The dark municipal grid was alive with hidden movement. Inside the Museum of Nature, Ethan and Liam were combing through the first-floor lobby, checking every pillar, display case, and architectural seam.
Nearly thirty minutes of meticulous searching yielded nothing.
Then, Ethan's gaze fell upon a heavy, stone-carved historical statue tucked away in the farthest, most obscured corner of the grand exhibit hall. He stepped closer, his gloved hand moving along the base before applying a sharp, localized burst of pressure to the statue's torso.
With a low, mechanical click, the statue's head shifted slightly, and a subtle electronic hum echoed through the floorboards.
"What did you just activate?" Liam whispered, pivoting with his weapon drawn.
"I'm not sure," Ethan said, turning around just as a concealed section of the marble flooring slid back directly behind his boots.
Beneath the hidden hatch lay a steep, narrow flight of concrete stairs descending into absolute darkness. The duo locked eyes, a pair of sharp grins breaking across their faces as they tapped their fists together in a slow, synchronized victory.
"Flawless work," Liam said, checking his magazine. "Let's move in."
"What about Allen's perimeter coverage?" Ethan asked, looking up toward the skylight.
"The second we cross the threshold into the Third Branch, his extraction protocol goes live. He's tracking our comms from the high-angle spot right now," Liam replied.
Ethan nodded. The duo stepped quietly onto the stairs, descending into the throat of the facility. The moment their boots cleared the landing, the heavy marble door above them slid closed with a definitive, airtight slam.
Let's just hope we find what we're looking for down here, Ethan thought, his eyes adjusting to the dim tactical lighting.
The stairs terminated into what appeared to be a completely sealed, concrete utility room.
"Great. Don't tell me we just walked straight into a kill-box trap," Liam muttered, his eyes scanning the dead end.
Ethan bent low, his sharp eyes catching a heavily obscured, narrow ventilation passage running along the baseboard of the far wall. "Not a trap. A funnel." He dropped to one knee, sliding seamlessly through the tight space.
"Wow. I completely missed that," Liam admitted, dropping down to follow him.
Once I dismantle this branch, there are only two more branches left of the Loop, Ethan calculated grimly as he navigated the tight corridor. Then, then I will go after The Shadow Syndicate and Eclipse.
A moment later, the passage opened up, and the two operators stood up, stepping out onto a perfectly pristine, high-tech subterranean hallway.
"Finally," Liam grunted, cracking his neck. "I can actually get my spine straight again."
"What are you, an old man?" Ethan trolled, checking the corners.
Suddenly, the heavy, rhythmic sound of footsteps echoed down the corridor.
A lone man stepped into the light, blocking their path. He possessed a massive, heavily built physical frame, his presence radiating the unmistakable aura of a combatant.
"Welcome. Welcome... and welcome," the man spoke, a wide, confident grin spreading across his face.
Ethan's eyes narrowed, his body instantly shifting into a loose, low-profile stance as he sensed the immediate threat.
"I must admit, I'm thoroughly impressed," the man continued, his eyes tracking their gear. "How exactly did you two manage to find that? Ethan? Liam?"
"You've already done your research on us?" Liam asked, his voice dropping into a lethal register.
"Of course," the man chuckled, his gaze locked onto them. "You two are legendary names within the Loop's central servers. You're the rogue assets who dismantled the Fourth Branch."
"So, this facility is officially verified as the Third Branch?" Liam pressed.
The man offered a polite, slow nod. "It is."
"Yes! FINALLY!" Liam and Ethan shouted in perfect unison, briefly throwing their arms around each other's shoulders in a ridiculous display of celebration.
"We actually found it. Allen, you copying this?" Liam laughed into his earpiece. "Get down here, kid. The party's started."
The massive man cleared his throat, his expression flattening into stone as he stepped into a flawless vanguard stance. "Excuse the interruption, gentlemen. But my job is to ensure the absolute protection of this place."
Ethan stepped forward, his reading glasses sliding into his pocket as his focus turned completely cold. "Liam, leave him to me. Push ahead into the facility and find whatever asset they're hiding."
Liam gave a curt nod. "Don't take too long."
"What's your name?" Ethan asked, his eyes locking onto the man.
"I go by Rider," the man replied smoothly.
"Which Top Ten number are you?"
"I don't hold a rank within the Loop's executives," Rider answered, flexing his knuckles. "I'm independent contract help. A specialized variable."
Ethan nodded, taking a heavy step forward as Rider matched his advance. The two fighters closed the distance until they were standing mere inches apart, their killing intent filling the narrow hallway.
"Shall we begin, kid?" Rider smiled.
Ethan didn't offer a verbal reply; his fists simply rose into a guard.
Meanwhile, Liam sprinted down the corridor, his boots eating up the distance until he encountered a grand, sweeping set of concrete stairs leading to the upper executive decks.
As he reached the base of the steps, a small yellow object suddenly sailed through the air, landing flat on the concrete right in front of his boot. Liam stopped on a dime, his eyes tracking the object—it was a discarded banana peel.
He slowly raised his head, his gaze locking onto a man standing casually on the landing above, a cocky smirk playing on his lips.
"Are you in that much of a rush?" the man drawled, leaning against the polished railing. "The public restrooms are just down the hall to your right."
"Who are you?" Liam commanded flatly.
"Me? Oh, my identity isn't something you should be worrying about right now," the man sneered, straightening his posture. "What's important is you, Mr. Liam."
Liam remained entirely silent, his posture perfectly still as he analyzed the man's center of gravity.
"You were one of the primary culprits responsible for the collapse of the Fourth Branch," the man continued, his eyes flashing with a sudden, vicious malice. "Our Chairman was quite displeased with that."
Liam didn't answer, his breathing slow and disciplined.
"Not much of a talker? That's fine by me," the man hissed.
Before the final word could even echo off the concrete, the man launched himself down the stairs with terrifying, fluid speed. His arm whipped forward like a striking whip, a devastating straight punch aimed directly at Liam's jaw.
Liam threw up a parry, the concussive force of the strike vibrating through his forearms as the man's face materialized inches from his own.
"I am the personal right hand of the Chairman, Mike," the man whispered venomously, his strike shifting into a lethal follow-up combination. "But on the field... you can call me the Serpent."