Two months had passed since the final confrontation with Brother Kaine. In that time, the Decay Group had gone completely silent. No sightings. No rumors. No movement on the usual channels. To the public, it almost looked like the organization had vanished overnight. To anyone who knew better, that silence felt deliberate. Something sinister is waiting.
Life, however, didn't slow down.
Justin and Braxton were officially full-time heroes now, employed by Sage Archive and no longer carrying the provisional tag. Liza stayed right alongside them, the trio intact despite having more than enough chances to split off. Together, they'd spent the last two months running patrols nonstop. Break-ins. Powered assaults. Smuggling rings. The work was constant, and the city noticed.
They were becoming local fixtures. Kids waved when they flew overhead. People asked for pictures. Justin didn't exactly hate that part. He smiled for cameras, cracked jokes, and flirted just enough to get himself shut down almost every time. Braxton found it endlessly funny. Liza pretended not to notice and laughed anyway.
Between patrols, they healed. Between healing, they trained.
Captain Fantastica made sure of that.
Whenever his schedule allowed, he dragged them into sessions that left muscles burning and lungs screaming. It was brutal. It was efficient. Every drill pushed them harder than the last, forcing better control, sharper instincts, and cleaner teamwork. None of them complained. They all wanted the same thing. To stand on the same level as heroes like Evermend one day. To be ready when the next real threat came knocking. That threat came sooner than expected.
The alert hit their comms mid-patrol. A Haven City bank. Active robbery. Justin felt the familiar spark of adrenaline kick in as the report updated. The name landed like a bad memory.
Dio Under.
Escaped custody before transport two months prior. Location confirmed. Armed. Not alone.
Justin glanced at the others as they adjusted course without a word. "Guess he didn't learn his lesson before."
"Some people need a refresher," Braxton said, already grinning.
Liza's eyes stayed forward. "Two mole beasts with him. Big ones. Don't rush in blind."
They broke into the sky together as Braxton kept up on foot, accelerating toward the city center. Whatever quiet the last two months had offered was over. Dio Under was back on the board, and this time, they'll make sure he stays off.
The trio dropped into the street just as Dio Under stepped out of the bank's shattered entrance, a heavy duffle bag slung over his shoulder and bulging with cash. He froze when he spotted them, then grinned wide.
"Well, I'll be damned," Dio said. "Talk about good luck. I was hoping I'd run into you lot again."
Justin hovered forward a few feet. "You really overestimate yourself if you think this ends well. Last time you had a whole killer worm army backing you up."
Dio snorted. "True." He glanced to either side. "But these beauties aren't exactly pushovers."
He pointed, and the two massive mole beasts beside him exploded into motion. They tore across the pavement at full speed, claws gouging deep lines into the street as they charged.
Braxton moved first.
He met the left mole head-on, ducking under a swipe and slamming both palms into its chest. The impact rocked it back, but it stayed upright, shrieking as it swung again. Braxton grinned and stayed in close, weaving between claws and trading heavy strikes that rattled the ground with every hit.
"I'll take Dio," Liza said.
Justin nodded without looking away. "Got it."
He shot toward the second mole as it lunged, cracking it across the jaw and immediately pulling up, forcing it to turn and chase him. The beast snapped at empty air as Justin darted around it, hammering its sides and shoulders, keeping it off balance while staying just out of reach.
Liza streaked toward Dio, boots first.
"You're not getting away this time," she said as she swung.
Dio barely twisted aside, bringing his blade up in a sharp arc. "You're not nearly strong enough to stop me."
She scowled. "You don't know shit."
She pressed him hard, chaining kicks and punches together, forcing him back step by step. Dio laughed and switched tactics, his fingers snapping open into laser pistols. Beams cut through the air as Liza pulled skyward, dodging by inches.
"Run all you want," Dio called up at her. "I've got plenty to spare."
Liza banked hard and circled. "Laugh while you can," she shot back. "You don't have unlimited ammo. And I'm patient."
Below them, the street shook with the sound of fists and claws colliding as the fight split cleanly into three brutal fronts.
Dio scowled up at her. "Be as patient as you want. All it takes is one hit."
A beam clipped Liza's wing mid-bank. It sparked and buckled, and she dropped fast, slamming into the hood of a parked car hard enough to cave it in. Metal shrieked. Dio didn't hesitate. He sprinted for her, blade already forming, confident she was finished.
He was wrong.
Liza rolled as he closed in, popping back up with a sharp twist and driving her heel straight into his face. The kick snapped his head sideways and sent him stumbling back, one hand flying to his jaw as he cursed.
He barely had time to reset.
From opposite sides of the street, the ground shook. Justin and Braxton came in at the exact same moment, each finishing their fight with a single decisive blow. Two massive mole beasts went airborne, lifted and launched like wrecking balls.
Dio's eyes widened. "Oh shit."
The beasts slammed into him from both sides, crushing him between tons of muscle and fur. The impact flattened all three in a violent heap and sent Dio skidding across the pavement to a stop right in front of the bank doors. He groaned and tried to push himself up. His arms gave out immediately.
Justin landed beside him and grabbed him by the collar, lifting him just enough to meet his eyes. "Wow. This feels familiar."
"Piss off," Dio muttered.
Liza walked up, wing still sparking but steady. "He really has a way with words." She drew her fist back and drove it clean into his stomach.
Dio went limp, and Justin let him drop. Braxton dusted his hands off and looked around at the wrecked street. "The cleanup crew's gonna hate us."
"I'll call it in," Liza said, already tapping her comm. She glanced at the others. "After that, I'm starving."
"Pizza," Braxton said immediately.
Justin nodded. "Works for me." Liza nods.
They stood there for a moment, the bank quiet again, another mess handled.