[Opening – 36 Hours Later | Outer Ring District – Mafia Territory]
Rain slicks the neon streets. The atmosphere is heavy, suffocating. A place similar to a prison… or maybe a door to hell. The team moves as a single shadow — Seer'ah leading them, Soy close behind, Kruu scanning the alleys, Zyn keeping his hand near his weapons, playing with them like toys. They pass under archways painted with gang signs, symbols, and colors, eyes following them from balconies.
[Before arriving at Mafia's place – On a big Skycruiser]
Kruu (low voice):
"Remember… no sudden moves. They've got the home advantage."
Soy (deep voice):
"He is right. We can't trust them."
They approach a massive steel door, flanked by two guards with cybernetic arms. One of them scans the crates stacked on the mag-cart behind the team — the weapons from their last bloody deal.
Kruu:
"Also not just men, they've got some tech too. They've been linked by an unknown dealer — that's how they got the Type-C Runners and Cyborg Typo Ô."
Tichala:
"Those guys really are big D."
James (with devil's smile):
"You wanna see THE REAL BIG D?"
Rav (smiling):
"I bet yours isn't bigger than 17 cm."
James:
"You wanna check? Open your mouth."
Tichala:
"I know mine is big enough to satisfy your moms. Legit 15 cm."
James and Rav both laugh at Tichala.
James (laughing):
"Man, you never gonna get some bitches, man! Mine is 18."
Rav:
"Mine's 18.5. Respect the king. And you, Zyn?"
Zyn Korr (thinking, disbelief):
For these guys, 15 is small? Mine's even smaller…
Zyn Korr (out loud, awkward):
"Guys, I don't like this type of shit. I think size doesn't matter."
James points gun at him.
James:
"Tell us, motherfucker."
Zyn Korr (panicking):
"Okay, okay! But remember, size doesn't matter. It depends on your longevity… 11."
The whole cruiser bursts into laughter.
Soy (laughing):
"I thought Jas'h had the smallest one."
Zyn:
"Eira, please don't— you!!"
Eira (tapping his shoulder):
"Don't worry… but yeah, it's really small. Still, you're right — longevity matters a lot."
Seer'ah (smiling):
"You guys even got me in this one."
Soy (chuckling, then serious):
"That's enough boys. Now focus. We need to get Needle back."
James (sarcastic face):
"I think Needle isn't worth that much. That nigga just digs the fucking land. I thought he was here for our first mission?"
Juno Vale (angry):
"What the fuck!? Soy, what the hell is he saying? I thought he was part of the team!"
Soy (hesitant):
"It's not the… righ—"
Juno (cuts him off, furious):
"Fuck your time! I want to talk about it right now!"
Seer'ah (narrow eyes):
"He won't repeat that again, Juno!"
Juno storms into another compartment, anger boiling inside her.
Rav (serious):
"Soy, what was that?"
Soy (firm):
"Enough. Leave her alone. No more talk about that crap. And James, I'll talk to you later."
Seer'ah (coldly):
"Not only you, Soy. I'll be there too. He needs some manners. But after this."
James (mocking, hands up):
"I'm done, guys. May my soul rest in heaven."
Soy (commanding):
"James, Rav, and Tichala — you'll wait with Juno on standby. I don't trust this. I know he has a surprise waiting for us. If anything happens, be ready. And Eira, you'll take care of the Skycruiser. If there's a rush, get us and move."
Seer'ah:
"Me, Soy, and Kruu will go in. James, you're on sniper — you're the best at it, back us up. Rav, handle the outer areas with Zyn Korr. If more guards come, deal with them. Tichala, you and Juno will join us inside."
---
[Inside – Mafia Stronghold]
Gold light spills from chandeliers over velvet couches and armed thugs. At the far end, the Mafia Boss — Raags — sits like a king: silk suit, diamond rings, smile like a blade.
Needle stands beside him, unharmed but uneasy, dressed sharp. His eyes flicker with hope when he spots Soy.
Raags (Mafia Boss, smug):
"Ahhh… my friends. You've done well. My rivals… gone. My armories… full. And now, the final payment."
Seer'ah signals, and Kruu pushes the cart forward.
Soy (stern):
"We held our end. We take Needle now."
Raags (raising a glass):
"Of course. Business is business. But give me some time — my guards are bringing him. It'll just take a few precious moments."
Soy (irritated):
"We'll wait."
Minutes crawl by. Then Raags breaks the silence.
Raags (smirking):
"The legendary soldier Soy… captain of Unit Zero. What made you do this? Once you stopped men like me, now you serve me. What an irony."
Soy (cold):
"That's life, Raags. I've heard about you too. Once a military officer — Atlanta-Russell War, Atlanta Civil War. Served the right ones. But you chose your own path."
Raags (Mafia Boss, voice low):
"They were liars. I gave everything — my blood, my soul. And what did I get? Nothing. I lost my loved ones."
Raags leans back, voice bitter, recounting his past.
In the Atlanta Civil War, Raags served the military and the government, helping them counter the rebellion attacks. He colored his hands with the blood of the young; anyone linked to rebels was killed. After the government rose to power and the civil war was stopped, a treaty was signed. They promised Raags and his family a peaceful and secure life. But when the peace treaty was signed with the rebels, they sold Raags out.
To the rebellion, he was a murderer, a killer. To the government, he knew too much and might become a threat. Hence, they planned to kill Raags and many other civil war agents. Many died, only a few survived — those who did now no longer wanted peace.
Raags arrived home from his office. He opened the door: the hall was full of blood. He rushed to the corridor. His wife — three shots: one in the chest, one to the left side of the chest toward the heart, and the third in the head. She was still holding her daughter's hand. His daughter lay beside her, neck broken, no sign of struggle.
Raags (Mafia Boss, voice breaking, then cold):
"They didn't even get a second to understand what was happening," said Raags. His family was killed.
Now he became a drug lord of Atlanta, supplying illegal weapons all over the world, doing everything to bring down the government.
Soy (shocked, quietly):
"I've heard your story… that's tragic. But we all go through life's toughest journeys. We have all lost our loved ones."
Raags (Mafia Boss, flat):
"I don't give a damn about anyone anymore. The only thing left is myself."
Soy (firm):
"Then let's end this talk. Where's Needle? It's already been too long."
Raags (checking his watch):
"Wait, soldier… wait. They will be here soon."
Soy (uneasy):
"They better come fast."
---
[The Betrayal Begins]
The ground shakes. Heavy tanks rumble closer. Sky warships cut through the night.
Vehicles Approaching:
Ironback – Heavy armored tank-class walker, built to absorb artillery fire and crush city ruins.
Gravhound – Fast hovercraft recon, anti-grav cores, silent scout, hit-and-run killer.
Ghost Reaver – Stealth jet-bike, assassin's choice for high-speed infiltration.
Weapons Unveiled:
1. Pulse Fang – Compact rifle, plasma bursts piercing armored exosuits.
2. Eclipse Lance – Core-powered spear, overloading into a one-shot beam.
3. Rift Breaker – Heavy cannon, destabilizes gravity fields, collapsing bunkers.
Raags' guards finally arrive with Needle. Broken. Bleeding. Tortured. But still standing. His eyes lock onto Soy — hope flickers in them.
Soy scans the crates, then slides them toward Raags.
Soy (cold):
"Take your crates. I didn't open them yet. Better to do it in front of you. Tell us, what's inside them? We bled for this."
Raags (Mafia Boss, trembling with greed):
"At last… after so many attempts… it's here. The Keystone. No… fragments of divinity. These idiots handed me gods in chains."
Soy (confused, wary):
"Raags?"
Raags (Mafia Boss, excited):
"Rare keystones. Fuels for Dra'vhari weapons. Fuels for human tech. Few you brought me here… and few I already had."
Soy (thinking): "Is he talking about an energy stone? Hmm, I've heard about them back in military school on Dravh'ari. Those were a very unstable source of energy. They had a strong influence on Dravh'ari culture, history, and technology. But most of them are not in use now. They were strictly banned after the great Muc'vha Nuro'ka the First. As he said, they were used as fuel… does he have a Dra'vahi battlecraft? Fuck it, this is not my business."
Soy (snapping back): "Needle, come here. We have what we wanted. Now we're heading back."
Raags (Mafia Boss, smirking):
"It's a pleasure, legendary soldier. Working with you… priceless. Maybe we'll meet again."
Soy (firm):
"If we do… the situation won't be in your favor, Raags."
A faint click echoes in Kruu's earpiece — an unknown comm frequency.
"Targets confirmed. All inside. Wait for my signal."
Kruu's eyes dart to Soy.
Kruu (quiet, tense):
"They sold us out."
Soy (shouting):
"NOW!! Everyone standby — FIGHT!"
Raags leans back, swirling his drink.
Raags (Mafia Boss, calm):
"Forgive me… some opportunities are too good to refuse."
The windows explode inward.
Black-armored assassins flood the room, weapons spitting electric bursts.
---
What exactly had Soy delivered into Raags' hands? The crates weren't just weapons — inside were keystones, fragments of something far older and far more dangerous. To Raags, they were "gods in chains," power bound and hidden for centuries. But why did he want them? And more importantly — who were the black-armored assassins that stormed the stronghold? Were they military operatives sent to claim the bounty? Or something darker — a hidden hand that moved through shadows, killing without name or flag? Questions burned hotter than the gunfire. One thing was certain: the game had just shifted, and the true war was only beginning.
I know maybe no one's really reading this and my novel but if you are, please drop some feedback in the comments and support — it means a lot, thank you
End of Chapter 13 . Next : chapter 14