Four days after Alex was taken, the city felt like a wound left open.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgZBBWfMH2c
Night crouched low over the streets, dragging a heavy fog into every gutter and alley. The air tasted chemical—weed smoke drifting out of cracked apartment windows, nicotine hanging stale and sour near the sidewalks. Streetlights shimmered behind the haze as if underwater, turning everything yellow and bruised.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAJ7YFylZlW
Sarah pulled her late husband's trench coat tighter around her shoulders. She almost never wore it—not since the fight that tore their marriage apart. Tonight, though, it felt like armor. Or maybe a ghost. The fabric clung to her, heavy, smelling faintly of old cologne and regret.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhncBst34r8
Her fingers shook inside her pockets, wrapped around her house keys like they were the only weapon she had. She stepped deeper into the graffiti-choked alley, boots splashing through puddles that reflected distorted neon.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGlXdVVUVUF
Red, black, and neon paint screamed across the brick walls.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyEi6uehzLO
"F— INFERNO."23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAb5sbLDaqR
"THE HEROES LIE."23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHgMjLAXo1f
"THE HEROES ARE—r@pists
She stopped abruptly. The last word was slashed across the wall in thick, violent strokes. She didn't know if it was true, but the possibility crawled icy fingers up her spine.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmBKtyTXgtb
She swallowed and forced herself to keep walking. Every few steps she glanced over her shoulder, posture tight—chin tucked, shoulders raised, breath sharp and shallow. Fear walked with her, hand pressed firmly between her shoulder blades, urging her forward.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLGETKgUCKe
What if they're following me? What if they come for me next?23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrWUH44Fskw
Her eyes stung. She blinked, but a tear escaped anyway, cutting a warm trail down her cold cheek.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Sl0wCtk8n
"Alex…" Her voice cracked. "Oh, Alex… baby, I—"23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpuFd4KrT3t
Her lips trembled, trying to hold the rest inside. She reached for memories like a lifeline — Alex's laughter at the park, the two of them racing shopping carts down mall aisles, their
stupid arguments, their even stupider hugs afterward. All of it felt too bright, too alive for the world she was walking through now.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkeOvmjMpN5
"I miss you… Alex," she whispered, barely forming the words.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDZL2Y54FEL
Finally, she reached the hidden metal door wedged between two dumpsters. It was small, rusted, something you'd overlook unless you knew exactly where to look. She checked both ends of the alley twice more, chest rising and falling like she'd sprinted a mile.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzmEXT6AiI4
Then she knocked—once… twice… and stepped back.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9XNfSyvxO
A muffled voice answered, breathless.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuGLqR6iWlF
"I'm… coming!"23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Hv0V4eNOE
Metal scraped, a lock turned, and the door cracked open. Peter immediately pulled her into a sloppy, eager hug. His beard scratched her cheek, and his breath hit her with a sharp slap of wine and mint gum.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUdkfGJaizU
"O-okay—easy," Sarah muttered as she gently peeled his arms away. Her gaze flicked around anxiously while Peter shut the door behind them and threw the lock.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrOlSnKwXhG
Inside, the room was dim and cluttered. The smell of sweat, old metal, and stale alcohol clung to the air. Shelves bowed under the weight of tech scraps and weapon parts. Newspapers littered a scarred wooden table, and lying on top of them were several sleek objects—military-grade weapons, polished and waiting, glinting under a single flickering bulb.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJXx89mp65
Sarah's breath hitched. "My God… are they real?"23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgkPOPvz1Xc
Peter grinned proudly as he picked up a compact, pistol-shaped device.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSCZqlKJsH1
"Oh, they're real. Brand new. Prototype-level stuff."23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡconfYErR0w
He held it reverently, like it was a holy artifact.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgDuO4Pjabr
"This baby looks like a regular sidearm, but trust me—it hits like a truck."23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXdM8kOBWMh
He set it down with a soft clack and lifted a bulkier, rifle-like device next.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVR31OqXLpG
"And this one? If—let's say—it hit someone like Vortex? She wouldn't walk for a long time."23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9isoc5dchC
Sarah froze mid-step.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCr7Gyb07QH
"Wait… V-Vortex is here?"23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSIkM81ykcu
Peter's smile widened. He gestured for her to follow.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzSSo3BXckG
They passed the cluttered front room and stopped at a disguised metal panel in the wall. Peter pressed a hidden latch, revealing a narrow corridor leading to a staircase descending underground.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaaF90WLyDs
The deeper they walked, the colder and darker it became. The walls dampened the sound of their footsteps until the only noise was Sarah's breathing—uneven, quickening. She gripped her coat tightly, feeling suddenly small, suddenly unprepared.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8VSShIs9nQ
Halfway down the stairs, Peter slowed and turned.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ31SbkUfzWo
"I know it's been five days since Alex was taken." His voice softened but didn't steady. "But whatever Vortex says… be ready. She'll twist anything."23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWdgxj3QbeL
Sarah nodded, though her knees wobbled.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1g6GDBbdqJ
At the bottom, Peter flipped a switch.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKSYjROGgvy
Lights snapped on—harsh, sterile white.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh70ea150AW
The basement was small and bare. Concrete floor. Exposed pipes. No furniture.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBa7DgReF2M
Except her.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVHhdxzzAtN
Vortex—the untouchable, the televised hero, one of the Nine—stood (or more accurately, hung) against the far wall. Her head drooped, blond hair usually perfect reduced to ragged, tangled strands falling over her bruised face. Her suit was shredded, burnt in places, stained with dried blood. Thick industrial chains pinned her arms wide against the concrete, metal biting deep into her skin. Shackles gripped her ankles.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5FAOfRPN6y
She looked like a fallen god.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBKu0qlU5q
Sarah stepped forward, awe and terror wrestling in her expression. "My God… you actually did it," she whispered. "The military's tried for years—and you…"23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJOi6crarvW
Peter gave a casual shrug and pulled out a shock baton, spinning it between his fingers.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS9mClzCG8Q
"All I did was track her. Months of watching, digging into her private porn chats. Playing to her ego." He smirked. "We met up a few times. She believed what she wanted to believe. And when the moment came—" He mimed a gun firing. "Bang. Super tranquilizer. Dropped her like a sack of bricks."23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZsOGPXzrVi
"W-wait—" Sarah lifted both hands. "Vortex has… porn sites? Seriously?"23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuSCy5bNXje
Peter barked a short laugh, shaking his head.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFSIRa06e8
"Sweetheart, these heroes pretend they're saints—baby kissers, master bidders, icons. But her?" He lifted Vortex's chin with the baton tip. "She's nothing but a wh*re trying to sell purity."23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSs7JvP38XF
Vortex's breath deepened. Slow. Controlled. Her battered face rose inch by inch until her cold blue eyes stared up from beneath her tangled hair.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHB7FUik3u
Sarah flinched backward, her hands trembling.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPnXJ1Woe5F
"A-and… the chains? Are they… secure? She won't escape, right?"23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYw87po8baX
"They're solid. Relax." Peter grabbed one and tugged it sharply. It rang against the wall with a heavy metallic clang.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDRqxdbuyAE
Sarah's voice dropped to a whisper. "So… what now? Do we turn her in? Or…"23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtfTtSIocn3
Peter scoffed. "Turn her in? Sarah—if Inferno hears even a rumor someone sabotaged the Nine, he'll level half of Congress." He gestured to Vortex. "No. We either kill her… or we get answers."23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZslCKehsCO
Sarah's stomach twisted.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5EpzJMUMqM
"You said you'd tell me where Alex could be."23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxGjj9sexX
"And this," Peter said, tapping Vortex's leg with the baton, "is how we find her."23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY02dvfGN9g
Sarah's throat tightened. She stepped closer—slowly, like approaching a wild animal. She bent down, her voice cracking.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsRj09snEpf
"Vortex… hi. My daughter is missing. Her name is Alex. C-can you tell me where she is?"23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpE8XgV8RFd
For the first time, Vortex smiled.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLcWTHL4LIz
It wasn't warm.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXJpPgqSnW2
It was a wound splitting open.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi2Igp4hRiO
Her eyes, sharp and glacial, focused on Sarah. Her lips curled into a feral, blood-crusted smirk.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyhChcnhFEF
Her voice rasped, low and broken.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo1KQgJtFCe
"Oh… that kid."23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQVMhENgiPM
She turned her head and spat blood at the floor.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb3xEFQUySh
"She's been… taken care of."23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzYMhxLjWUW
A dry laugh scraped out of her chest.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9REsifq2Va
"You'll never see her again."23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlVk8qpG5LW
Sarah staggered back like she'd been struck. Her fear twisted—tightened—then ignited. Her fists balled until her nails dug into her palms, knuckles bleaching white.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpE9dBm7mGo
"Where's Alex, you—"23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ80Ts0xrEx6
She lunged. Her punch cracked against Vortex's jaw.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA1p7ouy3hb
Vortex barely blinked.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF6rJaWb3cC
Her grin widened, teeth stained red.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKrMT52nv1v
"That all you got, bitch?"23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiSCCUwdoQd
"Oh, I'll show you—!"23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiucGAAKM5x
Sarah reared back for another punch—23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFOor6DM45y
Peter grabbed her, arms locking around her shoulders.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA4NU9YixUu
"Sarah—stop!" he hissed. "If you want Alex back, don't let her control you."23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcdXWScVnl3
"Then what IS the answer, Peter?!"23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8WrQwH5Vu
He inhaled to respond—23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjxgGmzt9rO
CRACK.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1n3ftGzJUv
The chains ripped free from the wall.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVcbWTMSXp
In an instant, Vortex was upright.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaUF6UdY03T
Sarah froze, heart slamming against her ribs.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQU6jDUDhs
Vortex moved in a blur—her arm shooting forward, impossibly fast.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡich0igZioN
It pierced into Peter's torso with a sickening, fleshy impact.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6wyhYq9SW8
His breath left him in a wet choke as blood bubbled up into his mouth. He collapsed, eyes wide, body twitching.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMNUv3sXBUS
Sarah screamed as he hit the floor, blood spreading fast beneath him.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvRGXisUrgm
Vortex's shadow stretched over her.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSvuyfQAyg5
Sarah backed up until her heel hit the wall, hands raised, shaking violently.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw1PMNE16yc
"Please—please—don't—"23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiQCAr55E0q
Vortex tilted her head. Her smirk returned, cruel and pleased.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf4FOYbHtKX
"I don't accept apologies."23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXnVomEUv5S
Her arm flashed again—23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEV2VQsuLA3
And Sarah's world was swallowed in black.
23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR6pMHVOa4o
and then Add to home screen.