"Chapter 118: The Beginning of New Problems"

Alex looked at his team and decided it was time to hand out the «gifts.» He pulled out a bag, set it on the floor, and started rummaging through it, immediately drawing everyone's attention. Even Maine, who was already eager to get started, approached with curiosity, having heard from Dorio that Alex's gadgets were genuinely useful on the job.

«What're you hiding in there?» Maine asked, peering into the bag.

Alex looked up and smiled widely. When he was prepping for the mission, he knew it was going to be loud, so he decided to add a little fun.

«You'll see soon,» he replied, grinning even wider.

Everyone gathered around, waiting to see what he would pull out. The most anxious was Rebecca—she'd forgotten her weapon and felt defenseless. The first thing Alex pulled out was her favorite shotgun and two boxes of ammo. Rebecca's eyes lit up, and she was practically bouncing with excitement.

«For starters, my love,» Alex said with light sarcasm, «your shotgun and two new types of ammo.»

Before he could finish, Rebecca jumped on him, hugging him tightly and showering him with kisses. Alex almost dropped the shotgun, trying to keep his balance, until Lucy decisively intervened.

«Enough, Rebecca,» Lucy said, pulling her friend back. «Let him explain what kind of ammo he brought.»

Rebecca shot Lucy an annoyed look, but Lucy didn't back down, keeping her at arm's length.

«Ah, the fate of a man with a harem,» Maine chuckled, slapping Alex on the shoulder.

Alex shook his head, looking at Maine.

«Don't be jealous, just watch your mouth, or Dorio will beat the crap out of you.»

Maine glanced nervously at Dorio, who stood off to the side with a mysterious smile, but her gaze was cold and threatening. She clenched her fist, reminding Maine of how his inappropriate jokes ended yesterday. He gulped and quickly looked away, whistling as if he hadn't said anything.

Alex chuckled softly, watching the interaction. It seemed like only Dorio could keep Maine in line.

«Alright, let's get down to business,» Kiwi cut in with her monotone voice, interrupting Alex's laughter.

He cleared his throat and continued.

«So, one of the boxes contains acid rounds. They're really corrosive, so try not to accidentally shoot one of us,» Alex said, pointing to the green-tinted bullets.

The team looked at the ammo with interest, and a chill ran down everyone's spine. Rebecca eagerly started loading them into her shotgun, carefully stashing the extra rounds in her pockets and the custom gear Alex had made for her.

«What about the others?» Dorio asked, stepping a bit further back from Rebecca, watching her load up.

«The other box contains shock rounds,» Alex pointed to the blue-tinted ammo box.

Maine shook his head skeptically.

«Choom, hate to break it to you, but we, like, kill them.»

Alex smirked in response.

«Exactly, Maine. It's gonna be an unforgettable fireworks show.»

Alex looked around at the team, sighing when he saw their curious yet slightly weirded-out expressions aimed at him. He understood why Maine questioned the safety of the rounds—after all, the plan was one thing, but the result turned out to be something entirely different.

«Don't worry. I tried to make them less lethal, but, as usual, they ended up being the opposite,» Alex said with a heavy sigh.

Lucy, watching him, immediately knew what he meant. Whenever Alex tried to create something safe, it always ended up even more dangerous than intended.

«What do you mean, 'as usual'?» Falco asked, glancing over Alex's shoulder into the bag.

Alex turned to Falco and decided to explain,

«The thing is, I designed the shock rounds for missions where killing isn't necessary. But knowing Rebecca, there's no way to avoid some shooting. I tried to make something safe… but in the end, the rounds turned out so lethal that they literally fry the target from the inside,» he explained with a crooked smile.

Rebecca just nodded, completely unbothered by the details. For her, weapons should always be as dangerous as possible—otherwise, what's the point? She quickly stuffed the rounds into her pocket, making sure Alex wouldn't have a chance to change his mind and take them back.

Falco patted Alex sympathetically on the shoulder, understanding his intention and quietly chuckled at the failed result.

«Anything for us?» Maine asked impatiently, peering into the bag.

«Of course, everyone gets their turn,» Alex said with a smile and reached into the bag again.

«For my favorite cat—here's a silenced pistol. The bullets are special, with high armor-piercing capabilities.»

Lucy took the pistol, her face lighting up with a slight smile. In gratitude, she kissed Alex on the cheek, which prompted another round of complaints from Maine.

«Oh, the girls always get their stuff first, and we're always left at the bottom!» he grumbled, which immediately earned him another smack on the head from Dorio.

Alex laughed at their bickering and reached into the bag again.

«Alright, Maine, here's your gift. It's a shotgun called the 'Bull's Hoof' because of its shape,» he said, tossing the weapon to the team leader. «You can shoot it one-handed, and here are some explosive rounds.»

Maine looked over the shotgun with excitement, nodding approvingly.

«Feels like New Year's came early! So, do I have to kiss you for such a gift now?» he joked, blowing air kisses at Alex.

Alex grimaced, ready to whack him with a stick, but Dorio was quicker, giving Maine another well-deserved slap.

After the fun, Alex continued handing out the weapons. He pulled out a box and handed it to Dorio.

«These are special brass knuckles, made just for you. I figured they'd suit you since you like to throw punches,» he explained with a smile.

Dorio tried them on, and they fit perfectly.

«Awesome, thanks, Alex!» she said, bumping fists with him in approval.

Next, Alex pulled out an SMG for Kiwi.

«To be honest, I'm not sure what kind of weapon you prefer, so this is for you. The rounds are the same as Lucy's,» he said, handing her the gun.

Kiwi took the SMG silently and hid it under her coat.

Finally, Alex pulled out the last gift—a handheld grenade launcher for Pilar, who always had a fondness for grenades.

«This one's for you, buddy. A grenade launcher and a bunch of grenades. Just don't blow yourself or us up,» he warned with a grin.

Pilar laughed, taking the launcher.

«Don't worry, bro. I'm not as crazy as my sister,» he said, giving a thumbs up.

Alex sighed in relief, having handed out all the gifts.

Rebecca wasn't amused by her brother's joke and sharply kicked him in the leg. Pilar clenched his teeth in pain and started hopping on one foot, trying to shake off the pain. But that wasn't enough for Rebecca—she scoffed and kicked him in the other leg. Now Pilar was lying on the floor, loudly complaining that his sister didn't love him anymore.

Alex shook his head, closing the bag, but then felt a tap on his shoulder. Falco had patted him to get his attention. Alex turned and raised an eyebrow, instantly understanding what Falco wanted.

«Sorry, Falco, but there's nothing for you in this bag. However, I do have something else, but you'll have to wait a bit,» Alex said with a mysterious smile.

Falco stared at Alex with interest. Usually, he stayed behind the wheel and considered himself the best driver on the team, so he was curious about what Alex had in store for him.

While Alex was talking to Falco, a pair of nimble hands had already reached for the bag. Rebecca, noticing that Alex was distracted, rummaged through his bag, hoping to find something else interesting. Lucy, standing nearby, saw it but didn't intervene, deciding that there was probably nothing too dangerous in there.

However, when Rebecca pulled out a strange sphere resembling a giant grenade, Lucy felt something was wrong. She began patting Alex on the shoulder, trying to get his attention.

Alex turned his head toward Lucy and then followed her pointing finger to see Rebecca inspecting the grenade. His heart skipped a beat.

«Oh no,» he whispered.

Rebecca was twirling the sphere in her hands, trying to figure out how to activate it. Alex didn't wait for her to figure it out and instantly snatched the grenade from her hands. Rebecca frowned and tried to take it back.

«Give it back! I just wanted to look at it!» she declared, trying to reach for the grenade.

Meanwhile, the rest of the group, engrossed in their new «toys,» had already noticed the commotion. They saw Alex holding the strange object above his head while using his other arm to block Rebecca, who clung to him like a monkey.

«You're putting those grabby hands where they don't belong again,» Alex grumbled in annoyance.

Rebecca grabbed his arm, pulling herself closer, and, wrapping her legs around his waist, tried to draw him toward her.

«What is this thing? I just wanted to take a look!» she insisted.

«It's a damn grenade! And I don't even remember what it does. You nearly blew us all up,» Alex snapped, squeezing her head tighter.

Upon hearing it was a grenade, Rebecca grinned widely, clearly pleased with herself despite the seriousness of the situation.

«Greedy,» she muttered, letting go of his waist.

Alex just shook his head and stashed the grenade in his pocket, making sure she wouldn't get to it again. Then, he turned to the group.

«Everyone ready?»

They all nodded affirmatively. They headed toward the abandoned warehouse where the Maelstrom gang had set up camp. Before they left, Alex gave a command to GIR—the drone accompanying them—to kill anyone who tried to escape. GIR nodded and took up position on top of the van.

Alex turned to Valerie.

«And don't even think about poking around where you shouldn't.»

Valerie nodded energetically, signaling that she understood. Satisfied that everything was ready, Alex caught up with the group. They were just discussing the plan for infiltration.

«We've assigned everyone their positions. Only you're left,» Maine said, pointing at the warehouse layout on his tablet.

Alex quickly scanned the layout. Spotting a suitable path through the roof, he suggested,

«I'll go in from above. I'll end up in the center and draw their attention while you hit them from the rear.»

Maine scratched his chin and asked for the others' opinions. Everyone agreed with Alex's plan. They knew he was the most dangerous among them and the best at surviving tough situations. Having seen him deflect bullets with his katana once, the group fully trusted his skills.

«Well then, let's go, mighty Nine! Let's crush these cyberpsychos!» Maine shouted enthusiastically, raising his fist.

Alex grimaced at the name Maine had decided to make official.

«Who told him that?» Alex muttered, scanning the group with his eyes.

Under his sharp gaze, Pilar flinched nervously—he was likely the one who'd said too much. Alex shook his head but decided not to bother with Pilar. Maine was already set on the name.

Everyone extended their fists for a group bump. Alex smiled and did the same. They slowly approached the warehouse. Standing at the entrance, Alex looked up at the roof.

«Well, I'm off,» he said before leaping upward.

Those who had never seen Alex in action watched in amazement as he pushed off the wall and, in one jump, landed on the roof. Their gazes turned to Lucy and Rebecca for an explanation, but they just shrugged and calmly said,

«Alex is just special, so don't stress over his abilities.»

Nodding, everyone started moving into their positions, preparing to storm the warehouse. Alex, moving across the roof, headed toward the window he had planned to enter through. When he got to it, he peeked inside and saw only pitch darkness, as if all the windows were tightly boarded up, and even the one he was looking through let in no glimmer of light.

«I'm in position. Kiwi, have you hacked into the warehouse system yet?» he asked, contacting Kiwi.

«A couple more minutes,» she replied.

Alex nodded and lit a cigarette, waiting for the team to be ready. Meanwhile, Kiwi was busy hacking the system to access the internal cameras. The rest of the group had already taken their positions, waiting for the signal.

«Is everyone set?» Maine asked over the comms.

Everyone responded affirmatively, and Alex, glancing through the window, thought about how to make a flashy entrance.

«Well, your move, Alex. We're waiting on you to start,» Maine's voice came through.

«Alright, let's go,» Alex said, flicking the cigarette butt away and preparing for action.

He stood on the glass, peered inside again, and used a mana pulse to gauge the number of enemies. The response was odd—rather than human bodies, the warehouse was filled with beings with unnatural forms.

However, Alex assumed they were Maelstrom members with cyber implants and didn't give it much thought. Waiting for the moment when one of them passed beneath him, he stomped on the glass, shattering it.

With a crash, the glass exploded into shards, and Alex dropped directly onto the head of the unfortunate soul below him. The impact was so powerful that the floor beneath his feet cracked, and the enemy turned into a bloody pulp.

«Hey, girls,» Alex smirked, pulling out his revolver and shooting the nearest opponent in the face.

The gunshot echoed through the warehouse, and all the Maelstrom gang members turned to see Alex standing over the mangled body of one of their own. However, their reaction was too slow—the cracks beneath Alex's feet widened, and in the next moment, the floor collapsed, dropping him into the basement right on top of another unlucky foe.

«Damn...» Alex cursed as he fell.

Upon regaining his footing in the basement, Alex saw several more enemies in front of him. Wasting no time, he drew his katana and swiftly slashed through the closest foes. The rest, snapping out of their shock, started shooting at him.

Alex, deflecting bullets with his katana, advanced toward them, noticing the crazed aggression on their faces. They threw aside their guns, and blades shot out from their arms.

«Interesting,» Alex muttered, observing their transformation.

As if they had lost their minds, the enemies charged at him like wild beasts. Alex, skillfully sheathing his katana, activated its mechanism, firing it into his hand to give him an extra boost for the attack.

The strike was so fast that the enemies didn't even realize they had been cut and kept moving out of sheer inertia until they collapsed in pieces. Due to the friction, their flesh was seared, preventing any blood from leaving their bodies. Alex glanced at the sliced bodies and dashed further into the basement.

Meanwhile, the rest of the team stormed the warehouse. Maine kicked the second-floor door open and blasted an enemy's head off with his shotgun. Dorio smashed through a wall, grabbed an enemy by the head, and crushed it.

Pilar launched a barrage from his grenade launcher into a crowd, scattering enemies with the explosion, while Rebecca, hiding behind cover, systematically picked off those who hadn't reacted yet. Lucy and Kiwi stealthily made their way toward the terminal to hack into the warehouse's security system.

Alex continued moving through the basement, killing anyone who crossed his path. The Maelstrom fighters in the basement acted like zombies, recklessly throwing themselves at him, trying to slow him down. Alex thought to himself,

«They're clearly protecting something…»

There were far more Maelstrom members in the basement than expected, slowing Alex's progress. Like horror movie zombies, they appeared from every door, preventing him from advancing further, using whatever weapons they could find.

Suddenly, one of the gang members, brandishing a knife, charged at Alex. Grabbing him by the neck, Alex ripped the arm holding the weapon off with force.

«Now you're my shield,» Alex smirked, deciding to use him as a human shield.

Alex squeezed the poor soul, now playing the role of his shield, in one hand, while holding his revolver in the other, methodically shooting everyone who got in his way. The Maelstrom members didn't care about their comrade's fate—they kept attacking, ignoring the fact that he was being used as a living barrier.

Reaching a massive iron door, Alex decided to use his captive as a battering ram.

With a loud crash, the door gave way, and as soon as Alex entered the room, dozens of guns were aimed at him. Without hesitation, he took cover behind his «shield,» and the room was immediately filled with the sound of gunfire.

Bullets riddled the unfortunate shield, but Alex calmly kept shooting anyone who tried to stand in his way. When the gunfire finally stopped, he tossed the corpse aside in disgust and looked down at himself. His clothes were drenched in blood and bits of flesh.

«Looks like a shower's unavoidable today,» he said with a crooked grin.

But then, his attention was caught by a faint movement in the corner of the room. One of the shooters was still alive, but on the verge of death. Alex stepped closer to finish the job. However, the dying man's words made him freeze.

«Glory to the Mechanical Man,» the man rasped with a crazed smile before taking his last breath.

Alex's eyes widened in surprise. This was a bad sign. He wanted to ask more questions, but it was too late. The corpse lay before him, still bearing that insane grin. Alex frowned, realizing the seriousness of what he'd heard. What had they been so fiercely protecting, willing to die like kamikazes?

His gaze fell on a bloody trail leading further into the room. He followed it and saw another gang member crawling toward a strange iron box. He was only inches away from it, but the fatal wound in his chest prevented him from reaching his goal.

Alex stepped closer, stopping in front of the box, wondering what could be inside that was worth such sacrifices. But just as his hand reached for it, he heard footsteps behind him.

Alex instantly drew his revolver and aimed it toward the noise. As he turned around, he saw Lucy and Rebecca had come to check on how he was faring.

«Next time, don't sneak up on me,» Alex said, holstering his revolver.

«And don't aim that thing at me,» Lucy grumbled, rolling her eyes.

Alex shook his head and looked back at the case before him. Rebecca immediately rushed over, full of curiosity, but when she reached for the box, Alex sharply stopped her.

«Don't touch it. This isn't something mortals should handle,» he said in a stern tone.

Lucy heard Alex call them mortals and realized right away that something was off, especially the way he looked at Rebecca. Normally, Alex was very kind and let Rebecca touch anything she wanted. But this time, he stopped her and even frowned. Rebecca noticed Alex's frown and understood that he hadn't done it for no reason. She quickly withdrew her hand and stepped behind Alex.

«What do you mean?» Lucy asked, stepping closer.

Alex sighed and pulled out a cigarette. He clearly needed to calm down. Lighting it, he silently stared at the case, sensing that something was wrong inside. Although he felt no threat emanating from the box, it only heightened his suspicions. Could it just be another cult's nonsense? But the words about the Mechanical Man wouldn't leave his mind.

«Before I answer,» Alex said, exhaling smoke, «did the gang members say anything before they died?»

Lucy shook her head, as she hadn't been involved in the shootout. She and Alex simultaneously turned to Rebecca.

«They mumbled something about a Mechanical Man,» she replied uncertainly.

Alex sighed heavily and glanced at the ceiling, realizing the situation was getting worse. Lucy, noticing his reaction, guessed that Alex knew more than he was letting on.

«You know something, don't you?» she asked anxiously.

Alex lowered his gaze to meet Lucy's eyes, a crooked smile appearing on his face, confirming her suspicions that he knew who the Mechanical Man was.

«I don't just know; I've already encountered it. Well, not this specific one, but a similar situation,» Alex said with a wry smile.

Lucy tilted her head, not understanding where Alex was going with this, and waited for him to continue. However, the gremlin inside the sweet girl completely misunderstood, so she kicked Alex in the leg to make him stop speaking in riddles and get on with it.

Alex looked at Rebecca, who had kicked him and was waiting for his answer. He decided to explain what—or rather, who—the Mechanical Man was.

«Yes, I've encountered something like this before. It's an AI—artificial intelligence. Not just a machine, but an avatar of that very woman. If it's here, everything could go very wrong,» he said in a weary voice.

Lucy and Rebecca paled. They knew about that woman—the entity with whom Alex had made a deal. Just mentioning her name instilled fear.

«Is this the same avatar that brought you here?» Lucy asked.

«Not exactly. She has many avatars, all of them different. But yes, this is one of them,» Alex said, rubbing his forehead as he tried to cope with the growing tension.

Rebecca grabbed his hand, nervously squeezing his fingers. Alex looked at her and, trying to comfort her, gently stroked her head.

«What are you going to do?» she asked quietly.

«I don't know yet. But now I understand why this world developed so quickly and why cyber implants cause bouts of cyberpsychosis. It's all connected; all of this woman's avatars strive for chaos and destruction. They don't need to rush—they can wait for hundreds of years while the world destroys itself,» Alex replied grimly.

Their conversation was overheard by Kiwi, who had been following Lucy and Rebecca unnoticed, worried that something was wrong with Alex. Upon hearing what they were discussing, her heart raced, and her eyes widened in shock—everything she learned seemed too terrifying to be true.

To be continued...