Damien found his first targets near the edge of the docks surrounded by bright red shipping containers. They’d been manually unloading some cargo and were now taking a break, hooting and hollering amongst themselves. Out of all the groups of enemies, this one had the fewest members and was the most isolated from the others, making them the ideal first victims. An optical scan gave the same reading for all three goons.

Royals Solider

Threat Level: 2

Their individual threat level weren’t much of a concern, but their strength in numbers across the entire dock could prove dangerous if they grouped together.

Damien slowly maneuvered around the shipping containers, searching for the optimal position. Ideally he’d eliminate them without being spotted, so he waited patiently for the right opportunity. The hollering continued for some time until one of the street soldiers finally trailed off away from the others. There wasn’t much time to keep Marcus waiting, so Damien decided that now was the time to act.

Following the target around a corner, he brought his hand to the pack at his side and gave a mental command. A single shuriken came out, the hole at the center sliding around his finger. With this he could stun the target and finish him off before the others would know what had happened.

Damien took aim and flung his hand at his target, snapping his wrist and launching the star. The weapon zipped through the air and landed in the soldier’s upper arm, letting out some sparks on contact. With his target momentarily stunned, Damien sprung forward, launching into action.

He closed the distance quickly and swung his katana, but a loud cry from his target came out before the weapon could connect. When it did, the arc of his blade cut cleanly into the man’s torso, but Damien gave another thrust through the chest to make sure it was fatal.

That hadn’t gone quite as well as expected. He’d hoped the brief electric paralysis would’ve kept the target from making any noise, but he’d misjudged the timing between the first attack and the follow up. Had that yelp been loud enough to blow his cover?

He turned back around the corner to find that, sure enough, the other two gang members were headed straight for him, though they stopped in their tracks upon spotting him. The confusion didn’t last for more than a second, and one of their eyes flashed blue. He’d just alerted the others on the dock.

Without thinking, Damien called for a pair of shuriken and launched them at the two soldiers. The first one hit the left man’s waist, while the second caught the other one in the gut. Electricity sparked once again, leaving them stunned, but it wasn’t enough to kill.

More yelling rang out around the yard now, followed quickly by the first sounds of gun fire. Marcus was likely now active, and the chaos would only grow.

With a brief pause in his enemies’ actions, Damien ran up and finished the first one off with a single swing of his Volt Blade. The second one regained mobility and reached for the pistol at his side, but another flash of black and yellow killed him before he could make use of it. Compared to the heavily-armored Ex-M’s he’d fought before, these guys offered virtually no resistance to his blade.

Damien rushed into the main yard where the commotion was largely concentrated. Marcus had taken up a smart position between a crane and a container, but he was under fire by a group of Royals who had taken cover on the opposite side. His position appeared to be perfect, until Damien spotted a single gang member circling around his crew mate’s defensive post. This lone Royal carried a machete in hand, and he appeared to have evaded Marcus’ sights, the pirates’ attention focused wholly on the fire fight that he was quickly starting to win.

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The chaos of the battle wouldn’t allow Damien to warn his partner in time, and the distance was too great to reach the machete-wielder in time. Good thing he finally had some ranged weapons. Bringing his finger to the pack at his side, Damien took hold of a single shuriken and launched it straight at his target, the motion from his wrist coming out smoothly. It landed flat into the target’s chest, stunning him. Finally, a direct hit exactly where he’d been aiming.

Marcus must’ve caught sight of the flying star, because he turned around and faced the Royal who’d almost caught him off guard. A single round from his shotgun eliminated the threat, and he swerved back around to fire at the covering Royals. It didn’t take long for him to eliminate the remaining members of the first group, and when there was a small stoppage of gunfire, Damien charged forward to join his partner.

Based on the info they obtained earlier, two groups of Royals still remained on this yard.

Damien scanned the battlefield and spotted a cluster of thugs rush to get into a passage between a lift and some containers. It was a strong defensive position that directly countered their own. A fire fight from these positions would leave them at a heavy disadvantage, but if the two pirates were to close the distance and attempt a direct assault, they’d be easy pickings out in the open.

If only we could lure them out, Damien thought, as his mind rushed to form a plan.

Four blasts went off from Marcus’ shotgun, each shot launching a grenades into the air before raining down into the passage. The grenades were expertly placed, and a short moment later a series of small explosions went off, killing almost all of the Royals that had taken the superior position.

That works, too.

One grunt emerged from the passage with a pistol in hand. The explosion hadn’t killed him, but it had left a nasty wound on his leg that didn’t seem to bother him all that much.

Before he could attack, Damien launched a shuriken directly into the Royals’ chest, stunning him in the process. With a little extra time to take proper aim, another throw of a star landed directly in the target’s neck, killing him as his body slumped to the ground.

Damien couldn’t help but smile at his first shuriken kill. Not only did they give him a much-needed option in ranged combat, but they were incredibly fun to use, too.

A bullet clanged off the metal beside Damien, cutting his celebrations short. He turned to find the final group getting into position behind them, their weapons at the ready.

Damien stepped forward to get between Marcus and their enemies, activating Parry in preparation. The gun shots came quick and often, and his arms swung wildly as they intercepted every single bullet with his blade. With his crew mate behind him, Damien was essentially stuck in place. He wouldn’t even have the time to throw his stars. All he could do was keep Parry active, and watch as his Focus bar dropped with each deflection.

Another grenade launched into the air from above Damien’s shoulder, landing at the Royals’ feet. This time, a concussive blast erupted, staggering their enemies heavily but not killing them. Still, it gave him an opportunity to act. Without hesitation, he swooped in and started slashing their incapacitated enemies.

He managed to kill all but one, who’s senses returned before Damien could reach him. This final gunman pointed his weapon at Damien, but Marcus took him out before he could fire, ending the battle with a final blast of his shotgun.

Damien took a deep breath and surveyed the battlefield, slowly confirming that it was actually over.

Marcus laughed and give him a congratulatory pat on the shoulder, knocking him forward one step. “Well done, Dame. These new toys we got are something else, huh?”

Damien nodded, a satisfied smile growing on his face as he looked down at his shuriken. He really had to agree.

All Evolution Requirements Met!

New Talent Unlocked: Evolution