Chapter 287: Tension
Ethan and Kaela were already on the move.
The newly formed Enforcers tore through the streets of New York, weaving between traffic as the wind roared past them. Their engines screamed beneath them, the city blurring into streaks of concrete, steel, and flashing lights as they headed to the location Greg had forwarded only moments earlier.
Kaela eased her bike closer until they were almost riding side by side. She glanced across at Ethan before shouting over the howl of the wind.
"Since when were you so smart?"
Ethan smirked.
"Act stupid and make others drop their guard."
He paused dramatically.
"Have you not read The Art of War?"
He had pulled that entirely out of his ass and hadn’t even read a single page of The Art of War, but it sounded right. So much so that he almost convinced himself.
Kaela stared at him for a second before bursting into laughter.
"You just made that up, didn’t you?"
Ethan couldn’t suppress the smile creeping up his face, answering her question.
She shook her head, still laughing as she twisted the throttle.
"We’re gonna have fun together, boss."
"Boss?"
Ethan grinned.
"I’ll take it."
The two motorcycles accelerated together, disappearing down the highway. According to Greg’s information, the rogue Titled planned to rob the bank very soon.
But that was perfect for Ethan, who was starving.
’If we deal with them quickly, we can still make it back in time for lunch ourselves.’
The thought made Ethan chuckle.
It was their first mission as the Enforcers, and he couldn’t deny that he was looking forward to it.
-
Meanwhile, several miles away, a convoy of blacked-out SUVs travelled steadily through the city. Greg sat silently in the rear of the centre vehicle, reviewing reports on a holographic tablet.
In the passenger seat sat a B-Rank Titled whose sole responsibility was Greg’s protection. It was a reminder of just how important the untitled man actually was, and his position definitely wasn’t as low-profile as he would like it to be.
The convoy continued towards the Association’s regional headquarters, but before Greg could bury himself in another mountain of paperwork...
He sighed.
There was one phone call he couldn’t avoid making.
It connected almost immediately.
"Yes."
The deep, commanding voice carried through the speaker.
Greg straightened instinctively.
"Sir. I wanted to update you regarding the new independent unit we discussed. The Anti-Titled Crime Unit has officially been established. We have also decided to rename it to the Enforcement Unit."
A thoughtful hum came from the other end.
Greg continued.
"There are currently two Enforcers. Ethan Crowe has accepted leadership of the unit. And the second member is... the Riot Valkyrie."
There was a moment of silence, then...
"What?!"
The man on the line coughed, nearly choking on his jet-black coffee.
"You couldn’t have picked two wilder people if you’d actively tried, and you put Ethan in charge. We don’t even know what his Title is or understand how his abilities work."
Greg remained composed.
"They were the best candidates."
Harold exhaled slowly.
"I understand the reasoning. Considering he can’t enter Gates anymore without causing complications, it’s a good way of making use of Ethan."
"But Kaela?"
He let out another sigh.
"Well, at least they’re pointing their insanity in the right direction."
Greg almost seemed relieved.
"The bigger concern," Harold continued, "is the Blood Demon. She’s off limits and is already scheduled for a Gate Clearance today.
He paused.
"Originally her potential was evaluated at A+. Now that her abilities are stabilising... we may very well have another S Rank in the making who can act as a counterweight to Titan."
Greg nodded, despite knowing his father couldn’t see him.
"I’ve already made that perfectly clear."
That hadn’t been the difficult part; it was handing Ethan and Kaela complete autonomy, independent funding, and, biggest of all, authority over his black suits. But there was no taking that decision back now, and maybe this was what he needed to start to change this dynamic.
Harold continued, "Give them everything you promised and begin advertising the Enforcement Unit immediately. The public needs reassurance, the government will provide more budget, and rogue Titled need something new to fear... especially in New York.
"Understood."
Greg had already intended to do exactly that.
Harold wasn’t finished.
"And I assume you’ve already pointed them towards that new experimental drug."
Greg’s eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
"I have."
A brief silence followed before Harold spoke again.
"I hope you’re not getting any ideas, boy."
Greg’s expression never changed.
"N-"
Harold didn’t even wait to hear the response, ending the call before Greg could even tell him about the assignment he had given the Enforcers.
Silence filled the SUV.
The bodyguard in the front wisely didn’t speak, and the atmosphere inside the vehicle remained unbearably tense. Whatever that conversation had been, it definitely didn’t sound like one between the two highest-ranking members of one of the world’s largest organisations.
Nor between a father and son.
-
Earlier, moments after Ethan and Kaela had disappeared into the distance, the Black Howl had grown strangely quiet. Elara quietly took out her phone and navigated through the Association’s Gate listings before stopping on one entry.
’I’m not just going to sit here and wait for them to come back.’
It was time to prove that she really was an independent Titled, and she didn’t want to get overtaken or overshadowed by Ethan.
’I want to stand beside him.’
And to do that, she knew exactly what she needed to do.
Location: Hudson River Park, New York
Gate Rank: B (Stable)
Scheduled Clearance Date: 26/04/2027
Her crimson eyes lingered on the date, which was exactly one month since the ant Gate, after which her life had changed. Then, looking at today’s date, which was the twenty-first, she was surprised.
’It’s been less than a month...’
Somehow, it felt like she’d known him her entire life.
Her thumb continued scrolling.
The Association’s standard payment rates appeared below the mission details.
Base Gate Payments
E Rank: $2,000
D Rank: $4,000
C Rank: $10,000
B Rank: $20,000
A Rank: $50,000
S Rank: Negotiable
She barely glanced at the numbers, which had doubled since the Ant Gate and were before any bonuses.
Money wasn’t why she planned on entering it.
Normally, stable Gates waited until enough Titled had assembled; that was why there were still several days before the scheduled clearance. A B-Rank Gate usually required an A Rank leading the raid, supported by multiple B-Ranks, with C Ranks handling logistics, scouting, and transport.
That was the safest method.
The Association preferred safety, since they couldn’t guarantee that more people would receive Titles. And even though that seemed to be the case, not all the new Titled registered themselves or wanted to clear gates.
But Elara didn’t need a squad.
She opened the messaging tab and typed quickly: *I would like to clear this Gate alone.*
The response arrived almost instantly.
*Of course, Ms Veyne. Your request has been approved.*
It had reached Harold straight away, and he didn’t hesitate to agree, having heard of her feats within the insect gate and seen footage of her battle against the Riot Valkyrie at the UFC.
*When would you like to enter the Gate?*
Elara’s reply was immediate.
*Now.*
Only seconds passed before another message appeared.
*Please proceed directly to the Gate site. Authorisation has already been issued. As you will be completing the Gate solo, your base payment will be doubled before any additional bonuses.*
Elara blinked.
She hadn’t expected approval to come so easily, nor to be paid more for it.
A small smile spread across her face.
It was the same quiet, satisfied smile Ethan often wore after making a decision.
Mark noticed it immediately.
Their eyes met across the room.
"I’ll be going too," she said.
Her voice was growing steadier every day, and she was speaking more often now, especially to people she felt comfortable around, like Mark.
The large man simply nodded.
He didn’t ask where she was going, and could already tell whatever it was, it wasn’t an ordinary errand.
"Be careful," was all he said.
Elara nodded softly.
Then, without gathering supplies, changing clothes, or taking anything besides herself, she walked out of the Black Howl wearing one of Ethan’s oversized hoodies.
The sleeves hung past her hands as she stared off into the distance.
Then quietly set off towards her own path.