The isolation wing smelled of damp concrete and old fear. As Ethan approached the final heavy door, two guards—larger than the ones in the foyer—stepped into his path, their batons drawn. They hadn't seen what Falcon 20 did to their Warden; they only saw a young man they thought they could bully.

"Step back, kid. You don't have authorization for this sector," said the first guard.

Ethan didn't speak. He didn't even break his stride. As the guard reached out to grab his shoulder, Ethan's hand moved like a blur of silver lightning. His steel-like fist slammed into the man's ribcage. The sound of snapping bone echoed through the corridor like dry burning on a fire. The guard was lifted off his feet, his lungs collapsing instantly as he hit the wall and slumped into a heap.

The second guard spent, reaching for his pistol, but Ethan was already inside his guard. A brutal uppercut caught him under the jaw, the force of the blow shattering his teeth and sending him spiraling into unconsciousness before he hit the ground.

"I don't have time for toys," Ethan said the young man.

Ethan kicked the heavy steel door open. The screech of metal on metal was the only warning for the people inside.

The cell was small, lit by a single, flickering bulb. In the center, strapped to a cold metal chair, was Agent Sparks. She was barely recognizable. Her face was a map of purple bruises and dried blood, her fingernails were torn, and her breathing was shallow and ragged. She had been subjected to systematic torture.

Ethan's blood turned to ice. He felt a surge of murderous rage that made the air in the room vibrate. He turned his head slowly toward the Warden, who was being dragged into the room by Falcon 20.

"Explain this. Now," Ethan said the leader.

The Warden's eyes darted at the broken woman in the chair, her face pale with terror. "It... it wasn't my decision! These were direct orders from Prosecutor Carter and Congressman Vance! They said she was a loose end... that she knew too much about the arrangements made for your conviction. They ordered us to find out what she had hidden before we 'disposed' of her!"

"Orders from Vance?" Ethan asked the young man, his voice a deadly whisper. "Did you not hear the news, you pathetic worm? Vance is dead. He blew his brains out in custody. And Carter is rotting in a cell at Lexington."

The Warden and the remaining guards froze, their mouths hanging open. "Dead? But... we were told... the updates were still coming in this morning..." the Warden stammered.

Ethan stepped closer, his presence filling the cramped room until it felt like the walls were closing in. "The world has changed while you were busy playing butcher in the dark. Your masters are gone. There is no one left to protect you from me."

Ethan turned back to Sparks. He reached out, his hand surprisingly gentle as he wiped a smear of blood from her cheek. Her eyes fluttered open, unfocused and clouded with pain. When she finally saw her face, a single tear tracked through the grime on her skin.

"Ethan...?" she whispered, her voice a broken rasp. "I... I tried. They took the files... I couldn't testify..."

"I know," Ethan said the leader, his heart hardening into a diamond of resolve. "I know everything now. You kept your promise in your own way. Now, I'm going to keep mine."

He turned back to the Warden, his eyes glowing with a terrifying, violet light.

"Falcon 20, lock the Warden and these guards in the interrogation room next door," Ethan said the young man. "Give them the same treatment they gave her. If they die before I'm satisfied, I'll hold you responsible."

"With pleasure, sir," said Falcon 20.

The door at the far end of the hall creaked open, and a man stepped into the dim light.

Ethan's eyes narrowed. Despite his well-groomed appearance and the crisp uniform of a mid-rank officer, his wrists were bound by heavy, gleaming silver shackles. He wasn't just an officer; he was a prisoner of his own rank, or perhaps a guardian bound by his own rules.

Ethan didn't let go of the Warden. He tightened his grip, making the man squeal like a stuck pig, his boots kicking uselessly against the wall.

"You should really lower him, Mr. Blake. A man of your stature shouldn't have to get his hands so dirty with a common bureaucrat," said the officer, his shackled hands resting calmly in front of him.

Ethan turned his cold, violet-tinted gaze toward the newcomer. "And who are you to tell me what to do?" Ethan asked the leader.

"I am Marcus Scavenger," said the man, his voice echoing with a strange authority despite the chains. "My patriarch met you at the recent gathering. He spoke quite highly of your sudden rise. However, you must understand my position. The Scavenger family protects the penitentiary facilities of nearly this entire country. I am here as a representative of that power."

Marcus stepped closer, the silver chains clinking softly. "If I allow someone—even someone as influential as you—to walk in here and do as they please, it makes the Scavengers look weak. It would be a stain on our reputation that I cannot permit. I would appreciate it if you gave me face and stopped this immediately. Do you understand?"

Ethan dropped the Warden, who collapsed into a sobbing heap on the floor. He stepped over the gasping man, moving directly into Marcus's personal space. Falcon 20 shifted behind him, his aura flaring like a dark flame, but Ethan held up a hand to still him.

"You talk about 'face' while a woman under my protection is bleeding in a chair ten feet away," Ethan said the young man, his voice vibrating with a low, dangerous frequency. "If your family protects these walls, then every bruise on her face is an insult to me. Do you want to talk about reputation? Because if she dies, I will turn this entire prison into a funeral pyre for the Scavenger name."

Marcus didn't flinch. He looked at the shackles on his wrists and then back at Ethan. "The girl was a pawn in a game played by Vance and Carter. We simply provided the board. But I am a man of reason. If you want her, take her. But do not think for a second that the Scavengers are your enemies... or your servants," said Marcus.

"I'm taking her," Ethan said to Marcus. "And I'm taking my revenge along with her. Anyone who had a hand in this—anyone who watched and did nothing—will pay the price."

He stepped closer to Marcus, until they were inches apart. The clinking of the silver shackles was the only sound in the suffocating silence of the hall. Ethan didn't look at the Warden or the guards; his eyes were locked onto Marcus's, challenging the very foundation of the Scavenger family's pride.

"Falcon 20, finish them," Ethan said the leader. "And if he interferes, he's dead."

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.