CHAPTER 95: BACK ON THE FIELD

"Sir, Edmund Thawne is the son of billionaire Larry Thawne," Kent announced, pulling his face away from his phone screen with a grim expression.

Director Grey absorbed this information with a heavy sigh and shook his head slowly. "How did Dorian even manage to get his claws into someone like that?"

"What are you going to do, Director?" Kent asked, genuine concern threading through his voice as he watched Grey process the implications.

"Can’t say for sure—not until I see Edmund here myself and figure out what we’re really dealing with," Grey replied, his tone somewhat troubled.

Kent nodded and made his way out of the office, leaving Grey alone with his thoughts and the growing complications that Dorian Graves seemed to bring wherever he went.

...

Meanwhile, Team C looked like their entire day had been thoroughly ruined by the whole Dorian situation, but then the alarms started blaring once more throughout the building.

The familiar alert system that meant there was a breach happening somewhere in the city, and Sarah let out a weary sigh before saying, "I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I’m actually glad those alarms just went off."

They all tuned into their comm devices as the briefing crackled through: "New breach detected, No monster in sight yet, but energy readings suggest S-Class Threat Levels."

Apparently nothing had emerged from the breach yet, but the energy signatures it was giving off registered as an S-class threat level, which meant they were dealing with something potentially catastrophic.

Location coordinates streamed through their comm devices along with the standard protocol—given the high threat level, their absolute priority was civilian evacuation first, engagement second.

Liam turned to Brian with the confident air of someone taking charge. "Well, let’s go—this is your first mission," he said, already stepping naturally into his role as Brian’s superior despite not liking that he had to play the role.

Brian simply nodded and fell into step behind him as Team C mobilized and headed out. Most of the team piled into their vehicles, but Elaine would be taking to the air as usual, same as Liam who preferred the same methods of travel.

Liam glanced at Brian with genuine curiosity. "I assume you can fly?" Brian smiled at the question—he could be there in an instant with a portal if he wanted, but instead he gave a gentle nod to confirm that yes, he could manage flight.

Golden energy immediately began coating Elaine as her form started lifting off the ground, and Liam and Brian followed suit, rising into the air one after the other as they flew toward the location where the mythical creature was expected to emerge.

The flying members of the agents of USOV arrived at the scene first, Elaine, Brian, and Liam, but they weren’t alone. By pure coincidence, they landed in the same area as members of the Hollow Demons faction, whose territory apparently put them in closer proximity to the breach.

Two black SUVs were just rolling into the area as visors, some armed, stepped out, ready for action.

Civilians ran in every direction away from the pulsing breach that hung suspended in mid-air, and as usual whenever a breach happened near populated areas, the entire place descended into complete panic and hysteria.

Elaine didn’t waste a word, she immediately went to work helping with evacuation efforts, assisting however she could before whatever monster was coming decided to step through.

Liam turned to Brian and said, "Let’s go help her."

Brian nodded and moved to assist with the evacuation as well, while Liam himself simply vanished like lightning, weaving through the vast array of vehicles that were now trapped in extremely slow-moving traffic.

One by one, he plucked stubborn civilians from their cars—people who didn’t see the wisdom in abandoning their vehicles, forgetting that when that monster stepped out, they’d wish they had.

The civilians who found themselves suddenly transported from their driver’s seats to safety several blocks away were left standing in shock, trying to process how they’d gotten there.

"Don’t just stand there! Join them!" a female voice commanded as members of the Hollow Demons spread out to assist with evacuations. This was Ayan Dan, vice president of the faction—a striking woman with long dark hair and piercing blue eyes, wielding a glowing katana in preparation for whatever beast had yet to emerge. She wore a white fitted tactical garment, and carried a second sword at her side.

She watched with genuine amazement as Liam moved people one after another at an insane speed that she could barely follow, and it started making sense; all those rumors she’d been seeing on the internet about his strength, and possibly taking the spot as a new ranked Visor felt true and possible.

Soon it looked like most of the evacuation was complete, and they all waited with tense anticipation for the monster to make its appearance.

Ayan walked up to Liam, who wasn’t paying attention when she arrived, in fact, he’d barely realized another faction was present since his eyes remained fixed on the spatial breach that had yet to release its occupant.

"Ahem," she began, making him turn toward her.

"Hello," he greeted politely, not knowing who she was but able to tell she was clearly a Visor.

She went straight to business. "Are you the superior here?" She was asking who she needed to speak with so they could reach an arrangement about how they’d divide the monster’s remains after successfully defeating it.

"No, I’m not," Liam answered, then gestured for Elaine to come over. When she approached, he said to Ayan, "She’s the one you want to talk to."

This was entirely out of respect for how long Elaine had been with USOV before he’d come along, and Elaine looked confused about what was happening until Ayan turned to her and asked, "Are you the superior here?"

Elaine glanced at Liam, whose attention had already drifted back to the breach, then tried to step into the role. "Uh, yeah, I guess I am."

Ayan’s gaze moved up toward Liam, wondering why he’d done that, especially given that he was obviously stronger than the girl in front of her—but it didn’t really matter anyway.

She addressed Elaine directly. "We’re taking half of the monster, and that half includes the heart."

Elaine understood that Ayan was discussing how they’d split the monster parts, which was standard protocol when both teams arrived at a breach simultaneously. "That’s fine, Vice President—we’re really more interested in civilian safety anyway," Elaine replied.

Unlike Liam, Elaine was well acquainted with the higher-ups of the Hollow Demons faction, and Ayan Dan was pretty well known in Visor.

Ayan nodded and they parted ways, but Elaine immediately turned to Liam with curiosity. "Hey, why’d you do that?"

Liam’s gaze moved toward her with genuine confusion. "Do what?"

"Why did you tell the Vice President I’m the superior here?" Elaine pressed.

"I mean, aren’t you?" Liam asked, that confused expression still on his face. "You’ve been here way longer than I have, and Brian just started today."

Elaine smiled for a moment, touched by his gesture. "Thank you," she said, appreciating how respectful Liam was despite being much more powerful than she was as a Visor.

Then the moment they’d all been waiting for finally arrived, the breach widened significantly and what looked like lightning sparks started crackling and twirling around the spatial tear.

A massive, heavily armored beast with the head of a dragon emerged from the breach, its presence immediately filling the air with menace. The monster bore massive pauldrons and armor pieces covered in multiple sharp protrusions and wicked spikes, all crafted from what appeared to be dark metal with golden highlights that gleamed ominously in the sky’s light.