Factory Hideout

* Beginning
* Mission
* End

**Quote**

***10 DAYS REMAIN***

**Factory Hideout** (often abbreviated to **Factory**) is the first mission in *Katana Zero*.

## Plot summary

An unnamed assassin descends from a rooftop, throwing a gunman's lifeless and bloody body down to the feet of his confused colleague. The assassin jumps down past the gunman, who takes aim. Time slows to a crawl, and the assassin swiftly deflects the bullet back at the man and kills him.

The assassin traverses the remaining rooftop and heads into the entrance of an abandoned factory. As he runs through a hallway, he receives a call from his handler, who tells him of his objective: use his precognition to rescue a captured scientist, and eliminate everyone in his way.

The assassin slashes his way through the factory and its disintegrating lasers until he reaches the scientist, who has been beaten bloody. The assassin can talk to the scientist, but regardless the scientist's head is blown up by a laughing man.

The assassin finishes his assignment and escapes. He receives another call from his handler, and retires for the night. The assassin has a nightmare of a boy playing catch in a shed before a man bursts in and screams at the boy.

## Gameplay

This level is mainly a tutorial stage. It teaches the player how to move, dodge lasers, use Zero's time powers, and use environmental traps. It also introduces the player to the dialogue system, which the player cannot fully interrupt; unlike in other segments, the player can repeatedly hangup in the first conversation, but is forced to choose one of the other dialogue options to progress.

When the player first talks with the scientist, a green health bar appears above his head before his head suddenly explodes.

The aftermath of this level also introduces the player to the assassin's home, including its TV, his herbal tea, and bed.

## Key

The Prism Key can be found in this level by walking left after you gain control of the main character.

## Quotes

* "So... Tell me again about the men in masks."

## Trivia

* This is the first appearance of Zero, V, and The Psychiatrist (though it is his voice only).
* A portrait of Mr. Kissyface can be seen near the scientist's chair.
* The boy in the dream plays catch with the silhouette of The Little Girl.
* The level select menu for this level displays a black screen with the word "OCTOBER" across it. This screen is never seen in game.
* An early trailer shows the phone call that takes place in this level be under the street lamp.
* Shotgun Traps make their first and only appearance in this level.
	+ askiisoft has mentioned that these turrets were added late into development to teach players that rolling worked for bullets, not just lasers.
	+ They are used later in Hard Mode as a trap that enemies do not trigger.
* The rotating fan cannot be bypassed without slowing down time. It is rendered still if the player chooses to disable slow motion in Speedrun Mode.

* If the player chooses NOT to save the scientist, and run off without him, a black screem similar to the one with just "OCTOBER" pops up. Except it says "OCTOBER 29TH. 6 DAYS REMAIN.", and a bunch of text describing what seems to be the little girl before cutting to the psychiatrist's office, where he calls him "Uncharacteristically Unprofessional", but this is false because he says it even if you do attempt to rescue him.