The helicopter blades thundered above the Arctic wasteland as the aircraft lifted off the shattered ice field. Below them, the scars of Orbit's gravity attacks stretched across the frozen land like wounds carved into the earth itself.
Inside the cabin, the atmosphere was strangely calm after everything that had happened.
Everyone was exhausted.
Richard leaned against the cold metal wall of the helicopter, arms folded, staring lazily at the ceiling as if they had just finished a long day at school rather than surviving a battle with a gravity-bending assassin.
Across from him sat Siara, still wrapped in a thermal blanket. Her hair was messy, her face pale from exhaustion—but she was alive.
Zane suddenly snorted.
Then he started laughing again.
"BRO I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT."
Tanya groaned. "Please stop."
But Zane couldn't stop wheezing.
"You really asked the smartest scientist in history if you could marry his daughter."
Siara's head snapped toward Richard again.
"RICHARD."
Richard shrugged.
"I said hypothetically."
"You said it OUT LOUD."
Luna covered her mouth, trying not to laugh.
Even Ghoul cracked the smallest grin in the corner.
Richard sat up slightly and scratched the back of his neck.
"Okay but hear me out."
"No," Siara said instantly.
He ignored her and looked toward the cockpit.
Dr. Elias Halden sat in the pilot's seat, connected to the helicopter's systems through the neural ports embedded at the base of his skull.
His voice came calmly through the cabin speakers.
"Yes?"
Richard cleared his throat.
"So… hypothetically speaking…"
Zero sighed from the back of the cabin.
"Oh no."
Richard gestured vaguely toward Siara.
"…let's say someone wanted to marry your daughter."
The entire helicopter went silent.
Tanya choked on air.
Zane slapped the floor laughing.
Siara's face turned bright red.
"RICHARD I SWEAR—"
Richard quickly raised both hands.
"I SAID HYPOTHETICALLY."
Halden tilted his head slightly as if processing the request.
"Clarify."
Richard scratched his chin.
"Okay so like… when I'm twenty-one… legally… and assuming the world hasn't ended…"
Siara buried her face in her hands.
"…would you be cool with that?"
Zane collapsed against Luna laughing.
"BRO ASKED A QUANTUM IMMORTALITY SUPERCOMPUTER FOR PERMISSION."
Luna was crying from trying not to laugh.
Even Zero looked like he regretted saving Richard.
Halden remained completely calm.
"If you are asking whether I would approve a long-term partnership between you and Siara…"
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU," Siara snapped.
Richard pointed at her.
"You kissed me under the bleachers!"
"That was FOUR YEARS AGO!"
Halden continued as if this chaos was perfectly normal.
"Statistically speaking, Richard's survival probability in the next twelve months is extremely low."
Richard blinked.
"…wow."
"Additionally," Halden continued, "his impulse control index is poor."
Zane wheezed harder.
Richard raised a finger.
"Counterpoint."
Everyone groaned.
Halden waited.
Richard nodded toward Siara.
"She likes me."
Siara threw a blanket at his head.
"I hate you."
Halden paused.
Processing.
Then he spoke again.
"If you survive the Council, the synchronization event, and the current bounty placed on your head…"
The cabin went quiet.
"…we may revisit the discussion."
Zane slammed the floor laughing.
"BRO GOT CONDITIONAL PERMISSION."
Richard grinned.
"I'll take it."
Zero muttered from the back of the cabin.
"I regret healing you."
The helicopter climbed higher into the clouds.
The laughter slowly faded.
Then Halden spoke again.
"Richard."
His voice was different now.
Serious.
"The Council issued a new directive thirty-two minutes ago."
Richard glanced toward the cockpit.
"What kind?"
"A bounty."
Richard snorted.
"Join the club."
Halden finished the sentence.
"On your family."
The cabin froze.
Siara straightened immediately.
"What?"
Halden continued calmly.
"Three million dollars."
No one spoke.
"They have placed a global bounty on every immediate relative connected to you."
Zane's smile disappeared.
"That's… insane."
Halden nodded slightly.
"It is also predictable. They failed to eliminate the primary target. They will instead target emotional leverage."
The helicopter shifted direction.
"We are returning to your town," Halden said. "Immediately."
Everyone looked at Richard.
Waiting for panic.
Waiting for anger.
Instead—
Richard leaned his head back against the wall.
"…Three million?"
"Yes."
Richard let out a small laugh.
"Wow."
He looked out the window.
"Honestly?"
He shrugged.
"I already lost everything."
Siara looked at him softly.
But Richard suddenly frowned.
"…Wait."
Everyone looked back at him.
"Three million?"
"Yes."
Richard scratched his chin.
"Damn."
"What?" Zane asked.
Richard sighed dramatically.
"My dad's gonna be so mad."
Siara blinked.
"…what?"
Richard shook his head.
"He always said I'd never be worth more than a used Honda."
Zane stared at him.
"You're joking right now."
Richard counted on his fingers.
"Three million dollars."
He leaned forward.
"Do you know how many pizzas that is?"
Luna whispered to Zane, "He's broken."
Zane nodded. "Yeah he snapped."
Richard shrugged again.
"If the Council thinks that scares me…"
He stared out the window.
"They don't know me very well."
The helicopter disappeared into the clouds.
—
Thousands of miles away.
The sun was setting over a quiet neighborhood.
Devon walked home from school.
His backpack hung from one shoulder as he kicked a small rock along the sidewalk.
The street was quiet.
Too quiet.
No cars.
No neighbors outside.
Devon frowned slightly.
"Hello?"
He reached his house.
The front door was open.
Just slightly.
That wasn't normal.
"Mom?"
No answer.
Devon pushed the door open.
"Dad?"
The house smelled strange.
Metallic.
He took a step inside.
His shoe slipped slightly.
Devon looked down.
Blood.
His stomach dropped.
Slowly he looked up.
His father lay against the living room wall.
A gunshot wound through his chest.
Eyes open.
Not moving.
Devon's brain refused to process it.
"…Dad?"
He took another step forward.
The kitchen doorway creaked.
Devon turned.
A man stood there.
Tall.
Black coat.
A sword resting in one hand.
A handgun in the other.
His expression calm.
Professional.
The assassin glanced down at a small device in his palm.
A bounty display.
3,000,000
He looked back at Devon.
"You must be the younger brother."
Devon's heart pounded.
"Where's my mom?"
The assassin nodded toward the kitchen.
Devon looked.
And saw her lying beside the table.
Devon stopped breathing.
The assassin lifted the gun.
"Nothing personal."
Outside, the sun dipped below the horizon.
And somewhere far away—
A helicopter carrying Richard was racing toward a town that was already too late.