The flow of passengers at Berlin's central train station was dense, chaotic, and noisy. Under the cold light of the mercury vapor lamps in the vaulted ceiling, hundreds of people crisscrossed, carrying suitcases, rushing to embark on their routines.
For Arthur and Hanna, that crowd was both a hiding place and a minefield. Marissa Wiegler's agents wouldn't take long to track down the records of tickets purchased with false identities. Every second standing still increased the risk of a police siege of catastrophic proportions.
Hanna walked a few steps ahead of Arthur, her dark hood pulled up, covering part of her face, her blue eyes scanning every corner of the hall, identifying emergency exits, blind spots in the security cameras, and potential threats in the crowd.
"They're monitoring the train platforms to the north," Hanna murmured without turning around, keeping a steady pace toward the escalators leading to the subway's lower level. "Facial recognition cameras activated at the main ticket office." "We can't go through there."
Arthur nodded discreetly. His heightened perception picked up the subtle hum of the electronic scanning devices installed on the station's support columns. He needed to ensure that, if a confrontation broke out in such a confined space, his skills were sharp enough to neutralize the danger before any civilians were harmed.
Suddenly, two men in dark suits and discreet earpieces emerged from a cafeteria to the right, blocking access to the service staircase. Their gazes met Hanna's.
"Target sighted in sector B-4. Block access!" one of them shouted into the communicator, drawing his holster from under his jacket.
Before they could raise their weapons, Arthur moved. His speed, boosted by his superior physical attributes, blurred the space.
He covered the five-meter distance in the blink of an eye. The first agent tried to draw his weapon, but Arthur delivered a precise blow with the edge of his hand to the man's wrist, hearing the dry crack of the bone and causing the pistol to fall to the ceramic floor. With a quick body spin, Arthur applied an arm lock combined with a sweep, throwing the second agent heavily to the ground.
The fight lasted less than three seconds. Clean, silent, and surgical.
[Close-quarters combat under high pressure successfully completed.] Proficiency gained: +4. [100x Multiplier Talent Activated!] Proficiency gained: +400!
[Evolved Skill: Military Hand-to-Hand Combat (Rank D+) ➔ Evolved to (Rank C-)] (Effect: Advanced mastery of tactical mixed martial arts, quick submissions, and kinetic force redirection.)
Hanna paused for a second, looking at the two unconscious agents on the floor and then at Arthur. There was a clear expression of genuine surprise on his face. The efficiency and coldness with which he had neutralized the threat without hesitation surpassed even the standard of Utrax's most rigorous training.
"They have reinforcements coming down the underground corridor," Arthur warned, quickly picking up his weapon from the floor and checking the magazine. "We don't have time for caution. We have to run."
Hanna nodded, a slight smile breaking the usual seriousness of her face. For the first time, she didn't see Arthur merely as a useful escape partner; she saw him as an equal on the battlefield.
“Through the service maintenance tunnel. I know the structural layout of this type of station,” Hanna said, turning sharply and running toward the service door with the “Restricted Access” sign.
Arthur followed closely, feeling the system’s energy stabilize in his mind as they advanced into the dark bowels of the station, escaping the clutches of the CIA and rushing to meet Erik Heller.