CHAPTER 93: UNEXPECTED RETURN

"But why USOV? S-Tiers usually go for the top factions," Amir asked, genuinely curious about what had prompted Brian’s decision to come here.

"I’d say fighting to save lives resonates more with me," Brian replied.

Sarah interjected with an amused, smug expression, "Boring reason, but I’ll take it."

"Sarah, you’re despicable," Elaine said, shaking her head in amusement.

Liam then added, "And for some reason, the director thinks I’m the best one to pair with the new guy," still shaking his head at the unwelcome decision.

"So Brian’s like what? Your teammate?" Sarah asked.

"More like subordinate," Brian clarified, then added with a grin, "He’s my superior." Liam rolled his eyes and sighed after hearing this.

"Now that’s one good decision Director Grey has made in a long time," Sarah said approvingly. "Two fine specimens on one team, I approve." She nodded her head with satisfaction.

Elaine nudged Sarah with her elbow, and Sarah yelped, "Hey!"

Elaine quickly moved the conversation along. "What about finding Yaela? I thought you had to disappear for a while for that one?"

"True, what happened?" Amir added.

Everyone’s focus immediately shifted to Liam, who answered, "Yeah, about that—after talking to Grey, I weighed my chances and decided to take it slow for now."

"Come on, hotshot, say it," Sarah said with that familiar smug smile. "You figured you couldn’t do it alone and need our help now?"

Liam had a wry smile on his face, and said "It’s not that, it’s just—"

Before he could finish, Elaine interrupted, "Don’t mind Sarah. However you want to go about it is fine."

Liam simply nodded in agreement, and Amir said, "Ugh, I need to get something to eat."

"Yeah, me too," Sarah added, and soon they all headed together to the cafeteria. Each person from Team C got something light to eat, as they were somewhat famished from the mission they’d just returned from. Liam and Brian, however, didn’t get anything.

They all sat around a table by the window while idle chatter continued between the others, though Liam stood to the side, leaning his back against the wall with his right heel raised and pressed against the same surface, arms folded.

Just as they were settling into their meal, they all froze for a moment, as if some weighty pressure was pressing against them, making them feel like one wrong move could kill them. This only affected Team C in this way as Brian and Liam only turned their eyes toward the cafeteria’s exit, having both sensed that overwhelming presence.

Then it stopped. "D-did you people feel that just now?" Sarah said, her voice lacking its usual excitement and carrying an uncharacteristic somber tone that portrayed her fear.

They all nodded, and Liam said, "Someone just stepped in."

Amir immediately stood from his seat. "I’m going to check what that was."

He hurried toward the exit, and after a few minutes, he returned to the cafeteria with an awestruck expression. Looking at them all, he said, "Guys, you’re not going to believe who just walked in."

"Who? Who was that?" Elaine immediately asked.

Everyone’s attention was focused on Amir now, and he exclaimed, "It’s Dorian Graves!"

"What?" Sarah exclaimed.

"Dorian Graves? Wait, The Dorian Graves?" Elaine asked again, needing confirmation they were talking about the same person.

"One hundred percent The Dorian Graves!" Amir said, his face showing alarm at the implications of such a visit

Both Brian and Liam were completely lost about what the others were discussing, so Brian asked, "Hey guys, we’re lost here—who is that?"

Amir began the explanation. "Dorian Graves was faction president of the number one faction three years ago, The Grinning Dead. Their faction was both so strong and notorious that even the director had a difficult time trying to keep them in check. They never had a single turf dispute with any faction because any faction who dared cross them, they eliminated completely."

Elaine added, "I mean, most of the constitution barely applies to visors, but these guys disregarded every code of conduct USOV had—they were simply above the law."

Liam and Brian simply stared as the team continued their grim recounting.

Amir took over the narrative. "The crime rate in Detroit then was particularly high, and every bit of it pointed to some involvement with Dorian and members of The Grinning Dead. But USOV could barely do a thing because they also had the best record for dealing with monsters, both in Michigan and neighboring states."

"Yeah..." Silas sighed heavily. "I remember back then, when Dorian or any member of his faction made a bet on fights that happened at the Midnight Circuit, we had to make sure the fight ended the way they wanted, or they’d simply have our heads." he shook her head at the memory.

Liam then asked, "With all of this, how did they eventually get stopped?" Given that he was only just hearing about them now and for the first time.

Elaine looked toward him and explained, "The White Hunters decided to step up, but that was only because they had just gotten Miss Selene to join them. With someone as strong as her, President Nacht and the members of White Hunters just showed up at the faction building of The Grinning Dead and asked them to leave Detroit. Dorian couldn’t take it, and both guilds went to war that day."

Sarah added with a weary expression, "I remember having to work my ability overtime with evacuation and helping wounded casualties. Probably the hardest I’ve worked in my entire life at USOV, and that wasn’t even fighting a monster." She sighed deeply, and then added "Detroit as a city lost so much that day."

They all looked somber, and Liam could tell it had been a really devastating time for the city. Brian himself said nothing, given that he had just accessed information from the internet stored in his mind from various news websites that ran headlines like "Detroit In Crisis" during that period.