The Ridgewood Complex loomed ahead like a fortress, its stark metallic exterior illuminated by faint moonlight. My newly enhanced vision scanned the perimeter, picking up heat signatures of guards patrolling the entrances. Dr. Meyers' voice buzzed in my ear through a secure comm link.

"Alex, you're nearing the west side of the facility. There's a blind spot between security cameras. Use it to scale the wall."

"Got it," I whispered, crouching low as I approached. My enhanced sensors hummed, painting a clear path forward.

Scaling the wall was almost effortless with my upgraded agility. My fingers found purchase on the slightest ridges, and within seconds, I was perched on a ledge overlooking the courtyard. Guards moved below, their routes predictable.

"ALPHA," I murmured. "How many heat signatures inside?"

"Sixty-seven personnel detected," ALPHA replied. "Three ACE soldiers confirmed on the premises. Engaging analysis mode to identify vulnerabilities."

I clenched my fists. "Three? Great. Just my kind of odds."

Slipping through a ventilation shaft, I entered the main facility. The hum of machinery and faint voices echoed through the stark corridors. My target was clear: the central control hub. If I could destroy it, Ridgewood's operations would crumble, and the Consortium would lose a vital stronghold.

I moved like a shadow, neutralizing guards silently as I approached the hub. The air inside the facility was thick with tension, every sound amplified by my enhanced hearing. Just as I reached the steel doors of the control room, the atmosphere shifted. My sensors pinged an alert, the telltale sign of an imminent threat.

"ACE unit approaching," ALPHA warned in my ear.

The first ACE soldier emerged from the shadows, a hulking figure with a bald head, cybernetic arms gleaming under the fluorescent lights. His smirk was menacing as he cracked his knuckles, the sound reverberating down the hall.

"Well, if it isn't Alex," he sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. "The prodigal daughter returns."

I didn't waste time with words. Lunging forward, I aimed a powerful kick at his chest, but he was faster than I anticipated. He caught my leg mid-strike, his grip like a vice.

"You'll have to do better than that," he growled.

I twisted, leveraging his momentum to flip him into the wall. The impact cracked the concrete, but he recovered quickly, roaring as he charged at me. His cybernetic fist swung toward my head, the force behind it enough to crush bone. I ducked just in time, the air whooshing past my face.

The fight was brutal, his blows heavy and relentless. Each punch he threw was calculated to incapacitate, but my speed and precision kept me one step ahead. Ducking under a wide swing, I countered with a devastating palm strike to his throat. He staggered, coughing, but still came at me.

I sidestepped his next charge and drove my elbow into his kidney. He grunted in pain, giving me the opening I needed. Grabbing a combat knife from my thigh holster, I plunged it into the exposed seam of his cybernetic arm. Sparks erupted as the limb malfunctioned, his punches now erratic.

"You think this will stop me?" he snarled, blood dripping from his lips.

"No," I said coldly, flipping the knife in my hand. "But this will."

With a swift motion, I drove the blade deep into the base of his skull. His body convulsed before collapsing lifelessly to the ground.

"One down," I muttered, catching my breath.

As I pressed deeper into the Ridgewood Complex, the hallways seemed to narrow, the air thick with the stench of oil and scorched circuits. Every step brought me closer to the core, but it was clear The Consortium wasn't going to let me walk in without a fight.

Ahead, I spotted a checkpoint. Two guards stood at attention, their armor glinting under the harsh fluorescent lights. They were armed with semi-automatic rifles, and a third sat behind a console, monitoring security feeds.

"Guards ahead," ALPHA informed me. "Proceed with caution. Their weapons are loaded with armor-piercing rounds."

"I figured," I whispered, crouching behind a stack of crates.

I reached for my knife, the cold steel familiar and comforting in my grip. Waiting for the right moment, I slowed my breathing and focused. When the nearest guard turned to check a monitor, I moved like lightning, a blur of precision and silence.

Sliding behind the first guard, I clamped a hand over his mouth and drove the blade into the seam of his armor at the base of his neck. His body slumped as I eased him to the floor.

The second guard noticed the motion too late. I threw the knife, the blade lodging in his chest with a sickening thud. He staggered, trying to raise his rifle, but I closed the distance in two strides, delivering a spinning kick to his head that sent him crashing to the ground.

The guard at the console scrambled to hit the alarm.

"ALPHA, jam the signal!"

"Jamming now," ALPHA replied.

The console's lights flickered, and the guard's face twisted in panic. He reached for his weapon, but I was already on him. Grabbing his wrist, I twisted it sharply, the bone snapping like dry wood. He screamed, but it was cut short when I slammed his head into the desk.

"Area secure," ALPHA confirmed.

I retrieved my knife, wiping the blade clean on the fallen guard's sleeve, and continued down the corridor.

The next checkpoint was more fortified. A squad of four guards patrolled a hallway lined with motion sensors. Their movements were precise, their formation tight.

"ALPHA, disable the motion sensors."

"Working on it... Done."

Now it was up to me.

Using the shadows to my advantage, I waited until one of the guards strayed from the group. I pounced, snapping his neck before he could utter a sound.

The remaining three spread out, their radios crackling as they called for their missing teammate.

I crept up behind another guard, hooking an arm around his neck and squeezing until his body went limp.

The last two guards spotted me, raising their rifles.

I dove into a roll, coming up with my sidearm drawn. Two shots, two kills. Their bodies crumpled to the floor, blood pooling beneath them.

"Efficient," ALPHA remarked.

"I don't have time for anything else," I muttered, reloading my weapon.

Finally, I reached the steel doors of the facility's core. My pulse quickened as I prepared to breach. This was it—the heart of Ridgewood. The place where The Consortium's secrets were stored, their research cataloged.

The sound of slow clapping echoed through the corridor, followed by heavy footsteps.

"Impressive," came a mocking voice.

Two more ACE soldiers emerged from the shadows. One was lean and wiry, his arms covered in serrated implants that gleamed like blades. The other was a towering brute wielding an electrified staff that crackled with energy.

"You're outnumbered," the wiry one taunted, a sadistic grin spreading across his face.

"Not outmatched," I shot back, settling into a defensive stance.

The wiry soldier lunged at me first, his blade-like arms slashing through the air with deadly precision. I dodged the initial strikes, the blades narrowly missing my torso. His speed was staggering, forcing me to stay on the move.

As I evaded, the brute with the staff swung his weapon in a wide arc. The crackling energy barely missed my shoulder, scorching the wall behind me. I dropped into a roll, coming up just in time to deflect another slash from the wiry one.

"You're quick," the wiry soldier said, circling me like a predator. "But let's see how long you can last."

He charged again, his blades aimed for my neck. I sidestepped and grabbed his wrist, twisting it sharply. The sound of bone snapping filled the corridor, and he howled in pain. Using his momentum, I drove his own blade into his chest, the serrated edge slicing through his armor.

Blood poured from his wound as he fell to his knees, gasping for air. I didn't wait for him to recover. Grabbing his head, I twisted sharply, the sickening crack echoing through the hall.

"Two down," I said, spinning to face the brute.

He gripped his staff tighter, his expression cold and calculating.

"You're going to regret that," he growled, charging at me with surprising speed.

The staff crackled as he swung it in a downward strike. I caught the shaft between my hands, the electricity surging through me. My muscles screamed in protest, but I held firm, using the staff as leverage to deliver a knee strike to his abdomen.

He stumbled back, but quickly regained his footing, swinging the staff again. This time, I ducked low and drove a kick into his knee. The joint buckled with a sickening pop, and he roared in pain.

As he fell to one knee, I grabbed the staff and yanked it from his grip. Without hesitation, I drove the electrified end into his chest. His body convulsed violently as the electricity overloaded his systems.

"You won't..." he gasped, blood bubbling from his mouth. "Win..."

"I already have," I said, shoving the staff deeper until the light faded from his eyes.

I stood amidst the carnage, blood dripping from my hands, my breathing ragged.

"Three down," I whispered, wiping my brow.

But the battle wasn't over. The sound of alarms blaring snapped me back to reality. I sprinted toward the control hub, planting explosives on the main servers.

"Charges set," I reported to Dr. Meyers through the comm link. "Heading to the rendezvous point."

As I emerged into the open air, the explosion lit up the night sky, the Ridgewood Complex crumbling behind me. But my victory was short-lived.

I reached the rendezvous point, expecting to see Dr. Meyers waiting. Instead, I found his comm device, crushed and discarded on the ground. My heart sank.

"ALPHA, locate Dr. Meyers," I demanded, my voice shaking.

"Accessing surveillance... one moment," ALPHA replied.

The live feed appeared, showing Dr. Meyers restrained, surrounded by guards. A towering figure stepped into view, his eyes glowing faintly red.

"Designation: Godric," ALPHA identified.

"Who the hell is that?" I whispered, dread pooling in my stomach.

Godric turned to the camera, his face emotionless.

"Alex," he said, his voice cold and mechanical. "It's time we met."

The feed cut out, leaving me in the dark. My fists clenched, rage and fear warring within me.

They had Dr. Meyers. And now, they had me in their sights.