4.07

Grue shrouded the area in darkness, a desperate measure against the overwhelming numbers of the ABB gang. He lifted me onto the roof, and I helped pull up Regent and Tattletale. Grue joined us, and we descended into another alley, encountering more gang members. Tattletale realized it was a trap, and we narrowly avoided a devastating explosion set by Bakuda, the ABB’s bomb-making cape.

Amidst the chaos of the blast’s aftermath, Bakuda appeared, her voice distorted by her mask. Grue unleashed his darkness, and we fled, only to be confronted by a strange force pulling us back – a miniature black hole, another of Bakuda’s creations. I managed to anchor myself to a locker with my knife, barely holding on until the effect ceased.

We found ourselves trapped, with another of Bakuda’s bombs landing amongst us. Grue swiftly kicked it into a nearby locker before it detonated, but we were still caught in its time-distorting field. We struggled against the slowing effect, barely escaping its grasp as Bakuda launched another wave of projectiles.

We scaled the lockers, encountering more ABB members, but they were different – ordinary people forced into service. An old man with a rifle hesitated to shoot, and a thug urged him on. We escaped, realizing Bakuda was using civilians as soldiers, threatening them and their families.

Another explosion rocked the area, and we saw Bakuda on a modified jeep, herding us into a trap. We had no choice but to backtrack, heading towards the facility’s center. We climbed over another row of lockers, finding ourselves back where we’d escaped the mob.

Before us, a group of armed ABB gang members stood, with more of Bakuda’s civilian recruits in front. Bakuda, standing atop her jeep, declared “Checkmate.” Her voice echoed through the air, laden with grim satisfaction. We were trapped, surrounded by enemies, both willing and unwilling, with no clear path to escape. Bakuda’s arsenal of bombs and her strategic use of civilians as shields had cornered us, leaving us with seemingly no way out.