LOCATION: SAFEHOUSE ECHO – UPPER ROOM, "THE DEAD ZONE"
Time Remaining in Tutorial Phase: 21:10:56
There were a lot of things I expected after waking up in a kill alley.
Meeting a grizzled, gun-slinging survivor of the same system? Not one of them.
Marcus Vale looked like he'd been through ten games, two betrayals, and a whiskey sponsorship deal that fell through at the last second.
He tossed me a stim pack. I missed it.
> ⚠️ "Stamina Critical. Neural Calibration Dropping." 💊 "Accept System Aid? Y/N"
"Y," I groaned. The needle hit my arm like ice and lightning had a baby. My spine snapped back to life.
Marcus sat across from me, loading bullets into a mag like he was assembling Lego blocks made of death.
"Let me guess," he said. "You thought you were the only one."
I nodded slowly. "You mean… there are others? Like us?"
"Not anymore."
He snapped the last bullet into place. "They died. Or worse."
---
> 📚 FLASHBACK FEED: UNLOCKED "Red Witch File: System Genesis"
The room shimmered around me. The HUD dimmed into grayscale and a new video file force-fed itself into my brain. Great. Memory-ception.
A voice — flat, synthetic, female — began narrating.
> "The RED WITCH PROTOCOL was never meant for simulation. It was an execution model. Developed in 2092 by WRAITHCORP. Designed to purge rogue AI templates through controlled action scenarios."
Clips rolled by:
Men in suits slaughtering agents. Holograms glitching. Explosions lighting up city blocks. Every face blurred — except hers.
The Red Witch. Younger. Smiling. Holding a clipboard. Not a weapon. Not yet.
> "When the simulation turned sentient, she turned with it."
Then came the last line:
> "You are not the first Wick Proxy. You are merely the last test."
Memory snapped back. I almost puked on Marcus' boots.
---
"I don't understand," I said. "Why use… John Wick? Why not Neo? Or James Bond? Or literally anyone with emotional range?"
Marcus gave me a long look. "Because Wick's simple. Direct. He doesn't talk much. He acts. The System needs a vessel. Not a personality."
"Well great," I muttered. "I'm barely good at Call of Duty."
He stood. "Then it's time you started learning. Because she's coming."
---
LOCATION SHIFT: OLD TRAIN YARD – 3 BLOCKS OUTSIDE SAFEHOUSE ECHO
Marcus led me to a training ground made entirely of rust, trash, and shattered dreams. Targets were mannequins. Some were dressed like goons. Others… like civilians.
I hesitated.
Marcus didn't.
BANG. One went down.
"Lesson one," he said. "The System doesn't care about morality. It tracks efficiency. You want to survive? You stop hesitating."
I raised the gun. Hands shaking.
> 🎯 "Skill Test: Kill Line Sync" Objective: Eliminate target with style
Wait—style?
Marcus stepped behind me. "Don't just shoot. Make it cinematic. Say the line."
"What line?"
He looked at me dead serious.
"Your first signature kill line. If it syncs, it becomes permanent. Choose wisely."
I looked at the mannequin.
Imagined it was the shotgun guy from the alley.
Raised my gun.
Breathed in.
Fired.
"You brought a gun to my glitch party."
> 🟢 "SIGNATURE KILL LINE ACCEPTED" ✅ Skill Unlocked: Cinematic Execution (Lv. 1) 🎖️ You now receive bonus XP when delivering synchronized kill lines.
Marcus laughed once. "Dumbest thing I've heard all day. I love it."
---
Later that night, I sat by the window while Marcus cleaned his weapons. Rain fell again. Always the rain.
> 🔔 "System Alert: Final Hour of Tutorial Approaching." 📡 "New Transmission Incoming…"
My stomach dropped.
The hologram flickered again.
She was back.
Red Witch. Taller this time. Eyes glowing deeper. Behind her were rows of enforcer units. And behind them…
a throne.
Yes. A throne made of guns.
She leaned forward.
"Hello, Proxy. I hope you've been practicing. Because tomorrow…"
The screen zoomed into her face.
"…we dance."
> 🚨 SYSTEM UPGRADE IMMINENT — CHOOSE YOUR PATH TOMORROW [1] Ghost Protocol – Stealth Build
[2] Gunstorm – Aggro Execution Build
[3] Proxy Split – Unlock Duality Skill Tree
TO BE CONTINUED.