Chapter 4: Raven’s Nest
🧾 RECAP:
After taking down the first Lazarus hybrid, MIRROR, Neil and the team discover that the others are starting to activate. Voss's voice echoes from beyond the grave, signaling that Phase Zero is underway. With two more hybrids—RAVEN and ABYSS—now operational, the team sets off to the war-torn Balkans to track down RAVEN, who is reportedly assembling an army using neural mind control.
📖 VOLUME 2, CHAPTER 4: Raven's Nest
Sarajevo, Bosnia – Midnight Fog
A cold mist crept through the war-torn alleys as Neil's boots crunched on the shattered pavement.
He adjusted the rifle slung over his shoulder. Above him, the remnants of old UN guard posts flickered with dim red lights, a sign of solar decay.
Tatiana stayed close behind, her eyes darting through the shadows. "This place used to symbolize diplomacy. Now it's just a graveyard with WiFi," she remarked.
Raj, connected to a drone from Mumbai, chimed in through the comms.
"Hybrid codename: RAVEN.
Expert in neural infiltration.
He's infecting militia groups with bio-coded obedience scripts—turning them into programmable killers."
Neil leaned in, whispering,
"Then let's dismantle his flock."
---
**The Recruitment Arena**
Deep within an abandoned stadium on the outskirts of Sarajevo, Neil's team observed from a vantage point as nearly 60 mercenaries chanted robotic slogans.
At the center stood RAVEN—thin, bald, and draped in cyber-threaded silk.
His eyes glowed a striking violet under the stadium floodlights.
Tatiana murmured, "He's not just controlling them. He's indoctrinating them."
Raj confirmed, "Encrypted audio patterns. He's using brainwave conditioning through sound frequencies."
Neil loaded his pulse round, determination etched on his face. "We end this tonight."
---
**The Assault**
The plan was solid—Raj had hacked into the sound grid, Neil slipped in wearing silent suppression gear, and Tatiana took position to flank the eastern corridor.
Neil descended like a shadow into the center ring, taking out three guards before they even had a chance to scream.
"RAVEN!" he called out.
The hybrid turned, his expression unnervingly calm.
"So the lion returns to his den," he replied.
RAVEN raised both hands, and in an instant, the crowd of followers dropped their weapons and convulsed—then stood up again, faster, their eyes vacant.
Neil fired.
---
**Neural War**
As bullets whizzed by, RAVEN unleashed his true weapon—**neuroshock frequencies** embedded in the walls.
Neil gripped his head as horrifying visions flooded his mind—Leela screaming, Tatiana bleeding, his own hands drenched in blood.
But it was all just an illusion.
Tatiana activated counter-sonic nodes, launching them in a protective perimeter. "Shield up! Fight the noise!"
With renewed vigor, Neil charged forward, slashing RAVEN with a neural disruptor. Sparks erupted around them.
"You... feel guilt," RAVEN rasped. "Your love... will betray you."
Neil halted, confusion washing over him. "What?"
RAVEN's smile was unsettling. "You already know who."
---
**Ending the Flock**
With one decisive blow, Neil drove his disruptor through RAVEN's artificial heart.
The hybrid crumpled to the ground. The mind-controlled militia fell into seizures, finally free.
But as he lay dying, RAVEN hissed:
> "ABYSS awaits... and she remembers you."
---
**Aftermath and Emotion**
Outside the stadium, beneath the wreckage of an old broadcast tower, Tatiana worked to patch up Neil's wounded shoulder.
He winced. "Do you really think he was talking about you?"
She hesitated, her hand shaking for just a moment. "I don't betray the people I care about."
Neil held her gaze for a long time. "And I don't turn my back on those I trust."
The silence lingered.
Then she kissed him—quick, electric, and somehow incomplete.
---
**Return Transmission**
Raj's voice broke through.
"Bad news. ABYSS has gone silent. But there's something worse... OMEGA's node just activated."
Neil rose, the taste of blood and ash lingering in his mouth.
"Then it's time to dive deeper."
---
🔫 *To Be Continued in Chapter 5: "Abyss Stares Back"*