The fires burned low in the ruins of Iron's Hollow, casting long shadows over the gathering resistance fighters.
Ryo sat at the center of it all, his body still humming from the fight with Krieg. His wounds were already healing, his muscles adapting, strengthening.
But this wasn't just about him anymore.
This was about the war to come.
The Survivors of Iron's Hollow
The leader—the scarred woman with the cybernetic eye—stood at the front of the crowd.
Her name was Serra Varik.
> "You fought well. But winning a fight and winning a war? Not the same thing."
Her gaze swept over the ruins.
> "You want to fight Hellion? Good. So do we. But you better have more than just anger fueling you."
Ryo met her stare, unflinching.
> "I have a plan."
A murmur rippled through the resistance fighters. Some doubtful. Others intrigued.
Krieg, still rubbing his bruised jaw, grinned. "Oh, this I gotta hear."
Serra crossed her arms. "Then talk."
The Plan to Strike Back
Ryo stepped forward, pulling up the Hellion holographic map he had stolen from the transport.
It flickered to life, casting a cold blue glow over the gathered soldiers.
> [DISPLAYING HELLION STRATEGIC MAP: PRIORITY INSTALLATIONS.]
Three locations flashed red.
Ryo pointed to the first one.
"This is a Hellion outpost thirty clicks from here. Small garrison, high-tech weapons cache." His gaze darkened. "We take it, we arm ourselves."
He pointed to the second marker.
"This is a comms relay. It's how they track rogue units like us." His voice sharpened. "We shut it down, we disappear off their radar."
Finally, he pointed to the third target.
A supply convoy route.
"And this? This is where we hit them hardest."
Serra's cybernetic eye whirred. "An ambush."
Ryo nodded. "We hit their supply chain. Hard. We make them bleed."
Silence.
Then—Krieg chuckled.
> "I like him."
Serra exhaled. "It's bold."
Her cybernetic eye flickered as she analyzed the data.
> "But bold is the only way we survive."
She turned to the gathered fighters.
> "We've been waiting for a chance to strike back. This is it."
Her gaze locked onto Ryo.
> "You lead this fight. But if you fail—"
Her voice dropped to a razor's edge.
> "—I'll kill you myself."
Ryo smirked. "Deal."
The War Begins
The resistance moved quickly.
Weapons were checked. Plans were drawn.
The first battle of the Iron Rebellion was coming.
And Ryo was ready.
Because now?
This wasn't just about survival.
This was about revenge.