Make it clean. I don't want Felcoms to even suspect something's wrong." His voice was low, dangerous, but filled with the authority that came from years of control and ruthlessness.
In his mind, Alphonse was certain the alarm earlier had been triggered by the same vigilante who had crossed him in the past. The thought of that masked figure, slipping through his grasp amidst clouds of smoke, filled him with rage. "Just you wait, vigilante," he muttered to himself, clenching his fist. "This time, you won't escape."
What Alphonse didn't realize was that this wasn't the vigilante at all. The ones causing disruption in his fortress now were Vivian and Gustav, the very pair he had underestimated. While he focused on the phantom of a past encounter, his true adversaries were creeping through the lower floors, hunting for the switch that would reveal the hidden basement where his unspeakable experiments were conducted.
The tension in the air was palpable as Alphonse's men silently spread out across the lower floors, armed and dangerous, ready to ambush what they assumed was a lone vigilante. They had no idea they were hunting a pair far more prepared and determined.
Alphonse smirked, a false sense of security washing over him. "I'll crush these rats under my boot soon enough," he thought, his mind preoccupied with visions of victory. He had no idea that in the shadows, the real threat was already one step ahead of him.
Down below, Vivian and Gustav continued their search, unaware of just how close they were to setting off a chain of events that would rock Alphonse's empire to its core.
As Vivian who was invisible due to invisible light was looking to the switch to open the hidden door that they found in journal where Alphonse experiment people
In the dimly lit lower level, shadows flickered on the cold concrete walls. Vivian, now invisible thanks to the special flashlight, quietly searched the room. The journal had brought them here, to where a hidden switch would open the hidden door to Alphonse's secret experiments. Her heart raced as she realized the terrible things that might be hidden behind that door.
Gustav, in his shrunken form, darted from shelf to shelf, his sharp eyes searching for the hidden mechanism. He finally spotted a small, ancient book—one that seemed oddly out of place among the other more modern items. Something about it called to him, a sense that this was more than it appeared. He crawled inside the binding, and sure enough, there it was—a lever disguised within the spine.
"There it is!" Gustav whispered excitedly, his tiny voice almost lost in the vast space.
Vivian, still invisible, glanced at Gustav, her relief evident. "Babe..." she began, but before she could finish, they both froze.
Suddenly, the sharp clatter of footsteps and muffled voices filled the hallway. Vivian's instincts kicked in immediately. She raised her finger to her lips, signaling Gustav to be quiet. "Shh..." she whispered urgently, a warning in her tone.
The voices grew louder. "Scatter and find those vigilantes!!" one of Alphonse's men shouted.
Vivian's blood ran cold. They had been discovered. Or at least, Alphonse's men believed they had. But it wasn't the vigilante they were searching for—it was them. Alphonse and his forces had no idea that the intruders in their lair were Vivian and Gustav, not the elusive vigilante Alphonse had tangled with in the past.
Vivian glanced around the room, eyes wide with worry despite being invisible. If they were caught here, it could ruin everything. She needed time to find the switch and open the hidden door.
Gustav, still shrunken, bolted across the floor to her feet and quickly resumed his full size. "They're getting closer," he whispered, his tone urgent.
Vivian nodded, her mind racing. They didn't have much time. She turned her head toward the door where the guards were gathering. They were methodically checking each room.
Gustav looked to the hidden lever inside the book. "I'll pull it," he whispered.
"Do it quickly," Vivian said, her voice tight with tension.
Gustav, still small, yanked the lever. For a moment, nothing happened. The silence hung thick in the air. Then, with a soft rumble, the wall beside them trembled. Slowly, the surface shifted, revealing the outline of a hidden door that had been cleverly concealed within the cold stone. Dust sprinkled down as the door slid open, leading into a dark passage that had been buried from sight for who knows how long it is.
Vivian's breath caught. This was it—the entrance to Alphonse's secret experiments.
"It's open," Gustav whispered, now returning to his full size. He gave her a nod, though he couldn't see her, trusting in her presence.
But their triumph was short-lived. From the hallway, the footsteps of Alphonse's men grew closer. The guards were still searching, barking orders to check every nook and cranny for the so-called "vigilante."
"They're really getting too close..." Vivian muttered, her invisible form shifting slightly as she glanced toward the doorway.
The hidden door was still in the process of opening fully, the mechanism slow and deliberate. They couldn't risk being caught now, not when they were so close to uncovering the horrors below.
Vivian's mind raced. "We need to get inside, now," she said, her voice tense.
Gustav moved toward the opening, peering into the darkness. "I'll go first," he said, shrinking down once again to his ant-sized form to scout the narrow passage beyond the hidden door.
Suddenly, a voice from the hallway shouted, "Check that room! Don't let anyone slip by!"
Vivian's heart pounded. The guards were moments away from entering the room.
...............
As Mark and Chris, still invisible thanks to the flashlight, moved quietly through the Chicago Outfit's hideout, the atmosphere grew heavier. The deeper they went, the chilling and more cramped the hallways became. Mark was focused, but then something completely unexpected made him stop in his tracks—Gil Felcoms.
Just ahead, Gil was being given a private tour by Lenore Van Ryn, one of Alphonse's top executives. "Why is Uncle Gil here?" Mark thought, his mind racing. Gil, the uncle of Mark's girlfriend, Emily Hawkins, had never seemed like someone who would be involved in a place like this. Emily's mother was a Felcoms, making Gil her younger brother, and the sight of him here in this criminal environment was shocking to Mark.
For a moment, Mark just stared, frozen. He knew he had to stay focused—they were here to save Vivian and Gustav—but seeing his girlfriend's uncle in this setting threw him off.
Chris, noticing Mark had stopped, followed his gaze and understood right away. As part of the Hilton family, one of the wealthiest in the world, Chris had met the Felcoms and the Hawkins family before. He had heard the rumors about Gil—the youngest of the Felcoms siblings, often seen as the least talented or successful. But seeing Gil here, involved with people like Lenore and the Chicago Outfit, was unexpected.
Chris narrowed his eyes. (So that's why Lenore said she had matters to attend to," he thought. "Looks like they're trying to make the Felcoms a key business partner, while we Hiltons are still just checking them out.) But none of that mattered right now. They had a job to do—find Mark's friends.
Leaning in close, Chris whispered firmly, "Mark, snap out of it." His voice was quiet but sharp, making sure only Mark could hear, as everyone else in the room was too busy working to notice them.
Mark blinked, shaking off the shock. He looked back at Chris, feeling a little embarrassed for losing focus. "Right. Sorry." He pulled himself together and looked away from Gil, knowing they couldn't afford any distractions.
As they continued moving through the hallways, they kept their steps light, careful not to make a sound. Mark couldn't help but feel a growing unease. What was Gil doing here, and how deep was he involved in all this?
Chris glanced at Mark, sensing his unease but staying focused. "We'll deal with that later. Right now, let's find Vivian and Gustav."
Mark nodded, pushing all thoughts of Gil aside for now. They had a mission, and they needed to stick to it. They couldn't waste any more time.
............
[Meanwhile Loe vs Litzo]
Litzo's eyes flared with anger as he straightened himself, the dirt beneath his feet cracking from the force of his stance. "You think a few drugs will change anything, Angel?" His voice dripped with venom, but there was a sliver of unease in his tone.
Litzo charged at him, moving with blinding speed, the power of the Atlas enhancement clear in every step. His fists came at Loe with brutal precision, like a force of nature. Loe barely dodged the first strike, but Litzo was faster than he expected, twisting mid-motion and driving his knee toward Loe's face. The impact sent Loe stumbling backward, blood dripping from his nose. But instead of retreating, Loe wiped his face and smiled through the pain.
"Nice hit. But is that all you've got?" Loe taunted, feeling his pulse quicken.
Litzo snarled, his eyes narrowing. "You're going to regret that." He surged forward again, fists raised. This wasn't a fight between equals—Litzo was enhanced beyond normal human limits, his strength and speed almost inhuman thanks to the Atlas. But Loe wasn't backing down.
This time, Loe waited for the perfect moment. Litzo's fist came crashing toward him, but Loe pivoted on his heel at the last second, sidestepping the blow. With quick reflexes, he grabbed Litzo's extended arm, twisted it, and used the momentum to slam him into the ground.
The earth shuddered from the impact, and Litzo let out a pained grunt. But before Loe could follow up, Litzo rolled, his body moving with unnatural agility, quickly regaining his footing.
"You're not fast enough!" Litzo sneered, his eyes wild as he lunged again, his fists coming down in a flurry of blows. Loe ducked and weaved, his heart pounding as he narrowly avoided the relentless strikes. One punch grazed Loe's shoulder, the impact sending a shock of pain through his arm.
He winced, but grit his teeth. "Atlas or whatever his name is, I'm not giving up."
Litzo sneered, his expression a mix of superiority and frustration. "You don't stand a chance. I'm beyond you, Loe. You're just a regular human."
Loe took a deep breath, shaking the pain from his body. "Maybe so," he muttered under his breath, his hands tightening into fists. "But I'm not done."
With renewed focus, Loe charged at Litzo again, this time calculating every movement. Litzo swung wide, but Loe ducked under his arm and delivered a solid punch to his ribs. Litzo grunted, staggered by the force. Loe didn't stop there—he launched a barrage of punches, hitting Litzo in the ribs, chest, and face with everything he had.
Litzo growled, stumbling back, his chest heaving as he spat blood onto the dirt. "Impossible…" he hissed, his voice shaking with disbelief. "You're not enhanced—how are you keeping up?"
Loe glared at him, his breathing labored but his resolve unshaken. "You've been so focused on your strength that you forgot something—raw determination beats raw strength any day."
Fury twisted Litzo's face. He pushed himself to his feet, his body trembling with rage. "I'll crush you!" he roared, lunging with newfound aggression. His movements were wild now, his precision slipping in his anger.
Loe sidestepped again, but this time Litzo was faster, catching him with a brutal punch to the gut. Loe doubled over, gasping for air as pain exploded through his midsection.
"It's over," Litzo snarled, towering over him. "No amount of willpower is going to save you now."
Loe coughed, his vision swimming, but through the haze of pain, he grinned. "You… still don't get it."
Litzo narrowed his eyes, his voice filled with contempt. "What did you say?"
Loe wiped the blood from his mouth, steadying himself as he stood upright. His body screamed in pain, but his eyes burned with unwavering determination. "I'll show you my true resolve."
Before Litzo could react, Loe clenched his fists and surged forward with a newfound ferocity. His movements were no longer just driven by instinct but by pure willpower, every step fueled by the desire to push beyond his limits. He ignored the pain, the exhaustion, and the blood dripping down his face—he had something more powerful than Litzo's strength
Litzo prepared to strike, but something about Loe's expression made him hesitate. There was a force behind those eyes that he hadn't accounted for—a force that wasn't bound by strength alone. "Don't be ridiculous!" Litzo spat, swinging his fist with all his might.
But this time, Loe was ready. He sidestepped the blow with perfect timing, slipping inside Litzo's guard, and drove a solid punch into his ribs. The impact knocked the air out of Litzo, who stumbled back, shocked by the sheer power behind the strike.
"My resolve," Loe said, his voice low but filled with intensity, "is stronger than any enhancement you have."
To be continue