The Janitor's Legacy

FIRST STRIKE

As Alex sat crouching on a rooftop with a view of the docks, the night air was thick with tension. A massive cargo ship that had just entered port was surrounded by a flurry of activity below him. Dark- hoody men swarming around shipping containers moved quickly and stealthily. When Alex saw a familiar face, Victor Vega's right hand man, only known as "The Butcher," Alex's eyes narrowed. The Syndicate's top enforcer personally oversaw the operation because of the significance of whatever was in those containers.

Through Alex's earpiece, Mia's voice cracked, "I'm in position." "Systems of security are looped. You have ten minutes before they notice anything going on."

Alex settled into himself by taking a long breath. "Understood. Father, would you say you are prepared with the interruption?"

In spite of the danger, Chen Sr. replied, "Just say the word, son."

Alex got up and rolled his shoulders to relax them. "Let us dance." With liquid beauty, he jumped from the housetop, utilizing a progression of lines and edges to quietly slide to ground level.  The far end of the docks was shaken by a massive explosion as his feet touched the ground. Members of the Syndicate raced toward the blaze, eliciting screams of panic from the crowd. Alex made his way toward the ship through the chaos by sneaking through the shadows.

He experienced his most memorable impediment very quickly two gatekeepers who hadn't left their post. Alex didn't hold back. He charged forward, slamming his fist into the neck of the first guard before the man could even acknowledge his presence. Alex pivoted, using the guard's body as a shield against his partner's wild punch as the guard doubled over, gasping for air. Alex swept the second guard's legs out from under him in a blur, followed by a precise blow to the temple that rendered the second guard unconscious. Still wheezing, the first guard reached for his gun. Alex thumped it to the side with a kick, then conveyed a lightning quick series of blows that sent the man folding to the ground.

"Two down," Alex mumbled into his comm. "Moving to the container of the target." Despite his speed, he ran up the gangplank without making a sound. On the deck, more monitors were occupied by the fire, giving Alex the initial he expected to slip underneath decks. The hold was a though one steel trailers, yet Alex moved with reason. Unmarked but distinguished from the others by its sophisticated electronic lock, one container stood out to Mia.

A shout came from behind Alex as he got closer to the container. "Hey! This is not the place for you!" When Alex spun around, he saw three Syndicate criminals advancing on him with guns drawn. Time appeared to slow as his preparation dominated. He used the man's surprise against him as he launched himself at the nearest opponent. The thug was disarmed and confused after a quick series of blows. The man was thrown into the group by Alex, who used his momentum to grab his arm. Alex used his advantage as the criminals stumbled. He struck with pinpoint accuracy while moving around their clumsy attacks like water. Soon, all three of them were groaning on the ground.

"Alex, you have more groups coming towards your direction," Mia cautioned. "Much company."

Alex muttered, "Working on it," returning his focus to the locked container. He attached a small gadget from his pocket, a present from Mia, to the electronic lock. As the device worked its magic, numbers appeared on the screen. The lock opened as shouts and pounding footsteps from the stairwell echoed. Alex slipped inside after opening the container's door and closing it behind him. He entered a cramped area stuffed with crates. He quickly scanned the labels with the flashlight on his phone. When he realized what he was looking at, it chilled his blood. Advanced weapons, cutting edge technology for surveillance, and a crate marked with the Chimera logo at the far end.

"Mia, Are you are seeing this?" Alex sent images via his phone while whispering. Mia exhaled, "Holy shit." "Alex, that is stuff for the military. What on earth is TechNova  up to?"

The door to the container flew open before Alex could respond. A dozen armed men stood around the Butcher as he stood there. "Indeed, well," the Butcher scoffed. "Take a look at what we got in our net. The actual prodigal son." As Alex considered his options, his thoughts raced. He was dwarfed, outgunned, and cornered. However, during his training in Tibet, he had been in tighter spots. "Funny," Alex said to pass the time before shifting his posture subtly. "I was about to say the same thing about you guys," he said. The Butcher's eyes. He yelled, "Kill him."

Alex shot to action right away. He flung a carton at the closest shooters, utilizing the interruption to close the distance. Two men were disarmed before they could fire a shot thanks to his blurry hands. Alex fought his way toward the door by using their bodies as shields. Every move was cost-effective, and each strike was meant to incapacitate the person as quickly as possible. His years of training were clearly visible as he whipped through controlled violence. However, even Alex had limits. He was briefly dazed when a fortunate punch got past his defenses. The Butcher didn't need anything else. As the Butcher's knife made its mark, Alex's skin cut exploded with pain. As his shirt was stained with warm blood, Alex stumbled and almost fell.

"Are you not so tough now?" As he made his way toward the victim, the Butcher taunted. Alex pushed through the pain with gritted teeth. Alex dodged the Butcher's axe and used his opponent's momentum to send him into a stack of crates. Alex only required the distraction. In a last-ditch effort to escape, he dashed for the door and shoulder passed the remaining criminals.

"Alex! Status update!" In his ear, his father's urgent voice cracked. "Very busy Abort!" As he dashed across the deck, Alex exhaled. As the Syndicate pursued him, shouts and gunfire broke out behind him. The wound in Alex's side screamed with pain with every step as his vision blurred. But he was unable to halt. He jumped over the railing as soon as he got close to the ship's edge. For a heart-halting second, he was in drop. After that, he slammed into the water with a splash, and the icy shock nearly forced air out of his lungs. Alex constrained himself to remain under, swimming away from the boat as slugs peppered the water around him. He finally came to, gasping for air, when he felt like his lungs were about to explode. He panted into his com, "I'm clear." "However, they won't be pleased with what I found," Chen Sr. urged, "Never mind about that now." "Can you get to the meeting place?" Alex turned to look at his bleeding side of his skin and the shore in the distance. The swim was not going to be enjoyable. He grumbled, "I'll manage." "In any case, we want to move quick. TechNova and the Chimera project are both involved in the Syndicate's big plan."

As Alex started the difficult excursion to shore, the docks behind him ejected into disarray. As the NYPD responded to the explosion reports, distant sirens wailed. The Syndicate worked feverishly to conceal their activities and secure their cargo. In the disarray, nobody saw a little, dull boat getting away from the scene. Mia was frantically sorting through Alex's data on her laptop while she was aboard. She mumbled, "This is terrible." "Very poor." From where he was preparing medical supplies for Alex's arrival, Chen Sr. looked up. "What happened?" The light from her screen made Mia's face appear pale. "It's not simply weapons or tech. Something else, something biological, exists. I believe... They may be attempting to weaponize the Chimera project, in my opinion." Chen Sr.'s face became more serious. "Then there is no more time. When Alex is fixed up and taken care of, we continue on the penthouse. Tonight."

Alex held onto a boat to catch his breath as the boat sped through the gloomy waters. He knew he was leaving a blood trail in the water because he could taste copper in his mouth. He just couldn't stop right now. Sarah and Elena had faith in him. Alex pushed off from the boat, forcing his battered body to continue moving, grunting in pain. He almost heard Master Chen say, "Pain is temporary," in his mind. Disappointment is for eternity."

Nicholas paced impatiently when he got back to the Syndicate's penthouse. "What's going on at the docks?" He shouted at one of his comrades. Angrily, the criminal shook his head. "Boss, nothing concrete. However, there is a lot of talk about an attack a burst an invasion. The Butcher isn't on his telephone." Nicholas yelled a curse before turning to see Elena and Sarah looking on with wide eyes. He scoffed, "Looks like your knight in shining armor made his move." It's a shame that it will cost him everything. He took out his telephone, dialing rapidly. "Father? Now is the right time. "Enable Chimera." Nicholas smiled ominously as he hang up the phone. "Ladies, I hope you are prepared for a performance. because New York City is on fire tonight." A low rumble that sounded like a storm's growl began to build in the distance. Well then, this was no regular peculiarity. This was the sound of an inner city being torn apart. Project Chimera's true nature was about to become clear.