The night air in Washington, D.C., was crisp and silent as Timothy and Hughes moved swiftly through the shadowed streets, leaving the chaos of their escape behind. Hughes glanced at Timothy, his mind still lingering on the strange moment back in the room.
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"Why did you call him Taylor?" Hughes finally asked, his voice cautious but curious.
Timothy’s expression didn’t falter. He smirked faintly, as if amused by the question. "Slip of the tongue," he replied coolly, his tone measured and dismissive. "Must’ve reminded me of someone from my past. Nothing more."
Hughes studied him for a moment, then nodded, seemingly satisfied. "Alright," he said, his attention shifting forward again. "Still, that Hutton guy... something about him feels off."
"Don’t waste your energy on him," Timothy said, his voice firm. "Focus on the task at hand. The boss is waiting, and we’ve got another job lined up."
Hughes adjusted his pace, his curiosity pushed aside by Timothy’s commanding tone. "Another job? What’s the target this time?"
"You’ll know soon enough," Timothy replied, his voice cryptic yet calm. He shot a brief glance over his shoulder toward the distant building they’d left behind, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly.
As the pair moved deeper into the city, Timothy’s thoughts raced beneath his composed exterior. Hutton’s presence, his reaction—it wasn’t a coincidence. But for now, he had to keep Hughes in the dark and ensure their next mission went without a hitch.
"Pick up the pace," Timothy urged, his tone sharpening. "The boss doesn’t like to be kept waiting."
With that, the two disappeared into the night, their destination cloaked in secrecy and danger.
Meanwhile, back in the room Hughes and Timothy escaped from, the tension in the room was palpable, the air thick with the aftermath of the explosion and the sudden, chaotic escape of Hughes and Timothy. Hutton stood silently, his jaw clenched, while Bob kept an eye on the damage left behind. The shattered walls and lingering traces of energy in the air were enough to leave both of them unsettled.
Suddenly though, the door suddenly burst open, and Boma stormed in, his expression frantic. "What in the world happened here?" he demanded, his eyes darting around the room before landing on Hutton and Bob.
Bob was the first to respond. "It was Hughes. He escaped with someone else—a man named Timothy. He... he called Hutton by the name ’Taylor’ before they fled."
Boma’s eyes narrowed. "Taylor?" he echoed, confused. He turned his gaze to Hutton, who remained stoic, offering no explanation or reaction.
Bob continued, his tone more cautious now. "It was strange, Boma. Timothy said the name like he knew it meant something to Hutton. But..." Bob glanced at Hutton again, clearly hoping for some clarification.
Hutton, however, didn’t flinch. His gaze was cold, and his voice cut through the room like a blade. "Enough. What’s the next move from here?"
Boma hesitated for a moment, clearly debating whether to press further. But he noticed the determined glint in Hutton’s eyes, the unspoken refusal to dwell on whatever was lingering in his mind. Accepting the shift in focus, Boma straightened and exhaled deeply.
"There’s an ominous presence nearby," he said, his voice low but urgent. "I can’t shake the feeling it’s connected to this." He held up the God Crystal fragment in his hand, its faint, otherworldly glow casting a flickering light across the room.
Bob frowned, stepping closer. "What kind of presence? Are we talking about someone—or something?"
"I don’t know yet," Boma admitted, his tone grim. "But whatever it is, it’s growing stronger. I’ve been feeling it ever since I entered this building. It’s not far from here now."
Hutton’s gaze hardened, his mind already shifting gears. "Then we don’t waste any more time," he said decisively. "We need to track it down and figure out what it wants. If it’s after the God Crystal, we can’t let it fall into the wrong hands."
Boma nodded, his usual composure returning. "Agreed. But we need to move cautiously. If this presence is as powerful as it feels, we can’t afford any mistakes, we will immediately flee to the next location I just confirmed another fragment of the God crystal might be."
"Another fragment? At where?" Bob asked with a surprised look on his face. "Well it’s actually in my hometown" Boma replied with a light nostalgic smile on his face. "It’s in a peculiar state called Lagos in a country named Nigeria which is an African country"
"Well then we will go there if things really go south here" Hutton said in an affirmative tone.
Without another word, Hutton turned and led the way out of the ruined room, his steps firm and unwavering. Whatever personal turmoil Timothy’s reappearance had stirred within him, he was determined to bury it—at least for now. The looming threat of the God Crystal’s power falling into the wrong hands was too great to ignore.
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"We are hear" after a considerable amount of time went by, Timothy finally said as both him and Hughes landed on one of the balconies of a rather grand hotel.
And not wasting a single moment, the balcony doors of the grand hotel swung shut as Timothy and Hughes stepped inside, their breaths steadying after the hurried journey. The opulent suite they entered was dimly lit, its ambiance both luxurious and foreboding. At the center of the room sat an elusive figure in a high-backed chair, shrouded in shadows, his presence commanding and ominous.
In his hands, four fragments of the God Crystal swirled in a mesmerizing dance, radiating an eerie, otherworldly glow that illuminated his face just enough to reveal sharp features and piercing eyes. The fragments pulsed faintly, their light reflecting off the polished marble floor.
Timothy bowed slightly, his tone respectful yet firm. "We’ve returned, sir," he reported, his voice carrying a hint of urgency.
The figure leaned back, seemingly unconcerned. "I know," he said calmly, his voice deep and resonant, laced with an authority that made both Timothy and Hughes stand straighter. "I’ve been monitoring your movements."
Hughes remained silent, standing slightly behind Timothy, his gaze flickering between the glowing fragments and the man before him.
The figure raised one hand, and the fragments momentarily froze in midair before resuming their swirling motion. "Your task was simple, and you’ve completed it adequately, although that George bitch will have to pay extra for making me to lose a considerable amount of men for no reason. Now, the next phase begins."
Timothy’s eyes sharpened, and he took a step forward. "Does this mean you’ve located the next fragment?" he asked, his voice filled with both curiosity and anticipation.
The figure nodded slowly, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Indeed. The next fragment’s location is no longer a mystery. Its presence is drawing closer, more prominent."
Timothy bowed his head again, determination in his tone. "Shall we move to retrieve it immediately?"
A low chuckle escaped the figure’s lips as he shook his head. "No need. This time, the fragment will come to us."
Both Timothy and Hughes exchanged a quick glance, confusion briefly flickering across their faces. "To us?" Hughes finally asked, his voice cautious.
The figure’s gaze turned cold, his smile vanishing. "Yes. The one carrying it doesn’t realize yet that he is being guided straight to our doorstep. All you need to do is prepare yourselves for what comes next."
Timothy and Hughes nodded in unison, their expressions grim but resolute.
As the figure leaned forward, the glowing fragments spun faster, their light casting distorted shadows across the room. "The time is drawing near. This fragment is more powerful than the others. When it arrives, there will be no room for failure."
Timothy placed a hand over his chest, bowing deeply. "We won’t fail you, sir."
The figure waved his hand dismissively. "You’re dismissed. Rest and prepare. The moment approaches."
With that, Timothy and Hughes turned to leave the room, their minds already racing with strategies and anticipation. Behind them, the figure sat unmoving, the glowing fragments casting a sinister glow on his enigmatic expression as the swirling intensified, as if foretelling the chaos to come.
But unbeknownst to both them and Hutton with his gang who are coming towards that same hotel, a figure cooly appeared high up in the clouds right above the hotel. ’Oh? I could feel another presence with the fragments of the God crystal on them’ the figure thought while looking down on the hotel below.
’And this one seems to have quite a few. Seems like I will first go check him out’ The figure continue to think before cooly vanished from that spot high up in the clouds.