03:00 AM (Hours before Sinclair's scheduled inspection)
Nero Familia Headquarters – Sector 7 Warehouse
The atmosphere inside the Sector 7 warehouse was cold and heavy. For the first time, all the halogen spotlights were switched on, illuminating a large round table surrounded by steel chairs.
One by one, they arrived through different routes:
1. Garry entered through the upper window, leaping from the iron rafters with effortless agility.
2. Key emerged from the shadows of a side door, her eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep, clutching her laptop as if it were her very life.
3. Lea walked in calmly, wearing a black leather jacket, her gaze sweeping the room to identify every blind spot.
4. Krow entered with heavy footsteps, carrying a long case containing his military-grade sniper rifle.
5. Zack arrived last, the faint scent of raw meat still clinging to his jacket, his hands buried in his pockets where he concealed his blades.
6. Funin stood beside Key, looking slightly Tremulous yet curious to see the other "dangerous" individuals.
They all stood in silence, eyeing one another with deep suspicion. None of them knew who the others were—they only knew they had been recruited by either the "Cold Man" (Rion) or the "Elegant Woman" (Ren).
"Keep your weapons out of arm's reach," Rion's voice echoed from the second-floor balcony.
Rion and Ren descended together. Rion wore black tactical gear, while Ren stood in stark contrast in a formal black gown, holding a glass of wine as if this were an elite dinner party.
"Welcome," Ren said, standing at the head of the table. "As of tonight, you are no longer strangers to one another. You are the nerves, the muscle, and the fangs of Nero Familia."
Rion spread a digital map of Sector 3 across the table. "Garry, have you mapped the escape routes?"
Garry nodded firmly. "All the narrow alleys and underground pipes are clear."
"Key, access to the CCTV system?"
"I'm already inside, Rion. I can blind Sinclair in seconds if you want," Key replied with a thin smirk.
"Krow, position?"
"The old clock tower across from the Sector 3 warehouse. I have an 800-meter line of sight," Krow stated flatly.
Ren circled the table, touching Funin and Lea's shoulders in turn. "Funin will be your voice if communications are jammed. Lea will be your eyes on the ground. And Zack... you are the gatekeeper if anyone tries to breach through the rear."
They all stared at Rion and Ren. The suspicion slowly morphed into awe at the structure that had been built so silently. Those who had been considered "trash" or "ghosts" by Ironport now felt they had a purpose.
"Sinclair will be there at ten this morning," Rion said, his eyes flashing sharply. "We aren't going to kill him. We are going to give him a 'show.' We will destroy Seifong's illegal weapon shipment right before his eyes using our technology. We will make sure Sinclair knows there is a new power he cannot control."
Ren raised her glass. "Let us show Ironport that darkness does not always mean emptiness. Sometimes, darkness is where a new family is born."
That night, at the Sector 7 headquarters, Nero Familia was officially united. No more secrets remained between them. The fuse was lit, and the dawn at Sector 3 would be the first witness to their coordinated strike.