In the alleys of the industrial district, the Phoenix members moved silently, their eyes scanning every detail. Will led the way, his slender body not reflecting his growing strength—but his sharp gaze did.
"Are we sure this isn't a trap?" Louis asked, adjusting his glasses.
Jack chuckled softly. "Of course it's a trap… but who said we don't love risks?"
Ethan muttered as he gripped a massive metal hammer: "Trap or not… nothing will stop us."
Will signaled them to stop at a dark intersection. Suddenly, a faint laugh echoed from the shadows.
"I knew you would come."
A tall man emerged, draped in a blue scarf, his eyes glowing like a cat's in the night.
"Blue Shadow's leader…" Will muttered.
"I've been waiting for you, Will… Let's see if you deserve the title of leader."
The battle ignited in a flash. Ethan charged forward, his hammer smashing everything in his path.
"Don't even try to stop me!" he shouted.
But a Blue Shadow member blocked him with a powerful punch.
Jack, from the back, fired his shots with deadly precision, laughing as if he were enjoying an action movie.
"How I love this job!"
Will watched the Blue Shadow leader, both of them motionless.
"What are you waiting for?" the leader asked with a cold smile.
"Your moment of weakness," Will replied calmly.
But suddenly, his focus was shattered by the sound of gunfire behind him. He turned to see Louis wounded in the shoulder.
"Louis!" Will shouted.
The Blue Shadow leader seized that moment and lunged at him.
The Blue Shadow leader attacked like a panther, but Will dodged his strike at the last second.
"Not that easy," Will said, his eyes glowing.
He spun swiftly, aiming a powerful punch at his opponent, but the leader blocked it effortlessly.
"You're good… but not good enough."
Jack rushed to help Louis, while Ethan fought fiercely.
"You're not going down here!" Jack yelled as he pulled Louis out of danger.
The Blue Shadow leader chuckled softly. "This is just the beginning, Will."
The system in Will's mind whispered: "You must push your power to its limits… or you'll lose them all."
"I won't lose anyone," Will whispered, his eyes burning with anger and newfound strength.
Gathering all his power, he charged at the Blue Shadow leader, beginning the real fight that would change everything.
Will charged at the Blue Shadow leader with unexpected speed, his fist aimed directly at his face. But the leader simply smiled and swiftly dodged.
"Better… but not enough."
Will didn't stop, launching a series of relentless attacks, each strike stronger than the last.
Ethan, while blocking his opponents' attacks, glanced in surprise. "When did he get this fast?"
The system whispered in Will's mind: "The training is starting to pay off… but you're not there yet."
The Blue Shadow leader brandished a sharp knife, aiming to slash Will, but Will dodged skillfully.
"Fast, but how long can you last?" the leader muttered, attacking with a deadly series of moves.
Will barely evaded them, but he observed every movement, every detail.
"Every move… every breath…" Will thought.
Suddenly, with a swift maneuver, he grabbed his opponent's wrist and pulled him hard, kicking him away.
Ethan laughed from a distance. "That's our leader!"
But the Blue Shadow leader stood up, wiping blood from his mouth, and smiled. "Time to get serious."
Amid the battle, Jack stood beside the injured Louis, firing deadly accurate shots at any enemy approaching.
"You okay?" Jack asked quickly.
"Just a scratch," Louis replied, trying to stand despite the pain.
Suddenly, a Blue Shadow member rushed at them, but Jack's bullet stopped him in his tracks.
"I won't let anyone touch my team."
On the other side, Will exchanged fierce blows with the Blue Shadow leader.
"You know something about my return, don't you?" Will asked, his breath heavy.
The Blue Shadow leader smirked. "Maybe…"
"Talk!" Will shouted, struggling to control his anger.
"You'll find out soon enough… if you survive tonight."
Will realized this man wasn't just an enemy—but a key to the secrets of his past.
"I'll rip the truth from you, whether you like it or not."
Ethan, after taking down his last opponent, ran towards Will.
"You can't kill him! We need him alive!"
Will, gripping the Blue Shadow leader by the collar, paused for a moment.
"I know… but he won't talk easily."
Jack joined them, reloading his gun.
"We have our ways… leave him to me."
But the Blue Shadow leader laughed loudly. "You think you've won? The game hasn't even started yet."
Suddenly, a massive explosion shook the place, throwing everyone to the ground.
"What the hell was that?" Louis shouted.
Will quickly got up, searching for his opponent, but he was gone.
The system spoke calmly: "He escaped… but he'll be back."
Will clenched his teeth in frustration. "I won't let him slip away next time."
Ethan placed a hand on Will's shoulder. "We'll be ready."
Far away, the Blue Shadow leader stood before a figure shrouded in darkness.
"Everything is going as planned…" the mysterious figure said.
Smoke was still rising from the site of the explosion. Will stood amidst the rubble, his eyes filled with anger and disappointment.
Ethan helped Louis to his feet while Jack checked on the other members to ensure they were safe.
"That was too close…" Will muttered, punching a crumbling wall in frustration.
The system calmly intervened: "You learned a lot today. This is not a failure."
"I know, but… every time I get close, something happens."
Jack approached him with a faint smile. "At least we're still here. And we'll hunt him down to the end."
Ethan added, "Yeah, and now we know he knows something important about you."
Will sighed and signaled to everyone, "Let's head back to the base. We need to plan our next move."
On the way back, Louis asked, "What do you think he meant when he said the game hasn't started yet?"
Will didn't answer, but his mind was fixated on the shadowed man and the connection between him and the Blue Shadow leader.
At the base, everyone sat in silence until the system broke it: "We have little time before their next move."
Jack chuckled softly, "Finally, a challenge worth the trouble."
In the meeting room, the members of The Phoenix sat around the table while Will stood before them.
"We need to find them before they find us," Will said firmly.
Ethan agreed, "We have some contacts at the port. They might know something."
Louis added, "I'll dig through the underground networks. Maybe I can find their trail there."
Jack grinned, "And me?"
Will looked at him, "You're coming with me."
"To where?"
"To the industrial district… where it all started."
The system projected a 3D map: "There's an abandoned facility there, possibly their operations center."
Jack smirked mischievously, "I love abandoned places."
Will chuckled softly, "Don't get too excited. We might not come out in one piece."
Ethan said seriously, "Be careful."
Will replied confidently, "Always."
As they left, Jack murmured, "I feel like this time will be different."
Will responded, "Yeah… I feel that too."
Will and Jack stealthily moved through the dark alleys of the industrial district, where the stench and smoke filled the air.
"I hate this place," Jack muttered.
"Me too… but it might hold the answers we need."
They stopped in front of a massive metal door, slightly ajar.
Jack whispered, "How inviting."
Will pulled out his gun, "Let's see who's waiting for us."
They entered cautiously, dim lights illuminating a long corridor.
Suddenly, they heard footsteps behind them.
Jack quickly turned, but no one was there.
"I don't like this…"
Will continued forward, "Stay alert."
At the end of the corridor, they found a room filled with screens displaying their movements over the past few days.
"Someone's been watching us…" Jack said in shock.
Suddenly, a familiar face appeared on one of the screens…
"Blue Shadow leader…" Will muttered.
Then another face appeared—the face of an old man with a gray beard… Edgar!
Will gasped, "But… Edgar is dead!"
Before they could process what was happening, the door behind them slammed shut.
Jack looked at Will, "We have a problem, don't we?"
Will nodded, "Yeah… a big one."