Extreme Risk Mission

12 Years Later...

A man in his early sixties strode into the heavily secured building, his sharp eyes scanning the area. Armed men patrolled every corner, their weapons at the ready.

As he entered, the guards immediately stopped what they were doing and lined up in perfect formation, raising their hands in salute. Their movements were precise, disciplined—a display of utmost respect for the man walking past them.

Without acknowledging them, he continued deeper into the building. The farther he went, the fewer guards there were. The dim lighting and cold, sterile air made the atmosphere feel even heavier. Then, a voice crackled in his earpiece.

"Turn right," the voice instructed.

The man adjusted his pace and followed the direction without hesitation.

Back at home, Kendrick Montclair—code name Obscura—sat at his desk, eyes locked on the screen in front of him. His laptop displayed a detailed map of the building, marked with red and green dots—one of them representing the man inside. His fingers tapped rhythmically against the table as he watched the green dot shift.

Then his eyes widened.

That woman! Since when did she learn the real right?

Obscura sighed in frustration. Ever since he met her, every time he told her to turn right, she'd immediately turn left—and vice versa. This time, knowing her habits, he had intentionally told her to turn right when he actually meant left.

And yet, for once, she followed his words exactly.

A chuckle came through the earpiece. "Oh man, you really know me so well. I was itching for a fight, but I guess I'll have to wait." The voice matched the deep tone of the man she was impersonating.

Disguised as the head of security, Eclipse—real name Zephany Draven— moved forward with steady confidence. The moment she reached a group of armed men stationed in front of a heavily reinforced door, she struck.

With sharp, precise movements, she incapacitated the first two guards before they could react. One of them tried to draw his weapon, but Eclipse was faster—her elbow slammed into his throat, cutting off his breath.

The remaining men rushed at her, but they were no match. She dodged effortlessly, weaving through their attacks, her fists and feet finding their marks. Within minutes, they were all lying on the ground, groaning in pain.

She dusted off her uniform and sighed dramatically. "Why so weak? This isn't even enjoyable. Sigh… why do I feel like I'm bullying?" She shook her head, completely unbothered.

Obscura's voice came through the earpiece, his patience wearing thin. "Hallucination spray."

"Oh, right! Almost forgot." She pulled out a small canister and sprayed it over the fallen men's faces. Their eyes fluttered, and soon, their expressions went blank. They wouldn't remember a thing when they woke up.

She continued down the hallway.

"Turn right ahead," Obscura instructed.

This time, Eclipse turned left.

Obscura's jaw clenched as he watched the green dot on the screen move in the opposite direction of where it was supposed to go. His frustration boiled over, and he ran a hand through his hair.

This dumb woman! Why is she turning left again?! She just got it right earlier!

"Can you just look at the map for directions?" Kendrick asked through gritted teeth, keeping his voice low and controlled.

"I didn't bring the glasses," Eclipse replied casually. "How can I see the map? And seriously, this old guy I'm impersonating has amazing eyesight! Why does he still have such good vision at his age?"

Obscura groaned internally. How am I supposed to guide this woman if she can't even see where she's going? With the map, at least she had a chance of getting it right.

Trying to stay calm, he changed tactics. "Follow your instincts. Just keep moving forward."

If there was one thing he knew about Eclipse, it was that her instincts—though unpredictable—somehow got the job done. The downside was that her instincts often led her straight into fights rather than avoiding them.

At least there weren't as many guards patrolling this area.

Eclipse finally reached her target's location. She prepared for battle, fists tightening in anticipation. But just as she was about to strike, the man inside the room staggered forward, barely able to keep himself upright.

She stared at him in disbelief. "What the heck? Is he drunk? In the middle of the day?" Her shoulders slumped. "I was hoping for an epic showdown. A dramatic fight scene where the protagonist and antagonist finally face off in a climactic battle. This is so frustrating—I didn't even break a sweat!"

Obscura pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Why does she love fighting so much? Wasn't it a good thing that the mission was going smoothly?

Taking a deep breath, he reminded her, "Give him the pill."

Eclipse groaned in disappointment but did as instructed. With one swift motion, she forced the drunk man to swallow the pill.

"What's next?" she asked, still sulking. "Hey, Obscura, isn't this supposed to be an extreme-risk mission? Why is it so easy? Where's the action?"

Arrgh! This mission was supposed to be done silently, without leaving any traces! Fight scenes weren't supposed to happen!

Obscura wanted to yell at her but held back. If he said anything, she'd just start talking even more nonsense. Instead, he chose to scream internally.

He glanced at the clock. Fifteen minutes until my sister's graduation ceremony.

This mission needs to end now.

Gritting his teeth, he gave the next instruction. "Orange door."

Eclipse scoffed. "Why do you say so few words? At least give clear instructions. You should be glad I'm smart enough to understand what you mean."

She stepped through the orange door and entered a restricted chamber. Inside, a dozen heavily armed guards stood around a tinted glass case containing a large, brilliantly cut diamond—the national treasure.

The moment she walked in, the men saluted her.

Without hesitation, Eclipse gestured toward the guard stationed by the entrance. "Open the door."

The guard nodded and stepped aside. "Chief, you can stay for five minutes only."

"I am the Chief. I don't need your reminder," she responded in the same deep voice as the man she was impersonating.

Inside, the diamond was protected by layers of advanced security. Laser sensors crisscrossed the air, pressure-sensitive platforms surrounded the case, and an advanced biometric lock kept the glass firmly sealed.

Obscura's voice came through the earpiece. "I'll deactivate the security. You have seven seconds to switch the real diamond with the fake one."

Eclipse smirked. "Wow, that's the longest sentence I've heard you say. No worries, man, I totally get it. If the deactivation takes longer than seven seconds, the alarm will go off, and I'll be swarmed by guards. If I don't switch the diamonds in time, I'll get fried by lasers."

Obscura's tone turned serious. "Can you do it?"

Eclipse cracked her knuckles, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "Of course."