Cracks in the Armor

The P.A.I.R.E. base smoldered in the aftermath of the Syndicate's assault, the air thick with the scent of burnt circuits and ozone. Alex leaned against a wall in the main chamber, his jaw throbbing where the leader's fist had landed. His stun staff rested beside him, its grip slick with sweat. The orb and Fae's laptop weighed down his bag—secrets he couldn't share, not yet. Around him, agents patched wounds and salvaged gear, their faces grim but resolute.

Maya approached, her staff slung over her shoulder, a cut above her brow trickling blood. "You good?" she asked, wiping it with her sleeve.

"Yeah," Alex said, wincing as he touched his jaw. "You?"

"Been worse," she replied, her tone light but her eyes hard. "They're not giving up."

Marcus strode over, his scar stark against his dirt-streaked face. "Casualties are low, but we're exposed. They'll hit again soon. We need to move—find Valor before they do."

Alex's heart skipped. The lab coordinates burned in his mind. "I've got a lead," he blurted, then hesitated. "From… something I found."

Marcus raised an eyebrow. "Spill it, kid."

"An old MercerTech lab, outskirts of New Haven," Alex said, keeping the orb vague. "Might be tied to my parents."

Maya frowned. "Why didn't you say earlier?"

"Didn't know if it was real," he lied, avoiding her gaze. Fae's note—Hell hath no fury—flashed in his thoughts, sowing doubt. Was she friend or foe?

Marcus nodded. "Worth a shot. We'll prep a team. Rest first—you're no use exhausted."

Alex trudged to his quarters, the base's hum a dull roar in his ears. He locked the door, pulled out the orb, and stared at its faint glow. Then he grabbed Fae's laptop, its scratched surface mocking him. He powered it on, the note glaring: Hell hath no fury - like a women scorned, strawberry sticker winking beside it. No files, no clues—just that. "Who are you, Fae?" he muttered, shoving it back in his bag.

Sleep came fitfully, dreams of his parents' voices blending with Fae's wild grin. He woke to a soft knock—Maya, holding a protein bar. "Team's ready. You sure about this lab?"

"Yeah," Alex said, taking the bar. "It's our best shot."

She studied him, her gaze piercing. "You're holding back. I get it—trust's hard. But we're in this together."

Guilt stabbed him, but he nodded. "I know."

The team assembled in the bay: Marcus, Maya, Jace, and two techs, armed with patched-together rifles and drones. Marcus briefed them. "Lab's off-grid, likely booby-trapped. Syndicate might've sniffed it out too. Stay sharp."

They piled into a stealth van, its hull dented but cloaked in signal-jamming tech. New Haven blurred past—neon towers fading into industrial sprawl. Alex clutched his staff, the orb a silent pulse against his thigh. The lab loomed ahead, a crumbling shell of steel and concrete, vines snaking up its walls.

Inside, dust coated abandoned workstations, screens cracked and dark. "Spread out," Marcus ordered. "Look for anything tied to Valor."

Alex drifted to a corner, drawn to a sealed crate marked "MercerTech - Restricted." He pried it open, revealing a dusty console—and a second orb, identical to his, etched "V-Prototype II." His breath caught. Two of three.

"Found something?" Maya called, approaching.

Before he could answer, a shadow moved behind her. Alex shouted, "Watch out!" She spun, staff raised, as a figure lunged—Fae Mavrick, her auburn hair wild, a blade gleaming in her hand.

Maya parried, their weapons clashing. "Who the hell are you?" she snapped.

Fae smirked, dodging a strike. "Ask your boy." She glanced at Alex, then bolted for a side exit.

Alex grabbed the second orb and gave chase, Maya on his heels. They burst outside, but Fae was gone, swallowed by the shadows. "What was that about?" Maya demanded, panting.

"She… dropped me that laptop," Alex admitted, bracing for her reaction. "Ex-agent, maybe. I don't know her game."

Maya's eyes narrowed. "And you didn't tell us?"

"I wasn't sure—" he started, but she cut him off.

"We're a team, Alex. Secrets get us killed."

Marcus and the others caught up, weapons ready. "Trouble?" he asked.

"Ran off," Maya said, glaring at Alex. "He's got explaining to do."

Back inside, Alex showed them the second orb, avoiding Fae's details. "Two pieces of Valor. One more to go."

Marcus examined it, frowning. "Good find, but we're not alone here."

A low rumble shook the lab—drones, Syndicate-marked, circling outside. "Ambush!" Jace yelled, as plasma bolts shattered the windows.

Marcus barked, "Defensive positions!" The team scrambled, Alex ducking behind the console. He pulled the first orb from his pocket, syncing it with the second. A holo-screen flickered up, projecting a map—New Haven's docks, a red dot pulsing. The third piece?

Drones strafed the lab, forcing them back. "Fall back to the van!" Marcus roared. Alex clutched both orbs, sprinting with the team as the building buckled.

They piled in, the van peeling out as drones pursued. Inside, silence hung heavy. Maya stared at Alex, her trust frayed. "No more secrets," she said, voice cold.

He nodded, shame mixing with resolve. The docks were next—but Fae's shadow and the Syndicate's wrath loomed larger.