Flashback..
The dim light of the warehouse flickered, casting long shadows across crates stacked like silent witnesses.
Alexei, barely twenty one but with eyes that held the weight of a lifetime, leaned against a cold metal pillar, his jaw clenched.
Across from him, Mikhail just a year older but already a hardened force paced slowly, the scrape of his boots echoing in the vast, empty space.
"We can't keep doing this, Lex," Mikhail said quietly, stopping to meet Alexei's gaze. "Picking scraps from street corners won't build an empire."
Alexei's voice was low, sharp. "We start small, Mikhail. Kings aren't born they are made by what they are willing to do first."
Mikhail shook his head. "It's not just about size. It's about respect. Fear. If we want to rule, people need to know we're more than just scrappy kids."
A bitter smile tugged at Alexei's lips. "They already fear Lynx.The ghost in the shadows. But now we need to be more, we need to control the game."
Mikhail stepped closer, eyes fierce. "Then we take out Vasiliev's operation. Quick, clean and ruthless. Show the city who's in charge."
Alexei nodded, fists clenched. "No mistakes. No mercy."
For a moment, silence hung between them, "what about the guards" Mikhail hesitate "They are irrelevant, and stupid, I spent a month studying how they move and they should not be a problem" Alexei spoke with certainty that calmed Mikhail heavy with unspoken memories of pain, of running, of nights spent hiding from a past neither could escape.
Mikhail's voice softened. "You're not alone in this, Lex. We do it together. Or not at all."
Alexei looked away, shadows crossing his face. "I know."
The faintest crack of a smile appeared
"Okay. We have to move fast, you round up the guys " Alexei said surrounded by scattered blueprints, worn crates of weapons, and bundles of cash.
Alexei eyes burning with restless fire, leaned over the table. His hands trembled slightly not from fear, but from the weight of the future they were about to seize.
Mikhail watched Alexei with a steady gaze, like a protective older brother ready to shield him from the storm. "Listen, kid," Mikhail said, voice low but firm, Alexei disliked when Mikhail called his kid, but mikhail did it anyway. "This isn't just about muscle. It's about brains and patience. You rush, you lose everything."
Alexei clenched his jaw. "I know. But waiting feels like losing too. The old boss is weak. We've got the chance to build something real something that lasts."
Mikhail nodded slowly. "I'll watch your back. Together, we'll make the moves they won't see coming."
He slid a leather-bound notebook across the table. "This is the start. Contacts, shipments, safe houses. We take the streets one block at a time. No noise, no mess. Precision."
Alexei's eyes flicked over the notes, scoffing at how wise mikhail sudden became then back up with a small, rare smile. "Lynx Ryder… It's more than a name. It's a symbol. They'll never know who's really behind it."
Mikhail clapped a firm hand on Alexei's shoulder. "That's why I'm here. Like an older brother. I'll handle the faces and fights. You handle the empire."
They sat back, sharing a moment of silent resolve ready for the next move
Mikhail Orlov's eyes gleamed with quiet confidence as he spoke, voice low but sharp. "The old gang's shipment hits the docks tomorrow at midnight. Word is it's lightly guarded ..an easy mark."
Alexei Krasava, sharp beyond his years, studied Mikhail's face. His heart thudded not with fear, but with the hunger for what could be. "If we take it, it's more than just cash. It's a statement. But we move clean. No bodies. No heat."
Mikhail nodded. "I've pulled together a crew
quiet, skilled. No loose ends. We hit fast, we hit hard, then vanish."
Alexei's fingers tapped nervously on the table. "I'll handle the fallout. The negotiations. Keep the right people quiet. If this goes wrong… we lose everything."
Mikhail's grin was steady, almost brotherly. "It won't. We're smarter than they think."
That night, cloaked in darkness and driven by raw ambition, they slipped into the dorkyard. The cold bit through Alexei's coat. Rain slicked the wooden crates, muting every step
Mikhail's crew moved like ghost, silent and precise,
No shot fired, no alarm raised.
Alexei watched from the shadows, calculating every move.
By dawn, the crates were gone, replaced by two letters etched into the wood "LR"
Word spread quickly through the underworld Lynx Ryder had arrived.
As Alexei and Mikhail counted their take in the safety of their hideout, the weight of the moment settled between them.
"This is just the beginning," Alexei said, eyes fierce.
Mikhail clapped him on the shoulder. "Now we build."
They both smiled. "This is it brother" Alexei said making Mikhail sigh with satisfaction