Dax burst through the stairwell door, boot soles skidding on cracked tile as alarms continued to wail around him. Overhead, the echo of spinning servos told him the building's defense drones were awake, never a good sign.
"Northwest corner, northwest corner," he muttered to himself, scanning for the exit Milo had mentioned. His lenses pulsed as they adjusted to the strobes and flickering fluorescents, outlining a distant emergency door in faint green.
"Three floors, remember?" Milo piped in, casually. "You're still one short."
Dax groaned, already vaulting a broken railing. He tucked and rolled as he landed one level higher, heat from the floor sensors nipping at his boots. A low hum behind him became a mechanical whine the unmistakable sound of a drone targeting sequence locking in.
He didn't look back. He didn't have to.
Instead, Dax zigzagged down a narrow corridor, twisting his body just enough for the drone's stun round to miss him and shatter a light fixture instead. Glass rained down, catching the flashing red and white lights like static fireworks.
"Oh hey," Milo added between sips. "That new glide rig of yours? You did finish calibrating it, right?"
"Define finish," Dax shot back.
"You're the genius. I was just hoping you wouldn't test it while falling off a building...again ."
Too late now.
Dax reached the stair's final turn, bursting through the rooftop access door just as the first drone crashed through the wall behind him. The city night exploded into view, neon and concrete, rooftops like waves in a sea of light.
He didn't hesitate.
He sprinted across the roof, wind roaring past his ears, and then he jumped.
The city opened up beneath him like a chasm. And for a moment, there was just silence.
Then the glide rig deployed.
Dark panels sprang from the compact frame on his back, catching the wind with a satisfying snap. His descent slowed into a smooth, controlled glide, arcing above the skyline.
From his comm, Milo let out a soft chuckle. "That's cute the little bird can fly."
Dax grinned beneath his mask, shifting his weight to bank around a tower. "Told you I had style."