Alpha and the other seven n cursed under their breaths. They rushed toward the door. With a massive kick, Alpha blew out what little remained of the tal fra, and they entered the building with their rifles in the attack position.
But as soon as Alpha and his n crossed the threshold, all hell broke loose in the alley.
From both ends of the alley, where the Celestial armored vehicles had blocked the street, intense rifle fire opened up against Rhodes’ team. Bullets whizzed and slamd into the abandoned Jeeps, sending tal shards flying.
"Take cover! Return fire!" Alpha shouted. His n dove behind the wrecked Jeeps and Ethan’s BMW, shooting back toward the two corners.
"Who the hell is attacking us?" Rhodes cursed, covering himself behind one of the vehicles as the heavy-caliber return fire ripped apart the walls around them. "This isn’t a gang attack! Who is it?!"
Before they could react or receive orders, two massive, high-speed vehicles appeared in the alley: an armored Escalade slamd into one of the remaining Jeeps, and a Suburban brutally ramd the other, ruthlessly destroying both Celestial trucks in an explosion of tal and smoke.
"Everyone inside!" Alpha yelled urgently, realizing the attackers’ complete tactical superiority. "We are at a disadvantage! Controlled retreat into the building, NOW!"
Axel Rhodes, still reeling from the sudden, massive counter-attack, scrambled inside the dark, cluttered warehouse behind Alpha and the remaining n. The Escalade and Suburban, belonging to Royal Private Security, had completely annihilated two of his tactical Jeeps, showing a level of force and coordination far beyond any local gang.
Rhodes cursed violently as he took cover behind a stack of rusted barrels. "What the hell was that? Who has that kind of manpower and hardware in this district? Find the exit! We need a secure periter!"
Alpha, the professional soldier beneath the Celestial uniform, imdiately assessed the situation. "It’s a tactical ambush, Manager Rhodes. High-level planning. They knew where we were going. We need to secure the interior and hold position until backup arrives. This is not Olympus, this is sothing new," Alpha reported, his voice tight.
Inside the warehouse, Ethan, barely coherent through the pain of his fractured ribs and contused muscles, heard the sound of the n entering. He leaned against a wall, frantically running a check of his resources.
[Status Update: Internal bleeding low-level but present. Energy reserves depleted by 60%. Weapon Inventory: One (1) Black Pistol (7 rounds left).] the System reported urgently.
Ethan drew the pistol. He couldn’t fight eight heavily ard n in close quarters with seven bullets, especially n who were professional soldiers like Alpha.
"Rhodes!" Ethan shouted, his voice echoing through the vast, empty space. He needed to buy ti. "You attacked the wrong person! I am not part of Olympus, but I know who they are, and you just made an enemy of them for !"
Rhodes instantly grabbed Alpha’s arm, stopping him from pursuing. "Hold! What are you talking about?" Rhodes demanded, addressing the darkness.
"The n who attacked Alfred’s pizzeria—the ones I beat up just before you totaled my car—they were hired by Olympus!" Ethan yelled, dragging himself behind a pile of crates. "They want to start a war with soone, and they used as bait! Your beautiful Garden is about to be burned down by a war you started over a low-level congressman!"
Rhodes and Alpha exchanged a furious look. The connection was clear: if Ethan was telling the truth, and he was being pursued by Olympus, then Celestial had just stepped into a complex conflict they weren’t ant to be in.
"You’re lying, Blake! Why would Olympus target a pizzeria?"
"It doesn’t matter why! What matters is that Royal Private Security—the organization currently outside destroying your Jeeps—thinks you are responsible for the attack on the pizzeria! They have already declared war against you! You are now their primary target, not Olympus!" Ethan lied, using Jason’s strategy perfectly. "They think you sent those thugs!"
Axel Rhodes swore loudly. "Damn it! Check the external channels! Alpha, get the n to secure a defensive periter now! We need to confirm if that gang has engaged Olympus or if they think we are the enemy!"
The confusion sowed its seeds. The priority instantly shifted from capturing Ethan to surviving the massive assault from the unknown Royal Private Security outside.
Groaning and still throwing debris to slow his pursuers, Ethan huddled behind a mountain of dusty sacks inside the warehouse. The pain in his chest was a constant, blinding fire.
"System! Buy twenty rounds!" Ethan hissed desperately.
[Transaction confird. Cost: 2 Lux Points.] the System announced.
Twenty loose, heavy pistol rounds instantly materialized, clattering loudly onto the tal floor beside him.
"Damn it!" Ethan cursed, grabbing the handful of bullets. "Couldn’t you put them in a goddamn magazine?"
[Magazines are sold separately, Champion. Terms and conditions apply, see reverse side! Hahaha!] the System mocked, sounding exactly like a cheerful comrcial jingle.
Ethan ignored the taunt, shoving the rounds awkwardly into his pocket. He quickly scrolled through the Inventory: rifles, shotguns, and explosives were available, but summoning anything large would be too slow and would reveal his location. It was more efficient to rely on his stealth, his pistol, and the incredible resilience of his steel-hardened body for brutal close combat. His only goal was to keep the Celestial team pinned down and distracted until Jason finished them off.
Outside the warehouse, the remaining forces of Celestial had taken cover. Rhodes was communicating frantically with Alpha, who was inside.
"Axel, they’ve set up a heavy periter! They took out our spotters, and the two SUVs that hit us were armored. They’re not a gang; they’re professionals! I’m moving the team deeper inside to flank the subject," Alpha reported urgently over the comms.
Suddenly, a voice bood from the alley outside—it was Jason, using a loudspeaker.
"This is Royal Private Security! We have established an overwhelming periter! You are surrounded! Throw down your weapons and surrender! You have committed an act of war against our organization!"
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