The training room buzzed with unfamiliar energy as Elena stood in the center, the tension of the day's events still clinging to her. Ethan had brought her here, to a hidden facility, far removed from the world she once knew. The sterile, metallic walls reflected the flickering lights from various machines, their low hum a constant reminder that nothing about this place was normal.
“So, you're the new recruit,” a playful voice chimed from behind her.
Elena turned to see a woman with short-cropped hair, leaning casually against the wall. Chloe Price, the team's tech expert, as Ethan had told her. Next to her stood Brooke Mitchell, the team's no-nonsense combat specialist. While Chloe’s grin was mischievous, Brooke's acknowledgment was a curt nod, though her eyes carried something more—wariness.
“Don't let Chloe scare you,” Brooke said, her voice dry. “She's harmless. Mostly.”
Chloe's smirk widened. “Ignore her. We're glad to have you. Welcome to the madness.”
Elena smiled nervously, feeling a mix of excitement and anxiety. She couldn’t shake the feeling that Brooke and Chloe were still assessing her. Occasionally, Brooke's eyes lingered on her a little too long, and Chloe, despite her lighthearted attitude, seemed to be testing her in subtle ways. A glance here, a raised brow there, as though silently questioning if Elena was truly someone they could trust.
Ethan stepped into the room, his eyes meeting Elena's with a steady gaze. “Today's your first day of training. It's going to be tough, but you'll learn fast. You don't have a choice.”
Elena nodded, trying to steel herself. “I'm ready.”
Chloe's eyes gleamed with mischief. “Let's see what you're made of, then.”
Brooke stepped forward, her demeanor sharp and commanding. “We'll start with concealment and evasion. You're not going to be fighting just yet, but you need to learn how to avoid being seen.”
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The training that followed was nothing like the montages Elena had seen in action movies—no quick flashes of progress, no easy wins. Instead, it was grueling. Brooke moved her through drill after drill, teaching her to stay low, keep quiet, and blend into her surroundings.
“You're too loud,” Brooke said with a frown as Elena tried to move through the mock training area. “Your footsteps echo. Keep close to the walls, reduce your profile. Less is more.”
Elena felt her legs burn from the strain of staying low, and her muscles ached from the repeated movements. But Brooke was patient, though firm, offering curt nods when Elena made progress. It wasn't praise, but Brooke's quick, approving glances were enough.
Meanwhile, Chloe's teasing lightened the tension. “First-timer mistakes,” she joked after one of Elena's particularly noisy steps. “It's part of the charm.”
Brooke snorted. “Charm doesn't help when you're dead, Chloe.”
Elena smiled nervously, thankful for Chloe's attempts to keep things light. As Chloe passed Brooke, their hands brushed briefly, and Elena caught a glimpse of the sternness in Brooke's expression softening, if only for a second.
She found herself wondering if they were more than just teammates, but before she could dwell on it, Chloe's voice cut through her thoughts.
“Next up, the Echo Ring,” Chloe said, snapping her out of her reverie.
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The tech expert handed Elena a sleek, metallic ring. “This little beauty is our main communication tool—completely secure and encrypted. You don't need to speak to use it. Just focus your thoughts on who you want to communicate with, and it'll do the rest.”
Elena slid the ring onto her finger, feeling the faint vibration as it adjusted to her skin. She raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “It reads brain waves?”
Chloe winked. “Close enough. It's basically telepathy but without the weird sci-fi vibes. Give it a try—focus on me.”
Elena took a deep breath, focusing her thoughts on Chloe. The ring vibrated gently, and Chloe’s voice echoed in her mind, playful and teasing.
“Not bad for a beginner, huh?”
Elena blinked, startled. “I... I heard you in my head.”
“Exactly.” Chloe grinned. “Once you get the hang of it, it'll feel natural. Keep practicing.”
As Elena practiced using the Echo Ring, Ethan observed from the side, his expression unreadable. His silent scrutiny made Elena wonder what he was thinking. Did he think she was doing well, or was he still unsure of her abilities?
She could feel his presence as she fumbled with the device, and it was strangely reassuring. Maybe he wasn't as distant as she thought.
After some time, Brooke reappeared, holding a small glowing orb. “Next up, something a bit more advanced.” Without hesitation, she tossed it into the air. The orb hovered effortlessly, a soft hum emanating from it, as a translucent wave of energy rippled outward. “This is the Phantom Cloak. It creates a distortion field that makes you invisible to most detection systems, biological or otherwise.”
Elena's eyes widened in fascination. “Invisible?”
“Pretty much,” Brooke replied. “It's tricky to get the hang of at first. You'll need to focus to activate it, but once it's on, it'll follow you automatically and stay active on its own. No need to keep concentrating.” She paused and glanced at Elena. “And if you're in a hurry, you can skip tossing it in the air. Just hold it tight and focus—it'll still work.”
Brooke demonstrated, her outline blurring into the background until she seemed to vanish completely. Elena blinked, trying to focus, but Brooke had blended seamlessly with the surroundings—completely invisible.
Elena took the orb, her fingers tightening around it as she tried to focus. The first few attempts were shaky, the field flickering in and out as she adjusted. She could feel the weight of the task, the intensity of the training pushing her limits. But just when she thought she couldn't get it, Ethan stepped closer.
“You've got this. Stay still, breathe. Let the cloak do its job,” his voice was low and steady, sending a ripple of calm through her.
Elena tried again, breathing deeply, and this time, the cloak shimmered into place. She could feel her body blending into the background, her outline disappearing into the environment. It wasn't perfect, but it was progress.
“Better,” Brooke nodded, a rare hint of approval in her voice. “You'll get there.”
As the hours dragged on, the drills became more intense—sneaking, evading, observing without being seen. Elena's body ached, but she could feel herself improving. Brooke and Chloe guided her through each challenge, and Ethan remained a quiet observer, occasionally stepping in with a soft word of encouragement.
Over the next few days, Elena returned to the facility every evening, pushing herself harder with each session. Slowly but surely, she began to adjust to the team's rhythm, earning Brooke's nods of approval more often than before. Chloe continued to make her laugh, breaking the tension, while Ethan offered quiet, steady guidance.
Each evening, as the drills grew tougher, she noticed more about Ethan—his quiet yet attentive presence, the way he offered guidance not in critique but in subtle nudges. She had pegged him as the smooth-talking salesman, but that facade was long gone now, replaced by someone who carried the weight of his role with a responsibility that both intrigued and unsettled her.
During one particularly grueling session, when she thought she couldn't take another step, he had come up behind her, his voice low and steady. “Breathe, Elena. You've come this far. Just a little more.”
She began to realize that beneath Ethan's cool exterior was someone who cared deeply about his team—and about her progress.
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One evening, after another grueling session, Brooke threw her a towel. “Not bad, rookie,” she said with a small nod of approval.
Chloe grinned, leaning against the wall. “She's getting there. A few more days, and we might actually let you sit with us at lunch.”
Elena laughed, wiping the sweat from her face. “I'll hold you to that.”
The banter was interrupted by the sudden sharp beep of Chloe’s comms unit. Her playful expression vanished, replaced by a serious look as she scanned the screen.
“Emergency alert,” she muttered. Her fingers moved quickly, and her eyes flicked up to meet Ethan's. “It's coming from one of the outer sectors. Unusual energy readings—could be worth investigating.”
Ethan's expression darkened, and he glanced at Elena, his face unreadable. “Looks like your first real mission is coming sooner than expected.”