Stories by @underworld_stories

The Fantastic Four

Twelve years after their space mission, the Fantastic Four have become the world's most beloved heroes. Reed Richards' scientific breakthroughs have transformed civilization, Sue Storm leads the Future Foundation's humanitarian efforts, Ben Grimm dedicates his life to charities across New York, and Johnny Storm serves as a volunteer firefighter and community hero. But their legacy is threatened when an old enemy, Bentley Wittman, returns. Consumed by years of living in Reed's shadow, Bentley secretly assembles the Frightful Four, recruiting his longtime associates Ulysses Klaw, Thundra, and Flint Marko. Their goal isn't to kill the Fantastic Four—it's to destroy the world's faith in them. While Klaw seeks profit and Thundra follows Bentley out of loyalty, Flint believes Bentley is finally going to cure the condition that turned him into Sandman. As Reed investigates the attacks, he uncovers a forgotten connection between Bentley and Flint's past. Years earlier Reed tried to cure Flint but never discovered who created him. Comparing Bentley's history with Flint's, Reed realizes Bentley and A.I.M. engineered the accident themselves. Reed desperately tries convincing Flint that Bentley never cared about curing him, but Flint refuses to believe the only friend he has left betrayed him. As Bentley's plan unravels, Thundra abandons him, causing Bentley to finally reveal Flint was nothing more than a disposable experiment. Betrayed, Flint turns on the Frightful Four and helps the Fantastic Four stop Bentley and the others. When Flint attempts to kill Bentley, Reed is forced to stop him with a power-dampening round, refusing to let revenge define him. Bentley mysteriously vanishes after the battle, while Flint awakens in a super-hospital where he thanks Reed, admitting Reed is the only true friend he's ever had. Elsewhere, Victor Von Doom takes an interest in Bentley's research after learning of a mysterious force that had been communicating with him from beyond reality.

Captain Marvel

As the Kree Empire's homeworld faces collapse, decorated officer Mar-Vell is sent on what he believes is a peaceful mission to Earth. Under the human identity of Dr. Walter Lawson, he is tasked with studying humanity and determining whether Earth could become a new home for his people. While observing life on the planet, Mar-Vell befriends young military officer Rick Jones and forms a growing connection with Captain Carol Danvers, slowly discovering the compassion and resilience of the human race. When Kree soldiers arrive for a routine inspection, Rick accidentally uncovers the truth about Mar-Vell's identity. Ordered to eliminate the witness, the soldiers force Mar-Vell into an impossible choice. Saving Rick means killing his fellow Kree and becoming a fugitive from the empire he has faithfully served. As his commanding officer, Yon-Rogg, secretly buys him time, Mar-Vell struggles to understand why his own people have turned against him. Believing the attack to be a tragic misunderstanding, Mar-Vell returns to Hala to plead his case before the Supreme Intelligence. Instead, he uncovers a conspiracy that shatters everything he believed about the Kree Empire. The all-knowing Supreme Intelligence is nothing more than a manufactured illusion, created to justify endless conquest, and Earth's fate was decided long before he ever arrived. Captured and condemned, Mar-Vell faces execution until Yon-Rogg makes one final choice between duty and friendship, allowing his former protégé to escape. Pursued across the stars by Ronan the Accuser and with Thanos watching from the shadows, Mar-Vell survives a desperate chase before realizing he can never return to Earth without leading the Kree to it. Seeking refuge on the distant world of Skrullos, he leaves behind the only home he has come to love, embracing a new purpose as the hero humanity will one day know as Captain Marvel.

Spider-Man

Nearly a decade after becoming Spider-Man, Peter Parker has built a life beyond the mask. At 24, he works at Empire Biotechnologies alongside Dr. Curt Connors, the former Lizard who now fights to prevent scientific mistakes like his own, and Bill Foster. After losing Gwen Stacy, Harry Osborn, and Aunt May, Peter is trying to become the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man again. He partners with officer Jefferson Davis, who sees Spider-Man as an ally. While volunteering at FEAST to honor May’s memory, Peter meets Martin Li, the organization’s new leader. Peter sees the same compassion in Martin that May had, unaware of the secret he hides. In 1984, twelve-year-old Martin Li was used in an Oscorp experiment by Miles Warren, who was attempting to cure childhood cancer. The experiment saved Martin’s life but transformed him, giving him strange abilities. Years later, Martin abandoned his revenge against Warren after meeting May and devoted himself to helping others. But after May dies from the same disease Warren failed to cure, Martin returns to his original mission. As Mister Negative, Martin searches New York for Warren, his lost research, and Patient Zero, believing the information can create a true cure. His search leads him to an abandoned Oscorp facility, where Spider-Man discovers what Martin is after. Peter and Jefferson race to stop him, while other heroes offer help. Peter refuses, knowing Martin is not just a villain, but a lost friend. After discovering Martin’s past through Oscorp files, the government attempts to capture him. Martin finds Warren, only to discover he has become the monstrous Jackal through his own experiments. Realizing what Warren has become, Martin gives Peter the research and asks him to finish the cure without repeating his mistakes. Martin turns himself in and is sent to the Raft. Later, Black Cat suggests Peter ask out Mary Jane. Peter refuses. He cares about MJ, but losing Gwen is still too recent. He is not ready to move on.

X-Men

Five years after Professor Charles Xavier founded the X-Men, mutants remain caught between hope and fear. As the world begins to accept heroes like Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four, mutants still face suspicion, hatred, and political pressure from those who believe they are a threat. While Xavier and his friend Erik Lehnsherr, known as Magneto, investigate a mutant serial killer, the X-Men continue protecting those who fear and hate them. Led by Scott Summers, known as Cyclops, the team consists of Jean Grey, Hank McCoy, Bobby Drake, Ororo Munroe, and newest recruit Remy LeBeau, Gambit. Jean senses something is wrong with Gambit. When a murdered mutant named Toad is discovered and evidence points toward Gambit's involvement, the X-Men question whether their newest member has betrayed them. The truth reveals a darker conspiracy. Gambit was secretly working for Nathaniel Essex, known as Mister Sinister, a geneticist conducting horrific experiments on mutants. Sinister's goal is to capture Cyclops and Jean Grey, believing their abilities hold the key to mutant evolution. But Gambit never understood Sinister's work, and discovering the horrors beneath the surface makes him realize he helped create a monster. With mutant acceptance hanging by a thread, the X-Men and Magneto race to stop Sinister before he destroys everything Xavier has spent decades building. As Jean faces a telepathic enemy unlike anything she has encountered and Cyclops fights to save his team, Gambit must decide whether to return to the life he escaped from or fight for the family he found. In the aftermath, Gambit proves his mistakes do not define him, earning his place among the X-Men. But as the team celebrates, Mister Sinister survives and begins a new chapter of his experiments, revealing that his plans for mutantkind have only just begun.

Underworld Productions Marvel Reboot Announcement

While I love the story I told throughout the official Underworld Productions Marvel Universe, enough time has passed and more stories are yet to be told. I want a fresh start with Marvel and I feel like I told a good story through the Setup Saga and the Midnight Saga. This new take will be a more established, comic accurate universe and I can say will start with a new X-Men movie.

Swordsmoke: Breakout

A riot tears through the holding compound. Sirens scream as prisoners overwhelm guards and fires spread through the facility. The chaos is all part of Mitch Marston's plan. He fights his way through the compound, taking down guards until he reaches the cell block holding Nick and Mark Cain. Mitch begins freeing them, but a heavy thud shakes the corridor. Centurion drops from an upper walkway. He calmly tells Mitch that this isn't Wraith. Mercenary doesn't tolerate rebellion, and Ghost won't be allowed to do whatever it wants. The fight is brutal. Mitch and Centurion crash through cells and walls as guards rush toward the noise. During the struggle, Nick and Mark manage to overpower several guards and recover a remote that disables Mark's restraint cuffs. The moment they're removed, energy sparks around Mark's hands. He blasts Centurion in the side with a powerful jolt. Nick stares in disbelief. "Mercenary didn't just lock me up," Mark says. "They changed me." Centurion struggles to stand, but Mitch drives a boot into his face and knocks him unconscious. The three push deeper into the prison until they reach the women's block. Using Centurion's keycard, they unlock Iris Anderson's cell. Other prisoners rush out, triggering alarms throughout the compound. A guard named Vexas cuts them off at the exit. She tells them she might spare their lives if they hand Iris back over. Mark forms a sphere of energy in his hands, but Vexas deploys a retractable shield, slamming him into a wall before dropping Nick. Mitch grabs the shield and charges her. She throws him aside with ease. Then Iris steps forward. A wave of energy erupts from her body. Vexas is blasted across the corridor. Iris lowers her hands. Mercenary experimented on her too. The four escape the prison together. Mitch wants to search for Marc, but Nick and Mark stop him. Someone as important as Marc would never be kept in a place like this. They finally return to camp, but Clint and Tobey are nowhere to be found.

Batman 5 Heads or Tails 🪙

Batman arrives at the smoking remains of a warehouse along Gotham's waterfront. Flames crawl across the floor. At the center of the burning building lies Harvey Dent, his body scarred and battered. Weeks pass. At Gotham General Hospital, Bruce Wayne rarely leaves Harvey's bedside. Jason Todd and Barbara Gordon visit constantly, urging him to go home, rest, do anything other than stare at hospital monitors. Bruce refuses every time. One morning Harvey finally opens his eyes. "Bruce..." he whispers. Harvey manages a weak smile. "You're a good friend." For a brief moment, Bruce believes Harvey will recover. Then Harvey vanishes. No discharge. No witnesses. Gone. Batman searches the city until the Bat-Signal cuts through the night sky. At GCPD, Jim Gordon meets him on the roof. "We believe Dent found Edward Nashton. Chinatown. If you want to stop him, get there now." Batman takes Barbara with him. They crash through the apartment door to find Harvey aiming a pistol at Edward's head. Edward's wife and young daughter hide in a closet nearby. "Harvey, put it down," Batman says. Harvey laughs bitterly. "He chained me up. Tortured me. Destroyed half my life because he wanted revenge. This is his fault." He cocks the hammer. "He's not hurting anyone else." Batman lunges. He shoves Edward aside as Harvey fires. The bullet tears through Batman's armor and buries itself in his side. Bruce collapses. Edward scrambles for the fallen gun. One shot. Harvey is struck in the neck. Two-Face falls. Batman tears off his mask and crawls beside him. Harvey's eyes widen. "Bruce..." Blood fills his throat. "The city needs Batman..." he coughs. "The man who gave me Edward's address... was Joker." Bruce freezes. "Joker's coming back." Harvey dies in his friend's arms. Later, Edward swears he'll keep Bruce's identity secret. Bruce stares him down. "Leave Gotham" As Edward takes his family and disappears, Batman looks over Gotham's skyline. Somewhere out there, the Joker is smiling.

Swordsmoke: The Black Manor

Shepard and Daryl arrive on Mercenary Island and are brought to a manor inside the Island Walls. There they meet Ezekial Simon, commander of military operations and leader of Mercenary's final Hunter Unit. The Hunters are fading, replaced by more efficient forces, but Ezekial still oversees what remains. Living with him is Morgan, his daughter, who Mercenary experimented on from childhood. She has been training to soon command an outpost of her own. Daryl is thrown into a cell beneath the manor while Shepard is offered a chance at redemption after Wraith’s collapse. For days Shepard trains soldiers alongside Ezekial until they are alerted that a group of rebels breached the Island Walls. One prisoner was captured, but four escaped deeper into Mercenary territory. The higher-ups are uninterested because the captured prisoner is considered a high-value target, but another division has demanded the remaining intruders be found. Ezekial orders Shepard to lead the operation. Shepard tracks the rebels to a hidden camp. There he finds only one man: Nick Cain. Shepard questions him, but Nick insists the others died in the wilderness. Shepard accepts the story and arrests him. What Shepard doesn't know is that Nick wears a tracker built by Mitch. Nick is transported to the prison compound. Inside, he finally reunites with his brother, Mark Cain. Mark confirms that a prisoner matching Marc's description was brought through, but transferred to a much higher-security facility. Meanwhile, outside the manor, Clint, Tobey, and Mitch watch from hiding. Mitch heads toward the prison while Clint and Tobey move onto the manor roof. Tobey prepares to descend into the manor on a rope to go in and see if he can find anything on the creator of Mercenary. Then Clint hears a voice behind him. "Stop." Startled, he lets go. Tobey falls into the manor. Clint spins around and finds himself face-to-face with Morgan, standing silently on the roof. She smiles. "Looks like we've met again".

Swordsmoke: The Wall

Marc, Mitch, Clint, Tobey, and Nick travel deeper into Mercenary Island. Nick explains that ahead lies a massive border separating the outskirts from the heart of Mercenary. Beyond those walls is where Mercenary's leadership, prisons, and military operations are based. Using an old maintenance tunnel Nick knows about, they slip inside. For a moment it seems they've made it unnoticed, but alarms begin sounding. Mercenary soldiers flood the streets and the group is forced to run. Clint becomes separated from the others. In an alley, he's surprised when a young woman in a Mercenary uniform quietly waves him toward a hidden passage. She tells him this is the only time she'll let any of them escape. Before disappearing back into the city, she smirks and tells him she's sure they'll meet again. The team regroups, but Mercenary forces close in from every direction. Realizing someone has to stay behind, Marc orders the others to keep moving. Mitch refuses, but Marc reminds him that Ghost needs a leader. Marc steps into the open while Mitch, Clint, Tobey, and Nick escape through the district. Marc fights until he's overwhelmed and finally allows himself to be captured. Marc is taken away into the depths of Mercenary territory. Now without Marc, Mitch reluctantly assumes command. The group finds temporary shelter in the ruins of an abandoned industrial sector. There, Nick tells them about a prisoner compound hidden somewhere inside Mercenary territory. He's never seen it himself, but he's certain his brother is being held there. Now Marc is likely there too, along with Tobey's sister Iris. The mission changes. Finding the prison becomes their top priority. As night falls, Mitch and Nick scout ahead in search of a safer location for a permanent base. While overlooking a valley, they spot a massive manor sitting on a hill, heavily guarded and isolated from the surrounding city. Mitch asks who lives there. Nick says he doesn't know. But whoever lives inside is important.

Swordsmoke: The New World

Marc, James, Ellie, Clint, Ken, Darren, Mitch, and Tobey arrive on Mercenary Island by jet. Missiles streak from hidden launchers. Their jet is torn apart and crashes into the sea. They wash ashore on a beach. Soldiers emerge lead by Centurion. Ghost is forced to their knees. Centurion tells Marc to stay quiet before shooting Darren in the head. He drags Ken forward and forces his head underwater. Marc struggles against his restraints as Ken fights, but Centurion smiles. Ken stops moving. Centurion announces there are two more open graves and offers Ghost the chance to choose who dies next. Nobody speaks. Marc demands to be killed instead. Centurion refuses, saying this is Marc's punishment. Ellie volunteers. James and Marc scream for her not to, but Centurion grabs her and snaps her neck before throwing her body into the sand. James swears he'll kill Centurion. Centurion kneels beside him and tears away his lower jaw before crushing his skull beneath his boot. The beach falls silent. Centurion tells the survivors they are welcome to Mercenary Island, but none of them will leave alive. He prepares to continue when gunfire erupts from the treeline. In the confusion, Marc, Clint, Mitch, and Tobey escape into the jungle. They arrive at an isolated hut deep within the forest. For the first time since Bo's death, Marc breaks down completely. Clint and Mitch sit silently while Tobey stares at Norman's bat, unable to process everything they have lost. The door opens. A stranger introduces himself as Nick Cain. Nick explains that he has been hiding from Mercenary for years and was responsible for the attack on Centurion's men. He knows exactly who Ghost is, and he knows why they came. His brother was taken by Mercenary and is being held somewhere on the island. Tobey says maybe Iris is where Nick's brother is. Marc wipes away his tears and stands. Marc tells him they'll help find his brother, but only if Nick helps them destroy Mercenary once and for all. Nick nods.

Origin

After a plane crash, Bruce the I.T worker, Clark an online writer, Diana a painter, Jon a casino guard, Wallace a true crime podcaster, Arthur an aquarium worker, Oliver a shooting range handler, Ryan a physics teacher, and Edward a dishwasher are stranded on an island. Survival becomes priority as they build shelter and ration supplies while Bruce and Clark argue over leadership. Diana holds the group together. Unknown to them, the island is controlled by cannibals called the Savages, led by Van. They were exposed to a radioactive rock that lets Van gain knowledge by sacrificing victims. Wallace uncovers clues through recordings, revealing the truth too late. Clark pushes for immediate escape while Bruce plans cautiously, deepening their divide. Jon and Oliver secure defenses, Ryan studies radiation, Arthur maps currents, Edward supports the group. When Van attacks, Bruce proves selfless and stays behind to distract them so the others can flee. Oliver briefly stays with him. A radioactive blast erupts across the island. The survivors wake on a drifting boat, rescued by Captain Steve of the navy, who says they were found and are being taken home. Bruce and Oliver are missing, presumed lost. Diana watches the horizon, sensing the island still lingers. Van is dead and the other savages wander into the trees to find new purpose.

Swordsmoke: The Map

Ellie, Tobey, and Iris arrive back at Ghost’s base with Daryl Manson. Daryl tells them Mercenary wants him dead for failing again, and now Tobey and Iris are targets too. Tobey grips Norman Ryder’s bat tightly until Daryl tells him that carrying the bat means carrying Norman’s burden. Tobey nearly kills Daryl, but Marc stops him. They need Daryl alive. Daryl explains that Shepard stole the map to Mercenary Island before abandoning everyone. Marc forces Daryl to help track Shepard down, and soon Marc, Ellie, James, and Daryl arrive at the Ares Island docks where Shepard prepares to board a ship leaving the islands. Daryl approaches Shepard alone and warns him Mercenary will kill them both if they don’t get the map back. Shepard calmly admits he burned it. Daryl panics. Without the map, Ghost imprisons him forever, and Mercenary kills him. Then Daryl realizes there could be another copy aboard the ship with the captain. When Shepard turns away, Daryl knocks him out. The four sneak aboard the cargo ship and take down crew members. James finally finds the map—but Shepard recovers and ambushes them. He slams James into the wall and shoots Daryl through the side before aiming his gun at his head. Marc spots an escape route off the ship with the map still in hand, but taking it means leaving Daryl. Ellie reminds Marc that Daryl murdered Norman. Marc hesitates. Then Marc, Ellie, and James escape the ship while Shepard chains Daryl to a pipe below deck. Shepard radios the captain and demands direct coordinates from Mercenary. When the captain asks why, Shepard explains the map is gone, but he has someone Mercenary wants. Back at Ghost’s base, Marc expects relief—but instead finds chaos. While they were gone, Mercenary agents attacked and kidnapped Iris. Tobey sits in silence gripping Norman’s bat while Mitch explains what happened. Marc unfolds the stolen map across the table and stares at the marked island. They know exactly where Mercenary is now. And they’re going to war.

The Hunters 3

Norman Ryder forces Eugene Shepard at gunpoint, demanding he lead him to Tobey Anderson before Daryl’s hunters can reach him first. Shepard insists he doesn’t know the exact location, but Norman doesn’t trust a word he says. Meanwhile, Marc sends Ellie Smith to find Daryl Manson and get the location of the new Mercenary Island before Mercenary disappears again. Elsewhere, Tobey tears through the last Mercenary Outpost inside the United Islands. Tobey fights room to room until he reaches a containment chamber and finds his sister, Iris Anderson, weak but alive after years of imprisonment. As alarms sound, Norman and Shepard arrive at the ruined outpost only to run into Daryl and his remaining hunters. Daryl attacks Norman and frees Shepard. Before Norman can retaliate, Ellie arrives and the four collide inside the burning facility while Tobey and Iris escape through the lower halls. Daryl corners the siblings near the docks and grabs Iris, holding a knife to her throat. Tobey fires a desperate shot that destroys Daryl’s eye. Screaming in rage, Daryl raises his knife to kill Iris—but Norman steps between them. The blade drives deep into Norman’s chest. Everything goes silent. Norman opens his eyes and finds himself staring at Bryce Orwell, the Ghost member Norman murdered years earlier during his darkest days with the Hunters. Norman apologizes for everything he became. Bryce tells him his death was the first step toward Norman becoming someone better. Norman spent years taking lives for power, but now he gives his own life to save someone he doesn’t even know. Back in reality, Ellie catches Daryl before he escapes as Mercenary agents storm the outpost. Daryl tells Ellie Mercenary will kill him for failing again, but they still need him because he knows where Mercenary Island is. Shepard is already gone. Ellie realizes she has no choice. She takes Daryl prisoner while Tobey carries Iris away from the burning outpost as Norman Ryder dies a hero.

Swordsmoke: Kingdom

Jack Grayson sits alone in his office. His commanders warn him that Ghost now has support from Hermes, Athena, and Zephyrus Island. Without Mercenary funding, Wraith is collapsing. Jack refuses surrender. Ships hit the shore by dawn. Marc Marigold leads the assault beside Ellie, James, Mitch, Clint, Darren Rift, and Ken Danvers while allied troops storm the beaches. Wraith soldiers fight desperately to hold the line. Marc pushes into the compound and finally confronts Jack. Marc tells him this war has destroyed enough lives. Jack answers coldly that Grace is gone, and Ghost’s destruction is the only thing keeping him alive. He suddenly stabs Marc in the side. James opens fire, but Strider appears and covers Jack’s retreat deeper into the fortress. The battle intensifies. Marc and James fight room to room until a massive blast collapses part of the structure, separating them. James searches through smoke-filled halls until Strider steps from the shadows. Strider blames James for taking everything from him. James tries convincing him the war doesn’t have to end with more death, but Strider attacks. James dodges, rips the knife from Strider’s belt, and knocks away his pistol. Strider lunges again before stopping suddenly. He looks down to see the knife buried in his stomach. As he collapses, James quietly tells him Ellie would never love him. Above them, Marc corners Jack in the top office overlooking the ocean. They fight brutally across shattered glass and broken furniture. Jack grabs a hidden handgun and fires into Marc’s throat. Marc collapses choking before his skin turns gold, healing the wound. Jack kicks him back down and prepares another shot—but James enters and shoots Jack in the chest. Jack staggers backward. Marc rises, aims his tommy gun, and fires again. Jack crashes through the window and falls onto the armored wall, decapitating him. Wraith falls. With the war finally over, Marc Marigold is sworn in as President of the United Islands.

Swordsmoke: Fugitive

Mercenary agents raid Ghost Headquarters searching for Daryl Manson. Marc tries to stop them but is warned Ghost has no authority over Mercenary operations. Daryl is taken before Centurion at a hidden Mercenary compound. Centurion tells him losing the Hunters broke his contract with Mercenary. Now he has one chance to make up for it: lead a smaller Hunter squad and track down Killshot. Mercenary knows Tobey Anderson is searching for a female test subject hidden somewhere in the islands, and they cannot allow her to escape. With no choice, Daryl agrees. Meanwhile Eugene Shepard realizes Wraith is collapsing. Mercenary has cut funding, the Hunters are gone, and the government is beginning to question him. Shepard secretly decides to abandon Wraith and disappear before Ghost or Mercenary can kill him. Jack learns Shepard is running and contacts Norman Ryder directly. Jack wants Shepard dead before he can reach Mercenary. Norman hates Jack, but agrees to help because Shepard is too dangerous to leave alive. The film becomes a manhunt across Ares Island as Norman and the Hunters track Shepard through ruined Wraith outposts and abandoned bunkers. At the same time Marc contacts Jack, warning him Mercenary is taking direct control of the islands. Jack refuses peace, telling Marc there will never be common ground between Ghost and Wraith. Norman finally corners Shepard inside a destroyed communications station. They fight brutally and Shepard barely wins, but during the confrontation he reveals something important: Daryl Manson knows the location of the new Mercenary Island. Shepard plans to find Daryl and work directly for Mercenary. Shepard escapes wounded. Norman calls Marc and tells him the truth—Mercenary abandoned Wraith, Shepard has gone rogue, and Jack is now alone. The movie ends at Ghost Headquarters. Marc lowers the phone as James Rain walks into the room carrying an unconscious Mitch Marston. Exhausted and bloodied, James looks at Marc and says, “Help is coming.”

Swordsmoke: Labyrinth

Six months after Hunters & Prey. Deep beneath Ares Island, Mitch and James move through endless steel tunnels, wearing stolen Wraith uniforms. The underground complex—called the Labyrinth—is Shepard’s hidden command network, the only line connecting Ares to the outside islands. If they can send a signal, outside nations may finally learn Shepard has turned Ares into a war zone. Above ground, Marc rebuilds Ghost into a stronger force. New recruits Darren Rift and Ken Danvers, both former Hunters, now fight beside Marc, Ellie, and Clint as they tear down outpost after outpost. Marc takes Darren with him to meet Norman Ryder at the last Hunter stronghold. Marc still hates that Norman split from Ghost to reclaim the Hunters, but knows having Norman’s army against Wraith matters. Marc asks what happens if Mitch and James fail. Norman says they won’t—but if they do, they still have one advantage: Tobey Anderson. Only Ghost, Norman’s Hunters, and Daryl know Killshot secretly turned. Now Tobey serves under General Grayson. If Norman gives the order, Tobey can kill Shepard from the inside. James and Mitch push deeper into the Labyrinth, but someone is hunting them. They soon learn Wraith doesn’t control the tunnel—Mercenary operatives run the depths, led by Centurion. Mitch and James crawl through vents, cross flooded chambers, and fight through silent execution squads as Centurion narrows the breach point. Each wrong turn leads to death. They finally reach the communications chamber. Mitch holds guards back while James powers the system and reaches Hermes Island: Ares has fallen under dictatorship. Send help. Centurion storms in, smashing the transmitter. James attacks. The two clash through sparks and shattered screens. James barely escapes through a collapsing maintenance shaft, dragging a wounded Mitch with him. Centurion calmly picks up a secure phone and contacts his superior. “There’s been contact with the outside world,” he says. “It may be time to cut off Wraith.”

Swordsmoke: Hunters & Prey

A ruined shoreline burns under a black sky. The remnants of Ghost’s base smolder as waves crash against debris. Norman Ryder rises from the wreckage, bloodied but standing. Across the sand, Hunters line up behind Daryl Manson, weapons raised. James struggles nearby. Norman pulls him up just as rifles lock onto them. Norman reaches for his gun—gone. Daryl smirks. No more chances. He tells Norman this ends now—Ghost dies here. James and Norman exchange a glance. No plan. No weapons. Norman steps forward anyway. He tells Daryl he will never be a true Hunter—and there won’t be another tyrant after him. Daryl laughs. Norman nods. A shot rings out. Killshot stands behind Daryl, rifle smoking. Daryl collapses, dropping Norman’s old bat. Norman grabs it and unleashes everything—strike after strike, years of rage crashing down. He turns to the Hunters and roars: if they follow anyone, it’s him. Daryl crawls, barely alive. A boot slams onto his back. Marc. Norman raises the bat to finish it—but Marc stops him. Killing Daryl changes nothing. Keeping him alive sends a message. They need leverage against Wraith. Norman refuses. Daryl deserves death. James agrees. Marc doesn’t bend. Daryl lives—in a cell, forever. Norman swings anyway. Marc knocks him back. Mitch and Ellie arrive as the tension fractures the group. Norman stands, breathing heavy, then makes his choice. He won’t follow Marc anymore. The Hunters will answer to him—and they’ll fight Wraith their own way. First, he’ll help Tobey find his sister. Marc warns him he’s making a mistake. Norman doesn’t look back. He walks into the fire with the Hunters behind him.

Swordsmoke: Rescue

Marc launches a rescue. While he builds forces with Mitch and Clint, he sends James and Ellie to retrieve Norman. Their jet cuts through clouds—then the sky clears unnaturally. The engines stall. Controls die. Ellie fights the panel, nothing responds. James looks back—missiles incoming. He shouts to eject. They jump as the jet explodes behind them. They land on a small island surrounded by soldiers. Strider steps forward, calm. They’re under arrest for conspiracy and federal airspace violations. Ellie demands to know where they are. Strider says they tracked Norman’s escape, but he’s already gone. Now they’re headed to a holding facility with Daryl and Killshot. James calls him a traitor. Strider slaps him, saying James isn’t the man Ellie chose. Ellie accuses him of jealousy. Strider says he made his choice, but watching them suffer helps. On the mainland, they’re locked up. Strider leaves to meet Jack and Shepard. Daryl visits James, saying hope won’t save them. Cut to Norman returning. He tells Marc about the new Mercenary island, Tobey’s sister, and finally—Mercenary is back. Marc erupts, furious he hid it. An alert interrupts: James and Ellie captured. Marc, Norman, and Mitch race to the Ares shoreline outpost. They fight through Hunters, barely surviving. Inside, they reach the cells. As they unlock them, gunfire erupts. Alarms scream. The building shakes. Self-destruct activated. The compound begins collapsing around them.

The Hunters 2: A Swordsmoke Story

A jet lands on a forest-covered private island. The door opens and Norman, chained, is thrown onto the dirt. Jack watches him coldly, exchanging a glance with Killshot. The island is a Hunter retreat—owned by Mercenary. Strider exits last. Jack tells him to stay. Inside the compound, Strider and Killshot drag Norman to Daryl, who stands with a Mercenary agent known as Centurion. Norman asks why they wanted him. Daryl tells him that Blackridge wasn't necessarily a trap, it was a warning, but he asked Jack to bring Norman to him. Daryl knocks him down and begins days of torture while Strider and Killshot watch. Norman tries reaching Tobey, but fear holds him. Strider eventually leaves. Later, Killshot overhears Daryl and Centurion discussing expansion to a new Mercenary island. Doubts grow. Sneaking into Daryl’s office, Killshot finds files—proof Daryl imprisoned and abused his sister. He finds her location. That night, Killshot frees Norman. They escape to the shoreline, defeat two guards, and steal a helicopter. As it starts, Killshot stops. If he leaves, Daryl will kill his sister. He stays behind. Norman flies off, promising to return.

Swordsmoke: Blackridge

Ghost follows the coordinates carved into Mitch’s back to Blackridge, a fortress buried in Ares's frozen mountains. The gates stand open. A trap. Marc, Norman, and Strider move inside while James, Ellie, and Mitch wait outside. James asks Ellie if she thinks they'll win. Ellie says she hopes they can disappear when this ends. James tells her he’ll face whatever comes, as long as she’s with him. Ellie quietly says leaving made her realize this is where she belongs. Inside, the three push until a chamber opens—turrets, guards, and Shepard. Clint in chains. Marc demands his release. Shepard says they need a lesson. Norman raises his gun, but Jack steps forward, aiming at Clint’s head. Shepard says he’ll free Clint—but wants Norman. Marc lunges—then collapses. Strider stands behind him, a traitor, bar in hand. He orders Norman forward. Shepard releases Clint. Strider hands Norman over. Marc screams as he and Clint are thrown outside. The doors seal. A jet lifts away. Norman is gone.