Nobody on the Arc Ship had truly grasped just how far gone Leo was from being a calm, rational human being—until he uttered the chilling words:
"You will all die by my blade, and there's nothing you can do to stop me, for I am stronger than all of you."
This wasn't a declaration of frustration or an idle threat.
It was the unfiltered promise of a man who had severed himself from the constraints of reason, morality, and fear of consequence.
Leo's words carried the weight of unbridled madness, spoken with the conviction of someone who no longer cared about societal rules or universal laws.
They weren't the words of a decent human being navigating a system of order—they were the words of a predator standing at the top of the food chain, daring anyone to challenge him.
Threatening staff, slamming daggers into the floor, holding someone hostage at knifepoint—these were not the actions of a man tethered to civility.
These were the actions of an unhinged individual, someone who had long since crossed the line between a warrior driven by purpose and a madman confident in his own power and rage.
Leo was no longer afraid of consequences because, in his mind, there were none.
Instead, he felt as if he was the consequence.
And oddly enough, despite of how cockily he behaved, he was not wrong.
There was not a single warrior amongst the staff who could rival him in combat, and if he indeed decided to engage them in combat there was not a single one amongst them who could stop his rampage.
Hence, although he could potentially face grave consequences for his threats once they landed.
At this very moment, aboard the Arc Ship isolated in space. He was the apex predator, and he wasn't shy to show it.
"Okay, Leo," Kid interjected, his voice steady despite the storm of nerves raging inside him. "We understand your concern, and we'll get straight to it—but first, let my staff member go."
He stepped forward slightly, his hands raised in a gesture of peace, though his eyes flickered nervously toward the dagger pressed against Raven's throat.
The room fell silent, the tension palpable as every staff member held their breath, waiting to see what would happen next.
Leo didn't move, his grip firm, his eyes locked onto Kid with a mix of disdain and calculation. Kid swallowed hard but continued speaking, summoning every ounce of courage he could muster.
"Leo, listen to me," Kid said, his tone hardening. "If you so much as injure a single one of my staff members, this ship doesn't land. Do you understand me? I am the only one who knows how to safely bring the Arc Ship down, and if I decide not to cooperate, everyone on board—including your loved ones—dies."
The words hit the room like a thunderclap, and for a moment, even Leo's fiery gaze faltered.
"I could fly this ship into a star," Kid continued, his voice gaining strength. "I could crash it upon entry into the atmosphere. There is no manual override, no emergency fail-safe. You, Leo—no matter how strong you think you are—don't have the knowledge to stop me. So if you want to land on planet Terra Nova safely, I suggest you lower your weapons and let my staff do their job."
Leo's eyes narrowed, his expression a dangerous mix of rage and reluctant understanding. For a moment, the room held its collective breath, as if the entire ship had paused to witness the standoff.
Then, with a sharp exhale, Leo released Raven from his grip, though the dagger in his other hand remained poised, now pointing directly at Kid.
"Don't think I won't do it," Leo growled, his tone low and menacing. "I'll put a blade through you the second I think you're stalling."
Kid met his gaze, hiding the tremor in his chest behind a mask of defiance. "You're free to try," he replied calmly. "But if you kill me, you'll doom everyone on this ship—including yourself."
The room was deathly silent, the staff frozen in a mix of fear and awe as they watched their captain stand up to the unhinged madman before them.
In that moment, Kid became a hero in their eyes—a leader who had the courage to confront a bully, even when the odds were stacked against him.
'A man worthy to be called captain'
'No wonder he's our superior!'
'A true man's man!'
That was how most staff members looked at Kid now, completely unaware of the real thief that he was.
In reality, his threats were as empty as his words, as the ship did not need any manual assistance from him to land or take-off.
The flight path was pre-determined and he could not veer it off-course even if he wanted to, so the threat to slam it into a star was also bogus.
Nonetheless, with Leo unaware of the truth behind this threat and with Luke and Amanda's life also at risk, he backed off from his challenge, hoping that Kid would keep his word as promised.
"I'm going to my cabin now, where I can access the feeds and all the security cameras. If someone did steal your manual, it won't take me more than 48 hours to find the culprit, so I request that you stay patient till then—" Kid continued, as Leo finally lowered his dagger at the assurance.
"Very well. I'll give you 48 hours to find my manual Captain, but if you don't ….. then I will return angrier…. That much I promise" Leo said, as he turned to leave the room, but paused to pick his training dagger embedded in the floor up first.
"Can't waste it, you guys are too stingy with your supplies" he taunted before leaving, as it wasn't until he actually left the room that the staff breathed a collective sigh of relief.
"What an absolute psycho!" Raven complained, touching his throat, as a clamour of discussion broke out, regarding what to do next.