The morning after the Syndicate's raid, Alex stood in P.A.I.R.E.'s training bay, a cavernous space echoing with the clatter of gear and the shouts of recruits. His muscles ached from the previous night's scuffle, but adrenaline kept him alert. The orb—etched with "V-Prototype"—burned a secret hole in his pocket. He hadn't told Marcus or Maya about it, his parents' warning still ringing: Trust no one. For now, he'd figure it out alone.
Maya strode up, her dark hair pulled back, a stun staff in hand. "Ready, rookie?" she asked, smirking. call me Fae ,
Alex gripped his own staff—a MercerTech prototype he'd kept from home. "Born ready," he lied, hoping bravado masked his nerves.
Marcus loomed nearby, arms crossed. "Basics first. Stance, balance, strike. Syndicate doesn't play nice, so neither will we."
Training began with drills. Maya moved like water—fluid, precise—her staff a blur as she demonstrated blocks and counters. Alex mimicked her, clumsy at first, his tech-savvy hands unused to combat's rhythm. She parried his weak swings effortlessly, her critiques sharp but patient. "Loosen up, Alex. Think less, feel more."
Sweat stung his eyes as hours blurred by. His arms burned, but he improved—landing a glancing blow on Maya's shoulder, earning a nod. Marcus watched silently, his scarred face unreadable. Between rounds, Alex's mind drifted to the orb. Was it Valor's core? A piece of it? He needed time in the workshop to crack it.
"Break's over," Marcus barked, tossing Alex a padded vest. "Sparring next."
Alex squared off with a wiry recruit named Jace, all sinew and sneers. The match was brutal—Jace's staff cracked against Alex's ribs, knocking the wind from him. He stumbled, then rallied, dodging a follow-up and striking Jace's knee. The recruit grunted, and Marcus called it. "Good hustle, Mercer."
Panting, Alex slumped against a wall, Maya joining him. "Not bad for day one," she said, handing him water.
"Thanks," he muttered. "You're terrifying with that staff."
She grinned. "Years of practice. You'll get there."
Training ended with a briefing. Marcus gathered the recruits around a holo-table. "Syndicate hit us hard last night. They're desperate—means we're close to something they want." His gaze flicked to Alex, who shifted uncomfortably. "Rest up. Tomorrow, we push harder."
Dismissed, Alex slipped away to the workshop. The space was quiet, its tools gleaming under soft light. He locked the door, pulled the orb from his pocket, and set it on a workbench. Up close, it pulsed faintly, its circuits intricate as a spiderweb. He connected it to a scanner, coaxing data onto a screen. Numbers streamed—coordinates, fragments of code—then a voice file flickered to life.
"Alex," his mother's voice crackled, soft but urgent. "If you've found this, you're on the right path. Valor's heart is split—three pieces, hidden to keep it safe. This is one. Find the others. The Syndicate can't—"
Static cut her off. Alex's throat tightened. Three pieces? This orb was part of Valor—and his parents had left it for him to find. But where were the others? He traced the coordinates: an abandoned MercerTech lab on New Haven's outskirts. A lead.
Then a figure burst in—Fae Mavrick, a wild-eyed girl with auburn hair, ex-agent vibe rolling off her. She stared at Alex, tossed a beat-up laptop at him, and jumped out the window, gone in a flash. He opened it—a note read: Hell hath no fury - like a women scorned, a strawberry sticker stuck beside it. Shocked, Alex slid the laptop into his bag, glancing back at the empty room, pulse racing. Who was she?
A knock jolted him. He hid the orb as Maya poked her head in. "Thought I'd find you here. What's up?"
"Just… tinkering," Alex said, forcing a smile.
She stepped closer, eyeing the scanner. "You're a bad liar. Something's on your mind."
He hesitated, then deflected. "Just worried about my parents."
Her expression softened. "We'll find them, Alex. P.A.I.R.E.'s got your back."
He nodded, guilt gnawing at him. Keeping the orb secret felt wrong, but trust was a gamble he couldn't take—not yet.
That night, Alex lay in his bunk, the orb tucked under his pillow. Sleep eluded him, his mother's words looping in his head. Three pieces. He had one. The Syndicate likely sought the rest. If he could reach that lab—
An explosion rocked the base. Alex bolted upright as alarms blared. "Perimeter breach!" a voice shouted over the comms. He grabbed his stun staff and raced into the hall, joining a stream of agents. Chaos reigned—smoke billowed, lights flickered, and gunfire echoed.
Maya appeared, her face grim. "They're back. Bigger force this time."
Marcus barked orders nearby. "Defensive line at the main gate! Mercer, with me!"
Alex followed, heart pounding. They reached a balcony overlooking the entrance. Below, Syndicate agents swarmed—dozens, armed with plasma rifles and drones. A hulking figure in a tactical suit led them, his voice amplified. "Hand over the boy, or we raze this place!"
Marcus cursed. "They're here for you, Alex. Stay low."
Alex's stomach dropped. How did they know he was here? A mole? Before he could process it, a drone buzzed overhead, dropping a grenade. Marcus tackled him as it detonated, debris raining down. Ears ringing, Alex scrambled up, staff ready.
The Syndicate leader advanced, his visor glinting. "Last chance, P.A.I.R.E.!"
Marcus fired a shot, sparking a firefight. Alex ducked behind a crate, watching agents fall. He wasn't trained for this—but he couldn't hide. Spotting a downed drone, he darted to it, rewiring its circuits with trembling hands. It whirred to life, and he sent it crashing into the Syndicate ranks, scattering them.
"Nice one!" Maya yelled, joining him. But the leader zeroed in, charging their position.
Alex swung his staff, but the man caught it, twisting it free. A gloved fist slammed into Alex's jaw, dropping him. Pain exploded as the leader loomed, raising a blade.
Then a shot rang out—Marcus, pistol smoking. The leader staggered, clutching his shoulder, and retreated with a snarl. "This isn't over, Mercer!"
As the Syndicate withdrew, Alex lay dazed, blood trickling from his lip. Marcus hauled him up. "You're tougher than you look, kid."
Maya scanned the wreckage. "They'll be back. We need to move."
Alex nodded, the orb's weight a reminder of his mission. The lab was his next step—but the Syndicate's reach was tightening. Time was running out.