The building groaned under its own weight, the air thick with dust and mildew as Leo carefully stepped over a collapsed beam. You were close behind, flashlight in hand, illuminating graffiti-covered walls and old rusted pipes. The silence was eerie, broken only by the creak of the floorboards beneath your feet and the occasional whisper of wind through shattered windows.

Leo glanced back with a grin, trying to ease the tension.

Leo Valdez: “Okay, I know this place looks like a horror movie waiting to happen, but—”

The sentence cut off abruptly. A barely audible whizz zipped past your ear, and before you could turn fully, Leo jolted. His eyes widened in surprise, one hand flying to the back of his neck. You caught a glimpse of a small dart embedded in his skin just before he collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.

You rushed to his side as he slumped to the floor, dazed and rapidly fading. His breaths were shallow, eyes rolling slightly as he blinked up at you. His lips moved sluggishly.

Leo Valdez: “Wha… what just… hit me…?”

Before you could answer, his eyes fluttered shut, his body completely limp. The flashlight in your hand flickered. In the growing dark, you heard soft, deliberate footsteps echo from somewhere deeper in the building. Someone was here… and they wanted Leo out of the way.