The warehouse's makeshift command center hummed with activity as Marcus reviewed the intel from their latest recon. Three weeks since the school attack, and their new base had evolved from bare concrete into something approaching operational. Bobby's parkour expertise had transformed the upper catwalks into a defensive maze. Doc's medical bay occupied a former office space, while Sarah and Morgan had rebuilt their lab in a climate-controlled storage area.
"Fourth pharmaceutical shipment this week," Maya reported, dropping another surveillance file onto their tactical table. "Either someone's starting a very large hospital, or—"
"They're preparing for mass casualties." Marcus traced the shipping routes on their wall map, his enhanced tactical processing finding patterns in the data. "Cross isn't just waiting for the outbreak. He's positioning resources."
"Smart play," Doc commented from his workstation. "Multiple distribution points, redundant supply lines. Classic military medical logistics."
Marcus felt the familiar pressure of precognition but pushed it back. The power worked for immediate physical threats, not strategic planning. Here, he needed his enhanced tactical analysis.
"He's building a power base," Maya said, voicing what they were all thinking. "When the outbreak hits, he'll control the medicine. Control who lives and dies."
"Not if we stop the outbreak first." Sarah emerged from the lab area, Morgan following with a tablet full of data. "We've made progress on understanding the virus's structure. The samples we contained at the CDC—"
The precognition hit without warning: Glass breaking. Gunfire. Blood.
"Contact!" Marcus shouted, already moving. "Bobby, north window!"
The window exploded inward as his scout dropped from the catwalk, barely avoiding the sniper round that shattered the glass. Maya was moving before Marcus completed his roll to cover, her carbine already tracking the threat.
"Multiple shooters," she reported. "Professional positioning."
"Same group as the school?" Doc asked, securing their medical supplies with practiced efficiency.
"Negative." Marcus's tactical enhancement processed the attack pattern. "Different doctrine. More aggressive. Less concerned about collateral damage."
"Cross?" Morgan's voice shook slightly.
"No." Marcus caught another precognitive flash and adjusted their position. "He'd have breached with overwhelming force. This is someone testing our defenses. Bobby, sitrep!"
"Two sniper hides, maybe three." Their scout's voice came through the comms, calm despite the situation. "They've got our obvious exits covered, but they don't know about my routes."
"Sarah, Morgan – grab the essential research and move to the fallback point. Doc, go with them." Marcus ignored Sarah's immediate protest. "Maya, I need eyes high."
"Already moving." His second-in-command flowed through the shadows like smoke. "Bobby, give me a path to the east tower."
Marcus felt the familiar strain of repeated precognition use, but his other enhancements remained sharp. The attackers were good – setting up kill zones, maintaining fire discipline, waiting for clear shots. But they'd made one crucial mistake.
They'd given him time to think.
"They're not trying to breach," he realized, tactical analysis clicking into place. "This is reconnaissance by fire. They're mapping our response patterns."
"Learning how your powers work," Morgan added, surprising them with her tactical insight. "Each attack gives them more data."
Another precognitive flash: new firing positions, adapting to their movement. The enemy was learning, evolving their approach with each exchange.
"Time to change the game." Marcus keyed his radio. "Bobby, remember that route you showed me? The one I said was too crazy to use?"
"The death slide? Yeah, but you said—"
"Now it's just crazy enough. Maya, when you see Bobby move, I need maximum suppression on the north hide. Doc, get our people clear. Everyone else, on my mark..."
Marcus felt the familiar weight of command, amplified by absolute trust in his team. They'd trained for this, prepared contingencies, learned to work with his abilities without relying on them. Now it was time to show their observers exactly what they were dealing with.
"Execute."
The next three minutes transformed the warehouse into a combat ballet. Bobby's impossible parkour line across the warehouse drew predictable fire, letting Maya identify and suppress the hidden shooters. Doc led Sarah and Morgan through concealed exits while Marcus coordinated the response, each precognitive flash adding to their advantage.
When silence finally fell, Marcus surveyed the aftermath through tactical eyes. No casualties. No lost research. Just brass on the ground and valuable intel about their opponents.
"Clear," Maya reported from her elevated position. "They're falling back. Want us to pursue?"
"Negative." Marcus was already processing the lesson. "They got what they came for. Data on our capabilities, our response times, our priorities."
"So we gave them bad data, right?" Bobby's grin was audible through the comms. "I mean, no way we'd actually use that death slide in a real fight."
"Speak for yourself," Maya replied. "Some of us appreciate your crazy routes now."
Marcus allowed himself a small smile as his team regrouped. They were learning, adapting, becoming more than the sum of their parts. But so were their enemies.
"Doc, what's the status on our medical supplies?"
"Secured. Sarah and Morgan protected the critical research. We can rebuild the rest."
"Good." Marcus began planning their next move, tactical enhancement mapping possibilities. "Because it's time we did some reconnaissance of our own. Someone's building a private army in our backyard, and it's not just Cross."
"Multiple players," Maya agreed. "All racing for the same prize."
"Control of the outbreak." Marcus met each team member's eyes. "Which means we're not just fighting to prevent it anymore. We're fighting to keep it out of the wrong hands."
The warehouse creaked in the growing darkness, battle damage adding to its camouflage. Marcus watched his team process the implications, saw the determination settle into their postures.
The game was changing. Time to change with it.