"Run up to the 57th floor," Linh instructed.
Ethan frowned. "Run? How?"
"Just run."
"On the glass?"
"Yes."
Ethan hesitated. If I fall, what happens? Maybe if I move fast enough, it'll be fine.
Linh's voice crackled in his earpiece. "Ethan, your suit has an exo system that enhances your muscles. You're stronger than normal."
Hearing that, Ethan sprinted up the side of the skyscraper, his boots gripping the glass effortlessly. "Woah… this is unbelievable. I'm running straight up a building, Linh! I love you!"
"You're almost at the 57th floor," she said, amused. "Get ready to stop."
Ethan reached the floor and peered inside. The data room was deep in the building, but there was no way in except through the glass.
"So… do I break the window?"
"No other way in," Linh confirmed.
"No quieter option?"
"Nope."
Ethan sighed. "Alright, what do I use?"
"There's a sticky bomb on your left hip. Don't worry, it explodes inward."
Ethan grabbed the small device, attached it to the glass, and stepped back.
Boom.
The explosion shattered the window, and security guards rushed toward the noise. Ethan moved quickly, firing his grappling cable at a nearby guard, yanking him forward, and covering his mouth before he could scream.
"Where's the key?" Ethan whispered.
The man shook his head. "I don't have it."
Ethan pressed his katana to the guard's throat. "Try again."
"I swear, I don't—"
Linh's voice cut in. "None of them have it. Put him to sleep."
Ethan sighed and tightened his grip around the guard's neck, choking him out. The man slumped to the floor.
Suddenly, three more guards stormed in, guns raised. Ethan dove behind cover, but one moved closer, searching the area.
Ethan grabbed the man's wrist, yanked him forward, and snatched his gun. Using the man as a human shield, he fired—headshotting the two guards in the distance before turning the gun on the one in his grasp and pulling the trigger.
"Fifty-seven minus four… fifty-three to go," he muttered.
"Use your sword, Ethan," Linh advised. "Your exo suit makes you fast enough to deflect bullets."
Ethan smirked and drew his katana.
Another guard fired—Ethan redirected the shot to the ceiling, letting it bounce back into the shooter's skull. A second bullet came, and Ethan flicked it straight into the attacker's chest.
"This is illegal, Linh," he muttered.
"These men are criminals," she replied. "You're doing the world a favor."
Ethan stepped into the hallway. One guard appeared on the right, another on the left. The right-side guard shot first—Ethan deflected the bullet into the left one's heart. The right guard fired again, but Ethan kept deflecting each round until the magazine clicked empty.
Ethan threw his katana. The blade spun through the air, piercing straight through the guard's forehead.
"Call it back," Linh said.
Ethan flexed his fingers. The katana whipped back into his hand like a boomerang.
Inside the data room, Linh guided him. "Plug in the hacking device."
Ethan placed the small device against the lock, watching as it began cracking the security system.
"Three minutes," Linh said.
In those three minutes, Ethan took down 27 more guards. Some fell to his blade, some were shot, and others were simply too slow. The rest, seeing their comrades cut down, fled in terror.
Linh gave Ethan one last trick. "Use your gravity gadget."
Ethan activated it. A pulse emitted from his suit—every gun in the room was ripped from the guards' hands and pinned to the ceiling.
Now, they were defenseless.
Ethan finished the job. Some were stabbed. Some were decapitated. Some lost limbs. But all were gone by the time Linh announced:
"Hack complete. The hard drive contains all of Darius Vinh's crimes."
Ethan turned to the heavy safe in the room. "It's locked."
"No need," Linh said. "Stand within two meters, and I can extract the data magnetically."
Ethan stood in place. Seconds later, Linh confirmed, "Got it. Now get out."
His HUD displayed the fastest escape route. Ethan sprinted for the rooftop.
As he arrived, a stealth aircraft shimmered into visibility. The hatch opened, and Linh waved.
Ethan leaped inside.
"You okay?" Linh asked.
"I'm fine," Ethan said, still catching his breath. "That was… unreal."
"What was?"
"Yesterday, I didn't even have a car. Today, I have a high-tech suit, an exo system, and now I'm flying in an invisible plane."
Linh chuckled. "Alright, take off your suit. Let's get something to eat."
Ethan grinned. "Pho?"
Linh smirked. "Pho it is."