The Hellion specialist was gone.
The battle was over.
But the war?
It had just begun.
Escape or Die
> [WARNING: FACILITY SELF-DESTRUCT IN 5 MINUTES.]
Ryo's chest heaved, sweat and blood mixing on his skin. His body still thrummed from the fight, but there was no time to dwell on what had just happened.
They had to move.
"Karin! Status!" Vos barked, slamming a fresh mag into his shotgun.
She was already at the terminal, fingers flying. "I shut down the external lockdown, but the self-destruct's hardwired. We can't stop it."
Ryo clenched his fists. "Then we get the hell out of here."
The Path to Freedom
Karin pulled up a holographic map of the facility.
"There's an emergency evac route through the lower tunnels." She pointed to a blinking exit marker. "It leads to an old supply depot. If we move now, we make it."
Vos didn't hesitate. "Then let's move."
Ryo turned to follow—
But something caught his eye.
A flickering data file on the broken Hellion console.
> PROJECT IRONBORN – CLASSIFIED FILES
His gut twisted.
The answers he wanted. The truth about who he was.
It was right there.
And there was no time to take it.
> "Aww, tough break, rookie. Stay and die, or live and stay clueless. Tick tock."
Ryo cursed under his breath.
Then he ran.
The Chase Begins
They tore through the facility halls, guns in hand, boots slamming against steel.
Explosions rattled the walls as the self-destruct countdown ticked down.
> [SELF-DESTRUCT IN 3 MINUTES.]
"Go, go, go!" Vos roared.
A door slammed open ahead.
Then—gunfire.
Hellion soldiers poured into the hallway.
Ryo gritted his teeth.
They were waiting for them.
A Warzone in a Hallway
The first Hellion aimed—Ryo moved first.
A single punch.
His fist collided with the soldier's chest—
Armor crumpled.
The bastard flew back, crashing into two more behind him.
Vos and Karin unloaded their weapons, cutting down any that tried to flank.
Ryo charged.
One enemy tried to raise a knife—
Ryo caught his wrist, twisted—
SNAP.
Another lunged with a baton—Ryo ducked, countered, drove an elbow into his jaw.
The man collapsed.
But there were too many.
And not enough time.
A Desperate Move
Karin threw a grenade.
"DOWN!"
BOOM.
The explosion tore through the corridor, sending Hellion bodies flying.
Smoke filled the air—they ran straight through it.
> [SELF-DESTRUCT IN 1 MINUTE.]
The exit hatch loomed ahead.
Last Second Escape
Ryo reached the control lever, yanked it down.
The hatch burst open.
A howling wind hit them—they were at the edge of the facility.
Outside, an old supply transport lay abandoned.
Ryo didn't hesitate. "MOVE!"
They **leapt in—**Karin at the controls, Vos covering their flank.
Engines roared to life.
Ryo slammed the door shut.
And then—
The entire facility exploded.
Nowhere Left to Hide
Flames erupted behind them, the shockwave sending their transport skidding.
Ryo gritted his teeth, gripping the side as Karin wrestled for control.
Vos exhaled. "That was too damn close."
Karin kept her eyes on the road. "We're clear. For now."
Silence settled.
Ryo stared at the burning wreckage behind them.
The Hellions had set this up.
They knew he was here.
And now?
They'd be coming for him.
The system pinged.
> [QUEST COMPLETE: ESCAPE AND SURVIVE.]
[REWARDS: 4,000 XP, 10 Gearbound Credits, New Ability Unlocked: Enhanced Metabolic Recovery.]
> "Nice work, rookie. You lived. But now?"
> "Now the real hunt begins."
Ryo exhaled sharply.
His past was still a mystery.
His enemies were still out there.
And war was coming.
He wasn't just running anymore.
He was preparing to fight back.