We moved out, our suits'' adaptive camouflage shifting to blend with the rocky terrain and the swirling, yellowish-green haze that blanketed the ruined base. The chemical mist was even thicker here, distorting shapes and muffling sounds. Visibility was down to maybe ten feet, and every breath tasted like burnt metal and something else, something sickly sweet that made my stomach churn. This was worse than I''d anticipated.


    But as we crept closer, the scale of the structure loomed larger, swallowing the sky.


    I had to suppress the sudden, unwelcome thought curling at the base of my spine: maybe we’re in over our heads.


    Up close, the fortress was massive, overwhelming in a way that made my stomach tighten. The jagged, angular walls stretched impossibly high, their dark surfaces cracked and pitted, but still standing, defying time and whatever it was that had tried to bring them down. The faint blue glow of embedded conduits pulsed erratically, casting eerie flickers across the ruins. It wasn’t abandoned. Not entirely.


    Zoe shifted beside me, her breathing controlled, precise. “Shit,” she murmured, barely audible through comms. “This thing’s a damn fortress.”


    I swallowed, my throat dry. “Yeah,” I muttered. “Starting to feel real small.”


    <hr>


    We were two scouts, creeping along the bones of a dead war machine, and I wasn’t sure anymore if we were hunters or the ones being hunted.


    We shouldn’t be here.


    The thought hit me hard, unshakable. We weren’t some elite black ops squad, not some legendary infiltration team. We were two twenty-year-olds in barely upgraded suits, playing ghost in a place that had swallowed bigger, badder people than us. And all it would take was one slip-up, one wrong step, one unseen trigger, and this whole mission would end with our bodies crumpled on this poisoned ground, lungs burning from some unseen toxin.


    Zoe shifted slightly, her eyes still locked on the fortress as we crouched behind the low, crumbling wall. “You ever wonder if these places are real?” she whispered. “Like, does the System just make them up, or is it pulling from something that actually existed?”


    I frowned, following her gaze up the massive, towering walls. That was a damn good question.


    “I don’t know,” I admitted, keeping my voice low. “But looking at this? Feels too… deliberate to be random.”


    Because who the hell builds something like this unless they have to? This wasn’t just a fortress, it was a statement. The sheer scale of it, the layers of reinforced plating, and the remnants of automated defenses were still humming with latent power.


    Zoe exhaled slowly. “Yeah. That’s what’s messing with me. If the System pulls from real events, real places, then… who the hell needed this? And against what?”


    I didn’t have an answer. But the thought curled in my mind like a cold blade pressing against my ribs.


    “Someone who was scared,” I muttered finally. “Someone who knew what was coming for them.”


    I shook my head, forcing my focus back on the mission. No room for hesitation. No room for doubt. Just another run. Just another infiltration.


    <hr>


    "Visibility is shit," I muttered, more to myself than to Zoe. I moved carefully through the haze, my steps guided by instinct, but it felt like walking through a toxic dreamscape.


    "Tell me about it," Zoe replied, her voice low in my ear, coming in through our private comms. "Gives me the creeps. But hey," she added, her tone shifting, becoming lighter, teasing, "at least we won''t have to worry about anyone seeing us coming."


    "Let''s hope not," I said, scanning the area. My HUD was having trouble picking up anything through the haze, the readings fluctuating wildly. "Stay close. And keep your eyes peeled. This stuff is messing with the sensors."


    "Always, Cap," she said, and I could hear the smirk in her voice. "Wouldn''t want to lose you in the fog."


    That was Zoe for you, always finding the fun even when we were neck-deep in danger. And yeah, it was part of why we worked so well together on these runs. Infiltration missions were our thing, our chemistry was dialed in like we were tuned to the same frequency. Private comms helped.


    "Enjoying the view, Scout Leader?" Her voice crackled softly in my ear, laced with that teasing tone that always got under my skin in the best way.


    I smirked, keeping my eyes on the path ahead. "Just making sure you don’t trip over your big ego, Woods." And trying not to stare at your ass in that suit.


    Her quiet laugh echoed through the comms, and I could practically see her grin. "You’d catch me if I did." Damn right I would.


    I didn’t bother responding.


    <hr>


    The towering fortress loomed above us, its immense walls stretching into the hazy sky like jagged monoliths. Up close, the scale of it was even more overwhelming, thick blackened plating, reinforced with heavy ridges and those glowing energy lines running in uneven pulses across its surface.


    Zoe and I moved carefully along the base of the wall, our adaptive camouflage keeping us blended with the rocky terrain. The ground here was uneven, a mix of weathered metal, cracked stone, and fissures that vented wisps of toxic vapor. My boots crunched softly over debris, my mind racing as I scanned for a way in.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Zoe nudged my arm lightly, tilting her head upward. “There.”


    I followed her gaze to a collapsed section of the outer wall, about thirty feet up, where jagged metal beams jutted out like broken ribs. The structure have taken quite a bit of damage at some point, whether from an old battle or just time eating away at it.


    I exhaled. “Alright. We go up.”


    Zoe’s grin was instant. “Finally, something fun.”


    I rolled my eyes. “You have a weird definition of fun.”


    She just winked before stepping back, then sprinted forward as she placed a foot in my waiting hands.


    I barely had time to brace before she pushed off, and I thrust upward, giving her the momentum she needed to launch herself onto the lowest beam. Her hands snapped onto the ledge effortlessly, her movements sharp and her body twisting. She hoisted herself up in one swift motion.


    I followed right after, vaulting up onto the first ledge, my hands finding quick grips on the warped metal. The climb was tough, the beams were slick with condensation, the structure’s surface still humming faintly with energy beneath my gloves.


    I pulled myself up fast, muscles burning, boots finding precarious purchase against the structure’s angled surfaces.


    Above me, Zoe had already reached the top. She turned, dropping into a crouch, one hand bracing the ledge while the other reached down, waiting.


    I didn’t hesitate.


    I sprinted up the last section, pushing off the wall at the last second, completely trusting her to be there. Her fingers locked around my wrist instantly, strong and steady, and she yanked just as I kicked off the wall, giving me the extra momentum to swing up beside her.


    I landed on the ledge, our helmets an inch apart.


    "Gotcha," she whispered, her voice soft.


    My pulse jumped, but I just grinned, pretending like I wasn’t feeling anything. "Knew you would."


    And yet…


    My eyes flicked up, just for a second, and fuck, the way Zoe moved. Effortless, precise… sexy as hell. There was a certain grace to her, even when scaling a hostile alien fortress like it was a playground.


    “Eyes on the climb, Scout Leader,” she teased over comms, her voice light.


    I smirked, gripping the next ledge. “Maybe don’t make it look so good, then.”


    She let out a quiet breath, but didn’t argue.


    We moved fast, scaling the side of the fortress with the ease of seasoned infiltrators. Our suits muffled any sound of metal shifting under our weight. The higher we climbed, the thinner the mist became, giving us a better view of the massive structure around us.


    From this height, I could see other breaches in the fortress walls, gaping holes where something big had ripped through. And suddenly, that sinking feeling in my gut grew heavier. This place had been built for defense, and it had been attacked.


    By what?


    And more importantly, where was this?


    I clenched my jaw. Focus, Luca. One problem at a time.


    Zoe reached the top of the breach first, crouching low as she peered inside. I pulled myself up beside her, my breath steady despite the pounding in my chest, from the climb, from the adrenaline, from the looming unknown inside this place.


    "Welcome to the abyss," she murmured, her voice almost reverent.


    I exhaled sharply, scanning the dark, hollow corridors stretching before us, shadows twisting and shifting in the chemical haze.


    "Yeah," I muttered. "Let''s try not to get lost in it."


    <hr>


    From the top of the breach, we had a clear view of the perimeter, a low wall that was mostly rubble, with an opening guarded by two of those weasel-like bastards. Short, wiry, and armed to the teeth with plasma rifles? Yes.


    They were chatting in that weird ass growl-chitter language.


    I looked at Zoe, catching her eye, and tapped my Energy Tomahawk. Her grin widened as she nodded, pulling out her Energy Dagger and giving a small spin for emphasis. That was her way of saying, Your move, but I’m right behind you.


    We crept closer, the suits doing their job, adjusting to the shadows cast by the ruined structure. The heat radiating off the walls hit me like a furnace, mixing with the oppressive humidity and making the inside of my helmet feel like a sauna. Every breath felt heavy, the air thick and damp, but I pushed past the discomfort.


    My Stealth Movement Proficiency was doing its thing, guiding my steps to avoid anything that might give us away. It was like my body just knew where to step and how to move. Zoe was right there with me, every bit as quiet and deliberate. Damn, she was good. And that ass… Focus, Luca.


    When we got close enough to see the shimmer of heat rising off the guards’ armor, I slowed, crouching behind a chunk of rubble. My fingers brushed against the hilt of my Energy Tomahawk, and for a second, I let myself feel that familiar thrill. The System’s drop mechanics were always weirdly specific, but I wasn’t going to complain. The tomahawks had turned out to be my favorite weapon.


    Light, silent, and precise. Perfect for infiltration.


    They weren’t much use to anyone without the skill to handle them, though. Lucky me, I''d leveled up my skill with the tomahawk so much it felt like an extension of my arm. And Zoe with that dagger... like she was born to use it.


    I motioned to Zoe, pointing to the guards. She nodded, her grin sharp, and gestured to her Energy Dagger. I adjusted my grip on the tomahawk, the faint hum of its blade activating under my fingers. This was the moment, calm, focused, every movement deliberate.


    I tightened my grip on the tomahawk, feeling the energy coursing through it, the slight vibration of the active blade humming beneath my fingertips. My new ability, Trajectory Focus, flickered in my mind, a tempting tool, but not here. Not yet.


    I didn’t need it.


    This was a guaranteed hit; no reason to start the cooldown when we had no idea what else was waiting for us beyond this gate.


    With a flick of my wrist, I sent the tomahawk spinning through the air, its energy blade sparking faintly in the dim light. I didn’t even have to think; I just knew where it would land. The arc was perfect, the motion ingrained deep in my muscle memory.


    The blade struck the first guard clean in the chest, embedding itself with a crackling burst of energy. The creature froze, its chittering cut off mid-sentence. Its eyes widened behind its mask, and a strange, milky froth began to bubble from beneath the edges as it crumpled to the ground, lifeless. Its rifle hit the dirt with a hollow clatter.


    Zoe didn’t waste a second. She was on the second guard before it could react, her Energy Dagger flashing as she slid it effortlessly between the armor plates. The creature let out a strangled sound, the same white froth bubbling from its mask as its eyes rolled back. It slumped forward, dead before it hit the ground.


    [+22,860 XP]


    [+9000 credits]


    Two for two.


    We make a damn good team.


    The clearing was silent now, the only sound my own quick breaths and the faint hum of the tomahawk in my hand. I adjusted my grip, the handle warm from the energy still coursing through it, and glanced at Zoe.


    She stepped in close, her eyes sparkling through her visor, a satisfied grin on her lips.


    “Still your favorite toy?” she teased, her voice low over the private comms.


    I smirked, flipping the tomahawk idly in my hand before sliding it back into its holster.


    “Always.” And you’re still a close second.


    Zoe chuckled, pressing past me, her voice dripping with mischief.


    “Good thing, Captain. Wouldn’t want you losing your edge.”