Chapter 24 - Someone Else's Game

Three weeks into probation, things should have settled.

But no. Of course not.

Because apparently, the system just loved keeping me on my toes.

"Ava Lin, Elren Vayne, Elliot Stroud—report to briefing room three. Immediate."

The summons came too early, too sharp. I barely managed to shove a protein bar into my mouth as I jogged to the meeting.

"What now?" I groaned as Elliot caught up to me.

"Something fun, I hope."

"You say that like you have a different definition of fun than me."

"Oh, I do."

"Obviously," Elren added as he fell into step beside us.

"Stop that."

"Correct."

...

We slid into the briefing room to find Vance already waiting, arms crossed, expression unreadable as always.

"Change of plans," he said, without preamble. "You're being reassigned."

"Reassigned?" I blinked. "Did we break that many rules?"

"Possibly."

"Gee, that's comforting."

Vance handed us a new mission file. "This isn't a Grave surge. It's a retrieval. High-priority target."

"Who?"

"An outworlder."

The room froze.

"What?" I breathed.

"We picked up a signal similar to your entry signature," Vance explained. "It originated in Zone Fourteen. We want it contained."

"So there's another one? Like me?"

"Possibly."

"Do we know anything else?"

"No. Which is why you three are going."

Elren's jaw tightened. "What is the system's intent?"

"Observation. Control."

"Of course it is."

"You will extract the target and return immediately."

"And if they don't cooperate?"

"Convince them."

Elliot chuckled. "Oh, I'm excellent at convincing people."

"You're excellent at causing problems," I muttered.

"Same skill set."

-----

Zone Fourteen was an old containment district, long abandoned after a major Grave outbreak years ago. The buildings were cracked and overgrown, like nature was slowly trying to erase what humanity had left behind.

"How are we tracking this person?" I asked as we picked our way through the debris.

"Residual energy signature," Elren answered. "The system deployed sensors throughout the sector."

"Do we know if they're dangerous?"

"Obviously not."

"You're just having fun now."

"Correct."

"I swear I will push you off a ledge."

"Obviously."

Elliot laughed. "You two really need to get better material."

"What? You want me to be more original while I'm busy surviving?"

"Obviously."

"Oh no. You too?"

"Obviously."

I'm surrounded. Completely outnumbered.

-----

We tracked the signal to a collapsed metro station.

The Grave activity here was lower than expected, almost… absent.

"It's too quiet," Elren muttered, scanning the area.

"Should we be expecting an ambush?"

"Obviously."

"You just like saying that."

"Correct."

"Stop it."

"Obviously."

Elliot held up his terminal. "Signal's stronger underground."

"Of course it is," I sighed. "Always the creepy tunnels. Never a nice coffee shop."

"Oh, you'll get your coffee after."

"You're buying."

"Obviously."

We moved quickly through the ruined station, descending cracked staircases and weaving past broken rail lines. The static hum grew sharper as we moved.

"They're close," Elren said quietly. "Prepare for contact."

I gripped my blade tighter. "What if they don't want to be found?"

"Then we adapt."

"Obviously."

Okay, that one felt weirdly comforting.

...

We found them near the shattered control room.

A boy—maybe sixteen or seventeen—stood alone, pale, wide-eyed, and visibly terrified.

The energy rolling off him was unmistakably outworlder. It crackled like mine did when I first arrived.

He backed away as we approached. "Stay back! I don't know you!"

"Hey, easy," I said, raising my hands. "We're not here to hurt you."

"You're hunters."

"Yeah, but I'm like you. I came from somewhere else."

"I don't trust you."

"That's fair. I barely trust me."

Elliot stepped forward, voice light. "We just want to get you somewhere safe."

"I don't believe you."

"I didn't believe them at first either," I said gently. "But… it's better than being out here alone."

The boy hesitated, eyes darting between us. His energy spiked, uncontrolled.

"If you don't come, the system will send someone else. Someone less… patient."

"She's not lying," Elliot added. "They'll force you. We're the better option."

The boy's shoulders trembled. "How do I know you're not lying?"

"Because if I was going to lie, I'd tell you this will all be fine. And it's not. It's going to be hard. But I'll help you."

His gaze flicked to Elren.

"And him?"

"He doesn't lie to me."

"Obviously."

The boy finally took a hesitant step forward.

"Okay."

"Good."

-----

The extraction was smooth. Too smooth.

Vance met us at the gate when we returned, his expression unreadable as always.

"You completed the retrieval."

"Obviously."

Vance ignored me. "The outworlder will be processed. You are dismissed."

"Wait."

"What?"

"What happens to him?"

"That is not your concern."

"It is now."

Vance's jaw tightened. "You're overstepping."

"Obviously."

"Careful, Lin."

"Obviously."

Elren's hand hovered near his blade. Elliot casually leaned against the wall, watching it unfold like premium drama.

Vance finally sighed. "He will be placed under observation. Nothing more."

"You swear?"

"Obviously."

I squinted at him. "That's our thing. You can't have that."

"Dismissed."

We turned to leave. I could feel Vance's gaze burning holes into the back of my skull.

"They're hiding something," I muttered.

"Obviously."

"I hate that you're always right."

"Correct."

"Stop."

"Obviously."

Elliot smirked. "So, coffee?"

"Obviously."