The underground station suddenly felt smaller.
X's grip tightened around the phone as he reread Graves' message.
"You can run, but you can't hide."
That meant one thing—Z was coming.
X turned sharply to Raven. "We need to move. Now."
She was already strapping her gear back on. "How much time do we have?"
Kessler swallowed hard. "If they've already pinged my location… maybe five minutes."
X's mind worked fast. No way they could outrun Z underground.
They had two choices—run and risk being hunted down in the open streets, or fight now while they still had control of the terrain.
He made his decision.
"We're setting a trap."
Raven nodded. "What's the plan?"
X scanned their surroundings. The old subway cars, the broken-down escalators, the collapsed tunnel entrance on the far side.
He pointed at the platform edge. "We use the tunnels to bottleneck him."
Raven smirked. "Ambush him in close quarters. I like it."
Kessler, still cradling his broken arm, looked terrified. "You can't be serious! Z is designed to adapt to any situation—"
X ignored him. "Raven, take the high ground. Kessler, get to cover and stay out of the way."
The scientist hesitated, then obeyed.
X checked his weapons—two silenced pistols, a combat knife, and one last flash grenade.
It wasn't much, but it had to be enough.
Then—they heard it.
A single footstep.
Then another.
Slow. Controlled. Coming from the tunnel.
X and Raven took cover behind the remains of an overturned subway car.
The flickering emergency lights barely illuminated the darkness, casting long, distorted shadows.
Then, a silhouette appeared.
Agent Z.
He stepped onto the platform without a sound.
His armor was still stained with blood from their last fight. The cracks in his visor had been repaired.
He was a machine built for one purpose.
To kill.
His head turned slightly. Scanning. Calculating.
Then—he spoke.
"You can't win, X."
His voice was calm. Cold. Inevitable.
X didn't answer.
Instead—he moved.
A flick of his wrist—the flash grenade soared through the air.
It detonated right in front of Z.
BOOM!
Light erupted, white-hot and blinding.
Raven fired—three perfect shots aimed at Z's exposed joints.
But he was already moving.
Even blinded, Z twisted mid-air, dodging the bullets with inhuman reflexes.
Then—he vanished.
X barely had time to react before a hand closed around his throat.
CRACK!
Z slammed X into the concrete wall.
Pain exploded through his ribs.
X gasped, struggling for breath—Z's grip was like iron.
Through his cracked vision, X saw Raven charging in, knife drawn.
Z whipped around, catching her wrist in midair.
A brutal twist—SNAP!
Raven let out a cry of pain as Z disarmed her effortlessly.
X's vision blurred.
Too strong. Too fast.
Z turned back to X. "You were the prototype. I am the future."
X's breath hitched.
Was this it?
Was this how it ended?