Chapter 10: Into the Undercity

The undercity was alive in the worst way — a place where shadows moved faster than the people, where neon lights flickered over alleyways stained with blood and betrayal. The kind of place where people like me belonged.

I glanced over at Evelyn as we made our way deeper. She kept her hand close to her SMG, eyes sharp, scanning every figure that slinked from one corner to another. She was adapting fast — too fast, if I was being honest. There was something in her eyes, a cold determination that hadn’t been there before.

"You okay?" I asked, keeping my voice low.

She shot me a glance. "I will be. Once we stop them."

I nodded. It wasn’t the time for long talks about morality and the cost of revenge. We had a job to do.

Marcus led the way, his hulking frame clearing a path through the narrow streets. The deeper we went, the worse it got — addicts leaning against walls, mercs in cheap armor sizing us up like fresh meat.

"Keep your head down," Marcus muttered, not even looking back. "These people will gut you if they think you’re weak."

"Good thing I’m not weak," Evelyn shot back, though her fingers tensed on the trigger.

Finally, we reached a rundown bar with a flickering neon sign that read "The Hound's Pit." Appropriate name for a place like this.

Inside, the air was thick with smoke, the low murmur of dangerous people talking dangerous things. Every head turned when we walked in, but Marcus ignored them, heading straight for the back.

There, in a booth, sat a man with silver hair tied back in a loose knot, a half-empty glass in front of him. Voss.

He looked up as we approached, a smirk playing on his lips. "Well, well. If it isn’t Damien Black. Thought you were dead."

"Not yet," I said, sliding into the booth opposite him. Evelyn sat beside me, her eyes never leaving his face.

Marcus stood to the side, arms crossed, watching the room.

Voss leaned back, eyeing us with amusement. "So, to what do I owe the pleasure? Come to settle old debts?"

I placed the flash drive on the table, tapping it once. "Marrow Corp. You know what this is?"

His smirk faded slightly. "Depends. Why are you bringing it to me?"

"Because we know about Project Helix. We know what they’re planning. And we know you have dirt on them."

Voss chuckled, though there was a nervous edge to it now. "You have no idea what you’re poking at, Damien. Marrow isn’t just some corp playing with drugs and guns. They’re in bed with people way higher up — people who can erase you like you never existed."

"Let them try," I said, leaning forward. "Or you can help us stop them. You owe me, Voss. Remember Jakarta?"

His jaw tightened at the memory. "That was a long time ago."

"And I saved your life."

Voss looked away, swirling his drink in the glass. After a long pause, he sighed. "Alright. You want to hit Marrow? I know where they’re keeping the Helix prototypes. But it’s locked down tighter than a vault, with private security and worse."

"Where?" Evelyn asked, her voice sharp.

Voss hesitated, then leaned in closer. "An old research facility outside the city. Used to be biotech, but Marrow bought it out years ago. They’ve got labs underground — that’s where they’re testing the strain. If you’re going there, you’ll need serious firepower."

Marcus grunted. "We can handle that."

Voss gave him a skeptical look but didn’t argue. "There’s more. They’ve got someone running the show on-site — Dr. Aldrich. He’s the real monster behind Helix. If you take him out, you might stop this thing before it spreads."

Evelyn’s hands clenched into fists. "Then we take him out."

I looked at Voss, reading the fear in his eyes. "Why are you helping us? Really."

He smirked, though it didn’t reach his eyes. "Let’s just say Marrow cut me loose when I got too close to the truth. If they succeed, there won’t be a place left in this world for people like us. And besides..." He leaned in, voice dropping to a whisper. "Some things even I won’t stomach."

I nodded, standing up. "Then we have a target."

Voss grabbed my arm before I could leave. "Careful, Damien. You’re walking into hell. And Marrow? They’ll throw everything they’ve got at you."

I gave him a cold smile. "Let them try."

As we stepped back into the night, Evelyn fell in beside me. "So what now?"

I glanced at Marcus, who was already lighting a cigarette like we hadn’t just declared war on one of the most powerful corporations on the planet.

"Now," I said, my voice low, "we gear up."

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