Ruining The Grounds Of Hell  – Episode 10

  –ɪs ɪᴛ ᴀ ʜᴀᴘᴘɪʏ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ᴀғᴛᴇʀ..–

♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤♤

“He’s… my ex.”

Noah smirked, but the triumph on his face faded fast when he saw Hades.

Hades stared at Bluey like she had just ripped something out of him. His breath hitched, lips parting as if he couldn’t process the words.

Then—like something in him finally cracked, tears slipped down his face.

“I’ll… wait for you in the car,” Hades said quietly, voice breaking.

He turned around and walked away before either of them could say anything.

Noah’s eyes followed him until he disappeared, then he looked back at Bluey.

“You two broke up?” he asked.

“No.”

“Then how is he your ex?”

“Noah, can we not talk about him?” she said softly. “I… don’t want to. Please.”

Noah nodded slowly.

“I guess I lost my chance then,” He said with a weak smile. “If you really love him, it’s fine. I won’t interfere. It just… hurts.”

“Hey…” Bluey reached out slightly. “I’m sorry, okay? I just wasn’t expecting to fall in love with him. It happened so—”

“You don’t have to explain yourself to me,” Noah cut in gently. “It’s okay. Really. But if he hurts you, I’m taking you away from him.”

Bluey let out a quiet chuckle.

Noah changed the subject. “Has Raul told you anything?”

“He wants to talk to all the legacies so we can join forces,” she said. “If we don’t deal with Rue, Capo, and Dean soon, they’ll come for us.”

“Alright. I’ll update you if I get anything. And… tell Sergio to call his big brother once in a while. I think he’s forgotten about me.”

“Well, he has a boyfriend now,” Bluey said. “He’s pretty busy…”

“Sergio has a boyfriend? How did I not know this?”

“Don’t ask me—ask him.” She stepped back. “I’ll be leaving now.”

“Sure. Take care of yourself,” Noah said, ruffling her hair.

“You too.” Bluey smiled lightly and walked away.

—

Bluey walked toward the car and found Hades leaning against it, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the ground.

“Are they back?” she asked.

“Not yet,” Hades answered quietly.

She nodded and moved to the other side of the car. Her hand had barely reached the door handle when his voice stopped her.

“Am I really your ex?” Hades asked. “We didn’t break up.”

She turned. “So what if I want to break up? Huh?”

“I won’t let you,” he said.

She stepped closer, chin raised. “You won’t let me? You seriously think you have a say in that?”

“Yes,” Hades replied immediately.

He closed the distance between them in two steps. His hand came up, fingers curling under her chin to lift her face toward his.

Bluey didn’t look away. Neither did he.

The air between them felt heavy. Her chest rose and fell slowly. His thumb brushed her jaw, but not softly—like he needed to feel she was actually standing there.

“I won’t let you leave me,” he said, voice low. “You’ll have to kill me first.”

They stared into each other’s eyes. Hades’ stare was full of fear, possessiveness, and something that burned too strongly.

Bluey’s was conflicted—hurt, angry, but still drawn to him.

“Hey guys!” Hyce’s voice cut in from a distance.

Bluey blinked first. Hades dropped his hand but didn’t look away until the last second.

“We’ll talk once we get back,” he said, turning and walking toward the other side of the car.

Trevor reached them. “You ready to go now?”

“Yeah,” Bluey said, exhaling.

They all got into the car, and Trevor drove off, the tension still thick in the air.

—–
★𝐃’𝐑𝐔𝐄 𝐕𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚★

The villa was quiet in a dangerous way. No single sound, no footsteps except the distant patrols of Rue’s private guards. The three shadows slipping over the back wall didn’t make a sound.

Gomez landed first, crouching behind a trimmed hedge.

Morgan followed, rolling lightly onto the grass.

Sergio dropped down last, adjusting the black gloves on his hands.

Gomez scanned the expansive backyard. “This woman is ridiculous. Why does she need this many guards?”

“Ego,” Sergio muttered. “And paranoia.”

They moved in a low crouch, sticking close to the walls. A guard exited a side door, yawning, stretching. Morgan lifted her hand signaling them to stop.

They pressed flat against the wall until he wandered off. When he turned a corner, Morgan grabbed Sergio’s arm.

“Go. Now.”

They slipped inside through the same door the guard had used. It opened into a polished hallway with marble floors.

“This place creeps me out,” Gomez whispered.

Sergio checked the hall in both directions. “Our goal is to find her room to get the tablet first. If we don’t find it, we can’t even get into Mavka’s system.”

“Which room do you think is hers?” Gomez asked.

They started up the staircase, each step silent.

Halfway up, they heard two maids chatting while heading down.

Morgan grabbed Gomez and shoved him behind a statue alcove. Sergio slipped behind a tall plant pot pillar.

The maids walked right past, laughing, complaining about Rue’s demands. As soon as they were gone, Sergio exhaled.

“Too close.”

“I guess her room’s down that hall judging from where the maids came out.” Morgan said, voice low and firm.

They reached the top floor—an open corridor with several doors. Gomez peered around the corner. “Two guards.”

“I’ll take left,” Morgan said.

“And I’ll take right,” Sergio finished.

They crouched, counted silently—three… two… one…

Morgan sprinted forward first, wrapping her arm around the guard’s neck and pressing his mouth shut. He struggled, kicked back, then collapsed unconscious.

Sergio slammed the other into the wall with enough force to disorient him before elbowing him in the jaw. The guard collapsed silently.

Gomez dragged the bodies into an empty utility room and closed the door.

“Rue’s suite… should be right—there.”

Her door was double in size, polished black, with gold handles.

They approached, staying alert for sensors. Sergio pulled out a small device and held it to the door. It blinked green.

“No alarm,” he whispered. “She relies on her guards too much.”

He pushed the door open.

The suite was massive—two walk-in closets, a vanity table, an oversized bed, three screens mounted on the walls. Everything inside was white, gold, or marble. Gomez whistled under his breath.

Morgan immediately crouched, already searching drawers.

Sergio moved to the desk. “The tablet must be here. If we get it, we can disable the chip before Rue kills Hades.”

Gomez stopped and turned. “I still can’t believe it.”

“What?” Morgan asked without looking up.

“That Hades is the Joker.”

Sergio froze mid-search.

Morgan paused too.

Gomez leaned on the wall, arms crossed. “I mean…Hades. He doesn’t look like someone to follow orders or have a weakness. Mr. Emotionless. That guy?”

Sergio shook his head. “Makes sense to me.”

“How?” Gomez whispered loudly.

“He’s dangerous,” Sergio replied. “I think that’s pretty much enough reason for him to do stuff like that.”

Morgan agreed. “I always sensed he was up to no good. I mean I never really liked that guy, but I didn’t expect him to do all that. But it fits. The precision. The ruthlessness, I wouldn’t even doubt it.”

Gomez sighed.

“Focus. Rue’s tablet—” Sergio opened the bottom drawer and froze. “Found it, I guess.”

Morgan rushed over. “Is it locked?”

“Of course.” Sergio held it up. “But with this, we can access the connection to the chip. Maybe even rewrite the commands.”

Gomez smirked.

Sergio tapped the screen, showing them faint schematics.

“This isn’t just a control chip. The chip Rue installed inside Hades’s brain behaves like a digital explosive. It’s more like a digital bomb we need to denote and the control server….must be Mavka.”

Morgan went pale. “She turned him into a walking time bomb…”

“And Mavka controls the actual detonation,” Sergio added. “So we need her to disable it.”

“How do we find her? We’re not even sure if she’s here. We’re running out of time.” Gomez swallowed.

Morgan looked at Sergio. “We need to find her. Now.”

“Hold on. Something’s wrong.”Sergio said.

“What is it?”Morgan asked.

“How is it possible that we’re here and we’ve not been caught?”Sergio asked.

“Oh my God, CCTV!!”Morgan gasped.

“We need to get out of here -“

The door slammed open.

They spun around as five guards stormed into the suite with guns raised.

“Don’t move!”

Gomez lifted his hands slowly. “Shit…”

From behind the guards, Rue herself stepped in, wearing a silk robe and sipping tea.

“Well, well,” she smiled coldly. “My darling students inside my house and paying me a visit? Isn’t that adorable?”

Morgan clenched her jaw. “Rue—”

“Save it,” Rue snapped, waving her hand. Guards moved in and grabbed them roughly.

“I knew you’d eventually come for Mavka. And the tablet the minute I sensed something was wrong after the ball. I knew we still had a lot of spies around.”She scoffed.

She smirked at Sergio.

“Smart boy. Too bad you and your conspirers won’t get past me easily.” Rue said.

Gomez struggled but was slammed to the floor.

Rue continued, “Take them back to MIA. Lock them with the others.”

“Ma’am, what about the others at MIA?”

Rue turned to Dora, who had just entered the room.

“Dora, once the group who went on a mission returns, I want you to lock down MIA, seize their cellphones and lock them up. Nobody is getting out of that school alive.”

“Yes ma’am,” Dora bowed.

“And if they fight back,” Rue added casually, “…kill them all. I don’t really care.”

The guards dragged Sergio, Morgan, and Gomez out of the suite.

—–
★𝐌𝐈𝐀★

The moment Trevor parked the car at the school gates, something felt wrong. Just guards forming a line like they’d been waiting.

Hyce leaned forward. “Why does this look like a creepy trap.”

He didn’t finish. The guards surged toward the car, yanking the doors open.

“Hey— what the hell?!” Hyce shouted as two guards seized his arms and ripped his phone away.

Bluey was grabbed next, wrists pinned behind her as another guard snatched her bag.

Hades reacted instantly.

“Will you f+king let go—”He twisted the guard’s wrist, trying to slam him into the pavement.

But before he could finish the takedown, three more guards pointed guns at him.

“Everyone calm down.”Trevor raised his hands halfway, eyes sharp.

Hades didn’t. He pulled his pistol in one clean movement, jaw set, eyes cold.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”A slow, firm voice cut through the chaos.

They turned.

Miss Dora stood at the front doors, hands clasped behind her back, expression composed but dangerous.

“Just what is this about?”Trevor glared at her.

“Don’t try to play dumb,” she said, walking toward them with controlled steps.

Bluey narrowed her eyes. “You’re the one playing dumb right now.”

The slap came out of nowhere.

A sharp crack echoed through the courtyard as Dora’s palm struck Bluey’s face hard enough to split her lip.

Bluey staggered, catching herself on her knee.

“Bluey!” Hyce struggled against the guards.

“You bastard!” Hades lunged, fist already swinging, and then he froze.

Not physically.
Violently.

His entire body jerked as a sharp electric sting shot through his skull. He dropped to one knee, clutching his head with a guttural sound he couldn’t suppress.

“Hades!” Bluey scrambled to him, gripping his shoulders. “Are you okay? Look at me—”

Trevor shoved Dora back. “Can you stop it?! Why are you doing that to him?!”

Dora ignored him completely.

Her eyes remained on Hades. Cold. Analytical.

“Take them to the cell,” she ordered, turning away as though the scene bored her. “And bring Hades to my office.”

Guards moved instantly.

Hyce and Trevor were dragged toward the lower building.

Bluey held onto Hades until the guards pried her off him, forcing her to her feet.

As they pulled him upright, Hades lifted his head slowly, eyes dark with pain and fury, but he couldn’t stand straight.

The shock in his skull hit again.

Dora didn’t even look back.

The gates shut behind them with a heavy metallic thud.

—–
★𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐚𝐥’𝐬 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞★

Miss Dora leaned on her desk, arms crossed. Rue sat casually on the sofa, legs crossed, fingers tapping the armrest.

Capo lounged beside her, chewing gum like a wild animal.

The second Hades walked in, Capo smirked.

“Look who’s back.” Capo said.

Hades didn’t respond. His head still throbbed from the forced activation of the chip, but he held his posture firm.

“What on earth is all this about?” he asked, voice steady.

Rue finally lifted her eyes.

“Did you know,” Rue said slowly, “…that almost everyone in MIA betrayed the school today?”

Hades didn’t blink.

Rue stood and walked toward him.

“They were at my villa. MY villa. Doing God knows what. And you—” she pointed at him, “—were conveniently the reason they were there.”

Hades remained silent.

Capo stood up next. He stretched his neck, rolled his shoulders, then walked directly to Hades with a mocking grin.

“I remember telling you to find the spy,” Rue said behind him. “You were too slow. Too distracted. Too soft.”

Capo let out a low laugh.

“Soft.” He circled Hades. “All because of a woman.”

Hades’ fist tightened, but he didn’t react.

Capo moved in front of him again.

“So tell me…” Capo said, voice lowering.
“Why did you let them infiltrate the villa? Why did you let them betray the school?”

Nothing.

Hades didn’t flinch. Didn’t defend himself. Didn’t offer an excuse.

Capo smirked again.

“Motherf+ker…” He stepped close, almost whispering. “…you knew exactly who the spies were.”

Then Capo punched him across the face — a full swing meant to drop him.

The sound echoed through the room.

Hades staggered a step but didn’t fall. Blood trailed from his lip. He looked up slowly, breathing hard, eyes turning darker and darker.

Rue watched him carefully.

Capo grabbed Hades by the collar and slammed him into the wall. Hades didn’t fight back.

Capo hit him again, a heavy punch straight to his jaw. Hades dropped to the floor, dazed, blood running from his mouth.

Capo kicked him in the ribs.
Another kick.
Another.

Hades coughed, hand on the floor, trying to push himself up. Capo’s boot pressed on his shoulder, shoving him back down.

“What gave you the guts to betray me?” Capo barked. “Huh? What the hell made you think you could play hero?”

Hades stared at the floor, blood dripping from his nose. Capo grabbed his hair and yanked his head up.

“Answer me.”

Hades finally snapped.

“Cause I’m tired!” he shouted, voice shaking. “You think I like being controlled every second? You think I enjoy any of this?”

Capo froze.

Hades shoved his foot away and sat up, chest heaving.

“You’re murderers. All of you. Evil. You don’t care about anyone or anything. And I’m done being your weapon.”

Capo’s jaw tightened. Rue watched, expression unreadable.

“I’m tired of all of you.”Hades wiped the blood running down his chin, still breathing hard.

The room went silent.

Capo glared down at him like he couldn’t believe Hades had actually said it.

“So that’s how you feel,” Rue said. “Good. That makes this easier.”

Capo wiped his knuckles with a handkerchief. “You’re going to die slow. Painful. And every single one of your friends will follow. Nobody will save you. Nobody can.”

Rue walked to the door and opened it wider. Two guards stepped inside.

“Take him away,” Rue said. “I want him restrained. He doesn’t get to die yet.”

The guards lifted Hades off the floor, dragging him by the arms. His head hung forward, blood running down his chin, but his eyes were still sharp and angry as they pulled him out of the office.

Rue shut the door behind them.

—–
★ 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐥★

“How on earth did they even find out?” Bluey asked.

They all sat inside the large holding cell. The metal doors were locked from outside. Guards walked back and forth, watching the door closely.

Sergio sighed. “I don’t know. But Rue said she already expected us to come for her. She must’ve realized someone was still spying from us.”

Hyce leaned back against the wall. “She probably assumed Hades betrayed her and would try to deactivate the chip in his brain. That’s why she was prepared.”

Hugo frowned. “So what about Hades? Is he even alive? What if they already killed him?”

“Won’t it be better if he dies?” Natasha muttered.

“Natasha, seriously?” Dawn shot her a glare. “You don’t have to be so mean. We’ve already agreed it wasn’t his fault.”

Natasha shrugged. “His connections aside… Hades wasn’t a good person.”

“He wasn’t bad either,” Nia said.

“Don’t defend that murderer, Nia,” Natasha snapped.

The cell door banged open. A guard stepped in. “Would you all shut up?!”

Natasha rolled her eyes and looked away.

Morgan raised her hands slightly. “Look—can we stop fighting? They want to kill all of us. Arguing isn’t going to help. We need to think of something.”

“Move in.”Another guard called from outside.

Hades walked in slowly.

Everyone stared at him. His face was covered in blood—dried and fresh. There were cuts on his cheek and brow. His shirt was torn at the collar, stained dark.

He didn’t say anything. He walked past them, went to the nearest wall, and sat down. He rested his forehead on his arms, elbows on his knees. His breathing was uneven.

Hugo approached first and tapped his arm. “Hey.”

Hades lifted his head. His eyes were tired and red.

“You okay?” Hyce asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine. Don’t worry,” Hades muttered.

Hugo stared at the wound near his eye. “Won’t they at least get a nurse? That injury looks bad.”

“I said I’m fine,” Hades repeated. “This is nothing.”

Across the room, Natasha clicked her tongue and looked away. Gomez nudged her.

“Be nice for once,” Gomez whispered.

“Whatever. I don’t want to share a room with him,” Natasha muttered.

Hades turned toward her slowly. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “For what I did… to your sister.”

Natasha froze. Her jaw clenched.

“I’m really sorry. If I could do anything—anything—to bring her back, I would,” Hades said.

“But you can’t!” Natasha suddenly yelled. Tears filled her eyes. “You can’t bring her back to life!”

“I know,” Hades whispered. “I’m sorry. All of you. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

Trevor stepped forward. “You don’t need to keep apologizing. We get it. And out of everyone here, you suffered more than anyone. You were manipulated. We don’t even know when they’re planning to kill you, and we can’t stop it.”

Loci crossed his arms. “Hades… what did they say to you in there?”

Hades took a shaky breath. “They’re planning to kill us. All of us.”

Morgan blinked. “Are they insane?”

“Guys, calm down,” Sergio said. “We’re not dead yet. We still have time to plan something.”

Hades looked away and at Bluey, and Bluey was already watching him. She didn’t speak. She just stared.

“Are you two going to keep staring like that?” Dawn asked.

Nia nudged her. “Let them talk. Give them space.”

The others shifted to the far side of the cell.

Hades walked over to Bluey. She wiped the blood on his forehead with her scarf.

“Does it hurt?” she asked softly.

He didn’t answer that.

“You’re still mine, right?” he asked instead.

“What made you think I’m not?” she said.

“That Noah guy—”

“He’s Sergio’s brother,” she cut in. “And yes, we had some chemistry years ago. But I never loved him. He knows that. I told him I’m in love with you.”

Hades held her chin gently and looked into her eyes. “I love you, Bluey. And I’ll make it up to you. For hurting you.”

“You don’t have to,” she said. “I forgive you. I only said those things because I was hurt. It wasn’t your fault.”

“We’ll get out of here alive,” Hades said. “And then we’ll start over. Together.”

“Promise?” she whispered.

“Promise.”

He leaned in to kiss her.

Trevor yanked Hades back by the collar.

“You really think I’m going to let you kiss her? She’s my sister, you idiot!” Trevor snapped.

“Sister?!” everyone shouted from the other side of the cell.

Morgan laughed. “Complicated story.”

Hades stared at Trevor. “So what now? I need your permission to kiss my girlfriend?”

Trevor raised a brow. “She’s my sister. If you want to keep dating her, you need to get on my good side.”

“Seriously?” Hades rubbed his face. “Great.”

“You don’t have to be like that, Trevor,” Bluey said, half laughing.

Trevor held up a hand. “Correction: big brother.”

“What?!”

“Call me big brother or you’re banned from dating anyone,” Trevor said with a straight face.

“Fine—big brother. Happy?” she muttered.

He smirked. “Very.”

Loci stepped forward. “Okay, enough family drama. How are we getting out of here?”

—–
★𝐁𝐒𝐀 ★

Dean stood in the hallway, arms crossed, as Drake and Liliana approached, their faces tight with unease.

“Dean… we need to talk about Noah,” Liliana started, her voice low, but urgent.

Drake jumped in, pacing slightly. “Yeah. Something’s off. He… he just disappeared yesterday during the mission. We went to check on him, and we found him talking to MIA students.”

Liliana’s eyes flicked up to Dean, serious. “Not just talking, Dean. We suspect he helped them. The clients we were supposed to deliver—he might’ve had a hand in getting rid of them.”

Drake shook his head, frustration clear. “At the mission yesterday, he told us to go ahead with the deliveries. Then, suddenly, the ship—the one carrying the clients—exploded. The deliveries were gone. And the MIA students… they were involved in it.”

Liliana clenched her fists. “And we saw Noah with them afterwards. We can’t figure out what he’s up to. We’re starting to think… what if he’s the spy? Not Estelle?”

Dean’s expression hardened, his jaw tight. He paused, letting their words sink in. Then he straightened.

“I’ll take care of it. You two don’t worry about Noah. Just stay sharp and keep me posted on anything else unusual.”

Drake nodded slowly, still uneasy. Liliana’s gaze lingered on Dean, a shadow of doubt in her eyes. But for now, they had done their part and alerted him. The rest was up to him.

—

Dean’s office was thick with smoke, the dim light from the desk lamp casting long shadows across the walls.

He leaned back in his chair, the cigar smoldering between his fingers, when the door creaked open.

“Noah,” Dean’s voice was steady, but the tension in the room was palpable.

Noah stepped in casually, hands in his pockets. “You sent for me?”

Dean exhaled a stream of smoke and fixed him with a hard stare. “I received a report… that you allegedly conspired with MIA students in sabotaging the mission. Is that true?”

A slow grin spread across Noah’s face. “Hmm. Let’s see… probably.”

Dean’s jaw tightened. “You’ve got guts. You’re not even denying it.”

Noah shrugged, unbothered. “What’s the use of denying it? Also… I know what you’re curious to hear. I’m the spy. And I set up Estelle. Cute, right?”

Dean lunged at him, fury igniting. “You bastard—”

Noah’s hand shot out, catching Dean’s wrist mid-swing. A syringe pierced his skin, and Dean’s eyes widened.

“You… bastard!” Dean gasped, his voice choking as weakness spread through his limbs.

Noah stepped back, smirking as Dean slumped slowly into the chair, his eyes drooping.

“Don’t worry… you’re not going to die. Just enough to buy me time to get out of here. My job’s done.”

Dean’s vision blurred, and the last thing he saw before his eyes closed was Noah’s smug grin.

“Drake and that stupid Liliana… good thing I was prepared,” Noah muttered under his breath, turning on his heel and walking out of the office, leaving chaos in his wake.

—
Noah strolled down the hallway, hands in his pockets, when he spotted Drake and Liliana at the far end.

“You two really thought I was the spy? Relax, you’re getting paranoid,” he said, his grin teasing.

Liliana stepped forward, her eyes sharp. “Then why were you talking to those MIA students?”

Drake’s tone was equally firm. “You can’t fool us.”

Noah chuckled, shaking his head.

“I was just trying to outsmart my enemies. Can’t be a bad thing, right?” He gave them a sly look and kept walking, disappearing around the corner.

Liliana and Drake exchanged worried glances before heading straight to Dean’s office. They knocked sharply.

“Dean? Are you in there?”

No answer. Panic rising, they pushed the door open—and froze.

Dean was slumped on the floor, unconscious, a thin haze of smoke lingering in the air.

“Oh my God… is he dead?” Drake gasped.

Liliana quickly bent down, checking his pulse.

“He’s alive,” she said, relief and fear mixing in her voice.

Drake’s fists clenched.

“Outsmart your enemies, huh?!” He bolted from the office and ran toward the gates.

“Noah! Noah!!” Drake shouted, scanning the area.

A guard stepped forward. “He just drove off.”

Drake ground his teeth, fists tight. “Smart guy… very smart guy.”

—–
★𝐑𝐚𝐮𝐥’𝐬 𝐕𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐚★ 9PM

All the legacies, everyone except Marco—sat around the long table, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief as Raul and Maureen finished explaining everything.

“Iris… you knew what this school was about? Why didn’t you say anything?” Nadine’s voice was sharp, accusing.

“So… everyone who died… their parts were sold to foreigners?” David asked, voice trembling.

“Oh my goodness… my daughter… Morgan,” Corazon gasped, clutching her chest.

“Why didn’t you say anything? If you’d said something, we could’ve avoided letting our kids repeat the same fate!” David’s frustration boiled over.

Robert leaned back, trying to reason. “It’s not that easy. You all know there was no way we could’ve avoided sending our kids to MIA after surviving…”

“But still…” Nadine’s voice trailed off, heavy with guilt.

“So, what are we going to do? We should get them out, right?” Anthony asked, urgency creeping in.

“Yes,” Maureen replied firmly, “but we need to be prepared to wage a war against them. They won’t let us off the hook easily.”

“Honestly, Raul… I’m still so shocked you’re alive. I thought you were long dead,” Gael admitted, disbelief in his voice.

“Well… luck’s on my side, don’t you think?” Raul said with a small, grim smile.

“And how are you related to Maureen?” Gael asked, curiosity piqued.

“She’s just a long-time friend of mine,” Raul said simply.

“So… what’s the plan? We’re calling them, right?” David asked, anxiety rising.

“Obviously. It’s best to get them out of MIA as soon as possible before they figure out we know about the school,” Nadine said firmly.

Anthony frowned, trying his phone. “Trevor isn’t picking up… that’s unusual. He never misses my calls.”

“Hades isn’t answering either,” Robert added, trying again.

“Neither is Hugo…”

“Or Hyce… my baby…” Nadine whispered, voice breaking.

Iris swallowed hard. “You think they know?”

The tension in the room spiked as the door swung open. Noah stepped in, helmet in hand.

“Noah?” Maureen’s voice rose, cautious.

He removed his helmet, eyes serious. “Call Bluey and Sergio. I think they’re on to them.”

“Why is that?” Raul asked.

“Dean found out about me, but I managed to escape. They also saw me talking to Bluey, so I’m pretty sure they know by now. They have to get out of there immediately,” Noah explained.

Gael tried his phone again. “None of them is picking up.”

“Oh shit…” Raul muttered under his breath.

Corazon slammed her hands on the table. “Are we still sitting here? We should be going there right now!!” She stormed out, fury in her steps.

One by one, the others followed. They all piled into their cars, engines roaring as they drove out of the Villa, urgency gripping every second.

Noah sighed, rubbing his face as he walked back inside.

“I need a nap,” he muttered, though his mind was far from resting.

—–
★𝐌𝐈𝐀- 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐥★

The cell was stifling. Bluey sat on the edge of the cot, her eyes flicking repeatedly to the CCTV fixed in the corner of the room.

The camera’s red light stared back like an unblinking eye.

“I’ll go use the restroom,” Bluey said, standing and brushing past Hades. She walked to the door and knocked firmly.

The metal door creaked open a crack.

“What?” a guard barked.

“Can I use the restroom?” Bluey asked, keeping her voice calm.

“No. You’re specifically not allowed to leave this room. Both you and Hades,” the guard replied, voice sharp.

Bluey’s brow furrowed. “Why not?”

“Rue’s orders.” The door slammed shut, rattling the walls.

“They’re going too far,” Loci muttered from the corner.

Bluey sank back onto the cot, glancing up at the camera again. Suddenly, a sharp ache struck her temple.

“Ouch!” she groaned, clutching her head and leaning against Natasha.

“Bluey…” Natasha murmured, holding her steady.

“Are you okay?” Hades moved closer, his massive frame shielding her.

He crouched beside her, concern etched on his face.

Bluey seized the opportunity. Pressed against Hades’ body, she discreetly slipped the hidden phone from her pants into Natasha’s shorts.

“Dial the number in the emergency,” she whispered.

Natasha gave a small nod, understanding immediately.

They exchanged tense glances, the silence heavy in the room, as Bluey pressed herself against Hades, letting his body obscure her movements.

After a moment, Natasha stood and walked to the door, knocking softly.

The metal door swung open.

“Can I use the restroom? It’s urgent… I’m on my period, and—” she began.

“Move,” the guard said, grabbing her arm and dragging her down the hallway.

Once they reached the restroom, Natasha slipped inside.

“Two minutes,” the guard called out, pacing outside the door.

Alone, Natasha pulled the phone from her shorts, opened the emergency log, and saw Maureen’s name in the call list. Her fingers shook slightly as she dialed.

“Hello? Bluey? We’ve been trying to reach you!!” Maureen’s voice burst through the line, urgent and frantic.

“Bluey… what’s going on, what—”Raul barked.

Natasha’s eyes darted toward the door, tension tightening her chest, as she whispered into the phone, ready to deliver the warning.

Natasha’s eyes widened as she spotted the CCTV hidden in the restroom. The pounding on the door grew louder.

“They know! They’re going to kill all of us! They locked us up and—!!” she screamed.

The door burst open. The guard shoved the phone from her hands, smashing it against the wall with a loud crack.

He slapped her across the face, then yanked her by the hair, dragging her back to the room.

Once inside, he threw her to the floor and cocked his gun, aiming directly at Natasha.

“Natasha!!” Gomez shouted, diving in front of her. The bullet struck his arm.

Everyone gasped.

“Arghh!” Gomez groaned, pain radiating as he clutched the wound.

A voice boomed through the speakers:

“Just so you know, I can see you clearly. I know everything you’re doing.” Rue said.

“If any of you try anything foolish, I’ll blow you up!” Capo added coldly.

Fear etched itself across every face in the room.

“Bring Bluey,” Capo commanded. The guards yanked Bluey toward them.

Hades reacted instantly. He grabbed her, pulling her back, and slammed a punch into the nearest guard’s head, sending his head crashing against the wall.

But immediately, Hades clutched his head, groaning as the chip in his skull activated. Pain shot through his body like electricity.

“Stop it!” Bluey screamed, struggling to break free from the guards.

“Stop it, Rue! You guys should stop hurting him!” Hugo yelled.

The pain only intensified. Hades’ veins bulged, dark purple shadows crawling across his forehead.

“HADES! HADES!!” Bluey screamed as she was dragged out.

“Stop it! Stop this madness!!” Hyce shouted.

Trevor reached toward Hades, but Hades was already drenched in sweat, trembling from the pain.

“Remember this, Hades,” Rue’s voice hissed through the speakers, “…whenever any of them tries to disobey me, I’ll activate the chip for twenty minutes straight.”

“So if you know what’s good for you, control your people properly,” Rue added, cold and threatening.

Finally, Hades exhaled, relief flooding him as the pain ceased.

“Hades… are you okay?” Trevor asked cautiously.

“Gomez… what about you? Why’d you do that?” Natasha asked, still shaken.

“I’m fine,” Gomez gritted through the pain.

Nia bit her lip, glancing at everyone.

“We are so done for,” she whispered, dread heavy in her voice.

.

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»𝐓𝐨 𝐁𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐝 ✰