Herald of death

Ethan sits in the passenger seat of the van, driven by James. They parked at a remote corner of a dimly lit gas station, away from the eyes of security cameras. The station's flickering lights cast long shadows across the dashboard. Liam and Oliver are in the SUV, parked on another corner of the gas station.

James seems calm, his expression stoic as he stares out the windshield, ostensibly scanning the area. However, Ethan can hear the rapid thumping of Jame's heart. The occasional gust of wind rattles the van slightly, mingling with the distant hum of highway traffic.

James moistens his dried lips before asking, "Where did you serve?"

Ethan raises his head to look at James, surprised by the question. "I'm warning you; don't try to get information about me," Ethan threatens.

James chuckles nervously, trying to mask his discomfort with a casual demeanor. "Just making conversation, mate. Long waits like these, you know… they get to me."

Ethan remains silent, his gaze returning to the window. He watches as a lone moth flutters desperately around the station's neon sign. A couple is parked in front of the station, fighting as their car's power steering broke on the highway.

The radio sparks to life. Liam announces, "The target is about to pass the gas station."

They both put on balaclavas. Ethan checks that the M32 grenade launcher they gave him is functioning properly. James starts the van, waiting for the armored transport to pass before joining the highway behind Liam. He hands Ethan a cardboard box filled with hollow caltrops.

"Surveillance cameras are disabled," Oliver says over the radio. James rolls down his window and tosses the caltrops on the road, changing lanes to spread them evenly. Ethan does the same as James returns to the left lane.

Following the convoy from afar, they enter the tunnel. Its construction separates the two highway directions with a thick concrete wall. Zoe's fret truck is faking an accident inside the tunnel, parked in the emergency lane.

Liam overtakes the convoy, deploying three thick yellow nets to his left. These nets entangle the wheels and transmissions of the targets. The two Land Rovers flip over and land on their roofs, skidding across the asphalt. The armored truck rams into the lead Land Rover, pushing it forcefully to the side of the road before stopping.

Ethan opens his window and shoots three tear gas grenades into each Land Rover. He switches to his SCAR-H and exits the van. Dazed soldiers stagger out of the Land Rovers, yelling, blinded, and disoriented. Ethan shoves the nearest soldier to the ground, forcing his arms behind his back and securing them tightly with ready-to-use zip-tie cuffs. James and Liam imitate him, quickly neutralizing the convoy's escort.

Liams hammers an improvised device on the armored truck window. It drills through the thick glass, emitting a worrying electronic smoke. The device falls, leaving a hole in which James drops a tear gas grenade.

The drivers open the doors, begging for air as they fall outside. Ethan and Liam quickly secure them with cuffs and drag them to the side.

James opens the van's back doors, grabbing a hook attached to a winch. He attaches the armored truck to the van as Liam cuts the net, freeing its front wheels. A harpoon mounted to a tripod on the van's wall piques Ethan's curiosity.

A metallic tear jolts them as they watch the front Land Rover back door fly into the tunnel's ceiling. A leg peeks from the opening, quickly disappearing as a muscular man leaps from inside to the asphalt road.

The man lands with a thud that seems to reverberate through the ground. Standing tall, he exudes an intimidating presence, his uniform bristling with ribbons. His physique is nothing short of colossal, with bulging muscles that strain against the fabric of his uniform. His tag reads, 'M. Striker'

A palpable aura surrounds him, almost visible in the way the air warps and thickens – an aura of Ether that feels suffocating to those nearby. His eyes scan the scene, immediately assessing the situation.

His gaze locks onto Ethan, and a wave of Ether parkours him as a window appears before the soldier. "Colin Braddock, a level ten warrior," the giant says, his voice thundering in the tunnel.

Liam whispers to Ethan, "Your job." He goes to open Zoe's truck doors as James starts dragging the armored truck.

Ethan lifts his battle rifle and shoots at the enemy's legs. He disappears with a loud bang, and the asphalt where he stood turns into a small crater. The giant's hands approach Ethan's head, ready to clap it into nothingness. Ethan ducks and moves away, dodging the attack.

Each of Striker's movements sends shockwaves through the tunnel. Striker corners Ethan against the tunnel's wall, arming another blow. Ethan rolls to the side, the giant's fist crashing into the tunnel wall, creating a fissure three meters high. Quick to his feet, Ethan lunges forward, drawing his Starfell longsword to slash at his thigh.

The blade creates a sizeable cut, propelling an imposing blood spatter onto the ground. Striker grunts, drawing his pistol to shoot at Ethan. The bullets miss him as he takes shelter behind one of the Land Rovers.

Striker places his hand in an artisanal-looking pouch attached to his belt, pulling out a vial of blue liquid. Aiming his pistol at Ethan's cover, he uncorks the vial and starts drinking.

Ethan uses the opportunity to restore his Ether and incantate a debilitating hex. The smoke tendrils dig into Striker, and he suddenly gasps for air, suffocated by the effects of the hex.

Striker grabs a soldier's assault rifle and unloads it towards Ethan. "You are not a Warrior! You're fast, strong, and you can cast spells ?!" Striker yells.

Ethan pulls out his KS23. Striker's rifle clicks, indicating his emptiness, and Ethan rises. 'Piercing shot,' he thinks as he shoots a slug at Striker's shoulder. The projectile passes through the target, his right arm falling limp to his side. Ethan moves behind the man, placing himself to his right to grab his neck. Using his full strength, Ethan chokes Striker, who falls unconscious after ten seconds.

Ethan passes his hand into Striker's pouch, thinking of a healing potion. One appears in his hand, and he drops enough in Striker's mouth for the bleeding to stop. He will need a prosthetic shoulder, but he will live.

Ethan sees Liam going for one of the soldier's rifles and quickly dashes in front of him, placing his foot on the weapon. "No need to leave your fingerprint on one of their weapons," Ethan says with a threatening tone.

Without a word, Liam enters the SUV driver's seat as James closes the truck's back doors. James and Ethan enter the back seats of the SUV, and both vehicles exit the tunnel.

"I've disabled the integrated GPS tracker," Oliver confirms as they split from Zoe, who takes the first exit to a primary route. Oliver holds his hand open before James, who gives him a black box with ripped-off cables. He connects it to a homemade circuit board, launching a script on his computer. "And the blackbox is erased," he says before throwing it away.

"What if they put another tracker in the armored truck?" Ethan asks.

Oliver explains, "The container it's currently transported in blocks any electromagnetic wave. We'll check it in detail when we arrive." Liam tuts at Oliver, visibly irritated.

Using a convoluted itinerary to avoid any cameras, they slowly make their way back to the warehouse.