The carnival lights dimmed one by one as closing time approached.
Music that had once blared across the park was now little more than distant static. Workers dragged crates across the pavement. Vendors folded tents and packed prizes into boxes.
At the far side of the park, near the carousel, two men leaned against a metal railing.
One was thin, sharp-eyed, and restless.
The other—Rick—stood beside him with quiet patience, arms folded.
The thin man flicked ash from his cigarette.
"Another boring night," he muttered.
Rick didn't respond immediately. His gaze drifted across the park.
"Relax," he said finally. "We've waited weeks already. Another hour won't kill you."
The thin man smirked.
"That's easy for you to say."
His eyes turned toward the distant booth at the end of the path.
Chris Tucker was there, packing up equipment from his carnival game.
Their target.
"He's not going anywhere tonight," Rick continued. "The park closes soon."
The thin man shrugged.
"Fine."
But his eyes never left Chris.
Every captured ability user meant money.
And the people paying them… paid very well.
Meanwhile
A black sedan rolled to a stop outside the amusement park.
Luke stepped out first.
Sol followed.
The cool night air carried the fading sounds of the carnival winding down.
"This should be the place," Luke said as he checked the address in the file.
Sol scanned the quiet park entrance.
"Looks like we're just in time."
They walked inside.
Most of the visitors had already left.
Only workers remained, locking rides and dismantling booths.
Luke approached an older employee securing a roller coaster gate.
"Excuse me," Luke said politely. "Do you know where Chris Tucker is?"
The old man eyed them suspiciously.
"What do you want with him?"
Luke smiled easily.
"Just need to talk. I'm from his hometown."
The lie came naturally.
The man studied them for a moment… then pointed toward the far end of the park.
"East side. Last booth."
"Thanks."
Luke and Sol walked deeper into the park.
Lights flickered overhead as rides shut down one by one.
Soon they spotted him.
Chris Tucker stood at a small booth packing away props from his game.
Sol slowed.
His eyes settled on the man.
So it really is him.
Luke stepped forward.
"Mr. Tucker?"
Chris turned.
Looking at the two that approached him, his eyes settled on Sol for a second or two, and for a split second, recognition flashed in his eyes.
Then it vanished.
His expression returned to something neutral.
"Yeah?" he said casually. "Game's closed."
Sol watched him carefully.
Chris pretended not to recognize him.
Interesting.
Luke spoke calmly.
"We're not here for the game."
Chris studied them both.
"Then what do you want?"
Sol stepped forward slightly.
"Been a while."
Chris's fingers paused for a fraction of a second.
But he kept his expression steady.
"…Don't think we've met."
Sol chuckled quietly.
"You sure about that?"
Chris's jaw tightened.
Still, he didn't answer.
Luke glanced between them.
"…You two know each other?"
Before either could respond, Chris suddenly moved.
Electric sparks burst across his palm as he swung toward the closest to him, Luke.
A bolt of lightning shot forward.
Luke didn't even move.
The electricity slammed into him—
—and vanished like it had struck solid ground.
Chris's eyes widened.
Before he could react further—
Luke stepped forward.
His hand shot out.
CRASH.
Chris's body slammed into the ground as Luke pinned him effortlessly, one hand pressing his shoulder into the pavement.
Chris struggled.
Lightning crackled across his arms.
But it did nothing.
Luke didn't budge.
Sol folded his arms, watching calmly.
"That didn't take long."
Chris's breathing grew heavier.
"…What the hell do you people want?"
Luke's voice remained calm.
"We're not your enemies."
He released the pressure slightly—but didn't let Chris stand.
"My name is Luke. I represent the Insurgency, an organization that protects ability users."
Chris scoffed.
"Yeah? Never heard of you."
Luke ignored the comment.
"We offer ability users a choice."
"Join us."
"Or live your life hiding and running."
Chris stared at him.
"…And if I say no?"
Luke shrugged slightly.
"Then we leave."
Sol watched Chris closely.
Something changed in the man's eyes.
Fear.
Guilt.
Luke continued.
"But before we do that… I need to know something."
He looked toward Sol.
"Why did he recognize you?"
Silence lingered for several seconds.
Chris finally exhaled slowly.
"…Fine."
He stopped struggling.
"You want the truth?"
Sol tilted his head.
"That'd be a nice change."
Chris stared at the pavement.
"…The gang made a deal."
Luke frowned slightly, he knew Sol's history and what happened to him and how he was captured, after all, the Insurgency always did their homework before approaching an ability user, and he even knew that Chris used to be a part of a gang but left.
"With who?"
"Someone from the underworld," Chris said quietly. "Powerful people."
"They paid us to report ability users."
Luke's expression hardened.
Chris continued bitterly.
"Find them. Track them. Sometimes trick them."
"If they got captured… we got paid."
Sol's eyes darkened.
"So the jewelry theft."
Chris nodded faintly.
"A setup."
Luke's grip tightened.
"You sold ability users to them."
Chris laughed bitterly.
"Yeah."
"Until they figured out I had powers too."
Luke looked down at him silently.
Chris continued.
"I wasn't high enough in the gang to know who exactly we were working for."
"But everyone suspected government connections."
"They paid too much."
"And when they found out about me…"
He shook his head.
"I ran."
Luke finally released him.
Chris slowly sat up.
Sol spoke quietly.
"So that's the story."
Luke stood silently for a moment.
Then he spoke.
"New plan."
Chris looked up.
"You're not being invited anymore."
His voice turned colder.
"You're being captured."
Chris stiffened.
"What?"
Luke met his eyes.
"You sold ability users to people who experiment on them."
"And you have information."
Sol nodded slightly.
"Congratulations."
"You're now a very valuable prisoner."
Chris's expression twisted.
Before he could respond—
Two figures started approaching them, noticed by Luke and Sol, they watched them talk and frowned because of what they heard.
The thin man grinned.
"Well now… this just got interesting."
Rick lowered a small scanner-like device in his hand.
Numbers flickered across its display.
"Confirmed," Rick said quietly.
"What?"
Rick glanced toward Luke and Sol.
"They're ability users too."
The thin man's grin widened slowly.
"Well, would you look at that."
He flicked away his cigarette.
"One bounty just turned into three."
Rick reached into his coat.
The thin man did the same.
Neither Luke nor Sol noticed the small capsules disappear into their mouths.
Chris did.
And his face suddenly went pale.
"…No."
The two men stepped up to the booth as their skin started squirming slightly.
Luke turned.
Sol's eyes narrowed.
"Friends of yours?" Sol asked Chris.
Chris whispered hoarsely.
"…Run."
The thin man laughed.
"Too late for that."
He cracked his neck slowly.
Then something in his body shifted.
Muscles tightened.
Veins bulged beneath his skin.
His forearms twisted—
Bones reshaping—
Metallic blades extending from where his hands had been.
Sol's eyes sharpened.
"What the hell…"
Rick stepped forward calmly.
The air around him shimmered faintly.
Luke felt space ripple beside him—
—and suddenly Rick appeared several meters closer.
Luke frowned.
Chris backed away slowly.
"They took something…"
Neither Luke nor Sol responded.
The thin man crouched slightly.
"Let's make this quick."
He launched forward.
The blade-arm slashed toward Sol's chest.
Sol reacted instantly.
"Echo Shield."
A translucent barrier flashed into existence.
CLANG!
The blade struck the shield with explosive force.
The kinetic energy surged across the barrier—
and Sol felt the stored impact pulse through the system interface.
The thin man's eyes widened slightly.
"Oh?"
Sol smirked.
"Try harder."
Behind him, Luke moved.
Rick's figure blurred again—
reappearing beside Luke in an instant.
A compressed shockwave blasted toward him.
Luke slid back several meters across the pavement, shoes scraping against the ground.
Chris stared in shock.
The thin man attacked again.
This time Sol stepped forward.
His fist shot toward the man's chest, and a prompt appeared in front of him.
[Celestial Finger Experience +1]
The punch landed—
—but as space folded, instead of bones cracking, it rang like metal striking metal.
The thin man skidded back several feet backwards, the ground beneath his feet now cracked and deformed with a trail making a path to him, his body as heavy as a truck.
Still smiling.
"Well now."
He flexed his blade-arms.
"That's more like it."
Rick appeared beside him again.
Four fighters stood facing each other in the silent amusement park.
Luke looked at the two and clicked his tongue. "The mission had turned into something dangerous."