Rain lashed against the cracked windows of the abandoned warehouse, the constant drumbeat blending with the hum of distant city sounds. Ash stood by the doorway, their masked face a silhouette against the faint glow of neon lights outside. Gage leaned against a rusty metal shelf, spinning his plasma revolver lazily in his hand, while Kade paced nervously, his shoes squelching on the damp floor.
"I'm telling you," Kade said, his voice rising with every word, "this delivery job wasn't supposed to come with an existential crisis! Or killer drones! Or… whatever that ninja person was!"
Gage smirked, puffing on his cigarette. "Welcome to life, kid. The universe doesn't care about your expectations."
"He's right," Ash said without turning. "If you're not ready to adapt, you'll die. Simple as that."
Kade threw his hands up in exasperation. "Great. Thanks for the pep talk. Really inspiring."
Ash's sharp eyes scanned the rainy streets, their fingers tightening around the rifle. The attacker from earlier—a relentless operative known only as Cipher—wouldn't give up that easily. Cipher had a reputation for completing missions no matter the cost, and whatever was in that silver case was clearly important enough to keep them coming back.
"We can't stay here long," Ash said, stepping back into the warehouse. "Cipher will regroup, and the drones will pinpoint our location soon."
"Any bright ideas?" Gage asked. "Because running isn't my strong suit."
Ash ignored the sarcasm. "There's a safehouse nearby. It belongs to a… contact of mine. We can lay low there."
"A contact?" Gage raised an eyebrow. "Sounds shady."
"It is," Ash replied matter-of-factly.
The three of them moved quickly through the rain-soaked alleys, sticking to the shadows. Kade's moped had been left behind, much to his dismay. Gage led the way, his revolver drawn, while Ash stayed at the rear, their rifle ready for any ambush. Kade stumbled along in the middle, clutching the silver case like his life depended on it.
"What's even in this thing?" Kade asked for the third time, glancing at Ash. "And don't give me that 'you don't need to know' crap."
Ash's voice was calm but firm. "Knowing would only put you in more danger."
Kade groaned. "How is that even possible?"
The safehouse was a dingy apartment tucked away in the back of an old high-rise. The door creaked ominously as Ash pushed it open, revealing a sparsely furnished room lit by a single flickering bulb. A holographic projector sat on a small table in the corner, casting faint blue light across the walls.
"Home sweet home," Gage muttered, kicking aside a pile of empty food containers.
Ash ignored the comment, moving to the projector and activating it. A map of the city appeared, glowing faintly in the dim light.
"This is where we are," Ash said, pointing to a blinking dot. "And this—" they pointed to another mark on the map, "is where we need to go."
Kade squinted at the map. "What's there?"
"Answers," Ash replied cryptically.
Before Kade could ask more questions, the apartment's security system let out a shrill beep. Ash's head snapped up, their hand instinctively moving to their rifle.
"We've got company," they said.
Gage smirked, his fingers flexing around the grip of his revolver. "Finally. I was getting bored."
Kade's eyes widened. "Wait, company? What kind of company?"
As if on cue, the door was blasted off its hinges, slamming into the opposite wall. A squad of heavily armed mercenaries stormed in, their helmets equipped with glowing visors.
"Guess we're not laying low," Gage said, diving for cover as plasma bolts scorched the air.
The room erupted into chaos. Ash moved with calculated precision, their rifle picking off mercenaries with deadly accuracy. Gage, grinning like he was enjoying himself, fired rapid shots from his revolver, each one finding its mark.
Kade, meanwhile, scrambled behind the couch, clutching the case like a lifeline. "This is insane!" he yelled over the gunfire.
"Welcome to the club!" Gage called back, throwing a grenade that sent two mercenaries flying.
Amid the chaos, Kade noticed one of the mercenaries moving toward the case. Panic surged through him, and before he knew what he was doing, he grabbed a broken chair leg and swung it with all his might. The mercenary stumbled back, more surprised than hurt.
"Yeah, that's right!" Kade shouted, adrenaline pumping. "Stay away!"
The mercenary raised their weapon, but a plasma bolt from Ash's rifle dropped them before they could fire. Ash glanced at Kade.
"Not bad," they said, before turning back to the fight.
Within minutes, the mercenaries were down, and the apartment was filled with the smell of burnt electronics and ozone. Ash lowered their rifle, scanning the room for any remaining threats.
"They'll send more," they said. "We need to move."
Gage holstered his revolver, his expression unusually serious. "Yeah, and fast. Whoever wants that case isn't messing around."
Kade nodded, his grip on the case tightening. For the first time, he realized just how far over his head he really was.
"Let's go," Ash said, leading the way out into the night.
As they disappeared into the rain-soaked streets, Kade couldn't shake the feeling that things were about to get much, much worse.