The Calm Before the Storm

The Violet Wolf moved silently across the rooftops, his sleek armor blending with the shadows as the city stretched out below him. Tyr's glowing purple eyes, illuminated by the energy in his helmet, scanned the streets for signs of life—or trouble.

New York was alive with its usual hum of activity, cars honking and lights flickering as the city pulsed with energy. But tonight, something felt... off.

"Argos," Tyr said softly, his voice distorted by the modulator in his helmet. "Give me a rundown of the city. I need targets—smugglers, traffickers, anything worth hitting."

The glowing emblem of Argos appeared on the HUD in his visor. "Acknowledged. Scanning now."

Tyr perched on the edge of a building, his skirt billowing slightly in the night breeze as he waited. The seconds ticked by, and his unease grew. Usually, by now, Argos would have pinged a dozen locations—drug deals, illegal arms trades, human trafficking rings. The city was a cesspool of crime, and there was never a shortage of targets.

But tonight, the HUD remained empty.

"Scan complete," Argos said after a long pause. "No significant criminal activity detected."

Tyr frowned. "What about petty crimes? Robberies? Assaults?"

"Negative," Argos replied. "No notable incidents in progress."

Tyr stood, the unease in his gut growing sharper. "That's impossible. There's always something happening in this city. Expand the parameters. Go wider."

"Expanding search area," Argos confirmed.

Tyr moved across the rooftops as he waited, his boots silent against the concrete. He didn't like this. The silence, the emptiness—it felt unnatural.

After a few minutes, Argos spoke again. "Expanded search complete. No criminal activity detected within operational range."

Tyr stopped, his hands clenching into fists. "You're telling me the entire city is clean? No smuggling, no trafficking, no gangs? Nothing?"

"Correct," Argos said. "No active operations detected."

Tyr narrowed his eyes, his thoughts racing. His reputation as the Violet Wolf had spread far and wide, he knew that. Criminals feared him, avoided the streets at night, but this... this was something else entirely.

"It doesn't make sense," Tyr muttered. "There's no way the city just... stopped. The small-timers might be scared, but the big organizations don't just vanish."

He paced the rooftop, his mind working through the possibilities. The big players in New York's underworld—smugglers, traffickers, drug lords—they weren't cowards. They wouldn't shut down their operations just because of one vigilante.

Unless they weren't running.

"They're reorganizing," Tyr said to himself, his voice low. "They're not gone. They're hiding."

"Hypothesis plausible," Argos said. "Insufficient data to confirm."

Tyr frowned, staring out at the city lights. If the underworld had gone dark, it wasn't out of fear. It was strategy.

"They're planning something," he muttered. "But what?"

Tyr's Force instincts stirred faintly, a warning like a cold breath against the back of his neck.

Something was wrong. He couldn't see it, couldn't pinpoint it, but the sensation was unmistakable. The Force wasn't precise—it didn't hand him answers on a silver platter. But it always knew when danger was near.

He closed his eyes, focusing on the feeling. It was distant, vague, like a shadow lurking just beyond his reach.

"Argos," Tyr said, his voice calm despite the unease clawing at him. "Keep monitoring. I want updates on anything suspicious—anomalies, unusual activity, anything that doesn't fit the pattern."

"Understood," Argos replied.

Tyr dropped down into a dark alley, his landing silent as he blended into the shadows. He moved with purpose, scanning the streets as he made his way toward one of his usual hotspots.

The area was quiet—too quiet. Not a single shady deal or suspicious figure in sight. Even the usual petty thieves and drunks were nowhere to be found.

It was as if the entire underworld had collectively vanished.

The Violet Wolf had become a symbol of fear, a predator stalking the city's criminals. But now, that fear had driven them underground.

Or maybe, Tyr thought grimly, they've all come together to hunt me.

As the hours ticked by, Tyr's unease grew. He found nothing—no crimes, no clues, no answers. The city seemed almost... normal.

But Tyr knew better.

His Force instincts hummed constantly now, a subtle warning that danger was closing in. He couldn't see it, couldn't touch it, but it was there, waiting.

"They're working against me," he muttered, his voice tight. "They've gone quiet for a reason."

"Recommendation?" Argos asked.

Tyr hesitated, his mind racing. He couldn't act blindly—not against an enemy he couldn't see. But he couldn't sit back and wait, either.

"Keep scanning," he said finally. "And expand the monitoring range. If they're hiding, we'll find them."

"Understood," Argos replied.

As dawn began to break, Tyr returned to his workshop, his mind heavy with unanswered questions. He peeled off his helmet, running a hand through his sweat-dampened hair as he stared at the glowing emblem of Argos.

The city was quiet, but it wasn't safe.