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LOCATION: OMEGA TERMINAL LOGISTICS
CITY: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
DATE: SEPTEMBER 25, 2026 | TIME: 1:30 PM
Viktor held his hands up in front of him.
"Just hear me out, Ivan. There's no need for the hostility."
"Hostility?" Ivan asked. "You bring Erik fucking Drexler here, into such a place, and question my hostility?"
Viktor smiled, but still held his hands in a defensive position.
"Like I said, hear me out."
"We don't have time for this," Erik grunted.
Ivan moved his assault rifle toward the voice, but the German moved so fast that he couldn't even get off a shot before he was disarmed.
One instant, the man was standing in the doorway, twenty feet away, and the next, he was standing in front of Ivan, with Ivan's rifle pointing toward the ground.
Ivan reflexively took a swing at the German, but Erik just moved his head back to avoid it. He didn't retaliate.
Ivan took a few more swings, until Erik was forced to cold-cock the Ukrainian dissident in the head with the butt of his own rifle.
Viktor held out his hand and helped Ivan up.
"Now will you listen?"
"What's going on?" Ivan asked. "Why can he move so fast?"
"We need you to call off the strike on NATO," Viktor said.
"How do you—"
Viktor pulled out the tablet containing photos Erik had taken of Anatoly's assassination ledger. He scrolled to Ivan's contract and held out the tablet.
Ivan looked at the screen and a flash of surprise crossed his face before he said: "You know I can't cancel. Once I take a contract—"
"Yeah, yeah," Erik said, scoffing. "You're a consummate professional."
Viktor gave Erik a look before handing the tablet to Ivan.
"Take a long look at these, and understand where you fit into the bigger picture," Erik said. "Think about the implications on the world stage when you piece all of this together."
Erik and Viktor stayed quiet as Ivan flipped through page after page of contracts.
"Japan… Washington… All these people from Voss Industries… and then NATO…"
Ivan read them off one after the other.
Then he froze when he got to the last photo.
Anatoly Brezhnev sat zip-tied to his own office chair. Ivan had been in this very office. It was the dacha in Sochi, right on the Black Sea.
A deep slit had been cut across the Russian's throat, and the front of his shirt was covered with blood. His head slumped forward, but it was clear. This was Anatoly, and the man was definitely dead.
Erik let Viktor do the talking.
"Anatoly Brezhnev was a brilliant spymaster," Viktor said. "But he was also a horrible human being. Look at the world right now, Ivan."
Viktor took a tentative step forward, and was glad to see Ivan not reacting to the move.
"North and South Korea, about to be reunited. The North Korean people have enough food for the first time in most of their lives. Russia and Ukraine, no longer enemies. And Baranov working to help rebuild the Donbas region."
Ivan handed the tablet back to Viktor.
"Those two serums from Elliot Voss are the miracle that made it all possible, too," Viktor continued. "Why take all of that down?"
Erik finally spoke up.
"Warriors always need another fight. I get that," he said. "But I think you'll like what we've got to offer more than taking Earth away from the road of peace."
Ivan's shoulders slumped. It was the gesture Viktor had been waiting to see.
"You already got paid, right?"
"Half up front, the other half after the job was done," Ivan said. "Standard procedure."
He pointed to the tablet, which still showed Anatoly dead.
"But it looks like that second payment won't be coming after all."
Erik knew the contract details, of course. They were on the third photo on the tablet.
"Tell you what," Erik said, "I'll get you the second half of the payment if you give up the mission right now."
Ivan looked at the German for a long minute.
"That's three million US dollars," he said.
"One phone call, and it's done," Erik replied. "Just give me your word."
Ivan didn't need to take long to consider the offer.
Taking on the NATO leadership was always going to be risky. And after Viktor's own assassination failed even when he struck Mallory McInnis square in the chest, Ivan was unsure whether people could still be killed with bombs and bullets anyway.
Ivan picked up the tablet and entered his banking information on a new text document.
"Once I verify the funds are there, I will call it off. But you best hurry. The drones will be circling within the hour."
Erik called Grim and arranged the payment. Grim grumbled a little about it, but in the end, he got it done.
As soon as Ivan saw the funds appear in his account, he made a few calls of his own.
"It's done," Ivan said.
He turned to Erik.
"Now, are you going to tell me how you move so fast?"
Erik just smiled.
A moment later, Ivan's vision went black, and he found himself in a countryside dacha.
He was alone in the house, but suddenly a screen appeared in his vision.
---
System Message
Ivan Kovalenko
Welcome to the System.
The System exists to guide, support, and elevate your growth.
Through effort and choice, you will unlock potential far beyond traditional human limitations.
Please prepare for Combat Class Selection…
---
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LOCATION: SUMI'S APARTMENT, ROPPONGI HILLS
CITY: TOKYO, JAPAN
DATE: SEPTEMBER 25, 2026 | TIME: 11:35 PM
Sumi pulled the folded paper from her pocket and read it.
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Priority: Alpha
Prime Minister Imaizumi must meet his end before the end of the day on September 27th, by any means necessary.
Authentication: BLUE DRESS
---
"Chikushou," she muttered. "Son of a bitch…"
They had the authentication phrase for assassination protocol correct. It was the third time she'd been given such an assignment in nearly twenty years of living in this land.
Sumi opened her laptop and began her research. Nagatacho, where the Prime Minister's offices and residence were located, was only two kilometers away from Roppongi, but it's not like she was going to walk there.
Far too many cameras along the way. The trains at least gave her the option of riding all over town before transferring to the Yurakcho Line and getting off at Nagatacho Station.
After she finished planning her route, she opened a panel hidden beneath the third tatami mat from the corner.
She pulled out a plain, black lacquered case and lifted the lid.
Two black tanto daggers lay inside, resting in red velvet.
Sumi took one of them and began to slide it out of the sheath, when a knock sounded at her door.
It was nearly midnight. She rarely got any visitors, but the ones she did get at this time of night were usually drunk people who had the wrong apartment.
She decided she'd get rid of them and get back to sharpening the knives. There was no need to wait. She'd get the job done tomorrow.
Sumi pulled her gown tighter and tied the sash. She stepped forward and opened the door.
A black woman stood swaying in the doorway.
Another drunk American…
"Sumi," the woman said, "Let me in. I need to speak to you urgently."
Sumi was taken aback for a moment, but something nudged at her conscience. She wanted to let the stranger inside.
But why?
"I won't take much of your time," the woman said again.
She still swayed in the doorway, as if she'd been drinking for hours.
"You better not throw up inside my place," Sumi said, stepping aside and letting the woman in.
Why am I letting her in?
Once inside, the woman seemed to sober up. She turned and looked Sumi directly in the eyes.
"I am Valerie Connors, and you will not be following the orders you were just given."
Sumi's eyes opened wide.
"What? How do you know about that?"