The steel corridors vibrated under the weight of footsteps — not just one, but many.
Aina Farisha pressed herself against the cold wall, sidearm tight in her grip, heart pounding in her ears.
Beside her, Reza crouched low, blood seeping through the torn fabric at her side.
Somewhere behind them, the mechanical breathing of Unit E-9 echoed faintly, relentless.
But now, a new threat moved through the tunnels — quieter, more methodical.
Black Omega.
The elite.
The unseen blade of PHALANX.
And they were closing in.
"Three units. Coming fast." Reza whispered, glancing at the hacked motion sensor strapped to her wrist.
Aina nodded, scanning the corridor ahead — a junction, open space.
No good.
"Split and crossfire," Aina muttered. "Like the old days."
Reza smirked despite the pain.
"Hope you still shoot straight, Farisha."
Aina flashed a cold smile.
"Better than you bleed."
They moved in silence, slipping into opposite sides of the junction, positioning themselves behind broken machinery.
The first Black Omega operatives appeared moments later —
swift, black-armored figures with no insignias, helmets glinting in the broken lights.
They moved with brutal precision.
Two took position to secure the junction.
One advanced cautiously, weapon ready.
They were trained not just to fight — but to eliminate.
No warnings.
No mercy.
Aina squeezed the trigger first.
Crack!
The lead operative jerked back, armor sparking.
Reza hurled a flashbang into the second's path.
Boom!
The explosion threw the squad into confusion.
They moved, swift and brutal, gunning down two soldiers before the rest reacted.
But it wasn't a clean win.
Bullets ripped into the cover around them, forcing Aina and Reza back deeper into the tunnels.
Reza stumbled, cursing as her injured side flared with pain.
"Move, move!" Aina barked, grabbing Reza by the arm, dragging her toward a side passage.
They disappeared into the shadows as more Omega units flooded the area.
Meanwhile – Black Omega Commander's Perspective
From a secure mobile control station embedded deep within Site Zero's security core, the Black Omega Commander watched the chase unfold.
His helmet reflected the tactical feeds —
infrared overlays, bio-signature trackers, motion predictive paths.
The prey were skilled.
Resourceful.
But predictable.
"Sector Nine gridlock. No exit." he spoke into his mic, voice devoid of emotion.
Teams shifted in perfect synchronization.
He had studied Shah and Farisha's profiles.
They would fight.
They would resist.
It didn't matter.
In the end, resistance was just another form of surrender.
Only slower.
Back to Aina and Reza
Breathing hard, Aina forced Reza into a tight maintenance shaft barely wide enough for them to squeeze through.
Alarms blared distantly.
Footsteps pounded past their hiding spot — too close.
Reza pressed a trembling hand against her bleeding side.
"You should leave me," she rasped.
Aina scowled, wiping blood from her brow.
"Shut up and crawl."
Reza laughed weakly.
"Always the sweet talker."
They pushed deeper into the forgotten veins of Site Zero, away from the hunt —
for now.
But the darkness around them wasn't safety.
It was only a temporary reprieve.
They were running out of places to hide.
Out of time.
And somewhere not far behind, Black Omega hunted with patience forged in blood and silence.
The next encounter would not leave room for mistakes.
Not for mercy.
Only for endings.