Parkway.

### **[Scene: HSI Briefing Room – Pre-Mission]**

**Leia (sliding a dossier across the table):** *"Parkway. Shadow Sector. Used to be a trade hub before the Brotherhood turned it into a rat’s nest. Now it’s crawling with deserters, scavengers, and worse."*

*Mia flips through the files—grainy surveillance shots of **black-market dealers, armed squatters, and Brotherhood stragglers** holed up in crumbling apartments.*

**Mia (raising an eyebrow):** *"Extermination? That’s a fancy word for *clean-up.*"*

**Leia (coolly):** *"Call it what you want. Just make sure nothing with a Brotherhood tattoo walks out alive."*

---

### **[Scene: Armory – Gearing Up]**

*Mia straps the **Zapravka ZPVKA** to her back, checks the glow sights, and loads 7.62 rounds with practiced ease. Tally tosses her a pouch of grenades.*

**Tally (grinning):** *"Extra spicy. Shock *and* frag in one."*

**Mia (slinging the pack):** *"Where’s Rask?"*

**Tally (pointing to med-bay):** *"Getting his boosters. Doc says he’s got the immune system of a tank, but *protocol*—"*

*A distant, offended **bark** echoes down the hall.*

**Mia (smirking):** *"Tell him I’ll bring back a souvenir."*

---

### **[Scene: Parkway City Limits – Sunset]**

*The city is a **corpse of concrete and rust.** Graffiti-scarred walls, shattered streetlights, and the distant echo of gunfire. Mia crouches on a rooftop, scanning the streets below.*

**Mia (muttering):** *"Home sweet hellhole."*

*Her HUD pings—**heat signatures** in the old **Granit Hotel.** Four hostiles. Brotherhood insignias flicker on her scanner.*

*She shoulders the Zapravka. The glow sights flare green in the dusk.*

---

### **[Scene: Granit Hotel – Room 407]**

*Mia kicks in the door. **Three Brotherhood deserters** whirl—half-drunk, rifles slung over their shoulders.*

**Brotherhood Grunt #1 (slurring):** *"The fuck—?!"*

***CRACK.***

*Mia’s first shot **punctures his throat.** The second man dives for cover, but her follow-up **catches him mid-lunge.** The third tries to flee—*

***BOOM.***

*Tally’s grenade **vaporizes the window.** Shrapnel shreds him against the wall.*

*Silence. Then—*

**Fourth Voice (from the bathroom):** *"…I surrender?"*

*A scrawny teen stumbles out, hands up. No tattoo. Just a **stolen Brotherhood jacket.***

**Mia (sighing):** *"You’re not one of them."*

**Kid (swallowing hard):** *"N-no. Just… cold. Jacket was warm."*

*Mia lowers her rifle. **Leia’s voice echoes in her head:** *"No witnesses."*

---

### **[Scene: Rooftop – Nightfall]**

*The kid—**Jiro**—huddles by a fire barrel Mia lit. She tosses him a protein bar.*

**Jiro (devouring it):** *"You’re not gonna kill me?"*

**Mia (cleaning her rifle):** *"Not unless you give me a reason."*

*He eyes her HSI badge. **Recognition flickers.***

**Jiro:** *"You’re the one with the *dog.*"*

*Mia pauses. **Rask’s rep precedes her.***

**Mia (grunting):** *"Yeah. And if you *ever* wanna meet him, stay out of Brotherhood leftovers."*

---

### **[Scene: Abandoned Police Station – Safehouse]**

*Mia barricades the door, lays out her sleeping bag. Jiro watches from a corner.*

**Jiro:** *"Why’d you spare me?"*

*Mia checks her ammo. Doesn’t look up.*

**Mia:** *"Parkway’s got enough corpses."*

*Outside, **shadows move.** Brotherhood? Scavengers? Doesn’t matter.*

*The Zapravka’s glow sights **pulse once** in the dark.*

---

### **[Scene: Abandoned Police Station – Safehouse – Night]**

*Mia’s comm crackles to life—Leia’s voice, sharp and urgent.*

**Leia (over comms):** *"Listen, kid. Some HSI scavs are coming your way. They’ll knock three times. If they knock more or less than that… waste them."*

*Mia exhales, checks the Zapravka’s chamber, and motions for Jiro to get behind cover.*

**Mia (low, to Jiro):** *"Stay quiet. If this goes bad, run out the back."*

*Jiro nods, eyes wide, clutching a rusted pipe like a weapon.*

---

### **[The Knock]**

***Knock.***

*Pause.*

***Knock. Knock.***

*Mia’s finger tenses on the trigger. **Three. Clean.***

*She keeps the rifle trained on the door as she moves to open it.*

**Mia (calling out):** *"Who’s asking?"*

**HSI Scav (gruff, from outside):** *"Leia sent us. Got a package for you."*

*Mia cracks the door, rifle still ready. Two HSI operatives in scav-gear stand there—one holding a **sealed metal case**, the other scanning the shadows behind them.*

**HSI Scav #1 (nodding at Mia):** *"You Mia? Heard you made a mess at the Granit."*

**Mia (not lowering the rifle):** *"What’s in the case?"*

*The scav pops it open—**thermal charges.***

**HSI Scav #2 (grinning):** *"City’s gotta burn. Orders."*

*Jiro pales.*

---

### **[The Choice]**

*Mia stares at the charges. Leia’s voice echoes in her head: **"No witnesses."***

*But Jiro’s just a kid.*

*She exhales, then shuts the case.*

**Mia (cold):** *"Tell Leia I’ll handle it. Get lost."*

*The scavs exchange glances.*

**HSI Scav #1 (frowning):** *"That’s not how this works."*

*Mia’s Zapravka **doesn’t waver.***

**Mia:** *"It is now."**

*Silence. Then—*

**HSI Scav #2 (backing up):** *"Fine. Your funeral."*

*They vanish into the dark.*

---

### **[Aftermath – Jiro’s Plea]**

*Jiro’s breathing is ragged.*

**Jiro:** *"You’re… really gonna burn the whole city?"*

*Mia doesn’t answer. She flips open the case again—**the charges are armed.***

*Leia didn’t just send a delivery. She sent a **countdown.***

**Mia (muttering):** *"Damn it."*

*She grabs her pack, tosses Jiro a spare pistol.*

**Mia:** *"We’ve got two hours. Find everyone you can. Get them out."*

*Jiro hesitates.*

**Jiro:** *"Why?"*

*Mia racks the Zapravka’s bolt.*

**Mia:** *"Because I’m *not* Brotherhood."*

---

### **[Scene: Parkway – Evacuation Chaos – Night]**

**Mia (over comms, barking orders):** *"Jiro! Get the stragglers moving—east tunnel, NOW!"*

*The kid nods, ushering a group of terrified civilians toward the crumbling subway entrance. The city groans around them, the distant hum of **HSI drones** sweeping the skies.*

**Jiro (panting, grabbing Mia’s arm):** *"They’re not all gonna make it!"*

*Mia checks the **detonator timer** on her wrist—*

**00:27:13**

*She grits her teeth.*

**Mia:** *"Then we make sure *some* do."*

---

### **[Scene: Rooftop – The Last Stand]**

*Mia crouches, **Zapravka** trained on a squad of **HSI Enforcers** blocking the escape route. She exhales—*

***CRACK. CRACK. CRACK.***

*Three shots. Three helmets **punctured.***

**HSI Enforcer (radio static):** *"Shit! She’s—"*

***BOOM.***

*Tally’s "spicy" grenade **erases the rest.***

*Jiro gapes at her.*

**Jiro:** *"You just… killed your own people."*

*Mia reloads, jaw clenched.*

**Mia:** *"They stopped being *my people* when they aimed at civilians."*

---

### **[Scene: Subway Tunnel – Final Evac]**

*The last survivors pour into the tunnels, Jiro guiding them. Mia lingers at the entrance, watching the **skyline.***

*Her comm crackles—**Leia.***

**Leia:** *"Ignoring orders to help the innocent, huh?"*

*Mia braces for the reprimand.*

**Leia (grunting, almost amused):** *"Well. I would’ve done the same."*

*Mia blinks.*

**Leia (firm):** *"Get everyone out, purge the place, then get your **C-Tier ass** back here. And your little buddy could prove useful. Bring him too."*

*The line cuts. Mia exhales—half relief, half exhaustion.*

**Jiro (nervous):** *"Are we… good?"*

*Mia slings the rifle, **smirks.***

**Mia:** *"Better than good. You just got **recruited.**"*

---

### **[Scene: Parkway Outskirts – Detonation]**

*The charges **ignite.***

*A firestorm **consumes the Brotherhood’s last holdout**, flames licking the sky. Mia watches from a distance, Jiro beside her, his face lit orange.*

**Jiro (quiet):** *"What happens now?"*

*Mia turns toward the **HSI transport** idling in the shadows.*

**Mia:** *"Now? You learn to shoot *properly.*"*

*Somewhere in the smoke, a **familiar cybernetic *whirr*** approaches.*

**Rask (barreling into Mia, knocking her over):** *"*BARK!*"* *(Translation: "YOU LEFT ME!")*

**Mia (grunting, ruffling his ears):** *"Yeah, yeah. Missed you too, mutt."*

---

### **[Scene: HSI HQ – Leia’s Office – Post-Mission Debrief]**

*Mia stands in front of Leia’s desk, still covered in Parkway’s ash. Rask pants at her feet, tail thumping. Jiro hovers near the door, wide-eyed, clutching a stolen HSI energy bar.*

**Leia (leaning back, smirk sharp as a knife):** *"Right. So you took down some of our enforcers. But I don’t see a problem."*

*Mia’s brow furrows.*

**Mia:** *"They were blocking the evacuation—"*

**Leia (interrupting, chuckling):** *"Oh, I know. The only *real* problem was that those bastards were notorious for killing civilians. Damn corrupt pricks."*

*Mia freezes. Pieces click.*

**Mia (slowly):** *"Wait a sec… this was all part of your *plan*?"*

*Leia’s grin widens. She slides a file across the desk—**Operation CLEAN HOUSE.***

**Leia:** *"You’re goddamn right, baby."*

---

### **[The Reveal – Leia’s Game]**

*Security footage plays on the wall screen—the same enforcers Mia shot **executing a surrendering family** in a back alley weeks prior.*

**Leia (tapping the screen):** *"They were Brotherhood plants. We *let* them think they had power. Then we sent *you*—the loose cannon who wouldn’t hesitate."*

*Jiro’s energy bar crinkles in his grip.*

**Jiro (whispering):** *"So we were… bait?"*

**Leia (shrugging):** *"More like *ignition.* You lit the fuse. We got rid of the rot *and* saved a city. Win-win."*

*Mia stares at her. Then—*

**Mia (snorting):** *"You manipulative *bitch.*"*

**Leia (raising her coffee):** *"Thanks. Drink?"*

---

### **[Scene: Mess Hall – Aftermath]**

*Mia slumps into a chair, tossing Rask a chunk of synth-meat. Jiro pokes at his food, shell-shocked.*

**Tally (plopping down, grinning):** *"Heard you got played like a fiddle. Welcome to the big leagues!"*

**Dax (grunting):** *"Leia did the same to me last year. Had me ‘accidentally’ punch out a weapons dealer who was skimming profits."*

**Jiro (blinking):** *"Is *everything* here a mind game?"*

**Mia (raising her drink):** *"Only the fun parts."*

*Rask **barks**, his cyber-leg sparking. Tally yelps.*

**Tally:** *"Okay, *that* wasn’t me!"*

---

### **[Scene: HSI Training Facility – Rooftop]**

*Mia leans against the railing, watching the city below. The wind carries the distant hum of hover traffic. Footsteps approach—light, deliberate. She doesn’t turn.*

**Himari (calm, cold):** *"So. You cleaned up Parkway."*

*Mia glances over. **Himari** stands there, arms crossed, her sharp eyes assessing. A veteran infiltrator, known for ghosting through enemy lines without a trace.*

**Mia (grunting):** *"Yeah. And?"*

**Himari (stepping closer):** *"Nice job. Leia told me to take you under my wing."*

*Mia raises an eyebrow.*

**Himari (continuing):** *"She sees potential in you. As an infiltrator."*

*Mia scoffs, turning fully now.*

**Mia:** *"I’m a shooter. Not a spy."*

**Himari (smirking, just barely):** *"You think infiltrators don’t pull triggers? You’ve got the instincts. But instincts alone won’t keep you alive in the shadows."*

*She tosses Mia a small device—a **chameleon cloak emitter.***

**Himari:** *"Starting tomorrow, you’re mine. Until you hit S-Tier."*

*Mia turns the emitter over in her hand. It hums faintly, adapting to her grip.*

**Mia (grinning):** *"Fine. But I’m not calling you ‘sensei.’"*

**Himari (already walking away):** *"Good. Because I’d shoot you if you did."*

---

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***