BE YOUR EMERGENCY EXIT

The cold night air buzzed with tension as the Clan moved through the shadows, their target in sight. The government facility loomed ahead, floodlights casting long beams across the perimeter.

Razor signaled with a sharp gesture, and the team split into formation.

Blaze was the first to break the silence, launching forward with precise aggression. He took out the nearest guard in a blur of movement, slamming the butt of his rifle into the man's temple before catching another by the collar and driving him into the ground.

Echo and Shade moved as a seamless unit. With Echo disabling the security systems with a well-placed EMP device while Shade slipped through the confusion, dispatching guards before they even registered his presence.

Cipher, stationed near the back, hacked into the facility's mainframe, fingers moving in rapid precision over his datapad.

Myst followed close behind Cipher, scanning the battlefield. Her mind should have been focused, but every blow, every gunshot, sent flickers of memory rushing back.

She remembered fighting alongside Flux—his presence at her back, the way they moved together as if anticipating each other's actions. Now, there was only absence, an emptiness where he should have been.

A shout snapped her back to the present. A guard lunged at her, and instinct took over. She twisted away, her blade flashing as she countered.

The man dropped, but Myst hesitated, staring down at the blood on her hands. The weight of past battles threatened to pull her under.

Nyx caught the moment of hesitation. Even amid the chaos, his gaze found her, sharp with concern. He moved swiftly, cutting down an approaching enemy before stepping closer to her.

"Myst." His voice was urgent but not unkind. "Stay with me."

She didn't respond immediately, still lost in the ghosts of old battles. Another enemy closed in—too fast.

Nyx was faster. His arm shot out, yanking her back just as a blade sliced the air where she had been standing. He spun, taking the attacker down in one fluid motion before turning back to her.

His hand found her waist, steadying her. "Focus now," he breathed, his voice lower now, closer. The warmth of his palm, even through layers of fabric, sent a jolt through her. "You're not alone in this."

Myst's heart pounded, from the fight or from his proximity—she wasn't really sure. She met his gaze, his face almost inches from hers, the intensity in his eyes making it impossible to look away. For a brief second, the battlefield faded into silence.

Then gunfire snapped her back. Myst exhaled sharply, closing her eyes for a moment while gripping her weapon tighter. "I know."

A flicker of relief crossed his face before he stepped back, blade at the ready. "Good. Now let's finish this."

Razor's voice cut through the comms. "Push forward. We're not done yet."

Myst steeled herself and forced her body into motion. The battle wasn't over, and neither was she.

The team advanced, moving like clockwork through the facility's outer defenses. The government forces were scrambling now, their ranks thinning, but the real fight was still ahead.

Blaze took the lead, a force of pure aggression, cutting a fiery path through the opposition. He moved fast, too fast for the guards to react.

A knife in one hand, a pistol in the other, he weaved through the chaos with lethal precision. "C'mon people, keep up!" he called over his shoulder, his voice edged with adrenaline.

Shade was already ahead, slipping between shadows, taking down enemies before they even saw him coming. One guard turned, barely getting a glimpse before Shade's blade found its mark.

He caught the body before it hit the floor, lowering it silently, his gaze already scanning for the next target.

Echo, meanwhile, made his presence known. A well-placed explosive sent a group of guards diving for cover, only for him to mow them down as they scrambled.

"You're welcome!" he quipped into the comms, sidestepping an incoming strike with a grin before putting a bullet between the attacker's eyes

Cipher remained locked onto his datapad, fingers moving in rapid precision. "Security's almost down," he muttered. "Give me thirty seconds."

"We don't have thirty," Razor snapped. "We need that main gate open now."

"I'm working on it!" Cipher's brow furrowed in frustration as his code fought against the facility's firewalls. A second later, a sharp beep signaled his victory. The security feeds flickered, then shut down. "Gate's unlocked. Go."

Razor didn't hesitate. "Move in."

Myst and Nyx fell in with the others, pushing through the remaining resistance. Myst fought harder now, the moment of hesitation from earlier burned away. Her blade flashed as she struck, her body moving on instinct.

She wasn't just surviving this fight—she was taking control of it.

Nyx fought close by, his presence steady, watching her from the corner of his eye. He saw the shift in her movements, the spark returning. A smirk tugged at his lips. "Well, took you long enough."

Myst didn't look at him, but he caught the hint of a smirk in return. "Shut up and fight."

Ahead, the main doors of the facility groaned open. Whatever the government was hiding inside, it was time to find out.