Jay’s Pov:
Sunday morning was peaceful.
Almost suspiciously peaceful.
I woke late, tied my hair into a messy bun, and walked downstairs in an oversized T-shirt.
No school.
No arguments.
No Section E.
No explanations.
I made breakfast and sat at the dining table.
For once, nothing seemed urgent.
I smiled.
Jayjay: “Maybe I actually get one peaceful day.”
My phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
One message.
Want them alive?
Come to the old warehouse.
A photograph followed.
I opened it.
My expression changed.
Not from fear.
Recognition.
Keifer.
Yuri.
Ci-N.
Eman.
Kit.
Calix.
Blaster.
Edrix.
Eren.
Mayo.
Josh.
Denzel.
Felix.
Rory.
David.
Aris.
Angelo.
All unconscious.
Then I noticed the symbol in the corner of the photograph.
I stared at it.
A small smile appeared.
Jayjay: “Of course.”
I already knew who was behind it.
Alex.
He had known me since childhood.
He knew exactly what would make me come.
I changes my clothes.
I didn’t call anyone.
I didn’t need help.
Not yet.
THE OLD WAREHOUSE
The warehouse stood at the edge of an abandoned industrial district.
Rust-covered walls.
Broken windows.
A massive metal door.
I stepped inside.
The door slammed shut behind me.
Forty men stood throughout the building.
Highly trained bodyguards.
In the center were Section E, Aris, and Angelo.
All were tied to chairs.
Others were still unconscious.
Yuri woke first.
Yuri: “Where are we?”
Ci-N stirred.
Ci-N: “What happened?”
Eman groaned.
Eman: “Why does my head hurt?”
Kit looked around.
Then saw me.
Kit: “Jayjay?”
More heads turned.
Keifer’s eyes opened.
The moment he saw me standing alone, his expression changed.
Keifer: “Jay…”
I didn’t answer.
A bodyguard stepped forward.
Bodyguard: “You’re the one who came?”
I tilted my head.
Jayjay: “You expected someone else?”
He laughed.
Bodyguard: “You should have brought protection.”
I smiled.
Jayjay: “I did.”
He looked behind me.
There was nobody.
His smile widened.
Bodyguard: “Where?”
I looked directly at him.
Jayjay: “Me.”
He attacked.
The first punch came toward my face.
I moved aside.
His fist missed.
I caught his arm, redirected his momentum, and sent him crashing down.
Another came from behind.
I ducked.
Turned.
Dropped him.
A third rushed from the left.
Then another.
Then five.
Then ten.
The warehouse erupted.
The others shouted.
I didn’t.
I moved.
Fast.
Controlled.
Every attack was read before it reached me.
One man tried grabbing me from behind.
I turned before his hand touched me.
Another swung.
I blocked.
Another charged.
I stepped aside.
The fight became a blur of movement.
One after another, the bodyguards fell.
Until there was nothing left.
Forty men.
All down.
I stood in the center of the warehouse.
My breathing was steady.
Only a tiny cut marked my arm.
I glanced at it.
Jayjay: “That’s annoying.”
I ignored it.
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Yuri was the first.
Yuri: “What the hell was that?”
Ci-N stared at the unconscious bodyguards.
Ci-N: “You fought all forty of them?”
Eman looked genuinely stunned.
Eman: “Since when can you fight like that?”
Kit’s eyes moved between me and the fallen men.
Kit: “How did you know where every attack was coming from?”
Calix swallowed.
Calix: “Those guys weren’t amateurs.”
Blaster shook his head.
Blaster: “You’re not even tired.”
Edrix looked confused.
Edrix: “What kind of street fighting training have you had?”
Eren stared at the bodies.
Eren: “You came here alone knowing this could happen?”
Mayo looked offended.
Mayo: “Can someone untie us now?!”
Josh was still staring.
Josh: “You actually came because they threatened us?”
Denzel’s expression was unreadable.
Denzel: “Who are you?”
Felix looked at the fallen men.
Felix: “You didn’t hesitate even once.”
Rory noticed my arm.
Rory: “You’re bleeding.”
I glanced down.
Jayjay: “It’s a scratch.”
David looked at me for a long moment.
David: “How long have you been able to fight like that?”
I shrugged.
Jayjay: “Long enough.”
That answer only confused them more.
They came to one conclusion.
I was simply a terrifyingly skilled street fighter.
Exactly what I wanted them to believe.
Aris finally woke properly.
He looked around the warehouse.
Then at the forty unconscious men.
Then at me.
Angelo stared.
Angelo: “She took down all of them?”
Aris nodded slowly.
Aris: “Apparently.”
Angelo looked at me.
Angelo: “Jayjay, are you insane?”
I walked past him.
Jayjay: “Probably.”
Mayo struggled against his restraints.
Mayo: “Can somebody please help us?”
I looked at him.
Jayjay: “The knot is loose.”
Everyone looked down.
Josh pulled his hands apart.
The rope came free.
His eyes widened.
Josh: “You knew?”
Jayjay: “Obviously.”
One by one, they freed themselves.
Aris stood.
Angelo helped him
David looked at the ropes.
Then at me.
David: “You knew they were loose the entire time?”
Jayjay: “Yes.”
David: “Then why didn’t you tell us?”
I shrugged.
Jayjay: “You were busy panicking.”
Mayo looked offended.
Mayo: “We were kidnapped!”
Jayjay: “And now you’re not.”
That shut him up.
Blaster folded his arms.
Blaster: “You really don’t care about anyone, do you?”
My expression hardened.
Jayjay: “Wrong.”
I looked directly at him.
Jayjay: “I care about the people I choose.”
Then my gaze moved across the group.
Cold.
Unforgiving.
Jayjay: “Everyone else earns their place.”
Keifer watched me.
That sentence hit him harder than the others.
I walked toward an old wooden table.
Pulled out a chair.
Sat down.
Everyone stared.
Mayo blinked.
Mayo: “She’s actually sitting down?”
Josh looked at Denzel.
Josh: “What is she waiting for?”
I crossed one leg over the other.
Jayjay: “Someone.”
Yuri frowned.
Yuri: “Who?”
I looked toward the upper level.
A small smile touched my lips.
Jayjay: “You already know.”
I tapped my fingers against the table.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
Jayjay: “Come out, Alex.”
Everyone looked around.
Nothing.
I sighed.
Jayjay: “I’m not in the mood for games.”
A laugh came from above.
Footsteps sounded against the metal staircase.
Someone appeared.
Alex.
He walked down slowly.
His eyes immediately went to my arm.
His expression tightened.
Alex: “You’re hurt.”
I looked at the cut.
Jayjay: “Barely.”
He stepped closer.
Alex: “I told them not to touch you.”
I gave him a cold look.
Jayjay: “And apparently they don’t listen.”
He glanced toward the unconscious men.
Then back at me.
Alex: “I didn’t bring you here to hurt you.”
Jayjay: “You kidnapped an entire group of people.”
Alex: “I needed you to come.”
Jayjay: “You could have asked.”
He gave me a look.
Alex: “Would you have come?”
I said nothing.
He already knew the answer.
No.
Alex looked at me for a long moment.
Alex: “You’re still the same.”
My eyes hardened.
Jayjay: “You’re not.”
That wiped the smile from his face.
We had once been close.
Then I discovered what he was involved in.
Drug smuggling.
A world I wanted nothing to do with.
I had walked away.
No second chances.
No explanations.
Just distance.
Alex looked down.
Alex: “I never stopped caring about you.”
Jayjay: “Caring doesn’t give you the right to drag people into your problems.”
He nodded.
Alex: “I know.”
His voice became quieter.
Alex: “That’s why I kept you away.”
I laughed once.
Jayjay: “By kidnapping people?”
He didn’t answer.
I stood.
Walked toward him.
Stopped a few steps away.
Jayjay: “You underestimated me.”
Alex gave a faint smile.
Alex: “I did.”
Then his expression became serious.
Alex: “But there’s something you need to know.”
My eyes narrowed.
Jayjay: “What?”
He looked around the warehouse.
Then back at me.
Alex: “Someone else is looking for you.”
The air changed.
Jayjay: “Who?”
Alex: “I don’t know yet.”
I stared at him.
Jayjay: “Then how do you know?”
Alex: “Because they asked about you.”
He continued.
Alex: “Where you go. Who you’re close to. Who protects you.”
My expression became colder.
Alex: “And they’ve been watching Section E too.”
I didn’t respond immediately.
The information fit too neatly with the symbol I’d already found.
Someone was watching.
And it wasn’t random.
Alex noticed my arm again.
Alex: “Let me see that.”
Jayjay: “It’s nothing.”
Alex: “Jay.”
I held out my arm.
He cleaned the small cut and wrapped it properly.
The others watched.
Ci-N whispered to Eman.
Ci-N: “They must have known each other for a long time.”
Eman nodded.
Eman: “Definitely.”
Kit watched carefully.
Kit: “She actually lets him help her.”
Calix frowned.
Calix: “Who is he?”
I answered before anyone else could.
Jayjay: “Someone from my past.”
That was all they got.
Aris looked at Alex.
Then at me.
He didn’t ask again.
Angelo crossed his arms.
He was clearly suspicious, but even he couldn’t figure out what was really happening.
To them, Alex was simply an old friend with a complicated history.
And I was still Jayjay.
A street fighter who happened to be far more dangerous than they had ever realized.
Nothing more.