Black Lotus: The Silent Strike

The door swung open in a silent, calculated motion as Val and his team slipped into Revner's quarters, the room bathed in a low, amber light. A faint hum of machinery filled the air—devices Revner likely used to stay in constant communication with Black Lotus. But now, the quiet inside was ominous, filled with an unspoken tension that seemed to thicken as Val's team fanned out, surrounding their target.

Revner sat at a desk, his back to them, oblivious to the shadows that had slipped into his sanctuary. The arrogant confidence of a man who believed himself untouchable showed in the relaxed slump of his shoulders, the way he scribbled notes as though his fortress had held against the phantoms now encircling him.

Val raised a hand, signaling his team to freeze in position, his fingers splayed to signify patience. His voice was barely a breath over the mind link.

Wait for my command.

Revner tilted his head, as if sensing something in the room shift. He stilled, one hand drifting toward his holstered weapon. But it was already too late.

Now.

The word hung in the air, and in that instant, they sprang into motion.

Bo moved first, shrouding himself in a glistening layer of ice, bending light around him until he was nearly invisible. In one fluid motion, he conjured a thin shard of razor-sharp ice, his breath steady and focused as he advanced. As he closed the distance, he flared back into visibility, the shard already hurtling forward.

Revner spun in his chair just in time for the ice to strike his shoulder, tearing through flesh and muscle. He let out a strangled gasp as cold seeped from the wound, his skin paling under the numbing frost that spread rapidly from the impact.

Crimson blood sprayed, a dark, viscous arc that splattered across Bo's glove, contrasting starkly with the ice. A flash of rage crossed Revner's face, his mouth opening to speak, but before he could raise a hand in defense, Riggs was on him.

Riggs conjured a fierce gust of wind, channeling it into a focused blade that whirled around his arm before launching it straight at Revner's chest. The slicing wind tore through Revner's suit, carving a jagged, horizontal wound across his torso. The air crackled with the sound of ripping flesh, the scent of iron flooding the room as blood poured from the fresh wound, spilling down in dark rivulets.

Revner stumbled back, clutching his chest with slick, trembling hands, his eyes wide with horror as he glanced from one operative to the next, each cloaked in the impenetrable silence of executioners. He gasped, trying to form words, but his voice faltered, choked by the freezing pain spreading through his shoulder and the bloody gash that stretched across his torso.

Yet even in his agony, a twisted smirk managed to creep across his face.

"You… think… this changes anything?" he wheezed, his voice a guttural rasp, but Val only watched, his eyes cold, unyielding, and devoid of any response.

Blood bubbled at Revner's lips, staining his teeth as he spat another taunt.

"You're only… pawns. Black Lotus… will never fall…" His words hung in the air, daring a reaction from Val, but none came.

Bo's expression twisted in disgust as he took another step forward, conjuring another shard of ice, this one even larger, gleaming with a deadly glint. With precision, he drove it straight into Revner's leg, pinning him to the floor.

Revner let out a guttural scream, the ice anchoring him in place, his blood pooling beneath him, staining the pristine surface in vivid, seeping red.

Riggs, not one to leave a job half-done, stepped up, his wind circling like a predator waiting to strike. He conjured a gale that spun around Revner's head, tightening into a suffocating vortex that left Revner gasping for breath, his body convulsing in panicked spasms as he choked on the whirling air.

Val watched, his silence an oppressive force that filled the room. He gave a single, subtle nod, and Riggs released the vortex, allowing Revner to slump back, gasping, his once-arrogant demeanor reduced to fear-ridden desperation.

Revner's breaths came in broken gasps, his body battered and broken, but still, a flicker of defiance remained in his eyes. His blood-streaked mouth curled into a mocking sneer as he managed to rasp, "You… won't stop us… you'll never…"

Val's gaze remained unflinching, his silence piercing through Revner's desperate bravado. He was a shadow, unmoved by the dying man's words, as steady as the darkness that encased him. He gave Bo a slight nod, his order unspoken yet understood.

With a swift motion, Bo encased his hand in frost, his fingers leaving a trail of ice as he gripped Revner's throat. The freezing touch sent tremors through Revner's body, his sneer faltering as fear crept into his eyes. He gagged as the cold invaded his veins, numbing his skin and freezing his blood in place.

Riggs stepped forward, conjuring a final gust that tore through the room, scattering papers and extinguishing the faint hum of machinery. The wind sliced across Revner's neck, severing his last breath, and the room fell into silence, the oppressive quiet broken only by the soft dripping of blood pooling across the floor.

Val's gaze swept over his team, each one standing amidst the carnage with a stoic, unwavering calm. They had delivered their message—one written in blood and silence.

With the mission complete, Val opened the mind link, his voice coming across low and commanding.

Clear out. Make it clean.

"Tsk!" Fon clicked his tongue, a hint of mock annoyance in his tone.

"Didn't even get to throw a single punch…" He muttered under his breath, already stepping forward, a half-grin hidden beneath his mask as he approached the desk littered with Revner's documents.

He carefully pulled a small card from his pocket, marked with the symbol ⍉ and the single word "death." As he placed it on the blood-streaked table, he smirked, knowing it would burst into flames if anyone dared to touch it. He gave the card a little pat, as if bidding it farewell, before turning back to his team.

"Consider it my personal touch," he murmured, amusement lacing his voice.

Bo, Riggs, and Fon moved with purpose, erasing traces of their presence, leaving Revner's lifeless form slumped amidst the bloody remains of his stronghold.

As they stepped back into the shadows of the Aegis Mountains, Val's voice came over the mind link, carrying a weight that hinted at an unspoken purpose.

Team… there's one more target. Our mission isn't over.

Silence greeted his words, a palpable anticipation thickening the air.

Val's tone was sharp, each word slicing through the night. Next… we take down the traitor.

The team's reactions remained concealed, but a flicker of anticipation simmered in the link, the promise of a reckoning casting its shadow over them as they prepared for the next strike.