Jin, victorious but breathless, carried Kyle's limp body over his shoulder. The heir's bloodied face and damaged implants made him look almost lifeless.
Jin walked towards a dark alley where he had hidden a stolen van. The black, unmarked vehicle waited in a dimly lit corner. But as he opened the rear door to place his hostage inside, an unexpected sound echoed, police sirens, loud and rapidly approaching.
— "Shit," Jin growled, glancing behind him.
Red and blue flashing lights soon illuminated the street. Three police cars sped in, screeching to a halt near the smoking wreckage of the Maybach. About ten armed officers exited the vehicles, taking cover behind their doors, their weapons aimed.
A loudspeaker crackled to life, amplifying a commanding voice:
— "You are surrounded! Drop the body immediately and put your hands in the air!"
Jin, still masked, remained motionless. He assessed the situation with a cold gaze. His fingers instinctively slipped into his pockets, searching for a quick plan.
— "They're faster than expected," he murmured to himself.
One of the officers cautiously stepped forward, rifle in hand.
— "This is your last warning. If you don't comply, we will open fire."
Jin slowly turned his head toward them. Under his mask, a sly smile formed. He placed Kyle's body onto the van's back seat and gently shut the door.
— "Gentlemen, I hate to be rude, but I'm in a bit of a hurry tonight."
One of the officers, visibly young and nervous, pulled the trigger. A gunshot rang out, and a bullet shot toward Jin. But before it could reach him, Jin raised a hand, subtly shifting its trajectory, making it lodge into a neon sign instead.
The officers exchanged bewildered glances.
— "What the hell? He deflected the bullet!" one of them whispered.
Without hesitation, Jin extended his arms, the air around him seeming to contract. A gravitational wave surged from his body, sending the police cars flying several meters away, pinning the officers behind them. The flashing lights flickered before shutting down under the force. Despite the devastating attack, several officers struggled back to their feet, now preparing to throw stun grenades. Jin sighed as he saw the projectiles flying toward him. With a circular motion of his hands, he created a gravitational barrier that sent the grenades back at their senders. Explosions erupted, plunging the scene into further chaos.
— "You guys are really persistent, huh?" he mocked.
One of the officers, a seasoned veteran, didn't fall into panic. He barked orders to his team:
— "Target his footing! Don't let him gain the advantage!"
The officers focused their fire on Jin, trying to overwhelm him with sheer numbers. Jin evaded, leaping onto the nearby building walls.
Jin knew he couldn't prolong the fight. Reinforcements would arrive soon, and he wasn't here to take on the entire law enforcement. He darted toward the van, narrowly dodging gunfire. A bullet whizzed past his ear, barely missing his mask.
— "Not bad," he murmured as he climbed into the vehicle.
The tires screeched against the pavement as he sped off. The police attempted to follow, but one of their cars, still damaged from his previous attack, struggled to engage in pursuit. However, a reconnaissance drone deployed by special forces suddenly emerged in the sky, closely tracking the van. Jin glanced in the rearview mirror, realizing that his masked face might not be enough to stay anonymous.
— "They really want to make my life difficult tonight."
He abruptly accelerated, diving into a narrow alley. There, he activated a concealed device on his wrist. A burst of electromagnetic energy shot out, temporarily disabling the drone. The machine crashed to the ground with a metallic clang. In the chaos, one of the injured officers managed to raise his gun and snap a picture of Jin just before the van vanished into the darkness. The camera flash briefly illuminated his masked face.
The veteran officer approached the young officer, his gaze dark yet determined.
— "Tell me you got something."
The officer checked the picture on his device. Though slightly blurred, the image distinctly showed a masked man dressed in black, his imposing, menacing silhouette standing against the backdrop of flames.
— "It's not much... but it's a start."
Inside the van, Jin removed his mask, wiping sweat from his forehead. Kyle, still unconscious, breathed weakly in the back. Jin muttered to himself:
— "Next time, I'll take a more discreet route. But oh well, now they know I'm here… good. That'll make them tremble a little more."