The abandoned warehouse served as a temporary war room, its dim lighting casting long shadows over the assembled group. The room was divided—on one side stood Katoge, Zoyah, Don, Adela, Wanaka, and Wolverine, along with the rest of the Crimson Lotus agents. On the other side were Madam Di-Xian, Agent-90, and Gonda, flanked by Chief Wen-Li, SSCBF's officers, and a contingent of operatives. The tension was palpable, the air heavy with unspoken hostility.
When the SSCBF's officers caught sight of the Sinners and the outlaw Amigu-Rumi group, weapons were drawn in an instant. The room buzzed with readiness for combat, their gazes hard and unyielding.
"Stand down!" Madam Di-Xian's voice cut through the room like a blade, her aura radiating an oppressive, commanding energy. It was a presence so strong that even the hardened officers felt an involuntary shiver.
Chief Wen-Li stepped forward, her eyes fixed on the Sinners. "Madam Di-Xian, I respect your judgment, but why are they here?" She gestured toward the Sinners and outlaws. "They're criminals. Most of them have records longer than the list of missing children."
The room fell silent as all eyes turned to Madam Di-Xian. Her gaze was sharp and unwavering as she replied.
"Because sometimes," she began, her voice low and deliberate, "you need darkness to fight darkness. The people we're hunting are predators—monsters in every sense of the word. They've built their empire in the shadows of Noctum Hollow, preying on the vulnerable. These Sinners and outlaws"—she gestured toward Katoge's group—"have firsthand experience navigating that darkness. They have skills we can use, skills you lack."
Agent-90 adjusted his glasses, his tone cold but composed. "If we're going to take down an operation this large, we can't afford to be picky about allies. Every second we waste arguing, another child suffers."
Katoge smirked, leaning casually against the wall. "Relax, SSCBF. We're not here for glory or redemption. We're here to kill monsters. That's something we're good at."
Zoyah, standing beside him, added, "You might not trust us, and frankly, we don't care. But we have intel and abilities you can't ignore. The choice is yours—work with us, or let the predators keep running their little empire."
Wen-Li's fists clenched. Her instincts screamed against trusting known criminals, but she couldn't ignore the gravity of the situation. "This operation isn't just about stopping them. It's about justice for those children."
Madam Di-Xian nodded. "Exactly. And justice demands action." She turned to the Sinners and outlaws. "This isn't a free pass for your sins. You're here because you offered your help. Betray us, and you'll answer me." Her tone carried an unspoken threat that left no room for argument.
Madam Di-Xian approached the table in the center of the room, spreading a detailed map of Noctum Hollow across its surface. She began pointing to key locations.
"This is where the predators have their strongholds: the Weeping Catacombs, the Blackened Vaults, and the Crimson Lantern. Each of these places is heavily guarded and interconnected through their network. Our goal is twofold—eliminate the predators and rescue the remaining children."
Agent-90 chimed in. "We'll split into teams to hit all locations simultaneously. The element of surprise is critical."
Madam Di-Xian continued, "Katoge, Zoyah, Don, Wanaka, Wolverine, and Adela will lead one strike team targeting The Whispering Sewers. My Crimson Lotus agents and I will take the Rusted Alley. Wen-Li, your officers will handle the Weeping Catacombs Agent-90 and Gonda providing support. Lan Qian along with Nightingale as well will dismantle the network in the Blackened Vaults."
Gonda chuckled darkly. "I've already planted misinformation among their ranks. They'll be expecting an attack, but not the scale we're about to deliver."
Wen-Li crossed her arms, her gaze sharp. "And what happens if they retaliate? These people won't go down without a fight."
Madam Di-Xian's eyes gleamed with cold determination. "Then we'll ensure they don't live long enough to retaliate."
The group exchanged solemn nods. The tension in the room remained, but the shared goal bound them together.
"Tonight," Madam Di-Xian said, her voice carrying the weight of her resolve, "we turn this city of nightmares into a graveyard for predators, rapists and pedophiles."
With the plan set, the groups prepared for the operation that would bring justice to the shadows of Noctum Hollow.
The warehouse fell silent as the groups split up, their determination solidified by Madam Di-Xian's words. The battle ahead was not just a fight but a declaration—an end to the terror lurking in Noctum Hollow.
The Rusted Alley was a labyrinth of abandoned buildings, their walls scrawled with graffiti marking them as territory for the predators. Madam Di-Xian walked at the front, her crimson robes flowing behind her like a storm's harbinger.
"Keep your eyes sharp," she ordered. "This area is likely booby-trapped."
Farhan moved silently to her right, his rifle trained ahead. Roy and Masud flanked the team, their eyes scanning the windows above. Suddenly, a barrage of gunfire erupted from the rooftops.
"Ambush!" yelled Alvi, ducking behind cover.
Madam Di-Xian leapt forward, her hands glowing with an otherworldly energy. With a flick of her wrist, she sent a wave of force crashing into the buildings, shattering the windows and sending attackers plummeting to the ground.
Masud charged, using his tonfa sticks to disarm and incapacitate the enemies, while Farhan picked off snipers with pinpoint accuracy. Roy hurled smoke grenades, providing cover as Alvi hacked into a nearby terminal to disrupt their communication lines.
At the Blackened Vaults, The vaults were a high-tech underground facility, its walls lined with servers and screens displaying disturbing images and videos. Lan Qian's face twisted in disgust as she approached a console.
"This is the core of their network," she said, plugging in her hacking device.
Nightingale stood guard, her blade drawn, while the operatives set up explosives. Suddenly, alarms blared, and automated turrets descended from the ceiling.
"Hostiles inbound!" shouted one of the operatives.
Nightingale moved swiftly, her sword slicing through the turrets' barrels before they could fire. Alvi worked furiously, bypassing the vault's firewalls while the others defended the position.
When the predators stormed in, Lan Qian became a blur, her strikes so precise that her enemies fell before realizing they'd been hit. Alvi's device beeped as she completed the hack.
"Network disabled. Let's blow this place to hell," she said, grabbing her gear.
But the chaos to rise up, at the Weeping Catacomb, Agent-90 dashed through the decrepit halls, his glasses reflecting the dim, flickering lights. He was a precise machine, each strike a calculated act of violence. Beside him, Wen-Li wielded her Crimson Shackle, a spectral chain of glowing red energy that extended and contracted with lethal precision, wrapping around monsters and snapping their spines in one fluid motion.
As they pushed deeper into the catacombs, a monstrous figure leapt from the shadows, a grotesque amalgamation of muscle and malice. It slammed its massive hand into Agent-90, throwing him against a stone pillar with such force that cracks webbed through the stone. Blood trickled from his temple as he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
"Agent-90!" Wen-Li cried out, rushing toward him as the beast advanced. But before she could reach him, something shifted.
The memories of the haunted scene linger as he wakes up in the dark room and notice a group of children been taken to the experimental lab where the doctors and scientist insert something to their bodies making them into emotionless monsters among them he sees himself been the part of it.
Agent-90's eyes snapped open.
Blurred shapes came into focus—Chief Wen-Li kneeling beside him, panic written across her face.
"Agent-90?" she breathed, touching his shoulder. "Are you alright?"
Before he answered, he moved.
His body jolted upright, eyes locked on a gunman behind her—finger already tightening on the trigger. He raised his sidearm and fired. The bullet struck true. The criminal dropped.
Wen-Li flinched, shocked. "Jesus!" she gasped. "You were out cold!"
But he was already on his feet.
He grabbed a rifle off the ground, spinning into action. Gunfire erupted from both hands—his sidearm and the rifle moving as one. He advanced like a force of nature. A monstrous figure burst from the shadows—eight feet tall, limbs warped, face unreadable.
The monster lunged.
Agent-90 slid beneath its swipe, spinning on the ground in a tight circle. He came up behind it, boots scraping across broken concrete. In one motion, he climbed its back, wrapped his arm around its neck—and drove a pencil into its spine.
Once.
Twice.
Again.
Over and over, the pencil punched through flesh until the monster collapsed in a heap.
Wen-Li stared, eyes wide. "You killed it… with a pencil?"
Agent-90's face stayed unreadable. "That's what the men are."
Outside the city limits, survivors gathered. Dust settled over bruised faces. Katoge Nakahara stood among them, his outlaw coat torn.
"What about the city?" he asked.
Madam Di-Xian answered calmly, "Don't worry."
She glanced at Agent-90.
He nodded, pulled out a small black remote, and tapped the button.
A hum. Then—boom.
Noctum Hollow ignited in the distance, a white-hot chain of explosions swallowing the entire 800 km² radius. The skyline melted into slag. The cries of criminals—pedophiles, predators, rapists—were silenced in molten fire.
Jun blinked. "That looked… cinematic."
"My God," Wen-Li muttered, breath caught. Others watched in stunned silence.
Madam Di-Xian stepped forward. "It's time to go home."
And Agent-90, silent again—bloodied, breathing, alive.