Fred and Priya interrupted Don mid-sentence.
They had made it up to the topmost rooftop—
"You see, Fred?! I told you! Don may be skilled, but the enemies are swarming like sharks! He can't hold them off forever!"
The reason Fred gave in to Priya was due to a mix of mounting pressure and the fact that Don had spent too much time engaging with Sera and Toshi. That left him vulnerable to his wife's persuasion.
And to be fair, in high-stakes situations like this, no one can predict the outcome. Everyone simply does what they won't regret later—and Fred was no different.
He trusted Don's abilities, but the enemy forces were overwhelming and unpredictable. So it wasn't unreasonable for him to prioritize survival.
"Sir!"
The suited bodyguards rushed over to escort Fred and Priya. Meanwhile, Mickey remained hidden beside the helicopter... silently waiting, assessing.
Meanwhile—on the floor below!
Sera and Toshi were still pursuing Don, now just one level beneath the rooftop. The floor they were on was directly under the helipad—home to the server room.
Which meant… this was the exact point where the storylines converged.
Sera and Toshi stumbled upon Roxxy Barrett—beaten, but still standing, panting hard while staring out the window...
No need to ask. It was obvious she had just fought someone—Trigon.
"Roxxy!!!"
Both Sera and Toshi shouted her name. Roxxy turned, eyes widening.
There was an unspoken recognition among them—each had been through their own hell. But something was clearly off...
"Jody!? Where's Jody!?"
Toshi asked urgently, but Roxxy looked hesitant to answer. She merely glanced out the window—and that was all they needed to understand.
"...Oh no..."
Toshi froze in shock. Sera covered her mouth in horror.
"... It's my fault... That girl... she..."
Roxxy clenched her fists. But then—Syd Barrett's voice came through on small talk.
[Continue pursuing the target, Roxxy!]
"?!"
[The crazy Brit jumped—but I caught her!]
"...What do you mean!?"
[She's safe! Forget about that for now! We can't get back inside. Jody's fine. Just chase those two down!]
The three exchanged glances before Roxxy nodded and took off again.
She had completely forgotten about the brief moment of relief she'd felt when she learned Jody was safe. But now she was left wondering—how did Syd manage to catch Jody if the car was parked on the other side of the building?
That's when she noticed Jody's phone on the ground nearby. Picking it up, she found her answer.
"...She messaged him..."
Roxxy pocketed the phone and rejoined the chase.
"...Roxxy, you didn't see any enemies around here, did you?"
"...Enemies? No. Aside from what Jody and I faced, there was no one else..."
For Don, slipping past Roxxy was easy. His mist-like body had floated by during the chaos, as Jody was preparing to charge Trigon.
By the time he reached the rooftop, Don arrived just as Fred and Priya were being escorted to the helicopter.
"Don!?"
Fred and Priya were genuinely relieved to see him alive.
But the first thing Don shouted at the couple was—
"Stop!!! Don't move! Stay away from the chopper!"
"!?"
Everyone froze—including Mickey, hidden beside the helicopter.
"Why!? The enemies are closing in! Don't tell me you dealt with all of them!"
"...Not exactly..."
Don raised his burned hand and the bullet wound near his eye.
"They'll take a while to get here."
"Then we need to flee—now!"
"Yes. Unless..."
Suddenly, Don's body dispersed into mist again.
This time, he reappeared behind Mickey—right beside the helicopter!
"!?!?!?"
Mickey spun, instantly reacting by sending green wires lunging at Don. But they simply passed through his mist-like form!
"!?"
Then, with chilling calm, Don drew another combat knife from under his shirt...
...and slashed it straight across Mickey Mannix's throat—before he could react.
"!!!!!"
Blood gushed from Mickey's throat, pouring from the wound and his mouth.
"Ugh!?"
The boy's wide, stunned eyes locked onto Don's face—so different from when they'd fought side by side.
And Don… smiled back.
"!!!!!"
Mickey collapsed to the ground, clutching his neck, blood spurting onto the concrete.
Click.
Don chambered a round. And without a word—he aimed and fired point-blank.
BANG!
But—
The bullet... stopped on Mickey's skin.
It penetrated, yes—but barely. Shallow. As if Mickey's body... resisted it.
"...Just as I thought. Ever since Sera Gilmore..."
Don examined the shallow wound.
"What is it, Don?!"
Fred shouted.
"These people... they're like crocodiles. Bullets and blades barely work. Something about them makes their skin like armor."
Don held up the same combat knife he'd used on Mickey.
The blade's tip was bent.
He explained:
"A normal human, once slashed across the throat, lasts ten seconds—tops. But this guy? He just writhes. Not dead. That means the blade didn't sever the artery completely. And I put real force into that swing. He should be dead."
He stood up.
"Same with the bullet. It's embedded... but didn't go through. Back when I stabbed Sera's ankle, I had to put all my strength into it. Their skin's coated in something. Something hard... like steel."
Don glanced down at the writhing Mickey. He aimed again, ready to empty the clip—
But just then—Sera, Roxxy, and Toshi (in female disguise) reached the rooftop.
Seeing the situation, Toshi didn't hesitate.
BANG!
A guard blocking Fred and Priya fell instantly.
Everyone's attention shifted from Mickey to the trio.
Don was forced to redirect his aim, dodging the incoming bullet.
"You okay, Priya!?"
"I'm fine..."
Now wasn't the time to figure out why Mickey was bulletproof. They had to retreat—Mickey's friends were here.
Fred hoisted his wife and staggered toward the chopper, Don covering their escape while the guards attacked Roxxy, Toshi, and Sera.
"Mickey!!!!!"
Sera was horrified to see Mickey lying in a pool of blood, throat slashed.
Her instincts screamed—he was bleeding out. He needed help. Or else...
Or else...
"...No!"
Sera cast away that thought and broke from cover, charging toward Mickey.
"Sera!!!!!"
Roxxy watched her dash straight into enemy territory. But Toshi agreed with Sera.
He activated his power again—
Tick... tick... tickticktick...
Time slowed. Five seconds. That's all Toshi had to clear the guards for Sera.
And at that moment—no one's eyes were sharper than his.
He saw the guards pointing their guns at Sera Gilmore.
It was up to him to make sure they failed.
The ticking grew louder.
Like a scene straight out of Jesse McCree's High Noon.
Gunshots rang. Time snapped back to normal. Guards dropped like dominoes.
Sera sprinted through.
She was amazed by the Japanese boy's skill. Was this what he could do at full power?
Finally, she reached Mickey and immediately began treating him.
"Mickey!!!! Mickey!!!"
The knife slash was bad. But a slash that failed to kill and got followed by a bullet? Even worse.
Still, Mickey gritted through it, staying conscious.
He writhed on her lap like a dying fish, but Sera didn't hesitate. Her pink aura activated, replicating endothelial cells and sealing the wound just in time.
"Haaaah!!!!"
Mickey stabilized. The pain was still there—but he was awake.
And the first words out of his mouth shocked Sera, Toshi, and even Roxxy.
"SERA!!!!! GET OUT OF HERE!!!!! THIS WHOLE THING—IT'S A TRAP!!!!!"
"!?!??!"
His voice rang through the air.
A trap? What did he mean?
"A trap!? What do you mean!? Hey!!! Mickey!!!!!"
But Mickey didn't wait to explain. He knew something—and time was running out.
He shot to his feet and sprinted straight for Fred and Priya, just as the chopper door was closing.
"GET OUT!!!!!"
It was bizarre—he was yelling at the enemies?
Don lunged to stop him—but this time Mickey was ready. Before Don could reach him, the boy transformed into blue electricity and vanished.
"!!!!!"
Don looked down. Beneath his feet—thin copper wires were laid out, connecting to the helicopter's engine room.
"! ! !"
Radio wire.
When had Mickey hijacked the chopper!?
Don turned. Mickey was already in the cockpit. Roxxy struck from behind.
But Don didn't panic—he faded into mist to dodge the attack.
As chaos erupted, Roxxy and Toshi cleared the remaining guards. Sera stared at the helicopter...
Inside the cockpit—Mickey's head popped up from the radio wiring.
The pilot hit the takeoff button—
And the helicopter exploded.
"!!!!!"
A blinding orange flash erupted, the blast rattling the building. Everyone—hundreds below—saw it.
Fred and Priya's escape helicopter exploded.
Wreckage rained from above. Black smoke, severed rotor blades, and the scent of burning metal filled the air.
"...That explosion..."
Jody, resting in a car near the passenger seat, winced from the shockwave.
"An explosion?!..."
Syd leaned out the window—and they both saw it.
Smoke rising from the rooftop. No doubt about it.
The shockwave hurled Sera backward. Heat scorched the air around her—but Roxxy caught her just in time.
The explosion thundered. All that remained was burning debris.
"...H... helicopter!? It blew up!?"
The three stared in disbelief—until Sera cried out...
"Mickey!!!!!!"
"Sera! Don't go in!"
Roxxy yanked her back. Otherwise, she might've joined the dead.
"But Mickey—!!!"
"...."
Roxxy clenched her teeth, hands on Sera's shoulders. Toshi was just as stunned.
But then—from the smoke and fire—a figure limped out.
"...Hey!"
Toshi raised his gun, but then all three recognized him.
"!!!! Mickey!!!!!!"
He was alive.
Covered in soot and blood, metal shards embedded in his flesh, barely standing...
But he wasn't alone.
He carried Priya—unconscious but alive.
Thud!
Mickey collapsed before them. They rushed to help.
"Mickey! You're alive!"
Toshi was overjoyed, scooping up his friend and passing him to Sera, who immediately started healing again—just enough to stabilize. The sharp debris was still inside.
"...Looks like... the universe wants me alive after all..."
"Shut up, idiot!"
Sera snapped, but her relief was overwhelming. She treated him quickly, Roxxy helping with cold compresses of ice to slow cell decay.
"...Priya... still alive..."
Toshi checked her breath—faint but there.
Roxxy: "...What about the other one?"
"..."
Mickey shook his head.
He could only save Priya—she was lighter, easier to carry.
Fred...
Fred died in the fire.
"...."
They had to stay focused if they were to move forward.
"...Did you blow it up, Mickey?"
Roxxy kept watch while Sera treated him.
"...No..."
Mickey sighed.
"...It wasn't an escape. It was an execution."
"...!?!?!?"
"...What are you talking about, Mickey?"
They were all confused.
Down on the lower floors...
A thick plume of mist drifted past the units of firemen and rescue personnel who were running upward. The cloud slipped away into a secluded area—then reformed into the shape of Don.
"...Huff... huff..."
His white shirt was stained with brownish blood and black soot.
Don wiped blood from his hand. The bandage wrapped around it was now soaked through. Still, he had enough strength left to pull out his phone and call someone.
"...."
He held the line for a moment, scratching absently at an itch under his shirt—too distracted by the ringing to pay it any mind.
"...Mission accomplished. Fred and Priya have been eliminated."
"...."
Don felt that odd movement under his suit again—like something squirming—but he dismissed it as nothing more than an itch.
"...Yeah. The chopper exploded. Took some doing to get them up there. Nearly died pulling it off."
"..."
"Mmm... Yeah..."
"...."
"But it was worth it. The agency will chalk it up to a transport accident... Mmm..."
Then Don continued his report.
"There were five enemies I encountered... three women—Roxxy, Sera, and Toshi's disguised form—and two men: Mickey and the real Toshi. They all came together. Yeah."
"..."
"I recognized one of them... Mmm... It was—"
But Don cut off mid-sentence.
He could no longer ignore that strange crawling sensation under his suit.
Worried it might be a burn, he peeled back his shirt to check—only to recoil in shock.
His eyes went wide.
What he found wasn't a burn…
It was a severed hand, glowing faintly with pink aura, clutching a red-and-black patterned C4 charge.
"...Wh—AAAAAAA—!!!!!!"
Those were Don's final words...
Because the C4 detonated.
The explosion ripped through him faster than his mist form could react—hundreds of times faster.
BOOOOOMMMM!!!
No blood remained—only scorched body parts scattered in every direction. Everything burned away.
All that was left was a charred piece of what used to be Don's arm, twisted like a broken tree branch...
And the ashes of a once-white shirt.
"...Sera... you're something else..."
Toshi pulled his finger off the phone screen after Sera finished explaining what she'd done—and instructed him to trigger the C4.
They had just heard the boom echoing up from below. There was no doubt.
"...When did you even do that?"
Mickey asked the British girl.
"...When I shoved the gun in my own mouth. Some of the flesh from my inner cheek stuck to his hand... I just let it grow from there."
"..."
Mickey nodded, impressed. "Clever."
But despite her success, he showed no sign of relief. Not even after confirming Don had been eliminated before spilling the truth.
"Still don't know how Priya's gonna turn out... What if she ends up in a coma, like a vegetable?"
It was a fair concern.
A helicopter explosion wasn't something you could brush off.
"...Ugh! You're seriously twisted, you know that? She was still breathing, barely!"
"...I'm just saying it's a possibility—"
"Shut it right now, Mannix! Your broken rib's stabbing your lung. I'm ordering you to zip it."
Don
Alias:Don the Ghost-Glider
Nationality: Thai
Languages: Thai, English
Ability: Don can transform his body into a mist-like state, allowing him to move freely and silently through any space. He can also selectively revert certain parts of his body back into physical flesh while keeping the rest in mist form—enabling complex, stealth-based attacks or partial reconstructions (e.g., manifesting only a hand or an eye).
Power Type:Non-Physical Manifestation
This makes Don a master of infiltration and ambush tactics. His mist form allows him to evade detection and traverse narrow or otherwise inaccessible spaces, but to attack, he must temporarily manifest physical components—creating rare but exploitable moments of vulnerability.