The First Strike

Agent X sat in silence, gripping the burner phone as Whisper's words echoed in his mind.

"Your name is there because you were part of it."

Project Revenant wasn't just some buried experiment—it was personal. They had done something to him. But what? How deep did it go?

X exhaled slowly, pushing the questions aside. There was no time to sit and wonder.

If he wanted answers, he had to go straight to the source.

And that meant striking Echelon first.

X turned to Voss, who was still watching him closely.

"I need access to an Echelon blacksite," X said, standing up. "Somewhere off the grid. Somewhere they keep sensitive data."

Voss narrowed his eyes. "You're not going after Kane directly?"

"Not yet." X loaded a magazine into one of his silenced pistols. "I need proof of what they did to me. If I go after Kane now, I'll just be another rogue agent gunned down in the streets. I need leverage."

Voss sighed, rubbing a hand through his short beard. Then, he walked to a laptop, typing rapidly.

"There's a site just outside Berlin. Blacksite Omega. It's small, not a main facility, but it handles classified data storage. If there's anything left of Project Revenant, it might be there."

X memorized the location. "Security?"

"Standard Echelon protocol. Perimeter guards, infrared surveillance, and an AI-monitored system that flags intruders instantly."

X nodded. "How do I get in?"

Voss smirked. "That's the easy part. The hard part is getting out."

Two hours later, X lay prone on a hillside, overlooking the darkened compound of Blacksite Omega.

The facility was built like a bunker—reinforced steel doors, high fences, and patrolling guards. Bright floodlights scanned the perimeter. A small helipad sat on the far side.

X adjusted his night-vision scope.

Two guards at the front gate. Four more on patrol routes. Cameras positioned at all major entry points.

He exhaled. Time to move.

X slid down the hill, moving like a shadow. At the outer fence, he pulled out a small EMP device, attaching it to the surveillance hub. He pressed a button.

Static.

The cameras went dark.

Immediately, he climbed the fence, dropping silently into the compound. He moved fast, avoiding the patrols, sticking to blind spots.

A guard turned the corner.

X struck.

Before the man could react, X's silenced pistol spat out a bullet, dropping him instantly. He caught the body before it hit the ground and dragged it behind a supply crate.

One down.

He continued toward the main building, reaching a security door. He attached a hacking module to the keypad. The device blinked as it bypassed the system.

Click.

The door unlocked. X slipped inside.

The interior was quiet, sterile. Fluorescent lights buzzed overhead. Rows of servers lined the room, each one filled with classified Echelon data.

X pulled out the USB drive Voss had given him and plugged it into a terminal. He needed the Revenant files.

The screen flickered as lines of code scrolled. Then—

ACCESS GRANTED.

X quickly searched for his own name.

Files popped up. [SUBJECT: AGENT X]

His heart pounded as he clicked.

PROJECT REVENANT: PHASE III

Subject underwent neurological conditioning to enhance obedience and reflexive combat response.

Memory suppression protocols applied to ensure subject remains unaware of past conditioning.

Emergency kill-switch implant—activated remotely upon command.

X's breath hitched.

They had implanted something inside him. A kill-switch.

A failsafe, buried deep in his brain, ready to be activated at any time.

Rage burned through him. They weren't just hunting him. They were controlling him.

Not anymore.

He copied the files, ejecting the USB. Just as he turned to leave—

A red light blinked on the console.

SECURITY ALERT.

X cursed. They had detected him.

A loud alarm blared through the facility. Footsteps thundered outside. Guards were coming.

X moved fast, darting down a side hallway. He slammed open a door—a storage room. No exit.

Damn it.

He turned as the door burst open. Three armed guards.

X reacted instantly.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Three silenced shots. Three bodies dropped.

He grabbed a smoke grenade from his vest, pulled the pin, and tossed it into the hall. Thick gray fog filled the corridor.

X sprinted through the chaos, weaving between panicked guards. He needed an exit.

Then—he saw it.

The helipad.

A helicopter sat idling on the pad, its rotors spinning. A pilot climbed inside, unaware of the chaos below.

X ran.

More guards appeared, firing in his direction. Bullets whizzed past him. He zigzagged, diving behind crates, returning fire.

One shot hit his shoulder. Pain exploded through him, but he didn't stop.

He reached the helipad, leaped onto the skids of the helicopter, and threw the pilot out.

As the guards swarmed the platform, X gritted his teeth and yanked the controls.

The chopper lifted into the night.

Gunfire rattled against the frame, but X was already gone—disappearing into the darkness.

He had the files. He had the truth.

And now?

It was time to make Echelon pay.