The guard folded his arms across the steel door, blocking John and Lara."No names on the list, no entry. House rules."John was about to argue when a voice cut through the bass thumping from behind them. "Step aside."Catherine. She walked up with a cold stare.The guard straightened instantly. "Miss Catherine." "They’re with me," she said, nodding toward John and Lara. Her tone left no room for discussion.The guard’s whole posture changed. "My apologies, Miss. I didn’t know." He quickly hit the buzzer and pulled the heavy door open. "Sorry for the wait," he mumbled to John, eyes down.They went in.Heat hit them first. Then noise. The Velvet Night Club was alive. To the left was the bar, glowing amber, bottles lined up like soldiers while bartenders moved fast, shouting orders over the music. At the right was the dance floor, packed, lights cutting through smoke, bodies moving to the music. Then at the center, a raised fighting ring, surrounded by ropes and screaming cr

The whole club, even dancers had paused and turned to the ring. Kong was in the center, bouncing, shadowboxing. Big guy. Tattoos. Scar over one eye. The crowd's reaction showed they loved him.Across from him, Lara. Hands in her pockets. Bored face. Like she was waiting for a bus.The betting table was packed. "Ten bucks on Kong!" "Fifty!" "Who is the lady anyway?" "She looks so weak." "Even a toddler can beat her," some guy yelled and everyone laughed.The odds board flashed above the ring. KONG: x3LARA: x10Gold Chains was standing near the table, staring at his phone. His whole savings for the month. $8,400. He grinned. "This is my lucky day."He walked to the guy taking bets. A short man with a notepad and a money bag."I’m going all in," Gold Chains said. "For Lara."The room went quiet for a second. Then people started laughing."Are you crazy?" one guy said. "That’s your rent money!""It’s my money," Gold Chains shrugged. "I can do whatever I want with it."Anoth

Samson looked around slowly. He sniffed. "So this is the Velvet," he said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Smells like cheap beer and desperation."Some people gasped. A few fighters at the bar muttered, "Who let him in?" As John and Lara while trying to pick who will fight, he checked his watch and pointed at the ring. "Haven't you guys picked my opponent yet? I don’t have all night. I got 3 more clubs to visit tonight."Vina stepped close to Catherine and kept her voice low. "This guy, John. Do you have any idea if he can fight?"Catherine looked over at John. He was leaning against a pillar, hands in his pockets, looking like he was waiting for a bus. "I have no clue," Catherine said. "I’ve seen him do so many mysterious things. Which were… great… but I’ve never seen him throw a punch."Vina groaned quietly. "That’s great. That’s just great."She turned to Lara, and for the first time she actually looked like she was begging. "Please. You’re the one who beat Kong. You’

In the ring, Samson was talking while fighting. "You see this?" He punched the air and a small fireball shot out. It hit the mat and burned a black spot. "I’m from a very dangerous family called The Flame Family. We’ve been fighting like this for 200 years. You? You’re just a regular guy."He threw a flaming uppercut. John blocked it with both arms. The heat pushed him back a step. The air in velvet got hot as Samson pressed."Give up!" Samson yelled. "Before I burn you!"John didn’t answer. He just kept dodging.Vina was gripping the ring post. "What's John doing?" she whispered to Catherine.“I have no idea.” Catherine replied.After a minute, Samson stopped. Breathing hard, but smiling. "You are quite fast. But it's a matter of time before I get you. You are not even hitting back," he said. "Are you scared?"John shook his head. "I’m just looking.""Looking at what?""Your pattern."Samson laughed. "You think you can—"John moved.He stepped in with a simple jab to Samson’s

At the casino, the slots were ringing and cards were hitting tables. Nadia and John were at a blackjack table, playing low.Nadia’s hand went to her ear. She tapped it once. That was the signal.Outside, four SOO - ‘Secret Operation Officers’ in black vests moved in. Guns under jackets. They pushed through the doors, eyes scanning."Targets in sight?" the captain whispered into comms. No answer. "Repeat. Do you copy?"Static. Nadia’s earpiece was down.The officers spread out. They didn’t see John. They didn’t see Nadia.Everyone in the casino noticed them now. Music got quieter. People saw the shapes of guns. Some froze. Some put their hands under the table.The air got heavy. Everyone was holding their breath.One guy at a slot machine got nervous and coughed. “Ahem.”The captain snapped. He marched over. "Where are they?" he demanded.The man stuttered. "I-I don’t know where they are. They were there. At table 7. A few seconds ago. Then... then they weren’t."The