AEGIS BUNKER GATE - BLAST ZONE - 07:05 AMKABOOOOOM!The world turned orange and black in the blink of an eye.The jet fuel tanker slammed into the steel bunker door with the momentum of thousands of tons. The detonator planted by Julian worked perfectly. The highly flammable fuel ignited, creating a massive fireball that consumed the surrounding oxygen and sent a shockwave flattening trees within a fifty-meter radius.Marco, sheltering behind the wreckage of a destroyed turret, felt the heat of the fire licking his cold face.The ground shook violently. The 30cm thick steel door didn't shatter, but its hinges melted and the frame buckled inward, creating a gaping hole filled with thick black smoke."YUHUUU! BBQ TIME!"Julian's scream pierced through the smoke.Julian landed with a roll (a bit awkwardly due to his bandaged leg) on the scorched grass. He had jumped from the truck exactly two seconds before impact. His purple suit was now black with soot, his face smudged, but his eyes s

CORRIDOR TO COMMAND CENTER - AEGIS BUNKER - 07:20 AMMarco stepped over the corpse of the Heavy Gunner. He dragged the six-barreled Minigun, weighing nearly 30 kilograms, with one hand as if it were a plastic toy.Behind him, Julian limped, dragging his severely injured left leg. He was no longer making jokes. Bruno's death had silenced the Clown's laughter."Just one more door, Boss," Julian muttered, pointing to the round blast door at the end of the hall. "Thorne is behind that."Marco didn't answer. He just stared at the door with dead eyes.Suddenly, a faint hissing sound came from the vents in the ceiling.PSSSHHHHHH...Not the sound of AC air. It was the sound of high-pressure gas.A yellowish-green mist began to spew out, filling the corridor rapidly. It smelled sweet, like rotting jasmine flowers."Gas!" shouted Julian, covering his nose and mouth with his suit sleeve. "Don't breathe it in! This isn't tear gas!"Marco was too late to hold his breath. He took one full inhale.S

COMMAND CENTER - AEGIS BUNKER - 07:30 AM"SECURE THE TARGETS! HOLD THEM DOWN!"The shout of the Black Ops commander echoed through the steel corridor.Five mercenaries rushed forward, kicking Marco in the back until his face smashed against the hard metal floor.THUD!"Ugh..." Marco groaned, stifled. Fresh blood poured from his broken nose.Marco's arms were yanked back roughly, twisted until his shoulder joints popped. Thick plastic zip-ties bound his wrists so tightly they cut off blood circulation.Beside him, Julian received worse treatment. Since his leg was already severely injured, a soldier stomped on the gunshot wound in his thigh with a combat boot."AAAAARGHH! DAMN IT!" Julian screamed, his body seizing up."Shut up, Clown!" The soldier struck the back of Julian's neck with the butt of his rifle.Julian collapsed, unconscious or pretending to be, blood seeping from his head."Bring them in," ordered Thorne from inside the room. His voice was calm, savoring this show of domin

EMERGENCY ACCESS SHAFT - AEGIS BUNKER - 07:35 AMDust.Thick, dry, suffocating concrete dust filled Marco's lungs. He coughed, spitting out a mixture of blood and ash.The world was pitch black. There was only the low rumble of the dying structure beneath his feet. The command center behind him had fully collapsed, becoming a concrete tomb for his wife, his best friend, and his enemies.Marco tried to move."Argh..."His leg was pinned. A steel I-beam that had fallen from the ceiling was crushing his right calf.[PHYSICAL STATUS: CRITICAL.][RIGHT LEG: FIBULA FRACTURE.][BLOOD LOSS: 1.5 LITERS.][ADRENALINE REMAINING: 10%.]Marco didn't panic. The part of his brain capable of panic had died with Maria in the next room.He only felt urgency.Thorne. Sofia.He had to go up.Marco placed both hands under the heavy steel beam, which probably weighed 200 kilograms."Up," Marco growled.His muscles screamed. His spine creaked. The System pumped the last reserves of energy into his muscle fib

SIKORSKY HELICOPTER CABIN - ALTITUDE 800 FEET07:40 AMGravity and wind were the third and fourth enemies inside that cramped cabin."GET DOWN HERE, YOU BASTARD!"Marco yanked Senator Thorne's ankle with superhuman strength."ARGH!"Thorne lost his balance. He slipped on the tilted cabin floor, falling onto his back. His gold Desert Eagle slipped from his grip, sliding out the open door and free-falling toward the forest below.Marco seized the opportunity.He pulled his body fully inside the helicopter. His broken leg dragged across the metal floor, leaving a long trail of blood.Marco was inside.He lunged on top of Thorne, who was trying to scramble up.THUD!A punch from Marco's right hand slammed into Thorne's jaw. The sound of cracking bone was satisfyingly audible over the roar of the rotors.Thorne, the elegant politician, turned into a cornered animal. His handsome face was ruined. He clawed at Marco's face, trying to gouge Marco's eyes out with his fingers."Die! Die, you tra