The Rust Sprawl didn't sleep. It wheezed. It groaned. It bled rust from pipes older than the city itself. Neon signs flickered like dying fireflies, their buzzing hum mixing with the hiss of acid rain sizzling on corrugated steel rooftops. Broken train cars formed makeshift bridges between buildings, graffiti sigils glowing faintly in ultraviolet, warning intruders away.
Jack walked through it like a shadow, coat slick with rain, blood drying on his knuckles. Victor followed a step behind, rifle tight to his chest, his eyes scanning alleys where shapes moved and vanished—the feral eyes of scavenger gangs glowing like cats in the dark.
The System's UI flickered across Jack's vision, static crawling at the edges:
⸻
[Map Expansion: Halo District 9 — "The Rust Sprawl"]
[Threat Level: Severe]
[Enemies: Revenant Hunters, Authority Black Ops, ???]
⸻
Jack exhaled slow, his breath fogging in the bitter air. "Smells like rot."
Victor swept the street ahead, boots splashing through puddles glowing with oil slick rainbows. "Smells like death. You sure about this?"
Jack's grin was razor-thin. "I'm counting on it."
They weren't alone for long.
A shadow flickered between two flickering holo-ads, moving faster than a man should. Victor froze, rifle raised. Jack tilted his head, watching the rain drip from a bent fire escape.
The System pinged in his vision:
⸻
[Alert: Revenant Hunter Detected]
[Class: Bladecaster | Level: High Threat]
⸻
A man in matte-black armor emerged from the dark, his mask featureless but for two glowing red eye lenses. A blade extended from his wrist, humming faintly.
Victor muttered under his breath. "Marcus's toys."
Jack stepped forward, coat brushing against puddles. "Hunter," he called. "Did he send you to kill me… or deliver a message?"
The Hunter didn't answer. His head tilted slightly, like a predator measuring distance. Then he moved—blindingly fast.
Victor fired. The round sparked off the Hunter's forearm guard as he twisted, the blade flashing like lightning. Victor barely ducked as the slash cut a steel beam clean in half.
Jack didn't flinch. He moved like a coiled snake, catching the Hunter's arm mid-swing and twisting it with brutal precision. The blade screeched against the wall, sparks showering the alley.
Jack's voice was calm, almost bored. "You should've brought friends."
The Hunter's head snapped forward, mask slamming into Jack's jaw with enough force to rattle his teeth. Jack staggered but didn't fall.
The System chimed:
⸻
[Damage Taken: -12 HP]
[Adrenal Surge: +20% Reflex]
⸻
Jack grinned, blood dripping from his lip. "That's better."
He drove his elbow into the Hunter's throat, spinning behind him, twisting his arm until the blade clattered to the ground. Jack grabbed the mask and slammed the Hunter's head into the wall hard enough to dent steel.
Victor raised his rifle. "Want me to finish it?"
Jack shook his head, voice low and cold. "No. He's a message."
He tore off the mask, revealing a pale, cybernetic face, eyes flickering red. Jack crouched, gripping the Hunter's chin.
"Go back to Marcus," he whispered. "Tell him I'm coming for him. Tell him I'm bringing hell."
The Hunter's eyes flickered once more before Jack slammed his head into the wall again, knocking him out cold.
The System purred:
⸻
[Mini-Boss Neutralized: Revenant Hunter]
[XP Gained: +750]
[Infamy +5 | Notoriety Spread in District 9]
⸻
Jack rose smoothly, blood dripping from his knuckles. "We move."
Victor exhaled sharply. "You're insane."
Jack's smile was sharp. "No. I'm focused."
Across the city, Marcus leaned back in a steel chair, eyes glowing faint red in the dim light. Carla knelt beside him, silent and obedient, her fingers tracing the scars on his chest.
The System's warnings crawled across his vision like rot:
⸻
[Control Level: 24% → 21%]
[Revenant Stability: 60% → 55%]
[Warning: Host Psychological Erosion Critical]
⸻
Marcus chuckled softly, brushing Carla's hair back from her face. "You feel that, pet? He's moving. He's hunting me."
Carla looked up at him, glassy-eyed but flushed. "You'll destroy him."
Marcus's grin was wide, too wide. "No. I'll unravel him."
The mirror behind him flickered, Jack's face appearing in static. Marcus's reflection split in two—his own glowing eyes, and Jack's cold, calculating stare.
Marcus slammed a fist into the mirror, glass cracking into a spiderweb.
"I'm not haunted," Marcus hissed. "He is."
Carla flinched, but Marcus gripped her chin, pulling her closer. "Tell me you're mine."
"I'm yours," she breathed.
Marcus's laugh was soft, dangerous. "Good girl."
Back in the Rust Sprawl, Jack crouched on a rooftop, rain dripping from his coat. The skyline of Halo stretched beyond, neon flickering through smog. Victor crouched beside him, scanning the streets below through a scope.
"Authority patrol, two blocks south," Victor murmured. "We'll have company soon."
Jack smirked. "Let them come."
Victor gave him a sidelong glance. "You're calm for a man who just lost someone."
Jack's jaw tightened, but his eyes never left the street below. "I didn't lose her. Marcus stole her. There's a difference."
Victor frowned. "You're scaring me more than him right now."
Jack finally looked at him, his smile thin and cold. "Good."
The System flickered, static crawling through Jack's HUD:
⸻
[Warning: Blood Oath Timer: 26h Remaining]
[Advisory: Mental State — Unstable]
[Recommendation: Rest]
⸻
Jack ignored it.
"Get me into Marcus's data net," he said. "If he wants me dead, he's already watching. Let's give him a show."
Victor raised a brow. "What kind of show?"
Jack's grin sharpened. "One that reminds him who's king."
Helena sat alone in the penthouse, the lights dim, the windows fogged with rain. She held a holo-communicator in her hands, her finger hovering over the dial.
Jack had told her not to call anyone. Not to reach out.
But fear clawed at her chest, and she couldn't shake the image of Marcus's glowing eyes, Carla's glassy stare.
She pressed the button.
A man's voice answered on the other end. "Helena?"
Her voice trembled. "I… I need your help. Jack's going to get himself killed."
The voice paused. "Then I guess it's time I met your king."
Marcus paced his dark suite, Carla kneeling obediently by the bed. The mirror was cracked, his reflection shattered. The System's warnings screamed louder now, text flickering like lightning:
⸻
[Revenant Stability: 55% → 50%]
[Mental Erosion: Severe]
[Status: Glitch Detected]
⸻
Marcus gripped Carla's chin, tilting her head back. His smile was sharp, unhinged. "He thinks he's hunting me. But I'm already inside his walls. Already inside his head."
Carla swallowed hard. "Yes, Marcus."
He kissed her forehead softly, a gesture almost tender. "Good girl. Watch closely. Tonight, the king falls."
Jack crouched on the rooftop, watching the Rust Sprawl below. Authority drones buzzed like hornets, their spotlights cutting through rain.
Victor adjusted his scope. "They've doubled patrols. Someone leaked our route."
Jack's smirk was cold. "Perfect."
Victor blinked. "Perfect?"
Jack's grin widened, sharp as a blade. "Marcus expects me to run. Instead, we're going to light this city on fire."
The System chimed, a single ominous ping:
⸻
[Questline Progression: Revenge Arc Initiated]
[Status: Jack King Infamy Rising]
[Rival Marcus Paranoia Level: Escalating]
⸻
The Rust Sprawl below flickered with lightning as Jack rose, coat billowing in the wind.
The hunt had begun.