Betrayal
Echoes of Silence
The bunker was eerily quiet once the call ended, the hum of monitors the only sound breaking the silence. Remond leaned back in his seat, eyes fixed on the metal ceiling as Ho Dieng's words echoed in his mind.
"We have less time than you think."
His pulse thrummed with a mix of anger and dread, each beat a reminder of the chaos brewing outside—Axiom Syndicate, the elections, his mother's potential connection to it all. Every revelation was a knife twisting deeper.
Across the room, Yuki was already at work, fingers gliding over a keyboard, eyes narrowed in focus. Data streams cascaded across the monitors, lines of code and surveillance feeds. Her jaw was tight, determination sharpening her features.
Remond exhaled slowly, raking a hand through his hair. "Did you know?" he asked, voice raw. "About Axiom's ties to my mother?"
Yuki hesitated, fingers pausing. "I… suspected," she admitted, eyes dark with apology. "But I didn't have proof. I didn't want to tell you until I was sure."
"Sure," Remond muttered bitterly. His fists clenched, nails biting into his palms. "What else are you hiding?"
Yuki's gaze softened. "I'm not your enemy, Remond. I'm trying to stop them—just like you."
His shoulders sagged, the fight bleeding out of him. "I know," he mumbled. "I just… I can't keep up."
She stood, crossing the room to him, her gloved hand a warm weight on his arm. "You don't have to think much," Yuki said quietly. "We'll figure this out—together."
---
A City in Turmoil
The news feeds were relentless—riot footage, armored vehicles, flames licking at the edges of shattered storefronts. Protesters clashed with police in the streets, faces twisted with rage and betrayal. "Justice for the Truth" banners waved amidst the chaos, voices hoarse with fury.
Bronson's voice came crackling through Remond's earpiece, tense and hurried. "You seeing this? They've got the whole city on lockdown."
"I see it," Remond replied grimly, eyes narrowing. "How bad is it?"
"Bad," Bronson confirmed. "Army's already set up perimeters around Second Dawn's HQ. Looks like they're bracing for war."
Remond swore under his breath. The people were demanding answers, demanding justice, and Second Dawn had responded with force. It was a powder keg ready to blow.
"And Alina?" Remond pressed, voice tight.
Bronson hesitated. "She's with her family. Shaken, but safe for now."
Relief loosened the knot in Remond's chest, but it was fleeting. "Good. Keep me posted."
---
Unraveling the Web
Yuki's eyes flicked to him. "We need to move fast. If Axiom's planning something for the elections, we don't have much time to stop them."
"Right," Remond agreed, shaking off the lingering dread. "Where do we start?"
She tapped a few keys, pulling up a map littered with red markers—Axiom's shell companies, safe houses, Second Dawn's known facilities. "These are our targets. If we can shut down their networks, it'll cripple their comms. IADR has teams en route, but we'll need to handle the HQ ourselves."
Remond's jaw tightened. "Just the two of us?"
Yuki's eyes glinted with a familiar spark of defiance. "We've handled worse."
Despite himself, Remond huffed a laugh. "Fair point."
---
Memories and Monsters
Night had fallen by the time they suited up, shadows stretching long and deep in the bunker's dim light. Yuki was a blur of efficiency, strapping on armor and holstering weapons with practiced ease.
Remond rolled his shoulder, testing the ache. His body was a patchwork of bruises and scrapes, but the kinetic energy thrummed warm beneath his skin, recharged enough for a fight.
"Ready?" Yuki asked, voice soft but steady.
He met her eyes, the weight of years and losses hanging between them. "Ready."
They moved through the city like ghosts, slipping between alleys and abandoned streets. The distant echo of sirens and shouts faded as they approached Second Dawn's HQ, a monolith of steel and glass jutting against the night sky.
But as they closed in, the hairs on Remond's neck prickled. Something was off—too quiet, too still. The shadows seemed to writhe, eyes glinting from the dark.
Yuki stiffened, eyes narrowing. "We're not alone."
The attack came swift and brutal—beasts lunging from the darkness, eyes wild and teeth bared. Remond barely had time to brace before claws raked his side, pain igniting white-hot. He drove a fist into a snout, kinetic energy flaring, sending the creature crashing into a wall.
But there were too many—twisting shadows, jaws snapping. Blood spattered asphalt, pain a constant throb.
Yuki moved in lethal arcs, strikes precise, but even she was faltering under the swarm. Teeth sank into her arm, a snarl ripping free, but she tore free, claws slicing clean.
"Fall back!" she shouted, eyes flashing. "We're outnumbered!"
They fought tooth and nail, a desperate retreat through alleys slick with rain and blood. Remond's breath was ragged, energy sputtering. A claw caught his leg, dragging him down with a snarl.
The beast loomed, jaws gaping—then crumpled with a strangled yelp, a glint of steel through its neck. Yuki's eyes were molten gold, teeth bared.
"Move!"
---
The Safehouse
They stumbled into a hidden passage beneath a dilapidated bookstore, Yuki slamming the door behind them. Darkness swallowed them, silence deafening.
Remond sank to the floor, breaths heaving, limbs leaden with exhaustion. Blood trickled warm and sticky, staining his fingers.
Yuki's eyes softened, a gloved hand settling on his arm. "You're bleeding," she murmured, voice gentler.
"Just a scratch," Remond rasped, forcing a grin.
Her lips quirked. "Liar."
She helped him to a cot in the corner, light flickering dimly. The room was small but secure, surveillance feeds flickering faintly on the far wall. Yuki knelt, bandages and antiseptic in hand, movements deft and efficient.
Remond's eyes fluttered, exhaustion dragging at him. But warmth pooled at the edges of his awareness, Yuki's presence a steady anchor.
---
6. The Truth in Shadows
Once wounds were cleaned and breaths steadied, Yuki leaned back, eyes dark and weary.
"Rest," she urged. "We'll move once you're patched up."
But sleep was a distant hope, questions clawing at his mind. "Yuki… my mother—how deep is she in this?"
Yuki hesitated, guilt flickering. "I'm still piecing it together," she admitted. "But it's… worse than we thought. Axiom has roots everywhere—government, media, military. Your mother… she might be in deeper than she realizes."
Remond's breath hitched, a bitter laugh tearing free. "Of course," he muttered. "Why not."
---
A Call to Arms
The phone buzzed, harsh and jarring. Yuki's eyes narrowed, but she handed it over, screen lit with a familiar name.
"Ho Dieng," Remond greeted, voice flat.
"No time for pleasantries," Ho Dieng replied, tone clipped. "We have a location—Axiom's main hub. If we move now, we can intercept their command team before the attack."
Yuki's eyes sharpened, a spark igniting. "Coordinates?"
"Sending now. And Remond—be careful. They know you're coming."
The line went dead.
Remond met Yuki's gaze, resolve hardening. "Guess we're not getting much rest after all."
Yuki's lips quirked, a shadow of a smile. "We never do."
"Then let's end this," Remond muttered, rising on unsteady legs, fire burning in his veins. "For good."