MTLNOVEL Chapter 51: The Lockdown Gambit
The Lockdown Gambit
---
1. The Moment Luck Fails (Tom's POV – A Sudden Shift in Probability)
The black site's corridors stretched endlessly, a maze of reinforced steel and silent death traps. Every step forward was another calculated risk, another chance for their presence to be detected.
So far, Tom's subtle nudges of luck had kept them undetected.
But something felt different now.
Wrong.
As they passed through a decontamination chamber, the atmosphere shifted—a deep, thrumming hum vibrating beneath the floor.
Tom's gut twisted.
He had trusted luck to keep them moving forward. But now, the feeling that had guided him so smoothly sputtered and stalled.
Like dice refusing to roll.
Like probability being forcibly reset.
Then—
Alarms.
Blazing red lights. A mechanical voice blared through the prison's speakers.
"UNAUTHORIZED PRESENCE DETECTED. LOCKDOWN ENGAGED."
Shit.
---
2. The Black Site Reacts (Group POV – First Combat Engagement in the Facility)
The corridors sealed shut, security panels snapping into place like shields of reinforced steel.
Orion cursed. "Damn it! The whole system just went into purge mode."
Stacy drew her blades, shifting into a low stance. "What's coming?"
Clank. Clank. Clank.
The walls unfolded, revealing armored sentries—twisted fusions of machine and flesh. Council enforcers, enhanced beyond human limits.
Nyla cursed under her breath. "Wardens."
Tom clenched his fists. "How tough?"
"They don't stop. Not until we're dead."
Then let's not die.
The first Warden charged.
---
3. A Desperate Defense (Tom's POV – A Test of Control in Combat)
The massive Warden lunged, its arms morphing into shimmering plasma blades.
Tom dodged, barely missing a downward strike that carved the floor open.
The air burned.
His instinct screamed at him—his probability manipulation should have given him an opening to counterattack.
But luck wasn't fully working yet.
Not enough to bend reality outright.
So I'll have to do this the hard way.
---
4. Tom Rolls the Dice (Tom's POV – Luck Returns in Small, Tactical Ways)
Tom pivoted, his mind racing.
He didn't need to force a perfect outcome—he just needed an edge.
A small shift. A tiny correction in probability.
He let his instincts flow, focusing on one simple, reasonable hope:
What if the Warden's next strike overshot?
The roulette wheel spun in his mind.
The Warden swung—too fast, too hard.
Its strike missed Tom by an inch, embedding deep into the steel floor.
Tom didn't hesitate. He struck.
A heavy kick to the joint, where cybernetic armor met flesh.
The Warden staggered, its balance thrown off.
Tom grinned. That was better.
---
5. The Others Fight Back (Group POV – A Tactical Battle)
Stacy was a blur of motion, weaving between two Wardens with lethal precision.
Her blades flashed, striking at the exposed tissue between the mechanical plating.
One Warden collapsed, sparks flying from its exposed circuits.
Nyla fired round after round, her modified rifle sending shockwaves of concussive energy through the air.
Diane stood near Orion, her hands glowing faintly, ready to shield them from attacks.
They were holding their ground.
But the Wardens weren't stopping.
And the lockdown timer on Orion's screen showed less than five minutes until the entire floor was purged.
"We need a way out!" Orion shouted.
Tom's luck wasn't enough to turn the tide completely.
But maybe—
Maybe it was enough to open a door.
---
6. Imma's Voice Breaks Through (Tom's POV – A System Override Attempt)
Another pulse throbbed in Tom's head.
This time, it wasn't just static.
It was a voice. Clearer than before.
[—Tom. System integrity… 37%. Attempting… override.]
His breath caught.
"Imma?"
The roulette wheel inside his mind pulsed.
The world around him flickered for a second—just a fraction of a second—like something outside of time had briefly interfered.
Then—
A hatch on the left wall slid open.
A maintenance tunnel.
Tom's pulse hammered.
It wasn't a perfect escape.
But it was a chance.
---
7. The Run for Survival (Group POV – Breaking Through the Lockdown)
"Move!" Tom shouted.
Nyla and Stacy covered the rear, cutting down the nearest Wardens as the group rushed toward the hatch.
Diane threw up a temporary shield, absorbing the plasma shots that rained toward them.
Orion dove into the tunnel controls, trying to seal the exit behind them.
The wardens charged forward, blades gleaming—
Then—
The hatch slammed shut.
Silence.
For a moment, all Tom could hear was his own ragged breathing.
They had escaped the first wave.
But the deeper they went, the worse it would get.
And now?
Now, the Council knew they were here.
---