The doors opened with a low mechanical hiss. Cold air rushed in. And with it silence. The headquarters stood tall, untouched by chaos. Clean. Controlled. Unforgiving.
Three figures walked in. No laughter. No teasing. No warmth. Just Vex. Specter. Blitz. Red Veil. Their footsteps echoed against the polished floor as they made their way toward the inner chamber. At the end of the hall, a pair of massive doors awaited them.
Blitz muttered under her breath, "…I hate this place."
Specter didn't respond. Her mind was still replaying one moment. "…Because you were never supposed to be here." Phantom's voice. His eyes. That hesitation.
"Focus," Vex said quietly.
The doors opened. Inside darkness. Minimal light. And at the center of it, a man sat. Still. Unmoving.
Brandon Hansel. Leader of the organization. The man who controlled everything. And Rania's father.
"Report." His voice was calm. Too calm.
Vex stepped forward. "Mission failed."
A pause.
Then, a faint chuckle. "How disappointing."
Blitz clenched her jaw. Specter remained still.
Brandon leaned forward slightly, his eyes sharp as they landed on them one by one. "Tell me…" he said slowly. "Why were there three of you?"
Silence. His gaze shifted to Specter.
"Specter." Her body tensed slightly.
"Why did you disobey direct authorization?"
Before she could answer,
"I brought them." Vex's voice cut in. Steady. Firm.
Both Specter and Blitz turned toward her. Brandon's gaze shifted.
"…Vex."
"She didn't disobey," Vex continued. "I asked them to come."
Blitz blinked. Specter's eyes widened, just slightly. A lie. And they both knew it.
Brandon didn't react immediately. He simply watched her. Studying. Measuring.
"…You were given solo authorization," he said quietly.
"And I made a decision." Silence.
The air grew heavier. Blitz felt it first. That pressure. That invisible force is pressing down on all of them.
"You made a decision…" Brandon repeated slowly. Then, he smiled. Cold. Dangerous. "How bold of you."
Specter stepped forward slightly. "Sir, the situation..."
"I wasn't asking you." His voice sharpened instantly.
Specter stopped. Blitz clenched her fists.
Brandon stood. Slowly. The room seemed to shrink.
"Red Veil was designed for efficiency," he said, his voice echoing faintly. "Precision. Obedience."
His eyes landed on Vex. "Not… sentiment."
A pause. "Tell me, Vex." His tone dropped. Lower. Sharper.
"Did you hesitate?" Silence.
Blitz looked at her. Specter held her breath. Vex didn't move. Didn't blink.
"…No." Another lie.
Brandon stepped closer. "So you're telling me," he said softly, "that despite having a clear shot…" His eyes darkened. "…you still failed." The words landed heavier than any strike.
Blitz couldn't take it anymore. "Maybe if you didn't send us into a damn trap..."
"Blitz." Vex's voice stopped her instantly.
Brandon's gaze slowly shifted. "…A trap?" he repeated. Too calm. Too controlled.
Specter's heart sank. Vex stepped forward. Cutting in before things escalated.
"The intel was incomplete," she said. "We were surrounded before engagement."
A pause. Brandon looked at her. Long. Silent. Then, he smiled again. "I see." But something in his eyes said otherwise.
"Then perhaps…" he said slowly, "the problem… isn't the mission."
Silence.
"…but the team."
Blitz's head snapped up. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Brandon ignored her. His attention returned to Vex. "You've grown attached."
The words hit. Hard. Vex didn't react. But inside, something tightened.
"That is dangerous," Brandon continued. "For someone in your position,"
Specter spoke this time. Carefully. "Sir… with all due respect, Red Veil operates best as a unit."
Brandon looked at her. "Does it?"
A pause.
"Because from what I see…" His voice dropped. "…your unit just failed." Silence. Heavy. Unforgiving.
Then, he turned away. "Next time," he said coldly, "follow your orders."
A beat. "Or I will remind you why they exist." The threat was clear.
Vex lowered her gaze slightly. "…Understood."
Blitz clenched her fists. Specter remained still. And just like that, they were dismissed.
As they walked out, no one spoke. But the moment the doors closed...
Blitz turned sharply. "What the hell was that?!"
Specter looked at Vex. "…Why did you lie for us?"
Vex didn't answer immediately. She kept walking. "…Because you're my team." Simple. Direct.
Blitz blinked. Specter's expression softened, just slightly.
But something still lingered. Because back in that room... Brandon Hansel didn't look surprised. Not even once. And that could only mean one thing.
He already knew. About the trap. About Phantom. About everything.
------
The door closed. A heavy click echoed through the room. Silence.
Vex didn't move. She already knew. He wouldn't let this end there.
"Stay." Brandon's voice came from behind her. Calm. Controlled.
Vex stopped walking. Slowly, she turned. They stood facing each other now. Not a leader and a subordinate. Father. And daughter.
Brandon's gaze was sharp. Piercing straight through her. "I know you lied to me." No hesitation. No warning.
"About them," he continued. "Specter. Blitz."
Vex didn't flinch.
"Why?" A pause. "You know the consequences."
Still silence.
Brandon stepped closer. "I trained you," he said, his voice lowering. "To be bold. To be decisive."
His eyes darkened. "Not… to feel empathy for the enemy." A beat. "Do you remember that?"
Vex met his gaze. Unshaken. "I remember."
Brandon's jaw tightened slightly. "Good."
Then his tone shifted. Colder. Sharper. "He is not your lover anymore."
Silence.
"He betrayed you," Brandon continued. "He stole our secrets." Each word, deliberate. Cutting. "He deserves to die."
A flicker. Just for a second in Vex's eyes. But it disappeared just as quickly.
"I know that." Her voice was steady. Controlled.
"I will finish him." A step forward. Closer. "By myself."
Brandon watched her carefully.
"Do not involve my team," Vex continued. "This is between him and me."
A pause. "He is my past." Her grip tightened slightly. "So I will follow your order."
Silence. Long. Heavy.
Then Brandon smiled. Slow. Cold. "I knew you would." He walked past her. "You are not like your brother."
Vex's expression didn't change. But her breathing slowed.
"Mike," Brandon said, almost casually. "Always disobedient. Always weak."
A pause.
"I had hoped he would learn." Another step. "But I was wrong."
Silence.
"I can rely on you," Brandon finished. "To achieve what this organization needs."
Vex said nothing because something felt wrong. Not his words. His tone. Too confident. Too certain. As if everything was already decided.
"…When did you know?" she asked quietly.
Brandon stopped. "…About what?"
Vex's eyes sharpened. "About the trap."
Silence. For the first time, Brandon didn't answer immediately. Then he chuckled. "…You've always been observant."
That was all the answer she needed. Vex's gaze darkened. "You sent us there." Not a question. A fact.
Brandon turned slightly. "I sent you to complete a mission."
"Or to test us?" Vex cut in.
Silence.
"…Or to eliminate us." The room grew colder.
Brandon faced her fully now. "And if I did?" A beat. "What would you do about it?"
Vex didn't answer. Because for the first time, the enemy standing in front of her... was not Phantom. It was him. Her father.
"…You're still too soft," Brandon said quietly.
Vex's eyes hardened.
"And you're still hiding something."
A flicker. There. Gone. Too fast for anyone else to notice. But not her.
Brandon stepped back. "Finish the mission." His voice returned to normal. Controlled. Untouchable.
"Kill Phantom." A pause.
"And prove to me… that I didn't train you wrong."
Silence.
Vex turned away. But before she reached the door,
Brandon spoke again. "One more thing."
She stopped. "…If your team interferes again..."
His voice dropped. "I will remove them." A threat. Clear. Absolute.
Vex didn't look back. "…Then they won't." And with that, she walked out.
But this time, her steps were different. Not obedient. Not loyal.
Something had changed. Because now, she knew. This mission…It was never about Phantom. It was about control. And she was just another piece on the board...
TBC