Syndicate

The tension from the training room encounter still hung in the air as Jasper sat in one of the Syndicate's dimly lit briefing rooms. His hands were still shaking slightly, the adrenaline from his near-miss with Balor lingering in his veins. Across the room, Cipher stood by a table displaying a map of the mission site, the glow from the holographic display casting sharp shadows across her face.

"Alright, everyone," Cipher's voice cut through the silence, bringing the team's focus back to the task at hand. "We’ve received intel that a convoy is moving high-tech weapons out of the city. The weapons are being delivered to NEMESIS. Our job is to intercept the convoy and stop the delivery before it gets into enemy hands."

Jasper glanced at the holographic display, which showed the convoy’s route—an isolated road, heavily guarded, and likely protected by advanced tech. It would be no easy task. His mind was still grappling with everything that had happened earlier, but he knew there was no backing out now.

Cipher continued, her tone firm. "Vis will handle overwatch and shield protection. Balor, Nox, and I will engage the convoy directly. Jasper, this is your first mission. I want you to stay close to me. We’ll need your abilities if things go sideways."

Jasper nodded, though his stomach churned at the thought of using his powers in a live mission. He still wasn’t fully in control, and the last thing he wanted was to lose it again in the middle of a fight.

Before the team began gearing up, Cipher turned to Jasper, motioning for him to follow her to the armory. "You’re going to need a suit," she said, her voice softer than it had been during the briefing.

The armory was a room filled with various pieces of tech, weapons, and gear. Jasper felt out of place among the racks of equipment, but Cipher seemed to know exactly what she was looking for. She picked up a sleek black suit with dark red accents and handed it to him.

"This suit is made from adaptive material," she explained as Jasper ran his fingers over the fabric. "It’ll help regulate the heat energy your body generates when you use your powers. It won’t stop you from burning out if you push too hard, but it’ll give you more control."

Jasper studied the suit for a moment, then nodded, pulling off his jacket and shirt to start putting it on. As he did, Cipher watched him carefully.

"You sure you’re ready for this?" she asked quietly, her eyes searching his. "This is the real thing, Jasper. Once we’re out there, there’s no turning back."

Jasper put on on the suit, feeling it conform to his body as it adjusted to his temperature. He took a deep breath, then looked at Cipher, his expression hardening. "I don’t have a choice, do I?"

Cipher didn’t argue. Instead, she pulled out a small black mask, offering it to him. "You might want to consider this," she said. "It’ll help keep your identity hidden. Most of us wear something to keep our personal lives separate from our work."

Jasper stared at the mask for a long moment, his thoughts drifting back to the life he once had—the normal life before his powers, before the museum, before Zach was gone. But now? There was no one left to protect. His family was gone. His best friend was gone.

He shook his head, pushing the mask back into Cipher’s hands. "No. I don’t care who knows who I am. I’ve got nothing left to hide."

Cipher raised an eyebrow but didn’t press the issue. "Alright, your choice. Just remember, once you’re out there, it’s not just your enemies who will be watching."

Jasper felt the weight of those words, but he didn’t care anymore. He wasn’t fighting for some secret identity. He was fighting because it was the only thing left he could do.

The night was still, save for the low rumble of engines echoing through the vast emptiness of the desert road. Under the pale light of the moon, the convoy moved like a steel serpent, armored vehicles kicking up clouds of dust as they barreled toward their destination. Their cargo was precious—advanced weaponry meant for NEMESIS, capable of wreaking havoc if it fell into the wrong hands.

Jasper sat in the transport with the rest of the team, his eyes fixed on the glowing map displayed in front of him. The convoy’s position was marked, steadily moving closer. His heart raced, but he kept his face steady, remembering Cipher's words: "Stay focused."

"We’re closing in," Cipher said over the comms, her voice calm but tense. "The convoy is heavily guarded, but we need to stop it before it reaches the city. Our objective is clear—stop the convoy and retrieve the shipment undamaged. This tech cannot reach NEMESIS."

Jasper’s grip tightened on the harness securing him to his seat as the transport accelerated, flying low across the desert, the dark outlines of the convoy visible in the distance. His new suit felt snug, adjusting to his body’s rising temperature, but his mind was still racing. He had trained for this, sure, but this was different. This was real.

"Vis, you’ll be ready with shields," Cipher continued, her tone commanding. "Once we drop, I want those trucks boxed in. Balor, Nox, you're the point of attack. Neutralize the guards, but don't go overboard. We need that cargo intact."

Jasper’s eyes flicked toward the others. Nox was silently prepping his gear, his eyes cold and focused as ever. Balor, in contrast, was cracking his knuckles with a cocky grin, clearly itching for the fight.

"Relax, rookie," Balor muttered with a smirk. "Just stay behind me, and you might survive this."

Jasper ignored him, focusing on the mission. He couldn’t afford to get distracted.

As the convoy came into full view, Cipher signaled the drop. "It’s time. We move fast. Take them by surprise."

The transport swooped down, its engines humming as it neared the road where the convoy rumbled forward. Balor stood at the open hatch, grinning with excitement, his eyes locked on the targets below. Nox was beside him, silent and focused as always, his face a mask of cold efficiency.

Cipher’s eyes met Jasper’s as she strapped on her gear. "Stick close to me. Don’t hold back if things get rough."

The convoy kept moving, oblivious to the team’s presence, but not for long.

"Vis, now!" Cipher barked through the comms.

Suddenly, three shimmering forcefields appeared in the path of the convoy—one in front and one behind, trapping the vehicles between them. The drivers slammed on their brakes, the armored trucks screeching to a halt just inches away from the front forcefield. The guards, caught off guard by the sudden stop, scrambled out of the vehicles, weapons at the ready.

Jasper nodded, but the pit in his stomach only grew deeper. He could feel the energy building inside him again, but the fear of losing control gnawed at him.

Suddenly, the transport’s doors opened wide, and the team leaped into action.

Balor was the first to hit the ground, landing in the middle of the convoy with a brutal impact that sent shockwaves through the road. The guards barely had time to react before he was on them, moving with terrifying speed and strength. His fists smashed through armor, bones cracking under the force of his blows. There was no hesitation—no mercy.

Jasper hit the ground moments later, following Cipher’s lead as they sprinted toward the nearest truck. The guards opened fire, but Cipher was too fast. She weaved through the bullets, closing the distance with frightening precision. Before the guard at the door could react, she was on him, her blade slicing through his throat in a quick, clean motion. Blood sprayed across the truck’s side, and the guard collapsed without a sound.

Jasper froze for a second, his breath catching in his throat. The cold efficiency with which Cipher moved, the way she took a life without a second thought—it rattled him. This wasn’t the kind of heroism he had imagined. This was something darker, something more ruthless.

“Stay with me!” Cipher barked, not missing a beat as she moved toward the back of the truck. "Get your head in the game, Jasper."

The words snapped him back to the moment, and he shook off the shock, forcing himself to focus. The energy flared under his skin, red and hot, but he pushed it down, trying to stay in control.

Meanwhile, Balor was tearing through the convoy like a wrecking ball. The guards didn’t stand a chance. He grabbed one by the neck, lifting him off the ground before slamming him into the side of the truck with enough force to crush the man’s skull. Jasper could hear the sickening crack from where he stood. Another guard tried to run, but Balor caught him mid-step, twisting his head in a brutal motion that left the man lifeless before he hit the ground.

“Pathetic,” Balor sneered, wiping blood from his hands. "You’d think NEMESIS would hire better security."

Nox, as usual, moved with eerie silence, his blades flashing in the moonlight as he cut through anyone in his path. The guards barely saw him coming before they were on the ground, their throats slit or their bodies riddled with precise, deadly strikes. He was a ghost, moving with lethal efficiency, never making a sound.

Jasper could feel the weight of it all pressing down on him. These weren’t just guards—they were people. And the Syndicate was cutting through them like they were nothing more than obstacles.

He shook his head, trying to push the thought away. He had to focus. This was the mission.

They reached the back of the first truck, and Cipher motioned for Jasper to blast the doors open. He nodded, his hands glowing with red energy as he pressed them against the metal. The heat surged through him, and with a sharp burst, the doors blew off their hinges, flying off into the road.

Inside, crates of weapons were stacked high, each one marked with NEMESIS’s signature logo. The guards inside the truck barely had time to react before Cipher was on them. Two quick shots from her sidearm, and they were down, their bodies hitting the floor with a dull thud.

“Move fast,” she ordered, already working to secure the shipment. "We need to get this out of here before reinforcements show up."

Jasper moved to help, but the scene around him was chaotic. The smell of blood filled the air, and the bodies littered the ground like discarded trash. His hands shook as he realized just how far the Syndicate was willing to go to get the job done.

Suddenly, a loud crash echoed through the night. Jasper turned to see one of the smaller vehicles explode in a ball of fire, sending debris flying in every direction. Vis, from her position on overwatch, had dropped one of her forcefields to take out the vehicle, ensuring it couldn’t make a getaway with the remaining weapons.

Balor laughed, kicking one of the guards’ bodies aside as he moved toward the next truck. "Well, that’s one way to do it!"

But as the team continued their assault, Jasper couldn’t shake the feeling in his gut. This wasn’t just about stopping the shipment. This was about domination. About sending a message.

As the last guard fell, his lifeless body crumpling to the ground, Jasper stood there, surrounded by the aftermath. Blood stained the road, and the air was thick with the scent of death. The weapons were secure, the mission was a success, but at what cost?

Cipher glanced at him, her expression unreadable. "You did good, Jasper. You’ll get used to it."

But as Jasper looked down at the bodies strewn across the road, he wasn’t so sure he wanted to get used to it.

"Let’s move," Cipher called out. "Reinforcements will be here any minute."

Jasper followed her lead, his mind still spinning. The mission was over, but something had shifted inside him. The line between right and wrong wasn’t as clear as he had once thought.

Thank you so much for checking out "Syndicate"! I hope you're enjoying the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Your thoughts and opinions mean a lot to me, so feel free to share your feedback. Whether it's a comment, critique, or just a quick note to say hi, I'd love to hear from you! Thanks again for your support and happy reading!