Chapter 112: Nowhere to Hide

The moment Jet reached Inez’s bedroom, the world behind him exploded.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

An enormous shockwave tore through the apartment, shattering windows, overturning furniture, and ripping sections of the walls apart.

The floor trembled violently beneath his feet as the crimson projectile detonated somewhere inside the living room, sending a storm of debris racing down the hallway.

Jet didn’t hesitate.

He threw himself toward Inez’s bed, wrapping his arms around his little sister just as the bedroom door was blasted off its hinges. His Asura Physique surged into action, strengthening his body as he curled protectively around her.

The door struck his back with tremendous force.

Pain erupted across his shoulders, but Jet refused to move. Fragments of shattered wood, broken glass, and pieces of concrete rained down around them. Something heavy crashed against the bedframe, while the ceiling above them split open and released another shower of debris.

Inez screamed beneath him.

"JET!" she cried, clutching his shirt with both hands. "What’s happening?! I’m scared!"

"I’ve got you, Inez!" Jet shouted, tightening his embrace as another violent tremor shook the apartment. "Keep your head down and don’t let go of me!"

Several agonizing seconds passed before the worst of the explosion subsided.

Jet slowly raised his head. The bedroom was almost unrecognizable.

The wardrobe had collapsed, the windows were gone, and a massive crack stretched across the ceiling. Dust filled the air, making it difficult to see beyond the ruined doorway. Somewhere outside, car alarms were blaring, accompanied by distant screams.

Jet immediately checked Inez for injuries. Fortunately, apart from trembling uncontrollably, she appeared unharmed.

"Look at me, sweetheart," Jet instructed, gently holding her cheeks. "Are you hurt anywhere? Tell me if something hurts."

Inez shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "No, but I’m scared, Jet. Why did our house explode?"

Jet swallowed the anger rising inside him.

"I don’t know yet," he answered, lifting her into his arms. "But we’re leaving right now. Whatever happens, stay close to me, okay?"

Inez nodded and buried her face against his shoulder.

Jet carried her toward the hallway, carefully stepping over broken furniture and fallen debris. His back throbbed from the impact, but the injuries were manageable. Without Asura Physique, however, he doubted he would have survived the explosion so easily.

When he reached the living room, his expression darkened.

The entire western section of the apartment had been destroyed.

The expensive furniture, enormous television, and decorative furnishings were scattered across the floor. Flames crawled along the ruined walls, while a massive opening exposed the night sky beyond the building.

Someone had deliberately attacked his home.

And judging by the destructive power of the projectile, whoever was responsible hadn’t particularly cared whether he survived.

Jet immediately remembered Captain Adesewa’s warning.

Run!

His grip around Inez tightened.

"Those bastards..." he muttered, staring at the destruction.

He had no idea who was responsible, but one thing was certain.

This wasn’t an accident.

Jet hurried toward the apartment’s entrance, only to discover that the corridor outside had also suffered considerable damage. Several residents were emerging from their apartments, shouting in confusion while others desperately attempted to contact emergency services.

A middle-aged woman spotted him carrying Inez.

"Young man!" she called, coughing through the dust. "What happened? Was there an explosion?"

"I don’t know, ma’am," Jet replied, moving past her. "But you need to evacuate immediately. Don’t wait for the elevators. Use the emergency stairs."

He continued toward the stairwell without waiting for a response.

Halfway down, Jet retrieved his phone.

The screen was cracked, but thankfully, it still worked.

He immediately called Frey.

The phone rang several times before his friend answered.

"Yo, Jet! What the hell, man? Missing me already? I know I’m irresistible, but..."

"Freg! Run!" Jet shouted, nearly stumbling as he descended another flight of stairs. "Get your family out of there! You’re being targeted! Frey, listen to me! RUN!"

"Jet? What the fuck are you talking about?" Frey demanded, his cheerful tone disappearing.

Before Jet could explain, a tremendous explosion erupted through the phone.

BOOOOOOOOOOM!

The connection abruptly ended.

Jet froze for half a second.

"Frey?" he called, staring at the screen. "Frey! Fuck!"

He immediately tried calling again, but the call failed to connect.

His heart sank. If Frey’s estate had been attacked at almost the same moment as his apartment, then the enemy had planned everything carefully.

They weren’t targeting him alone. They were targeting everyone connected to something.

The expedition.

The Palladium Fruits.

Jet’s expression turned grim as the realization struck him.

"Big Brother?" Inez whispered, lifting her tearstained face. "Is Frey okay?"

Jet forced himself to continue moving. "He’ll be okay, sweetheart. Frey’s strong. Right now, we need to get somewhere safe."

Unfortunately, he had absolutely no idea where that might be.

By the time Jet reached the building’s ground floor, emergency alarms were blaring throughout the lobby. Several security guards were directing frightened residents toward the exits, while others attempted to extinguish fires spreading through the upper floors.

Jet avoided the main entrance. If someone had attacked his apartment deliberately, there was a good chance they were waiting outside.

Instead, he followed a service corridor toward the building’s underground parking area.

He had barely reached the entrance when his phone vibrated.

A message appeared on the screen.

Nadia.

[Jet, please help me! Someone attacked my apartment! I don’t know what’s happening!]

Jet’s blood ran cold.

He immediately called her. The connection went through almost instantly.

"Nadia! Where are you?" Jet demanded, pressing the phone against his ear while keeping Inez securely in his other arm.

"Jet!" Nadia cried, her voice trembling. "My apartment! Someone blew up my apartment! I barely got out! There are people outside with weapons, and I think they’re looking for me!"

Jet stopped beside a concrete pillar.

"Listen carefully, Nadia," he instructed, forcing his voice to remain steady. "Where are you right now? Give me your exact location."

"I’m behind the shopping complex near the building," Nadia answered between frightened breaths. "I climbed through a broken window and ran through the service entrance. Jet, what the hell is happening?"

Jet closed his eyes briefly. Nadia hadn’t participated in the expedition.

She didn’t know anything about the Palladium Tree, the Red Seal, or the fruits they had obtained.

Her only connection was him and Frey and apparently, that was enough to make her a target.

"Nadia, stay hidden," Jet instructed, opening his eyes. "Don’t approach anyone wearing a mask, and don’t answer strangers calling your name. I’m coming to get you."

"Jet, please hurry," Nadia whispered, struggling to control her breathing. "I think they’re still searching for me."

The call ended.

Jet looked down at Inez.

He couldn’t abandon Nadia not when she had been dragged into this nightmare simply because she was his friend.

"Inez, we’re going to help Nadia," Jet explained, adjusting his grip around her. "I need you to be brave for a little longer. Can you do that?"

Inez wiped her tears with the back of her hand before nodding. "I’ll be brave, Big Brother. But please don’t leave me."

Jet kissed her forehead.

"Never," he promised.

He hurried through the underground parking area and emerged onto a quieter street behind the residential building.

Several distant explosions echoed across Zenith City, although Jet couldn’t determine whether they were connected to the attacks.

Keeping to narrow streets and avoiding crowded intersections, he moved toward Nadia’s location.

His enhanced physique allowed him to maintain an impressive pace even while carrying Inez. Nevertheless, he remained constantly alert, watching rooftops, intersections, and parked vehicles for suspicious movements.

Approximately fifteen minutes later, he reached the shopping complex.

The surrounding streets were unusually quiet.

Jet approached the service entrance cautiously.

"Nadia?" he called softly, keeping Inez close. "It’s me, Jet. Where are you?"

A faint movement came from behind a collection of delivery containers.

Nadia emerged moments later. Her clothes were covered in dust, a shallow cut marked her forehead, and her usually cheerful expression had been replaced by unmistakable terror.

The moment she recognized Jet, she rushed toward him.

"Jet!" Nadia cried, throwing her arms around him before noticing Inez. "Oh my God, you’re both alive!"

Jet briefly embraced her with his free arm before examining her injuries.

"Are you hurt anywhere else?" he asked, looking toward the service entrance. "Can you walk?"

Nadia nodded shakily. "I think so. I hurt my ankle when I jumped through the window, but I can still move. Jet, those people destroyed my apartment. Why would anyone want to kill me?"

Jet’s expression hardened.

"Because of me," he answered quietly. "I think someone is targeting people connected to me and Frey. You haven’t done anything wrong, Nadia, but that doesn’t matter to whoever is behind this."

Nadia stared at him, struggling to comprehend his words.

Jet gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I’m sorry you got dragged into this," he continued. "But I’m not leaving you behind. From now on, you stay with me and Inez."

Nadia swallowed before nodding.

"Okay," she whispered, wiping her eyes. "I trust you, Jet."

Jet glanced toward the street. He needed somewhere defensible, somewhere he could protect two people who couldn’t fight against trained Awakeners.

Unfortunately, every location that came to mind presented another risk.

His apartment was destroyed.

Frey’s estate had been attacked and Captain Adesewa wasn’t answering her phone.

For the first time since his regression, Jet found himself confronting a problem that strength alone couldn’t easily solve.

He could fight, he could survive but protecting two people while surrounded by unknown enemies was an entirely different matter.

"Come on," Jet instructed, taking Nadia’s hand while lifting Inez higher against his shoulder. "We need to keep moving."

They hurried toward the opposite end of the service road.

However, before they could reach the intersection, several figures stepped out from the shadows.

Black clothing with faces oncealed and their weapons already drawn.

Jet immediately stopped, pulling Nadia behind him while tightening his hold around Inez.

More masked Awakeners appeared behind them, blocking the route they had just taken.

They were surrounded.