Theo stopped his car at the side of a narrow road, the last pin from Aries's tracker pointing just ahead… east, deep into a forest-covered section of town. He killed the engine and got out, pulling on his camouflage gear. His jaw was tight, his vision laser-focused.
They took Aries.
He activated stealth mode and disappeared, his footsteps muffled by Wind Veil. Branches shifted silently as he moved with deadly speed through the woods, his body lowered like a predator ready to strike.
As he neared the warehouse ahead, he saw them, two armed men posted as lookouts.
Theo crept close, shadows wrapping around him. The first man dropped without a sound. Theo's hand clamped over his mouth. The second reached for his gun, too slow. Theo buried a punch into his ribs with bone-breaking force, dropping him instantly.
And then-
[Ding! DARK SYSTEM ONLINE - Justification Protocol Active]
A new screen blinked in his system's interface, ominous and pulsing red.
