Chapter 5

The Woman in Copper

The faint sound of thunder roared in the distance as a cold wind swept through the city. The rain patiently brewing in the sky.

Several people lifted signs of protest and repeated chants while police sirens deafeningly echoed.

Felix stood on the top of a building as the breeze billowed briskly in the night. He watched through the rifle’s scope as a hooded man got up from a diner’s table and walked away. He pressed on his earpiece and mumbled, “He’s on the move.”

The diner’s door opened with a jingle and let out a faint golden glow as Maria walked out, wearing a face mask and dressed in black jacket with a pizza print on its center.

With a hop in her step, she quickly rushed forward and set her eyes on a hooded man who was walking into a thick parade of people. It was clear that the hooded man was bald, and there was a barcode on top of his left eye where his eyebrow should be.

“V.V, come in. Do you read me?” Felix asked through an earpiece while he watched Maria move through the parades of people pushing against her.

“I’m here, but I can’t get too close. It’s too… people-y.”

“I told you I should’ve gone with you.”

“And I told you your back is still healing.” She paused to sigh, before continuing, “What’s even happening here?”

“The protesters refuse to submit to their new president.” He answered as he looked at the writing on the protest signs. “The refugees refuse to give up their freedom.”

“Will war break loose here, too?”

“Who knows. The Director hates war… so it’ll be our job to prevent it from happening.”

“So, whose death is necessary to protect the peace?”

Felix remained silent and unwilling to answer her question.

“Hmph.” She scoffed. “Do you have visual on the target?”

“I do. Forty, forty five, right ahead of you.”

“Well…?”

“I can’t exactly just shoot him.”

“Why not? There’s a huge protest. It could literally be blamed as stray fire by the police.”

“We don’t need unnecessary casualties. Besides, what are you gonna do, grab the key from his corpse in the middle of the streets?”

“Yes?”

“Marie…”

“Well, can’t you do anything? Is there a code for this situation, something in the manual?”

“I don’t remember. I wasn’t exactly the brightest person, I only really knew how to fight.”

“And yet you’re not even good at tha—”

“Shut your word-hole. Do you remember anything?” Felix’s blue eye twitched.

“Funny you ask…no.”

“Then just try to get him somewhere secluded.”

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As the two conversed through a wire, the barcoded man she shadowed sped up his pace.

“Yeah, pretty sure the guy has noticed my presence.” Maria reported as she quickened her pace. “You could always shoot at him.”

“We just need the key; we don’t need to cause a panic.”

“Maybe a panic is what we need.” She replied coldly.

“And risk getting on the chief’s nerves? Sure, if we weren’t the ones causing—”

While the two of them bickered, a line of white light pierced through a building from the distance and into the dark skies, followed by the explosion from within the same building.

Screams quickly filled the air as the crowds grew chaotic with fear. But while the two agents were distracted by the explosion, their hooded target sprinted through the panic.

“What was that?” Felix mumbled.

“You tell me, you’re the one with the scope.” Maria responded as she struggled against the hordes of panicking people.

“Something definitely exploded.” He remarked.

“Thanks, Sherlock. Do you still have a visual on the target?”

Felix looked back through the scope and scoured once again for their target, “Where did he—?”

“He might’ve gone into one of the buildings. Check the windows.” Maria said as she sprinted ahead.

Felix searched into the further buildings, glancing through every door and window and between the dozens of heads running opposite Maria’s direction. Until he saw the target running into an underground path, “There he is, headed to the parking lot ahead of you. No visual inside, exercise caution.”

“Got it.” She quickly sprinted ahead to the indoor parking lot, but inside, she found several armed guards surrounding her target.

“Oh… fuck.” She muttered before jumping behind the pillar.

“V.V, come in.” Felix heard loud static noise, followed by silence, “Marie!” Felix got up, but as he took a step on the ledge to head down to her.

Static filled his earpiece, and a voice called out; “HQ to Blue Phantom, we picked up a disturbance up North, status report?”

Felix glanced at the fire from a distance and replied, “Blue Phantom to HQ, there was an explosion about ten blocks North from here, in a building by the pier.”

“Survey the situation. Capture anyone suspicious. Evacuate and assist any wounded and seek potential witnesses.”

His mismatched eyes moved back to the sight of the flames “But sir, what if it were a diversion? And what about—”

“Agent Blue Phantom, I’m not asking for your input. Just follow orders.”

“... Understood.”

As he heeded the words from headquarters, Maria found herself in the midst of a small group of armed men. Five in total, who met with her target.

“Don’t worry, Venom Vanguard isn’t an Elite Agent for nothing.” Headquarters remarked.

Felix’s eyes sharpened with focus, “Understood.” He pulled out a grappling hook and swung above the buildings and rushed towards the pillar of smoke.

From within the parking lot, one of the armed men asked, “Do you have it?” He was a tall, gray-haired old man who appeared to be the leader of the group.

“I do.” Answered the barcoded man as he presented a small black chip on his palm, from it came out a holographic projection of random strings of numbers and letters.

“Good.”

Maria watched from the corner of her eye with an agape mouth. She had found what she was after, when all of the sudden, the leader of the men yelled out, “Who’s there?!”

Without letting out a peep, she was caught.

“Is that our client?”

A gunshot struck the floor next to the pillar Maria hid behind. She gave a good long look at the cracked concrete next to her, and realized that a small section of her shadow gave away her position.

“That was a warning shot! Show yourself, now!” The man yelled, his eyes narrowed, and his brows furrowed. There was an uneasiness in his gruff voice.

A feeling of agitation spread among the men. It was a nervousness that was sorely lacking in Maria’s face, who had an expression that was a mixture of both boredom and mild annoyance.

She gave out a rough sigh and cracked her neck. Her steps echoed as she walked out the pillar.

One step.

“It’s not the clown…” Their leader whispered.

Another step.

“Wait, that woman…” The barcoded man uttered.

And another step.

“That’s the woman who was tailing me this whole time!” He exclaimed.

In that instant, several semi-automatic rifles were pointed straight at her head.

With one final step, the echoes ceased, and she was in full view. Maria had fully captured the men’s attention. The darkness in her shadow contrasted against the bright lights above, and the gray radiance that bounced off the concrete.

“Identify yourself!” The gray-haired old man yelled with a shaky breath.

She let out a cold laughter as she stood in front of them unarmed.

Her eyes then sharpened, and a wave of fear passed through their bodies and caused the hair on their arms to stand. For a moment, all of them felt paralyzed by the unnerving sensation. It was as if a giant serpent had been staring down at them.

“This is… killing intent? Men, fire—!” Before he could instruct his men to pull the trigger, Maria had launched her knife directly at his throat, the cold steel pierced through his flesh and buried into his jugular.

They all looked at him as he collapsed to the ground, squelching gurgles came from his mouth as he choked on his own blood.

A shower of deafening gunfire followed, drowning out the screams that came soon after.

~