Martian Archer

The Martian slums were a maze of rusted buildings, narrow alleys, and flickering neon signs. Leon ran through the streets, his breath sharp in the freezing night air. Behind him, the heavy footsteps of Red Bolt's enforcers echoed off the metal walls.

"Cut him off! Don't let him reach The Hollow!"

Leon vaulted over a crate, landing hard on the cracked pavement. He didn't look back. He couldn't. If he hesitated for even a second, he was dead.

The factory guards were gaining on him-elite trackers trained to hunt down runners like him. Their weapons weren't guns, but shock batons, bolas, and reinforced spears. Firearms were banned, but that didn't mean they weren't deadly.

Leon's mind raced. I can't outrun them. He had to slow them down.

And he knew exactly how.

Leon reached into his satchel as he ran, pulling out a bundle of arrows-not for shooting, but for sabotage.

He had spent years modifying defective arrows at the factory, learning how they broke apart, how they malfunctioned under pressure.

Now, those mistakes would save his life.

He turned a sharp corner and yanked a wire from one of the arrows, pulling it apart. The moment he did, the internal mechanism jammed, triggering a chain reaction.

He tossed it behind him.

CRACK!

The arrow's unstable propulsion system detonated in a burst of smoke and sparks.

"Gah-! I can't see!" One of the guards stumbled, blinded by the flash.

Leon kept running.

Another arrow-this one designed to break mid-flight. He wedged it between two metal beams in the alley and snapped off the tip. The moment a guard pushed through-

SNAP! The arrow collapsed, sending shards of carbon fiber flying into their faces.

"Dammit, he's using traps! Stay sharp!"

Leon didn't stop. He could hear the remaining guards picking up speed.

Leon's lungs burned as he sprinted through the streets. The Hollow was still far away, and the guards weren't slowing down.

One of them-a massive brute wielding a reinforced spear-caught up first.

With a grunt, he threw the spear at Leon's legs.

Instinct kicked in.

Leon jumped, twisting mid-air, the spear slicing just beneath his feet. He hit the ground rolling, pain jolting up his arms, but he kept running.

"You're not getting away, kid!"

Another guard whipped a bola toward him.

The weighted ropes spun through the air-Leon barely had time to react.

He grabbed one of his faulty arrows and threw it into the path of the bola.

CLANG!

The arrow snapped on impact, forcing the bola to tangle around a metal railing instead.

Leon skidded to a stop at an intersection-three paths ahead, no time to think.

Then-

A shadow blocked his path.

A guard stood in front of him, breathing hard, his shock baton crackling with energy.

Leon turned to run-

Too late.

A blunt force struck the back of his leg. His body lurched forward, pain exploding through his muscles

His vision blurred as he hit the ground.

The last thing he heard was:

"You really thought you could escape?"

Then-