071 THE POWER OF A BADGE
The crowd gasped in horror at the chaos.
Meta ability use was forbidden within the city—but Shawn didn't care.
It was a rule meant to prevent powerful meta humans from fighting in the city with their meta powers. Powerful as they may be, they could destroy people and property if it got out of hand.
Therefore meta powers were forbidden to be used in public except where it was exempted- like MMA stadiums or in school practice grounds.
A blast of energy erupted from Shawn's hand, surging toward Damen and Eryn. But before it could reach them, a golden dome flared to life, blocking the attack.
Damen blinked in surprise. "Who… helped us?" Then he realized—the dome's glow was coming from Eryn's amulet.
He smiled faintly.
"Of course." His friend Zairgid wore charms and bangles that guarded his entire body. Eryn was from an equally rich family—she'd have no less protection.
"How dare you attack us?" Eryn shouted, her voice sharp with anger.
"No… I—I'm sorry," Shawn stammered.
He hadn't meant to hit her. The blast had been aimed squarely at Damen. Eryn stepped in the way at the last minute to block the blast.
"Let's go," Damen said calmly, taking Eryn's hand.
"Coward!" Shawn roared. "All you can do is hide behind women! Fight me like a man!"
Damen stopped mid-stride. He turned slightly, his voice cold. "A pig like you has no right to challenge me."
"You—! I am the heir of Zetheris Industries!" Shawn shouted, his face flushed with fury.
"Like I give a damn about your family," Damen said, walking away.
But then, a heavy voice thundered behind Shawn—one that made the crowd fall silent.
"Who dares disrespect the Zetheris family?"
An older man appeared, his aura thick and oppressive. Shawn froze at his sight. "F-Father…"
"Mr. Garius?" Eryn said in shock.
Behind Garius Zetheris stood another man, who was equally imposing. His presence made Eryn's stomach twist.
"Well, I know this young man," the newcomer said, his eyes narrowing on Damen. "He not only insulted your family, Garius—he also sent several of mine to the hospital."
"Father…?" Eryn gasped. "Why are you here?"
It was Valtor Veyran…her father.
"If I hadn't come," Valtor said coolly, glancing at the wreckage, "you people would've burned down my building."
"This Shawn did it!" Eryn protested quickly.
"My son was only defending his honor, little miss," Garius replied.
Valtor chuckled. "Oh, don't worry about the furniture, Garius. I'll send you the bill."
Through it all, Damen said nothing.
He didn't greet either of them—he owed them nothing. He simply turned and walked away, his silence louder than any insult.
"Wait a minute!" Garius barked. "You don't plan to apologize after causing such a ruckus here?"
Damen turned calmly toward him. "I didn't do anything. Check the cameras. Your pig of a son attacked me for no reason."
"You—calling my son a p—" Garius choked midword, his voice breaking into fury. "That deserves death!"
Damen raised an eyebrow. "And who are you to decide that? The Judge from Hell?"
For a moment, silence filled the room.
Garius stood frozen. People usually groveled before him—no one had ever dared insult him to his face. His expression twisted from shock to seething rage.
"You're going to pay for this…" he snarled.
"How would you like me to pay?" Damen asked coolly. "With an invoice? Say, a million aur for the mental trauma your family caused me?"
"You—how dare you!" Garius sputtered, his face red.
He was furious, but unlike his hotheaded son, he wouldn't strike.
Not here.
Not in the heart of the city, surrounded by cameras and witnesses. Even if he could twist the truth later, the footage of him using power in public could spread—and stain the family name.
Damen smirked faintly. "I guessed it…cowards."
Then he noticed something odd.
Eryn's father, Valtor Veyran, was smiling.
"That old wolf…" Damen realized. These great families are always at each other's throats. And now he's enjoying the sight of the Zetheris reputation sinking in the mud.
"Let me help you add more fuel to the fire", Damen thought.
Instead of leaving, he casually dropped into a single sofa, crossing his legs. He pulled out his phone and began typing.
"What the hell are you doing?" Garius demanded, his voice sharp with disbelief.
Damen didn't even look up. He just kept typing, his expression cool and detached.
Garius turned toward Valtor, fuming. "This boy is causing a scene! Aren't your guards going to throw him out?"
Valtor chuckled, his tone infuriatingly calm. "He was already leaving. You're the one who stopped him and demanded an apology. You want me to kick him out now?"
The words landed like a slap.
Garius realized too late that he'd been played—both by the boy and by Valtor's smug amusement.
His face darkened beyond recognition.
"You'll pay for this!" Garius snapped at Damen, turning to leave.
"Not so fast," Damen said, standing.
Garius halted mid-step, his voice heavy with restrained fury. "What do you want now?"
"Just in time," Damen said as the door opened.
Dorin entered with several field officers in dark uniforms—the insignia of the SIA gleaming on their shoulders.
"Damen? What happened here? You called me in a hurry," Dorin asked, scanning the room.
Damen reached into his coat and flipped open his badge. The SIA emblem caught the light. "I'm here to report a crime."
His finger pointed directly at Shawn Zetheris and said, "This is the power of a badge."
"No…", Shawn screamed in fear.
"What did he do?" Dorin asked.
"He attacked an officer of the SIA using meta-abilities in public," Damen replied evenly, "without lawful authority."
Dorin's eyes narrowed.
She glanced around—the scorch marks, the shattered furniture, the lingering scent of burned fabric. She turned to one of her officers. "Check the surveillance feeds."
A few seconds later, she nodded to them. "Arrest him."
The officers moved in to arrest Shawn.
Shawn's face drained of color as they grabbed him by the arms.
Garius stood frozen, his mouth slightly open. "No wonder he dared to insult my family," he muttered. "He's… an SIA agent."
"Now you still plan to attack me?" Damen taunted Garius again.
"This would not be the end of it… even the Director of the SIA would not defy me like this", he cried.
The crowd whispered as Shawn was escorted out, with Garius trailing helplessly behind.
Damen turned to Eryn with a calm smile. "So," he said lightly, "still up for lunch?"
Eryn blinked, then quickly moved to his side. "Definitely."
A voice came from behind, deep and sharp as a blade.
"Leaving already? Did I give you permission to walk away?"
They turned.
It was Valtor Veyran — Eryn's father.