The hum of rotor blades sliced through the night air. Miguel stood on the FOB's helipad, wind whipping at his face as two UH-60 Black Hawks descended, summoned through the System. Their matte-black paint shimmered faintly in the moonlight, nearly invisible against the sky.
Echo One approached, helmet under his arm. "Commander, both aircraft are fully equipped — stealth coating, electronic countermeasures, and door-mounted miniguns. Ready for insertion."
Miguel placed a hand on the cold steel of one helicopter. In his past life, he had only seen these machines on TV. Now, they were his to command. A ghost army with wings.
The mission brief blinked in the command center earlier that day:
[Objective: Rescue hostages — Quezon City. Local businessmen kidnapped by cartel-linked gang.]
[Enemy Strength: 40.]
[Reward: +200 Command Points. Unlock: Armored Personnel Carrier.]
It wasn't just about the reward. The hostages were three prominent figures — a property developer, a shipping magnate's son, and a small-time mayor. Their abduction was a direct challenge, meant to flex the cartel's muscle.
To Miguel, it was bait. An opportunity to show the underworld that no shadow could hide them from him.
The helicopters thundered low over Laguna Lake, their profiles hidden by the dark. Inside, Alpha and Bravo sat tense but focused, rifles across their laps. Miguel checked his own gear — night-vision goggles, suppressed rifle, sidearm.
Echo One leaned closer over the roar of the rotors. "Commander, infiltration in two minutes."
The target was an abandoned warehouse complex in Quezon City. Satellite feeds showed guards posted on rooftops, lookouts at the gates, and patrols circling the compound. The hostages were likely inside the central building.
Miguel studied the holo-map projected in his headset. "Alpha, hit the west perimeter. Bravo, cut off their escape to the east. We drop in center and breach. Fast and clean."
"Copy," both squads replied in unison.
The Black Hawks roared over the warehouse like thunder. Spotlights snapped upward — too late.
"Go!"
Ropes dropped. Miguel descended first, boots slamming onto the rooftop. His squads followed, silhouettes of shadows under the whirling blades. Gunfire erupted from below, tracers ripping the air. The miniguns on the helicopters screamed back, tearing through guard posts like paper.
Miguel led the breach, blasting through a rusted rooftop hatch. Inside, the warehouse stank of oil and sweat. Two gunmen spun toward him — too slow. Two suppressed shots, and they collapsed.
He signaled Bravo. They fanned out, clearing corridors with surgical precision. Screams echoed as gangsters fell one by one, ambushed by invisible soldiers.
In the central chamber, the hostages were bound to chairs, bruised but alive. Six armed men guarded them.
Miguel threw a flashbang. The explosion blinded the room white. Before the echoes faded, Alpha stormed in, rifles barking. In seconds, the guards were down.
"Clear!"
Miguel cut the hostages free. One of them, shaking, clutched his arm. "Who are you? Are you… military?"
Miguel's gaze was hard. "We're no one. We were never here."
The man looked confused, but fear sealed his lips.
Outside, flames consumed the last of the gang's vehicles. The helicopters lifted the squads and hostages out, vanishing back into the night sky. To the city below, it was as if phantoms had swept through, leaving only ashes.
By dawn, headlines erupted again:
"Mysterious Commandos Storm QC Warehouse, Free Hostages."
"Are Foreign Special Forces Operating in the Philippines?"
"Government Denies Knowledge of Shadow Raid."
In the Senate, whispers turned to accusations. One senator slammed his fist on the table. "This ghost army humiliates us night after night. If the military isn't behind it, then who is? Foreign spies? A rogue general? We must find out!"
In smoky backrooms, cartel bosses fumed. Millions lost, operations burned, their lieutenants dead. One cartel leader, his face twisted with rage, growled: "This ghost has made it personal. Find him. Hunt him. If we have to hire foreign assassins, so be it."
Miguel sat alone in the FOB command center, Manila's skyline faintly visible on the horizon. The System pinged again:
[Mission Complete.]
[Reward Acquired: Armored Personnel Carrier unlocked.]
On the glowing map, red dots spread wider than ever. From Luzon to Mindanao, the cancer of corruption and crime was laid bare before him.
He exhaled slowly. "They're starting to fear the shadows."
Echo One entered, his tone calm. "Commander, every victory brings more attention. It's only a matter of time before someone comes looking for you."
Miguel nodded. His eyes stayed fixed on the map. "Then we make sure they never find me. Not until it's too late."
Outside, the Black Hawks rested like silent predators, ready for their next hunt.