Ben couldn't sleep.

He stared outside his window, watching the snowfall right outside. Tomamu may be a small village located far from any nearby city; but it was still a sight to behold. From one of the highest floors in the resort, he could see everything from here.

Ebony was wise to choose this location for their base. It's well hidden, far from major communities, it has close outside connections and a breathtaking view of the surrounding valleys and mountains.

Looking at the digital clock on the bedside, it read 5:10 AM. Ben would need to leave for the airport in just a few more hours. He would be returning to Scotland, where he was born. But with no friends or family left alive, what would he do there? Even with the money he's accumulated over the years and the bonus given to him by Ebony; it didn't seem enough. Maybe he could afford a nice house within a community and work an average job. But is that all he's destined for?

The Pioneers offered him a home. But given the events that have unfolded recently, he couldn't stay anymore.

He jumped back in bed, hoping to fall asleep on his own. It was all to no avail. Sleeping here was impossible. He reached for his phone and found the alarm set to wake him in less than an hour from now. Swiping it to the left, he disabled it.

Drawers were opened. Cabinets were emptied. Suitcases were filled to their maximum capacities.

He was set to leave. With his belongings thrown atop a trolley, he vacated his room and reached the elevator. Upon reaching the lobby, he left his keycard inside a small container. Finally walking out the front doors, he was met with a retaliating wave of cool, fresh air.

Ben's car was parked a bit further away from the resort's entrance. As he dragged the trolley along, he stopped it in front of the car's trunk. Slowly hauling his luggage inside, he turned to return the trolley.

Along the way, he couldn't help but notice a few cars in the distance approaching the village. It's particularly unusual for guests to be arriving this early.

Leaving the trolley by the main entrance, he slowly walked back to his car. A few more cars appeared, all of which were headed for the resort. He had his suspicions, but it wasn't right to assume everything was a threat. He could feel himself losing his own innocence.

As he unlocked his car, his eyes darted to the car parked right beside his. It was a light green car covered in a blanket of snow. But the model of the car wasn't the worrying part.

Rather, the neatly packed black suit and tie in the backseat is what got his attention.

Ben appeared puzzled, looking at it closely. He didn't pay attention to the multiple black cars that suddenly stopped in the parking lot.

The sounds of rushing footsteps finally got him to look around. But now he wished he hadn't.

Ben found himself staring down the barrel of a silenced pistol.

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Ebony was finally ready to wear actual clothes instead of appearing shirtless.

He needed to look presentable for his journey ahead. A radio sitting atop a dresser was blasting a female rap song. The song itself was very wholesome, rapping about love and family and how important it is to keep them safe.

Oh you really thought so? I said a FEMALE rap song. The song's all about detailed and graphic sex lol. Even while he threw a shirt over his shoulders, Ebony was quietly singing along to the lyrics.

A wide catalogue of clothing awaited him to choose from. Will he mix things up or match everything in one singular color? The possibilities seemed endless.

Stepping into his bathroom, he quickly ran his toothbrush under some cold water before grabbing the paste. He grinned at the mirror and brushed his teeth. The music in the background had transitioned to heavy metal once the rap song ended.

His personal guards dressed in their typical blue armor guarded the entrance to his private room. It was just the two of them, staring down a long and empty hallway. They were both bored out of their minds. This was their job anyways, just to stand and look at nothing.

They've been doing it for months. Sometimes they'd spark a conversation with one another while guarding their boss. Other times they'd stay quiet and daydream of a better life outside of their sworn duty.

But for now, they both looked forward. They never spoke a word, not until they both saw it. From around the corner, a blonde female scientist walked forward with a brown leather satchel strapped around her shoulder.

Ebony looked at all the suits laying on his bed. He was torn between all golden yellow, or all pristine white. This is a tough decision. He felt himself lean towards the gold, but then he eyed the white clothes a bit longer. Then he smiled.

The white clothes were thrown away. Gold wins every time.

A few suitcases laid on the floor wide-open, just waiting to be fed clothing and other necessities. One of them was given a feast of yellow shirts, pants and socks.

He limped on one foot attempting to put on his pants. Even if his all-golden suit looked flashy, it didn't matter all that much to him. Being presentable doesn't necessarily mean sacrificing an eye-catching sense of fashion.

"Yo Noah!" He tried calling out to one of his personal guards. "Noah get in here, I need you to grab my shit!"

There was no answer.

"Noah, you there dog?" When there still wasn't an answer, he tried the other guard. "How bout you Henry? Yo where'd you punk asses go?"

Just as he was about to open the door and look for them, the door opened on its own. However, it wasn't opened widely. Just a crack large enough for a person to enter. Instead of his guards, he was met with Dr. Calypso.

"Greetings Ebony," she started calmly with a smile, "there was an urgent matter your guards had to attend to. I'm more than happy to lend a hand with whatever it is you need."

"Watchu mean an urgent matter?" Ebony however wasn't willing to let this slide. "They my boys, they do what I say. Step yo ass aside, I finna haul them back here."

The female doctor bit her lower lip, almost glaring back at him. "I wouldn't do that, we're wasting precious time."

"Gentleman!" Finally, he began yelling. "I ain't gon' ask you one more damn time! Where'd Noah and Henry run off to? If you ain't gon' answer, then step aside!"

A few seconds passed without an answer. Just as he reached for the door, he was met with a surprise. Dr. Calypso, or Agent Trinity, had already grabbed his arm and twisted it violently. In between the bone-crunching noises and his sudden screams, she shoved him back with full force.

She revealed her same scalpel from before out of her pockets, now oozing with the blood of the two guards she assassinated. Trin took this opportunity to charge forward, preparing to instantly put an end to him.

Ebony reached out for anything he could use in defense. There was nothing to shield him from her attacks. Nothing except a pair of Jordans laying on the floor. He didn't want to destroy his most precious shoes, but if it meant saving his own life; it was his only solution.

He swung his shoes but missed. Trin had mastered her reflexes, sliding aside and jabbing her weapon forward.

The scalpel struck his shoulder as he desperately tried to avoid getting stabbed in the face. While Trin was an agile assassin and a lethal martial artist; Ebony was one tough juggernaut with a powerful punch.

He wrestled her to the ground as he tried to grip her neck. But she was far too fast and flexible. She somersaulted over him, managing to stand up while he was still flailing his arms on the ground. Her satchel however was dropped from her shoulder and fell to the floor.

At that very moment, she surveyed the room instantly. The only thing that caught her attention were some shiny scissors sitting atop a desk beside a hair comb and shaving equipment. Just as she jumped over him, she felt something pull her back as she found herself falling face-first to the floor.

Ebony had grabbed one of her legs, giving him the advantage to end this tussle. Trin however, wasn't planning on losing here. She had a mission to complete.

She placed all her strength in delivering a backwards kick straight to his face. It was enough to lower his resistance and allow her to crawl forwards and kneel in front of the dresser. Her hands jolted upwards, slapping the top surface until she felt the cold blades of the scissors.

Just as she did, the entire room suddenly darkened. The lights were shut off and replaced with a red hue. An alarm was sounded. The entire facility had finally gone into full panic mode.

Trin didn't need the lights in the room to know where to strike. She allowed herself to fall down once more with the scissors gripped tightly. Meanwhile, Ebony struggled to stand back up. Because he had moved, Trin's original trajectory couldn't stab him directly in the head.

Instead, Ebony felt a razor sharp pain slash across his face. In retaliation, he waved his arms in the dark until he felt himself shoving his assassin aside. Trin was shoved back as the scissors dropped from her hands.

Now, they both stood back up. Trin was standing right in front of the door, and that's when she finally had enough. The sounds of the alarm blaring overhead might just save her. She was worried someone might hear this, but now she had no fear.

Reaching for her back pocket, she pulled out a pistol that she took from one of the guards. She immediately aimed for the boss's head.

Ebony barely had time to straighten himself out when he saw her pull the trigger.

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Nova speed walked down the halls.

She was fully aware of the evacuation procedures for some of the staff and scientists in the facility. They never mentioned her despite being one of the members to identify the threat to the Pioneers. Even Jax wasn't included in the list to vacate to America.

With all projects halted and work put on a temporary break, all she was left to do was worry for herself. News of an imminent invasion sparked an uproar between workers, and she believed it.

Despite giving a speech that the Pioneers were capable of handling this threat, she was beginning to have second doubts. She read the reports and did her research with Jax. Even if a hundred agents such as Tron were to infiltrate the base head-on, the Pioneers wouldn't stand a chance.

Does she want to leave?

She doesn't really know herself. Nova feels conflicted on the matter. She doesn't want to die obviously, and if the invasion happens; she'll most likely perish in the aftermath. All she can really do is prepare for the worst and hope she'll be ok.

But first, she has her orders. Before she can work on herself, she needs to ensure the evacuation protocols are followed.

Approaching one door, she began knocking. "Dr. Doombringer? Evacuation is set in almost an hour, everything ok?"

There was no answer. This wasn't common. Usually, you could hear him laughing to himself or he'd answer by shouting and claiming his villainy. Everyone in the facility would laugh at his jokes.

But this time, something was off. When she knocked again, she noticed that there was no noise coming from the room, let alone any answer.

When she reached for the door's control panel, she found it unlocked. The door itself slid open, showcasing the horrors inside.

There he was, the evil French Doctor responsible for betraying his organization and developing a virus; dead. A stream of blood dripped from his neck, barely reaching the door.

Then came Nova's gasp. Everyone walking by noticed the look of distress on her face. Finally, she screamed.

The Doctor was dead. Assassinated in cold blood. The killer was on the loose.

Nova never got any closer to check on Doombringer's body. Instead, she turned her attention elsewhere. It was clear that someone was responsible for this, and given it comes at the perfect time of a Division invasion; she knew this wouldn't be the final murder. There was only one other person in this facility that was important enough to face such a threat. She knew that Ebony was in danger.

And so she ran. She hurried down the halls, entering through the spacious lab and pushing anyone in her way aside. "Sound the alarms! There's been a murder!"

Her words sent the rest of the Pioneers into a state of panic. Not long afterwards, the lights in the facility were shut off and replaced with red illuminations. Her scenery darkened, as only a scarlet hue shined her path ahead while the deafening screech of an alarm drilled into her head.

"We need guards at Ebony's quarters, now!" She commanded a few guards that stood in front of her. "He's in immediate danger!"

They didn't need to ask why. Given the current state of the base and the alarms, it was clear that this wasn't an ordinary drill.

But as they all ran down a narrow corridor leading to Ebony's room, she noticed the guards behind her had stopped. They were receiving a new report through their earbuds.

There's an emergency occurring elsewhere. Their assistance was needed at the front gate asap.

Nova had to watch as the guards abandoned her, running back and heading for the cave's entrance.

She cursed after them only to continue her pursuit alone. Turning around the corner, she almost screamed again when she spotted two corpses slouching against the wall outside Ebony's room. His personal guards both had their throats slit and were clearly executed before they had a chance to defend themselves.

She had nothing on her to use as a weapon. But she couldn't back up now. She needs to see if her boss was even still alive at least. So after taking a deep breath, she gritted her teeth and ran forward.

Nothing could stop her from bashing her body through the door. However, there was one issue.

Upon doing so, she unknowingly tackled straight into Agent Trin, which caused her to pull the trigger and open fire.

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"So how's life been treating you?"

Jax laughed in response, taking another puff from his cigarette. "About as good as could be expected."

Ray and Axis stood beside him outside the facility's front gate, taking in the cold air of Hokkaido. They were surrounded by thick forests coated in white snow as a blizzard was soon approaching them.

"They keep mentioning an invasion, but I just don't see it happening." Ray spoke, holding a bottle of beer in hand. "If anything, I'd prefer some action."

"Hey, you're saying that now. Imagine if it actually happens, you'd be the first to die." Axis responded quickly, pointing at the head scientist.

"Bullshit! I'd just shoot back easy, bang bang. I'm the number one player in Phantom Forces. Nobody's killing me."

Jax snickered. "Phantom Forces? Seriously man? That's a fucking game on Roblox! It's a game made for 8 year olds. Their parents didn't want to buy them Call of Duty or Battlefield, so they settled on Roblox."

"Adults play Roblox too, you know?" Ray talked back.

"To online date with kids." Axis snapped at him.

"Hey, even the author still plays Roblox. I saw his discord profile, Cyber mentions Roblox from time to time and he's 21."

Jax interrupted him. "Cyber doesn't boast about beating children in a lego call of duty ripoff."

"Fuck you, y'all suck. I'm just saying, I know how to fight back. I'm not scared of Tom Cruise wannabes invading us."

Ray finally stopped talking to chug some more of his beer. This early in the morning while the moon was still high in the sky, it was pretty quiet. The wind picked up a bit, sending a breeze down their spines.

They were all dressed in jackets, trying to keep themselves warm out in the open. Jax however kept his eyes peeled. With the entire base in full lockdown mode, they need to prepare for anything that may happen.

That's why when he spotted a rustling in a bush up ahead, he felt nervous. Axis spotted it too, causing him to pull out a rifle and aim ahead. There were at least ten other guards on standby around them, all of whom noticed the commotion. Jax and Ray were the only ones without guns as they were just scientists.

Suddenly, a red fox leapt from the bush and hurried along before disappearing into the woods. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, lowering their guns.

Axis turned around and saw that Ray had actually ran in retreat slightly. The guard laughed and pointed. "Ha, and you say you aren't scared! Pussy!"

"I don't have a gun on me, you dick." Ray answered, slowly walking forward towards him.

"Yeah, like that'd even matter." Jax laughed back. "You're just a pu-"

The alarm sounded. It cut their conversation short as everyone looked back at the cave. The lights underhead switched to a red color as the alarm blared in the distance.

All the guards kept their guns focused towards the cave's entrance, wondering what was happening in the process.

"Did we miss anyone walking through?" Axis called out to the other guards.

"All clear on our end, we haven't seen anyone at all!" One of them answered.

"Think there's a situation happening inside!" Another guard exclaimed.

Both Jax and Ray kept their distance as a few guards started running deeper into the cave's entrance.

Jax tried to remain calm. "Maybe it's all part of the lockdown procedures?"

Ray however, wasn't buying it. "I don't know about you guys but I've got a bad feeling abo-"

Ray never got to finish his sentence because he was struck with a bullet through the side of his neck.

He collapsed to the ground right beside Jax, who in return only stared back in shock with his eyes widened. His hearing evaporated as he only heard a distant ringing in his ears. Despite Axis yelling at him and another guard beginning to open fire, Jax did nothing in response.

"Get the fuck out of here Jax!" Axis ran into him just as another bullet flew past them.

From the surrounding forests, a dozen agents had appeared simultaneously all at once to open fire. Gunshots deafened the guards as they struggled to return fire.

Axis shoved Jax behind cover as they both fell to the ground. He reached for his earpiece, signalling many of the other guards still inside the facility.

"We're under heavy fire!" He screamed, hoping anyone on the other end would hear him. "I repeat, this is not a fucking drill! We need support at the front gate right fucking now! There's too many of them to count! Whatever the hell is happening inside can wait, come to the front gate right this instant God damn it!"

He turned to Jax, who was still processing everything that was happening. "Jax, listen to me man, you need to head inside now! I'll provide you with cover, but you need to run!"

Jax barely nodded his head as he looked back at Ray's corpse bleeding out. It was all so sudden.

Two more Pioneer guards were shot down in the process as many more agents revealed themselves. They were moving far too fast to keep track of, many of them switching from tree-to-tree and bush-to-bush. The void of the night shadowed their figures, aiding in decreasing their visibility. This was quickly turning into a massacre.

"I can't even see them! How many are there?" One guard hid behind a barrier, barely poking his head out to take a look. They weren't prepared for this. This just wasn't fair.

Although he was safely seated behind this hurdle, it wouldn't stay that way. The guard suddenly felt himself begin to fall backwards. That should be impossible, he was leaned directly against the barrier. But when he tried to look behind him, he noticed the barrier was sliding away from him.

Two grappling hooks had been fired from the dark forests, breaching the barricade and retracting it backwards. With the guard left exposed, he was met with a barrage of bullets that struck him dead.

Jax witnessed all of it. Still trapped with Axis, he knew that same exact fate would await them both if they didn't move right now. But how exactly could they run back inside the cave? Should they just run for it? Jax held his breath before exhaling forcefully, almost on the verge of breaking into tears.

There wasn't any time to think about it. He just had to do it.

So he reached over and grabbed Axis's arm, tugging him back as he stood up. Jax's legs struggled to run, but they weren't given a choice in the matter. Everything Axis yelled in protest fell on deaf ears, his voice sounding muffled in the process.

They ran for their lives while knowing that a single bullet could end them right here, right now. By the time they had almost reached the cave's actual interior, they realized they were the only ones still alive. Numerous agents were now in pursuit of them, continuing their irrefutable assault.

It's when they suddenly noticed several black discs fly past them and stick to the walls of the barricades. Even one of the discs managed to stick itself onto Axis's back. These agents were resorting to using not just guns, but also their advanced arsenal of spy weaponry.

He felt it attached to him, catching him off guard as he nearly stumbled. But Jax's attention was focused on the other discs stuck on the walls around them. These black flat spheres were now blinking a red light repeatedly.

These things were explosives. Time was up.

Jax felt his hand lose contact with Axis. He was still running, but with one last look behind him, he knew what was about to happen.

The sheer obliteration released a shockwave powerful enough to propel Jax in the air.