Sirens howled loud, the whole forest flipped into a hunting ground, trees shaking like they were scared. The swarm of men in black rushed in, rifles snapping up, all aiming the same way. The first burst of bullets exploded out, ripping through the wall where Noir had been just seconds ago. Brick shards flew everywhere, wooden planks cracked off, dust swallowing the whole balcony.
"Run!" Orion yanked her down to the floor, his other hand stabbing a dagger straight into the gaps between the bricks, pinning down some guy who'd just jumped up.
Specter instantly pulled the smoke bomb he'd hidden in his shirt. Gray-white smoke spilled out, blinding the sightlines and forcing the soldiers to slow for a couple seconds. Orion rushed in to help, and more goons came crashing into the house from every damn direction.
"These bastards— they were waiting for us!"
Noir sprang up, her blue eyes flashing. Through the smoke she tracked every tiny movement, signaling fast to her teammates.
"Five on the left, two on the roof. Orion, take the high ground. Specter, with me."
"If we stay in here, they'll squeeze us to death."
"Be careful, Orion." *Noir vaulted out the window*
Gunfire roared. A few locals chopping wood nearby caught the scene and freaked out, their screams making the air tenser. Noir shot past the big trees, her pistol curving in a clean line— two shots, two bodies down.
Orion hit the rooftop, boots smashing tiles. He moved like a hunting cat, blade sharp as hell, every strike a kill shot. A few unlucky guys never even figured out where he was before they dropped.
Noir tried to clear a path, shouting.
"Specter stay close!"
"Orion, find us an exit on the right flank!"
Specter still hadn't gotten all his assassin instincts back, but his calm was basically a weapon. He used smoke, flash bombs, and little mechanical traps to split the squads apart, turning the forest into some deadly maze.
But the leader stayed in the open, eyes cold, watching. He didn't rush. It was like he knew the net would close eventually.
Noir took down another soldier. When she turned, her vision wavered, everything going dark for a few seconds— but she forced herself steady, pushing on. While everything was heating up, Specter didn't notice a few guys tailing him— a knife pressed to his neck, but Orion showed up just in time and dropped them all.
"Don't just look forward," Orion warned.
Specter nodded, tossing out a few more flash bombs.
Around them, shadows with rifles kept closing in. Orion glanced around, Specter tightened his grip on the handgun. The three of them locked into formation, backs touching, bracing for the next wave where blood and smoke mix and there's zero room for mercy.
The dusty haze thinned, revealing dozens more gun barrels lifting up. Magazines clicked— like a death sentence being spoken out loud.
"They're way too many…" Specter muttered, sweat mixing with dirt on his nerdy face.
Noir answered without a flicker of panic.
"More doesn't mean unbeatable. Move."
Gunfire shattered the air again. Red sparks ripped through what used to be a peaceful scene. Orion charged in first, blade and gun swinging, screams cutting off mid-breath, every slash forcing open a bloody path. A bullet skimmed his shoulder, blood soaking into his gray shirt, but he just clenched his jaw and kept going.
Specter stayed on Noir's tail, tossing the last smoke bombs to shield them. He fired back, every shot on target, but yeah— his reactions were definitely slower than before. Still, that calm gave the team just enough time to loosen the noose.
Noir was dead center of the chaos. Her blue eyes scanned every shadow, reading intent before they even squeezed the trigger. Her leather jacket stained with blood and gunpowder, her boots pounding the ground in quick rhythms. She moved like a ghost, dropping soldier after soldier. Noir spotted an opening, clung to it— it might be the only escape they had. The two boys wouldn't last long if they got boxed in like this.
But the circle tightened fast. From rooftops, from all sides, more soldiers of the organization closed in like hungry wolves.
"This is bad— we might die here!" Specter hissed.
Orion slashed down another guy, blood splattering across the stone.
"There's an exit— hurry!"
Noir jerked her chin toward the gap so both could see it. The three of them pushed with everything they had, slipping through the narrow break, past the packed wall of soldiers. Bullets tore into trees, skimmed skin, leaving stinging burns. Orion took a cut to the arm, Specter was limping after catching a shot to the leg.
Still, they didn't stop.
Finally they burst out of the circle, sliding into a cramped alley leading into an abandoned suburb. Breathing hard, the air thick with blood and dust.
They collapsed on the cold cement, backs together, bleeding but eyes still burning bright.
Far off, the leader watched the smoke fade. No rage, no frustration— just a tiny smirk.
"Fine. Run. Every time you escape, it only makes the game more fun."
Noir, Specter, Orion pushed forward a bit more, tying up their wounds. Specter was in the worst shape, barely moving. She saw it and said.
"Orion, get him farther ahead. I'll stay back and check things."
Neither of them wanted to leave her alone, but she was too stubborn, so they went. Orion carried Specter and kept moving. Noir stayed put, slipping to the side of a building, finding a hidden spot and planting something there. A high-frequency jammer. She knew they were running out of time— this would cut their signal and interfere with the organization's tracking, buying them just a bit more time. From afar, Noir saw the silhouette of the leader standing on a hill, cloak fluttering, scanning everything. She disappeared into a shadowed corner, then headed down the path toward her teammates.
The leader sent his men searching, but they found nothing. Even though he was pissed— losing more assassins and getting tricked again— he still smiled that twisted smile.
"Time to cast a new net."
The real storm was still waiting ahead.