The air inside the abandoned warehouse was thick with the scent of death, the stillness only broken by the occasional creak of rusting metal and the distant hum of the city beyond. Shadows coiled lazily around Alexander as he stood over the body of the dead smuggler, his violet eyes glowing in the dim light. Vasili and Noctis flanked him, their forms blending into the abyss as they awaited his command, their presence a silent testament to the growing might of his army.
Alexander exhaled slowly before kneeling, pressing his hand against the cold corpse. The system responded instantly, its mechanical voice echoing in his mind.
[System Notification]
"Shadow Extraction Possible. Would you like to proceed?"
There was no hesitation.
"Arise."
The abyss swirled around the corpse, tendrils of darkness sinking into the lifeless flesh like an invasive parasite. A deep, resonating hum filled the warehouse, the air vibrating with raw energy as the body twitched violently. Then, as if pulled from the depths of oblivion, the smuggler's form rose—his eyes burning with the same violet glow as Vasili and Noctis.
The reborn shadow knelt, awaiting its first order, awaiting purpose. Alexander studied his newest creation, the ghost of a man who once served criminals now bound to his command. His voice, smooth and commanding, broke the silence.
"Tell me everything."
The shadow's voice was hollow, stripped of all hesitation and fear. "The smuggling ring… belongs to HYDRA."
Vasili and Noctis exchanged brief glances, understanding the weight of the name. HYDRA was not an ordinary syndicate; they were an empire hidden in the dark, a force that had long outlived its enemies by adapting, by burrowing deep into the world's infrastructure like an incurable disease.
Alexander's expression remained unreadable, but beneath it, a quiet storm brewed. "Explain."
The shadow continued, its tone devoid of emotion, carrying only the facts. "The operation at the docks was part of a global network. Weapons, experimental materials… even people. All controlled by HYDRA. The shipment we intercepted was meant for a classified project. They won't ignore this attack."
Alexander's smirk was barely visible in the darkness. Good. Let them come.
Noctis stepped forward, his voice measured and analytical. "If HYDRA considers this an attack, they will retaliate quickly. They don't tolerate interference, especially from an unknown force."
Alexander nodded, taking a step back from the kneeling shadow. "Then we make the first move."
He turned to Vasili, his tone sharpening. "Find out where their closest operational base is. I don't want to wait for them to strike first."
Vasili gave a small bow and vanished into the shadows, his presence dissipating as if he had never been there at all.
Noctis remained still, waiting. "What are your orders for me, my king?"
Alexander's gaze lingered on his second-in-command, the battlefield strategist of his growing legion. "Prepare for war."
Location: HYDRA Black Site – New York
Deep within an underground bunker beneath the city, a group of HYDRA agents stood around a dimly lit briefing table. The atmosphere was tense, their expressions grim as they reviewed the security footage from the docks.
A large monitor displayed a looping video—distorted images of men being cut down in the dark, the footage shaky as gunfire flared against an unseen enemy. Shadows moved unnaturally, consuming the screen before the feed cut to static.
A man in a dark suit leaned forward, his fingers pressing against the tabletop. His voice was sharp, filled with irritation. "We lost an entire shipment. Our contacts were slaughtered. Whoever did this, they weren't amateurs."
Across from him, a HYDRA commander folded his arms, his jaw clenched in frustration. "We've dealt with enemies before. If this is some vigilante, we eliminate him."
The man in the suit frowned. "It's not that simple. Whoever it was, they didn't just kill our men. They erased them. No bodies left behind. No evidence. Just… shadows."
Silence filled the room for a brief moment. A chill ran through those gathered. Then another voice broke through the tension, colder and more calculated than the others.
"We are no longer dealing with a simple nuisance."
The figure stepped into the dim light, his face partially obscured by the darkness. His presence alone commanded attention, his every movement precise, methodical. The room shifted uneasily. HYDRA had encountered many things—super-soldiers, assassins, even enhanced individuals. But this was different. This was unseen.
The man's voice dropped lower, more deliberate. "Send a retrieval squad. I want this ghost… captured."
The commander stiffened. "And if he resists?"
The figure smirked, though it carried no humor. "Then we find out if shadows can bleed."
And with that, the hunt for Alexander had begun.
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