Lord Of Beasts

Stepping off the jet, Ethan immediately noticed the difference.

The air felt cleaner, and the constant noise he’d grown accustomed to in New York was gone. There was no endless traffic, blaring sirens, or towering skyscrapers blocking out the sky.

Instead, endless open land stretched towards the horizon beneath a brilliant blue sky, with only the occasional cluster of trees interrupting the vast countryside. It was so quiet that the gentle breeze brushing across the fields almost sounded louder than the city itself.

He slowly looked around before letting out a low whistle.

"We’re literally in the middle of bumfuck countryside."

Kaela laughed, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her shorts as she took in the unfamiliar scenery with obvious interest.

"I’ve hardly left New York either," she admitted. "Well... aside from travelling to clear Gates."

She shrugged.

"So this is a first for me, too."

Standing beside Ethan, Elara quietly scanned the landscape with obvious curiosity. She wasn’t much different, her entire life having revolved around the city, while Mark scratched the back of his head as he looked around in amazement.

"I don’t think I’ve ever left New York at all."

The four of them stood there for a moment, surrounded by nothing but flat grassland, patches of dry earth and the occasional weathered fence disappearing into the distance.

Calling it an airport felt generous.

It was little more than a long stretch of flattened land with a tiny building sitting off in the distance and a single rusting hangar that somehow looked even older than Ethan himself.

And upon their exit, the aircraft shot back into the sky, leaving them there.

"What now?"

Ethan glanced around, unable to spot another living soul. There wasn’t even a proper road nearby, just open countryside stretching in every direction as though the world itself had emptied.

Then a faint engine echoed across the plains.

Everyone turned.

Far off in the distance, a lone vehicle bounced violently along a dirt track, kicking up a massive trail of dust that followed behind it like a miniature sandstorm.

It certainly wasn’t one of the sleek, blacked-out Association vehicles they’d become accustomed to. The suspension squeaked loudly, the paint had faded years ago, and one of the doors even appeared to be a completely different colour from the rest of the vehicle.

"I guess the luxury ends here," Ethan muttered.

It eventually rolled to a stop beside them with one final protesting groan that sounded suspiciously like the engine giving up.

The driver’s door opened.

A man stepped out wearing what was unmistakably supposed to be a black suit.

Supposed to be was key there.

His jacket had clearly seen better days; the fabric faded around the elbows while the stitching had begun to fray along one sleeve. His white shirt wasn’t quite white anymore, his tie hung slightly crooked, and instead of polished dress shoes, he wore a pair of dusty boots that looked far better suited to farm work than Association business.

He appeared to be somewhere in his early forties, with short brown hair greying around the temples and permanent bags beneath tired eyes that suggested sleep wasn’t something he got much of.

Despite all that, his posture remained perfectly professional.

Offering a respectful nod, he greeted them.

"Mr Crowe. Miss Riot Valkyrie. Miss Veyne. And..."

His gaze briefly shifted toward Mark.

"...company."

"Sorry about the transport," he continued with an awkward smile. "Gates don’t appear around here very often. Smaller population means fewer resources from the Association, so... we make do with what we’ve got."

Ethan waved the apology away.

"No need to apologise."

The man visibly relaxed.

"I’ve been instructed to escort you wherever you need to go."

"Perfect."

Pulling out his phone, Ethan showed him the address Greg had sent earlier.

"We need to head here."

The Black Suit studied it for a moment before nodding confidently.

"I know the place. Hop in."

Only minutes earlier they’d been racing expensive motorbikes through New York traffic. Then they’d crossed half the country aboard a luxury Association jet. Now, they were squeezed into an ageing truck that rattled so violently Ethan was genuinely surprised it hadn’t shaken itself apart.

Every bump in the uneven dirt road sent the entire vehicle bouncing into the air. Loose panels vibrated relentlessly, the windows rattled almost constantly, and the suspension groaned every few seconds as though begging someone to finally put it out of its misery.

Despite that, the three Titled in the back looked completely relaxed.

Ethan lounged comfortably between two A Ranks without a care in the world, Kaela had somehow managed to make herself at home despite the cramped conditions, and Elara sat quietly leaning on him.

She laughed cutely every time another bump briefly launched all four passengers into the air.

Only Mark looked genuinely concerned.

He sat in the front and had both hands wrapped tightly around the side rail as though his life depended on it.

"If I fall out of this thing..." he murmured, but nobody heard him, mostly because Ethan and Kaela were laughing too hard.

After a while, she leaned over toward her blue-eyed Boss.

"Beast Man, let me try one of those."

She pointed toward the cigarette resting between his fingers.

Ethan raised an eyebrow before casually handing over the packet. It was the cheapest, most common brand sold almost anywhere, but back when he was living off an allowance from Mark after leaving prison, they were all he could afford.

Now, he could smoke pretty much whatever he wanted, but he still preferred these.

Something about them was familiar and comforting in a strange way.

Kaela pulled one free before looking at him expectantly.

"No lighter?"

Ethan grinned.

’Minor Assimilation: Spark.’

A tiny orange flame blossomed at the tip of his finger, one he casually held out.

Kaela leaned forward, lit the cigarette, and took a slow drag.

The black suit didn’t even bother asking them not to smoke in the car, and the others had gotten used to it by now. Instead, Mark was more baffled by Ethan’s pyromancy, staring at him in disbelief.

"You can just... do that?"

Ethan shrugged.

"I can do a lot more than that."

Kaela laughed.

"You should’ve seen him inside the Gate."

She pointed accusingly toward Ethan.

"He was flying around with those same flames, torching giant beasts."

Mark gasped. "He can fly?!"

"Oh, and he used that fire to kill the last A Rank beast," Elara added casually.

Mark slowly turned toward his brother.

"Seriously?"

Before Ethan even had the chance to answer, Elara nodded proudly. The admiration shining in her crimson eyes was impossible to miss.

That’s when Kaela started coughing wildly.

She leaned out of the car window before throwing the cigarette as far away as physically possible.

"What the hell?"

She looked genuinely offended.

"That tastes like genuine shit."

She turned toward Ethan in disbelief.

"Why do you even smoke those?"

He couldn’t help laughing.

"Honestly? I don’t even know anymore."

Even so, he took another slow drag from his own cigarette. The journey continued peacefully for several more minutes despite being cramped in a car reminiscent of Mark’s.

That’s when boredom began setting in, which was dangerous when the Enforcers were involved. Before anyone else could react, the pair suddenly did something that only completely insane superhumans would ever think was a good idea...