Piltover - Raul Menendez's Safehouse - [Continued]

Master Chief and Ezio approached Raul Menendez, who stood by the window, seemingly unfazed by their presence. Chief raised his M6G Magnum, aiming squarely at Menendez's back, while Ezio, for the first time, pulled out a flintlock pistol infused with Hextech, its barrel glowing with an ethereal blue shimmer.

Ezio stepped forward, his voice steady but filled with finality. "Surrender now, Menendez. It's over."

Menendez turned slowly, a sly smile creeping onto his face, his gaze mocking. "So much pride in you, Enforcer. Do you truly think you've won?" His tone was laced with a dark satisfaction, as if he were savoring some hidden victory.

Without hesitation, Master Chief closed the distance, reaching out to seize Menendez by the shoulder. But as his hand made contact, it slipped right through, as though grasping at air. Chief's visor flickered with confusion as he looked down at his hand, then back up at Menendez, realization dawning too late.

Menendez's smirk widened, his gaze filled with a twisted glee. "You thought you could catch me so easily?" he sneered. "I'm always one step ahead."

Before either Chief or Ezio could react, the hologram of Menendez flickered, his image distorting as the projection dissipated, leaving the room empty save for the faint hum of deactivated technology.

Ezio lowered his flintlock pistol, his jaw tightening as the realization set in. "Merda (Shit). He's been watching us the entire time."

Master Chief activated his comms, his voice calm but edged with frustration. "Menendez isn't here. The room was a setup."

Woods and Mason, moving down a corridor, halted in their tracks at the news. Woods's voice came through the comms, laced with irritation. "What the hell are you talking about, Chief?"

From her vantage point, Caitlyn's voice chimed in, her confusion palpable. "I just checked—I saw him myself. He was there. Are you sure?"

Ezio glanced around the room, his eyes narrowing as he scanned for clues. "It was an illusion," he interjected, his tone sharp. "Some kind of device. Menendez led us here on purpose."

Danse's voice came through the comms, calm but with a hint of impatience. "Keep looking," he urged. "He can't be far. Menendez is playing games, but he's still within reach."

Master Chief stood where the hologram had been, his head turning as he surveyed the space. Cortana's voice suddenly chimed in through his visor, sharp and alert. "Chief, I'm detecting unusual activity on the floor beneath us."

Chief's attention snapped to her. "What kind of activity?"

Before Cortana could respond, the floorboards beneath him splintered, and a massive hand broke through with brute force, grabbing his ankle in an iron grip. Master Chief looked down just as Cortana's voice deadpanned, "That kind."

With a powerful yank, the hand dragged Chief downward, tearing him through the weakened floor and sending him crashing down to the first floor in a rain of debris. As he disappeared, Ezio whirled around, his eyes wide with shock. "Che diavolo!?" ("What the hell!?") he exclaimed, the words slipping out in Italian.

As Ezio looked down through the hole where Master Chief had been pulled, a figure stepped into the room behind him. He turned sharply, eyes narrowing as he took in the mysterious figure draped in a long gray robe, the hood casting shadows over her face as she moved with a calculated, almost seductive grace. In her hand, she wielded a long whip infused with Zaun-tech, the coils crackling with energy as it activated, humming to life.

Without hesitation, she lashed the whip toward Ezio. The weapon cut through the air, landing a powerful strike across his chest. The impact sent him reeling backward, his body crashing into Menendez's office table. He let out a strained curse under his breath. "Maledizione, ("Damn it.")" he winced in Italian, pain etched across his face as he struggled to his feet.

The figure pulled back her hood, revealing a face framed by a pink ponytail, a dark smile playing on her lips. Her gaze was wild, her movements imbued with an unpredictable energy. She watched Ezio with a taunting look, the whip held loosely in her hand as she tilted her head.

"So, the great enforcer thinks he can play with us?" she purred, her voice dripping with mockery. "You're in way over your head, pretty boy."

Ezio steadied himself, his expression shifting from pain to fierce resolve. "As flattering as that may sound, I'm not here to play." he replied, his voice sharp as he tightened his stance.

Her smile widened, her grip tightening on the whip as she took a step forward, ready to strike again. "Good. I like a challenge."

Ezio's gaze hardened, his focus sharpening as he prepared to face this new, unpredictable opponent. He knew that with her unpredictable movements and Zaun-tech whip, she wouldn't be an easy foe, but he was determined to put an end to her twisted game.

Meanwhile,

Master Chief grunted as he pushed himself off the ground, turning sharply to face the towering brute before him. The brute raised a massive gravity hammer, its weight evident in his thick, muscular arms, his expression twisted with fury and a thirst for vengeance. Cortana's voice echoed in Chief's helmet, tinged with urgency. "Uh, Chief?"

Master Chief's response was calm and steady. "I see him."

With a quick scan of the room, Chief's eyes landed on a large crate across from him. Without hesitation, he aimed his wrist-mounted grapple hook, firing it with precision. The hook latched onto the crate, and Chief swung his arm, hurtling the heavy object toward the brute. Anticipating the move, the brute swung his gravity hammer, meeting the crate mid-air and smashing it to pieces, sending debris flying across the room.

In the split-second pause, Chief noticed something—the brute had pulled out a vial of shimmering purple liquid. Cortana's voice was laced with disbelief and concern as she recognized it. "Is that... shimmer?"

Chief didn't respond, his focus locked on the brute. The brute injected the vial's contents into his arm, roaring as the shimmer coursed through his veins, the toxic concoction amplifying his muscles and heightening his aggression. His eyes glowed with an eerie light as the effects took hold, his body seeming to swell with raw, unnatural power.

The brute grinned, his voice thick with hatred as he raised the gravity hammer once more. "You'll pay for what you did to the Banished... Demon!" His voice echoed with venom, the title "Demon" carrying the weight of battles past, of comrades lost to Chief's relentless pursuit.

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

Chief adjusted his stance, his mind assessing every option as he prepared for the brute's enhanced attack. He knew the shimmer would make his foe faster, stronger, and far more unpredictable, but he was ready. The battle between the augmented brute and the Spartan was about to begin, each driven by the fierce determination to destroy the other.

Master Chief didn't hesitate. In one swift motion, he grabbed his MA40 Assault Rifle, unleashing a relentless stream of bullets at the brute, who was now raging with shimmer-induced power. The brute raised his arm to shield himself as he charged, the bullets tearing into his flesh but failing to slow his momentum.

With enhanced speed, the brute closed the gap, swinging his gravity hammer down in a devastating arc. Chief sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the crushing blow, continuing to fire at any vulnerable spots he could aim for—joints, neck, anything that shimmer hadn't armored over.

But the brute, empowered by the shimmer, was unnaturally fast. He swung the gravity hammer sideways, the massive weapon catching Chief across the torso and sending him flying. Chief's shields flared as he crashed through a wall, debris raining around him as he hit the ground with a force that would have crushed any lesser soldier.

Grunting, Chief pushed himself up, feeling the throbbing in his ribs as his shields struggled to recharge. Cortana's voice came through, tinged with concern. "Chief, that shimmer has him at full strength. You're going to need a new strategy."

The brute let out a roar, stalking toward him with the gravity hammer dragging across the floor, sparks flying as he taunted, "What's wrong, Demon? Finally feeling fear?"

Master Chief rose to his feet, unfazed, his visor locking onto the brute with unbreakable focus. He knew he needed to draw on both strategy and firepower to take down this enhanced enemy. As the brute closed in, Chief prepared himself for the fight, his every move calculated for precision. This was no longer just a battle—it was a test of endurance, skill, and sheer resolve.

On the floor above,

Ezio and the whip-wielding woman were locked in a deadly dance of skill and precision. Ezio's eyes flicked to his Hextech flintlock pistol lying on the ground, and the woman caught his glance, smirking as she realized his intent.

Ezio dashed toward it, but with a quick flick of her wrist, the woman snapped her whip at the floor in front of him, forcing him to spin back. In a fluid motion, Ezio reached for his Hextech crossbow, switching its mode as he aimed and fired a single arrow directly at her face. She tilted her head with a taunting smile as the arrow flew past, embedding itself into the wall behind her.

"You missed," she sneered, the smugness clear in her tone.

Ezio gave a faint smirk, his eyes sharp. "Did I?"

The arrow exploded behind her, sending a shockwave through the room. She staggered forward, caught off guard, struggling to maintain her balance. Ezio seized the opportunity, activating his hidden blade as he closed the distance, moving in for a strike.

But as he approached, she recovered quickly, dropping low and delivering a powerful kick to his torso. The impact forced Ezio back, knocking the air from his lungs as he staggered. In one fluid motion, the woman lashed her whip around his neck, the Zaun-tech coils tightening with each second, cutting off his air.

Ezio's vision darkened as he struggled for breath, feeling the whip's vice-like grip constricting him. Reacting instinctively, he reached for his sword, managing to draw it with a swift movement. With a desperate slash, he cut through the constraints of the whip, severing it in one fluid stroke.

The woman's smirk faded as her weapon fell in pieces, and Ezio, catching his breath, took a steadying stance, his gaze unwavering.

Discarding it with a frustrated scowl, she pulled out a sleek dagger. Letting out a fierce yell, she charged at Ezio, her movements fueled by desperation. She swung the dagger toward him in a deadly arc, but Ezio met her strike with precision, parrying it with a deft motion of his blade.

She spun around, using the momentum to deliver another strike, but Ezio anticipated the move, stepping gracefully to the side to avoid the attack. The woman let out a cry of frustration, her desperation evident as she lunged at him again. Ezio pushed her back with a calculated shove, causing her to stumble, nearly losing her balance.

Seeing the opening, Ezio wasted no time. He raised his wrist, and with a subtle flick, a small arrow fired from his hidden mechanism, hitting its mark with a soft thud at the base of her neck. The woman gasped, clutching the arrow as she staggered. "Ah!" she cried, pulling the projectile out with trembling fingers.

She smiled weakly, her lips curling into a strange, almost admiring expression. "Not bad... enforcer..." she murmured, her voice faltering as her strength gave out. Her body swayed before she collapsed to the ground, unconscious, the fight finally over.

Ezio lowered his stance, catching his breath as he eyed her prone form. He sheathed his sword, his sharp gaze scanning the room to ensure there were no further threats. Satisfied that the immediate danger was neutralized, he turned his attention back to the fight below, knowing that the mission was far from complete.

On the floor below Ezio,

The tension in the room was palpable as Master Chief squared off against the shimmer-enhanced brute. His discarded MA40 Assault Rifle lay behind him, but Chief's focus was unbroken. He curled his fingers into fists, his posture signaling that he was ready to take on the brute barehanded if necessary.

The brute roared, gripping his gravity hammer tightly as he charged forward with reckless ferocity. Master Chief, unfazed, ran toward him as well, a calculated move that brought them closer in a matter of seconds. The brute swung the hammer down with brutal force, but Chief sidestepped to the left, narrowly evading the devastating blow. Undeterred, the brute swung again in a horizontal arc, forcing Chief to duck at the last second.

Seizing the opportunity, Chief delivered a punishing punch to the brute's stomach, the force behind it making the brute grunt in pain. However, the brute didn't relent, immediately swinging his gravity hammer again. This time, Chief deflected the blow with his left arm, his shields shimmered from the absorbed impact. The brute, relentless and enraged, followed up with a powerful punch to Chief's helmet, causing him to stagger backward several steps.

Recovering quickly, Chief focused on the brute, who swung his gravity hammer sideways with deadly intent. Master Chief, reacting with precision, dashed forward and slid underneath the brute's legs. In one swift motion, he used his wrist-mounted hook to retrieve his MA40 Assault Rifle from the ground, crouching behind the brute as he opened fire. The bullets tore into the brute's back, eliciting a roar of pain as he instinctively covered himself with one arm.

Then, silence—Chief's rifle clicked, out of ammo. He glanced at the weapon before looking up, just as the brute swung his gravity hammer overhead. Chief sidestepped back as the hammer came crashing down, embedding itself deep into the ground. The brute growled, struggling to free the weapon.

"Chief, he's distracted," Cortana urged through his visor. "Do what you need to do—now."

Chief didn't hesitate. He ran toward the brute, leaping onto the stuck gravity hammer and using the momentum to propel himself onto the brute's back. Wrapping his arms around the brute's thick neck, he applied pressure, trying to subdue the raging behemoth. The brute roared, thrashing wildly as he attempted to grab the Spartan off his back. Finally, the brute managed to grip Chief, throwing him to the ground with tremendous force.

Chief landed in a crouched position, his shields flickering as he slid to a stop. He looked up just as the brute glanced down at his torso. There, attached to him, was three plasma grenades, blinking ominously. Panic flashed across the brute's face as he clawed at the grenades, trying to remove it. But it was too late. The grenades detonated with a thunderous explosion, engulfing the brute in a flash of energy and shrapnel.

When the smoke cleared, the brute was on the ground, his massive form barely moving. He groaned weakly, his life ebbing away, but his eyes still burned with defiance as he muttered his final words, his voice thick with pain and venom.

Master Chief stood over him, his gaze shifting to the brute's gravity hammer still lodged in the ground. He yanked it free with a powerful pull, the weight of the weapon seeming insignificant in his hands. He approached the fallen brute, his expression cold and unreadable.

"You fought well," the brute rasped. "But... the Banished... will rise..."

Chief's voice was icy, delivering a final one-liner with ruthless finality. "Not today."

With one swift, devastating motion, Chief raised the gravity hammer and brought it down with immense force, ending the brute's life in an earth-shaking blow. The room fell silent, save for the faint hum of the hammer as Chief stood over the now lifeless body, victorious.