Nia followed Cassian down a narrow hallway. Her mind swirled with unanswered questions as her heart raced. It was his continual silence that prodded her into breaking it.
"How did you do it?" she finally asked. "How did you know he wouldn't…?"
Cassian paused briefly.
"I knew that he wouldn't listen to that message I sent you," he replied, resuming his steady gait. "The moment I let him think he was in control, I knew he would charge ahead, leaving the outcome up to his arrogance."
Nia frowned, trying to piece together the logic.
"So you waited for him to make his move? But why didn't his Band work on you?"
The truth is, even he didn't know the effectiveness of his D-Rank Band. He had no guarantees that it would work against someone with Kingston's C-Rank Band. So he chose not to answer.
"Then why did you even… You could have ended up dead. You had no way of—"
"No way of knowing? Maybe not," he interrupted. "But I had to test something." He then turned to look at her, and in his eyes, she saw not just the remnants of what had transpired but a very intelligent man. "I needed to see how loyal you really were."
Loyalty? With everything unfolding, how could she be the one to inspire that?
"You thought I would betray you?"
Cassian shook his head.
"No. At least, not necessarily." He gestured with his hand, encompassing the cold facility around them. "I needed to know how you would respond. What you showed me back there was honesty."
Nia was speechless. She couldn't help but slowly nod, still reeling from the earlier moment.
"What if it had backfired?" she wondered. "What if it didn't go as planned?"
"If it didn't work, I had a contingency," he responded. "It wasn't about hoping for the right outcome; it was about setting the stage."
That woman tied up was a guard, and it took time to incapacitate her, but she was easily replaceable. What mattered was that it looked convincing to Kingston.
Nia felt the pieces slide together, and with clarity, she began to appreciate the extent of his foresight. What he meant to do was create a situation where he could see just how ruthless TEC was.
"Exactly," he said flatly, knowing what Nia was probably thinking.
"But Kingston was your enemy, not mine," she replied softly. "How do you know the next one won't go far enough to hurt someone I care about?"
Cassian stopped suddenly and said, "You'll need to learn to fight for those people. Can you confront your fears?"
Nia's throat tightened as she asked, "You think I'm weak?"
"I think you're still finding your ground," he swiftly replied. "But if you want to survive in this world, you'll need to be steadfast."
There was a silence between them. Cassian knew why she had asked that question; she was testing him now.
Nia forced herself to absorb everything he had shared.
"You can count on me," she said finally, her voice determined. "I won't betray that trust."
Inside, she was thinking about how he had blatantly taken Kingston's Band. What was he honestly going to do with it? Whatever it was, it didn't matter now.
The two eventually stepped into the room. The walls were lined with screens displaying data and schematics. He motioned for her to follow him closely and to remain quiet.
"Where are you leading me?" she whispered.
But Cassian didn't verbally answer. He glanced at her, letting her know that their escape was on his mind.
As they approached the large steel door at the far end of the room, he placed his palm on the scanner, and the door slid open. Inside, he found a group of men, the remaining TEC operatives, huddled around in confusion.
"Boss!" one of the men exclaimed after seeing someone enter the room.
The rest turned, awaiting orders or news. But their relief turned to disappointment as they saw that it was just Cassian and Nia.
"Where's the boss?" another asked.
Cassian knew this moment was crucial. He glanced at Nia, nodding to her to step forward.
"Kingston is dead," she proclaimed, commanding the room's full attention. She knew how troubling saying this would be. "We need to retreat. Now!"
They all gasped in disbelief and quickly felt the gravity of the situation.
"But... how?" one of them stammered.
"Does it matter?" she replied with a fierce tone. "Kingston's reign is over. We need to regroup, and we need to do it now. Your lives are more important, and I won't let you all be captured."
Some were fearful while others were doubtful. It was not easy to bring this group together after their leader fell. That was because many of them were still under the Band's hypnotic powers.
Nia pressed on, sensing their hesitance, and said, "If we survive and regroup to fight another day."
A reluctant acceptance started to root. Cassian could see their resolve coming together.
"Let me help you," she commanded, extending her arms in a rallying gesture.
The men began to push toward the exit, accepting her guidance. As the group maneuvered through the corridors, Nia took a quick glance back at Cassian. Their eyes met, and she whispered, "Come and find us when things settle…"
He returned her gaze and silently nodded. While she understood the depth of the moment, his presence was essential for her to move ahead. But she also needed to lead her men to safety.
Once they vanished down the corridor, Cassian turned and retraced his steps toward the command room where he assumed his mother would be.
He paced himself, reaching the door to the area. However, two guards stood resolutely, arms crossed, blocking his path. And on their wrists were green glowing Bands. They were C-Rank Bandits.
One might not have been too hard to deal with, but two in one room was like overkill.
"Sorry, Mr. Black," one of the guards reluctantly said, raising his gun, "we're not taking any chances. We don't know what's happening outside."
"Move…"
The guards exchanged looks, momentarily hesitating. Before either of them could reprimand him, the door behind them slid open, revealing Yara. She scolded the guards, saying, "You'll let my son through."
"But, ma'am!" one stammered. "He could be an enemy in disguise."
It was plausible to believe that. There were Bands out there that could alter one's entire appearance. But Yara was not having it.
"A mother's intuition is never wrong!" she boldly stated, grabbing her son's arm.
The guards relaxed their postures, sensing there was nothing they could do. This was the head of AU's wife. Her presence alone was as authoritative as it was caring.
With that, they stepped aside, permitting Cassian to pass through the door. When they stepped inside and the door closed behind them, Yara finally let out a sigh of relief.
"I was worried about you," she confessed. Then she smiled softly. "I'm glad you made it here. I heard the commotion, but you seemed to have handled security protocols."
"I didn't want to put you in danger," he answered.
"Haha," she lightly chuckled. "I think you're forgetting who your mother is. Danger is part of my job, but it's you that needs to be more careful, hun."
She regarded him with maternal strength—she was proud of him, but she also sensed something amiss.
Choosing not to comment on it, Cassian himself remained silent, contemplating his mother's words.
Half an hour ticked away, and eventually reports came in about the sudden raid. They confirmed that the attack had ceased. North Point was regaining stability again.
Any moment sooner and Magnus was ready to storm. Because if North Point hadn't dealt with the threat, he would have done it single-handedly.
"Looks like your father's very upset," Yara said, closing her cell phone. "He wants us both to come home immediately."
Cassian knew that he would. He was, after all, a father. While stern, he did have a heart for his family. And because his family was technically threatened, he was going to send a message to the rebels responsible.
Thankfully, the Ethereal Covenant managed to get away with the information he gave to Nia. They would probably go into hiding for a while. Perhaps to recuperate from their leader's loss, that or bide time until they can recover.
Cassina allowed himself a moment of respite.
He felt he had won—not simply by defeating Kingston but by acquiring his third Band.