For the next week, Elijah’s apartment became a command center. Maya used her medical background to review the injury reports Jordan had smuggled out, compiling a staggering list of reckless endangerment.
But it wasn't enough. It was still their word against a well-funded business.
“We need the unedited security footage,” Elijah said, tracing a finger over a map of the academy he had sketched. “The video Dana released was cut. The original file has to exist somewhere.”
Jordan swallowed hard. “Dana scrubbed the local servers. But... she doesn't know much about tech. The gym uses an automatic cloud backup system for the cameras. I have the admin password. I used to fix the router for her.”
Elijah smiled for the first time in days. “Get it.”
It took Jordan three hours of nervous typing on Elijah's old laptop, but he found it: the raw, unedited footage of Friday night, showing Trevor stalking, poking, and shoving Elijah first. But they found something else, too—months of archived footage showing Trevor deliberately injuring younger, weaker students when he thought he was off-camera.
“We don’t just give this to the police,” Elijah said, formulating the strategy. “Dana has money; she’ll tie it up in court. We give it to the one thing Trevor cares about more than anything else.”
Friday night rolled around. Ironway was packed. Trevor, milking his "injury" for sympathy, had his arm in a sleek black brace. The tripod was set up, broadcasting to thousands of viewers eager to support the "victim."
“Welcome back, Ironway Warriors!” Trevor shouted, playing to the camera. “We don't let setbacks stop us. We push through!”
Dana watched proudly from the front desk.
Suddenly, the gym’s Bluetooth speakers hissed with static. The large smart TV mounted on the wall, usually displaying the academy’s logo, flickered and turned black.
Then, audio filled the room. It was Trevor’s voice, but not from the live microphone. “See? This is what happens when you don’t listen.”
The TV screen flared to life. It wasn't the edited footage. It was a masterfully cut compilation of the cloud backups. It showed Trevor dropping Caleb Price on his head. It showed Trevor laughing as a teenager cried on the mat. And finally, it showed the unedited footage of Elijah: Trevor mocking him, poking him, and shoving him, followed by Elijah's perfectly executed, non-violent takedown.