The group of mutants was resolute and ready for the near future.

Kai's team - himself, Nadya, Amina, and Lenny - would handle their side of things with the AMC. Meanwhile, Sven, Isaac, and Takeshi were bound for London.

There was no fear in any of them, only the sharp, humming anticipation that came before a storm.

Before parting, they sat together for one last meal - simple rations, but somehow grounding. No one spoke at first; they didn't need to. Every look, every gesture, carried meaning. Trust. Understanding. The kind forged by surviving hell together.

Kai watched them quietly while taking a drag off his cigarette - Nadya stuffing her face, Amina praying silently over her food, Lenny poking his food with a fork like a picky child, and Takeshi sitting like a statue, calm but alert. Sven and Isaac, as usual, were bickering about something small, but their tone held no real heat.

Kai broke the quiet first. "Takeshi," he said, not even looking up from his meal, "watch out for those idiots and make sure they don't die."

The samurai-like man gave a short nod. "Understood."

"Who're you calling idiots?" Sven retorted immediately, flashing a grin. "You'd better not die before we get back. I don't want to have to avenge your sorry asses."

Kai chuckled. "If they could kill me, how would you possibly avenge me?"

"I have my ways," Sven said with a wink.

It wasn't an emotional farewell - none of them were sentimental like that. It was just another step. Another separation that would end in blood and chaos, as usual.

Each group was capable in their own way - scarred, skilled, and deadly. And though their goals were scattered, they were fighting for Kai's sake without question.

Isaac was the first to stand once they'd finished eating. "London first," he muttered, brushing off his jacket. "If we move now, we can make it there before sundown."

Sven arched a brow. "What's the rush? And what have you got planned?"

Isaac gave him a deadpan look. "You'll see."

Takeshi rose silently and moved his hands as if to signal, "Lead the way."

And to Sven's surprise, Isaac did - not with hesitation, but with grim determination. There was something different in his eyes, a flicker of something old, painful, and deeply personal.

They followed him out into the day, unaware that Isaac's "plan" for travel would leave both of them speechless later.

Meanwhile, Kai's group headed in the opposite direction. Their pace was steady, the crunch of gravel underfoot the only sound for a while. The sky was blue and clear, but it didn't feel like a good omen.

"So," Nadya finally said, glancing sideways at Kai. "How exactly are we getting to the States? You planning to swim across the Atlantic?"

Kai exhaled sharply. "No. But we need to figure out a way. That's where I'll find the answers I need."

Nadya grinned as if she had set this up. "I might have a friend who can help."

Kai raised a brow. "The same way you had a 'friend' in New York?"

Her grin widened. "Kinda. Maybe exactly that way."

Kai rubbed his face with one hand, sighing. "Figures. We haven't even left the city and you're already dragging us into a mess."

"C'mon," she said, slapping his shoulder playfully. "Admit it. You're curious and don't know how we can get there without getting on the Association's radar."

He didn't deny it.

'Figures,' he thought, watching her laugh. 'Hell's about to break loose before we even leave. And after that… even worse.'

He exhaled, the cold air misting in front of his face. 'Welcome to the life of a wanted criminal who's a mutant.'

The thought made him almost smile. For all the chaos, these people, this madness, it just felt right.

They were misfits in a world that wanted them erased, yet somehow, they made it work.

'I guess…' Kai grinned. 'I kind of am a Mutant Outlaw now. Literally.'

Kai laughed under his breath. But as the sound faded, something heavier crept in.

Memories, fragments from Nyx's facility. The cold labs. The constant observation. That psycho's voice echoing in his head. The way Nyx smiled whenever Kai broke, only to rebuild him again.

'He's probably somehow tracking us now,' Kai thought bitterly. 'That bastard's always watching.'

Every experiment, every scar, every mental breakdown - all pieces of Nyx's grand game. And yet, twisted as it was, it had forced Kai to find something within himself he hadn't known existed.

Strength. Identity. Rage.

In hindsight, it had all shaped him. The monster and the man both.

He couldn't change the past - but he could carve through the future, obstacle by obstacle, until there was nothing left between him and Nyx's throat.

The truth hit him in a warm rush - a strange calm amid the madness. His identity, once murky, had crystallised through survival and blood.

Subject 367. Red Eyes. Blood Demon.

And finally… Bloodweaver.

But beneath it all, he was still Kai Hawkes. With or without memories, with or without a past - these people beside him made the world make sense again.

He glanced at them as they walked - Nadya with her sharp, daring eyes; Amina, quiet but unbreakable; and Lenny, still finding his place after everything he'd endured.

And himself, the monster who refused to break.

'Get stronger. Regain what I lost. And kill every fucker standing between me and Nyx.'

The thought pulsed through his veins like fire. The blood beneath his skin stirred in response, whispering, hungry.

Kai smirked faintly. "Let's go see this friend of yours."

Nadya's smile was pure mischief. "I knew you'd say that. You're just as crazy as I am. And we have to finish our job before the other group. What did they call themselves again?"

Kai pretended to think. "The… sexy kidnappers?"

She burst out laughing, nearly doubling over. "Hahaha! That's the one! Let's see if they live up to the name."

Lenny put his hand up. "Can I go back to the safety of my apartment?"

"It's too late for that kid," Nadya chirped, dragging him along.

And with that, the four of them vanished into the distance, boots crunching over gravel, the cool wind whistling past. Somewhere in the distance lay answers, enemies, and chaos waiting to unfold.

Kai felt it - the thrill of the unknown. The rush of danger. The start of another bloody stage.

Whatever awaited them, he was ready.

Because this time… he wasn't running.

He was moving forward - towards his next chapter!

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