HOSPITAL – WILLIAM'S ROOM – SAME DAY
Midas stormed through the corridors like a hurricane. His footsteps echoed on the white tiles. Nurses stepped aside. Patients watched him pass, frozen by the aura of rage emanating from him.
He pushed open the door.
William lay on the bed, his chest bandaged, tubes in his arms. His face was pale, his eyes half-closed. But he was alive.
"Midas…"
Midas approached the bed.
"Where?"
William looked at him. He knew what he would lose if he spoke. Perfecto. The traitor. The one who had orchestrated everything.
But he saw Midas's eyes. He saw the contained rage, the pain, the promise of vengeance.
"Landfill. Warehouse 17."
Midas turned on his heel.
"Midas…"
He stopped.
"…Don't kill him. Make him suffer."
Midas walked out.
William closed his eyes. He hadn't mentioned Perfecto. Not yet. But one day, Midas would have to know.
---
HOSPITAL PARKING LOT
Sharky waited, leaning against the car. He watched Midas approach.
"I'm going alone."
"I'm coming with you."
"Sharky…"
"It's over, Midas. You don't decide everything alone anymore."
Sharky opened the door. Midas hesitated for a second, then got in.
The car sped off.
---
WAREHOUSE 17 – GANG HIDEOUT
The metal door gave way under Sharky's shoulder.
The room was dirty. Fluorescent lights flickered. Three men in suits were there. And in the middle, tied to a chair, Silva.
Her face was swollen. Blood ran from her lips. Her clothes were torn. The threats – they were written on her body, on her skin, in her extinguished eyes.
Midas felt his heart break. Then freeze.
"So, waking up, little one?"
A man stood up. He approached her.
"Are you going to shut up, or do I really hurt you?"
He struck her.
Silva passed out.
BAM.
The door flew off its hinges.
Midas entered.
Sharky, like a shadow, crossed the room. His blade slashed. The first two guards fell, heads separated from their bodies.
The third didn't have time to scream. Midas grabbed him by the throat. Gold spread.
The man froze. Statue. Frozen smile. Eternal horror.
Midas threw him against the wall. The statue shattered.
"Sharky. Take care of her."
Sharky knelt beside Silva. Untied her bonds. Placed his jacket over her.
Silva opened her eyes. She searched for Midas with her gaze. She found him.
"Midas… protect our child."
He nodded.
He walked out.
---
GANG BUILDING – PLASTIC SURGERY CLINIC
The facade was clean. Flashy. A showcase for appearances.
Midas entered.
The guards spotted him.
"You can't come in, sir, this is a private establishment…"
Gold spread.
The walls. The floor. The ceiling. The guards. Everything turned to gold.
A man screamed. Then fell silent.
Midas walked through the hall. Gold crunched under his steps.
The remaining guards stepped aside. None dared to stop him. He climbed the stairs. Pushed open the office door.
Onizuka sat there. He was smiling.
"Oh, Midas. I've been waiting for you."
Midas didn't answer. He approached him.
"You touched my wife. You will pay with your life."
Onizuka smiled wider.
"Oh really? Let me tell you, I'm in very good company."
BAM.
Midas felt an impact. He crashed through the window. Glass shards sparkled around him. The blue sky, the clouds, the void.
He landed on the rooftop of the building across. Rolled over his shoulder. Got up.
A figure landed in front of him.
Malpoyl Kageyama.
His yukata fluttered in the wind. His gaze was empty. His hands, covered in a blue aura, gleamed.
"I was told I had to protect Onizuka."
He stretched.
"And you, little insect… know that you're making my job difficult. So I'll eliminate you."
He took a martial arts stance. Flow activated, his hands hummed.
Midas got up. He took his guard. His golden hands shone.
The sky was blue. Clouds drifted by. The wind blew.
Two men. One rooftop. Only one way out.
---
TO BE CONTINUED…