The city of Neovault, though still reeling from the Protocol's collapse, hid new dangers in the shadows. Helix Dominion had not retreated — far from it. Their agents moved like ghosts through the city's underbelly, searching for any trace of the remaining fragments.
Aiden Kross and Elara Voss navigated the labyrinthine alleys of the industrial sector, keeping low and silent. The wind carried faint mechanical hums — drones patrolling the rooftops, their sensors scanning for life.
"Elara," Aiden whispered, "Helix isn't just hunting the fragments. They're hunting us. And I have a feeling they've learned from their last encounter."
She nodded, scanning her implant's feeds. "Rael and Vayne are both active. They've divided the city into grids, hunting systematically. Whoever controls the fragments first will control the next iteration of the Shadow Protocol."
Aiden's eyes narrowed. "Then we stop them before they even get a chance."
Their first contact came quickly. A squad of Helix operatives emerged from the shadows, weapons raised. Aiden fired first, taking down two with precise bursts. Elara unleashed a digital flare, temporarily blinding the squad and scrambling their communication.
"Move!" she shouted.
They sprinted through a network of tunnels, old subway lines that had long been abandoned. The walls vibrated with the hum of surveillance drones, each one scanning for anomalies.
"We're not just fighting Helix now," Aiden muttered, "we're fighting against time itself."
Elara's fingers flew across her implant, projecting holographic decoys. The drones hesitated, targeting illusions instead of the real pair.
They emerged into a massive abandoned factory, the air thick with dust and the remnants of forgotten machinery. Shadows twisted in every corner, hiding agents, traps, and fragments of the Protocol itself.
Aiden crouched, scanning. "They're everywhere… too many to fight head-on."
Elara nodded grimly. "We can't. But we can divide and conquer. I'll take the fragments in the east wing; you handle the perimeter. We meet in the center."
As they split, Aiden moved like a shadow, silently taking down Helix operatives one by one. Every step was calculated, every shot precise. But the deeper he went, the stronger the feeling of being watched became.
In the east wing, Elara faced a squad led by none other than Rael, his black armor gleaming under the broken lights.
"Voss," he sneered, "you thought you could outsmart me?"
She smirked. "You've already underestimated me once. Big mistake."
The fight erupted in a storm of bullets and code. Elara's implants projected energy barriers and digital strikes, while Rael's team fired relentlessly. Sparks and debris filled the air as the two clashed.
Meanwhile, Aiden uncovered a hidden chamber. Inside, fragments of the Shadow Protocol floated in suspended animation, waiting to be claimed. But before he could secure them, a cold, mechanical voice resonated:
"Agent Kross… still playing the hero? Predictable."
A holographic image of Dr. Liora Vayne appeared, her eyes glowing with a dangerous light. "You'll never control the Protocol fragments. Give them to me, and perhaps I spare your friend."
Aiden's jaw tightened. "Not a chance."
The factory shook violently as Helix forces converged on both of them. Time was running out, and the next confrontation would decide the fate of the Shadow Protocol once and for all.