Chapter 2

Birth of a Phantom

While the two agents caught their breath, the lights inside suddenly flashed open with a blinding white light and revealed the expansive interior. White walls with a green tint, with floors were divided into sections, resembling a mix of a shopping mall and something akin to an office area. Only certain sections were lit up, as it looked to be still under construction.

The splashing water from the fountain sounded half-full.

As Felix glanced around the half-lit area, a holographic interface flicked out from Maria’s watch, a thin blue screen that displayed a map of the building’s interior.

“Uh-oh…” She blurted out.

“What?”

“This doesn’t look like the map they gave us.”

Felix’s eyes widened slightly as he remembered the robin’s words, “That means they renovated the entire building. We need a plan.”

“They patched the map mid-game, but the quest stays the same.” She smugly shrugged and spoke in a wistful tone.

“What?”

“Don’t worry about it. It’ll be more fun this way.”

Felix’s eyes widened as he heard a flurry of coming from the hall, moving toward their direction. He pulled out his cobalt blue gun, ready for another battle, but Maria shoved him to the wall.

“What are you—?”

“Shhh… you’re still in uniform.” She whispered with a finger against her mouth.

“Ah… right.” He nodded.

A bead of sweat slid across his face as the sound of footsteps got closer. But as soon as they got right around the hall—

“Gahk!” Felix grunted as Maria burrowed her fist into his gut.

When the guards made it to their location, Felix fell down to his knees and weakly whimpered, “Bollocks…”

Cornered at the entrance of an unfamiliar location, both of them were surrounded by several armed men.

Maria saluted as one of the armed men approached. His uniform appeared to be slightly different from the rest, appearing to be head of the guards.

The head guard raised an eyebrow, “Hm? You both. What are you doing? What was all that noise outside?”

“Sir, a rogue firework that made its way through the walls during the shootout. This one’s badly injured, he got shot by a stray bullet.” She answered with a lowered gaze, avoiding eye contact and hoping they would not be caught a second time.

He squinted his eyes and inspected the two intruders closely, “Have I seen you both before?”

“We’re new recruits, sir.” She replied quickly.

Maria then squealed as Felix vengefully pinched her shoulder tight, using it as support to get back on his feet, “The intruders have made it inside the premises, sir, we have to hurry.” He grumbled.

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The head guard sighed, “Count yourselves lucky he didn’t kill you. Take him to the infirmary. Everyone, keep your guard up! We’ll get that son of a bitch.”

“Yes, sir!” The accompanying guards shouted.

As Maria carried Felix on her shoulder, one of the guards approached with a faint smile and asked, “Do you need any help?”

Maria lowered the hat of her uniform and replied, “We’re good. I just have to bring him to the second floor, right?”

“It’s on the third floor, you both should take the elevator.”

“Alright, I’ll just take him to the infirmary myself.”

Both of them were escorted by one of the guards to the elevator. And as they walked, one of the guards muttered to the head guard.

“Sir, those two...” The guard whispered in Chinese, staring at the two agent’s torn up uniforms.

“These English speakers are dangerous. They managed to get inside, despite our efforts to keep the first guy from getting out. So play along and keep your distance.” The head guard responded in Chinese as they continued to walk along.

Felix, who was several steps ahead, did not ignore their conversation.

Maria boarded the elevator with Felix still on her shoulder, but as she turned around to salute, the guard accompanying them had a wide grin on his face as he pulled the pin out of a grenade.

“Here’s a gift, new recruits.” The guard sneered and tossed it in before the metal doors shut.

Maria’s face curled into shock as the explosive flew towards them. Felix’s silhouette appeared before her and kicked it back.

“Venom!” He yelled, and the two agents took to the sides of the elevator.

The guard’s grin faded as the grenade struck his forehead and dropped to the ground, while the rest of the men ran away in panic. Fire and shrapnel slipped past the open doors half a second before the elevator shut tight.

As they began to ascend, Felix quickly shot the camera in the top corner before muttering, “We have to get out of here.”

“Huh?”

“There should be about two hundred guards in this building, there’s probably a dozen expecting us on the next floor.”

“Sigh, what’s with you? Aren’t you glad we’re alright?”

“Oh, I’m glad, it’s just that I’d like to continue being alright…” He then let out a sharp exhale as he suddenly stumbled to the floor on his knees, clutching his right arm.

Maria sat next to Felix and noticed a dark, deep red stain on the light-brown uniform he wore, “Your arm…Was this from earlier?”

“It’s just a graze…” He blurted as he pulled out a small bottle full of pills marked with a medical cross from his pocket.

“Painkillers aren’t gonna fix the problem at hand... or, at arm?” She giggled slightly at her own pun.

“It’s not the problem.”

“Then… what is the problem?” She asked as a drop of sweat dripped down her worried face.

Felix sucked in air between his clenched teeth and answered, “Why were they speaking English?!”

“Why are you still hung up on that?!”

“They were talking to each other in Chinese while they spoke to us in English… they knew we were intruders from the start…” He sighed, wiping his face with a pained grunt.

“Right.” She let out a low sigh, “Well, this’ll heal soon anyway, but we should probably head to the infirmary.”

“I said I’m fine, I’m more curious how you were unscathed earlier…”

“Just like you, remember? Enhanced abilities and all that, not to mention I’m—” For a moment, her eyes widened as she looked at him.

“And you’re…?”

She placed her hand on her hip, “I’m an Elite Agent, too.”

With a soft laugh, Felix scratched his cheek, “Ah… That’s clear now, sorry for doubting you.”

“Huh, that’s the first time I’ve heard you laugh a non-asshole-ish laugh.”

“Is that right, well if we make it through this, then you might be able to hear it again someday.” He stood up, still clutching his arm and asked, “So, we head to the central database now?”

“Not quite…First, we take down the surveillance room, then, we head to their data center, but...”

“But?”

“But the map they gave us is completely outdated. This place looks like an entirely different building.” Maria shook her head in dismay as the holographic display popped out.

“Then I guess we’re on our own. Take out your grappling hook.”

“Hm, why?”

Felix climbed up the side of the elevator and broke open the hatch above it. He reached out his hand toward Maria, and who took it. “Because it’s time to get moving.”

The elevator stopped on the third floor. As soon as its metal doors opened, heavy clicks could be heard just before a hail of bullets began to tear its interior apart.

Wisps of dark smoke emanated from the decimated elevator, and the thick scent of the gunpowder filled the air.

With rifles clutched tightly by their side, they all got into formation and cautiously entered the damaged structure. Yet their coordinated efforts were wasted, as they looked up and found that their targets had already long left.

~