The dim maintenance tunnel stretched endlessly before them, its walls slick with condensation and grime. The faint hum of Neurova's infrastructure rumbled above, a reminder that the city above was still alive and thriving—oblivious to the chaos brewing beneath it. Elliot's handheld device flickered faintly, casting pale light against the curved walls as he and Nina moved deeper into the labyrinthine tunnels.
Nina trailed behind him, her breathing shallow but more even now that they had gained some distance from the Syndicate's enforcers. Her earlier exhaustion had subsided somewhat, replaced by a nervous energy that kept her on edge. Her movements were sharper, her posture tense, and the lines of her face—normally soft and approachable—had hardened into something sharper.
"You haven't said anything in ten minutes," Nina said, breaking the silence. Her voice echoed faintly, her tone clipped.
Elliot didn't glance back. "Because I'm thinking."
"About what?"
"About how I got dragged into this mess," Elliot muttered, running a hand through his disheveled hair. He paused for a moment to study the map on his handheld before continuing forward.
"You could've just let me go," Nina pointed out, her voice tinged with something between bitterness and gratitude. "You didn't have to help."
Elliot stopped abruptly, turning to face her. His lean frame was bathed in the glow of the handheld, the shadows making his sharp jawline look even more angular. His dark brown eyes—usually tired and withdrawn—were now narrowed with frustration.
"You think I don't know that?" he snapped. "Do you think I wanted any of this? My plan for tonight was to finish a contract, eat something microwavable, and go to bed. Now I'm running through the guts of the city, dodging cartel killers and trying to keep us alive."
Nina opened her mouth to respond but stopped short when she saw the anger in his eyes. There was more behind his words than simple annoyance—something deeper, rawer.
"I didn't do this for you," Elliot continued, his voice quieter now but no less intense. "I did it because I know what the Syndicate does to people. I've seen it. And I couldn't just... sit there and let it happen again."
The weight of his words hung between them, heavy and unspoken. Nina's expression softened slightly, her posture relaxing.
"Again?" she asked quietly.
Elliot didn't answer. He turned away, his focus snapping back to the handheld as he adjusted their route. "We need to keep moving. The data I pulled says there's a substation about half a mile ahead. We can set up there."
Nina frowned but didn't press him. Instead, she followed silently, her mind churning with questions she wasn't ready to ask.
The substation was a stark contrast to the narrow tunnels they had been traversing. It was a large, circular chamber filled with towering machines, blinking consoles, and the low hum of electricity coursing through its veins. The walls were lined with thick cables that snaked along the floor and ceiling, glowing faintly with residual energy.
Elliot moved to one of the terminals, brushing dust from the screen. His hands worked quickly, plugging in his handheld and accessing the system. Lines of code flickered across the display as he navigated the station's control panel, bypassing its outdated security protocols with ease.
"This place looks ancient," Nina said, glancing around.
"It is," Elliot replied without looking up. "It's a maintenance node for the old city grid. They stopped using most of these stations decades ago when they upgraded the infrastructure."
"Then why is it still powered?"
Elliot smirked faintly. "Because corporations are lazy. They never fully decommission anything—they just reroute power and forget about it. Places like this are perfect for staying off the grid."
Nina wandered the room, her fingers brushing against one of the consoles. She stopped in front of a dusty monitor and stared at her reflection for a moment. Her pale skin, gaunt cheeks, and bloodshot eyes looked almost unrecognizable.
"Why do they want me?" she asked suddenly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Elliot paused, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. He glanced at her, his expression unreadable. "I don't know," he admitted. "But whatever it is, it's important enough for them to send enforcers after you."
Nina turned to face him, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "You said something earlier. About them wanting information I might have. What did you mean?"
Elliot sighed, running a hand through his hair. "When I tapped into their comms, I intercepted fragments of their orders. They're not just looking for you because of the drug. They think you know something—something that could compromise them."
"That's impossible," Nina said, shaking her head. "I don't know anything."
"Maybe you don't," Elliot said, his tone cautious. "But maybe you saw or heard something without realizing it. Or maybe they think you're connected to someone who does."
Nina opened her mouth to argue but stopped herself. The truth was, she didn't know what she didn't know. Her memory of the past few weeks was a blur, fractured by sleepless nights and the relentless grip of NoQAnOLs.
"Whatever it is," Elliot continued, "we need to figure it out. Because until we do, they're not going to stop coming after you."
Elliot turned back to the terminal, his fingers flying across the keyboard. He pulled up the substation's internal systems, scanning the power grid and surveillance logs.
"What are you doing?" Nina asked, stepping closer.
"Giving them a reason to stay busy," Elliot replied. "If they're chasing ghosts, it buys us time to figure out our next move."
He accessed the station's maintenance drones, rerouting their patrol paths to create a decoy signal in a neighboring section of the tunnels. At the same time, he planted false pings on the Syndicate's network, making it appear as though Nina's tracker had activated in multiple locations.
"They'll think you're everywhere," Elliot said, smirking faintly. "By the time they realize it's a decoy, we'll be long gone."
Nina watched him work, her unease giving way to a grudging sense of admiration. For all his grumbling and reluctance, Elliot was good at what he did. Better than good, actually.
"You ever think about doing this professionally?" she asked, gesturing to the screen.
Elliot snorted. "What, hacking into cartel networks and dodging assassins? No thanks. I'll stick to freelance tech support."
"Could've fooled me," Nina said, her tone teasing despite the tension in her voice.
Elliot glanced at her, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Yeah, well, desperate times."
Unbeknownst to Elliot and Nina, the Syndicate's enforcers were already adapting. Kael crouched over a damaged drone in one of the tunnels, his glowing red eye scanning its internal systems.
"They're using the drones to create decoys," Kael said, his tone calm but cold. "Redirecting our focus."
Dren cursed under his breath, slamming a fist against the wall. "Clever little rats. What now?"
Kael stood, his towering frame casting a shadow over his partner. "We split up. I'll follow the decoys. You track the original signal. If it's real, call for reinforcements."
"And if it's not?"
Kael's lips curled into a faint, humorless smile. "Then I'll make sure they don't try this again."
Dren grinned, his cybernetic jaw glinting in the dim light. "Sounds fun."
Back at the substation, Elliot leaned back from the terminal, exhaling sharply. "Alright," he said, turning to Nina. "That should buy us some—"
The handheld device in his pocket buzzed violently, cutting him off. He pulled it out, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the screen.
"What is it?" Nina asked, stepping closer.
"They're splitting up," Elliot muttered, his brow furrowing. "One of them is following the decoys, but the other... the other's still tracking you."
"How?" Nina demanded, her voice rising with panic. "You disabled the tracker!"
"I did," Elliot said, his mind racing. "But... No."
"No what?"
Elliot's expression darkened. "Your implant isn't just a tracker. It's a relay point. Even with the main signal disabled, they're still picking up residual data—movement patterns, environmental signatures."
"So, what do we do?" Nina asked, her voice trembling.
Elliot stared at her for a long moment, his jaw tightening. "We remove it."
Nina blinked, her eyes widening. "Remove it? You mean—"
"It's the only way to cut them off completely," Elliot said, his tone firm. "If we don't, they'll keep tracking you no matter where we go."
Nina's breath hitched, her hands gripping the edge of the console. "But... it's connected to my neural system. If you screw this up—"
"I won't," Elliot interrupted, though his voice lacked the confidence he was trying to project. "But we don't have time to argue. If we're going to do this, we need to do it now."
Nina hesitated, her mind a whirlwind of fear and indecision. But as the faint sound of footsteps echoed through the tunnels outside, she knew she didn't have a choice.
"Alright," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Do it."
Elliot nodded, his expression grim. "This is going to hurt."