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raikoart — A little more action
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Published: 2018-01-12 20:40:18 +0000 UTC; Views: 110485; Favourites: 7192; Downloads: 0
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Description
Here's an illustration of Tess that is a little more action-ey
A little about my OC, she is a licensed-to-kill type of spy in a futuristic world I'm trying to write a little about her story, but for now I want to focus on world-building(Hopefully)
PSD, High-Res, WIP with notes: Patreon
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She is primed and ready to do some killing! Beautiful and deadly 
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Freaking awesome. I love this character design
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I dedicate (or even give) this story (fan-fiction) to, of course, @raikoart as a help with the world building he/she is building for the amazing OC. I suddenly became a big fan of the work.
According to the OC's description, Tess is a spy set in a futuristic world.
Writing a story for the character?
Well, a few movie inspirations might count to create a short story about one sassy blonde female character.
#ChallengeAccepted
A/N: This is just a fan-fiction and strictly non-canonical to the creator's original intent of the story. I have written this simply for fun and as a fan for the work. This short story has more or less 10,000 words divided into five chapters only. Since it is world-building, I may have added my own characters but they were created on the spot to expand the story.
The rest will be explained at the end of the story. Enjoy!
~*~
PROLOGUE.
Year 2035, in the midst of technological development, the Earth is now ravaged with overpopulation. Economic crisis led to war, insurgency and terrorism that scattered across the globe due to the scarcity of resources. The planet now barely supply the needs than what's expected to provide.
War became a famous political solution in the belief of minimizing the population that caused the extremely great demand of needs than what is supplied. Losing justice amidst chaos, the poor, the weak and those nations of lesser power are the ones who suffer the most.
As crisis grows, it forced the nations to create armed organizations bred for battle creating a world of killers. Private military companies, terrorist groups, insurgency, all are loyal to no country. However, there were also organizations who can still fight for what's right. Secret governmental agencies taking down black markets and targeting those who are willing to drown the world into a cycle of chaos.
The world is dawning to a man-made apocalypse.
~*~
CHAPTER I.
A rider in a black leather suit accelerated the motorbike across the streets of the city heading downtown. With the increasing speed and the powerful engines of the black painted bike, the rider dodged every civilian vehicle on the road overtaking every one of them until the rider reached to the destination intended to arrive. The rider drove towards the basement of the building which is a wide parking lot placing the bike there then removed the helmet revealing to a blonde young woman in her twenties flailing her ponytail after being compressed on the helmet for a long while.
The young blonde arrived on a hotel with plenty of people enjoying their moment in the building. It was always normal for the hotel to have casual parties every night. Even a simple date, a gathering, the hotel has a very elegant class as it is told by the ornaments and the architectural design that still embraces the classical. The young blonde arrived on the receptionist table where a male clerk took post giving advises to the newly arrived customers before they left and it was now her turn to see him.
"Evening Tess, you look lovely as ever." The clerk in his late forties smiled. "How can I help you?"
"Evening Arthur, another party I see but within this very evening I received a message from Mike that I am to meet him here." Tess replied.
"Well whatever it is that he wants from you, may I send someone to escort you to your room?"
"Oh I'm alright, thank you." Tess insisted with a smile.
"Very well, enjoy your stay." Arthur smiled back.
Tess already rented a room in the hotel as it is the only place where she can stay only that the establishment hides something deeper than the human eye can see. As she entered her room a few floors above, she turned on the lights only to notice someone already inside her room. A man in his sixties sitting alone beside a small table outside the window on a balcony. He left the doors open as the wind blew smoothly on the thin white silk curtains. Tess approached him seeing that he was drinking a glass of wine watching the lights of the city and traffic hearing the clamors below underneath the starry night sky. The man is very familiar to Tess even at the view of the angle from behind, it must be Mike.
"You're a bit early. For a moment there, I thought you were the room service." Mike began to speak.
"This is my room and you're debriefing me for another service." Tess replied. "What is it about?" She said as Mike slid a folder on the smooth surface of his table towards Tess as she snatched it right away by her swift hands.
"Careful now, no need to get impatient that's a very valuable piece of info that might bring the chills down your very spine." Mike said but Tess was eager open the folder to see that it is a dossier about a target.
Tess sees a photograph and other data about a wealthy businessman who's also familiar to Tess as a flash of memory came to her mind remembering herself inside a wardrobe peeking through the openings of the door watching his father get shot and the bleeding corpse of her mother on the bedroom carpet. Tess' eyes glared and suddenly was mixed with mild shaking that Mike had to stand up from the table and pick the folder from Tess' shaking hands.
"Him?!" Tess scowled exclaiming as Mike nodded. "All this years I've been hunting for the man who killed my parents happened to be the city's most powerful man?"
"Specifically saying, the nation's most powerful man. He now owns the nation's most powerful private military corporation now almost reaching at the international level. If that happens and because of the fact that he has the highest level of competency, his company will become a major power against every other military organizations in the world." Mike began to debrief Tess.
"All I ever wanted is to find this man and end him." Tess muttered.
"That's not your mission, we don't have the authorization to kill a valuable target. If you do that, you won't be able to have the info our agency needs. If you really wanted to find the man who killed your parents, you first must know his name." Mike said as Tess was about to open the dossier folder again. "Don't look at that again unless I say so." Mike growled as Tess closed the folder quickly looking back at Mike. "Now, what's his name?" Mike asked as Tess simply just stuttered by the next few seconds in silence while Mike continued. "Most people rather recognize someone's face than getting to know who they are. His name is Val Cross, former US Marine sergeant who reinforced Seoul when North Korea sparked an invasion twenty one years ago. After his operation, he founded Hyperion Incorporated by spending all of his money on something he's always been looking for: to be faster than what the government can do. Right after he started the organization, there were sudden reports of nationwide deaths of C.I.A. agents including five senators whom the authorities believe must be a systematic assassination that no one has ever traced the men behind all this until this day. However, there was a classified evidence that was gathered. It's your father." Mike smirked explaining the briefing.
"What about my father?" Tess asked.
"No one believed about your father's hypothesis on linking these deaths to Val, but your father first saw a pattern about the deaths and along with every other of our own agents. The night before your parents died, he made a personal mission by infiltrating the building of Hyperion Incorporated looking for evidences that linked to the murders. He wanted to prove that Val was behind all of this, simply an undercover op. The mission was simple, access Val's desk computer, download every data he can and get the hell out of there but every security in the building is tight. Which is why seven agents already died trying to get access to Val's office. He however with pure luck, managed to pass through. Why? Because he's one of Val's three alpha level members, your father was Val's most trusted friend. Only alpha members can get through his office. But his cover was blown. Chased all the way to your house telling your mother and you to pack up but it was too late. That's all I know the moment I investigated about your father's death. Proceed with the mission." Mike said patting Tess' shoulder. "Your father was a great man. A friend, do this for him."
"Seven agents. Dead. And I'm going to be one of them if I don't know where I am going. Tell me where to start?" Tess asked.
"Follow me." Mike replied with a wink.
Tess left her room and headed towards Mike's. He headed towards his small library room, pulled a few books hiding a small panel which is a scanner. Mike put his thumb on the scanner and the bookshelf opened a pathway to another room. It was a small square shaped room and after they entered it, the small room automatically lowered down. An elevator.
Further lowering down, somewhere beneath the hotel, they arrived at a secret underground complex populated with soldiers and workers in their white lab coats and workers standing on tables plenty of tools, devices and weapons. Tess and Mike walked through the large hall seeing agents and soldiers testing weapons such as laser rifles, exosuits strapped on the body to enhance strength along with walking droids and flying drones.
"How long has it been before you officially became a Spectre agent, Tess?" Mike asked.
"By my count, it's eight years now." Tess replied. "Why?"
"Well, because the first time you came here I always admired the look you have. Curious, eager and most of all is excited." Mike said as Tess laughed turning her look on Mike.
"Did you just miss the old me?" Tess smirked.
"Let's just say I'm just trying to shape your mood for this mission." Mike replied.
"You still have cheap jokes, Mike." Tess scoffed.
"But you still like them." Mike added. "Let's get suited up shall we?"
~*~
Tailoring:
Mike and Tess went to the tailoring as he introduced Tess to the Taylor.
"Tess, this is Taylor the tailor." Mike introduced Tess to a bald man in a tux waiting for them with a small approachable smile.
"What?" Tess wondered.
"Don't judge." Mike mumbled quietly. "He's new here but still of course, skilled to accommodate you for your desired combat wear. But if you're not really good at picking your suit or rather naming the right fashion, Taylor will do the rest for you. He's good at suggesting the wear fit for your image." Mike said as Taylor nodded.
"Right this way Agent Tess." Taylor escorted Tess to the wardrobe area.
~*~
Armory:
Mike and Tess went to the armory. Where a male looking android is standing in the counter and a stash and display of weapons behind him.
"Here, we have Ed. Also new." Mike introduced Tess.
"Where's Al?" Tess asked the former personnel who runs the spot.
"Reassigned to weapons engineering, ma'am." Ed answered as Tess approached to his counter. "How can I help you?"
"The last person who runs this place that automatically picks my weapons of choice always begin with the Austrian." Tess said.
"Oh, so it must be the Glock. Is it the 17, 19 or the 36? How about the 18, for full auto in case if you change your mind." Ed guessed the weapons as Tess picked up a Glock pistol from the sets, cocked it without the rounds and aimed horizontally to diagonally with both hands checking the weight and comfort. "Al told me however that you'd prefer something swift, light, perfect grip based by the size of your hands. And for the fact that you of course prefer something to economize the ammo."
"Al used to give me my classic pair of M1911's." Tess implied.
"You mean, these?" Ed said pulling out a black box from below the counter and placed it on top of the desk opening it showing a pair of glossy silver pistols almost submerged in black painted cushion. "Although it really matches your image, I do find them quite heavy."
"True. But at least a weapon like this that has been designed nearly forty years ago can still kill someone." Tess implied holding the Glock.
"As a great man once said. You can't beat the classics." Ed smirked nodding.
~*~
Tailoring:
"Mike told me that you are about to infiltrate the country's most largest private military organization..." Taylor said holding a tape measure measuring Tess' size for her suit standing in front of the mirror.
"That is correct." Tess answered.
"But still in a highly secured facility, that is unless you're going undercover or keeping your stealth across the hallways behind the shadows, I still recommend you to have something more... tactical."
"I'm an agent. It's always going tactical."
"That is if you're about to kill twenty people. All I heard is that you're going to infiltrate... Not kill." Taylor smirked raising an eyebrow trying to agree with Tess.
~*~
Briefing:
Tess and Mike entered a computer-table, turned it on and showed a 3D hologram of a building from the desk. The model of the headquarters of Hyperion Incorporated.
"So, here's how it goes... Val's office is in the 40th floor of the Hyperion headquarters. But it's like a vault as what we expected, tight security. He always locks himself inside his office twenty-four, seven. Never goes out." Mike said.
"It's as if he doesn't know how give himself a break and take a shit. But if there's no way to burst in, the only way to go inside is undercover." Tess added.
"Well... Those are the specialties of a Spectre agent but the entrances are of course wired with cameras, detectors usually for registered clients and an I.D. if you're an employee. Unless someone manages to gain access to the primary computers right on the server and security rooms located on the 41st floor, plant your fake bio-data and go undercover. But it would take less than an hour before they realized it's falsified. There's always a flaw in the system." Mike replied turning the 3D hologram of the building pointing at the location.
"But of course an I.D. uses a real photograph, just change name yet we don't know if they're going to use my photograph for a facial scan and track me down knowing that I'm a Spectre."
"Hyperion doesn't even have the data to track your identities."
"But what if they do?"
"It's highly unlikely as of now."
"I can't do this on my own." Tess slightly raised her tone.
"That's why we're going to need a team. Or rather a good partner."
"I prefer a partner. I love working alone." Tess squinted her eyes nodding.
"I thought you said you can't do this on your own." Mike added.
~*~
Armory:
"Anything else will I provide for you?" Ed said.
"How about something sweet yet sharp... and precise." Tess said raising her brows.
"Hmm... Sweet... Sharp... Precise..." Ed tries to analyze Tess' request.
~*~
Tailoring:
One of Taylor's bodyguards suddenly draws his pistol and shoots at the mannequin wearing a tuxedo. It seems that the bodyguard had a strong grip with sharp accuracy as his hand never flinches at the recoil of every shot fired.
Later on, Taylor pulls out a thin pad from the tux where the bullets are stuck and begin explaining to Tess.
"Carbon nanofibers. They say diamond is the hardest solid object in the world so with this piece of cutting edge technology, we can simply apply it on your tux coat. Only two millimeters thick and almost nothing can penetrate it. However, ...still quite painful to get shot, I'm afraid." Taylor gave a regretful look holding the armor pad on his hands.
~*~
Armory:
Ed pulled out a rifle from his stock and showed it to Tess.
"M4A1 custom, longer handrail and barrel to enhance propulsion and accuracy added with a front hand grip that makes it efficient for mid-range combat shifting your aim with ease. Also with an ACOG of course just to improvise your CQB skills and adjust the lighting of your targets. Or if you want to change its variant, I can provide another one for you." Ed described the weapon as Tess received the rifle cocking it and aimed at something in the room checking its feel. "But I would rather suggest an AR-15 with the same custom if you prefer economizing more rounds. Sometimes the civilian version of these weapons makes every shot count."
"But it's going to be a warzone. Don't worry, I barely switch it to full auto. Unless I want to kill more than I count." Tess said.
"Your choice of course." Ed replied.
"How about something light but brutal?" Tess asked for another weapon.
"May I suggest... the Benelli M4? Civilian or military?" Ed asked.
"Military, it's going to be quite heavier than the civilian but I can take it." Tess nodded in certainty smiling as what Ed passed her is a semi-auto shotgun.
"I've never met a woman who'd rather ask for something a bit more... robust. A bit far-fetched from your image, honestly speaking." Ed squinted an eye as Tess aimed the shotgun cocking the chamber many times and checked the weight by resting it on one of her arm. "Since the military version can carry 8 plus shells of 12 gauge, I guess you're really are eager to kill more than what you can count. An Italian classic."
"Killing is the sweetest thing there is." Tess implied.
"For other Spectre agents, indeed it is. Depending on the mission." Ed nodded.
~*~
Briefing:
"If the security is indeed tight, they even automatically trace our faces once we access the I.D's. If we go undercover. It's best to have us as employees than clients. They don't focus much on whoever works there." Tess suggested a hint leaving Mike to think about it.
"Rick, do they have a scheduled delivery or any convoy that enters the building?" Mike asked the user as he searched the computer looking for information.
"We have one, a truck arriving at the headquarters at 2030 hours, from the shipyard. It must be a delivery for another deal. Also Hyperion often protects their shipments on the way so it's going to be a convoy." Rick replied.
"That's our entry. Stealth or undercover?" Mike asked.
"Those words sounded the same to me. Undercover. We take out the men of the convoy, wear their uniforms, enter through the guard post, validate our purpose and we're in." Tess
explained the plans.
"Which is why you need a team." Mike insisted the statement earlier.
"But I'm infiltrating his office alone." Tess added giving a big mouthing for the word 'alone'.
~*~
Tailoring:
"What do you think?" Taylor finally completed the design of the small leather coat.
"Just what I imagined." Tess answered as Taylor chuckled. "What about my inner outfit for my torso until down below."
"I think sir Mike and me prepared that for you actually." Taylor gave a smirk as they escorted Tess towards a hidden wardrobe that Taylor unlocked opening a portion of the wall in the room.
The object that revealed hidden behind the wall is a white skin-tight tactical suit with thick black combat boots lit by the surrounding lights worn on a headless mannequin for display
"This is just a prototype actually. Also made out of nanotechnology on its very fibers almost functions the same composition as the carbon nanofiber pads attached to your coat. However, elastic as a rubber and possesses a thin memory cushion that retains its shape in order to fit your size accurately as possible almost tight but still you can actually move swiftly. Bulletproof of course and it will be the perfect combat wear for your mission." Taylor said as Tess smirked nodding in appreciation.
~*~
Briefing:
"One more thing. Before going into his office, just to ensure that you are able to obtain every classified info inside Val's computer, you're going to need an alpha member keycard in order to gain access to his office." Mike said.
"Where can I get one?" Tess asked.
"Either you get it from him, or his son. The son owns a club three blocks northeast of here. That's where you're going to start while the rest of us will take care of the convoy before you infiltrate the headquarters." Mike answered as he raised his hand and gave a gesture of his hands like he is opening something and a hologram image appeared in midair confirming the identity.
"And once I get the key card?" Tess asked.
"Just don't be late." Mike replied.
~*~
Armory:
Ed pulled out a box of knives of different sizes and designs placing on the counter letting Tess pick for herself.
"I'm good at guns, not knives but whatever suits your comfort and desire, the choice is yours." Ed smiled then Tess picked a retractable spring loaded blade that hides on the handle raising it showing to Ed.
"I think that's all I need." Tess said.
"Not quite miss..." Ed implied. "I heard that Mike is giving you a rough mission like no other. So it's time to use the very own weaponry that the former owner of this armory, Al and me designed. Not invented." Ed said going to a weapons stash and pulled out a contraption which is somewhat a tripod stand for a rifle with a robot machinery on top.
"This is the Hunter-1. A computerized machinery that holds a rifle in hand and remotely fires like a drone. If I can show you an example." Ed continued as he pulled out a large sniper rifle. "Here, I have an Barrett M82A1. My favorite weapon of choice. The Hunter-1 can adjust itself to match any of the rifles' size and simply put the Hunter-1's 'index finger' over the rifle's trigger and now it automatically fires the rifle." Ed said putting the rifle on the contraption. "And it can now be remotely fired on an application of your phone in which a Spectre agent has on his or her phone already encoded to mainframe in which the Hunter-1 is already on the mainframe." Ed finally finished his explanation as Tess nodded and about to leave.
"I'll look up to it. But first deliver my selected weapons to my room while I prepare myself." Tess said as he began to exit the armory.
"Miss Tess..." Ed called. "Mike said you needed a team." Ed exited the counter as Tess turned around to see him open a compartment hidden in a wall.
The wall opened to show rubber masks. Faces. A display of faces filled the secret compartment since Ed as an android shows the exoskeleton unless he hiding in a certain place from public view which is the Spectre Agency alone and the moment he talked to Tess the entire time.
"Al gave these to me as we have the same function. An android disguised as a human if only I am running a mission."
"Did Mike already assigned you?"
"He did twenty-four hours ago." Ed replied. "Have a nice evening Miss Tess." Ed nodded as Tess left.
After Tess left, Ed looked at the masks especially with material that mimics a skin for the face. He picked one which is his primary image, wore it and fixed it looking at the mirror of the compartment until it properly matched and fit to every part of his robotic face.
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CHAPTER II.
Tess stood over the balcony back in her room quiet and blanketed by her own thoughts. She remembers the moment the night her parents died as she hid behind the wardrobe hearing the scream of her mother and gunfire that shot his father watching them fall on the bedroom floor stained with blood.
The door creaked open to see Mike coming in and he ensured to open the door wide enough to let a man in a white tux pass through pushing the trolley carrying the equipment that Tess needed placing them on the bed. It was the weapons and the suit that was chosen for her.
"All is prepared now agent Tess." The man said who have a strikingly similar voice to Ed.
"Ed?" Tess asked.
"It's me ma'am." Ed nodded as him and Tess smiled.
Ed looked like a man in his early thirties based on the face he's wearing.
"You look nice." Tess smiled a bit in appreciation on Ed's face.
"Thank you." Ed replied.
"I always knew you'd rather insist on heading this mission alone so I already provided a team for you ahead of time." Mike said. "Ed will be the sniper. I guess he already introduced you the Hunter-1. It wasn't shabby but has an excellent use to it. You have ten minutes to prepare, Tess." Mike said as he and Ed left the room.
A few minutes later, Tess loaded every weapon lying on her bed. She first put the mags on the pair of glossy white M1911 pistols cocking a round in the chamber, then the same to the Glock 17 and the extra clips attached on the belt and wore it around her hip with the M1911's on the back, the 17 on the right side and extra clips on the left. Last was the spring loaded knife sheathing it on her back. Next she grabbed the M4 assault rifle loading it with a magazine clamped to a second one making it dual and cocking it checking its feel and weight again by aiming it at random points in the room. Even tilting it aiming from horizontal to diagonal before putting it down. Last was the Benelli M4 shotgun holding the pouches of shells on both of her hands then putting back the long arms in their bags with their ammo beside and closed the zipper.
~*~
Tess accelerated her motorbike on the road and since the club was close, she entered a nearby underground parking lot placing her bike there. Alone in the area except that it's full of cars and lights, she did not hesitate to unzip her black leather jacket and removed her pants only to be already wearing her black cocktail dress underneath. She groomed herself a bit using her bike's mirror putting the lipstick on and headed upstairs arriving at the club.
Back in the agency, Mike was monitoring her movement along with the GPS.
"Tess, are you receiving me?" Mike asked.
"Loud and clear Mike. Can't wait to feel excited in this loud party right above me." Tess answered.
"Did those contact lenses feel comfortable to you?" Ed asked as Tess wore contact lenses with cameras that will trace her view back to the agency.
"Can you find a way through?"
"On to it." Tess replied.
Tess walked on the entrance to the club and thought for a moment on the way to get through the the guards in tuxes on the door and the customers arriving.
"Tess, you do know there's always something to find a way to get in there." Mike said. "You didn't even made a reserve for that party."
"I got this Mike." Tess insisted.
"I didn't made a reservation for you, that part of the briefing was just a suggestion." Mike implied.
~*~
Meanwhile in the agency, Mike and Rick continued to monitor Tess.
"What the hell is she doing?" Rick wondered right beside Mike.
"That's Tess being Tess." Mike scoffed.
Tess walked towards the guards standing on the door after they let a customer enter the club.
"Trust me on this guys." Tess insisted on the radio once more as he glanced on a man nearby the entrance that is very familiar from the briefing.
"Wait, is that?" Rick recognized someone through Tess' view caught using the contact lenses she's wearing.
Scanning the man, it matches the identity of Val Cross' son. A man in his early thirties just almost the same age as Tess with a slightly long hair, slick and going towards the back of his neck added with a sporty beard on his face.
"Sir, it's confirmed. It's Alec, it's Val's son." Rick said as Mike looked closer.
~*~
Club:
"Evening ma'am, are you in the the reservation?" The guard asked holding a digital pad where he can see the list by just a swipe of the screen.
"No, but I was wondering where I can find a place to pay for my entry."
~*~
Agency:
"Oh for f*ck's sake." Rick groaned over what Tess is doing sitting in the computers of the agency.
~*~
Club:
"Sorry ma'am but our services for the customer's entrance fee is already closed a few hours ago. We are not allowed to accept payments anymore during the scheduled event."
"Come on, at least I can find some other way to make an entrance." Tess pleaded like a child although she knew she was just acting.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What's going on in here?" Val's son Alec had his attention caught and then stood beside Tess.
"It seems we have a customer who forgot to make a reservation here earlier, sir." The guard replied.
"Come on now, you don't want to upset the pretty girl right here, I'll take care of this. It's my place after all." Alec winked giving a few bills to the guard at the door.
"Sir, it's our strict priority that we have to follow the security protocols issued by your father." The guard replied.
"He doesn't run this place, I do. And I'm the one who is paying you personally in this establishment." Alec insisted as he escorted Tess through the entrance door and the two are now inside the club.
~*~
Agency:
"She is now in the building, sir." Rick implied.
"He thinks I'm pretty?" Tess asked in the communication.
"Attagirl." Mike laughed. "Ed, what's your status?"
~*~
Shipyard:
Where the convoy will begin its descent before heading to the Hyperion headquarters, it seems the shipyard too is owned by the corporation as the guards had their insignia and some of the container vans bears the name of the corporation.
A guard on the shipyard's gates seem to be standing alone beside a shadow until he suddenly felt a tight strong grip on his neck choked by someone strangling him with a wire from behind and pulled towards the darkness.
"Now positioning in, sir." Ed replied on the phone strapped to his wrist after he strangled one of the guards and his team moved out of the shadows and towards the distant gates at night where civilians rarely visit the place.
~*~
Agency:
"Change of plan sir, instead of Alec expected to be inside the establishment. He's already standing beside her." Rick implied.
"Tess, if you can try snatching it out of his pockets, you better try doing it as soon as possible if there's a chance." Mike said.
~*~
Club:
Meanwhile, Alec sent her to the disco floor surrounded by plenty of guards in tuxes watching every move over at the people.
"Alec's inside the building." The guards hear the message right on their earpieces. "Take a scan on the girl beside him, there's plenty of people to watch in the area. Security protocol." Another message received as the guards wearing their glasses that somewhat is a digital visor began to scan Tess' image confirming the identity of the thousands upon thousands of girl I.D's shown flicking frame by frame in their glasses.
"First time around here?" Alec asked as the club's music seemed to be booming louder than their voices but still hear each other.
"First time entering this kind of establishment?" Tess replied as her hands try to reach his pockets with ease.
"But don't worry, I won't bore you in this place. I run it actually." Alec smirked looking at the decorations of his club.
"Doesn't it sound disturbing for you tell some of your secrets to strangers like me?" Tess implied as the two walked towards a bar only to pull her hand back instead.
"I've met plenty of strangers before I saved you from not getting what you want outside earlier. Most of the strangers I met are not really a threat to me, and why should be an example? It was the first time I've felt pity over someone in years."
"Saving a girl from the guards not letting her grant the passage and call it pity. I call it kindness." Tess added.
"Is that a compliment?" Alec asked.
"I know that you boys not are really pieces of shit all the time but I do find them to be quite complicated sometimes, I'm Tess by the way." Tess began to introduce herself.
"Cross, Alec Cross." Alec also introduced himself shaking hands with Tess. "Can I get you drink?" Alec said making a gesture to the bartender by snapping a finger and pointing at a bottle on display.
"My father taught me that whenever someone offers me a drink for free. I'll tell that person that I'm not interested or simply walk away." Tess implied. "Letting a stranger offer you a free drink for no reason is always the question he asks out of his mouth."
"Well, my father told me that in order to make a girl to get interested on you is to tell a story for a while before rewarding her a drink. But on other occasions, a good drink sometimes unleashes what a man is hiding."
"Have you really met a girl, Alec?" Tess asked. "Because of all the strangers that you've met, you talk like you really haven't met one. What's your story?"
~*~
Agency:
"Tess, if you're really about to hook up with this man. Now's the time to stay back on the mission and get the bloody keycard." Rick groaned.
"She knows what she's doing." Mike replied.
~*~
Club:
"Dad never appreciates me in getting to know a lot of girls in the world." Alec began to tell the story as the bartender offered them the drinks. "In fact, he doesn't appreciate me in almost anything. My mother died of cancer since I was twelve, by the time I graduated college, he's not in the ceremony. He didn't like my profession of being a cop, he instead gave me this horrible business and assumes that I got what I wanted. But it's not. He never listens to me. Since I have a business, I decided to get along with it but not everyday in my life will I tend to appreciate it. Not. One. Bit." Alec said taking a sip from his glass.
"I don't even appreciate much of this martini I'm having." Tess implied as the two laughed. "If your dad didn't really appreciate you meeting girls, what about dating one?"
"Not really, but some guys date girls even if it's the first time they met him in places like this."
"You don't owe me one yet." Tess scoffed.
"Why, so soon?" Alec smirked as the two laughed again.
Meanwhile as the guards scanned Tess, they have identified her identity.
"All units we have a Spectre in the area. I repeat, we have a Spectre in the area. It's the girl beside Mr. Cross." One of the guards said from the second floor looking down on the two.
Back in the bar.
"Sir, the girl you're with right now. She's a Spectre." The guard said on Alec's earpiece.
"Is something wrong Alec?" Tess asked noticing Alec who stared at her for quite a while.
"Nothing, I just..." He said scratching his eyes. "It's been a long night, isn't it?"
"It's only been twenty minutes." Tess added sharpening her stare at Alec.
~*~
Shipyard:
The convoy formed up on the shipyard and the trucks are now moving on the gates. About to stop by on the guardhouses at the gate. Ed and his team are now disguised as the guards they took down wearing their grey uniforms and caps. Ed smirked a bit keeping a sharp eye on them his head facing and following the position of the vehicles, a truck and a few black SUV's then walked towards them as the driver of the truck stopped by at the gate still locked for them, the guards approached.
"What's with all this ruckus, can't you see we're in a hurry here?" The driver of the truck mumbled after opening the glass of his window as Ed disguised as a guard approached closer.
"Sorry sir but this is a part of the security protocol, you need to state the purpose of your transport and any proof regarding about your shipment."
"Well f*ck it, here!" The driver groaned passing a clipboard through his door window to Ed.
Meanwhile, the real guards at the guardhouse were tied and stripped off their uniforms only wearing their undergarments with their hands tied on the back and mouth taped. Struggling for a way to escape, one of them moved towards the door and tumbled down from his sitting position with his head out the door letting himself be seen by the truck driver.
Ed viewed at the clipboard while the rest of his team are holding silenced rifles standing beside the SUV's where a team of armed men are inside. The driver was in a surprise seeing a person with his mouth tied letting out a muffled scream. After Ed viewed at the clipboard, he said.
"Have a nice night." Ed pulled out a silenced pistol and in an instant shot the head of the driver and along, his undercover team poured out the ammo of their silenced rifles on what's inside the SUV's painting the cracked glass windows red of their blood spilling their empty rounds clinking in the ground.
~*~
Club:
The guards start to approach at Tess from corner to corner. Seeing them stood around the two keeping a watch at her and Alec, Tess however, skilled for having a sharp eye at her surroundings, noticed them coming close by. Strange for Tess' situation that the they all are facing the same direction: her.
Then the people around the bar left one by one including the bartender until Tess and Alec are the ones left sitting surrounded by about seven men in their dark glasses and tuxes. Tess looked around only to see that all are looking at her including Alec himself.
"It may have been only twenty minutes miss Tess but I already noticed something strange in this situation." Alec said.
"Tess, it looks like your cover's blown or about to be blown." Rick said on Tess' earpiece.
"Like the situation that I am about to do something rather odd in these moments?" Tess replied taking a sip from her martini.
"What are those odd things in these moments?" Alec wondered.
"Those odd moments when I really have to kill someone." Tess laid a punch on Alec's face, locking his arm, pulling out his pistol and plugged a bullet to a guard's brain using Alec as a human shield then swiftly aims and releases more rounds at the other seven that surround them.
~*~
Agency:
"No-no-no-no-no, this is isn't part of the plan! She's breaking her cover!" Rick exclaimed.
"She has no choice, it seems they knew her before they're about to get to her." Mike added.
"Tess, you're outnumbered, get out of there!" Rick yelled.
~*~
Club:
Tess dragged Alec on the dance floor as the loud electronic music still booms with a dense crowd of dancing people in the middle of sparkling disco lights as the threat were approaching giving a stance that would be challenging for her enemies to be in a middle of a crowd.
"Move!" She yelled pushing Alec as two of another guards appeared right on the sides coming out from the crowd of people.
With both of her hands held a tight grip on the pistol, she released a few rounds aiming on the men's faces before they could get to Tess killing two incoming. Then Tess grabbed Alec's shirt dragging him only to use him again as cover by hiding behind his back as there were another two incoming straight in front of them as Tess in her swift hands shot their foreheads before they could pull their triggers.
"Come on, keep moving." Tess and Alec were about to head for the stairs towards the second floor letting Alec go first only to shoot their way on top as a guard appeared only to have his head plugged by Tess.
As they reached on top, Alec was dragged by one of the guards on the side and another trying to ambush Tess in close range. But Tess with experience and skill in hand to hand combat simply pushed his arm away letting his pistol aim at the other guard that grabbed Alec and Tess pulling his trigger shooting his own personnel but only incapacitating it. Tess gave a kick on the guard's leg, a punch on the abdomen and shoving her pistol on his neck stunning and flinching him then aimed her pistol only to feel a clicking sound finding herself with an empty chamber. Pulling out a mag throwing away the empty one, she loaded it, cocked it and pulled the trigger on the stunned guard's head in close range and the other shot on the second guard also on the head beside Alec making sure they stay down.
"Move it!" Tess dragged Alec again close by with her own arm locked on Alec's elbows. Shooting her way at three more that appeared and a sudden shift of her pistol aimed to the side noticing a nearby threat only injuring the guard at the first shot so Tess gave another at his head killing him certainly.
"You really are good at this." Alec chuckled then Tess shifted Alec's position taking cover again at his back shooting the one that appeared on her tail then they entered at the next room kicking the door open to find themselves at a sauna.
Tess pushed Alec inside so that she can have two hands again on her gun shooting the two remaining threats within the room coming to get to her only to be end up on the floor as bleeding corpses while the other unarmed and innocent employees and civilians ran away from the room.
"Sit down!" Tess yelled at Alec forcing him to sit on a chair.
"Tess, do you really have to kill twenty people just to get to ask something from me?" Alec wondered. "What do you want?"
"Your father already killed more than twenty people in his lifetime." Tess replied barricading the doors with the furniture inside. "And he's about to kill more if he doesn't stop what he's doing."
"Wait, so this is about my father?" Alec scoffed. "What do you want from him?"
"I didn't came here to tell you answers. And to take that twenty minutes of my time wasted back, I took twenty of your men who try to get in my way." Tess growled. "I came here to get the keycard for your father's office as an alpha member."
"What?!" Alec exclaimed then laughed at the next second. "Well, you're a Spectre agent anyways, scanned your identity but I don't work for the Hyperion." Alec began to talk only to let Tess aim the gun at him to shut up and talk normal. "Alright." Alec said pulling out his wallet then the keycard inserted from it and tossed it at Tess. "I don't really work at his company, he gave me an alpha member keycard in case if I wanted to go into his office anytime but I rarely go there now because he's always an asshole to me. Although I have the rights, I am the heir of his company, I don't even know how his shit works inside that damn building. But before you go, just so you know that almost nothing gets inside that office of his except himself. That building is fortress, not a company and the keycard is not going to be enough, there's a device on his office door that's also going to need my fingerprint for that as an alpha member. But I'm not going to his office."
As Tess listened furthermore of Alec's words hearing the term 'fingerprint' and Alec not having the mood to go to his father's office, she reaches for her thigh beneath her cocktail dress with a strap that hides her pocket knife.
"Whoa, whoa, what's that?" Alec asked.
"Needing your fingerprint. Because I can't take you in one piece." Tess smirked raising a brow and pressed the button of her knife then a 'click' sound of the blade was heard springing out of the handle and approached to Alec.
"What? No, no, no, please, please!" Alec wailed in fright as Tess approaches him with the knife as Alec pleaded.
"You're wasting my time!" Tess groaned as she starts to grab one of his hands with her blade ready.
"No, no, no! Okay! Okay! I'll go with you and I'll tell no one what happened here, I swear!" Alec pleaded further with a scream as Tess had her blade about to press the skin of his thumb while he's trying to resist her. "I'll help you get to my father. For the love of God, you don't have to do the hell you're doing right now!" Alec's frightened look made Tess giggle as she paused for a moment giving a sigh of relief to Alec that ended Mike laughing back in the agency watching the screen showing Tess' vision through her contract lenses.
Tess pointed her gun at Alec once more after putting the knife away.
"The last time I trusted a man trying to swear on his life, he lost it eventually." Tess implied.
"I know, just let me help you." Alec pleaded once more as Tess gave a sharper look upon his eyes.
"Words don't move me, your actions do. If you really are going to your father's office, follow me at the parking lot or in his building at twenty hundred thirty. That's eight-thirty PM if you don't know what that means."
"You're the boss." Alec nodded.
"But I'll have your keycard first in case if you don't arrive at all now that we have a deal. If not, I'll end you myself." Tess said her last words to him as she walked away from Alec and left the room leaving him alone still sitting down on the chair.
Alec sighed now that the threat is over and looked over at one of the guards whose head bored with a bleeding hole was facing directly at Alec with eyes wide open lifeless.
"If I am talking to a dead man right now but I really have to admit that she is hot." Alec smirked talking directly to the corpse of one of his guards.
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CHAPTER III.
Val Cross sat in his room imprisoned by the heavy security systems sitting on his computer-desk watching the security footages of the city including his son's establishment. As one the camera feeds are blinking on the screen of his desk, he touched the small screen of that feed zooming in big showing a footage of a shoot out. In a certain angle of the camera, he paused the feed to show a young blonde woman with her hair tied in a bun and in her black cocktail dress dragging his son across shooting the guards who followed them. Scanning the face of the woman, it eventually linked to a profile that revealed her as a Spectre agent.
Then Val received an incoming call in his computer-desk. Touching the screen, a flat hologram screen appeared right in front of him in mid-air.
"Sir, your son's establishment has been attack by—"
Bang!
A guard was speaking on his phone to Val while crawling on the ground injured only to end up getting shot by someone splattering his blood on the camera lens. The video call's angle on the guard's phone did not show yet who shot him dead until Val saw a movement, and a hand that picked up the camera until it revealed to be Tess herself.
"Your son's fine but now I'm coming to you. Everything you did in your entire life has a price." Then Tess ended the video call alarming Val dialing someone on his computer-desk revealing another young woman with a raven hair.
"Vanessa, it seems that we're going to have a visitor. Have your men ready for a task." Val said on a video call with Vanessa. "It's a Spectre in our midst."
"It's about time they show up. What do you want me to do?" Vanessa asked.
"Do any as you please to send my regards to an old friend." Val replied.
"I'll be on my way sir." Vanessa replied then the video call eventually went offline.
Vanessa walked out at the lobby of the Hyperion building and with his escort of armed men went into a convoy of black SUV's waiting for her. As she entered the car between men in their exoskeleton suits and rifles armed and ready, they wasted no time accelerating the vehicles immediately.
"Don't stop for lights, cops, nothing. Take me to the nearest hotel, about a few blocks southwest of here but let's be right back quickly." She said as the convoy began to move into the streets of the city.
~*~
The convoy that was hijacked by Ed's team stopped by at a dark block secluded from civilians. Tess approached riding her bike but it seemed she was not the only who rode on it. As her bike slowed down arriving at Ed and his team who stepped out of the captured vehicles of the convoy, Tess dragged a person from her motorcycle with his head covered by a cloth bag and his hands tied on the back dragging him towards Ed and his men.
"What is this, Tess?" Ed asked as Tess removed the bag from the person's head revealing to be Alec with his mouth taped.
"I'm going to need him, I can't enter Val's office only with a keycard but without his fingerprint." Tess replied. "So he decided to meet his dad in person one more time."
"Why not just peel any of the skin off from his fingers and let him be?" One of Ed's men implied startling Alec with a muffled gasp.
"I was about to but we made a deal... Eventually." Tess added as Ed's phone rang, pulling it out and laid it on the his palm as a hologram screen appeared from it in midair revealing Mike.
"It seems we're a bit off schedule here lady and gentlemen but we best keep moving. Now that Tess blew off her cover and the fact that Val knows someone's going after him, we're moving to plan B." Mike said.
"Enlighten us." Tess offered Mike the chance to speak up.
"Same plans for you Ed but as for you, Tess, are going stealth once you infiltrate inside the building. Undercover would be useless now. Ed's men will do the same but their objective is to eliminate every security systems found on all floors, it could searching the power source, disabling the controls or rather make any necessary diversionary options so that it would be easy for Tess to slip through towards the target. Remember, our overall mission in general is to take down Hyperion Incorporated or the world's at stake. Your time's going off schedule, get on with it." Mike ended his call shutting down the hologram screen.
"Congratulations on blowing your cover." Ed implied.
"Hey! The guys already know that I am a Spectre agent. Mike was right, going undercover as a first try didn't seemed work. That is unless of course someone already has our databases for us to get recognized." Tess had a moment to think of what happened earlier then Alec with his mouth taped muffled trying to talk something.
Then Tess approached and in an instant removed the duct tape from his mouth leaving a sting.
"Argh! Easy!" Alec groaned by the pain. "You're right, your cover's already blown." Alec began to explain.
"Alec, what do you mean?" Tess wondered.
"Easy. If you can still remember why many C.I.A. agents and senators have died across the nation right after Hyperion was founded which eventually sparked rumors that the company is linked towards this death is because there are always traitors who doesn't follow the laws but will do anything for money. My father was born a rich man and how he started the company was always to buy out something that will help him benefit from it. An investment, but rather an investment that cost the lives of those agents in order to gain even more because where those agents worked for has a traitor amongst them and that traitor will serve my father because, of course, traitors are paid in exchange for every intellect that may find a threat to him. So, my father bought them out, earned their loyalty and in their loyalty gave my father every classified data from the government, the C.I.A. of course are very much his favorite target. And—" Alec explained everything until Tess decided to cut him.
"Alec, just cut to the chase." Tess urged.
"Where you work for right now, one of you is a traitor serving my father and gave him your identities, databases, records, everything. He might be the one standing next to you or the one who's manipulating you in this mission. Who knows? Therefore my father knows who you are and where you came from. And whoever may find him as a threat. He kills him." Alec explained that gave Tess the chills of his mission.
"How can we be sure that he's telling the truth?" Ed asked Tess.
"I'm an alpha member, my father sometimes tells me what he has to say." Alec replied.
"It doesn't matter how you know what you know, let's just get back on the mission. Ed, do you have the equipment I need?" Tess asked.
"Right here..." Ed said pulling out the big and long black bag strapped on his back and placed it on the ground.
Then Tess approached unzipping the bag where her selected rifle, shotgun, the Hunter-1 and her the combat suits that Taylor made and prepared for her. She grabbed the suit first and gave it Ed first asking him to hold it for a moment.
"Alright, I want you guys to turn around except for the robot here." Tess said.
"Wait, he's a robot?" Alec wondered since Ed looked human based on the rubber face he is wearing but Ed instead stripped off his glove showing his metal hands twitching his fingers.
"Oh." Alec nodded in realization.
"Just turn around please. And Ed, if someone glances at me, shoot them." Tess nodded as Alec turned around including Ed's entire team as she began to remove her belt that holsters with her pistols and starts to remove her clothing starting from unzipping her leather jacket, her leather pants, and also removing the black cocktail dress that she wore beneath and etc.
Somehow, Alec couldn't hold himself slowly tilting his head back around and his eyes rolling whistling a bit seeing Tess almost nude trying to change to her combat wear until he moved his glance to Ed only to see that the robot had a sharp direct stare at him then starts to draw and aim his silenced pistol forcing Alec to look back away but ended up smiling instead after picturing Tess' image in his mind.
~*~
Agency:
Mike heard what Alec had said to Tess about traitors and whoever might work for Val. He stepped back a bit from Rick in his computer thinking to himself for a minute.
"Sir? Are you alright sir?" Rick noticed him out of reality for a moment.
"Oh I'm fine, really." Mike replied hearing Rick back to his senses.
"We still need to tell our agents to execute the tactics for a successful infiltration." Rick added then one of the guards approached to Mike and Rick.
"Sir, someone's needing you on the lobby." He said.
Mike and Rick arrived on the lobby bringing a small group of bodyguards only to see a raven haired woman standing with her armed squad.
"Hello Mike... Still remember me?" Vanessa smirked seeing Mike appeared before her.
Mike had a long pause for a short moment.
"You look lovely as the day we met Vanessa but what is this surprise all about?" Mike asked.
"The surprise that I have been preparing for you in quite a while." Vanessa said removing her sunglasses. "I can still remember this place though. It really feels as if it was just yesterday. The moment where I get to pick my own weapons, offer me some of your finest clothing and of course the fun training that we always talk about."
"Your days as a Spectre agent were over, the same day you failed your mission and chose to side with Hyperion." Mike retorted.
"Really? That's what they've been telling you the entire time?" Vanessa had a flabbergasted look but she eventually scoffed smirking. "You're wrong, you abandoned me the moment they took me captive thinking that it's too late for me to turn back but you left me anyway after not trusting a single move that would complete the mission but you eventually lose hope anyway. But Cross gave me a second chance, he offered me everything and changed my old life into what I've always wanted. Someone who can now be able to pay the price towards the person who took everything. And the price is vengeance." Vanessa growled already holding her gun in place. "But on behalf of Mr. Cross, he wants to send his regards." Then Vanessa pulled the trigger towards Mike as Rick eventually tossed himself towards Mike and took the bullet for him struck in the back.
"Rick!" Mike yelled catching Rick now about to fall to the floor in pain.
"Finish the mission." Rick uttered his last words before he slipped from Mike's arms and fell lifeless on the floor as a gun battle sparked across the lobby.
Arthur the clerk pulled out a rifle on his counter and began firing only to be shot by one of Vanessa's troops firing hot laser rounds at him killing him instantly. Mike's bodyguards were no match for the might of Vanessa's men wearing exoskeleton suits that enhances their strength in hand to hand combat and their technologically advanced rifles that fire lasers decimate everything in their path.
~*~
"Alright, you gentlemen may turn around now." Tess said as Alec turned back and his eyes were struck with amazement by the next second seeing Tess' new wear.
Tess wore the white skin suit that Taylor designed her from the torso to the feet with her tight combat boots, and the small black leather coat but red on the inside all are designed to be bulletproof. Lastly, she untied her bun that matches to her cocktail dress earlier and tied it again combing her blonde hair by her fingers forming it into a ponytail.
"Whoa." Alec couldn't hold that word coming out of his mouth.
"What do you think?" Tess asked Alec.
"I don't know, ask the robot first." Alec replied.
"Tactical. That's all I can say." Ed answered.
"Seriously?" Alec squinted his eyes letting that certain look out on Ed.
"Alright, what about you?" Tess asked back again on Alec leaving him speechless looking for the right answer.
Tess raised a brow on Alec waiting for him to hear what he has to say.
"Words can't really describe how beautifully hot you are." Alec said.
"Is that a compliment?" Tess asked.
"Do I really need to answer that?" Alec wondered as the two chuckled.
~*~
Later on, Ed arrived on the rooftop of a nearby skyscraper on the next block right beside the towering building of Hyperion Incorporated. Ed brought a bag and three of his men on the way to the top then his men were carrying a large harpoon cannon installing it as its steel legs were planted on the floor by the screws attached that penetrate the ground in order to stabilize its placement. As Ed unzipped the bag, he pulled out a tripod with a small robotic contraption which must be the Hunter-1. Then Ed pulled out the Barrett M82A1 rifle placing it on the tripod then the Hunter-1's mechanism on its trigger and the sight systems on its telescope. Preparing it, Ed loaded the magazine with massive 50. BMG rounds then inserted the clip into the rifle's chamber cocking it. Then he turned the Hunter-1 online revealing hologram calculations that surrounded the rifle with geometric lines, shapes and numbers tracking its accuracy, measuring the margin of error, the distance of the target and etcetera, revealing it's aura of technological prowess.
Since Tess was also around with Ed, she pulled out her phone as Ed pressed a few buttons on the Hunter-1's hologram screen.
"Syncing the Hunter-1's controls to your phone now." Ed said as Tess turned on the phone's screen, pressing an app revealing the words 'Hunter-1 Online' then showed the weapon's camera combined with a targeting sight.
"How about a test fire shall we?" Tess implied.
"Well, since you knew my plan in cutting off their escape routes, I first loaded the rifle with explosive darts. The first target is Mr. Cross' chopper right on the helipad on the rooftop." Ed said pointing at the top of the headquarters. "Next, the window right above his office."
"Why not just shoot it at him while he's still in his office?" Tess asked eagerly.
"Our mission is not to kill him. We were only told to take the data and scatter it on the internet, ruin the reputation of his company and himself and face the consequences. Because floor we're targeting is the primary security grid." Ed answered.
"So much being a licensed to kill spy." Tess scoffed nodding negatively.
"Alec, what's the news down there?" Ed asked through his earpiece.
~*~
Ground:
"Convoy is on the go." Alec replied leaning on the corner of an alley across the street by the next block as the convoy they hijacked enters the rear gate of the headquarters.
Then an SUV arrived on the next second on his position and one of the armed men inside opening the door for him then entered it.
"Circle around the block to the front gate so that I can enter my dad's shining palace formally." Alec said beside Ed's men as one of them dragged his necktie and talk.
"If you think about any f*cking idea sabotaging our op, I'll strangle you with your own guts." A bearded man in sunglasses growled before he released Alec's tie then the vehicle accelerated.
~*~
Rooftop:
"Anyways, how about that test fire?" Tess asked.
"The third target is the power grid right at their warehouse on the rear where our convoy arrives." Ed lastly said as Tess activated her phone. "Be careful not to miss."
"I though you designed a weapon that doesn't miss."
"Well, there's always a flaw in the system." Ed replied then Tess looked back the screen of her phone.
Looking at the screen showing a feed from the rifle scope's camera, she first targeted the helicopter and pressed the firing button launching a dart flying towards the helipad and landed base of the helicopter's propeller, next to the window on the top floors and the small power plant below as the dart landed on one of the transformers.
"Since that is all, the rounds that are left are seven 50. BMG rounds." Ed implied.
Tess looked through a binoculars seeing the convoy entering at the rear gate after a security check then moved the view towards the building's front gate seeing an activity. Another convoy of arrived entering the gate to their courtyard as a young raven haired woman got out of her vehicles along with her armed men.
"Ed, are you seeing what I'm seeing? We got an activity on the front gate." Tess informed as Ed tries to see it also.
With Ed's robotic eyes, he can enable to zoom the magnification of his own vision until he identified the young woman familiar to him.
"Vanessa..." Ed murmured.
~*~
Ground:
Vanessa's men opened the one of the SUV's where a captive man in brown tux is sitting in the passenger's seat, had his hands cuffed and his head wrapped in a cloth bag. They dragged him out by force in which at the same time Alec's vehicle arrived at the main gate as he immediately opened the door stepping out with the small division Ed's squad. Since the guards of Hyperion saw Alec as an alpha member is an authoritative figure, they don't find the time to search his men except to conclude that they're Alec's men. Alec rushed to Vanessa in no time finding out what the fuss is all about.
"What the hell is this?" Alec asked.
"Oh it's you... How's the party in your strip club doing?" Vanessa implied.
"Can't you address me as 'sir', Vanessa? You're talking to an alpha member." Alec fired back.
"Not when your father is around while you hooking up around in your—"
"Oh shut the f*ck up." Alec growled interrupting Vanessa. "And who the hell is this?" Alec asked about Vanessa's captive as she removed the cloth bag around his head revealing it to be Mike. His mouth was tied with a cloth and his face was bruised.
However for Alec, he has no idea about this man except Vanessa or Val.
"A gift for your father." Vanessa answered.
~*~
Rooftop:
"Shit, it's Mike!" Tess exclaimed looking through the binoculars as they see Mike escorted by Vanessa's men towards the entrance of the building along with Alec.
"We might as well be taking shits here but I'm going." Tess groaned throwing her binoculars aside and strutted towards a few of Ed's men who readied the harpoon cannon in the rooftop preparing for their infiltration via zip line.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, a Spectre never let anything sabotage the mission." Ed said holding Tess back with his hands on her shoulders.
"What would you have me do, then?" Tess asked.
"There's always a will and way to improvise a plan." Ed replied.
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CHAPTER IV
Mike sat down strapped in a metal chair at the center of a bright white room. Regaining his consciousness, he shook his hands realizing they were cuffed to the arms of the steel chair.
"Hello again, Michael." Vanessa said standing right in front of him.
"Vanessa..." Mike uttered barely able speak with his face battered up and somewhat chuckled at the next few seconds. "What have they done to you?"
"I thought you've always been treating your agents as if they were children to you. I followed your ways, gave me a mission but rather you left me to die..." Vanessa said then she scoffed smirking. "Do you know why I am the only one of your agents who survived when you sent me here first, giving a mission to do the same thing as what others did? Infiltrating the same building over and over again knowing that it just won't work wasting the lives of those fellow agents." Vanessa raised her tone. "Until I knew that the weakness you had, is that you just never learn, do you. And you that think I didn't know? You ran another mission again and this time, the more the merrier. Well... They're all going to die anyway."
"What do you want?" Mike asked.
"I already said I got what I wanted—this. You strapped on a chair while I am tormenting you into getting what Val wants which is the right question so far to ask." Vanessa replied looking directly at Mike's eyes leaning on towards his chair holding his cuffed hands. "Did it still haunt you Mike? To know... how your own children are being sent to a hell on Earth knowing that they're not coming back. And since it did cripple your conscience so much, you decided to dump every identity of your agents to us. What was it for? You wanted to take me back in exchange? Well, I came back and now you're here." Then Vanessa combed her hair a bit with her fingers and changed the next subject. "I didn't really wanted to destroy your agency, Val always give second chances but now, since you chose to betray your own, he asks if you would surrender every Spectre agents to him. By doing so, you need not only to dump the classified data, we're also going to need the contact numbers and codes of every other authority of the agency in the entire world. Besides, the Spectre program has always been international since the world is at its peak of crisis and we want all of them."
"Did you really think Val can rule the world with as much power as he can get? A power ruled by a madman will bring the wrath of that power upon himself. Don't do this Vanessa, this isn't you." Mike replied but Vanessa simply gave an uninspired look.
"I think I've wasted enough time discussing things I don't find necessary. It's a bit personal but... I haven't got what we wanted yet. Bring the extraction tools." She said as a man in a white lab coat standing in the corner of the room approached pushing a trolley of cutting tools, vials and syringes. More likely torture devices. Then the personnel beside loaded a syringe with a liquid blue substance. "Cook him." Vanessa nodded as the male personnel injected the substance into Mike's arm. "I want you to feel how much the pain you've put once within me, Mike. Time to know how it feels to be left more likely to survive but only experience a prolonged period of pain. But don't worry, this will only hurt... A lot." Vanessa smirked seeing Mike start to have convulsions mixed with searing pain and groan bracing himself in the seat then released a roar as the pain reaches towards the rest of his body.
~*~
Val still sat in his office staring in his computer-desk watching the footage of Mike's torture then one of his employees appeared in a video call.
"Sir, you have a visitor. May we grant him access to your office?" The employee ask.
"And who is this visitor?" Val asked.
"It's your son." The employee replied then the call ended.
His steel door slowly opened revealing Alec slowly entering the room.
"Alec..." Val called out as Alec had the anxiety.
"Hello dad." Alec greeted like his father is a complete stranger knowing that he has never treated him as family.
"Care to tell me how life has been treating you in these past moments?" Val asked.
"It's pretty fine." Alec replied.
"Fine? What do you mean by that?" Val asked.
"Why do you ask?" Alec asked back.
"If only your mother could see you right now." Val implied.
"And if only mother could see us how we are doing together." Alec added.
Val sighed then stood up from his seat for once taking a slight walk around the room.
"Since when did you and I have talked for once while I watch you become a man that I wanted to be."
"I became a man but that doesn't exactly mean that it would have to envision in your way." Alec replied.
"I made you an alpha member in this company so that you will always keep me in touch but you chose not to. I knew I shouldn't have gave you that hellhole only to debauch yourself from me."
"You knew? What do you mean by 'knew'? I didn't even ask for it. Only now you realized that because you thought it's what I wanted but it's not. I wanted a life with a family, but you didn't gave me that. You sit here all day, everyday imprisoning yourself trying to rule the world if you had the chance but you didn't focus on me. I chose to have a life where I can go get a job, reach my dreams, marry a girl and make my own family and be happy forever. Why are those simple things so hard for you to do but chose to focus this... company of yours?" Alec replied as Tess however seem to froze on the other rooftop listening to what Alec is saying.
While Val and Alec were talking, they seemed to change places slowly walking around the room. Alec leaned on his father's computer-desk as Val is a few feet away from his son.
"Because I lost that chance many years ago, the same day I lost your mother." Val replied.
"I was only twelve, dad. I was just a kid." Alec said slowly picking out something from his pocket is a cuboidal shaped device putting it on top, corner of his father's desk that synced to the computer.
~*~
Rooftop:
"We're online. Alec planted the transponder on his father's computer but we still need Alec to manually select the files to transfer." Ed said looking at his digital pad. "Charlie team, you're good to go." Ed executes the next phase of the plan as the small team of three people in the same rooftop fired the harpoon cannon launching the projectile tied to a steel wire.
As the harpoon landed right on the floor above Val's office that seemed to have no lights, Ed's team attached their hooks up on the line between the cannon and the Hyperion headquarters strapping themselves and they all rappelled towards the headquarters tower.
"Enough listening the family drama Tess, we're proceeding with the mission." Ed implied while Tess was listening to Alec and Val's conversation.
"I thought I was going to handle this myself." Tess implied.
"Stop whining about your solo act. It's better this way." Ed growled.
~*~
Office:
"Did you come all your way here, just to say all of these things to me?" Val asked.
"No, I want to be free from you now. I don't want to be an alpha member. I don't want to follow your footsteps if ever you will make me as heir of Hyperion." Alec said.
"How dare you say those things in front me." Val growled.
"And how dare you for not treating me as your son after all these years!" Alec roared back.
~*~
Rooftop:
"Sir, we've finally hacked the security grid." One of Ed's men said.
"Alpha team, execute the next phase." Ed said.
~*~
Convoy:
Alpha team is the squad that hijacked the shipyard convoy and now are awaiting in the warehouse going undercover as one of their guards. Suddenly, one of Ed's men destroyed the circuit breaker turning the lights out only in the warehouse prompting all of the Hyperion guards to switch their lights on and filling the area with their red laser pointers.
"Drone out!" One of the guards yelled tossing a quadrotor drone above in midair then a four-propeller saucer shaped drone flew above as its flashlight glared hovering the open spaces below the ceiling and on top of the crates arranged in rows and columns like blocks of a city.
Suddenly, there were screams of men were heard as the guards were following the sources of the sounds. A muffled sound of stabbing, slashing until they glared their flashlights on the floor starting to see trails of blood and corpses littered.
"Turn on your scanners." The leading guard said as the guards turned on their scanners unleashing a blue ray of lights that create hologram grid lines on their sights. Then another one of their members was snatched from the behind the group. Startled at the source of the sound they aimed behind checking what happened and then slowly faced back on their front where their scanners illuminated a humanoid with static all over his body like it was a screen a TV screen with no signal. It is a man inside a suit that activates an optical camouflage.
"Camo-suits!" The guards yelled and they all opened fire, surrounded by Ed's team standing on top of the crates while the guards are below, Ed's team returned fire using their silenced firearms killing those who are at the inferior strategic positions.
~*~
Office:
"Son, don't test my patience. I know you're angry but I realized to myself that I should've took more time putting my attention to you than what I have in here. That's why I made you alpha member and go meet me sometime but you never walked inside this room ever since." Val continued to explain.
"I was about to. But what made me stop from going here is that I saw the same man. Sitting right here and never leaving his post. Not even thinking to go see his son for himself. I was afraid dad. Afraid of who you were but I'm no longer a naughty child to be spanked if I didn't obey my own parent." Alec replied as Val slowly walked back towards his chair.
Alec hid the transponder which is small enough to be concealed by his hands wrapping around it.
"There you are, sitting again." Alec said but his father simply looked on him then went back putting his glance back on the screen viewing the footage of Mike's torture.
Alec scoffed smirking in disbelief seeing his father ignoring him.
"What do you want, Mike?" Val asked.
"I already told you what I want." Alec replied as Val's attention was caught more than his son's seeing Vanessa about to give Mike another dosage.
"Shit." Val immediately jumped out of his seat and walked towards the steel door of his office leaving Alec to wonder what's on his father's mind.
"Stay here." Val said walking faster stepping out of his office.
"Are you alright, Mr. Cross?" One of his head guards asked seeing Val exiting his office for a long while.
"No, I am not." Val replied.
"Attention all personnel of this floor, Mr. Cross is on the move." The head guard immediately called their units to escort Val.
Right after Val abandoned his office closing the door, Alec immediately went to his father's computer-desk.
"Tess, he's left the office. I'm sending you the classified data now." Alec said on his earpiece that woke Ed and Tess' prolonged moment in waiting.
~*~
Rooftop:
"Son of a bitch took that one long." Tess groaned.
"Patience makes a man download all of his data, and here it is." Ed looked at his digital pad showing a percentage of the downloaded files.
"After downloading the files, the mission is complete?" Tess asked.
"My mission is complete." Ed replied.
"What about Mike?" Tess asked leaving Ed to think about it.
"That's up for you to decide. But I can't risk my team's life going for him when we don't have the authority." Ed added but it seems there was no reply from Tess. "Tess?" Ed asked only to see Tess already hooking herself on the zip line carrying her bag of firearms. "Tess!" Ed yelled but it was already too late for him to chase Tess seeing her rappelling down towards the headquarters.
~*~
Interrogation:
Vanessa watched the formula that injected into Mike wearing off as he is regaining his relief.
"Tell me the contact numbers and codes of the Spectre's main authority." Vanessa said as Mike didn't respond. "Do it again." Vanessa said to the personnel beside.
"Another dosage would kill him." The personnel replied.
"Do it." Vanessa growled but the personnel in a lab suit didn't respond doing what she says. "For f*ck's sake." Vanessa groaned picking the tools by herself loading the syringe again with another dose of the same substance, approaching Mike.
But the door suddenly opened as Val entered catching everyone's attention.
"Vanessa, I'll handle this." Val said. "It's okay, you may go back to your post. I'll take it right here."
Since Vanessa is facing an authoritative figure, she sighed putting the syringe aside and walked out of the room.
"Leave us." Val said as the guards with him along with Vanessa and her assistant left the room leaving Mike and himself now alone in the room.
Mike's nose bled and his eyes turned red.
"I guess you have felt all the pain that she has gone through. You think I didn't know why she has turned herself against you? Pain drives the mind into doing anything that makes that pain stop. Simple as that, I used the same kind of pain the night I took her to this very room. Pain to me became an art. I wasn't focusing anything on trying to destroy the body to create pain, I use it to reshape the soul. It is switching one's will into another path that even a Spectre agent chose to break their code. And that code was never to betray, but still they did it." Val made a discussion walking around Mike as he breathes heavily in the seat. "But thanks to you. You chose to surrender every identity of the Spectre agents to me after the deal of not killing Vanessa when she was still my prisoner, or should I say... your daughter." Val smirked looking directly at Mike. "Don't hide it from all of your agents, they deserve to know the truth. The truth that you betrayed your own agency in exchange for your daughter. But of course, both of us are fathers and I understand that we do everything to save our children."
"What did you do to her? Why couldn't she remember me? She'd rather say my name than use the word 'father' not knowing everything what really happened to her." Mike growled.
"It's 2035 now Michael. Technology has dug deep enough to even alter the will of human beings. We have now the ability to delete someone's memory, plant another's, create a new personality. It's a painful process because you must fully succumb until you chose to forget who you are." Val replied. "And we can do it to you but I'm a gentleman, I give second chances. I gave Vanessa a second chance, look at her now. So, tell me... I want the contacts of the Spectre—"
A muffled explosion was heard outside suddenly cutting off the lights of the room and their entire building. Then Val's head guard entered the room.
"What's going on?" Val asked.
"Sir, you need to head back to your office. It's part of the protocol." The head guard said.
"Take him with me." Val said ordering the guards to take Mike as they uncuffed him from the chair and locked their arms on Mike's carrying him.
"I can walk." Mike insisted but still they have a tight grip on him.
Outside of the room, Vanessa approached as everyone was holding their pistols and rifles with flashlights and laser pointers but the power went back online only with lesser light than before.
"You, find my son." Val said to Vanessa.
They approached back to the office opening the doors seeing Alec approaching to his father.
"Dad, what's happening?" Alec asked.
"Stick with me son." Val urged dragging Alec's arm as they were about to open the door seeing Val's chair inverted and turned its back on them.
Suddenly, the chair turned around revealing Tess herself sitting down, raised her pistol and shoots at Val but the bullet landed on Vanessa's palm that somewhat didn't bleed or her flinching on the pain that left Tess to wonder that her flesh is colored silver.
"Hello Tess." Vanessa smirked. "Go." She said to Val as he dragged Alec to another location.
Tess already arrived in Val's office through the glass window as a wide perfect circular hole was cut in which she was able to cut through now infiltrated the building.
"Kinda crazy huh?" Vanessa said approaching to Tess in the room removing the bullet from her palm.
Tess aimed her gun again shooting three rounds on Vanessa's torso and one on her forehead knocking her down to the ground unconscious. As Tess approached keeping her silver M1911 pointed up checking Vanessa, Tess was suddenly attacked by Vanessa's swiping kick on Tess' foot also slipping her down on the ground. Vanessa got up and removed the bullet stuck on her forehead as Tess immediately hoisted herself up with a look of surprise seeing Vanessa removed the bullets like it was nothing.
"Vanessa, what did they do to you?" Tess asked.
"To answer your question, Tess. Hyperion has developed some kind of a subdermal bio armor, injected right on to her skin in liquid form. Also, her nerves are enhanced, wired for speed including her muscle fibers to augment her moves. It's one of the classified datas I've been downloading and reading right now." Ed said on Tess' earpiece.
"Come on Tess, it's time to see who's the better Spectre." Vanessa said.
"And I'm seeing who dies first." Tess replied as the two engaged in hand to hand combat dodging and blocking every move they make. With every kick and jab they created, the two ended up locking arms as Tess' head was smashed on Val's computer-desk cracking the screen, had her arm locked by Vanessa pressing Tess' shoulder to pin her down.
"Who's the better Spectre?" Vanessa asked.
"F*ck you." Tess replied, picking another gun from her hip with her other arm aiming sideways to shoot Vanessa.
Vanessa flinched at the impact of the bullets releasing Tess giving an opening for her to keep up the fight laying a punch on Vanessa's face and a kick that drove her backwards.
"Even though you have an armor, I didn't know you're a bit ticklish." Tess chuckled raising her pistol.
Then Vanessa charged towards Tess as Tess laid a few more rounds only to have her gun swiped off from her hands after Vanessa reached for it. Vanessa, as an experimented human with enhanced strength grabbed Tess and toss her over Val's desk to the glass window cracking it.
"You really don't give up that easy do you?" Vanessa scoffed slowly walking towards Tess as groaned on the pain.
"Ed, can you please snipe this bitch?" Tess groaned touching her earpiece.
"Who's Ed? Your boyfriend?" Vanessa chuckled.
"Wrong answer, he's a robot." Tess said pulling out her phone and gave a few quick swipes on the screen then a tap on it as a loud bang was heard nearby.
Vanessa heard the source of the sound which was right in front of her. Then the next second, the glass window suddenly shattered and a thwacking sound was heard on Vanessa's torso blowing her across the room and knocked her down on the ground unconscious.
Tess got up groaning over at the pain in her back resting on the window.
"Ed, I think the Hunter-1 was a bad idea when you can just handle the rifle by yourself up there." Tess implied.
"Sorry, I decided to use this mission more likely as a test for the prototype." Ed replied as Tess groaned over his reply.
"Hey guys, I need the equipment." Tess said on her earpiece as Ed's men on the floor above lowered a bag tied on a cord on the broken window.
Then Tess received the bag, opened it to grab her assault rifle and the shotgun strapping to her back and picked her pistols that Vanessa disarmed on the floor. As Tess is about to exit the room, she looked at the corpse of Vanessa then walked over her heading towards the door.
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CHAPTER V.
Outside Val's office, Val's guards in tuxes are standing outside with their rifles ready attached with laser pointers marking the steel door with red dots. The steel door slowly opened at the next second but there was no one who appeared only to startle the guards outside a bit. Then one of them ordered the other to check the door of the office and a guard slowly approached by not letting his guard down slowly walking quietly. As the guard arrived on the door, he was suddenly grabbed by Tess and used the guard's rifle to shoot at the guards outside the door before Tess ended him with her own pistol then used her personal rifle now exiting the office.
"Tess, you have four tangos and a drone in the area." Ed said in her earpiece.
"Yeah, no shit." Tess replied seeing the hostiles.
Seeing guards with laser pointers at her, Tess didn't waste a second to release the first rounds at them before they were able to pull the trigger at her. She ducked near a desk taking cover as the flying weaponized drones start shooting at her with its hot laser rounds but she fired back at two of the guards then swiftly shifted her rifle's aim to the drone destroying its rotor as it crashed on the floor in pieces. Tess wasted no time moving keeping her rifle up.
"You got two incoming from the hallway." Ed warned.
Another guards approached the premises where she walked towards only to lay the rounds at them before they were able to see her.
"Five at the corridor, they seem to be eager to know where you're headed." Ed informed as Tess covered at the corner which by the hallway peeking as the guards are jogging in close from it.
As one of the guards reached at the corner, Tess suddenly grabbed his rifle forcing it to point up and her other hand on her own rifle opened fire at full-auto on the four behind the first guard emptying the clip. Then the guard laid a punch on her releasing Tess from his rifle and about to shoot Tess, she immediately ducked pulling out her Glock plugging a few rounds to the guard incapacitating him then moved onwards. Tess removed the first clip of the rifle then to the second one just beside the empty first clip as the two are fastened with a clamp then cocked the rifle.
"Those guys are still breathing." Ed informed as Tess see the guards slowly have their hands reaching for their pistols only to have each of their heads receive a bullet from her rifle.
"Good one Tess, now head upstairs, Val, Alec and Mike are heading towards the chopper. Charlie team, you got an army heading right up towards to agent Tess. Buy her out some time and distract them." Ed said.
Meanwhile, the Charlie team are those who disabled the security grid on the 41st floor right above the floor of Val's office as they rappelled down outside the window after destroying the glass panes now open for them descend out of the building with their bodies hooked up with cords going downwards towards the lower floors.
Tess headed upstairs on the 41st floor heading right to another corridor.
"You got a surprise on top of the stairs." Ed informed as Tess managed to shoot two of another guards right on top of the floor before her foot reaches at the last step of the stairs. Hearing a groan, she ended the guard with another round to the head.
"Right!" Ed exclaimed as Tess was ambushed by a guard from the side trying to grab Tess' rifle pinning her against the wall but still pulls the trigger while it is aiming at down the corridor where the other two guards stood killing them.
Then Tess struck the man with her knee then shoved his face with the rifle and gave him a full-auto of rounds from the body to the head.
"Got three on the door to the left." Then Tess fired on another guard about to ambush from the door of a room beside and put her weapon on that room giving another barrage of bullets in full-auto killing the rest who failed to make a surprise attack.
"Are we there yet?" Tess asked.
"You got only 20 meters towards another stairs to the rooftop. They're right there now." Ed replied. "Behind you!" Ed yelled.
Bang! Bang!
Two piercing shots struck Tess' back knocking her down on the floor but since her suit is armored, she still has the strength to shift her body pointing her rifle at another three incoming from downstairs laying the last few rounds at them while recovering from the pain. Now her rifle is out of bullets as another hostile approaches unhurt, she pulled out her pistol plugging a few rounds on the incoming guard ending him before another shot will be struck at Tess. Getting up, she tossed her M4 assault rifle aside and grabbed the Benelli shotgun strapped on her back checking the chamber to see if loaded. Then Tess approaches on the guards who shot her still breathing squirming in injury.
"No, please!" The guard wailed as Tess plugged his head then pointed the gun at the head of the other pulling the trigger splattering their blood across the floor staining her own white skin suit.
~*~
The chopper on the rooftop is ready as its engines were roaring and the propeller whooshing creating a continuous blast of wind across. Val's bodyguards huddle over him also escorting Mike on the helicopter. Alec approached Val as they reached the chopper's doors.
"Dad. Where is this chopper heading to?"
"Where it will take us safe from here." Val replied.
"We're leaving this soon?" Alec asked. "I'm not going anywhere until I know where this chopper is heading." Alec retorted.
"Hey, you're coming with me!" Val growled dragging Alec but he resisted.
"No dad. I belong here, I grew up here." Alec insisted.
Bang!
One of the guards beside Val had his blood splattered on the chopper's metal surface. Tess approached on the rooftop with her shotgun continuing to pour the shells towards another dozen of guards heading towards her. Val drags Alec inside the chopper by force then closes the door sitting beside Mike.
"Take off, now!" Val yelled at the pilot as the chopper starts to ascend from the rooftop but Tess shoots the head of the pilot through the window immediately stopping it from taking off as the helicopter dropped back down.
As Tess emptied the shotgun after a few shells fired, with no time to reload, she immediately pulls out her pair of M1911's continuing to pour the fire until she killed the last guard.
As Tess approached the chopper, Val had no choice but to open the door and held a pistol at Mike's head taking cover behind Tess' line of fire.
"Drop the guns or I'll plug a bullet on his eye." Val said trapping Tess as she aims her pistol at Val. "Don't test me." Val added. "Do it now!" He yelled.
Tess sighed as she lowered her pistols on the ground along with her shotgun. By the next second, Val pulled the trigger on Tess' shoulder pinning her to the floor, but still landed on her black coat which has a body armor. Alec watching Tess getting shot somewhat felt her pain as his face was tinted with a pity look.
"You, grab a gun and take point." Val said to Alec.
"What?" Alec heard what his father said but doubted it.
"You heard me, grab a gun and take point." Val growled.
Alec groaned grabbing a pistol nearby a dead guard's body approaching Tess pointing it at her.
"The Spectre parasites were onto it again, didn't they?" Val talked to Tess. "Speaking of which, I guess it's all Mike's idea to run the same mission and the same parasite that almost ruined the reputation of my own company. You think I didn't know about the traitor's child who was loyal to me by the time I founded Hyperion? You're familiar because you had his guts, but his guts weren't enough. You must his daughter. The daughter of the man who chose to betray me years ago. For what? For trying to take down what has already started? I built this company for a reason, and the reason why those agents and senators died because they knew they had it coming. It wasn't an assassination, it was a sacrifice. They were an obstacle to what I am proposing: making a better world. Look around you! The government just couldn't able to handle all the crisis in this world with their endless debates while the world is tearing apart. I, however decided to go on my own, used my own money to buy power willing create my own world for everyone the way they deserve."
"You killed my father to get what everyone deserve?" Tess replied.
"Your father tried to agree with me before he became my obstacle. He became a traitor. And if I'm not mistaken, it was a cold night like this the moment I entered the room, while your mother screamed watching your father torn to shreds." Val exclaimed as Tess tries to pick her pistol but Val released another trigger on Tess pinning her down again. "Impressive body armor, but it wouldn't save you from letting you know the truth. Your father is a Spectre yet he talks too much. And how did I find out? There's also a traitor in the agency and you're looking right at him." Val continued as Tess shifted her eyeball to his hostage.
"Mike?" Tess wondered staring intently at Mike.
"I'm sorry." Mike uttered.
"Just the look that I wanted to see. After your father died, another agents tried to stop me until he sent his own daughter, Vanessa. But she failed, all them made the same mistake. Underestimating my security systems of this building and therefore we captured her. But since I'm a gentleman, I give everyone second chances, your father had the chance to run but he made a mistake going to his house, your house. I used Mike's daughter to hand over the identities of every Spectre agent in order to let her live. And I did. Vanessa lives. You think she's the traitor? Not even close."
"But she's in your side now wiping out every memory until she doesn't know who she was and where she came from." Tess replied still kneeling on the floor clutching her shoulder.
"I gave what's best for her. She is the product of me trying to make a better world." Val continued. "Now you're wasting my time and will you excuse me, me and my son are going." Val ended his conversation. "Alec, I know you have heard everything that happened and I know you want your father back, then do it to make him proud of you. Shoot her." Val said to Alec.
Tess looked at Alec as Alec did the same to her while his hands began to shake.
"Shoot. Her." Val urged. "Kill her dammit!" He yelled.
Alec's heart beats faster barely able to hold the grip of the gun on his hand.
"Shoot her!" Val roared but suddenly Alec shifted the aim of his gun to his own father that shed a tear doing it.
"Everything that I have heard was just about your monstrosity! Is this what I wanted from you if you try to be a father?!" Alec roared back. "You told me the truth and I know it all, you're a monster! You're not my father." Alec added. "And now you want me to shoot a woman who tried to do what is right. Stopping your monstrosity. You killed her father, and I'm about to do it on my own if it's for everybody's sake."
"Then you'll also be a monster the same way as me. If you wanted a father or a family so much, what's the point of going to shoot me?" Val asked.
"I'm not going to shoot you. I'm trying to remind you who you are and what you were meant to be but you squandered everything. Pretty much that's it isn't it? Shoot her and walk the f*ck away." Alec replied.
"Maybe not everything unless you can shoot your own family but I know you can't. But I can..." Val suddenly shifted his gun from Tess towards Alec pulling the trigger on him.
"ALEC!" Tess screamed going towards him as Alec fell on the rooftop clutching on his wound.
Val closed the door on the helicopter, headed to the pilot's seat, removed the pilot's corpse tossing it outside and piloted the helicopter himself. Val shifted the controls as they began to ascend from the ground.
Tess picked up her pistol and released the rounds on the helicopter emptying the clip but it only did little damage. But she remembered the phone on her pocket. The Hunter-1's explosive dart still attached on the helicopter. As she opened the screen of her phone, she wanted to touch the detonation button on the screen and along with Mike on board.
"Tess, you don't want to do that. You don't wanna kill Mike. If you violate the Spectre's code, the Spectre will come straight for you." Ed said to her earpiece.
"I've been waiting for this the moment I became a Spectre, I want to kill the man who killed my father no matter the cost."
"Tess, that's not your mission. I followed your way saving Mike but it's too late. Killing Val along with him isn't an option." Ed retorted.
"Everything has a price." Tess uttered as she's about to touch the detonation button on her phone's screen.
Bang!
Tess was shot again on her back dropping her phone. With the sharp sting electrocuted on her body, she was forced to be pinned down on the ground once more. Seeing the person who shot her was Vanessa still breathing clutching on her gunshot wound limping towards Tess only with a pistol in hand.
"Oh son of a..." Ed seeing what occurred dashed towards the Hunter-1 removing the systems strapped on the trigger and the scope of the rifle.
Alec grabbed Vanessa's leg as she continued to walk towards Tess. Vanessa stomped on Alec's gunshot wound as she points her gun on him but she received three shots by Tess. Tess continuing to pull the trigger already emptied her bullets as Vanessa instead continue to walk towards her.
"Vanessa, listen to me. This isn't you, you're not yourself. Remember who you are." Tess pleaded as she try to move herself away still lain on the ground as Vanessa continued to confront Tess clutching her wound tightly as her blood slowly drips on her feet growing weaker on every step she took.
Ed on the other rooftop finally detached the Hunter-1 from the Barrett rifle and carried it by himself aiming on Vanessa.
"Every time I hear those words coming from a bitch's mouth. All I can remember... is pain. Every inch in my body..." Vanessa replied as she aimed her pistol with a laser pointer now marking the red dot light on Tess' forehead.
Ed pulled the trigger from afar as Tess looked the source of the sound at the second time finally looking at Ed's position then something big pierced through Vanessa's head, the 50 caliber bullet splattered the blood as Vanessa collapsed down on the ground as her head impacts on the floor and turned slowly looking at Tess with her lifeless eyes staring at Tess in her last moment.
Tess took a few seconds to realize seeing Vanessa completely dead as she grabbed her phone and pressed the detonation button seeing the helicopter now almost a mere dot in the distance. Pressing the button, the screen showing the words 'out of range.'
"Dammit!" Tess roared as she stared into the distance.
Ed continued to watch Tess in the rooftop bruised and beaten laying on the ground surrounded with corpses and Alec injured.
~*~
As Val now headed out towards his course, he pressed on the hologram screen on the helicopter's cockpit putting on autopilot mode then sat back on the passenger's seat beside Mike.
"It's just you and me now. We're heading to a Hyperion watch point in Europe in a matter of hours while you however didn't get what I want yet." Val said.
"Did you really think it was going to be that easy?" Mike chuckled.
"Will it take another daughter for you to get what I want?" Val retorted. "I may have the identities of every Spectre agent you have given to me, spoiling a classified data but I want more than that."
"Why do you want them when you don't even know what you want? What do you really want?"
"I want the Spectre agency to pledge their loyalty to me and serve me until they will help my company grow. And I know it's childish if it's mere words alone." Val answered. "There, that's what you wanted to hear."
Mike took a deep breath as he pulled out his phone from his coat while Val looked out the window staring in the distance. Mike had received a message that Ed's mission is complete and received a code for him to sync in the Hunter-1's system.
"You know it's funny that the person who's out trying to get to you happens to be a girl and now you betrayed your own son. Such a coward." Mike implied.
"But your daughter isn't. She said she'll never tell who she works for even if it kills her. But I didn't kill her, I only gave her a huge amount of pain." Val replied.
"You know what Val? You and that blonde girl's father have something in common."
"Do enlighten me." Val said then Mike showed his phone to Val with the same detonation button that was found on Tess' screen.
"You talk too much." Mike scoffed.
Mike touched the button as Val ducked but it was too late for him. Then the dart attached on the helicopter bursted exploding the chopper entirely as Tess watched it in the distance as a bright fiery light in the night sky glowing then suddenly dimmed.
Ed's team reached on the rooftop heading towards Tess as she can barely move of all the pain in her body coming from all the gunshots that struck her body armor still bringing the searing pain. They brought in the stretchers then carried Alec laying on it continuing to lose blood as the red stain continues to spread on his suit. Another stretcher also came then they carried the bruised and beaten Tess. Tess laid flat on the stretcher that Ed's team were carrying, she tilted her head to the side looking at Alec unconscious then sighed after a long moment realizing that the mission is accomplished.
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EPILOGUE:
1 week later...
Alec sat down on the bench in sunrise at the eastern boulevard of the city watching plenty of people passing by and the birds chirping in the trees. His arm was wrapped with a sling and a bandage on the shoulder recovering from the injury.
Then someone sat behind him on another bench beside his but facing on the opposing side. He smirked a bit knowing that familiar presence.
"I'm sorry about your father." Tess implied behind him.
"He was never my father and I'm sorry about Mike." Alec replied.
"Ed told me that he synced his phone on that explosive dart that we planted on the chopper and blew up himself along with your father. I guess he wanted to pay the price for revealing our identities to your father just to save his daughter. He also saved me from killing another Spectre that will give me a grave punishment."
"Your father wanted to do the same to you too." Alec added.
"What was that you say to your father again? About wanting a job, grab your dreams and most of all... Getting a girl and have a family?" Tess wondered raising a brow smiling as Alec laughed.
"Sorry you had to hear that. Family drama." Alec added.
"Maybe you're not that kind of guy the first time I met you especially running a place for night parties." Tess implied.
"Well, I hated being what you're thinking about me in the first place. And by the way, that was a good punch though."
"What?"
"In the bar, surrounded by my men?" Alec chuckled.
"Oh yeah. Sorry about that." Tess laughed. "What happened to your place now? Now that your dad's gone, what are you gonna do?" Tess asked.
"Well, I met a lawyer days ago to continue with the papers in selling the place. Then I was trying to look for a place to find a job now that I used my remaining money to survive out in the wilderness choosing not to follow my dad's footsteps. Now I'm a homeless man after I helped you in your mission, I'm no one." Alec said as Tess felt a small amount of pity on him.
"Not really no one, maybe to become someone. And speaking of you finding a job, that's why I'm here." Tess said then she passed a small red card to Alec.
As Alec received the card, the card has a small screen with a video and the insignia of the Spectre agency and its picture moving like a video of a commercial ad.
"I came here all the way finding you since we needed new recruits, and you told me that you wanted to be a cop so I was willing to give you something better." Tess smirked seeing Alec viewing at the card.
"You want me to become an agent like you?" Alec asked.
"You know... you really did great infiltrating your father's office for us. You really showed your courage there. Since the days of Hyperion is over now that your dad's classified data is dumped all over the network and the government marking him as terrorist now deceased, I guess that's just the beginning of saving the world. But still... he's your family. If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have accomplished the mission. Thank you." Tess nodded with a little smile. "I knew you had that spirit in you, the recruitment address is right on that card. Oh and an additional info behind it." Tess said as Alec flipped the card showing a handwritten information which is a phone number and the words:
I guess you really owe me that date. —T
Then Alec turned his head around looking where Tess was sitting, only to find out that she is gone. Looking again at the card glancing on Tess' number, he picked up his phone pulling right out from his pocket in excitement. Dialing the number after pressing the buttons on his screen, he put the phone on his ear and waited a few seconds.
"Hello?" Somehow, it was a male voice who responded.
"Hello, who am I speaking?" Alec asked.
"Did you really think it was going that easy?" The male voice grew more familiar.
"Ed?"
"Check your nine. That means left side." Ed said as Alec turned his head on the left seeing Ed in sunglasses sitting down on another bench from a few meters away waving and staring at Alec.
"Where's Tess?" Alec asked.
"She placed my number on the card with her handwriting which is why you see a little love letter there. Why, you want to see her again?" Ed chuckled. "Let's just say it was the only way for you to immerse yourself to another level. After your father died, it looks like you're finding your life again so we decided to look after you and give you a life you didn't expect after pulling off a stunt on that mission. Trust me, this is the only chance for you to live again. How do you want to become Spectre?" Ed asked as Alec stuttered trying to say something. "Come on now, don't be shy. You thought you were dialing her for that date, but not so fast. You must first prove yourself in what you are capable of, trials, challenges but most of all, character. The same character you showed on that mission."
"How do I start?" Alec asked.
Then Ed raised his hand and snapped a finger. Suddenly, the people around him stopped at what they are doing and remained standing, sitting and etcetera then stared at Alec that the entire boulevard grew quiet surprising him for a bit.
"Before you start, you must know that Spectre is not just an agency, it's a community. We are a hidden society in the middle of crisis where we always stop those who try to destroy the world as much as humanity at stake. And if you start thinking that Mike gave your father all of the Spectre identities, your father made a mistake. It was part of Mike's plan. The only valid data Mike gave to your father was Tess', the rest were falsified. She was the centerpiece of that mission. But now, you're going to be the centerpiece of the entire training, that is unless you prove yourself worthy to become a new Spectre. But of course we respect an individual's freedom, we're not forcing you to join, we're only convincing you to find a new life after an unexpected transition. Think of it as a commercial. So... what do you say? A yes or no will simply suffice." Ed ended his conversation letting Alec think looking at everyone around staring at him. Others gave a small smirk while the rest simply gave a blank expression.
"Come on now, I know you've always wanted to get that pretty girl you met from your club." Ed added laughing.
As Alec further looked around, he somewhat saw Tess in the middle of a crowd smiling at him. Knowing that she's just nearby, Alec smiled back as Tess gave a small wave at him. Then Alec took a deep breath looking back at Ed opening his mouth and confidently ready to give his answer.
T H E E N D
~*~
AUTHOR NOTES:
Thank you so much for reading my fan-fiction. I just wrote this for fun and forgive me if it occupied 80% of the comment section since I dedicate myself on it in order to show my appreciation of Raikoart's work especially with the OC and the world building that I decided to share my own thoughts. Honestly, I was thinking of giving this story to the artist/creator of Tess anyway.
I know you have found some of my OC's here but they were simply created on the spot for the sake of creating the story and not related to the original creator of Tess' universe. I am just a fanboy and just absolutely hyped up that the artist has created his/her own magnum opus that I really wanted to contribute something by sharing my own thoughts skills through writing since I just wanted to help Tess' creator in world-building. But it's not just the world-building, it's mostly the story. Well technically I am an artist too but I also love writing. Speaking of writing, I drafted this short story on my Wattpad app before I copy-paste this in the comments. So yes, I'm not just a Deviant, I am a Wattpad author.
It took more than one week writing this and also took some inspirations that helped me motivated in crafting this story of mine that we fans love to share our own thoughts and it all takes courage and skill. And for more honesty, I envisioned this story more like as a movie, I'd rather put myself in that world "see" things in order for me to write the world I see.
This short story is inspired from:
• John Wick
-God, I love Keanu's badass kung-fu gun fight and the cinematography of its killing spree along with the simple storytelling made masterpiece. Imagine if Tess could do all the same action.
• Hitman Agent 47
-Sorry, not very much familiar with the video game version. It's an underrated movie adaptation but I found use of its plot points. It's worth the watch actually.
• Call Of Duty: Advanced Warfare
-Technology, enough said.
Even though at the smaller pieces of starting the world-building can create a simple yet amazing world based on my experience writing this short story.
About the story:
Well technically saying, this is just a fan-fiction. I strictly have no connections with Raikoart's original intention of his/her own world-building and especially with Tess' character and I respect that.
Now to start with the setting from Tess' simple description: A licensed to kill spy set in a futuristic world, again, I apologize if my story isn't what you had in mind. To start with the term 'futuristic', I only set it in the year 2035 and that's future enough for me. I'm not really good at conceptualizing advanced technology to correlate with the setting as if it would look like Blade Runner or Ghost In The Shell or Total Recall (2012 remake) or Netflix's Altered Carbon because it doesn't matter for now. I kept the story simple and comfortable for me to see Tess from my point of view and I wrote the story due to my admiration.
About my OC's? Well, these characters didn't exist for sure not until the moment I decided to write down this story that I really have to add characters to make the plot intriguing. It may not relate to anything original in Tess' creator, inside Raikoart's mind but it has to be done. Like I said, it's just a fan-fiction. I can create another characters anyway with simple names and simple roles, poof! You have a character.
How about the word, Spectre? Well... let's just say I ripped it off from the latest James Bond movie but I don't think the word 'Spectre' here similarly defines something from that movie. I didn't even watched it yet. Since Tess is working on a certain agency, of course, agencies have names like James Bond or Johnny English's MI7 or America's C.I.A. or many more especially the fictional ones. I just used it since I thought it was cool, enough said.
I am really am inspired for Raikoart to create a masterpiece such as this so hey dude, if you're reading this, please don't stop creating what you want to create. Keep it up and I just hope Tess will be fleshed out as a live action character someday and I hope your world-building will be complete for some time. Continue to draw and create like the way I was passionate in writing this story just for you because I am really inspired and awe struck at Tess. And wow, she's the personification of beautiful, hot and badass!
Just little facts about me, I am an artist too actually but I find myself more moved in writing stories than just drawings. Cheers!
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Holy shit that was awesome!
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I like how far you've come with this character. Looking forward to experiencing their world. Inspires me and maybe I'll post some of my own little world on deviant.
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I REALLY like this character and the world they're set in.
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Honestly though, the moment I saw this character I suddenly pictured her story out in my head as a movie performing John Wick-like action, well of course, set in a futuristic world. I pictured her out killing a hundred men across a hallway mixed with acrobatic kung-fu skills and etc. Besides, she's fueled with action. Well since she's a spy, well... genderbend of John Wick and James Bond combined? That would be awesome. By the way, I am an experienced writer though so if you're looking for help in creating a story or world building, I'm all ears and the gears of my head are turned full of fantasies ready and eager to be translated into reality.
Here's a little inspiring action gif since I can't put it in the comment.
media.giphy.com/media/LDv21bZ2…
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Count me in!
Have a look further down in the comments section for a short story I wrote.
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Hey dude, I posted my own short story now, I'm sorry if it's long ironically speaking.
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Oh my hot damn!!
Dude, you went full ham. How long did this take?
Time to read away.
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10 days tops, I feel a bit anxious about it. XD
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Alright. Read chapter 1.
Now don't take this the wrong way, but going by what was written, am I right in assuming that English is a second language to you?
It's a bit difficult to read if I'm perfectly honest. :I
An interesting take on Tess nevertheless.
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Yep haha, English is my second language. It's a bit challenging to use the big words in my writing, I'm a bit uncomfortable with it that I still keep a pocket dictionary. I only write what I envision than trying to be a perfectionist in the words and editing my short story for example was a pain in the ass before I copy-paste it in the comments. But as long as you readers get to understand what's going on in the story, I think that's what really matters. It's not focusing on how fancy my words are which depicts the purpose of reading a story but I still agree with you there. I'm still developing my skills though.
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As well as the choice of words, there's also the matter of sentence structure and grammar in general.
Here's a little edit I did for the beginning of Chapter 1.
---
A helmeted rider in a black leather suit accelerates on a motorbike across the streets of the city that led downtown. Revving the engine of the black bike, the rider dodges every civilian vehicle on the road, overtaking every one of them, before arriving at the intended destination. The rider coasts into the basement level of the building; a wide parking lot. Finding a vacant space to park, the rider then removes the helmet to reveal a young blonde woman in her twenties, who shakes out her bunched up ponytail.
"Evening Tess. Looking lovely as ever."
The clerk in his late forties smiled.
"How can I help you?"
"Evening Arthur. More parties to host?
"The very best of course. Will you be attending?"
"Not today I'm afraid. I'm just here to follow up on a message from Mike." Tess replied.
"Of course. May I send someone to escort you to your room?"
"Oh I'm alright, thank you." Tess insisted with a smile.
---
- So the changes I made reflect a more present tense over past tense style. Past tense still works fine, it's just a personal preference I took here (feels more flexible).
- Sentences are more split up (e.g. the part to do with parking and the removal of the rider's helmet), makes things easier to read in a single go.
- Watch out for a thing called "Purple Prose", when you're trying to describe things. Essentially, you can "over describe" things if you're not careful (e.g. With the increasing speed and the powerful engines of the black painted bike). Keep it short and to the point, it helps with a story's pacing whilst retaining good descriptions.
- Conversations, or more specifically here, small talk. To me, it's still one of the hardest things to do in writing, but a good way to approach it is simply to read/act it out loud. In fact, all writing in general is best edited when you read/act it out loud I reckon. It checks for grammar and sentence structure, but it also checks for the overall "flow" of the story. Is it moving too fast? Is it moving too slow? Would a certain kind of person really say that? That kind of thing.
Now I understand that this is probably difficult to apply when you have English working against you, but I hope this gives you some ideas about how to approach writing in future. The plot was cool, the way in which multiple locations were tied together as events unfolded was great, it's just the execution was a bit problematic (I think the part where they were going through the briefing, with the talk of IDs, it kind of got a bit too confusing for me there :/ ).
Hope this helps.
PS: This is just my headcanon speaking here, but while it is smart to incorporate nano-structured body armour as a part of her attire, her look from the beginning kind of suggests that it's not designed to be shot at many times to begin with (the exposed front and all). More stealth and suspense I have a feeling was what Raiko was going for here (could be wrong, just saying though in terms of suspension of disbelief)... >.>
PPS: I didn't know there was a limit to the number of edits a comment on DA can have (hid a comment, apologies for spam). XD
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Hahaha yeah, thanks for the review. I really appreciate your edit, it made me learn how to be careful next time in my writing. And apologies too for cringing you out if you found my English terrible.
Based on my experience in creating/writing a story, FYI, I write stories as if I am making a movie where there is this certain "scene" and another that I tend to envision in my mind. I may be an imaginative guy who visualizes the ideas once I am planning to put something into a story before the pencil and the paper but the sad part is, how can I translate this idea into a sentence word for word?
From where I came from is a writing and reading community called Wattpad.com if you have heard of it. And since you were the first guy (a.k.a. my first editor now, thank you very much. XD) who seem to found some flaws in writing, thanks for making me realize that I have a longer way to go in this writing journey. Because Wattpad taught me that I write whatever I had in mind without giving the time to think. They say it was a means to kill perfectionism just to shape our mood from worrying about ourselves with the question of "what-if-my-writing-is-childish" circulating on our heads so that we can sit down and just write away. We were taught of not giving the time to worry much. And even taught me to break the rules of creating your own writing style into something that is comfortable for us (no, except the unbreakable "law" of grammar) which technically is a bad idea if without the special thing called editing but never mind all that.
I see you were impressed by the plot. In my opinion, it's my only strength in writing but yes I guess I'm not observable enough on how it the story tends to flow. So I was just thinking if I could just try and edit the entire story here in the comments section if I found the time yet because of your greater skills than me I'm doubting myself if I could improvise it any better. XD
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By the way, one thing I noticed looking back that I didn't notice the first time around when I made the little edit, was the use of commas in dialogue.
Instead of:
"Oh I'm alright, thank you." Tess insisted with a smile.
It should be:
"Oh I'm alright, thank you," Tess insisted with a smile.
The sentence still continues, even when the dialogue bit is done.
I copied and pasted your original writing in DeviantArt, hence why I didn't notice it earlier. Sorry about that.
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All good mate, you're welcome.
Indeed, I too have those moments where I envision a single cool idea before I even get the meat of the story together. To quote a certain android from Prometheus, "big things have small beginnings".
Something as simple as two frenemies (friendly-enemies) meeting for example, heck, that snowballed a 90,000+ word story for me (which I sadly never finished, oh well, times change for an old story).
It's been a pleasure. Don't trouble yourself too much with what you've written here. I'm impressed that you were able to write so much in under a fortnight.
Write down your ideas as they come by (I have a sketchbook for that), let things snowball, and get creative with how you tell your stories.
Good luck. o7 (Salutes)
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Great work!
I was bending my head down so she not hit me.
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WARNING! Carry on reading! Or you will die, even if you only looked at the word warning!
Once there was a little girl called Clarissa, she was ten-years-old and she lived in a mental
hospital, because she killed her mom and her dad. She got so bad she went to kill all the
staff in the hospital so the More-government decided that best idea was to get rid of her so
they set up a special room to kill her, as humane as possible but it went wrong the
machine they were using went wrong. And she sat there in agony for hours until she died.
Now every week on the day of her death she returns to the person that reads this letter, on
a Monday night at 12:00 a.m. She creeps into your room and kills you slowly, by cutting you
and watching you bleed to death. Now send this to ten other pictures on this one site, and
she will haunt someone else who doesn't. This isn't fake. apparently, if you copy and paste
this to ten comments in the next ten minutes you will have the best day of your life tomorrow.You
will either get kissed or asked out, if you break this chain u will see a little dead girl in your room
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One quote: "She is a licensed-to-kill type of spy in a futuristic world,"
Five pictures of Tess (one featuring a motorbike over Twitter).
One reference sheet.
And a bored mind.
Challenge Accepted...
- - -
Another day at the office, Tess thought, as she moved in search of a way out, just another day at some shady corporate office, filled with trigger happy employees...
The infiltration into the skyscraper had taken longer than she had anticipated, due to what she suspected was faulty intelligence that was provided from the very start. More guards, more drones, and the lack of wriggle room to move undetected, resulted in Tess eventually being found, with fatal consequences for her initial pursuers. Their blood still clung to her bodysuit, much to Tess' annoyance.
... And I just had this cleaned.
Pistol raised in one hand, and the data drive she was tasked to acquire in the other, she jogged as quietly as she could through darkened hallways, while an alarm continued to sound in the background. Her senses were keen, her enhanced eyes made the most of what little light there was coming through the tinted windows of the 32nd floor. She felt prepared, ready to fire at anything that ran at her with a stun baton or rifle. Yet all of a sudden, something moving that didn't have legs caught her attention; a drone, scanning through all the windows of her hallway with a sweeping laser grid. It hadn't seen her yet, but it was only a few windows away as it continued to speed its way towards her!
Without another thought, Tess darts over to the corner of an archway beside a window, tucking in her arms and legs as close as she could to narrowly avoid the lasers that angle past her. The drone flies on by, with no sign of it slowing down, judging by the sound of its high pitched rotors. A sigh of relief is breathed by the quick-thinking spy, but it is short lived when the light strips of her hallway come back to life, as corporate security guards suddenly appear from where Tess had come from. Laser sights fill the area, with Tess in full view of them!
"There she is!!"
The guards raise their rifles to shoot, but Tess is quicker on the draw. She unloads a volley of bullets while launching into a run to get clear of the hallway, forcing the guards to duck from the oncoming bullets. This however has little effect on the drone from moments earlier, which was now racing back along the windows with a deployed turret.
Door! Right!
Knowing that she'd be in the drone's direct line of fire within seconds, Tess fires a bullet into a nearby office door that was made of glass, and immediately dives through it with an arm held up to shield her face. She completes a combat roll to smooth out her landing, just as a burst of pellets whizz on by, narrowly missing Tess' head. Plaster dust hangs in the air, as Tess crawls for cover by a photocopier, past a wall that was now littered with holes. Out of sight for the time being, she takes in her surroundings.
Well... can't say a desk job in a cubicle would be more exciting than this.
It was a large space with a low ceiling, filled to the brim with black office cubicles that were lit by blue light strips over their top edges; all quite boring to Tess' eye. The only thing that did catch her attention, was another exit that was 20 metres in front of her, that was in the line of sight of the door she just smashed through. Shouting could be heard from outside, along with the unmistakable noise of the drone that was coming in through smashed windows.
Surmising that the guards would let the drone take point, Tess crouch rolls over into a cubicle aisle, and grabs a nearby swivel chair. She waits calmly for the correct time to enact what was a distraction plan, which comes moments after she is ready, with the arrival of her mechanized pursuer. She pushes the chair in a open direction away from her, coursing the drone to angle its sensors and turret to track the rolling object, which gives Tess the needed window to lie out of cover to shoot the machine. She empties her remaining magazine in doing so, leaving the rotor disabled drone to crash into a pile of files in a fit of sparks.
Leaning back against a cubicle, she reloads, pulling a fresh magazine out of her jacket with a smile on her face. Slider shut, she dares another peek at the smashed doorway, noting that the drone she brought down was well and truly offline. Ahead, the exit remained clear, which she then starts to move for at a hunched-over run through the cubicles. The guards from behind wouldn't stay content for long with their toy shut down, but neither would the three guards that suddenly came bursting in from the exit! The spy stops in her tracks, not a few metres from the new targets that had just entered the room; she was about to be found! Acting first, she lurches up and out of concealment to lock an arm around one guard's throat, to hold her as a body shield, before effortlessly plugging two shots into each of the remaining guards.
"I wouldn't," muttered Tess, pressing her pistol's hot muzzle against the jaw of her new hostage.
Having dropped her rifle, the guard had attempted to reach for her stun baton, but now she was forced to keep her hands raised, in the face of guards from the other side who were piling into the room.
"Now now boys and girls, let's not do anything rash. May I have one person collect all your weapons, to throw them out the window back there?"
The guards froze, remaining actionless in the face of a calm killer. Tess tilts her head, before pressing the pistol harder into her hostage.
"Please...?"
"... Th-throw 'em... god damn it, throw them out!!" cried out the helpless guard.
Reluctantly, one of the guards step forward to collect all their rifles and stun batons, before throwing their pile of gear out of the 32nd floor. Tess keeps a close eye on the disposer through the smashed doorway, to ensure he wouldn't try anything funny.
"Good, now I'm sure you would all like to receive your paychecks after all this is over, so why don't you folks touch that wall over there."
Looking to each other, the guards give mixed expressions of anger and fear at what this striking spy was ordering them to do. Before long, five guards in total comply with hands against the opposite wall.
"Very good. Step this way if you'd be so kind," said Tess to her now mortified hostage.
"Blonde bitch!!" shouted one of the wall huggers, "you can't take all of us!!"
"Oh don't worry, I'm only taking this one."
The pair of late night workers shuffle back out the door behind them.
"Close the door."
The hostage closes the door. Tess holsters her pistol.
"Wh-What are you... what are you going to..."
"Shhh. It's alright. You did good."
And without sparing the guard another thought, Tess pecks the woman's right ear before zapping her in the back with her own baton, leaving her unconscious on the floor.
Not a bad bit of kit.
Satisfied at the electric jolt that was administered, Tess goes ahead to also holster the baton as a souvenir.
Data drive still in hand, she sprints off again along the slickly designed hallways of her floor, meeting no further resistance as she went. She soon finds the reception area that housed the lifts, which she mashes the controls off to call up a ride. She snoops about the receptionist's desk while she waits, as the good spy she was, until a lift carriage arrives for her to board, bringing with it the sounds of its own genre of music.
Ugh, as soon as I'm out of this place...
She shook her head, as her mind drifted into thinking about the first thing she was going to say to the intelligence department about her package, before she moved on to consider how she still managed to pull off her assignment with the added inconveniences. To date, this undoubtedly was Tess' biggest grab, which was enough of a reason to still smile. Yet in her moment of daydreaming, what wasn't reason to smile, was how the lift suddenly stopped around the 14th floor, ahead of where she needed to be; the spy wasn't clear yet.
Ah... guess I could use the extra exercise.
While the surveillance team behind the elevator's one camera were quick to spot Tess, it wasn't that big of a dent in her plan. Best case scenario; ride straight down to around the 8th floor to access ventilation ducts. Worst case scenario; the same as the best case, except with more climbing.
Tess gives a small wave to the camera above her, as she reaches for her stun baton to short out the camera, before turning back to examine the ceiling. Hooking the data drive to a hip belt, she then hops up onto two railings lining the carriage, to then push at a panel that opened to the lift shaft. She pulls herself up and closes the hatch, leaving behind the pleasant elevator melodies.
Climb down fifteen floors, go for a hot shower. No pressure.
She scans her surroundings, looking for a structural part of the shaft that she could use to travel down, before she eventually settles on a vertical steel beam and a wall corner. Back braced against concrete, and feet against metal, Tess carefully begins to slide her way down past the lift carriage, with the aid of Gecko Tape that was laced in her gloves. She soon comes across a horizontal steel beam as an obstruction on the 12th floor, which she hangs off from while repositioning her back against the wall corner to continue sliding. Confused voices at one point could be heard from the carriage Tess abandoned, as she continued her pattern of movement over every level, until finally, she arrived at the 8th floor. She hugs the wall while balancing on a horizontal beam, with fatigue apparent in her legs. Sitting down, Tess scoots over to the small mesh of metal that hid the crucial air duct, and opens it with a creak. A spinning fan lies within to block her route down to the basement, which Tess responds too with another jab of the increasingly useful baton.
Baton - 3... Security - 0.
Fan disabled with last bit of juice from the baton, she enters the vent feet first, before closing the grate behind her, to then descend another nine floors. By which time, in reaching what Tess could assume was a damp utilities room, she was starting to feel the burn in her muscles. She panted for air, in the musty confines of her vent, near a grate that was hidden behind lots of piping.
Ok Tess... stay focused... they might be checking down here.
Slowly opening the grate with a drawn pistol, she hears nothing but the hum of vibrating pipes. But on the other side of the underground room, was a door that was suspiciously wide open, which gave Tess course to listen harder; her instincts win through. Before long, footsteps came into range from the corridor beyond, along with a light rays that was being flicked around from a torch. They were getting closer, prompting Tess to find some cover behind a small pillar away from the vent which she leaves open. Seconds later, a lone guard enters the room, who is quick to spot the unsealed vent. He stands still, taking in what he sees, before reaching for his radio.
Oh no you don't mister!
Not willing to have her presence compromised any further, Tess jumps out of hiding to subdue the guard, opting to simply use her hands to keep things quiet. She grabs the guard's left arm with one hand, and the front of his neck with the other, before bringing a foot into the guard's left knee. It twists out of place, coursing him to falter onto his good knee, allowing Tess to guide her target's head into a nearby pipe to knock him out cold. Attack slickly executed, she steps back to observe and confirm that her target was indeed down for the count in a puddle of water.
Hope he's the only one.
Turning to the corridor, she could sense that the final exit was nearby from what she memorized with the floor plans, but she didn't let her excitement get in the way of the potential for more resistance. Fortunately, her hope holds true, as she finally finds the staircase leading to the ground floor, and the service corridor leading to a small side street. Taking in the cold night, she could see to her left the massive cityscape that lit up the sky, and to her right, a homeless man that was giving her a rather quizzical look.
"Evening," Tess coolly remarked, readjusting her jacket before walking off to find her motorbike that was parked on the main street.
Hot shower, here I come...
Mission Accomplished.
---
Not exactly my greatest piece of writing, but I hope you enjoyed this piece of fan fiction (took about 4 days to write).
Tried to base this story on the above picture as much as possible. No fire I'm afraid (although one would think there would be a water sprinkler system in a building that has "corporation" written on a wall, hmmm).
At one point, I was going to throw a guard out of a 32+ story building, at another point, I was going to have Tess go melee against multiple goons, amidst an office fire with the sprinklers going.
By the way, Gecko Tape; a synthetic setae which mirrors the adhesive abilities of Geckos.
Slide your hand against a wall of this stuff, you won't realistically be able to move it up or down. Move your hand away from it, and your hand will lift free.
Anyway, depending on how things go, I might write a follow up piece.
I hope I've done Tess justice for you Raiko, in terms of her sass, physicality, and experience as a sci-spy.
Otherwise take all the inspiration you want for your world building.
Thanks for reading!
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Damn, I'm a bit envious about your writing style. Awesome bro!
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She is very pretty. Are you going to be writing a novel or it will be comics?
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Damn Raiko you seem to keep outdoing yourself each time.
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At first thought it was a genderbent han solo, still cool
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Idk why, but this image gives me a massive star wars feel. Anyone else?
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Hmm. It's probably to do with her colour scheme within this sci-fi setting.
The white, black and red are all Imperial colours.
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