The morning after the letter, the city felt... wrong.
It was subtle — an extra silence on the streets, too many locked doors, too many eyes hidden behind curtains.
Elias noticed it immediately.
So did Sophia and Callum.
Something was about to happen.
---
They gathered in an abandoned subway station, deep underground.
The air smelled of rust and old rain.
Seraphine had spread out blueprints across a makeshift table.
"This is the Phoenix Society's first move," she said, tapping the paper.
"They've arranged a test."
Callum leaned in, scowling.
"A test? Like what, a pop quiz? 'What's the fastest way to get shot?'"
Seraphine ignored him.
"They've set a trap at Virex Pharmaceuticals," she explained.
"An experimental drug is being moved today. They're baiting you, Elias."
Sophia's fists clenched.
"And if he doesn't go?"
"They'll come after his friends. His family. His history."
Elias nodded grimly.
"No choice then."
---
As they planned, Elias's watch flashed a new alert:
> [New Ability Acquired: Tactical Awareness]
> Heightened perception of surroundings in high-stress environments. Slows down time perception briefly during dangerous situations.
He clenched his fist, feeling the difference immediately.
Everything became sharper —
the distant hum of machinery, the soft breathing of his friends, even the scuttling of a rat somewhere behind a pillar.
This wasn't just a small upgrade.
It could save his life.
---
They approached Virex under heavy cloud cover.
Callum hacked the security cams.
Sophia rigged a quick exit route.
Elias crept through the shadows, every muscle tense.
Suddenly —
gunshots.
He ducked behind a concrete pillar as bullets peppered the wall.
Four men in black tactical gear emerged from the far end, weapons raised.
Sophia cursed in his earpiece.
"They were waiting for us!"
Elias's mind raced — but with Tactical Awareness active, everything slowed.
He could see the bullet paths.
Predict the attackers' next moves.
In one smooth motion, he rolled behind a crate, grabbed a metal rod, and flung it hard.
Clang!
It knocked a gun out of an enemy's hands.
He sprinted, tackled the nearest guy, disarmed him, and pressed the gun to his temple.
"Talk," Elias growled.
The man smirked with bloody teeth.
"You think this is the real fight, kid?"
Then he bit down on something — a poison capsule — and collapsed instantly.
---
Elias barely had time to process when the air shimmered behind him.
He spun just as a woman in a red combat suit stepped out of the shadows.
Mid-30s, scar across one cheek, short platinum blonde hair.
Icy blue eyes like knives.
She smiled — cruel and amused.
"Hello, Elias," she purred.
"I've been dying to meet you."
He braced for a fight.
---
Elena Frost (Age 35, Assassin for the Phoenix Society):
Short platinum blonde hair, sharp icy blue eyes, lithe but muscular build. Wears tactical red armor. Professional, sadistic, thrives in chaos. Known as "The Bloodhound" among mercenaries for never letting a target escape.
---