The air in the hideout was thick with tension. Kairo sat cross-legged on a dusty floor mat, tinkering with his newly acquired plasma rifle. Across the room, Luna sharpened her energy blade, her movements methodical. Arkan meditated silently in the corner, the faint glow of Neo-Ki energy surrounding him. Iris sprawled across the couch, her cybernetic limbs whirring softly as she fiddled with a portable hacking console.
Despite the momentary calm, they all knew it wouldn't last. The Syndicate would strike back—and soon.
"So," Kairo said, breaking the silence. "How long before we're knee-deep in Syndicate goons again?"
"Hours, maybe less," Luna replied, not looking up from her blade. "They're already tracking us. The only reason we're not dead yet is because they're cautious after that stunt we pulled."
"Cautious?" Iris snorted. "You mean pissed off. Big difference."
Arkan opened his eyes, his serene expression unchanging. "They will come for us, but we must focus on the greater threat. The Crimson Vow will not wait for us to settle our petty disputes."
"Petty?" Luna shot him a glare. "These 'petty disputes' will get us killed if we're not careful."
Kairo sighed, standing. "Alright, enough. Let's skip the philosophical debates and focus on surviving the next 24 hours. Iris, any word on the Syndicate's movements?"
Iris nodded, her glowing eyes flicking between data streams on her console. "They've locked down the Outer Rim. Looks like they're sending in a Hunter Unit."
Luna's eyes narrowed. "Hunters? Are you sure?"
"Positive," Iris said grimly. "They've deployed one of their top operatives—codename: Strix."
The room fell silent. Even Arkan seemed momentarily unsettled.
"Strix," Kairo said, the name rolling off his tongue like a curse. "Let me guess—elite assassin, impossibly skilled, never leaves a target breathing?"
"Pretty much," Iris replied. "If Strix is after us, we're in deep."
A Shadow in the Dark
Hours later, the group had relocated to an abandoned industrial facility on the outskirts of the city. The sprawling complex of rusted machinery and broken catwalks offered plenty of places to hide—but also plenty of places for an ambush.
Kairo kept his plasma rifle close, his gauntlets humming faintly with energy. He couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched.
"You're awfully quiet," Luna said, walking beside him.
"Trying to focus," Kairo replied. "And trying not to think about how we're probably walking into a trap."
"Smart," Luna said with a smirk.
Ahead of them, Iris was scanning the area with a handheld sensor. "Nothing so far," she said, her tone uncertain. "But if Strix is here, they're not gonna show up on a scanner."
Arkan trailed behind the group, his violet eyes scanning the shadows. "Stay close. The air is heavy with malice."
"You're not helping," Kairo muttered.
The First Strike
The attack came without warning. A sleek figure dropped from the rafters above, moving with inhuman speed. Before anyone could react, Iris was thrown across the room, her body slamming into a pile of crates.
"Contact!" Luna shouted, activating her energy blade.
Kairo spun around, firing his plasma rifle, but the shots went wide as the figure blurred out of sight. A moment later, the assassin emerged from the shadows—a tall, lithe individual clad in matte black armor. Their helmet was featureless save for two glowing red slits where eyes should have been.
"Strix," Luna said, her voice low and tense.
Strix tilted their head slightly, as if sizing them up. Then, with a flick of their wrist, they activated twin energy blades that hummed with deadly intent.
"Split up!" Kairo shouted, diving behind a column as Strix lunged.
The assassin moved like a specter, their blades slicing through metal and air with precision. Luna met them head-on, her own blade sparking against theirs in a dazzling display of skill.
"Keep them busy!" Iris called from the corner, her voice strained. She was already back on her feet, her rifle trained on Strix.
Kairo ducked out from cover, firing a series of shots that forced Strix to disengage from Luna. The assassin spun gracefully, deflecting the plasma bolts with their blades.
"Well, they're fast," Kairo muttered, retreating as Strix advanced toward him.
The Turning Point
Arkan stepped into Strix's path, his hands glowing with Neo-Ki energy. The assassin paused, seemingly intrigued.
"You are skilled," Arkan said calmly. "But you lack balance."
Strix lunged, their movements a blur. Arkan sidestepped effortlessly, delivering a precise strike to their side. The energy burst forced Strix back, their armor crackling with sparks.
"Not bad," Kairo said, catching his breath. "But let's not get cocky."
Strix recovered quickly, their red eyes locking onto Arkan. They activated a hidden projectile launcher on their wrist, firing a barrage of micro-missiles.
Arkan raised his hands, forming a glowing barrier that absorbed the explosion. The effort visibly drained him, but he held his ground.
"Go!" he shouted. "I will hold them off!"
"Like hell you will," Kairo replied, charging forward. He unleashed a powerful energy blast from his gauntlets, forcing Strix to retreat.
Luna and Iris joined the fray, their combined attacks keeping the assassin on the defensive.
A Narrow Escape
Despite their efforts, it became clear that they couldn't win this fight. Strix was too fast, too skilled, and too relentless.
"We need to fall back," Luna said, her voice grim.
"Working on it!" Iris shouted, planting an explosive charge on a nearby support beam. "Cover me!"
Kairo and Arkan moved to shield her, trading blows with Strix while Luna provided covering fire.
"Charge set!" Iris yelled, activating the timer.
"Move!" Kairo shouted.
The group retreated, diving for cover as the charge detonated. The explosion brought down a section of the facility, creating a barrier of debris between them and Strix.
For a moment, there was silence.
"Did we get them?" Kairo asked, peering through the dust.
"No," Arkan said, his tone somber. "They are still alive."
As if to confirm his words, a shadowy figure emerged on the other side of the rubble. Strix stood motionless, watching them with those eerie red eyes.
"Time to go!" Luna barked, and the group bolted into the night.
Regrouping
Back at a safe house, the group caught their breath.
"That was too close," Iris said, wincing as she adjusted a dented cybernetic limb.
"No kidding," Kairo replied, slumping into a chair. "Strix isn't just good—they're a damn nightmare."
"We won't survive another encounter like that," Arkan said. "We must prepare."
Luna nodded. "The Syndicate won't stop, and neither will the Crimson Vow. We need to find the next piece of the Nexus before they do."
Kairo looked at the glowing amplifier they had retrieved earlier, its light casting eerie shadows across the room.
"Yeah," he said. "But next time, we need a plan that doesn't involve getting sliced to bits."