In the normal course of events - ha, when were they last that - a drive-by shooting on a motorcycle would be pretty bad news. The setup was pretty textbook: two on the bike, pillion rider locked and loaded, driver tight to the frame for manoeuvrability.

Motorbikes were favoured in wet work for a reason. Cars tended to be too memorable. Most bystanders had enough familiarity with them to give halfway decent descriptions; they had number plates to track, plus they couldn't split lanes or cut across footpaths if things went sideways.

A bike, especially a smaller street model with a stripped ID and blacked-out plates, could disappear down an alley, dart through pedestrian choke points, and even vault kerbs with the right tyres. Also, you'd be pretty unlucky to get your standard guy in the street to have more to offer the authorities than 'it was two guys in leathers on a black bike.'

"Yes, officer, the suspects were wearing black Shoei RF-1400s with smoked visors, riding a limited-edition Yamaha MT-09 SP - 2023 model, not the standard – with an aftermarket Akrapovič exhaust, clipped mirrors removed for lane-splitting, and if I'm not mistaken, Pirelli Diablo Rosso IVs on the rear. Soft compound. Excellent grip in wet turns. Also, the rider leaned into the throttle too soon coming out of the bend, so you'll probably find a smear of rear rubber about twenty feet back. Hope that helps?"

Not so much.

Bikes had low profile and high mobility. They were also much easier to stash and a breeze to torch.

Griff always favoured two riders for his operation. Although a lot of the competition tended to tool up the driver, he felt doubling up meant maximum efficiency. "And what does maximum efficiency mean, ladies and gentlemen? That's right. Payday."

The front man was to handle the speed, the route, and all his focus was to be on chasing down the mark. The rear man didn't have to concern himself with driving. His job was the kill. And, if I knew Griff, this guy would be packing an SMG, sawed-off, or even a compact machine pistol. After all, accuracy was never the goal in this type of work. You were looking for volume. Spray and pray it was called. You wanted to panic your target, close and then drop them while they're scrambling.

If the red dot closing on my minimap was what I thought it was - two-up, fast, direct vector - then I was about to be reacquainted with a very short chapter in the tactical handbook titled: Run like hell and don't stop until the engine fades or your lungs burst.

But the tactical handbook was for the old me. The new me?

Well, much as it pains me to say, the new me was interested in seeing how well he could tank bullets.

Full disclosure: I absolutely recognised this was not a sensible choice. Poor impulse control had historically been one of my more charming flaws. But in my defence, I'd very recently defeated three separate armies. And told a god where to stick it. Thus, two blokes on a boosted Yamaha with matching hoodies and a shared Spotify playlist didn't quite set my old fear centres alight.

Still. Best not to take chances. I needed my armour back on. Fast.

I flicked my eyes up to the System interface and tried to manually access the inventory mid-jog, which, as it turns out, is not ideal in windy, muddy lanes. I almost walked straight into a hedge.

Then the menu bloomed in the upper-left quadrant of my vision, and a whole bunch of tabs flickered into view. One caught my eye:

[System Advisory: Gear Set Configuration Not Detected] You are currently switching equipment manually. This is inefficient. Gear Set creation is recommended for tactical flexibility. [Would you like to create a Gear Set now? Y/N]

"You know what? I rather think I might."

[New Gear Set Created: Set 1 – "Business at the Front"] – Carapace of the Defiant Line [Equipped] – Mask of the Reluctant Apex [Equipped] – Gauntlets of Earned Scorn [Equipped] – Boots of the Reluctant Vanguard [Equipped] – Signet of the Anchor's Claim [Equipped] – Threshold-Warped Morningstar [Equipped]

[Attributes Adjusted: Endurance +9, Threat Generation restored. Passive effects active.] [Set Bonus Reinstated: Anchorfall Line – Vestments of the Defiant]

Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. [Ability Unlocked: Anvil Break – Level 2]

Well, that was much more like it.

I swiped across to a second tab and tagged my previous outfit—hoodie, T-shirt, Aunt M's old gardening coat, and the mud-covered jeans

[New Gear Set Created: Set 2 – "Party at the Back"] – Civilian Wear: No bonuses detected – Inventory Weight: Light – Armour Class: N/A

[Warning: This set grants no defensive modifiers. Are you sure?] [Yes.] [Your funeral.]

I quickly checked the red dot's progress. It seemed to have slowed slightly, obviously finding the windy lane as much of a struggle to deal with as I did on foot. I still had some time. As the gear sets were now a pair of toggles I could switch with a blink, I tested them.

A shimmer passed over me, and suddenly I was back in my civvies. The loss of Endurance walloped me like the worst sugar crash I'd ever experienced. I toggled it back to the armour. Yeah, this was much better.

Right then. Business at the front. Let's dance.

The first shotgun blast hit me square in the chest just as I crested the next bend.

The guy gave me no warning shout, offered no clever banter or final words from his boss, there was just the vroom-crack of acceleration, the whine of tyres skidding on mud, and the rider bracing for recoil.

The pillion was leaned in tight, holding a stubby pump-action. A Remington 870 with a cut-down barrel, if my instincts hadn't completely atrophied. Classic choice. Short, brutal, and legal only in countries that held cage fighting in primary schools.

The buckshot slammed into me and, I'm not too proud to mention, staggered me some.

[Health: -18] [Status: Wounded – Chest Impact] [Passive Trigger: Stubborn Constitution – Pain Suppression Active] [Lineholder's Instinct – Mitigation Engaged: +15%]

Yeah, that hurt.

Not "hurty words" hurt. Real hurt. Maybe actively seeking out opportunities to be shot was not really a great career move. Mind you, me still being stood clearly baffled the shooter, which was nice. He'd obviously expected my instant collapse. Trauma. Ideally, some screaming and arterial spurting.

I don't think anyone had ever briefed him that some bloke in a suit of armour cocking his head like he was disappointed in the weather.

Matey boy pumped his shotgun again and reached into the bag at his waist for another shell. However, we were about to move into the Find Out portion of this morning's activities.

[Ability Activated: Aggro Magnetism – Level 5] Effect Radius: 10m | Targets Affected: 2 | Duration: 5s Applied: Rage Debuff | Taunt Echo – Active Enhanced Pull: Reaction Delay -1s | Light Stagger Applied [Status: Frenzy Feedback – AoE Vulnerability Increased]

Both their heads snapped toward me. The driver visibly twitched in his seat and then revved the engine. The gunman shouted something I didn't catch—probably "what the hell" or the equivalent in East Londonese and tried to hang on.

But it didn't matter. My Magnetism grabbed them both, and they were coming for me with a full-body snap that said I must kill that man, and I'm not sure why in the same beat.

The bike swerved, overcorrected, tyres skipping on mud and leaves. I sidestepped with all the elegance of someone who'd practised dodging minotaurs in collapsing temples and now actually had a Skill for it.

[Skill: Sidestep – Success] Auto-dodge Triggered: Glancing Hit Converted Momentum Flow Active: +16% Damage and Impact on next action

The pillion tried to shoot again on mid-turn, bad form, too much weight shift, and missed by a country yard. I stepped in behind the bike and activated Closed Circle.

My left hand caught the muzzle of the shotgun mid-pump, and my right elbow drove into his throat. He gurgled, dropped the weapon, and I snatched it mid-drop and turned it into a makeshift baton.

[Skill Triggered: Improvised Weapon – Blunt Classification Detected] +20% Durability | +15% Threat | Fractured Rhythm Chance: Active]

The driver was still off-balance from the swerve and out of his mind on Aggro Magnetism. This made he ability to make good choices minimal. He hit the brakes, skidded, then bailed right into my zone.

I brought the butt of the gun up under his chin, making his helmet jolt back as the rest of his body stumbled forward.

[Skill: Opportunistic Counter – Triggered] Bonus Damage Applied | Defence -10% | Target Disoriented]

I let the shotgun clatter to the verge and pivoted behind him, elbow snaking around his throat.

[Closed Circle: Grapple Success] Effect: Off-Balance, Suppressed Reaction]

To be fair to him, he really did try to break my manoeuvre. But 'tried' was the key word.

I shifted my stance, torqued my hips, and slammed him into the ground.

The guy who'd had the gun still seemed up for shenanigans and reached for something- sidearm, blade, prayer book. Whatever. I kicked him in the chest, rolled him, and planted my boot hard enough to make decision-making a thing of his past.

The whole thing had taken, what, twenty seconds? And now I was standing alone, heaving breath, the steam curling up from my shoulders in the morning chill.

Minimap: clear.

No more red dots.

Two dead men in a ditch. And me, still standing.

[Aggro Magnetism: Cooldown – 25s] [Health Regen: Minor – Combat Ended]

I shook my hand out and put my hand to my chest, where the holes in my armour were just starting to repair. Was I bulletproof? Not quite.

But it turned out I was very, very hard to discourage.

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