Chapter 22: Desperate Ambush Prep
The A.R.G.U.S. field office, a damp warehouse on Evergreen's outskirts, was a sweltering box, the midday sun turning the corrugated roof into a radiator. The air reeked of stale coffee, disinfectant, and weapon oil, the scents mingling with the faint hum of the city outside. Jax Reed leaned against a concrete pillar, its rough surface cool against his back, his tactical jacket open, his knife twirling in a restless arc, catching the fluorescent light. "Gotham gloom matches my mood, but this heat's a new level of hell," he thought, his sarcasm a shield against the mission's weight. The system hummed in his mind, a steady pulse.
[SYSTEM: SUMMON CUMULATION: 2/3.]
[DANGER LEVEL: MEDIUM-HIGH.]
[PREPARE FOR ESCALATION.]
Emilia Harcourt stood before a grease-smudged whiteboard, her marker squeaking as she sketched Route Beta: old highway 38 through the tunnels to Safehouse Delta. Her blonde hair was slick with sweat, but her voice was sharp. "Asset 23—the scientist with Butterfly tech knowledge—moves in one hour. Route Alpha's compromised. We're taking the tunnels. It's an A.R.G.U.S. priority. Lose the asset, lose the puzzle." She jabbed the board, her cigarette unlit behind her ear.
Leota Adebayo, perched on a plastic chair, her glasses fogged, spoke with a tremor. "The tunnels, Harcourt? They're a choke point. We haven't swept remnant activity on 38. Isn't that high-risk?" Her lip-biting hesitation underscored her ethical anchor.
Harcourt's eyes hardened. "Less risk than the open highway. The intel's solid. The remnants won't anticipate the speed." She flicked a glance at Jax. "Reed, you're point. Peacemaker, perimeter. If we hit trouble, engage fast. Keep their heads down."
Jax smirked, twirling his knife into a reverse grip. "Point? Lead sacrificial lamb. Just making sure my 'chaos suits you' energy's utilized, ma'am." He gave a mock salute, earning a sigh from Harcourt. "Sarcasm levels rising, but two summons ready. I'm set," he thought. He whispered into his comms, "Peacemaker Team, remote prep. I'm maxing chaos. Be ready for a signal spike."
"Your sarcasm's useless if a Butterfly gets near the asset," Harcourt snapped. "This isn't standard. The asset's knowledge is everything. No flash, just results. Adebayo, comms and perimeter defense."
Adebayo nodded, her resolve reluctant, her mouth tight. Jax saw her doubt, a humanizing flicker. He leaned closer to the pillar, the cool concrete grounding him. "Peacemaker Team, I need you ready to bail me out when my allies start smashing concrete," he murmured.
The briefing ended with weapons checks, the clatter of gear filling the warehouse. Jax took a swig from his canteen, the lukewarm water a ritual before chaos. The scientist, a wiry figure clutching a briefcase, sat silently, their nervous energy palpable. Jax glanced at Harcourt and Adebayo, their trust a weight he wouldn't drop. "From chaos to showdown," he thought, settling into the lead SUV, the engine's heat radiating through the floorboards.
The tunnel entrance was a black maw, its concrete surround mossy and grim. Inside, the air was damp, reeking of ozone and oil, the SUV's tires whining on the slick floor. Emergency lanterns cast sickly yellow pools, barely piercing the shadows. Jax's gut twisted, the knot of chaotic desperation tightening. "Blood's red paint, and this is the canvas," he thought, fingers hovering over the system.
[SYSTEM: DANGER LEVEL ESCALATING TO HIGH.]
[RECOMMENDED SUMMON COUNT: 2-3.]
"We're clear for a kilometer," Harcourt's voice crackled, tense.
"Sure hope so, H," Jax muttered. Then it hit—a dump truck blocked the exit, and two vans screeched from alcoves, boxing them in. Gunfire erupted, striking the SUV's armor, the scientist shrieking. "We're hit!" Peacemaker yelled, diving out.
Jax didn't hesitate. "System! Summon A-Train, Kimiko, Maeve! Command: Defend the asset and crush the recruiters—NOW!"
Three bursts of energy tore the air: A-Train's blue-white blur, Kimiko's silent ferocity, and Maeve's golden defiance. A-Train skidded on the slick floor, tripping over an oil drum with a thud, scattering debris in a comedic crash. "Speed's flawless—ow!" he yelled, recovering to sweep the right flank. "Classic A-Train," Jax thought, wincing.
Kimiko carved through goons, her claws a silent storm, her jacket blood-streaked. Maeve, shield raised, bristled with defiance. "I'm not your pawn!" she roared, her Willpower straining the command.
[SYSTEM: QUEEN MAEVE (WILLPOWER 8).]
[WILLPOWER BREAK CHECK: 55% CHANCE OF ROGUE ACTION.]
Maeve swung her shield, smashing a goon and a van, the metal crumpling. The SUV lurched, nearly crushing the scientist. "Maeve, non-asset vehicles only!" Jax yelled, his voice raw. "Sarcasm levels rising, but she's a wrecking ball," he thought.
Kimiko cleared the initial line, A-Train took out three more goons, and the remnants fled into the tunnels. The fight ended in ninety seconds, the air thick with smoke and gunpowder. Maeve glared before fading, her words lingering.
[SYSTEM: RESIDUAL ECHO ABSORPTION: KIMIKO'S DURABILITY.]
[JAX REED GAINS +1 CONSTITUTION.]
[MAJOR CONFLICT VICTORY.]
[SP GAINED: +30 SP.]
[CURRENT STATS: CONSTITUTION 3.]
[CURRENT SP: 245.]
Jax slumped, the Constitution boost a warm pulse. He checked the scientist, his knife steady as he scanned for injuries. "Well, that's one way to ruin a Tuesday," he quipped, the shrapnel scrape on his arm stinging.
Harcourt's voice was a snarl. "What. Was. That? The vehicle's totaled!"
"Defended the asset," Jax said, breathless. "We move on foot. Camp at the motel by the exit."
The motel was a derelict husk, its lobby's chipped tiles cracking under Jax's boots, the air heavy with mildew and decay. The late afternoon light filtered through grimy windows, casting a bruised orange glow. Jax sat on a sagging sofa, cleaning a scrape on his forearm, the cloth damp with disinfectant. Peacemaker polished his helmet, Adebayo bandaged Harcourt's burned hand, and the team's resilient unity was palpable.
"That scrape's nasty, Jax," Adebayo said, her glasses slipping. "Did one of those… things do that?"
"Just shrapnel. High risk, high reward. Like mystery meat at a diner," Jax said, smirking. "From chaos to survival," he thought.
Harcourt exhaled smoke. "Your allies suck, Reed. A hundred grand in A.R.G.U.S. property lost because they can't tell a guard from an escape vehicle."
Jax shrugged, the scrape stinging. "Without them, we'd be picking Butterfly guts out of the asset's brain. Glass half-full, H. And I noticed the shadow on the tunnel roof. Tailing ambush link." The professional ambush gnawed at him.
Adebayo's glance at Harcourt was sharp, a tense moment. Peacemaker chuckled. "Man, that goggle guy's face-plant was like a cartoon moose. Hilarious." The A-Train callback broke the tension.
Jax grinned. "Party mode? Thanos-level bad vibes, but glad you liked the show." The scar jokes and fatigue forged a bond.
[SYSTEM: ARC INTEGRATION COMPLETE.]
[CUMULATE RESETS.]
[SP GAINED: +5 SP.]
[CURRENT SP: 250.]
Harcourt stamped out her cigarette, flinching slightly. "Rogue patterns and tailing links. Something's off," Jax thought, collapsing onto the dusty carpet in a disused room. His summon count was 13, and he needed precision. Mindstorm. He's next. The Alpha loomed, and Jax's control would be tested in the filth of a sewer.
[SYSTEM: RANDOM FLAVOR: ROGUE PATTERNS DETECTED.]
To supporting Me in Pateron .
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