Newtech City looked calm from far away—just glitter and fog—but down in the alleys, calm was a rumor.
Leo crouched on a fire-escape rail, visor dimmed, listening to the hum of patrol drones slicing the air above him.
> Leo (quietly): "All right, boys, stealth test number one. If we get caught, I blame the jet."
> Sky Saber: "Hey, I can be quiet."
Delta Prowler: "You're a flying engine with ego issues."
Sky Saber: "Says the cat who roars in stealth mode."
Leo sighed. "Teamwork. We'll work on it."
He dropped into the street, armor switching to Stealth Configuration—black panels absorbing light, the red accents fading to dull gray.
The Command Delta Hauler idled a few blocks away, disguised as an old cargo transport. Its AI, Delta, monitored his vitals.
> Delta: "Commander, SPD scanners are sweeping this district. Recommend minimal sound output."
Leo: "Noted. Also noted that you're killing the mood."
---
The Job
Word on the grid was that a tech gang was selling off stolen SPD weapon cores to whoever had enough credits and no conscience. Leo didn't like competition—especially competition that could blow up half the city by accident.
He slipped through an open window into an abandoned parking structure. The place stank of oil and neon smoke. A dozen buyers crowded around a glowing crate while a hacker counted money.
Leo whispered to his suit, "All right, let's ruin their night."
The Shadow Enforcer Cruiser revved faintly outside, lights off. At Leo's signal, it crashed through the wall in complete silence—thanks to Delta's new sound-nullifier field. The gang barely had time to scream before Leo flipped the crate shut with one hand and drew his blasters.
> Leo: "Evening, gentlemen. SPD sends its—actually, no, they don't know I'm here. But still. You're under arrest for being terrible."
A shoot-out followed. Energy bolts carved glowing trails through the dark. Leo moved like smoke, ducking, firing, using the Cruiser's headlights as sudden flashes to blind his enemies.
> Leo (to Cruiser): "Nice entrance."
Cruiser: "You said dramatic, not subtle."
Leo: "I said stealth!"
Cruiser: "Same syllable count."
He laughed despite himself. It was messy, loud, and somehow working.
---
SPD Arrives
Blue sirens flooded the far end of the structure. Real SPD units—armed and angry.
> Red Ranger (over loudspeaker): "Leo! Drop the weapons and surrender!"
Leo: "I would, but they're kind of attached to my style."
He grabbed the stolen core, vaulted onto the Cruiser's hood, and shouted into his comms.
> Leo: "Sky Saber, extraction!"
A black streak tore through the roof. The Sky Saber fired a grappling cable, hooking Leo mid-jump and yanking him skyward as SPD lasers cracked the concrete below.
> Leo (dangling, sarcastic): "Smoothest exit ever. Totally planned that."
Sky Saber: "You're welcome."
Leo: "Don't get cocky."
From above, the city blurred beneath them. SPD patrols chased in hover-bikes, beams slicing the rain.
> Delta: "Commander, pursuit probability: ninety-four percent."
Leo: "Then we'll do what any responsible fugitive would—run faster."
He switched to SPD Flight Mode, diving off the Saber's wing and igniting his thrusters. The two flew in tandem, weaving through skyscraper gaps as SPD bikes followed like glowing insects.
Leo toggled a switch on his wrist. "Deploy smoke screen—version three. The one that smells like fried circuits."
The pursuers vanished behind a wall of static-filled mist. The sound of crashes echoed faintly.
> Leo: "I call that the 'budget-cut getaway.' Works every time."
---
Aftermath
An hour later, the Command Delta Hauler rolled silently along a coastal highway, its lights dimmed to avoid scanners.
Leo sat on the hood of the Cruiser, helmet off, staring at the ocean. The night air smelled like ozone and bad decisions.
> Guardian Unit 7: "Mission success. Stolen core secured. No casualties."
Leo: "Except my chance of ever sleeping again."
Delta's voice softened.
> Delta: "You could have left the civilians to SPD. Why didn't you?"
He thought for a moment, watching lightning flicker far off.
> "Because they wouldn't have been fast enough. And because… someone has to prove SPD doesn't have a monopoly on doing the right thing."
A pause. Then, the Cruiser spoke, dry as ever.
> Cruiser: "Commander, you sound almost noble."
Leo: "Don't tell anyone. I've got a reputation to protect."
The Hauler's engines hummed louder, heading back into the city shadows. Leo leaned back, eyes half-closed, letting the rhythm of the road drown out the sirens echoing somewhere behind him.
---
To be continued.