Chapter Three

I stood in the cool evening air, the New York skyline stretching out before me like a glistening spider's web. From this height, the city looked serene—calm, even. The streets below were a tapestry of lights, alive with people going about their lives, unaware of the rot festering beneath the surface. Vought's headquarters loomed in the distance, its sleek glass exterior reflecting the last hints of sunlight.

But serenity was an illusion here. I knew that now.

Valerie and I had managed to leave the Vought offices without causing a stir, but the weight of what we had uncovered hung heavy between us. Human experimentation with Compound V. Vought's insidious hunger for power knew no bounds, and their sins stretched far beyond corrupt PR stunts or cover-ups. This was something darker.

"You're quiet," Valerie said, her voice pulling me back from the abyss of my thoughts. We were on a rooftop a few blocks from Vought Tower, hidden in the shadows. Valerie crouched beside me, eyes scanning the streets below. Her spiky hair caught the dim glow of a streetlamp, casting sharp angles across her face.

"I'm thinking," I replied, flexing my fingers. The faint crackle of electricity danced along my knuckles, a reminder of the power that pulsed just beneath my skin. I still hadn't mastered it—not fully. Thor's strength, his lightning... it was intoxicating but dangerous. I couldn't afford to lose control, not when we were this close to something big.

Valerie glanced at my hand, her gaze lingering on the sparks that flickered briefly. "You know, most people would kill for the kind of power you have," she said, her voice low. There was no envy there, just curiosity. "But you... you seem like you don't trust it."

"I trust it," I said, though my words lacked conviction. "I just don't trust what it might do if I'm not careful."

Valerie raised an eyebrow. "Power's only dangerous if you don't know how to use it."

I didn't reply. She wasn't wrong, but she also didn't understand the burden that came with it. The weight of responsibility. The knowledge that if I let my emotions get the better of me, I could level an entire city block without meaning to.

But this wasn't the time for self-doubt. We had work to do.

"So," Valerie said, shifting gears. "We've got the files. Crane's info gave us the proof we needed, but it's not enough. We need to track down the leak before the gala if we're going to blow this thing wide open."

I nodded. "We've got a week. Maybe less if Vought catches wind that we're sniffing around."

Valerie stood, her movements fluid and deliberate. "Which is why we don't have time to waste. Crane's contacts are our best lead, but we'll need to move carefully. If Vought gets even a hint that we're onto something, they'll shut this whole thing down and we'll be dead before we can expose them."

I stood too, my muscles tensing as I prepared to follow her. "So where do we start?"

She smirked, her eyes glinting with a dangerous edge. "I've got a lead. There's a warehouse on the outskirts of Brooklyn. Crane mentioned it in one of his encrypted messages—something about a drop-off point for information. If the leak's been using this place to pass intel, we might find a clue about who they are."

I nodded, feeling the adrenaline start to pump through my veins. "Then let's move."

---

The warehouse was a stark contrast to the sleek, modern world of Vought's headquarters. It stood like a forgotten relic of the city's industrial past, a massive, rusted structure looming at the edge of the East River. The moonlight glinted off the water, casting long, eerie shadows across the dockyards.

Valerie led the way, her steps silent as a shadow. I followed close behind, my senses heightened. The power inside me hummed, ready to be unleashed if necessary, but I kept it under control. We couldn't afford to draw attention. Not yet.

"This place looks abandoned," I muttered as we approached the chain-link fence surrounding the property. "Are you sure this is the right spot?"

"Crane's intel pointed here," Valerie said, her voice barely above a whisper. "We'll know soon enough if it's legit."

She slipped through a gap in the fence, and I followed, the metal creaking softly in the night. The warehouse loomed ahead, its windows dark and broken. A sense of unease prickled at the back of my neck. Something felt off.

Valerie crouched behind a stack of old shipping crates, her eyes scanning the perimeter. I knelt beside her, my gaze following hers. The place looked deserted, but that didn't mean we were alone.

"We need to get inside," she whispered. "If the leak's been operating here, there might be some kind of evidence. Papers, tech… something we can use."

I nodded, clenching my fists as I prepared to move. But before we could stand, I caught movement out of the corner of my eye. A shadow, darting between the stacks of crates near the warehouse entrance.

"Did you see that?" I asked, my voice tight.

Valerie's eyes narrowed. "Yeah."

We moved silently, slipping between the rows of crates until we were close enough to get a better view. The figure we had seen was dressed in dark clothing, their face obscured by a hood. They were moving quickly, but not with the caution of someone who expected to be followed.

"They're heading inside," I whispered.

Valerie nodded, her expression serious. "Let's go."

We followed, staying low as we approached the warehouse doors. The figure slipped inside, leaving the door slightly ajar behind them. I could feel my pulse quicken as we crept closer. Whoever this was, they were connected to the leak. And if they were here to destroy evidence, we couldn't let them get away.

I pushed the door open just enough to slip inside, the cool air of the warehouse hitting me like a wave. The interior was vast and dark, the only light coming from the pale moon filtering through broken windows. The figure was ahead of us, moving deeper into the building.

Valerie gestured for me to stay low as we moved across the warehouse floor, weaving between rusted machinery and forgotten crates. My heart raced, the tension building with each step.

Suddenly, the figure stopped. They turned, and for a split second, I caught a glimpse of their face beneath the hood—a young man, probably in his early thirties, with sharp features and dark eyes. His expression was one of panic, like a cornered animal.

Valerie and I froze, but it was too late. He had seen us.

"Run!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the empty warehouse.

Before I could react, the lights in the warehouse blazed to life, blinding us for a moment. The sound of footsteps echoed from all directions, and I realized too late that we had walked into a trap.

"Shit!" Valerie cursed, pulling out a small handgun from her jacket. "They were waiting for us!"

I barely had time to respond before the first shots rang out, the crack of gunfire splitting the air. I dodged behind a stack of crates, the electricity inside me flaring to life as I prepared to fight back.

"Stay low!" Valerie shouted, firing off a few shots toward our attackers.

I gritted my teeth, feeling the power surging in my veins. I hadn't wanted it to come to this, but there was no choice now. I couldn't afford to hold back.

Lightning crackled around me as I stepped out from behind the crates, raising my hand toward the group of armed men who were closing in on us. With a roar, I unleashed a bolt of lightning, the energy arcing through the air and slamming into the nearest attacker. He flew backward, crashing into a pile of metal with a sickening thud.

The others hesitated, clearly not expecting to deal with someone like me. I took advantage of their confusion, throwing another bolt toward the group. Two more went down, their bodies convulsing as the electricity coursed through them.

But there were still more.

Valerie ducked behind a pillar, reloading her gun with practiced ease. "Nice trick," she called out, her voice steady despite the chaos. "But we're not out of this yet!"

I nodded, my focus narrowing on the remaining attackers. There were at least five more, all armed and moving in tight formation. They were professionals, clearly hired to protect whatever secrets this warehouse held.

One of them fired at me, and I barely dodged the bullet in time, feeling the rush of air as it passed by my head. I snarled, raising my hand again and summoning another bolt of lightning. This time, I didn't aim to incapacitate. The energy crackled through the air, striking the man in the chest and sending him flying into the wall.

The others hesitated again, their confidence faltering. I could see the fear in their eyes now. They weren't just facing a couple of amateurs. They were facing something much more dangerous.

Valerie took advantage of the opening, firing off several shots in quick succession. Two more attackers went down, leaving only a handful remaining.

I stepped forward, my eyes locked on the last few. "You've got two choices," I said, my voice cold. "You either tell us what's going on here, or you end up like your friends."

The remaining men exchanged glances, clearly weighing their options.

The final group of mercenaries, still standing, hesitated in the face of my challenge. They looked to each other, eyes darting nervously between the bodies of their comrades and the crackling energy pulsing from my fingertips. My heart pounded in my chest, the thrill of power coursing through me like the lightning I wielded. The darkness of the warehouse buzzed with tension, heavy with the scent of sweat, gunpowder, and fear.

"You've got two choices," I repeated, my voice low and dangerous. "Talk, or end up like the rest."

The leader, a grizzled man with scars tracing lines across his face, finally stepped forward, his rifle still clutched tightly in his hands. His voice was rough, but I caught the tremor beneath it. "You think you're invincible because of that... whatever the hell that is?" He gestured toward the electricity crackling along my knuckles. "We've fought Supes before."

His bravado was thin, a mask barely concealing the fear in his eyes. But before I could respond, Valerie spoke up from behind me, her tone laced with impatience. "You fought Supes before, huh? That's cute. How'd that work out for the rest of your squad?" She tilted her head toward the limp bodies strewn across the warehouse floor.

The leader's grip on his rifle tightened, his knuckles going white, but he didn't fire. He was weighing his options, and he knew his chances of survival were slim.

"I'll give you one last chance," Valerie said, stepping forward to stand beside me, her gun trained on him. "Who hired you? What's in this warehouse?"

The man's eyes flickered to the shadows behind us. I followed his gaze, my senses prickling with unease. Something wasn't right. He wasn't just stalling—he was waiting for something.

"Valerie—" I began, but it was too late.

A deafening roar echoed through the warehouse as an explosion rocked the building. The ground shook beneath our feet, and the force of the blast sent us both sprawling to the floor. I barely had time to register the heat of the explosion as shards of glass and debris rained down from the ceiling.

I hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the wind out of me. My ears rang, drowning out the shouts and gunfire that erupted around us. I scrambled to my feet, disoriented, trying to get my bearings. The warehouse was filled with thick, acrid smoke, and the air tasted of metal and dust.

"Valerie!" I shouted, my voice hoarse. I could barely see her through the smoke, but I caught the faint outline of her form moving toward me. She had managed to keep hold of her gun, her face streaked with grime, but her eyes were sharp and focused.

"I'm fine," she coughed, waving away the smoke. "But we need to move—now."

The mercenaries had regrouped, and through the haze, I saw new figures emerging from the shadows. Reinforcements. Vought must have known we were coming after all. This whole thing had been a trap from the start.

"Shit," I muttered under my breath. "More of them."

Valerie cursed, her eyes narrowing. "We can't fight them all. We need to find another way out."

I could feel the electricity inside me building again, but I didn't have time to focus on controlling it. The warehouse had become a battlefield, and the reinforcements were closing in fast. I needed to think quickly.

"Cover me," I said to Valerie, my mind racing. She nodded, immediately taking aim and firing off a few shots, forcing the mercenaries to duck for cover.

I raised my hand, the lightning in my veins roaring to life once more. I aimed for the ceiling, sending a bolt of energy crashing into the beams above us. The metal groaned and twisted as the structure above began to collapse, creating a barrier between us and our attackers.

"Move!" I shouted, grabbing Valerie's arm as we sprinted toward the back of the warehouse, dodging falling debris and avoiding the bullets still whizzing through the air. My heart pounded in my chest as we ran, the sound of the building collapsing around us thundering in my ears.

We reached a set of large, rusted doors at the far end of the warehouse. Valerie kicked one open, the hinges screeching in protest. Beyond it, a narrow alleyway led out into the open night.

As we stumbled into the alley, gasping for breath, I turned to look back at the warehouse. The entire building was collapsing in on itself, flames licking at the sky from the explosion. The sounds of battle were fading behind us, but I knew it wasn't over.

"That was close," Valerie muttered, wiping the sweat and grime from her forehead. She leaned against the brick wall, her chest heaving as she caught her breath. "Too close."

I nodded, still trying to steady my breathing. The adrenaline coursing through me hadn't fully worn off, and my hands were still tingling with residual energy. "This wasn't just about stopping us," I said, my voice hard. "They were protecting something in that warehouse. Something important."

Valerie looked up at me, her eyes narrowing. "You think it's tied to the leak?"

"I know it is," I said grimly. "Whatever they were trying to hide, it was worth killing for. We need to find out what."

---

After catching our breath, we made our way back through the darkened streets, heading toward the safe house Valerie had arranged. The city was alive with the distant hum of traffic, but the world felt different now—darker, more dangerous. Vought had proven tonight just how far they were willing to go to protect their secrets, and that meant we had to be smarter.

By the time we reached the safe house, a small, nondescript apartment tucked away in a forgotten corner of Brooklyn, the weight of exhaustion had begun to settle into my bones. Valerie keyed us in, and I followed her inside, the door clicking shut behind us.

The apartment was bare, almost clinical, with only the essentials: a couch, a small table, a kitchenette. It was clearly meant for temporary stays, a place to lay low when things went south.

Valerie collapsed onto the couch, her face buried in her hands. "I can't believe we walked into that trap," she muttered, her voice muffled. "How the hell did they know?"

I was too tired to sit. I paced instead, the electricity in my body still buzzing faintly, refusing to fully settle. "Someone tipped them off," I said, my mind racing. "We were compromised before we even got to the warehouse."

Valerie looked up, her eyes narrowing. "Crane?"

I shook my head. "I don't think so. He gave us everything we needed to find that place. He wouldn't risk blowing his own cover."

"Then who?" Valerie's voice was sharp, her frustration evident.

I stopped pacing, turning to face her. The truth was gnawing at me, a dark suspicion that had been growing since the moment we entered the warehouse.

"There's only one person who could have known," I said quietly, my eyes locking with hers. "The leak."

Valerie blinked, confusion flickering across her face. "What are you talking about? The leak is trying to expose Vought, not help them."

"Think about it," I said, my voice gaining strength. "If the leak knew about the warehouse, why would they pass that information on to Crane, knowing we'd come after it? Unless..."

"Unless they wanted us dead," Valerie finished, her voice barely a whisper.

A heavy silence fell between us. The implications were chilling. The leak wasn't just playing both sides—they were orchestrating the entire game. And we had walked right into their trap.

Valerie stood, her fists clenched at her sides. "So what now? We can't trust anyone. Not Crane, not the leak, and definitely not Vought."

"We have to keep moving," I said, my jaw tightening. "If the leak wanted us dead, they'll come after us again. But they've shown their hand now. And that means we have the upper hand."

Valerie nodded, her expression hardening. "Then we take the fight to them. No more running. We find the leak, and we end this."

The fire in her eyes mirrored the storm raging inside me. We were done playing defense. Vought had taken too much, and whoever was behind this betrayal would pay.

I raised my hand, electricity crackling around my fingers once more. "Agreed," I said, my voice cold and steady. "But first, we find out who the leak really is."

The game had changed. Now, it was a hunt—one where only the strongest would survive. And I had no intention of losing.

A/N:

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