Arcadia, 4 months ago.
Inside a spacious office, heavy, dark curtains hang, covering windows that stretch from floor to ceiling. Through the large glass, the sprawling cityscape is visible: towering skyscrapers piercing the sky, and crowded streets teeming with movement. A faint light filters through the curtains, casting a tense and shadowy atmosphere in the room.
In the far corner of the room, where the silence grows deeper, one person's voice suddenly rises to break the stillness:
"Oi, Captain Rivander, we're going to be late for the meeting."
The voice of another person, standing by the door, is barely audible as they approach, almost whispering in Rick's ear:
"Rick, you fool, leave him. He's been like this for months."
Rick turns abruptly, bewildered by the tone, and asks for clarification:
Rick: "What? Why?"
The Man, lifting his eyes calmly, responds as though he's already accepted this bitter truth, adding with a slight hint of weariness in his tone.
Man: "Well... I don't have all the details, but it seems it's because of his involvement in that huge scandal related to the death of some woman."
Victor pauses briefly as if assessing the impact of his words, then continues.
Man: "He was there, did nothing to help her, and even mocked her in front of the press... and worst of all... it happened right in front of her child."
Rick, initially calm, is struck with shock, his voice rising in disbelief, as though the words he's hearing are a thunderclap.
Rick: "What?! Victor, are you kidding me? This can't be true, I've never heard of it!"
Victor gives a faint, bitter smile, his face touched by a hint of cruelty, and responds in a low voice, trying to ease the weight of his words.
Victor: "This happened about one year and nine months ago, only a few people know about it… it was by chance that I overheard their conversation about it."
Victor starts to move towards the door, while Rick remains frozen, staring at Rivander, who is lying motionless at his desk. Rivander's head is tilted upward, with an old book placed on his face as if he's trying to escape from the reality that haunts him.
Rick, still in shock, rushes to follow Victor, who continues speaking as he walks.
Victor: "Fortunately for him, President Norman had a strong rapport with us due to the heroic actions we've taken over the years. The council, recognizing the potential fallout, persuaded him to cover up the incident. They feared it would damage our reputation and erode the public's trust in us, undermining their sense of security and belief in our credibility."
Rick breathes heavily, trying to process what he's just heard. His mind floats in a sea of questions, pondering how such a corrupt system can protect inhumane actions and even reward them. He opens his mouth to speak, his voice full of disbelief:
Rick: "Wow... how is that possible?!"
Then, his voice sharpens with a quiet but intense inquiry.
Rick: "And why did he mock that woman in the first place?"
Victor stops at the door for a moment, taking in the atmosphere around him, then responds slowly, as if carefully considering each word:
Victor: "… Well, I still remember when his scandal broke, and he came here right after the incident..."
Victor sighs deeply, and at that moment, Victor drifted away from reality as his memories came rushing back, as if time itself had rewound. Nearly one year and nine months ago, that day had been ominous in every sense of the word. The air was thick with darkness, and the wind howled through the trees in an eerie manner, as if the sky itself was warning of what was to come.
That day, he was eavesdropping outside the room, where a heated argument was unfolding between Rivander and the team members. At first, everything seemed ordinary... routine meetings, professional discussions... but that morning was different. When Rivander entered the hall and then made his way to the room where Maviudas was, his face bore an unusual tension, far from the fearless leader's expression he was known for.
Inside the room.
Rivander, shouted with extreme agitation: "I'll say it again!! I really don't know what happened to me! All I remember is going to stop the armed robbery at the bank!
I don't remember anything after that!! I found myself running non-stop by the river!!
Believe me, Matthew… I swear I didn't do it!!"
Maviudas yelled in fury: "You spoke to the press with utter arrogance and conceit!!! While that woman lay lifeless on the ground, drenched in blood! And her child sobbed and screamed for help!! How dare you do something so disgraceful?! Even the worst villains we've faced weren't this despicable!
Maviudas pauses for a moment, exhales sharply in frustration, then looks back at Rivander.
Maviudas: "Were you… drunk?!"
Rivander, his voice trembling: "N-No! You know I never drink!!"
Maviudas: "Then what?! What!!? What drove you to do such a thing?!!"
As Rivander stood there, his face pale and tense, the other heroes outside the room watched anxiously. Their inability to intervene and de-escalate the situation only heightened the tension. Worry was written in their eyes, as the argument inside grew more intense, as if time itself was holding its breath, waiting for the final verdict.
Maviudas: "Step down…"
Rivander's eyes widened, his face reflecting shock and disbelief as panic slowly crept into his expression.
Rivander: "..W-what?"
Maviudas: "Resign. Step down from your position as leader."
Rivander's face twisted, his features a storm of anguish and silent torment. His breath was uneven, his knuckles white as his hands clenched involuntarily. The air in the room felt heavier, suffocating, pressing down on him like an unseen force.
Then, without warning, the door flew open with a sharp crack against the wall. A gust of air rushed in from the hallway, stirring the tension already thick in the room. Agnes strode in with determined steps, her piercing blue eyes burning with barely restrained fury.
Agnes: "How dare you, Maviudas?!"
Her voice, sharp and unwavering, cut through the silence like a blade.
Maviudas, standing tall and unyielding, exhaled slowly, as if releasing a weight only he could feel. He closed his eyes for a fleeting second before opening them again, his gaze unreadable.
Maviudas: "Not now, Agnes..."
His voice was calm, yet there was an unmistakable edge to it... one that carried both exhaustion and warning.
Agnes took a sharp step forward, her chest rising and falling with barely contained fury. Her piercing blue eyes locked onto Maviudas, burning with defiance.
Agnes: "He made a mistake, but you have no right to force him out of his position! He's carried the weight of this team on his back since the very beginning! Every mission, every decision, every sacrifice... he bore it all! And now, when he stumbles, you discard him like he means nothing?! How could you say this now?!!"
Maviudas didn't flinch. His gaze remained steady, unreadable, a stark contrast to the storm raging in Agnes's voice.
Maviudas: "This isn't the only mistake he's made… Do I need to remind you of what he did after his girlfriend died?"
A crackling silence followed. The air in the room grew unbearably heavy. Rivander's fingers twitched at his sides, his nails digging into his palms. His breath hitched, almost imperceptibly, but Agnes noticed... she always did.
And then, in a blur of motion, she lunged.
Her hand shot up, palm open, ready to strike Maviudas across the face. But before she could make contact, another hand... firm, unyielding... caught her wrist mid-air.
Rivander.
His grip wasn't forceful, but it was absolute. His touch alone stopped her completely, his presence grounding the moment in place like the calm before a storm.
Rivander, voice low and weighted: "Enough."
The word wasn't a command, nor a plea... it was something deeper, heavier, a raw plea for silence, for restraint, for something neither of them could quite name.
Maviudas remained still, his face devoid of reaction, but his eyes… there was something there. A flicker of something fleeting. Not regret, not anger... something colder, something final.
Agnes wrenched her hand free, her face contorted with rage and disbelief.
Agnes, voice trembling with fury: "You heartless bastard... How dare you?!"
Rivander exhaled sharply, his voice cutting through the tension like a dull blade.
Rivander: "Stop…"
A plea. A warning. A whisper lost in the weight of everything unsaid.
Agnes turned to him, her voice trembling between anger and denial: "But this isn't…!!"
Rivander paused for a moment, as if the words themselves weighed on him, then spoke in a quiet yet resolute tone.
Rivander: "I will step down…"
Agnes froze, her eyes widening in shock, while Maviudas remained still, his expression unreadable.
Agnes, her voice faltering, barely a whisper: "What are you saying? How can you say that? It was just a mistake! You can't just-..."
But Rivander cut her off suddenly, his voice rising sharply and unexpectedly, as if something inside him had finally snapped.
Rivander: "Enough!!!"
The room echoed with the force of his words, as if the very walls trembled beneath the weight of the emotions that consumed him.
Then, in a lower voice... one that carried the crushing weight of his torment... he continued:
Rivander: "I... I... feel... ashamed…
A shame that crushes me…
Like a weight gnawing at me from within...
Like I'm nothing more than a faded shadow of who I once was…
I can't go back as if nothing happened… I can't even look at you without this shame devouring me…"
Slowly, as if every movement demanded immense effort, he reached for the leadership emblem pinned to his chest... the emblem that bore the team's insignia, a symbol that now felt unbearably heavy.
He held it for a moment, his fingers tightening around the cold metal, before placing it on the table with a soft yet resounding finality.
He said nothing more.
He didn't even look at them.
All he did was turn around, and leave.
And behind him, the air remained thick... heavy with emptiness… suffocating with uncertainty… and filled with a silence that carried everything left unspoken.
Agnes: "W-wait!!"
Her voice cracked with desperation as she lunged forward, reaching out as if to grasp something slipping through her fingers.
But before she could take another step, Maviudas's hand shot out, firm yet controlled, gripping her arm just enough to hold her back.
Maviudas, his voice calm but unyielding: "Let him go… This is better for him."
Agnes struggled against his hold, her breaths sharp, her eyes burning with frustration.
Maviudas, unwavering: "You'll only deepen his regret and frustration if you keep pushing."
For a moment, there was silence... one that teetered between restraint and the storm brewing within her.
Then, in a voice laced with fury and something dangerously close to heartbreak, she spat out:
Agnes: "You arrogant, cold-hearted fool!! Do you even know what he went through back then?!"
Her words cracked like a whip, raw and piercing, yet Maviudas didn't flinch.
Agnes: "Do you have any idea how much we suffered with him, while he tore himself apart and destroyed everything around him?! Where were you then?! Were you off handling your business affairs, making money while your closest friend was drowning in agony?!"
He simply met her gaze... steady, unwavering, unreadable... while behind them, the weight of what had just transpired settled like an unshakable shadow in the room.
Maviudas, his voice steady, unwavering: "Agnes, don't mistake mercy for recklessness. We are not here to coddle failure or drown in sympathy for weakness.
We exist because the world needs heroes who do not crumble beneath guilt... but wield failure as a weapon to rise higher."
His gaze darkened, the weight of his words pressing into the silence between them.
Maviudas: "What happened wasn't just a mistake… it was a betrayal... of trust, of duty, of the millions who look to us for strength."
He took a slow step forward, his presence looming, deliberate.
Maviudas: "A true hero does not allow himself to be consumed by regret. He gathers the shattered pieces of his failure and reforges himself anew, stronger, sharper.
And if we are not the ones who draw the line between resilience and ruin… then tell me, Agnes... who will stop this world from collapsing under its own weight?"
His voice lingered, heavy with conviction.
Agnes yanked her arm away, her face filled with frustration. Maviudas continued, his tone unwavering.
Maviudas: "And also… I don't plan on keeping him out of his position forever… I'll reinstate him once things settle down, and the public and investigators forget about this incident.
Sure, President Norman Harkin won't let us fall... after all, we're the backbone of this city and a crucial part of Waves' power.
But don't forget, we're not the only strength he has. There are plenty of heroes, including others from the new generation.
Nothing guarantees he won't replace us if he ever deems us… useless."
Maviudas turned slowly, his gaze sharp yet unreadable, as if he had locked away his emotions in an impenetrable vault. Without another word, he stepped out, leaving Agnes alone to face a deeply consequential decision... one that wavered between the team's best interests and her loyalty to a friend she couldn't easily abandon.
She remained in place, her heart pounding violently, thoughts entangled like a web of contradictions. Her eyes were fixed on the empty space he had left behind.
Should she have done more? Could she have changed anything?
But time had no mercy.
End of Victor's Memories
The soft echo of footsteps filled the end of the dimly lit corridor. Rick and Victor walked side by side, their voices low, as if the past still lingered in the air around them.
Rick, contemplative: "So… this is the real reason Rivander stepped down as team leader?"
Victor, his tone steady: "Yes. While Maviudas was the one managing the team with precision, Rivander was its driving force on the battlefield... the hand that brought down criminals and dismantled some of the world's most dangerous organizations."
He paused, as if recalling long-buried memories, then continued: "That's why they ended up leading together."
Rick, smirking slightly: "So that celebration a year ago… it wasn't just about some victory, was it? The bastards told me it was just a normal victory party when I asked."
Victor, with a faint smile: "Well, a large part of the team's public image and influence is tied to Rivander. Maviudas understands that better than anyone."
Rick glanced at Victor, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "In your opinion… if Rivander and Maviudas fought one-on-one, who would win?"
Victor, raising an eyebrow: "Oh… that already happened a long time ago. Rivander won."
He paused, then added in a lower, more serious tone: "But… if they were fighting to kill each other… I think the outcome would be entirely different."
The Present
Raymar – Steel Hotel, Midnight
Inside the dimly lit office, where long shadows stretched across the walls, Nott stood in front of Lorian, her sharp eyes fixed on him without the slightest hint of unease.
In the corner of the room, Ken and Landon observed in silence, their gazes locked onto every movement, like hunters waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The air was thick with tension... not fear, but something far deeper… something akin to an unspoken test of dominance.
Seated behind her desk, Lorian held a golden stopwatch in her left hand, her fingers tapping lightly against its metallic surface. The only sound in the room was the rhythmic ticking of the clock, slow and steady, setting the pace for whatever was about to unfold.
There wasn't a single sign of anxiety on her face. She wasn't in a rush.
On the contrary... she knew exactly what would happen… and when.
Each passing second made the silence denser, as if time itself were slowing down.
And then, finally, the last hand of the clock stopped.
~ Click. ~
A sharp, deliberate sound shattered the stillness, marking the end of the countdown.
No one moved.
No one blinked.
They had all been waiting for this moment.
And at last… it was time to act.