Chapter 29 – No Way Out
The Talons struck first.
Their movements were swift, inhuman—shadows slicing through the dimly lit tunnel with lethal precision. Blades gleamed as they lunged, aiming for Ibrahim's throat.
He barely sidestepped in time.
Montoya fired her weapon, muzzle flashes illuminating the darkness. A bullet struck one Talon square in the chest, but the assassin barely flinched before continuing forward.
"These guys don't go down easy!" Montoya yelled, backpedaling.
Ibrahim's system was already calculating. [Talons: Enhanced durability. Weak points: Head, spinal cord, joints. Probability of survival without countermeasures: 12%.]
Not good.
Another Talon closed in, blade arcing toward him. Ibrahim ducked, then rammed his elbow into the assassin's ribs. It was like hitting solid steel. The Talon barely reacted as a clawed gauntlet slashed toward Ibrahim's face.
Montoya fired again, hitting the Talon in the eye. This time, it went down.
"Headshots work!" she shouted.
Ibrahim's mind raced. Fighting wasn't his specialty—outmaneuvering, outthinking, outplaying his enemies was.
He scanned the tunnel. [Structural integrity: Weak. Probability of controlled collapse: 78%.]
That would have to do.
"Montoya, cover me!"
She didn't ask questions. Another gunshot echoed as she took out a second Talon.
Ibrahim pulled a small device from his pocket—a compact sonic disruptor. He activated it and hurled it against the tunnel's support beam.
A high-pitched frequency erupted. The walls trembled.
The Talons hesitated.
Ibrahim grabbed Montoya's wrist. "Run."
The tunnel collapsed behind them as they sprinted forward, leaving the assassins buried beneath tons of rubble.
For now.
---
They emerged in a forgotten sector of Gotham's underground, deep beneath the city's surface. Dust and debris clung to their clothes as they caught their breath.
Montoya leaned against a wall, breathing hard. "Tell me that's the last of them."
Ibrahim checked his system. [No immediate threats detected.]
"For now."
She shook her head. "I still don't get it. Why are they so desperate to kill you?"
Ibrahim exhaled. "Because I exposed them. The Court of Owls built Gotham's foundation on silence and fear. I shattered that. Now, they're trying to erase me before I can do more damage."
Montoya's expression hardened. "Then we hit them harder."
He nodded. "But we need allies. And I know exactly who to call."
His system flashed a new message. [Incoming Transmission: Unknown Source.]
Ibrahim's eyes narrowed as he accepted the call.
A distorted voice crackled through the line.
"Al-Farooq… you've made quite the mess. Let's talk."
To Be Continued…