Sara stepped further into the foyer, her golden eyes locking onto Chase with an intensity that signaled she wasn't there for a social call.
"The Government is taking a direct interest in your activities," she stated, her voice echoing with the finality of a court sentence.
"Consider your schedule cleared. You have a new mission: China."
"China?" Chase repeated, his brow furrowing.
"That's a long way from Manhattan's ley lines."
"Four months," Olivia added, crossing her arms over her tactical gear. "You'll be stationed there to intercept a high-priority package. Think of it as a working vacation."
Nick, who had been trying to remain invisible, suddenly sputtered as he looked at the digital brief Sara tapped onto his phone. "Wait—why does it say I have to go with them? And why are those two coming along?" He pointed a trembling finger toward Ayaka and Luna.
"They are coming along as our technicians, and so are you, Nick," Sara replied without blinking. "Your expertise in localized hardware and Lattice-sinks is mandatory for this operation."
"Then why am I paying for everything?" Nick asked, his voice rising in disbelief as he saw the projected travel and logistics costs. "I own the companies, but this is a Government-sanctioned op!"
"Because you're a billionaire," Olivia said in a sharp, annoyed tone. "And we need this to stay low. If the government is involved on paper, it leaves a trail. Your private accounts don't. You're our 'philanthropic' cover."
"This is some absolute bullshit," Nick grumbled to himself, slumped back into a chair while Luna's tentacles waved sympathetically behind him."
The room fell into a tense silence as the weight of the mission settled. Sara turned her attention to the rest of the residents, reminding them of the rules that governed their very existence in this world.
"You have forty-eight hours to pack," Sara commanded. "We leave on Nick's private jet. And Blood Eye? If you want that restoration surgery Nick offered, you'll be doing it in the air. We don't have time to waste."
Ayaka looked at Luna and then at her "Old Boss," a mischievous glint returning to her eyes. "Well, Luna, I guess we finally get to see if Nick's 'spacious' jet is as comfortable as his couch."
"If you touch the upholstery on my plane with those things," Nick warned, pointing at Luna's gold-engraved tentacles, "I am leaving you in the South China Sea."
The interior of Nick's private jet was less a plane and more a flying fortress of ivory leather and brushed titanium. Despite the luxury, the air was heavy with the sterile scent of medical grade disinfectants. While Ayaka and Luna marveled at the "spacious" layout, Chase was in the rear cabin—a modular surgical suite Nick had integrated specifically for this trip.
Blood Eye lay on the table, his jagged, stitched-together form a stark contrast to the pristine white environment. He was a creature of the trenches, an amalgamation of old scars and twitching machinery.
"Final chance to back out," Chase said, his hands steady as he prepped the specialized Essence-knives Nick's company had provided. "Once I begin the cellular reintegration, there's no going back to the old 'God of Assassins' look."
"Do it," Blood Eye rasped, his mechanical eye whirring one last time. "I'm tired of being a reminder of what we lost."
The surgery was a masterpiece of "Void Surgery." Chase didn't just cut; he manipulated the very fabric of Blood Eye's biology, using the specialized equipment to bridge the gap between his current flesh and his original soul-blueprint. He stripped away the rusted metal and the necrotic tissue, weaving new pathways with the precision of a master clockmaker.
The process took hours, high above the clouds. As the jet crossed into international airspace, the final seal was placed. The "amalgamation" was gone.
When the cabin doors finally hissed open, the group gathered in the lounge fell silent.
Blood Eye stepped out, but the monster was gone. In his place was a young man with wild, wavy slate-blue hair and a gentle, almost ethereal face. The jagged mechanical patch was replaced by a clean, thin scar running across his right eye—a mark of his past, but no longer a tether to it. He wore a simple, elegant black button-down, looking more like a quiet scholar than a legendary killer.
Ayaka, did a double take Her jaw dropped, her gold-rimmed glasses nearly sliding off her nose. "Boss? Is that... really you? You don't look like you died in a ditch anymore. You actually look... kind."
Luna peeked out from her yellow hoodie, her golden eye blinking in surprise. "Well. I guess Nick's specialist really does know their stuff. You look like a human being instead of a scrap-heap."
Nick looked up from his tablet, offering a satisfied smirk. "Much better. You were bad for the brand, looking like that. Now you actually look like someone who belongs on my payroll. Not that i pay you but you look good."
Sara & Olivia,The government agents remained clinical, though Olivia's green eyes narrowed as she scanned his new signature. "He's still himself," Sara noted, her voice like ice. "But at least he'll blend in better with the local population in China."
The Goddess Alex ,She offered a small, knowing smile from the corner of the lounge.
"A new vessel for an old spirit. It suits the peace we are trying to build."
Blood Eye—or simply the man he used to be—looked at his hands, which no longer trembled with mechanical feedback. "It feels... light," he whispered.
"Don't get too comfortable," Chase warned, wiping his brow. "We're landing in three hours. The 'Package' won't care how handsome you are."