Sparrow City, White Tower District. Inside the Trading Center subway station.
With a ripple of displaced air, Thomas materialized inside a bathroom stall. His interface displayed two location coordinates under the Teleport trait:
* Evacuation Point 1: Collapsed Crane Cab
* Evacuation Point 2: Itchy's Private Cinema, Room 106
Confirming his escape routes, he listened through his tactical headset, ensuring the area was clear of refugees before exiting the stall. The bathroom was pitch black, but through the doorway, he could see the dimly lit subway hall.
Unfamiliar with the station layout, he moved through the shadows, his gear and title enhancing his stealth. Rounding a corner, he found a station map. He was on the west side; the Trading Center was south, accessible via an underground passage leading to its parking garage.
Memorizing the map, he headed towards the passage. Vaulting the turnstiles, he reached the passage entrance. The hundred-meter corridor was illuminated by only two dim lights. He stopped abruptly, retreating back to the turnstiles and concealing himself in the shadow of a booth. Nightwalker ensured absolute silence.
His headset picked up approaching footsteps and hushed voices.
"Almost time for our shift change. Anywhere you guys wanna unwind?" a lazy voice drawled.
"Unwind? Did you forget? This place is haunted today. Anyone going into the building loses something, and anyone coming out loses a third of their stuff."
"So that's why we've been patrolling the station all day instead of the parking garage."
"Yeah. Heard Mad Dog is trying to figure it out. We might even relocate our base."
"Tonight, we're staying out of the Trading Center."
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
The five-man patrol, identical to the ones he'd encountered earlier, passed by, their tactical flashlights cutting through the gloom. They didn't notice Thomas hidden in the shadows.
Through the turnstile slats, Thomas observed their formation. His eyes narrowed. He reviewed the Nightwalker's Silent effect description, confirming it suppressed all sound within a one-meter radius. His plan solidified.
Five minutes later, the patrol returned, their shift complete. As they entered the shadowed passage, they remained oblivious to the figure trailing them.
Thomas, shrouded in darkness, closed in on the last patrol member. In a swift, silent motion, he clamped a hand over the man's mouth, pulling him close, and fired two silenced shots into his head.
He supported the body, preventing it from falling and alerting the others. Confirming no one had heard, he gently lowered the corpse to the ground and continued his advance.
The second and third eliminations went smoothly. However, as he dispatched the third, the patrol leader sensed something amiss and glanced back, only to be met with a gun barrel. Before he could react, a bullet pierced his forehead. Two more shots took down the final patrol member.
Quickly changing into a dead patrol member's uniform and gear, Thomas used a scarf to mask his face. He arranged the bodies: the leader face down, the others piled together to obscure the number. He placed two grenades with pulled pins under the leader's chest.
Grabbing an assault rifle, he feigned panic and stumbled out of the passage into the parking garage, firing wildly back into the tunnel.
"Help! Enemies! Someone help!" he yelled, scrambling backward.
Two patrol squads, alerted by the gunfire, rushed to the scene. Seeing his terrified state, they kicked him contemptuously, demanding an explanation.
"Check on the captain! Enemies... he's been hit! Go!"
The two squads, hearing about their captain, raced into the passage, some losing items as they entered. Seemingly prepared, they drew backup weapons and continued cautiously.
As soon as they were inside, Thomas, confirming the garage was empty via his virtual map, sprang up and planted two Remote Emulsion Explosives on the support pillars flanking the passage entrance. He then sprinted towards the west side stairwell.
The two squads found the bodies. Their comms operator relayed the situation to the Trading Center. Reinforcements – three more squads – were dispatched.
As the reinforcements reached the garage, two explosions rocked the passage.
"Go! Grenades! Support them!"
Hidden beneath a modified pickup truck, Thomas watched the three squads rush past, his attention fixed on his virtual map. As they reached the passage entrance, between the two pillars, he slammed his thumb onto the detonator.
Boom... Boom...