CHAPTER 122: REST

The alarm blared from the floor below, a shrill, insistent cry that cut through the relative quiet of the trackers’ office. Heavy boots pounded down a distant Guild corridor, the sound rapidly growing closer.

"Party’s over," Fin stated, his voice flat. He glanced at Arachne, who was still at the main console. "Status?"

"Virus deployed," she reported, her fingers a blur across the interface. Lines of code scrolled, then screens flickered and died. "Local data corruption initiated. Their immediate tracking capabilities for this sector are offline. Spreading to networked systems will take time, but their eyes are blind here, for now."

"Good enough." No time for a full system wipe. He turned towards the window they’d entered through. "Out. Same way."

Scarlet grinned, wiping her daggers on a dead tracker’s uniform. "My favorite kind of exit. Quick and messy." She was already moving towards the window, light on her feet.

The shouts were louder now, echoing from the main corridor just outside the office. "Third floor! They’re on the third floor! Seal the exits!"

Fin slid the window open. Rain misted in. The narrow ledge outside looked slick, treacherous in the dim city glow. He slipped out, pressing himself flat against the cold, wet stone, finding easy purchase. The drop to the alley was a familiar darkness below.

Scarlet followed, landing with a soft thud beside him, her earlier nonchalance replaced by a focused alertness. Arachne was last, a silent shadow merging with the wall.

"They know we’re on the ledge," Arachne murmured, her head tilted, listening to the sounds from inside the office they’d just vacated. Figures were already at the window, peering out. A bright flash – an energy blast – sizzled past Fin’s head, striking the brickwork above, showering them with hot fragments.

"Time to go," Fin said curtly. He looked across the twenty-foot gap to the rooftop they’d started from. He pushed off the ledge, a dark shape arcing through the rain-filled air. He landed, rolling to absorb the impact on the tarred surface.

Scarlet launched herself a second later, landing a little harder but still on her feet. Arachne flowed across the gap like she was walking on solid ground, landing without a sound.

More shouts from the office building. Another energy blast went wide, striking the parapet of their current rooftop, sending chunks of concrete flying.

"Service hatch," Fin ordered, already moving towards it.

They dropped back into the dusty service corridor, the immediate sounds of pursuit muffled by the building’s structure. The fire door Arachne had picked earlier was still slightly ajar. They slipped through it, back into the stark concrete stairwell.

"Down," Fin said. Speed was everything now.

Their footsteps, no longer trying for stealth, echoed loudly as they descended. One floor. Two. As they reached the ground floor landing, Fin heard it – heavy, rhythmic thuds from the main corridor connected to this stairwell. Guild security, converging.

He kicked open the stairwell door and sprinted down the short ground floor corridor towards the service exit, the one leading to the loading bay. Arachne was a shadow at his heels, Scarlet just behind her, daggers held ready.

They were ten feet from the heavy steel door when a side office door, one they’d passed on the way in, burst open. Two Guild Hunters in full combat gear, alerted by the noise of their descent, spilled out, weapons already raised.

"Freeze, rogues!" the lead one barked.

Scarlet didn’t freeze. She launched herself forward, a low, spinning kick aimed at the lead Hunter’s knee. He yelped as his leg buckled, his energy rifle discharging harmlessly into the ceiling. Scarlet’s dagger flashed, a quick, efficient slash across his exposed throat. He crumpled.

The second Hunter, younger, his face a mask of shock and anger, raised his sidearm—

Arachne was already on him. She moved like smoke, sidestepping his panicked shot. Her hand chopped down on his wrist with brutal precision. Bone crunched. The gun clattered. Another swift blow to the temple, and he slumped to the floor, unconscious.

Fin was already at the main service door. He didn’t bother with the lock. Green energy flared around his fist. He punched straight through the reinforced steel, metal shrieking and tearing. He ripped the mangled section of the door outwards and kicked it open.

They burst out into the loading bay, into the cool, damp Arclight night. Rain fell steadily. The alley leading to the street was dark, empty for now.

"Portal, Boss!" Scarlet urged, glancing back at the ruined doorway. More shouts, closer now, echoed from within the Guild building.

Fin focused, ignoring the rising chaos behind them. He pictured the castle, the main hall, the feel of its ancient stone. Reality warped beside a stack of overflowing dumpsters. The familiar oval of swirling light tore open.

"Go!"

Scarlet dove through without hesitation. Arachne followed, a silent shadow.

Fin took one last look back at the Guild building. Lights blazed from multiple windows. Figures were spilling out of the loading bay door he’d just destroyed. He saw the glint of weapons. He met their distant, angry glares for a fraction of a second.

He allowed himself a small, cold smirk.

Then he stepped into the portal. It snapped shut behind him, leaving the loading bay filled with confused, shouting Hunters, the scent of ozone, and the steady rhythm of the falling rain.

The stale, damp air of Arclight vanished, replaced by the cool, ancient stone scent of his castle. Fin stepped out of the closing portal into the main hall. The quiet felt abrupt after the shouts and rain.

Arachne emerged beside him, silent as always. Scarlet followed, shaking rainwater from her red hair, a wild grin still plastered on her face. "Not bad for a Tuesday night, Boss. Quick in, quick out. Minimal property damage, mostly."

Meg stood near the archway leading to the residential corridors, her wooden staff held loosely. Her face was pale, her eyes wide as she took in their disheveled appearance – Fin’s torn tunic, the faint smell of ozone and something metallic (blood, probably, though not his) clinging to them. Mara hovered uncertainly a few steps behind her, looking even more stressed than before, if that was possible.

"Fin?" Meg’s voice was a little shaky. "Are you... are you all okay?"

"We’re fine," he stated flatly. He walked towards her, his boots echoing slightly on the stone. He stopped a few feet away, his gaze sweeping over her briefly. She looked tired but unharmed. Good. "Any problems here?"

She shook her head. "No. Quiet. Too quiet." She looked past him at Arachne and Scarlet. "Did it... Did it work?"

"Trackers in Arclight are offline," Arachne reported, her voice low and even. "Their primary coordination node was... disrupted."

Scarlet chuckled. "Disrupted? Honey, we scrambled their brains and broke their toys. They won’t be tracking anyone out of Arclight for a good long while." She stretched, wincing slightly. "Almost too easy. Expected more of a fight from Guild grunts."

"They weren’t expecting us," Fin said. He looked at Mara, who flinched slightly under his gaze. "The element of surprise is a valuable asset. Which is why speed is important."

Mara swallowed, her gaze darting towards the main doors, then back to Fin. "So... what now? The Association... they’ll retaliate. Hard."

"Let them," he replied, turning away from her. He didn’t need her fear clouding his thoughts. He walked towards the center of the hall, feeling the familiar hum of his domain around him, a subtle thrum of power that was both comforting and demanding. The raid had been straightforward, almost disappointingly so. No real challenge. Just... pest control. But it was a necessary step.

He felt tired now, the adrenaline fading, leaving a dull ache in his muscles from the brief, intense burst of activity. The jump across the rooftops, breaching the hatch, the quick, brutal takedowns. It hadn’t taxed his reserves significantly, but it was still effort.

"Arachne, Scarlet," he said, not turning around. "Clean up. Rest. We move on the next target soon."

"Valerius Spire?" Scarlet asked, her voice laced with anticipation. "Heard their defenses are top-notch. Might actually be fun."

"When I decide," he corrected. He needed to review the data on the chip again, look for vulnerabilities, optimal insertion points for the Spire. It was a much harder target than a liaison office. Better defended. More eyes.

Arachne inclined her head. "As you command, my Lord." She glanced at Scarlet, then turned and walked silently towards the armory.

Scarlet shrugged. "Alright, Boss. Just holler when it’s go time." She followed Arachne, her earlier tension replaced by a loose-limbed swagger.

Fin heard Meg approach him from behind. He turned as she stopped beside him.

"Are you sure you’re okay?" she asked again, her voice softer now, laced with concern. She reached out tentatively, her fingers brushing his torn sleeve.

"Fine," he repeated. He looked down at her. The worry in her eyes was genuine. He felt a faint, unfamiliar stirring in his chest. Annoyance? No. Something else. He pushed it away. Emotions were distractions.

"You should rest too," he told her. "Training looked... strenuous."

She managed a small, tired smile. "Yeah. Arachne doesn’t pull her punches, even with wood." She looked around the vast, empty hall. "This place... it still feels weird. But... safer than out there, I guess."

He nodded. That was the point. Safety. For her. For them. His responsibility.

He looked towards the archway leading to his own chambers. Sleep sounded good. But first... the chip. The Spire. The next move in a game he hadn’t asked to play, but was now determined to win. On his terms.

"Go on," he said to Meg. "Get some sleep."

She hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "You too, Fin." She turned and walked towards her own corridor, her footsteps light on the stone.

He watched her go, then pulled the datachip from his pocket. He looked down at the small, inert piece of plastic and metal. It held so much information. So much potential for chaos.

A faint smile, cold and sharp, touched his lips. The Association wanted a war?

He’d give them one.