The rain slicked cobblestones of Frankfurt’s Alt-Sachsenhausen glimmered under the orange haze of streetlights, a deceptive beauty hiding the stench of stale beer and cheap cigarette smoke. Somewhere behind the half-shuttered pubs, a man groaned, barely a whisper against the storm’s hiss. “Pick him up.”Boots splashed through puddles. Rough hands wrenched Charlie Charlie upright, his ribs screaming in protest. The sour breath of his captor washed over him as a knuckle dug beneath his jaw.“You know what happens to servants who don’t pay,” the voice growled. “Your master’s debt is your debt.”Charlie coughed blood, spitting crimson into the rain. “He’s not my master anymore.”The second thug, taller, with a face like broken concrete, snorted. “Doesn’t matter. Kessler wants his money.”Kessler. The name stabbed deeper than the pain in his side. Markus Kessler, the untouchable CEO, the man Charlie had trusted with everything. His so-called mentor had walked away clean, leaving Charlie h

The world turned to screaming metal and falling light. The massive billboard tore free from its moorings, a cascade of sparks hissing against the rain as it plummeted toward the fountain plaza. “Move!” Charlie bellowed.Lucas dove toward the far side of the fountain, slipping in the slick water. Charlie lunged the opposite direction, ribs protesting. The hooded man cursed and sprang back. But the blonde woman, the revolver-wielding opponent, didn’t flinch. She raised her arm, fired once into the billboard’s support bracket, and pivoted with supernatural grace.The shot redirected part of the falling mass, enough to alter its trajectory. Still, the crash was deafening. Steel slammed onto the plaza tiles, shattering benches and spraying debris. Shards of neon tubing exploded into blue sparks.Charlie shielded his face as fragments rained down. His ears rang. For a moment, only the hiss of water and crackle of live wires filled the night. Lucas’s voice came hoarse and shaky. “Charlie.

The floor beneath them vibrated. Panels retracted, revealing whirring turrets that rose like metal serpents. Laser sights snapped to life, crisscrossing the room.“Cover!” Charlie shouted, diving behind a row of deposit boxes as a hail of bullets chewed into the marble floor.Lucas flattened himself against another row. “Turrets? Seriously?”The Game’s voice whispered: Hint: Opponent proximity may trigger friendly fire. Use wisely.Charlie grinned grimly. He peeked out and fired at a turret, his bullet ricocheted harmlessly. “We can’t take those out head-on.”Kessler stepped through the door, calm even as bullets flew. He timed his movements perfectly, weaving through the kill zone like a dancer. The turrets ignored him at first, then hesitated, tracking both men. “Stay low,” Charlie muttered to Lucas.Lucas risked a glance at the pedestal. “We need that asset code, but the shield’s not dropping unless someone disables the mainframe.”“Where?”Lucas pointed toward a raised control bo

The first of the pursuers stepped into the station, a tall man in a tactical jacket, rifle glinting under his flashlight. Three others flanked him, weapons ready. Their faces were marked by faint blue sigils, the Game’s insignia, glowing faintly on their skin. The leader smirked. “Nice hideout. Shame it’s your last.”Charlie fired first. The shot took out a light, plunging half the platform into darkness. The attackers flinched, just enough for Kessler to spring the trap. The tripwire snapped, sending a metal bench crashing onto the nearest player. He shouted in pain, pinned under twisted metal.Charlie ducked behind a pillar as bullets ripped through the station. Sparks flew where rounds struck tiles. Lucas bolted for the stairwell, clutching his tablet and breathing hard. “I’ll find the route!”“Run!” Charlie shouted.Kessler lunged from cover, swinging the rebar. He cracked one attacker across the jaw, dropping him. The leader fired, Charlie felt the bullet whip past his cheek.

Lucas’s tablet beeped frantically. “Subterranean access! More players, like… ambushers, coming from below!”Charlie swore under his breath. “Figures. The Game never gives easy wins.”The first attacker emerged from the shadows below, a tall figure with a glowing blue sigil etched across their cheek. They raised a gun that seemed to hum with energy. “Stay back,” Charlie growled.Bullets whipped past his head as the others followed, three more, converging on their position.Kessler swung the rebar, smashing it into a pipe above the attacker. Steam hissed and scattered, giving Charlie a brief line of sight. He fired twice, hitting the first figure in the shoulder. The attacker stumbled, but the others advanced.Lucas’s hands trembled over the tablet. “I can maybe lock the grate! Just… hold them off!”“Do it!” Charlie shouted, swinging his pistol again.The corridor exploded into motion. Charlie and Kessler pushed forward, driving the attackers back while Lucas frantically typed. Spark