The penthouse was silent. Not calm—never calm—but silent in the way a battlefield falls quiet after the last shot. Helena leaned against the wall, arms wrapped around herself, staring at the floor as if Marcus's shadow was still there. Jack hadn't moved from where Marcus left him, crouched low, fists pressed into the carpet like claws ready to tear through concrete.
Victor leaned in the doorway, rifle slung over his shoulder, scanning the skyline beyond the shattered glass. The city lights of Halo flickered faintly, some still dead from Marcus's surge.
The System glowed faint and cold across Jack's vision:
⸻
[Quest Update: Rivalry 60% — Status: Marcus Ascendant]
[Warning: Blood Oath timer: 28h before decay]
[Asset Loss: Carla Vance — Rival Controlled]
⸻
Jack rose finally, slow and deliberate. He wasn't shaking. He wasn't yelling. He was still, and somehow that was worse.
Helena's voice cracked. "Jack… I—"
"Don't," he said softly, cutting her off. "This isn't your fault."
Helena blinked, startled by the gentleness in his tone. Jack walked past her, toward the window, staring out at the distant lights.
Victor cleared his throat. "We've got maybe an hour before Authority sweeps this sector. Marcus wanted us humiliated, but he left enough evidence to make sure they come for us next."
Jack's smirk was humorless. "Then let them come."
Helena's gaze snapped up. "Jack—"
He turned to her, eyes sharp. "Marcus took Carla because he thinks fear makes me weak. But all he did was paint a target on his own back."
The System pinged:
⸻
[New Quest: Retribution]
[Objective: Reclaim Carla, destabilize Marcus's Revenant form.]
[Reward: ???]
⸻
Helena exhaled shakily. "You're not… scared of him?"
Jack stepped closer, lifting her chin with one finger. "Helena, fear doesn't stop kings. It crowns them."
She swallowed hard, her heartbeat loud in her ears. The bond pulsed between them like a live wire.
Victor spoke up again, voice steady. "You want him dead. I can help."
Jack's gaze flicked to him. "You sound certain."
Victor shrugged, his jaw tight. "I've got no reason to live if I'm going to keep running. Marcus doesn't scare me as much as living like I used to." He glanced at the dried blood on his hands. "But I need to know you're serious."
Jack's smile was slow, feral. "You'll know when he screams."
⸻
Across the city, Marcus stood in front of a mirror, shirt half-open, Carla's lipstick smeared across his chest. His reflection flickered, glitching with static. The System text crawled like rot:
⸻
[Control Level: 27% → 24%]
[Revenant Stability: 65% → 60%]
[Warning: Host Psychological Erosion Increasing.]
⸻
Marcus dragged a hand through his hair, grinning despite the warning. "Let it eat me alive," he murmured. "So long as I'm the one devouring him."
Behind him, Carla knelt obediently, her eyes glassy. The sight should have satisfied him, but a flicker of doubt gnawed at his edges. Jack hadn't begged. Jack hadn't broken.
Marcus slammed a hand against the mirror, cracking it.
"Next time," he hissed, "I'll make him beg."
⸻
Back in the penthouse, Jack strapped on his coat, Victor loading magazines at the table. Helena watched him silently, heart pounding.
"Where are you going?" she whispered.
Jack looked over his shoulder, eyes like steel. "To bleed forward."
The System chimed:
⸻
[Questline Divergence Detected: Entering Halo's Outer Rim]
[Map Expansion Unlocked: Halo District 9 — "The Rust Sprawl"]
[New Enemies: Revenant Hunters, Authority Black Ops, ???]
⸻
Helena stepped forward, grabbing his arm. "Jack, please. He's stronger now. You can't just—"
Jack turned, pressing his forehead to hers. "Helena… I don't plan on winning tonight."
Her breath hitched. "Then what?"
Jack's grin was sharp. "I plan on making him bleed."
Victor cocked his rifle. "Then let's move."
As they left the penthouse, Marcus's shadow still lingered in the corners, but for the first time since his defeat, Jack's aura burned hotter than fear.
The hunt had begun.