Tonight, the New York sky seemed to spit upon Marco Rossi’s fate. The Port of New York and New Jersey: a vast harbor area around the mouth of the Hudson River, managed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ). Heavy rain poured down on Pier 4, mixing the salty fish smell of the sea with the stench of rusty iron and the metallic tang of blood. What went wrong with his dream? He only wanted to be a responsible head of the family, to enjoy simple happiness with Maria and Sofia, even though his profession was merely that of a rough dockworker. Until that incident came.CRASH!Marco's body was sent flying, smashing into the shipping containers lined up in the corner of the harbor. Fresh blood streamed from his temple due to the violent impact."I'm sorry, Boss… I don't have the money yet," Marco pleaded, "My wages are still tied up. Give me more time, Boss," he begged, trying to withstand the searing pain in his temple."Hey, moron, you can't just expect things to go your

Marco stopped at a rest area to clean himself up before going home. The neon lights in the Brooklyn subway station public restroom flickered, emitting a low, headache-inducing hum. The air smelled of a mix of ammonia, old vomit, stale iron, and despair. A fitting place for a fresh murderer.Marco stood before a cracked ceramic sink, staring at his reflection in the foggy mirror. He looked repulsive; stains of blood and grime clung to his body—proof that he could never return to being the kind, naive Marco he once was.The tap water ran heavily, turning reddish-brown as it mixed with the dried blood on his hands and face. He scrubbed his skin raw, nearly peeling it off, trying desperately to remove every trace of Rizyo and Benny’s DNA."Gone... just disappear, you bastard," he hissed, rubbing his scraped knuckles.Marco flinched, not because of the blood, but because of his reflection in the mirror.His eyes…Marco Rossi’s eyes were previously a warm brown, the type Maria fell in love

DING![SYSTEM RECOMMENDATION: SQUAD IMBALANCE.][YOU HAVE: 1 BRAWLER (MARCO), 1 ASSASSIN (JULIAN).][DEFICIENCY: DEFENSE (TANKER).][ADVICE: FIND A HUMAN SHIELD BEFORE ATTACKING VINNIE’S HEADQUARTERS.]Marco was starting to get used to the system notifications, which he found irritating. He exhaled the smoke of a cheap cigarette into the cold night air. Beside him, Julian was busy licking the remnants of ketchup off his fingers after finishing a pack of street hotdogs."So, what's the plan, Boss?" Julian asked with a mouthful, "We smash the front door, I gouge out the guards' eyes, you snap the rest of their necks? Sounds thrilling. I like it!""We need one more person," Marco said, his eyes fixed on the blue notification hovering in the air. The System provided the coordinates: THE PIT (UNDERGROUND ARENA) - QUEENS."One more, for what?" Julian scoffed, "I think the two of us are enough to flatten that greasy warehouse!""I can’t block bullets forever, Julian. And you..." Marco glance

Vinnie "The Shark" was dead, his eyes bulging as he stared at the leaking warehouse ceiling, but his final smirk seemed to mock Marco."Hngh..."Marco dropped to his knees. Fresh blood spurted from the hole in his left chest, staining the cold concrete floor. The effects of the Adrenaline Overdrive were completely gone. Now, the real pain came to collect. His lungs felt like they were filled with shards of glass every time he took a breath."Boss!" Julian leaped down from the stack of safes, his previously grinning face twisting into panic. He held Marco to keep him from collapsing, "Hey, Rhino Tank! Get your stupid butt over here quickly, bring a first aid kit or something! The Boss is leaking!"Bruno arrived with heavy steps, dragging an emergency medical bag he'd found on the wall. But when he saw the wound—a gaping hole from a Magnum round—Bruno just slowly shook his head (he was a little dim-witted, after all)."It went through the lung," Bruno said gloomily, "The closest hospita

Marco’s usually gloomy apartment had changed colors tonight. There were cheap pink balloons stuck to the cracked walls, paper streamers hung from the ceiling fan, and the sweet scent of chocolate tart, fresh out of the oven, filled the room."Blow out the candles! Blow out the candles!" Maria clapped her hands, her face beaming. The new dress she had bought—an elegant blue silk gown—made her look like an upper-class lady, not the wife of a former dockworker.Sofia, the little princess who had just turned seven, stood on a chair. Her eyes sparkled, reflecting the light of the seven small candles on the cake."Go on, sweetheart. Make a wish first," Marco said. He stood beside Maria, smiling.But Marco’s smile didn't reach his eyes.Since morning, the System in his head had been silent. Too silent. And for someone whose life now depended on danger notifications, the silence was the loudest alarm.Sofia closed her eyes, clasping her hands to her chest. I hope Papa doesn’t come home smelli