"Who the hell are you?! Where'd you come from?!" The gate guards shouted as they saw a group of strangers charging straight toward the compound.

Thud! Thud!

Two muffled impacts rang out. The guards were sent flying, crashing to the ground unconscious before they even realized what hit them.

No one in Ethan's group spared them a glance. They stormed through the gate without slowing down.

Within moments, a squad of Enhanced enforcers spotted the commotion and rushed over.

"Who the fuck do you think you are, causing trouble in the compound?! You got a death wish?!" the squad leader barked.

Before he could finish the sentence, a machete flashed through the air—clean and fast.

Shunk!

The blade punched straight through his neck, pinning him to the wall behind him with brutal force. Blood sprayed across the concrete.

Ethan didn't even blink.

He was in full-blown rage mode now. Anyone who got in his way was asking to die.

The rest of the enforcers froze, stunned by how fast their captain had been taken out. None of them dared step forward.

Ethan ignored them and led the group straight toward the construction site.

They arrived within minutes.

The first thing they saw was a young man swinging a whip—again and again—at a middle-aged man curled up on the ground.

The man's clothes were in tatters, his back a mess of torn flesh and blood. He was barely conscious, body trembling with every strike.

"Dad!!"

Chris's voice cracked as he screamed.

Even though the man looked nothing like the father he remembered—hair matted, face bruised, body broken—Chris recognized him instantly.

It was Joe Walker.

Chris's eyes went blood-red. In a blur, he shot forward, moving faster than anyone could react.

"FUCK!"

His fist slammed into the young man's head with a sickening crunch—instantly caving in his skull.

The guy didn't even have time to scream. One second he was alive, the next he was a headless corpse collapsing to the ground.

Blood sprayed everywhere.

The workers nearby recoiled in shock, stumbling back with wide eyes.

The other overseers panicked and bolted, running for their lives.

Chris didn't care. He dropped to his knees beside the broken man on the ground, hands shaking as he gently lifted him up.

"Dad…"

Joe groaned, eyes fluttering open. He stared at Chris, dazed, like he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"C… Chris?"

"Yeah, it's me, Dad. I'm here. I'm sorry I took so long."

"This… is this real?" Joe reached up, fingers brushing against Chris's face. Even feeling the warmth of his son's skin, he still looked like he couldn't believe it.

"It's real. I'm back. I came to find you," Chris said, gripping his father's hand tightly, letting him feel every bit of it.

Joe's eyes welled up. "You're really back… You're alive… Thank God."

But then his expression shifted. Panic crept in.

"No—no, you have to go. You can't stay here. If they find out you're my son, they'll kill you!"

He tried to sit up, but his body gave out. He struggled, but couldn't move.

"It's okay, Dad. I'm here now. I'm not leaving you again," Chris said, voice thick with emotion as he tried to calm him.

"You stubborn kid… You don't understand. These people—they're powerful Enhanced. We can't fight them. Just knowing you're alive is enough for me. Please, go. If they catch you, you won't make it out."

Joe tried to push him away, desperation in his eyes.

But before Chris could respond—

"You think you can kill someone and just walk away?" a cold voice rang out.

A large group of armed men stormed in from behind, surrounding them in seconds.

The workers nearby all dropped their heads, faces pale with fear. No one dared speak.

Joe's face went completely gray.

He knew these people.

And he knew exactly what they were capable of.

"Well, well… if it isn't Joe," the young man at the front sneered, eyes gleaming with mockery. "These people yours? What, not happy with life in the compound, so you called in backup?"

"No, Blake, you've got it wrong!" Joe said quickly, panic in his voice. "I don't know them—they're just passing through. Please, I'm begging you, let them go."

He tried to push himself up, but Chris gently held him down.

"Let them go?" Blake laughed, loud and cruel. "You serious right now? They killed someone in the compound. You think there's any walking away from that?"

He looked between Chris and Joe, then smirked. "You two kinda look alike. Don't tell me this is that useless son you never shut up about."

"No, he's not—he's really not—"

Pfft—

Joe suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, his eyes rolling back as he collapsed unconscious.

"Dad!!"

"Henry! Henry, get over here!" Chris shouted, panic rising in his voice.

Henry didn't hesitate. He rushed over, dropped to one knee, and placed his hands over Joe's chest. Soft white light began to glow from his palms, washing over the battered man's body.

Ethan and the others gathered around, their expressions darkening as they got a good look at Joe's condition.

His body was covered in bruises and open wounds—some fresh, some old. His limbs had clearly been broken and left to heal wrong, only to be broken again. It was obvious he'd been tortured for a long time.

The rage rolling off Chris was palpable. He was barely holding it together.

And Ethan… Ethan's face was calm. Too calm. The kind of calm that came right before something exploded.

Blake, meanwhile, had noticed the glow from Henry's hands. His eyes lit up.

"An Awakened… and a healing-type at that?!"

A healer Awakened—those were rarer than gold. Hell, rarer than working satellites. If the compound had someone like that, they'd be unstoppable.

Blake didn't move. He wanted to see how effective the healing was first.

Under Henry's power, Joe's wounds began to close rapidly. Even the broken bones in his arms and legs realigned and fused back together.

Blake's jaw dropped.

It was like watching a miracle.

"Go," he whispered to one of his men. "Tell Knox. Now. This is big."

"On it."

The lackey took off running.

Back at the scene, Joe's body was healing fast—but he still hadn't woken up.

"Henry, what's going on? Why isn't my dad waking up?" Chris asked, voice tight.

"He's just completely drained—physically and mentally," Henry said, calm and certain. "He'll be okay. He just needs rest."

Chris let out a shaky breath. "Okay… okay. Thank you, Henry."

"Come on, man," Henry said with a small smile. "You really gonna thank me like we're strangers?"

Chris nodded, then gently passed his father into Henry's care. "Henry… can I ask you to watch over him for a bit?"

His voice was calm—too calm. But Henry could feel it. Chris was about to snap.

"Yeah," Henry said quietly, taking Joe into his arms. "I've got him."

Chris stood up slowly, turned to Ethan, and said, "Ethan… let me blow off some steam. Please."

Ethan met his eyes and nodded. "Go ahead."

Then he looked at the others. "No one interferes. Let Chris handle this."

"Got it," they all replied.

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