The terminal buzzed with activity—faces buried in holo-screens, travelers trudging through, drones whirring past. Mike pushed his hands deeper into his jacket pockets, his shoulders tense. Terminal C felt miles away, but Rick had insisted: "No suspicion. Walk straight."
As Mike reached a faded bench, Rick sat there, flipping through a pocket tablet, his face lit by the digital glow. Without looking up, Rick said, "Sit down. Look casual. You're late."
Mike slumped onto the bench with a sigh. "What's this all about? And why are we meeting in a damn train station?"
Rick's voice was clipped, businesslike. "Take this." He handed Mike a ticket. "You're headed to the Borderlands. Tosh is waiting. He's finishing the prep."
Mike blinked. "Tosh? The Borderlands? I thought he was handling the grid."
Rick finally looked up, his sharp gaze softening for a moment. "Change of plans. Trust me. Oh, and the car keys. Hand 'em over."
Mike's expression hardened. "The hell you need my car for?"
Rick rolled his eyes and spoke slowly, as if explaining to a child. "I'm upgrading it. Buffed engine, armored plating, nitro. You'll thank me later."
With a reluctant sigh, Mike tossed the keys into the nearby barrel Rick pointed to. "Fine. You mess it up, I'm killing you."
Rick smirked. "Relax. You'll love it. Now get on the train. Clock's ticking."
Mike boarded with a grumble, Rick's parting words ringing in his ears: "This'll be our magnum opus, Mike. History will remember us."
Mike utters to himself, "Now, where did I hear this?"
After some moments pass, Mike informs Sophie one of his co-workers from the job; through Voicemail, "Hey, Sophie. Uh, I'll be taking off today. Don't worry. It's nothing serious. Me and Vas wanted a break for ourselves from the city. So, we'll be back in no time. Take care."
After travelling some distance, an announcement rings inside the train. "Next stop. Borderlands." Mike geting nervous and tries to calm down, "It's gonna be alright. Stay calm." He looks at his watch and rolls down his sleeve.
The train hummed as it pulled into the Borderlands' station. A blast of cold air hit Mike as he stepped off, tightening his grip on his coat. Two men approached, scanning him quickly before handing him the keys to his car.
"Your ride's outside," one muttered. "Enjoy."
Mike's jaw dropped when he saw it—a sleek armored beast, matte black with bulletproof windows and reinforced tires. He slipped into the driver's seat, the rumble of the engine vibrating through his chest. "Rick, you bastard," he muttered with a grin, calling Rick. "This is fucking amazing."
Rick's voice crackled over comms. "Told ya. Now, get Tosh. The convoy's moving."
The suite loomed in the distance as Mike parked in a shadowy alley. Tosh sat in the backseat, fiddling with wires and EMP triggers. "Timing's everything, Mike. Once the grid's fried, we have seven minutes before backup kicks in. Vasily's covering upstairs. We're going in through the front."
Mike frowned. "Through the front? That's suicide."
"Vasily's distraction will draw their eyes. Don't worry."
Mike grunted, gripping the steering wheel. "I hate those words."
Tosh shoved a small trigger button into his hand. "When I say now, you press that, and we move."
Seconds turned to minutes. Tension choked the air.
Finally, Tosh whispered, "Now."
Mike pressed the button, and the city blinked to black.
Inside, shadows swallowed the suite. Civilians panicked, guards barked orders, and emergency lights flickered faintly. Tosh and Mike weaved through the chaos, dressed as maintenance workers, their cover barely holding. Vasily's distant shouting echoed from the far hall—he was buying them time.
They slipped into the elevator. Tosh hacked its controls, bypassing security locks with hurried swipes on his wrist device. The doors sealed behind them as the elevator whirred down into the darkness of the underground facility.
The air grew colder.
"Whatever's down here," Mike muttered, "it better be worth it."
Tosh's voice was grim. "It will be."
The underground was a maze of metal corridors, sterile and lifeless. Red emergency lights pulsed faintly. As they moved deeper, Mike spotted a glass container in the control room—a strange substance pulsing faintly with energy. Scientists hovered around it, panicked.
"There," Tosh said, pointing.
Before Mike could react, alarms screamed.
"Fuck," Tosh cursed. "Guards."
Mike grabbed the glass container while Tosh covered him, firing a burst from his custom pistol. "Move!"
Turrets activated. Red lasers sliced through the darkness. Guards flooded the hallways, shouting orders. Mike sprinted, glass container clutched tightly, bullets ricocheting off the walls.
"Vasily! We're coming up!" Tosh shouted into his comm.
"Extraction point's blown!" Rick's voice crackled. "Guards swarming the area."
Mike's heart hammered. "What now?!"
"Find another exit," Tosh ordered, his voice tight.
They sprinted through the labyrinth, Vasily joining them mid-run. "We need to blow through—this way!" Vasily barked, dragging Mike toward a freight elevator.
Gas suddenly hissed into the halls.
"Move! They're sealing it off!" Tosh shouted.
Mike staggered, the gas burning his lungs. The world tilted as his body weakened.
"Vasily..." Mike choked.
Vasily's face swam into view. "Not today, my брат."
Vasily threw Mike over his shoulder, dragging him toward the elevator where Tosh waited. The lab behind them filled with chaos—guards shouting, machinery sparking, and the gas pouring like fog.