Swordsmoke: Heart of Gold

An Underworld Original

The helicopter lands, but Daryl is right. Mercenary jets follow them. Mitch admits he suspected Daryl copied the transponder coordinates. An ambush scatters the team. Clint and Mitch disappear into the jungle. Nick, Mark, and Morgan fight across the shoreline. Tobey and Iris hide inside an abandoned cabin until Mark's group reaches them. Deep in the jungle, Clint and Mitch are overwhelmed by Mercenary soldiers. Golden bullets tear through the trees. Marc steps from the brush, telling them they have to keep moving and regroup. High above, Daryl parachutes onto the island and begins tracking Marc. Mark's group wipes out most of the Mercenary force while Marc, Mitch, and Clint are driven deeper into the jungle. Then Daryl finds them. Centurion and another soldier force Mitch and Clint to their knees. Marc freezes. Faces flash through his mind—Jonathan, Matt, Fletcher, Bryce, Brutus, Hyde, Finn, Sasha, Bao, Link, Tommy, Diego, Grace, Red, Strider... then Jack, James, Ellie, Norman, and Bo. Without hesitation, Marc fans the hammer. Centurion and the second soldier fall dead. Only Daryl remains. Mitch and Clint struggle to stand on broken legs as Marc stares him down. A final memory crosses Marc's mind—Fletcher smiling before their last duel. Daryl raises his rifle. Marc raises his revolver. They fire. Both collapse. Clint crawls to Marc's side. Marc smiles weakly. "Thanks... for letting me see Bo again... through you." The others arrive. Nick helps carry Marc into a nearby field. Tobey supports Clint as they gather around him. Marc gazes into the sky. "I can see Alice..." Clint understands. Marc tells them Mercenary may survive, but Ghost is stronger than ever. With Clint leading, they'll be alright. A tear rolls down Marc's face. He dies peacefully in the field. The group stands in silence. The legend of Marc Marigold ends, and the future of Ghost begins.

Story added by underworld_stories on August 5, 2026