A few minutes later, inside the base, Roxie dropped from the vent and landed in an empty room made entirely of smooth blue metal. She quickly scanned her surroundings—three hallways split off in different directions, and a few large fish tanks lined the walls with sharks swimming inside.
"What an interesting room for a base," Roxie muttered.
Suddenly, Leon dropped from the vent behind her and crashed flat onto his back.
"Ahhh, god fuck! If I keep landing like this, I'm gonna age ten years in a minute," he groaned, rolling on the floor.
Roxie's eyes snapped toward the hallway on the left. Her expression hardened.
"I don't understand how you're so flexible, Roxie. You looked like a damn worm squirming through those vents," Leon grumbled.
"Hey, newbie—you ever heard of sensing Ki?" she asked, still staring down the hallway.
"Ki? You mean like Dragon Ball or Black Clover?" Leon raised an eyebrow, thinking aloud.
"...What?"
"You know—sensing power levels, life force, that kind of stuff. Helps you track people across the planet and anticipate attacks, right?"
"You seriously need to go outside more. You're never gonna experience the thrill of sex talking like that," she replied bluntly.
"I'm married. And I have kids, for your information!" Leon shot back, flipping her off with both hands.
"Surprising." She smirked. "But no, Ki isn't about energy beams or anime power scaling. This is real life. It's just a term I use for focused sensory."
She finally turned to face him.
"Before I got stuck in this squad, I studied overseas in Asia. Learned what Ki really is. Ever felt like someone was staring at you, so you turned around, and there they were? Or entered a room and got hit with a weird, dangerous vibe that made you pause?"
"Almost all the time. Back in school, mostly," Leon nodded.
"Exactly. That's your body subconsciously picking up on environmental cues. Your brain reacts, you become aware, and then you act. With training, you can learn to decode those cues consciously and use them."
Then that's when it becomes Ki...Leon says intrigued.
"Correct. You sense presences, bloodlust, intentions—know when you're being watched. All valuable skills."
She still hadn't taken her eyes off the left hallway.
"Okay, yeah, cool. But are you gonna teach me that next or something?" Leon asked.
"No. I'm telling you to go down the right hallway and complete the mission. I'll catch up."
Her tone left no room for argument as she looked him dead in the eyes.
Yeah… no way I'm staying after that glare. "You know what, that's a bet. See ya later!" Leon yelled nervously as he bolted toward the right hallway.
***
The moment Leon left, Roxie walked slowly toward the left.
"You can come out now," she said calmly.
A voice echoed from the shadows.
"Damn. And here I thought the ambush was gonna be legendary."
A tall, dark-skinned man stepped into the light. Muscular, easily six feet tall, he wore jeans and a dark cloak. Long black hair fell over his shoulders, and both hands stayed hidden beneath his cloak.
"So that whole Ki explanation… that was your way of telling me you sensed me the second you entered?" he smirked.
"No. That was me giving you a chance to run… so I could chase you down and kill you."
***
Meanwhile, Leon sprinted down a metal staircase.
"Hey Raven, what the hell do I do now without Roxie?" he asked through his earpiece.
"I mean… it's obvious, right? Go find the targets and finish the mission!" Raven snapped.
"What?! I told you, I'm not just going around killing people! This whole mission's fucked up!"
"Well unfortunately, you don't have a choice. If you screw this up, your family might be in danger."
Leon froze. "Wait—what?! I thought that only happens if I run away?"
"Think, Leon. If you don't complete your missions, you're dead weight. That's basically the same as running. Your family keeps you in check."
Leon clenched his jaw. These rules are just brutal…
"Fine! I'll find them… but I'm waiting for Roxie. I'm not killing anyone."
"That will suffice," Raven replied coldly.
***
Back in the room, Roxie faced the cloaked man.
"'kill me,' huh? That your poetic way of saying my end is near?" he teased.
"You were waiting here… why?" Roxie's eyes narrowed.
"The front vent only leads here. So where would potential intruders pop out? Hmm? The answer's so elusive… not even I could figure it out," he replied sarcastically.
"Your sarcasm's ugly. But you said 'potential intruders.' Meaning you knew someone was coming. That correct?"
"Come on now. You really think Tony Sparrow's family would just happen to be stored in a government base? That man's no fool. He knew they'd become targets, so he made sure they got high-level protection."
Roxie's hand drifted to the dagger on her waist.
"So they're still here?"
"Nah. Let's not answer that one." He wagged a finger mockingly. "Some questions are better left unsaid."
"Good. Now I don't feel bad about killing you, fucktard."
"Oh, you think it'll be that easy?" the man grinned. "You really think you can just slash me down and move on?"
"You're a hired bodyguard… and you're away from the people you're supposed to protect. Why wouldn't I think that?"
"Tch."
He stepped forward.
"You know, before this World War Three mess, four countries raised four prodigies. Masters of their weapons. When the governments found out, they created an elite unit to serve them all. But once we realized we were too powerful to be used as pawns, we went freelance."
Roxie's expression didn't change. "I've heard of your group. Echelon Four. Not exactly a well-kept secret."
"We're the most elite squad in existence. So don't take me lightly. I'm Ligard the Lion!" he roared, throwing off his cloak.
Underneath, his physique gleamed under the lights. Wrapped around his fists were katar claws—deadly, curved blades fitted to his knuckles.
"I'll claw you apart like the king of beasts!"
Roxie cracked her neck.
"I really sat here and let you monologue… for what? When I kill you, remember my courtesy."
She reached into her left pouch as her eyes locked onto her prey.