It was still early morning when Shadow first appeared to them, shrouded in his usual cloud of darkness, like some grim reaper arriving for business. But despite the timing, none of them were groggy. Not really.

They didn't keep a normal sleep schedule anymore, leaving the Volkorye. Napping randomly, they slept in short bursts whenever it was safe. And between their warped routines and mutant physiology, they didn't need much rest.

But when they stepped through the portal and landed in New York, the dark sky hit them like a slap to the face.

The Spatial Rift dumped them out into a dingy, trash-littered alleyway tucked between two tall, graffiti-covered buildings. The walls dripped with condensation, the scent of stale piss and fried food lingering in the air. Neon lights reflected off puddles of dirty rainwater near overflowing dumpsters.

A screech of tyres echoed nearby, followed by loud laughter and a blaring horn.

They stepped out cautiously, one by one, into a bustling street that hummed with late-night life. Cars zipped past, music blasted from open doors, and drunk couples staggered from underground bars. Billboards overhead glowed in every colour imaginable - advertisements for designer clothing, self-defence gear, and performances by popular mutant influencers.

They had emerged in the heart of the city that never sleeps.

"Hey!" Sven flagged down a guy stumbling by with a half-eaten hot dog. "What time is it?"

The man squinted at his wristband, then slurred, "Uh… one-somethin'? Yeah, 1 AM."

Sven raised his brow. "Thanks."

The man staggered off, munching loudly.

Kai blinked as he stepped onto the sidewalk, his boots thudding against the pavement. Cars passed. Pedestrians brushed by without even glancing at them. A mutant with glowing eyes was juggling fireballs on a street corner while a levitating woman collected tips in a floating hat. Sirens wailed in the distance.

'It's chaos,' Kai thought, but he'd soon come to find himself in real chaos.

'If we took a plane here, we'd be jetlagged out of our minds. But this? I don't even know what to call this… confused, I guess.'

His crimson eyes scanned the city. It was massive. Alive. Skyscrapers reached toward the dark sky like steel titans. Millions of people moved through the streets, all going somewhere, all doing something. And amongst them? Mutants.

Of course, they were a minority, but there were many more than he was expecting. Some wore glowing badges with the Association's symbol. Others didn't seem to care who saw them.

This place… it was perfect.

A playground for pandemonium.

'So many people,' Kai thought. 'So much blood...'

And then his vision began to shift.

His Blood Vision activated involuntarily, triggered by the sheer volume of life around him. Veins, arteries, and heartbeats began to light up behind every surface, through every wall. The world bled red. A million pulses. A million fragile bags of blood, walking by, completely unaware.

Kai's pupils narrowed.

His heart pounded.

A twisted grin began to curl at his lips as a thick, invisible pressure rolled off him. Killing intent. Pure and unfiltered.

He wanted to slaughter. To tear. To lose himself in the streets and let the blood flow like rivers down the gutters.

For the past month, it had been easy. There weren't many people around him. Just his allies. He'd kept it in check. But now…

Now, the blood surrounded him and desire to spill it grew uncontrollably.

He yearned to let loose.

Just a little. Just one-

Thud!

"Hey!" Kai groaned and snapped out of it as Nadya elbowed him hard in the ribs.

"What the hell are you doing?" she hissed under her breath, eyes sharp. "You were zoning out like a psycho."

Sven and Takeshi had already turned to look at him, their expressions tense. Both of them could sense something was off, especially Takeshi, whose instincts were incredibly sharp. Sven tilted his head with a forced grin.

"Don't go serial killer mode on us in the middle of Times Square, man."

Kai exhaled sharply through his nose, forcing his heartbeat to slow. The Blood Vision receded. The veins faded from view.

"Yeah," he muttered. "Got a little… overwhelmed."

Amina and Isaac, meanwhile, hadn't noticed a thing.

Isaac was too busy comparing the city to his hometown, London. "The city looks quite similar, but it's way more mutant-centric here."

Amina's eyes sparkled as she looked around, her head whipping in every direction. This was the biggest city she'd ever seen. The noise. The lights. The people. It was like every sense had been turned up to maximum.

Nadya watched her and smiled quietly.

"She's like a puppy," she said under her breath.

They'd landed somewhere near Times Square, or whatever the rebuilt version of it was now. After the Z-Virus outbreak, New York had been devastated, like every other major city. Destruction, riots, entire blocks wiped out. But the cities that suffered the most… recovered the fastest.

Now, New York was back - and teeming with mutants, both registered and rogue.

This was where the fun started.

And the trouble.

Kai's eyes scanned the crowds again, less bloodthirsty this time, more curious.

'This place feels familiar...'

The thought came unbidden, crawling into his mind like an itch he couldn't scratch. The buildings. The layout. The smell of the city at night. He knew this place. Somewhere, deep down, this had been his home.

'So I'm American…? Or I used to live here at least.'

The thought made him want to explore. Dig deeper. Maybe he'd find something or someone who could give him more pieces of the puzzle.

Just as he was about to speak, something caught his eye.

Across the street, beyond the flickering lights and half-glowing signs, a giant neon billboard lit up the night sky.

Plastered on it was a face.

Familiar.

Unmistakable.

Kai froze.

His breath hitched as his gaze locked onto the image, smiling confidently under a bold tagline in shimmering letters.

His entire body tensed with a sudden surge of anger and disbelief.

"…No way," he whispered.

The others didn't hear him.

But Kai's blood boiled...

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.