He had not taken a single step outside his hiding place for two whole days. He had waited for his wounds to heal, resting patiently—but with a growing rage inside. And finally, when the signals from his body became clear, he took the first step of his plan.
Raven had first tracked down three members of Rustjaw. Now, all he needed to do was corner them in the right place. He followed them for hours. Sometimes he was so close that a single step would have put him right on top of them, and sometimes he tracked them from dozens of meters away with the help of ION.
At last, the moment he had been waiting for arrived.
One of the three turned to his friends and called out,
“[AOSP-53] Acoustic Optimization and Signal Processing Protocol activated. Operational at four percent efficiency.”
With ION’s words, the surrounding noise seemed to mute. The hum of the crowd diminished, and the sounds of the city were filtered out. Even though there were more than ten meters between him and the gang members, he could now hear their conversation—faint, but clear enough.
“You guys go inside, I’ll take a leak around the corner!” said the one recognizable by his hair, spiked like thorns above his head.
Raven waited patiently. As soon as the other two entered the shop, he moved. It was as if his feet did not touch the ground. He slipped silently into the alley.
The man was busy urinating at the corner. Raven crept up behind him. When he was only a few meters away, the man sensed something. He turned with a jolt, hurriedly and clumsily trying to zip up his pants.
“I doubt something that tiny could even get caught in a zipper!” Raven said with a mocking tone. Before the man could respond, Raven grabbed his face with his right hand. Super Punchinator activated instantly, discharging electricity from the glove that shocked the man’s nervous system. Within seconds, the man collapsed to the ground unconscious, a red handprint blooming across his face.
“Yo, is he dead?” Raven muttered while searching the man’s pockets. He pocketed the electronic wallet.
“No.” ION replied.
“I kept the voltage low to avoid damaging the communication device.”
Raven had already removed the VX-21 Commlink model communicator from the man’s ear and pocketed it.
“Drag the man deeper into the alley. Then hide behind the garbage bin.”
Raven grabbed the man by the leg and quickly pulled him into the shadows. After laying him down beside the garbage bin, he took cover. Pressing himself against the cold metal, he waited, not even breathing.
“You do not need to narrate everything, all right?” he whispered.
“I know how to set up an ambush too.”
“Be quiet.” ION said.
“They are entering the alley. When the moment is right, I will say ‘attack’. Be ready.”
Raven said nothing. He became one with the silence.
Footsteps could be heard. At first slow and cautious, then a sense of panic overtook the gang members. They came closer. When they saw their friend lying on the ground, their steps quickened. Smoke was still rising from his face.
“He is fried!” one of them said. The other bent down, trying to lift their friend.
“Attack.”
ION’s command flashed through Raven’s mind like a spark. The silence shattered with a kick—to the jaw of the crouched man. As he flew to the ground, the other took a step back, touched his belt, and took a defensive stance. Raven had already launched forward. He dodged the incoming punch and swung his left fist at the man’s ribs. But just a centimeter before impact, the punch stopped as if it had hit an invisible wall. The air at the point of contact shimmered. The opponent had an Active Defense Surface.
The man looked at Raven with a grin, as if to say, “What are you gonna do now?”
“To the left, now.”
With ION’s warning, Raven jerked his head just in time. The punch grazed past the air where his face had been. He quickly pulled back, putting distance between them. He lunged again.
The man was confident Raven did not have a weapon capable of bypassing the Active Defense Surface. So instead of blocking, he attacked. He threw a hook. ION’s warning saved Raven again. He dodged and this time brought his right hand close to the man’s torso.
The opponent expected nothing to happen.
But— Raven touched him.
“Got you, motherfucker!”
The electroshock activated. Electricity surged through the body. The man collapsed to the ground as if all strength had drained from him. Thanks to the modifications Raven had made, the Super Punchinator had easily bypassed the Active Defense Surface.
Raven quickly reached into the man’s pocket. Communication devices, electronic wallets… all of them were now in his possession. He also took the belt from the last fallen man—it was an expensive one that provided an Active Defense Surface. However, it was not as strong as the military-type models. As he emerged from the shadows, a smile was hidden behind the mask on his face.
Raven climbed up the building’s fire escape with quiet steps, like a ghost. The rusty metal steps groaned faintly, but within the ambient industrial noise, the sound was too subtle to notice. When he finally reached the top step and pulled himself onto the edge of the roof, the lights from the dome covering the dark city struck his eyes. The underground city stretched below him like a field of artificial stars—billboards dazzled the eyes, streetlights glowed ominously, and shadows lurked in every corner.
In his left hand were three communication devices—flashing red warning lights on them indicated that their systems were still locked. A sly smile curled at the corner of Raven’s lips.
“What do we do now?” he murmured, his gaze drifting through the depths of the city.
A moment of silence… Then, the familiar mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
“It will take me some time to decrypt the devices. The technology has changed, and my systems are still not functioning at full efficiency.”
Raven’s face flattened. He had anticipated this answer, but still frowned in disappointment, not receiving the confirmation he was hoping for. He reached into his bag and pulled out a small cube—sleek, matte black. He gently tapped the micro surface with his fingertips. The surface lit up immediately. When he placed it on one of the devices, the flashing red light instantly turned green.
“I have a few tricks of my own!” Raven said with a grin, like a child showing off a secret toy to a friend.
“I am entering the device’s system now. I will not be able to speak with you for a while.”
With a flicker of disappointment in his eyes, Raven crouched at the edge of the roof. It was clear he had expected a compliment, but received only silence. With a faint sigh, he inserted his earpiece and tapped a song on the holographic screen that appeared before his eyes. Slow-tempo lo-fi electronic melodies filled his ears as he gazed off into the distance.
All he could do now was wait.
But the plan was still clear in his mind. ION would infiltrate the systems of the communication devices, and then use them to access other devices belonging to gang members. That way, Raven would be able to track the location of Rustjaw members throughout the city in real time. Just like a military general, ION had said, “Without intelligence, no operation can succeed.” the moment he explained the plan.
Raven dangled his legs off the edge of the rooftop, clasped his hands behind his head, and wandered briefly through the foggy memories of the past. Until ION’s voice once again filled his mind.
“I have successfully infiltrated 157 communication devices. I will alert you the moment any of them enter my range. We can now move on to the second phase.”
Raven sprang up like a drawn bow. He plunged into the winding alleys of the city, merging with the darkness beneath dim lights. Pressing a device over his left chest, right above his heart, he activated it. A small, button-sized gadget lit up, and a holographic image of the Rustjaw gang’s dirty orange logo appeared on his chest—the jaw motif made of knives gleamed brightly.
As he moved closer to the southern part of the city, the looks he received began to change. Where once eyes stared in fear at that logo, they now brimmed with hatred and rage. This was the territory of the RedHawk gang. Though defeated, their pride had not yet died.
While walking through a narrow alley, Raven was stopped by two individuals. One was tall, platinum-haired, and had a fully bionic arm. The other held a vibrating Riftblade. They immediately noticed the Active Defense Surface module on Raven’s belt—this detail had not escaped them.
“We told you that punk you’re looking for ain’t here! Now fuck off before I turn you into sieve!”
There was threat in his words, but their bodies showed hesitation. They clearly did not want to clash with Rustjaw.
Raven approached slowly, locking eyes with the man’s bionic arm. He gently placed his right hand on the man’s shoulder. The Super Punchinator was still on his hand. His voice hissed like a knife in the dark.
“I know you’re hiding him here, asshole.”
The man instinctively tried to push Raven’s hand away, but at that moment, electricity flowed from the glove through his body. The real damage, however, was taken by the bionic arm. It sparked and locked up, then malfunctioned entirely with a small explosion. The arm’s weight threw the man off balance, and he collapsed to the ground.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
The man with the Riftblade was frozen in shock. Before he could even move, Raven spun around and drove a kick into the man’s chin. Then he turned back and landed a hard punch on the fallen man’s face. Both of them were neutralized.
Raven swiftly took both of their communication devices and reactivated his black cube device. The lock on communication devices was broken in seconds. ION dove into the system immediately, faster this time since the method was now established. Raven pulled out one of the devices from his pocket and snapped photos of the unconscious men.
As he slipped into a crowded street, ION’s voice echoed in his mind once again.
“I have entered the communication device. I am sending a mass message.”
“Wait, wait!” Raven said quickly.
“Tell me what you’re gonna write first.”
“The message will read as follows: Friends! We were attacked by a group of Rustjaw members in Sector 3. Using the excuse that the man they are looking for is in our territory—”
Thud! Raven smacked himself hard on the forehead.
“What’s next, a goddamn acrostic poem? For fuck’s sake ION!”
ION was silent.
“Just write it exactly how I said.” Raven snapped.
Silence again…
“Those Rustjaw bastards tried to jump us in Sector 3 but we fucked ’em all up! Word is, they’re coming back with more! They said we’re hiding the handsome guy—the handsome part is important, write that down! So get your asses over here and let’s fuck ’em up again!”
A short pause.
“There is too much profanity.” ION said in a flat tone.
Raven turned into an alley from the crowded street.
“They’re gangsters, not fucking priests! Write it like I said. And don’t forget the handsome part.”
“Message sent. The part about you being handsome was cut for not aligning with reality.”
Raven did not care. He pulled out another Rustjaw device and transferred the photo he had just taken.
“Image transferred. Sending the second message.”
“These RedHawk fuckers jumped us, and we beat the shit outta them! Turns out that handsome guy we’re looking for is working with them too. Write it just like that. And don’t skip the handsome part. Attach the photo too.”
“Message sent. The handsome part was cut again.”
At that moment, Raven was climbing a staircase toward another rooftop. His fingertips touched the cold surface of the metal, and his breath came heavily from his chest. In a few seconds, he planned to observe the chaos from above. While his eyes focused on the southern streets of the city, ION spoke one final time.
“I have adjusted the remaining messages based on the examples you just gave. I will send them all one by one when the time comes.”
The city seemed to be in a moment of calm before the storm. With a faint smile on his lips, he crouched under the neon lights, waiting for the first wave of chaos to begin.
ION // SYSTEM FEEDBACK — [Session: 0008| Operator: Raven Karr]
Interface: ION_v4.6.1_β // Connection Stable [?]
[?] [MSS-14] Multi-Spectrum Scanning System
- Operational Efficiency: 14.0% (↑2.9%)
- Primary Function:
→ Detects Myralite density fluctuations
→ Identifies biological threats and contaminants
→ Locates electronic traps and signal irregularities
- Critical Limitation:
→ Available Maximum range: 1 km
→ Operates at 4.3% efficiency in passive scan mode
[?] [CQC-11] Close Quarters Combat Support Module
- Operational Efficiency: 9.2% (↑2.8%)
- Primary Function:
→ Enhances close-quarters combat performance via predictive enemy movement mapping and dynamic muscle memory augmentation.
→ Utilizes neuromotor feedback loops to refine reaction speed and execution precision in real time
- Side Effect:
→ Induced neural strain resulting in moderate to severe cranial discomfort (See Incident Report #A2-02)
[?] [TAM-18] Tactical Analysis Module
- Operational Efficiency: 11.4% (↑2.7%)
- Primary Function:
→ Executes rapid threat assessment using pattern recognition and biomechanical weakness detection
→ Outputs real-time tactical suggestions based on opponent posture, movement patterns, and structural vulnerabilities
- Sample Algorithm Output:
→ “Target #X exhibits instability in the left knee joint. Optimal strike angle: Y°”
[?] [VIRUS-9] Vector Intrusion Relay for Uplink Synchronization
- Operational Efficiency: 9.2% (↑3.8%)
- Primary Function:
→ Establishes simultaneous uplinks to 240+ target devices
→ Identifies and exploits encryption vulnerabilities in real time
→ Chains through compromised nodes to deepen network penetration
→ Executes stealth data breaches and remote protocol overrides
- Critical Limitation:
→ Energy draw scales exponentially with active links
→ Susceptible to signal noise in high-saturation zones
→ Traceability increases after prolonged continuous activity
[?] [AOSP-53] Acoustic Optimization and Signal Processing Protocol
- Operational Efficiency: 7.4% (↑2.1%)
- Primary Function:
→ Filters environmental noise to isolate target audio sources
→ Enhances selective hearing in noisy or cluttered environments
→ Applies directional acoustic focusing for distant audio capture
- Critical Limitation:
→ Prolonged use may cause tinnitus and auditory fatigue
→ Low efficiency results in increased echo and interference
→ Maximum effective range scales with efficiency
System Notice: Stated efficiency percentages apply only under conditions of full, synchronized nanite allocation to each individual module. Partial or multi-tasking deployments may result in fluctuating efficiency levels.
Raven // BODYCHECK
→ Gear:
? Garbage again. (Covered in blood, dust, rips and despair. No style, no protection.)
? Active Defense Surface [Model: AS929] (Finally, some actual protection! Yeah, it’s back-alley tech, but it stops most hits… until it doesn’t. Overload it, and you’re back to wearing hope.)
→ Weapon:
? Left Hook of God? (Who the hell in 2158 still trusts their goddamn wrist? We’ve got the fucking Super Punchinator, for fuck’s sake!)
? Combat Knife [Model: M-12] (Worn grip. Still cuts like betrayal.)
? Super Punchinator [Left] (Homemade death. It looks ridiculous. I don't want to comment on the name, but listen! It's throwing electricity and penetrating the Active Defense Surfaces!)
→ Additions:
? Bad vibes (Better than Monkey Chocolates.)
? Stolen e-Wallet – Balance: 3038 (Nothing's changed here.)
? Stylish Black Bag (Used to be cool. Now it’s just “Raven’s personal hell-pocket.” Still cursed. Still smells weird.)
? VX-21 Commlink (Spoiler: No one will call.)
? Packaged Rations (Technically food. Realistically? Packaged vomit with a label. But better than Monkey Chocolates.)
? Bottles labeled “Water” (Not water. Gelled hydrogen and oxygen. Probably...)
? (5) VX-21 Commlink (Taken from Rustjaw and RedHawk members. All hacked!)
? (5) e-Wallet (That's called war trophy, baby!)
? HEX military-grade decryption cube (Just one more reason for ‘someone’ to kill Raven. And It's usually in Raven's bag. Don't expect me to mention this shit every time! Keep it in mind!)
? Monkey Chocolates (He had one left in his bag and didn’t even notice! I swear that damn monkey hid itself on purpose!)
Data logged. No escape. If you made it this far, Grimhaven either chewed you up or you’re just as stubborn as Raven. Comments, ratings, support… all sacrifices to the algorithm god. See you next chapter.
Or not—depends on whether Raven survives.