The Velvet Den was still burning when Ethan and Lila finally made it back to their safehouse, the glow of the flames casting a faint orange hue across the city skyline. Exhausted but alive, they slipped into the dimly lit garage, the smell of smoke and sweat clinging to their clothes. Ethan slammed the door behind them, bracing against it for a moment to catch his breath.
"Did we do it?" Lila asked between deep breaths, leaning over the workbench for support.
Ethan straightened, pulling off his tactical vest and tossing it onto the table. "Yeah," he said, a hard edge in his voice. "Gray's cash flow is done. He's going to feel that one."
Lila pushed back her damp hair, grinning faintly. "Good. That's one hit he won't recover from easily."
But even as the words left her mouth, Ethan knew better. Gray wasn't the type to lick his wounds and disappear—he would come back harder, angrier, and more dangerous than ever. The system, as if reading Ethan's thoughts, chimed softly in the back of his mind:
[New System Task: Prepare for Retaliation. Gray Will Strike Back Within 24 Hours.]
Ethan's jaw tightened. The weight of the task settled over him like an invisible chain.
"What's wrong?" Lila asked, noticing the sudden shift in his expression.
Ethan glanced at her, his mind racing. "Gray's going to retaliate. It's not over."
Lila stiffened. "You're sure?"
"I don't need to be," Ethan replied. "It's common sense. We just burned his operation to the ground. He'll come looking for us."
"Then what do we do?" Lila pressed.
Ethan moved to the table, pulling out the map of the city once more. "We fortify. If Gray's sending men, we make sure we're ready for them."
The next few hours were a blur of preparation. Ethan and Lila worked tirelessly, transforming the old garage into a defensible hideout. Crates of weapons and supplies were cracked open, every gun loaded and every exit reinforced. Ethan set up improvised barricades near the windows and doors—wooden planks, overturned crates, and scattered debris to funnel intruders into tight choke points.
Lila checked their gear for the hundredth time, laying out ammunition and pistols on the workbench. "You've done this before," she said quietly, watching Ethan move with calculated precision.
Ethan paused, looking up from where he was reinforcing the main door. "Something like this," he admitted. "When you've been backed into enough corners, you learn how to fight your way out."
Lila studied him for a moment before saying, "You're good at this. Too good."
Ethan's eyes darkened slightly. "It's not something I'm proud of."
He turned back to his work, brushing aside the question hanging between them.
By the time they finished fortifying the garage, dawn was breaking. The pale light filtered through cracks in the walls, casting eerie shadows across the concrete floor. Ethan stood at the center of the room, scanning their defenses, every detail seared into his mind.
"We're as ready as we'll ever be," he muttered.
Lila nodded, checking her sidearm. "How many men do you think he'll send?"
Ethan's expression was grim. "Enough to make sure we're dead."
Suddenly, the sound of screeching tires echoed in the distance. Ethan froze, his senses sharpening. Lila turned toward the window, her hand instinctively dropping to her pistol.
"They're here," Ethan said, his voice low but steady.
The garage fell into silence, broken only by the distant rumble of engines. A moment later, headlights appeared through the gaps in the walls—half a dozen black SUVs pulling up outside. The hum of voices followed, orders barked in sharp tones.
Lila swallowed hard. "They brought a small army."
Ethan picked up his rifle, his movements calm and deliberate. "Let them come."
The first shot shattered the silence. A bullet slammed into the garage door, leaving a dent the size of a fist. Gray's men were opening fire, their barrage of gunshots echoing through the air like a storm. Ethan ducked behind the workbench, signaling for Lila to stay low.
"They're testing us," he said, glancing toward the door. "Trying to flush us out."
"Then let's show them we're not going anywhere," Lila shot back.
Ethan grinned faintly. "That's the spirit."
He moved quickly, lining up his rifle and taking aim through a gap in the window. With practiced ease, he squeezed the trigger. A single shot rang out, and one of Gray's men dropped to the ground outside.
The response was immediate—bullets rained down on the garage, tearing through wood and metal.
"Stay low!" Ethan barked as splinters flew through the air.
Lila crawled toward the far end of the garage, her pistol ready. She peeked through another window and fired off a few quick shots, forcing the men outside to scatter.
"They're flanking!" she called.
Ethan cursed under his breath. "We need to keep them pinned down."
He grabbed a smoke grenade from one of the crates, pulled the pin, and tossed it through the window. Thick clouds of smoke billowed into the alley outside, obscuring their attackers' vision. The gunfire faltered for a moment as Gray's men struggled to reposition.
Ethan didn't waste the opportunity. "Now!"
He and Lila sprang into action. Ethan took up position by the main door, his rifle trained on the entrance. The sound of footsteps grew louder as Gray's men moved closer, unaware of the ambush waiting for them.
The door burst open, and Ethan fired. The first man through the doorway fell instantly, followed by the second. Lila fired from her corner, her shots precise and controlled, forcing the rest of the men to retreat.
The battle raged on for what felt like hours, the air thick with smoke, gunfire, and the acrid scent of burning metal. Ethan moved like a machine, his every action calculated and efficient. The system buzzed softly in his mind, feeding him information—angles, movements, threats—all of it sharpening his focus.
Finally, the gunfire ceased. The silence that followed was deafening. Ethan remained still, his finger hovering near the trigger as he listened for any sound.
"It's over," Lila said softly, emerging from her cover.
Ethan exhaled, his muscles relaxing slightly. He stepped carefully over the bodies strewn near the entrance, his expression hard. Outside, the black SUVs sat abandoned, their occupants either dead or gone.
Lila joined him, wiping sweat from her brow. "We won."
"For now," Ethan replied, his voice low. He knew this was just the beginning—Gray wouldn't stop until he had his revenge.
As the sun climbed higher in the sky, Ethan's system chimed quietly in his mind:
[Task Completed: Survive Gray's Retaliation. Reward: +2 Combat Proficiency.]
Ethan felt the shift instantly—his reflexes sharper, his movements quicker. He glanced at Lila, his resolve hardening.
"We need to move," he said. "Gray's not going to let this go. Next time, he'll bring even more."
Lila nodded, her expression serious. "Then we hit him first."
Ethan's lips curled into a faint smile. "Exactly."
As they gathered their supplies and prepared to leave, Ethan's thoughts sharpened into focus. The battle with Gray was far from over—but now, they were stronger, smarter, and ready to take the fight straight to him.
This war has just begun.