The afternoon sun blazed across Khomasdal. Vicky stood near the crosswalk, helping a small group of schoolchildren cross the road. As the last child scampered off with a wave, she noticed something odd—drag marks leading into a nearby, half-finished building.
A black Jeep was parked beside it. Fancy. Unfitting.
Her heart stirred. Visions clawed at her mind—a girl being dragged inside, muffled screams, danger. Vicky clenched her jaw and swallowed a blue pill. No effect. The hallucination didn't leave. In fact, it intensified.
"Control yourself, Vicky... it might be a trap," she whispered aloud, shaking her head. But her legs refused to listen. She stood still, breath shallow.
Back at home, Emily noticed something strange. One of Vicky's earrings—now in her possession—flickered faintly. She held it up.
"Evan… look," she said.
Evan's eyes widened. "That only happens when she's in danger."
Nathan, still dazed from his thoughts, opened the message.
A photo of the twins.
Tied up. Eyes wide with fear. A location pin. A demand:
Drop N$3.5 million in 10 minutes. No cops. No delays.
Nathan's breath caught. And just then, the matching device on his wrist flickered in unison.
He didn't notice.
At the AID headquarters, a green light pulsed rapidly on the trace machine. Natasha jumped up.
"Robert! Paige is located! She's back online!"
Robert rushed in, eyes scanning the screen.
"Wait... What? Two signals? That's not possible. How can she be in two places?"
Natasha froze. "How indeed?"
Meanwhile, inside the unfinished building, Marcus paced in frustration. He tossed his phone.
"F**k!" he shouted.
Outside, Vicky flinched as she heard the voice. Something inside her snapped. A flicker... no, a fire. Her entire posture shifted. Cold, calculating. Heroic.
She entered the building, moving with deliberate silence. Her eyes scanned—there. Monica and Daniels, tied up. Monica's eyes met hers.
Hope.
Vicky signaled her to stay quiet.
A noise.
Intentional.
Footsteps approached.
One of Marcus's men came to investigate. Vicky stepped out from behind the wall, tapped his shoulder, and as he turned, she struck—hard—right beside the neck. He collapsed without a sound.
Nathan's car screeched to a halt.
He stormed inside.
Marcus greeted him with a gun pointed directly at his forehead.
"My money!?" Marcus spat.
Behind him, Monica's eyes welled up. Daniels looked terrified.
Nathan, unimpressed, casually reached up, removed the gun from his forehead, and sat down on a stone.
"You do realize… pulling a trigger doesn't guarantee a neurological response fast enough to kill me," he said calmly.
Marcus's lip curled. "You think I won't kill your sister? I'm done playing."
"Funny," Nathan said. "I don't recall replying to your message. I never said I'd pay you. You're not here for the money, are you? You want something else."
Marcus's fist curled. "I underestimated you."
He lunged, swinging toward Nathan's face—
—but the punch never landed.
Vicky appeared, swift as a shadow, and caught Marcus's arm mid-air. She spun him like a rag doll, slamming him onto his back.
"Vicky?!" Nathan gasped.
Another of Marcus's men rushed at him, and without hesitation, Nathan retaliated—powerful, sharp. Fist met jaw. Another attacker fell.
"Gosh, you're a monster," Vicky muttered, elbowing Marcus in the ribs as he tried to recover.
"At least I'm a monster with style. How the hell did you get here?" Nathan shouted mid-punch.
"Let's just say… I'm a Necro now," Vicky smirked, slamming her fist into Marcus's face.
"You're enjoying that title?" Nathan chuckled. "I'm giving you a new one."
"I'm liking our name," she shot back, eyes gleaming.
"Our name?" Nathan echoed, slightly breathless.
Behind them, the twins sat wide-eyed, practically giggling as they watched their heroes dismantle the enemy one punch at a time.