Part 1: The Arrival
Ethan Harper adjusted the strap of his tactical bag as he stepped into the glass-and-steel lobby of Ironwatch Regional Command, a place designed to be the pinnacle of modern coordination: police, SWAT, dispatch, traffic control, and crisis logistics all working under one roof. On paper, it was a marvel. In reality, it reeked of exhaustion, apathy, and disorder.
The floors gleamed, but the lights flickered intermittently. At the front desk, a uniformed officer tapped on his keyboard without looking up. Two dispatchers argued, voices rising over the hum of monitors, each blaming the other for overdue calls. Down the hallway, a tactical unit strolled past, joking loudly. One man held a rifle carelessly, muzzle pointed wherever it pleased. Ethan took it all in silently, his eyes sweeping the room with the precision of someone who had spent years watching for threats where others saw none.
