The door was already broken.
The room was quiet.
Too quiet.
Then—
Boot steps.
Five soldiers entered.
Black armor.
Cold voices.
"Scan the room."
"No one here."
"Target missing."
Manav was sweating continuesly behind a wall.
Priya covered his mouth softly.
Arjun held a knife tight.
The null wing leader raised two fingers.
A signal.
Wait.
Two more C-17 soldiers walked in.
"Check behind debris."
"Check corners."
One of them walked closer.
Closer.
Closer.
Manav heart's beating was increasing.
*Thump.*
*Thump.*
*Thump.*
Priya whispered very softly,
"Don't move."
The soldier stopped near their hiding place.
He looked left.
Then right.
Then—
CRACK.
A flash.
One null wing member jumped from above.
Hit him down.
Everything exploded into action again.
Gunfire started.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
One of the C-17 soldiers shouted,
"AMBUSH!"
Too late.
Another null wing fighter slid across the floor.
Kicked a leg.
Shot twice.
Two enemies down.
Arjun whispered,
"They planned this…"
Manav whispered,
"They knew…"
The leader moved like he was not scared.
Calm.
Focused.
Like this was normal.
"Left side clear."
"Move."
One of his members answered,
"Two remaining."
A soldier tried to run.
He did not make it far.
A loud hit.
Silence.
Another tried to aim.
Priya flinched.
Arjun grabbed her shoulder.
"It's okay."
Then one last shot.
Quiet again.
The whole fight ended very fast.
Too fast.
Manav blinked.
It felt unreal.
Five soldiers came.
None left standing.
The null wing still had all four members.
Not even hurt.
The leader checked quickly.
"Area secure."
Then he looked toward the wall.
"You can come out."
No answer.
"I know you are there."
Arjun stepped out first.
Knife ready.
Still careful.
Manav followed slowly.
Priya stayed close behind.
The leader nodded.
"Good."
Manav asked quietly,
"Are they… dead?"
The leader answered simply,
"Yes."
Manav looked down.
He felt strange.
Not scared.
Not shocked.
Just tired.
Arjun crossed his arms.
"You still haven't told us who you are."
The leader finally answered clearly.
"We stop bad plans before they happen."
Arjun asked,
"Like heroes?"
One member laughed a little.
"No heroes in war."
The leader corrected,
"We are problem solvers."
Priya asked,
"Why help us?"
The leader answered,
"Because Manav is part of a bigger problem."
Manav felt cold again.
"What problem?"
The leader did not answer.
"Later."
Arjun got annoyed.
"You keep saying later."
The leader replied,
"And you keep being alive because of that."
That stopped Arjun from talking.
They started walking outside.
The hallway was broken.
Manav walked beside the leader.
He finally asked,
"Do you know C-17?"
The leader answered,
"Yes."
Manav's eyes widened.
"You do?!"
"Yes."
"Is C-17 good?"
The leader paused.
Then said,
"C-17 is… necessary."
Manav did not understand.
"Do you also need C-17?"
The leader answered,
"Yes."
Arjun suddenly stopped walking.
"Then why didn't we just go with those soldiers?"
Everyone stopped.
The leader turned slowly.
His face became serious.
"Because those were not sent by C-17."
Silence.
Arjun frowned.
"What do you mean?"
The leader answered,
"Those soldiers used C-17 name."
Manav felt fear again.
"Why?"
The leader answered,
"To trick you."
Arjun asked,
"Who would do that?"
The leader said something strange.
"Someone who knows C-17 is watching you."
That made things worse.
Manav asked,
"So someone is pretending to be C-17?"
The leader nodded.
"Yes."
Arjun asked,
"Who are THEY?"
The leader did not answer.
Instead he asked:
"Did those soldiers know your name?"
Manav thought.
"Yes."
"Did they know your location?"
"Yes."
"Did they know about C-17?"
"Yes…"
The leader nodded slowly.
"Then we have a leak."
Arjun asked,
"A leak where?"
The leader answered:
"Everywhere."
Manav did not like that answer.
"That means…"
"Yes," the leader said.
"Someone inside the system is hunting you."
Priya asked quietly,
"Are we safe with you?"
The leader answered honestly,
"No."
That surprised them.
"But we have better chances together."
They walked outside the building.
Night air.
Cold.
A transport vehicle waited.
Plain.
No symbols.
Manav asked,
"Where are we going?"
The leader answered,
"A temporary safe zone."
Arjun asked,
"And after that?"
"Answers."
Manav asked again,
"You really know why I was saved?"
The leader looked at him.
"Yes."
Manav's voice became small.
"Is it bad?"
The leader answered,
"It depends."
"On what?"
"On what you choose to become."
Manav did not understand again.
Arjun asked,
"You talk like he is some weapon."
The leader replied,
"Everything is a weapon in the wrong hands."
They reached the vehicle.
Doors opened.
They got inside.
Engine started.
Manav sat quietly.
Thinking.
Too much thinking.
*If C-17 works alone…*
*Then who sent those soldiers?*
*How many groups are there?*
*Why me?*
He asked one more question.
"How strong is C-17?"
The leader answered,
"Strong enough to change death lists."
Manav swallowed.
"Strong enough to fight armies?"
The leader answered,
"Stronger."
Priya asked,
"Then why not come personally?"
The leader looked outside the window.
"Because if C-17 moves personally…"
He stopped.
Manav asked,
"What?"
"It means something worse is happening."
Arjun asked,
"Worse than this?"
The leader answered,
"Much worse."
Silence filled the vehicle.
Then Arjun asked something important.
"If those were fake C-17 soldiers…"
"Yes."
"Then the real C-17 team is still coming?"
The leader nodded.
"Yes."
Manav felt his stomach twist.
"So we are still being hunted?"
"Yes."
Priya whispered,
"How many groups want him?"
The leader answered,
"Too many."
Manav asked quietly,
"Am I a mistake?"
No one answered immediately.
Then the leader said:
"No."
"Then what am I?"
The leader answered softly,
"A decision someone made."
Manav did not understand again.
The vehicle stopped suddenly.
Everyone became alert.
"What happened?"
One Null Wing member checked a device.
"We got movement."
Arjun asked,
"Enemies?"
The member answered,
"Unknown."
The leader stepped out.
Looked around.
Then came back inside.
"We move on foot from here."
Manav asked,
"Why?"
The leader answered,
"Too easy to track vehicles."
They walked through broken streets.
Quiet.
Fast.
Focused.
Manav tried to keep up.
Priya held his hand sometimes.
Arjun stayed behind them.
Guarding.
Manav asked while walking,
"If C-17 works alone…"
"Yes."
"How do you know so much about them?"
The leader answered,
"Because we failed to stop them once."
Arjun asked,
"What happened?"
The leader answered,
"They saved someone we needed."
Manav asked,
"Like me?"
The leader looked at him.
"Exactly like you."
That made Manav freeze.
"There are others?"
The leader answered,
"There were."
Manav asked,
"Were?"
The leader did not reply.
That silence said enough.
They reached another building.
Hidden entrance.
They went inside.
One member locked the door.
Manav sat down.
Very tired.
Arjun asked the leader,
"Tell me one honest thing."
The leader nodded.
"Ask."
Arjun asked:
"If we didn't come with you…"
"What would have happened?"
The leader answered simply,
"You would be dead in one hour."
Manav felt fear again.
Priya asked,
"From who?"
The leader answered,
"From the real hunters."
Manav asked,
"Not C-17?"
The leader answered,
"No."
Arjun asked,
"Then who?"
The leader paused.
Then said:
"The ones who started Project Void."
Everything became quiet.
Manav whispered,
"They want me dead?"
The leader corrected him.
"No."
"They want you first."
Manav did not know which was worse.
He asked,
"Why first?"
The leader answered,
"Because you are early."
"Early for what?"
The leader looked straight at him.
Then said something that made everyone still.
"You were not supposed to survive the selection phase."
Manav whispered,
"What selection?"
The leader answered,
"The child selection protocol."
Arjun asked,
"The death list?"
"Yes."
Manav asked,
"Why was I on it?"
The leader said:
"Because of your classification."
Manav asked slowly,
"What classification?"
The leader answered:
"Category Zero."
Priya asked,
"What does that mean?"
The leader answered,
"It means unknown outcome."
Arjun asked,
"And that is bad?"
The leader replied,
"For people who want control… yes."
Manav whispered,
"And C-17?"
The leader said quietly,
"C-17 protects unknown outcomes."
Manav felt something change inside him.
"So C-17 saved me because I am unknown?"
The leader nodded.
"Yes."
Arjun asked,
"And the fake team?"
The leader answered,
"They want to control unknown outcomes."
Priya asked,
"By taking him?"
"Yes."
Manav asked one last question.
"Then who is C-17 really?"
The leader became very serious.
And said:
"If I am right…"
"They are already watching you right now."
Manav felt fear crawl up his spine.
"Watching… where?"
The leader looked at the dark ceiling.
And said:
"From inside your future."