Terminus (mission)/Walkthrough

Terminus is the third mission in Hitman: Absolution and a purely stealth-based mission. The goal is to get to Blake Dexter, who is hiding in room 899 on the eighth floor.

Terminus Hotel

The first segment begins in an alleyway not far from the hotel entrance. The only way up is by elevator, which is difficult to access regardless of which way is chosen. The first way is up the stairs in the lobby, though that way is guarded by several of Dexter's goons as well as an electrician. Regular staff members aren't allowed up there. The other is down in the basement, where there are staff members as well as some goons, all of whom will be suspicious of 47 if he is seen there.

The ground floor covers the reception, a restroom, a dining hall, a private area, a corridor to the left of the lobby entrance and part of the outside to the right of the hotel entrance.

Disguises

Short of starting a massacre, the only way to use the elevator in the lobby safely enough is to disguise as an electrician. While there is an electrician in front of the elevator, his line of sight can be avoided by walking up the stairs while using Instinct, pressing the elevator button and walking down again before the electrician turns around and walking down the stairs out of his sight again. When the elevator arrives, he will be briefly surprised, but will resume his ordinary route again momentarily. When he looks away again, enter the elevator and go up before he notices.

Suit Only

The only way to enter the elevator without disguises is through the basement access point, which unfortunately is full of guards and staff. There are five routes that can be used:

Through the ventilation duct in the restroom to a laundry room. A staff member will occasionally enter, but can be subdued and hidden. In the room with the closed staircase outside there is a guard and a staff member facing away.
Through the private area with the cranky woman, through the dining hall (which is guarded by two guards), into the staircase room and down to the basement.
Down the ladder into the sewers outside the hotel,
Past the "Staff Only" door next to the restroom, across the corridor with the staff member and electrician, out the window, through the alley to the door, into the laundry room and down into the basement.
Down the chute in the laundry room into the basement.

These areas are also available and easier to pass through with disguises, with which safe spots and Instinct can be used. If you go through the downwards staircase, it's easy enough to silently subdue and hide an electrician, a staff member and two guards who patrol the area. The former two will go to and from a narrow area with a mop, an electrical panel and a dumpster. One of the guards will be stationary and facing a drawer (though he will come to the elevator if he hears it coming down). The other will patrol from the corridors to the other side of the basement. The area near the elevator will be patrolled by an electrician, who can easily be subdued and dragged out of sight.

Upper Floors

The segment begins on the seventh floor, one floor below the eighth. 47 will have to find some way to get upstairs without Dexter's goons noticing. The Hope Goon disguise is difficult to use on the seventh floor since there are a lot of guards, even at the starting point. Any other disguise, even 47's suit, works nicely at the start. There are four ways to get to the eighth floor:

Through the musician's room. Entering the hallway leading to it will be considered trespassing and can be noticed by a patrolling guard or a maid, though it's easy enough to sneak through. Lure the musician out by disabling his speakers, enter the room behind his back and then climb out the window. There will be a fire escape leading upstairs with a checkpoint outside.
Through the crime scene. There is a maid inside who can be subdued and hidden. The room leads to a fire alarm button which can be used to lure away a pack of Hope guards from the door that leads upstairs they are guarding. After pressing the button, go back to the room's entry point and go right. Wait for the guards to leave the area and then quickly enter. This stairwell leads to the projector room, where there are two guards.
Through the door requiring a keycard. The keycard can be found in various areas on the upper floors. One card can be found in room 704, where a couple will be fighting. When they are done, the card can be taken off of a surface while the wife is looking away. Another easier location is in the utility room that can be accessed through the ventilation shaft in the restroom. The maid who enters the room will be carrying one that can be obtained by subduing her.
Through a window. A window near the utility room can be used to access the exterior of the building, which is covered with ledges that can be climbed to access the stairwell requiring a keycard.
Through the inside ledges. Near a laundry chute on the there is a trolley with a radio on it. Turn it on to lure the guard near the window away while nobody is watching, then climb along the ledges to the other window. Go up the stairs through the door where you are greeted by a stuffed bear. To the right a single guard is patrolling between the hallway and his sofa. Throw something into the room across the hallway to lure him away, then climb along the ledges inside to the window on the other side, which leads almost directly to Room 899 and is occasionally covered by a single guard who will walk away. This is the path required for the "Inside Job" challenge.

If the player gets to eighth floor using the fire escape, then they should first ledge against the wall and go inside the window. Quickly move toward room 899 when the guard in the middle of the room is looking away, then pick the lock of room 899.

Disguises are more or less useless on the eighth floor since only Dexter's guards are allowed up there. If you have the Hope Goon disguise, it offers some stealth, but not much.

The door leading to suite 899 is only protected by one guard who is easy to slip past or subdue. After stepping through the doors, go through the air vent to hear Dexter talking with Layla Stockton. After they are finished, move a little further and the level will end.

Evidence

The first piece of evidence, located in Terminus Hotel can be found in the room being used for check-in and check-out. It is on a table directly across from the Worn M590 12ga propped against the wall. That area is off limits while wearing the suit, so an appropriate disguise may be necessary.

Terminus Evidence 2 — Location of the second piece of evidence.

The second piece of evidence, located in Upper Floors, can be found in the small banquet room adjacent to the room with the piano. It is essentially the room located directly next to the exit of the mission. It is guarded by two of Dexter's goons, so approach with caution.

Challenges

Name	Description	Obtain
Chameleon	Pick up the disguises.	Use each of the disguises.
Evidence Collector	Find the evidence.	Collect the evidence in Terminus Hotel and Upper Floors.
Infiltrator	Avoid getting spotted.	Complete the mission without being spotted.
Suit Only	Avoid using disguises.	Complete the mission without changing out of the beginning outfit.
Housekeeping	It's time to take out the trash.	Subdue or kill 10 enemies without being spotted.
Don't Disturb	Your hands are clean.	Complete "Terminus" without subduing or killing anybody.
Hall Pass	Who goes everywhere but is noticed by no one?	Complete "Terminus" while wearing the Janitor disguise, without being spotted.
An Evening in Paradise	Something to take their mind off things.	Use the movie reel, found in the seventh floor utility closet, and start the projector on the eight floor.
Inside Job	Going up from within.	Access Room 899 by climbing up the building exterior.
The Man from South Dakota	Complete "Terminus."	Finish the mission; no requirements.
The Electrician - Part I	A tool of many uses.	Kill a anyone with a screwdriver while wearing the Electrician disguise.
The Electrician - Part II	They never knew what hit them.	Kill 5 Hope goons while wearing the Electrician disguise by throwing a screwdriver into their heads.
Mastery: Terminus	We hope you enjoyed your stay.	Complete all other challenges.