Dear Readers,
I'm truly sorry to share that the release of new chapters will be delayed for a while. Balancing my work schedule with writing has become more difficult than I expected.
I know many of you look forward to each update, and I can't thank you enough for your patience and understanding. Please rest assured I'll do my very best to keep up with the update frequency as much as possible, even if it takes me a little longer than planned.
Your support and encouragement mean so much to me as they keep me motivated to continue this story despite the bumps along the way.
Thank you again for being here and for believing in this journey.
With sincere apologies,
The Author.
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[Third Person POV]
Three days later, inside the warehouse, the air was quiet but tense. Shin was the first to arrive.
When he walked in, he saw a woman standing next to a robot he knew well. It was the same robot he had seen on his first day in this world. The woman beside it was the one who had attacked David when she first got here.
As Shin stepped closer, both the robot and the woman turned to look at him. The robot, named Gideon, spoke in a calm voice.
"Welcome, Shin," Gideon said.
He added, "Please wait. The others are on their way."
Shin looked around the large room.
"Where is David? Is he here?" he asked.
This time, the woman answered.
"Not yet. But he will be here soon."
Shin nodded. "Okay. I'm Shin, by the way. I was brought here too, just like you."
The woman looked at him for a moment before she spoke.
"I'm Roberta," she said.
Shin gave her a small smile. "Nice to meet you."
Roberta just nodded and stood quietly next to Gideon while they waited.
A short time later, John came in. Five minutes after that, Tahani arrived. They sat down on chairs near a table. Roberta also took a seat.
They sat quietly, watching each other. Then David walked in.
A tall man came in with him. He had broad shoulders and powerful arms. His skin was dark brown, and he had a square face with a strong jawline. He wore a neat beard and mustache. His dark eyes looked calm but serious, and his short hair was neatly cut.
"Sorry, everyone. I'm a bit late," David said.
He pointed at the man next to him. "This is Robert DuBois."
They both sat down at the table.
David looked at everyone. "Now that you're all here, we need to talk," he said. "You've had a few days to get used to this place. I'm sure you have thoughts. So tell me — how is this world different from yours?"
There was a short silence. Then Shin spoke first.
"Back home, there were no heroes or aliens — just men with guns and grudges. Here, people wear masks, fly around, call themselves saviors. Same chaos, bigger explosions. People are still people, though. That part hasn't changed."
Roberta spoke next, her voice calm."This world looks modern, but the violence is the same. It just wears a different mask. Gangs, corruption, secret wars. Some things never change."
John leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table."The tech here is behind my world — at least for now," he said. "And this world feels normal when compared to my old one."
Tahani crossed her legs before she spoke."This world seems peaceful compared to mine. But in other ways, it's the same. There are still some metas running around. And there's no League here."
When she mentioned the League, Robert looked at her. His eyes narrowed slightly, but he didn't say anything at first.
Then he spoke, his voice flat."No Justice League here. And like she said, this world is calmer than mine — except for the recent alien invasion, nothing big has happened."
He looked at Tahani again while he talked. Tahani's eyes narrowed too, just a little, but it was clear enough. Robert noticed — and in that moment, he understood. She knew.
David had been watching them silently. Now he spoke."You're both from the same multiverse. Just different realities."
Robert and Tahani both nodded, but they kept staring at each other.
David leaned back and looked at the others."This world is dangerous. More than it seems. I brought you here because I need allies. People I can trust."
The group looked at him, confused and unsure.
He went on.
"There are too many shadow groups and hidden players here. The future isn't fixed. I've seen what's coming — alien invasions, civil wars, gods, monsters. Too many events that could end the world. I want to survive. And if I can, I want to stop or at least lessen the damage."
No one spoke. Some looked doubtful, others thoughtful.
"You don't have to believe me now," David said. "But soon you'll see for yourselves."
He leaned forward. "I'm not asking you to work for free. You'll get paid. There will be missions, jobs, and commissions."
"For now," David said, "I have two plans. One is personal. The other is about gathering resources."
He paused and looked at everyone, then continued.
"The personal one is about taking down a gang. One man in that gang caused my mother's death. I'm not just going after him, I'm going after the whole gang. Or at least the ones who crossed the line."
Tahani scoffed, but David kept talking.
"I'm not going after every small-time member. Just the leaders. I'll take them out and drain their money."
Shin nodded.
"I need to move fast because things are changing. The underworld is shifting. Someone is trying to unite the gangs in Manhattan and Brooklyn under one banner. The gang I'm targeting is talking about joining them."
He looked at each person in the room. "If that happens, things will get more complicated. We can still handle it, but I don't want anymore delays."
He tapped the table. Light spread across the surface like ripples in water. A hologram appeared.
Three faces popped up: Victor Ruiz, Emilio Delgado, and Javier Morales.
"These are the gang leaders," David said. "They're my targets."
Everyone stared at the images.
"These two, I need them alive," David said, tapping on their holograms. "Javier Morales… dead or alive. I don't care what shape he's in. But those two, I want them breathing. This is personal."
John looked at him with a frown.
David leaned forward."If you have a problem with this, remember one thing. This gang is involved in sex trafficking, human trafficking, and drug deals. They even sell drugs to kids in school."
He tapped the table again. The hologram grew larger. It showed crime lists, victim photos, and maps with locations. Everything the gang had done was there.
"Take your time," David said. "Decide if you want to help."
He leaned back and stayed quiet. The others read through the data. They scrolled, studied the faces, and saw the victims and the crimes.
After a few minutes, Tahani broke the silence. She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair."So, is this really just revenge? Or do you think you are some kind of hero?"
David looked at her."Me? A hero? No. I am just cleaning up a mess. And yes, it's personal."
Tahani nodded and said nothing else.
David spoke again."We move tonight."
"Tonight? Really?" Shin asked, surprised.
"Yes. I have already wasted enough time. We will finish this in one move," David said.
Shin was the first to agree."Count me in. I want to see what this world's underworld looks like."
Robert asked,"Will the payment be good? You won't cheat us, right?"
David shook his head."No. You will get what you deserve."
Robert crossed his arms."Alright. I'm in."
Tahani gave a quick nod."I'm in too."
John looked at everyone, then nodded."I'm in."
David turned to Roberta. She looked unsure.
"Don't overthink it," he said. "Just say no if you don't want to come."
Roberta finally spoke."I'll help."
David stood up and walked to an empty part of the room. He waved his hand. Two large weapon racks rose up from the floor, one on each side of him.
The racks were full of gear: shurikens, throwing needles, knives, smoke bombs, flash bombs, grenades, pistols, rifles. Almost every type of weapon was there. All the bullets were already loaded. There were full-face masks, body armor, knockout syringes, paralysis darts, and more. Everything was arranged neatly and ready to use.
David did not show it, but he felt proud of the setup.
"Take what you need," he told them. "I will assign the targets. We are splitting into teams."
He pointed as he spoke. "Shin and John, you will go after Emilio Delgado. Tahani and Robert, Javier Morales is yours. Roberta and I will handle Victor Ruiz."
He looked at Roberta."You will be my sniper. Just cover my back."
He turned to the side. "Gideon, show us their current status."
Holograms lit up again with more detailed visuals.
"First, Emilio Delgado," Gideon displayed a map of Queens. "He is currently spending the night in a private penthouse apartment with his mistress. The building has minimal security. One bodyguard at the lobby entrance. Two more on standby in nearby rooms. He has no idea he's being targeted."
Next, Gideon zoomed to Harlem. "Javier Morales is staying in a fortified brownstone located in an isolated corner of Harlem. The building has reinforced steel doors, bulletproof windows, motion sensors, and six guards posted inside. He's more alert than the others and keeps an escape tunnel in the basement."
Then the map shifted to Brooklyn. "Victor Ruiz is operating out of an old warehouse. The area is quiet and mostly abandoned at night. He has two guards on the outside and four more inside. It's spacious, but poorly lit. Easy to get lost in, but also perfect for a stealth strike."
The team took one full hour to get ready.
Inside the warehouse, Roberta, Tahani, Shin, John, and Robert moved together to pick up their weapons.
Roberta walked straight to the weapons rack. She picked up a suppressed Remington MSR sniper rifle, perfect for urban sniping. She also selected a pair of pistols, several throwing knives, and a sharp combat knife.
Tahani chose her tools with quick precision: two pistols, a handful of throwing knives, shurikens, senbons, and a small blade for close combat.
Shin grabbed a set of knives and two sidearms. He was most comfortable with simple weapons—quick, deadly, and effective.
John walked past the guns and he took a set of shurikens, throwing knives, and asked David if there was a sword available. David didn't hesitate. He pulled out a sheathed sword from his system inventory.
"Yubashiri," he said, handing it over. "Just use this for now. I will make swords something similar to the ones you had used before."
John took the sword with a small nod.
Robert, also known as Bloodsport, was already ready. He loaded up with advanced firearms, explosives, grappling hooks, and small compact gear hidden all across his suit. But he didn't seem happy about these weapons.
David watching this thought to himself, must be missing his old suit and nanotech weapons.
So he just called out to him and spoke, "Just use these for now, you will get be getting you custom gears soon."
To which Robert just nodded grumply.
Before they left, David handed each of them a set of high-tech contact lenses. The lenses were like the ones he received with the Darkwear gear—smart, tactical, and discreet. They allowed team members to see heat signatures, zoom in from far away, and stay connected.
He also gave each pair a car. Everyone was wearing a bulletproof vest—even John aka Agent 6, though it took some persuasion from David to convince him to change out of his iconic usual green suit. But in the end, John agreed.
Each pair was provided with a sleek black car designed for stealth and speed. The vehicles had tinted windows, noise-reducing engines, and simple, unmarked plates. David made sure everything looked clean and professional.
After the two pairs left, Roberta and David made their way to Brooklyn in their car.
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John and Shin drove in silence through the quiet streets, the black car blending in with the shadows. For a long while, neither of them spoke. But after some time, Shin broke the silence.
"I'm good with my fists," he said, keeping his eyes on the road. "Knives and pistols too. But I can tell... you're stronger than me."
John didn't reply right away. He stared ahead, his face unreadable behind his mask.
Eventually, Shin glanced over and asked, "Why the sword though? Why not just use guns?"
John's voice was low and short. "I hate them. It's part of my past. I don't want to talk about it."
After that, the silence returned. It was awkward, but neither of them tried to break it again.
They finally reached the area. John parked the car two alleys away from the target building. Both men got out and moved quickly but carefully.
"Follow me. Watch my back," John said quietly.
Shin nodded.
They moved through the shadows, slipping past a small gate and using the information Gideon had given them to reach the rear balcony. Emilio was inside with a women. Laughter and music could be heard faintly through the walls.
John pointed to the back window. Shin nodded and silently picked the lock. They entered the penthouse unnoticed.
Inside, Emilio was lounging on the sofa with his mistress. John didn't hesitate. He pulled out a knockout syringe—something David had provided them—and jabbed it into Emilio's neck. The man tensed, struggled briefly, then slumped into unconsciousness.
The women started to scream, but John moved fast. He used another syringe to knock her out quickly before her cries could alert anyone.
For a moment, they both paused, expecting security to storm in. But when they checked through their contact lenses, they saw that none of the guards in the adjacent had moved.
"Let's move," John spoke.
He slung Emilio over his shoulder with ease, showing his impressive strength. Shin made sure the area was clear before they exited the same way they came.
They stuffed Emilio in the back seat of the car. Shin got behind the wheel and started driving while John checked Emilio's pulse and breathing.
Gideon silently erased all surveillance data and traces of their presence across a five-block radius around the penthouse.
After a few minutes, John tapped his communicator. "Target secured. We're heading to the warehouse."
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The black car moved through the quiet streets, its engine barely making a sound. Inside sat Tahani and Robert DuBois, both silent for a while. The tension wasn't heavy, just quiet professionalism. Tahani sat back, arms crossed, stealing the occasional glance at Robert.
"You always this cheerful?" she asked, breaking the silence.
Robert grunted. "Only when I'm babysitting someone half my size with twice the mouth."
That earned a soft chuckle from her. "You always this grumpy?"
"Only when I'm dragged out on cleanup duty," Robert muttered, eyes still on the road.
Tahani studied him a moment. "You're not from my world."
Robert didn't reply right away. "You're not from mine either."
She nodded. "I was trained in the League of Assassins. You?"
"Military. Then… jobs. Bad ones," he said flatly.
She didn't press further. "We're both good at killing. Doesn't matter where we came from."
Robert glanced at her sideways. "You carry yourself like someone who's done this more than a few times."
"I don't miss," she replied simply. "Also, in case you care, I'm not into guys."
Robert raised a brow. "Didn't ask. Don't care."
She gave a quick nod. "Cool."
They drove in silence after that, the air settled and professional. They reached their destination — a fortified brownstone tucked in a quiet block of Hell's Kitchen. Robert parked in the shadows behind an old delivery truck. Both got out, weapons in hand. Tahani armed with knives, throwing blades, shurikens, senbons, and two pistols. Robert was a walking armory.
With silent gestures, they approached. The brownstone was quiet, but lights glowed inside. Javier Morales was there — their target. Six guards were stationed across the second and third floors, all armed.
Robert kicked open the side door. The alarm gave a short beep before it was cut off by Gideon remotely. Inside, two guards ran into the hallway — Robert dropped them both with silenced rounds. Tahani moved ahead, fast and quiet.
They reached the staircase. Two more guards appeared on the second floor landing. Robert fired first, catching one in the chest. The other ducked back, firing wildly. Tahani darted up the stairs, sliding across the floor and stabbing upward, her blade slicing through his thigh and then his throat.
On the third floor, two more guards waited — heavier weapons, more body armor. Robert tossed a smoke grenade, moved in through the side as Tahani struck from above using the railing. It was close, bloody, and fast. The hallway was tight, but they moved like water.
By the time they reached the fourth floor, there were no guards left.
Javier stood in the center of his living room, yelling into a phone. Two of his personal guards flanked him, and a woman — wild-eyed, clutching a compact rocket launcher.
Tahani reacted first. A knife flew from her hand, burying into the woman's chest. The launcher fell. Javier raised a pistol, but Robert shot him in the shoulder.
The woman screamed and reached for the launcher again.
Tahani dashed forward. One knife into Javier's heart, one bullet into the woman's throat. Clean, brutal, fast.
The room was suddenly quiet, bodies sprawled across the expensive furniture.
"Dumbass was gonna fire a rocket launcher inside his own house," Tahani muttered.
Robert looked at the launcher. "Would've made our job easier."
But the noise — even muffled — had drawn attention. Through the contact lenses, Gideon flagged movement. A Harlem-based gang nearby had noticed the disturbance. A few armed men were already moving toward the brownstone.
Robert checked his weapons. "We got company."
Tahani glanced at the bodies. "Then we're done here."
Without wasting another second, they moved fast. Out the side exit, sticking to the shadows. No chatter, no hesitation. Within minutes, they reached their car parked behind the old delivery truck.
Robert started the engine. Tahani slid into the passenger seat, keeping an eye out through the side mirror.
The black car pulled away just as the first armed men turned onto the block. No one followed.
They didn't speak until they were several blocks away.
"We're clear," Robert said at last.
Tahani gave a short nod. "Target eliminated. Moving to rendezvous."
Robert pressed the gas a little harder. Their next stop — the warehouse.
To Be Continued...