From the small balcony overlooking the open garage, Leo watched as Rose flitted between cars like a butterfly, her energy bright and curious. The sight brought a smile to his face—unintentional, but genuine.
"May it rest in peace. Your solo and independent soul," came a solemn voice behind him.
Leo turned to find the boys grinning.
"Amen," they chorused, mockery clear in their voice.
"Is this some new form of bullying?" Leo muttered.
"Nah, just speaking the raw truth," Skyer replied, leaning casually beside him. "Seriously, that's the first time I've seen you smile like that at a girl. Or smile at all."
"Right? We even thought you were gay at one point... or more into machines than humans altogether," Frost added, deadpan.
"Which I wouldn't judge," Jack chimed in, tossing a heavy arm around Leo's shoulders with a joking smirk. "But I'd beat it out of you. No hard feelings."
Leo sighed and leaned over the railing. "Man, I feel sorry for you guys."
Jack raised an eyebrow. "About what?"
"Not being lovey-dovey like you?" John guessed scarcely.
"Nope!" Leo grinned. "About all the fun I'm gonna have getting you back for this."
*wissle* "I forgot you hold grudges," Jack said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "My bad. But seriously, I'm happy for you."
Having seen Leo grow from kid to what he is now, Jack knew better than anyone how dangerous Leo's prank mode could be, choosing a strategic retreat.
"By the way, what's the deal with her?" Skyer asked, arching a brow. "First time you've brought someone here personally."
"Yeah! Even your mother had to go through normal channels, and inter from the last road," Anabeth added, returning from the other side of the garage and handing over a tablet. "Here's the list of the new faces. What's the plan? Are we filing her under our pride?"
"You think? That girl gave me a hard time on the track, you know?" Leo said, shocking the whole crew as he took the tablet. "And let's not even talk about the fact she assembled a high-spec car using only parts from the normal market."
He stopped talking as his eyes landed on three specific names on the list.
The first two: Ethan and Isabella Rageheart. But the third one...
"What the hell…" Leo squinted. "Oy! Did anyone bother doing a background check on this guy?"
"Hmm… John Weak," Frost murmured. "Yeah, from that last road race in Russia. Clean background as far as I could tell."
"Clean, my ass," Leo muttered, pulling out his phone. "Alfred, strip him bare."
[On it. Shall I send you the last project files too?]
"Save them for later," Leo replied, stepping toward the main screen. "Launch the results here."
Moments later, the monitors lit up with data: real birthdate, last known location, aliases, and the reason he was here.
"This f—" Skyer cursed, moving toward the door.
"Hold it," Leo said, scanning the intel. "Something's off."
"Does it matter? He's here for your head. His life ends here," Skyer snapped, but Leo gave him one serious look that stopped him cold.
With a frustrated sigh, Skyer dropped onto a couch.
"Alfred, bring up his organization's records. You've got permission to activate the Magan system. Find out who sent him—and why."
"Wait," Frost blinked. "You're letting Magan system in?"
Jack grunted. "Feels like cheating when you've got every digital eye on the planet watching."
"Magan?" Rose raised an eyebrow, looking up from the engine.
Leo nodded. "My surveillance and info-retrieval system. It cross-links satellite feeds, street cams, phone cams, black market logs, and deep-net signals. The system can enter and control anything in seconds. I only activate it for serious investigation."
"Like last time he used it, half of New York's traffic lights went haywire," Frost muttered.
"That wasn't me."
"It was you," Skyer countered. "Over a gas station fight."
"The guy cut me, okay?" Leo defended.
The triplets giggled. Rosalie gave a baffled look from across the garage.
"You nearly triggered counter-terror ops over road rage?" Rosalie asked, confused, as someone murmured something beside her.
"In his defense, he was only ten," Jack said with a dry smirk.
[Sir, I've got a hit. probably the same person from last time.] Alfred's voice returned. The screens lit up with hospital records, photos, maps tracking movements, and audio logs.
They gathered around the display: an orphan who rose to become one of the deadliest hitmen, only to retire after falling in love.
"Man… I respect the dude," Haru said, arms crossed. "Still gonna punch him, though."
"Desperate move. I get it," Skyer muttered. "Still not an excuse, from where I see it"
"Settle down, boys," Anabeth clapped. "The guy stormed a military base, destroyed it, and came back alive just to earn his exit from that organisation. This time, he is here for the same reason that pushed him out: His wife. I'd do worse for any of you, so give him a break, will ya"
"Playing the audio now," Haruto said, hitting play.
On-screen, an old man sneered. "So what will it be? Do the job, or your pathetic wife will be swallowed by her beast."
John, ragged and worn, stared back with fierce resolve. "You promise she'll be safe—and healed?"
"Hmph. If I say it, it'll be so."
The video ended. Silence.
After moments of silence, "I want him in." Leo finally spoke.
Everyone gave him a look that said: explain, or prepare for the beating of your life.
"Look, he only had my name and face. No tricks, no intel. Just a car, slightly better than the norm. And he earned his way in with skill alone," Leo said, dragging up John's kill record. "And based on this, 10,234 kills count. Look closely at his targets."
"Most were human traffickers or people involved in it one way or another," Jack added. "And tracking his history, it's not hard to guess that his purpose is beyond the paycheck."
"What've you got?" Jack asked.
From the start, the crow had a negative view of the man because of his job as a hitman. Now, proven to have a purpose and reason behind it, no one will judge him, at least until proven wrong.
And if Leo said he wants him in, he's in.
"You do know he came to kill you, right?" Anna asked for final confirmation.
"Yeah. But he's human, and one under a lot of pressure" Leo said with a smirk. "And more importantly, he's doing this for his wife's cure. No malice—just duty of a man, family"
His voice dropped. "That anyone from us can respect, And as for the ones who sent him after me, think they can play me that easily..."
He laid out the plan.
"Remind me never to piss you off," Skyer muttered.
"I guess it'll work," Anabeth said after exchanging a few glances.
"I'll get moving," John said, sinking into his own shadow to handle his part of the plan.
"Settled then," Leo nodded. "Oh—by the way. That woman, Isabella, is my aunt. She probably dont know what happened. The boy is her son. Just keep an eye out, the chance of them involving is negibel but still exists."
Everyone nodded.
"What's Rose planning?" Jack asked, arms crossed.
Leo grinned. "She said if she wins, she wants to build her own pride."
He looked back down at the garage. Anabeth's sisters were helping Rose with final tweaks.
"You guys ready?" Leo called.
"Rolling in two minutes!" Rose shouted back. "And you better keep your word!"
"If you win," Leo smirked, "you've got my full support."