Blaring sirens flood the streets, echoing from all corners. Cars quickly move aside and make way as squadrons of police cars and vans race past, red and blue lights painting the walls passing by. The broadcast finally ends, and the insignia plastered on the billboards and screens disappear as suddenly as they had appeared. But not before Jack had managed to pinpoint their location. However, the force would have to be split; just as the broadcast had mentioned, a large crowd is gathering at Vector Bridge, the only pass still connecting the two sides of Ferros. A larger unit would head straight for that choke point lest an all out civil war is to break out. Most of the residents on the other side rallies behind the Mafia, after all.

Captain Lycruz, leading a smaller, elite unit, branches off to head for the location Jack had identified earlier; a manufacturing plant by the river bank roughly two kilometres upstream from Vector Bridge, leased under Electrowave Labs. The three vehicles make a sharp right turn and speed along parallel to the river. Nyx looks back at the growing crowd on the bridge, pickets and signs held aloft, messages reading 「EQUALLY IDENTICAL!」 and 「ATTRACT! DON’T REPEL!」, among other things.

“There!” Jack points to a massive building, its now off-white exterior peeling here and there, surrounded by a variety of construction materials. But just as the captain is about to accelerate, the systems abruptly shut down and the lights go out. “BRACE!” orders Argon, as the vehicle drops two feet from its levitation, and smashes into the road beneath, sending sparks and gravel flying, screeching to a halt. The two maglevs behind them follow in their wake, kicking up the dust and further carving into the asphalt. In the distance, the sound of screams, crashes, horns, all sorts of chaos begin to escalate.

After checking on everyone’s condition, the captain commands, “Group up! Grab what you can! Most of our equipment might not work now, so our main priority is to disrupt their machine! Mr. Sharp’s unit will be focusing on locating and shutting it down. Everyone else, provide cover. Move out!” The team prep hastily, and immediately race for the building, the captain and Mr. Sharp’s unit in the lead.

Nearing the compound, they notice that the lot is strangely empty. Evidence of staff working at the site, such as forklifts laying about, remains scattered, yet not a soul is in sight. They rush to the entrance and get into position. With communications disrupted, and not knowing what to expect inside, they’d have to move carefully. The team takes a moment to catch their breath, each respective leader surveying the surroundings and devising a plan. The entrance, already open, welcomes them in. Morgan, on one side, peers in. Empty. Only the sound of clanking machinery echoes throughout. But the plant is huge. They could be anywhere. He signals to Mr. Sharp on the other side, who in turn relays it to the captain. The captain looks to the rest of the team, raring to go.

“CHARGE!" Twenty armed officers storm the premises. Morgan and Mr. Sharp take point, efficiently scanning the area for any hostiles. Just as Morgan is about to give the all clear, Mr. Sharp suddenly swings his rifle up. "ABOVE!" he shouts. The group look up to see that they're surrounded by familiar faces; numerous officers' twins lined the platforms overhead.

The dimly lit room erupts in bright flashes and sparks as they open fire at the officers, who scramble for cover, though many are hit in the mayhem. "Find an opening and break through!" shouts Captain Lycruz to Morgan over the roaring gunfire. Easier said than done. The police are using non-lethal rounds but their harder hitting equipment are all out of order due to the pulsator. Attempting to turn around the current situation would be quite the challenge. 

Morgan and Mr. Sharp slowly make their way across the room, ducking behind machinery and workbenches. Nyx is not far behind them. Morgan looks behind at the officers covering for them. Already, a handful are dead, their lifeless bodies further riddled by the ricocheting bullets. He couldn’t let this go any longer. Mr. Sharp, as if reading his mind, shakes his head. “Unnecessarily reckless,” Morgan hears him say. But something has to be done. Morgan readies himself to sprint out and draw fire.

CRASH!

The whole building shakes as a large vehicle bursts through the wall from the side, smashing into a supporting steel pillar. The platform above breaks, causing a handful of the mafia crew to fall. A roar filled with rage reverberates through the room, “WHERE IS HE!” From the dust, a body comes flying out, colliding into his team on the hanging platform across. Cantis emerges, another fallen crewmember wrapped under his arm. Using the confusion to their advantage, Morgan, Mr. Sharp, and Nyx, dash further into the factory, leaving the commotion behind.

As the three progress through the poorly lit maze of a building, Nyx begins to notice a faint buzzing coming from the left. The humming of a machine. He looks to the other two, who have noticed it as well. They nod in silence, and proceed to sneak towards the source, careful not to reveal their presence. Swift but silent, they take position by either side of the entrance. Morgan peers in. Sure enough, there it is; a large machine about three times his size, gently humming, but every couple of seconds pulsing a heavier buzz. No one seems to be around it. Morgan tries to see if the same can be said of the platforms above.

PEW!

He spins back around, the fresh wound on his cheek beginning to leak. But now he knows where the sniper is. Plus about three other shadows. He taps Nyx, “Your baton,” and readies himself. Every second might mean another officer down. He closes his eyes and calms his nerves. Morgan turns to face Mr. Sharp and holds up three fingers. He nods in response. Do or die, huh. 

Morgan jumps into the fray, immediately throwing his and Nyx’s baton one after the other, and then rolling into cover of the machine. Behind him, Nyx and Mr. Sharp begin opening fire. Morgan’s baton is shot out of the air, but the second is so accurately thrown behind the first that the sniper fails to see it after shooting the first one. It lodges itself into his rifle as he’s immediately pelted by the officers’ rubber bullets. “Emma!” a deep voice shouts. Jack? The oversized shadow it belongs to pulls Emily’s unmistakeable twin away from the onslaught. On the other hand, Nyx tries to hold back his screams of pain as he reels back from being shot in the leg by his own brother, who is in turn incapacitated by Mr. Sharp’s precise firing.

A slick metal frame sits in front of him. Morgan could risk going around the machine to search for a panel, but time is of the essence. He begins pounding at it with his gun, pulling it apart wherever he can. No sooner had he ripped out a set of wires than Mr. Sharp’s rifle purred to life. With two of his henchmen down, and seeing the machine clearly broken, the sniper makes a run for it. “After him!” yells Mr. Sharp to Morgan, concurrently firing his signature net at Jack’s twin. Mr. Sharp tosses his baton to his partner as he races past him, chasing after the shadow gliding along the overhead platforms.

The sniper’s footsteps echo throughout, CLANG CLANG CLANG, occasionally pausing momentarily for him to turn and fire at his pursuer. But there’s plenty of cover out here, and Morgan evades most of them. Until one tears a small chunk from his shoulder, RRNNNGGHH. Stifling the pain, Morgan grits his teeth and looks ahead. The detective realises they’re heading right back to the entrance where the other officers were left fighting for their lives. No way there isn’t any other exit in this place. He’s up to something. Morgan sees a ladder leading to the platforms up ahead. He climbs up onto a nearby forklift and leaps for the platform above. Latching on to the side while trying his best to withstand the pain in his shoulder, he uses the momentum to swing his legs up, and rolls himself on. They’re nearing the entrance now, and the lack of a racket ahead could either mean good or bad news.

Sprinting after the sniper, Morgan whips out Mr. Sharp’s baton and aims it down the line. The light from the dusty windows above illuminates the platform far more clearly than on the ground below. He’s panting, but he can still clearly see his target ahead. And fires. Hearing the bang, the sniper attempts to avoid whatever is coming his way by jumping to the side, but his reaction is too slow, and the baton tip smashes into his calf, “AAAAURGH!” splitting his bone until it breaks skin, causing it to poke out. His determination, however, far outweighs the excruciating pain. The sniper continues, enduring the searing torture on his leg. Seeing this, Morgan puts in his all to try and catch up, ignoring his own pain. But his target is already in sight, and the sniper bellows with all the might he can muster, “KILL ME!” It reverberates through the spacious factory. An authoritative voice and tone that those in the force would not dare question. That’s what he’s after?! 

Up ahead, the majority of the mafia members fighting the police officers have been rounded up, with the stragglers trying their best to escape. Once the jamming waves had stopped and their equipment came back online, the squad turned the situation around and made light work of their opponents using stun grenades and electro-nets, among other things. They could either give themselves up, or try to escape. Which most attempted to do, of course. Until that order resounded. All eyes turn to Captain Lycruz. Police officers, perplexed. The Mafia, bloodthirsty.

Chaos erupts once more as those who were running away come back with a hardened fervour, whereas those who had been caught fight back even harder. Every single one of them with one goal in mind. “PROTECT THE CAPTAIN!” Morgan can hear Cantis over everything else. He can’t afford to waste any more time. Rallying all the strength he can, he lunges after the limping sniper, tackling him down onto the hard, metal grill of the platform, THUD. The sniper twists his body around, elbowing Morgan in the face. Disoriented, Mrogan holds onto the railing for support, squeezing his eyes to clear his mind. Opening them once again, he sees the sniper crawling into position, then hoisting himself up, his weapon at the ready. Using his good knee to support his rifle, the sniper takes aim. From their spot, they can see the entrance, and the ensuing mayhem. And even more clearly, the captain, surrounded by his men.

Morgan pounces on the sniper once more. But the sniper’s prepared, and swings around with his pistol, stabbing it right into Morgan’s wounded shoulder. “RRRRAAAAAGHH!” Morgan withstands the agony, like a million knives boring through his arm. He headbutts the sniper, and with his left arm, elbows the sniper to the floor. Now on top of the target, Morgan quickly pulls out his handcuffs and magnetically clasps one of the sniper’s wrists to the floor whilst pinning the other down with his knee. Out of breath and out of options, the sniper looks at Morgan, “Another one of his dogs?” he sneers. “So be it.” Right as he finishes his sentence, Morgan swings hard, knocking him unconscious. Panting, he takes a moment to collect his breath. He notices a glint from the sniper’s open mouth. Silver tooth, huh.