"Holy shit! Who the hell do you think you are?! Telling us to move out for you?!"

Before Calvin could even open his mouth, a younger man shot to his feet, fury written all over his face. He yanked a massive machete from his back, the blade gleaming under the overhead lights. Clearly, Ethan's demand had hit a nerve.

Most people who came here were grateful just to be let in. These guys? First thing they did was try to claim the captain's house. It was outrageous.

Calvin immediately stepped in, raising a hand to block the younger man. "Travis! What did I say about this? Once you're here, you treat everyone like family. Put the damn machete away."

"Captain," Travis snapped, eyes still locked on Ethan, "we treat them like family and they treat us like idiots?"

"Sit. Down," Calvin said, voice sharp.

Travis clenched his jaw but obeyed, slumping back into his seat with a glare that could've melted steel. The others in the room didn't look much friendlier. Clearly, Ethan's little power play hadn't gone over well.

"Apologies," Calvin said, smoothing things over. "He's hot-headed. But we really can't give you this place. How about this—you stay in the temporary housing for now. If you prove yourselves, I'll see about moving you into one of the luxury homes later."

Ethan raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. A base leader, in the middle of the apocalypse, being this polite to a bunch of newcomers? That was rare. Almost suspiciously rare.

You're making this hard for me, man, Ethan thought.

He'd only come here because he'd heard there was a lightning-type Awakened. He was hoping to find a way to transfer that ability to Big Mike. But now? With Calvin being so damn reasonable, it felt almost rude to start a fight.

Still, Ethan opened his mouth and said, "I want this house."

"Holy shit, are you serious right now?!" Travis exploded again, leaping to his feet. "You want me to split you in half?!"

"Travis!" Calvin barked.

Travis froze mid-step, fists clenched, but didn't sit this time. He was practically vibrating with rage.

Calvin sighed, then looked back at Ethan. "Alright. This house is big. We'll squeeze in. I can clear out four rooms for you and your team. That work?"

"Captain—!" Travis started again, but Calvin shut him down with a look.

Ethan stared at Calvin, almost baffled. The guy was still calm. Still trying to compromise. That kind of patience was rare. No wonder his people followed him so loyally.

"You're not bad," Ethan said. "Ever think about joining my team?"

"...What?" Calvin blinked, caught completely off guard. "We were just talking about housing. How did we get here?"

"You son of a bitch!" Travis roared, finally snapping. "You think you can poach our captain for your little rookie squad?! Who the hell do you think you are?!"

He lunged forward—but before he could get close, a blur shot across the room.

Chris.

He moved like a bullet, and before Travis could react, Chris's foot came up in a clean, brutal arc.

Travis tried to counter, slamming his fist toward the incoming leg.

"Boom."

The impact echoed through the room like a muffled explosion. Travis flew backward, crashing into the far wall and skidding nearly seventeen feet before slamming to a stop.

Chris didn't even flinch.

"I've been holding back with you," he said coolly. "If your captain weren't such a decent guy, you'd be dead already."

The room went dead silent.

Then—scraping chairs, shifting stances. The rest of Calvin's crew stood up, eyes wide.

"Tier 5… peak?" one of them whispered.

Travis was Tier 5. And he'd just been launched like a rag doll. That kind of power—only someone at the absolute peak of Tier 5 could pull that off.

Even Calvin looked rattled. He hadn't expected that. He was strong—lightning-type Awakened strong—but he wasn't at the peak. Not yet.

He stepped forward, expression darkening. "I've treated you with respect since you walked through that door. And this is how you repay it? Attacking my people?"

He wasn't afraid—his lightning crackled faintly at his fingertips—but he was pissed.

Chris shrugged. "Didn't want to. But the guy's mouth was writing checks his body couldn't cash. Figured I'd help you discipline him."

Calvin's voice dropped a few degrees. "He's my man. If anyone's going to discipline him, it's me. Not you. You owe me an apology."

Ethan stepped forward, voice calm but firm. "Cute. You look out for your people. So do I. And mine don't take orders from you."

Calvin's eyes narrowed. "Ethan… are you trying to make us enemies?"

"Enemies?" Ethan scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself. You've got some strength, sure. But you're not quite in our weight class."

"…"

Calvin's jaw tightened. "Then maybe it's time I see just how heavy you really are."

He dropped into a fighting stance, lightning beginning to dance across his arms. The air in the room shifted, charged and tense.

Ethan shook his head lightly—then vanished.

"Boom—"

A dull, heavy thud echoed through the room as Calvin's body slammed into the far wall and crumpled to the floor in the corner.

"Captain!"

"You bastard, that was a sneak attack!"

The others jumped to their feet, eyes blazing with fury.

Calvin coughed, blood splattering onto the polished floor as he stared at Ethan in shock.

"Tier 6…?!"

He was the only one who truly understood the force behind that kick. Ethan had clearly held back, but even so, the impact had been overwhelming—far beyond anything a Tier 5 could deliver. There was only one explanation.

Tier 6 Enhanced.

"Impossible…"

The others turned to Ethan, stunned. Tier 6? At this stage of the apocalypse?

That shouldn't even be possible.

Calvin struggled to his feet, wiping the blood from his mouth. His voice was hoarse but steady. "Thank you… for not killing me."

He knew—if Ethan had gone full force, he'd be a corpse right now. He hadn't even had time to react, let alone fight back. And even if he had used his lightning-type ability, it wouldn't have mattered. He wouldn't have landed a single hit.

Ethan sighed. "Man, with a personality like yours, I might have to rethink inviting you to join us."

It wasn't that Calvin was a bad guy—far from it. But he was too straight-laced, too clean-cut. Ethan's team didn't exactly play by the rules. They bent them, broke them, rewrote them when needed. Someone like Calvin might end up being more of a liability than an asset.

Calvin didn't respond right away. He looked conflicted, but not angry. The idea of joining another team still didn't sit right with him—but now, at least, he understood why Ethan had asked.

Tier 6. That changed everything.

The rest of the room had gone dead quiet. No one dared speak.

Tier 6 wasn't just a number. It was a whole different world. A Tier 6 Enhanced could crush a Tier 5 like a boot on an ant. Calvin hadn't even lasted a second. What chance did the rest of them have?

"Ethan," Calvin said finally, his voice low, "I appreciate the offer. But I'm doing fine here. I'm not looking to join another team."

Ethan shrugged. "Suit yourself. But I'll be honest with you—this place? It's not gonna last."

Calvin frowned. "What do you mean?"

"The government's expanding fast," Ethan said. "They're pushing their Safe Zone borders outward every day. When they get here, you'll either get absorbed… or shelled. Either way, it won't end well."

"...!"

"Don't look at me like that. I'm not bluffing. We were almost blown to pieces earlier today."

The room fell into a heavy silence.

"Anyway," Ethan continued, brushing imaginary dust off his sleeve, "pack your things. This luxury home's under temporary requisition. We'll give it back when we're done."

"Why the hell should we—" Travis started, but another man quickly clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Got it," Calvin said, cutting in before things could escalate again. "We'll move out right away."

He didn't argue. Not after what he'd just seen.

Within minutes, Calvin and his team had gathered their things and cleared out of the house.

No one said another word.

...

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