Later…

Macy Kidder stood poised in front of the camera, her blonde hair catching the morning light as it cascaded over her shoulders. The scene behind her was a chaotic mix of flashing police lights and the charred remains of several vehicles. She took a deep breath, her professional demeanor masking the turmoil of the morning's events.

"Good morning, this is Macy Kidder reporting live from the site of a shocking incident that unfolded earlier today," she began, her voice steady and clear. "At approximately 9:00 AM, a brutal sword fight took place just outside the Watson Engineering Factory, resulting in the tragic death of 38-year-old engineer Shawn Watson."

Macy paused, allowing the gravity of the situation to sink in for her viewers. "According to an anonymous witness, the assailant was a masked man dressed in body armor. The motive behind this heinous act remains unclear, and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward."

She gestured to the factory behind her, where workers and emergency personnel were still milling about. "In a bizarre twist, a lightning strike caused a power outage shortly after the attack, damaging half the electronics inside the factory and setting off a chain reaction that led to several cars in the parking lot exploding."

The camera panned to the wreckage, capturing the extent of the destruction. Macy continued, "We spoke to some of the factory workers who witnessed the chaos. Here's what they had to say."

The screen cut to a middle-aged man with soot-streaked cheeks, his voice trembling as he recounted the events. "I was just about to start my shift when I heard this loud bang. Next thing I know, my car's on fire, and people are running everywhere. It was like something out of a movie."

Another witness, a young woman clutching her jacket tightly around her, added, "Shawn was a good guy. Always kept to himself, but he didn't deserve this. It's just so surreal, you know? Swords and explosions… it's like we stepped back into the dark ages." "Seriously, what the *BLEEP* would possess someone to just chop off someone's head!?"

The camera returned to Macy, who nodded solemnly despite the colorful language. "Shawn Watson had no known relatives, but his colleagues remember him as a dedicated and hardworking individual. His untimely death has left a void in the community, and he will be deeply missed."

She took a moment to compose herself before concluding, "This is Macy Kidder, reporting live from the Macon Engineering Factory. We'll continue to bring you updates as more information becomes available. Thank you for joining us."

With a final, professional smile and wink, Macy signed off, the camera capturing the resilience and determination in her beautiful sky blue day, local authorities arrived at the scene of the duel, accompanied by a news team.

Max and Gabriella pulled up not too far from the crime scene in Max's blue 1960 Ford Mustang, keeping a safe distance. Gabriella rolled down the window and pulled out a fancy pair of purple and yellow binoculars.

"Looks like Channel 5 is just now reporting live," Gabriella observed.

"Channel 5? With Macy Kidder?" Max asked, quickly pulling out his phone.

"Yeah, why?" Gabriella replied.

Max, now excited, started playing the news on his phone. Gabriella shifted her attention to the screen as Max blushed at the sight of the gorgeous reporter, Macy Kidder.

"I love it when she does that million-dollar wink," Max said, his admiration evident.

Gabriella scoffed. "SIMP."

"Hey, I can't help falling for the best girl in news history. The wink is also contagious," Max defended himself.

Unimpressed, Gabriella turned back to her binoculars, focusing on Kayla, who looked miserable as she finished giving her statement to an officer. The officer gave her the okay to leave, and Kayla headed back to her car. Surprisingly, the car had survived the Quickening with only a few noticeable scuff marks from another vehicle bumping into it.

"So what now?" Max asked.

"Follow that Beetle. We're gonna do a little bit of stalking," Gabriella instructed.

"Stalking?" Max repeated, confused.

"I mean sneaking," Gabriella corrected herself.

"Whatever the safeword for it is," Max muttered.

"Yeah, there is no safeword for that," Gabriella retorted, indignant. "Just follow the damn Beetle! We're following it as a possible lead. THERE'S your safeword. Now move!"

Max chuckled, delighted to be the annoying one for a change. He thought of it as unintentional payback for Gabriella's earlier antics. Though it still didn't count as a safeword, Max shrugged and pulled off, slowly following Kayla.

Elsewhere…

In a secluded forest, there stood an old but well-maintained cabin. Brick, now shirtless and without his mask, revealing a small goatee, trained in the backyard. He tested his newfound skills after killing Shawn, displaying impressive speed and cutting down tall trees with ease.

After wiping the sweat from his brow, Brick grabbed a towel and headed inside to get a bottle of beer from the kitchen, which was in desperate need of cleaning. The dishes looked like they hadn't been washed in weeks. He sat on the couch and turned on the TV. As he leaned back, he glanced at an old picture of himself and his deceased brother Andy in their army uniforms from the Vietnam War.

Brick let out a somber smile, but his thoughts quickly turned to revenge. He remembered what Shawn had told him earlier and was determined to avenge his brother's death.

"Hey, Bumpa, be ready to go headhunting at 5!" Brick called out.

After taking a sip of his drink, Brick received no response. "Bumpa?" he called again.

Brick stood up and walked to Bumpa's sloppy and smelly room, then looked outside, noticing that the truck was gone. He sighed in annoyance. "That guy…"

Meanwhile…

Bumpa, now dressed in regular clothes and a beanie, was on the phone with Brick. He had just left Subway, carrying a soda and a bag with a sandwich inside. He got into his white 2001 Dodge truck.

"It's stress eating, man. I'm still mourning!" Bumpa explained. "Okay, okay, don't need the fat shaming. Don't need that. You're not making it any better! Uh-huh, I'll be ready…" He ended the call.

As Bumpa took a bite out of his unhealthy-looking sub sandwich filled with meat and cheese, he glanced down at his bionic hand. The purple gem embedded in it began to glow, making his eyes widen. He looked around with a serious expression. Checking his rearview mirror, he spotted Max and Gabriella pulling up to an ice cream parlor.

As Max began to park, Gabriella pulled out two fake Press IDs and handed one to Max.

"Timmy Malkinson?" Max asked, confused.

"And I'm Alana Cruz from Chantum Globe. It'll work," Gabriella said with a wink as she got out of the car along with Max.

"OK, so I'll do most of the talking and you'll—"

"Be quiet as a background extra, got it… AFTER I take a quick leak," Max interrupted.

"Well, hurry up. I don't want to take up too much of this kid's time," Gabriella replied.

Moments Later…

Kayla was sitting on the balcony of the ice cream parlor, drinking a smoothie at an outdoor table. Gabriella approached her.

"Good afternoon! Alana Cruz from Chatum Globe, nice to meet you," Gabriella greeted.

Kayla sized Gabriella up and immediately formed a negative opinion. "Pardon my rudeness, but I'm not in the mood for any more questions. If you need any, go ask someone else at my job."

"I understand, but can I at least show you something before I go?" Gabriella asked.

Kayla thought for a moment and complied. "Thirty seconds."

"Cool, plenty," Gabriella said, taking a seat across from Kayla. She pulled out a coin and placed it on the table. "Put your hand on top of it."

Kayla raised an eyebrow but complied, curious to see where this was going.

"Now lift your hand up," Gabriella instructed.

Kayla lifted her hand, and the coin was gone, much to her surprise.

"Pick up your cup," Gabriella said smugly.

Kayla picked up her cup and found the coin underneath it, making her smile. "Neat trick, but… What was the point of that? You pretty much wasted half your thirty seconds."

"There was no point, besides just wanting to cheer you up a bit," Gabriella explained. "Whenever I was down, I always had my aunt there to lift my spirits. But I know it's not much to fully subside the pain of losing a friend."

"Mr. Watson was…he was one of the only few people who supported me there. I'm the youngest employee they had, and they didn't see much going for me," Kayla admitted.

"So I've heard. To be honest, a pretty girl like you doesn't look all that convincing in the engineering department… no offense," Gabriella said.

Kayla giggled. "None taken, I'm used to it."

"Can I ask you one question, and then I'll be COMPLETELY out of your hair, I promise," Gabriella said.

"Says every journalist ever," Kayla replied wryly.

"Smart ass," Gabriella thought to herself. "After Shawn died, did you see lightning striking the killer?"

Kayla's demeanor changed, becoming more serious. "H-how did you know that?"

"Another reason I did that 'trick' is because I've been around the block and have seen stranger things… both the show and in real life. I haven't finished season 4 though, but I've been pretty tight on money this month, so I had to cancel my subscription for the time being," Gabriella said.

"What?" Kayla asked, confused.

"Basically put, I'll believe whatever parts you left out when you were being questioned," Gabriella clarified. "The parts that would have you sent straight to the mental institute."

Kayla hesitated for a moment before speaking up. "I think we're done here."

Just as Kayla prepared to leave, Gabriella firmly grabbed her wrist. "HEY!" Kayla exclaimed, angered.

Gabriella then ducked and covered with Kayla as an incoming bionic arm the size of a boulder shattered through the window of the ice cream parlor.

As Gabriella stood up, she spotted Max inside, who had been in the middle of eating ice cream. The ice cream was now on the floor due to the unexpected attack. Gabriella gave Max a look with her hands on her hips, her expression saying it all. Embarrassed and guilty, Max just shrugged with a wry smile.

Suddenly, the bionic hand retracted back to Bumpa, who was fully dressed in his gear from the first chapter and ready for battle… BUT the moronic orange man drops all seriousness however, proceeding to lick some of Max's ice cream off his bionic hand before getting ready for the fight.

To Be Continued…