Mission: Sunburst 3

Ilya stepped into the bustling MATA base, a maze of sleek corridors and glowing screens. Agents moved with precision, their footsteps echoing against the cold steel floor. Ilya was still adjusting to the weight of her new uniform when Agent Gaus strode in, his commanding presence filling the room.

"Change of plans," Gaus announced, his voice cutting through the hum of activity. "Intel just came in—Azurium theft at a nearby generator. Alis, Zack, gear up. Ilya, you're coming too."

Ilya hesitated. "But I've never been in the field before."

"That's why you'll stay back and observe. Agent Aisy will guide you remotely," Gaus said, nodding toward a young agent with bright eyes and a tablet in hand.

"Tekno support," Aisy said with a grin. "Think of me as your HQ."

The team moved swiftly, and before Ilya could fully process the change of plans, they were rolling out.

--

The generator site was eerily quiet, its towering structure glowing faintly with the blue hue of Azurium energy. From their vantage point, Ilya and Aisy monitored the target—a lone figure pacing near the generator—through the facility's CCTV.

"Some cameras are down," Aisy muttered, fingers flying over her tablet. "But no worries. I've got eyes in the sky."

She tapped a button, and a drone, disguised as a hawk, soared above the site, its camera feeding directly into their screens.

The target finally stopped and placed a suitcase on the ground. Aisy leaned forward. "That's gotta be it—the stolen Azurium."

Before Ilya could respond, a flash of light erupted on the screen, followed by the sound of a body hitting the ground. When the camera is back online, the target has laid motionless on the ground.

"Gaus," Aisy said with admiration. "Fast as always."

"He's insane," Ilya muttered, shaking her head.

Aisy chuckled. "His style is the opposite of Agent Jin's. Jin uses smoke to vanish; Gaus uses speed to overwhelm."

"Who's Jin? Is he part of MATA, too?"

Aisy smiled knowingly. "Long story. I'll tell you after the mission."

--

While Gaus secured the downed target, Agent Zack made his move, charging into the fray. His massive shield, almost as tall as himself, ploughed through the remaining figures with ease. Ilya couldn't help but stare.

"Is he... an American football player?" she asked incredulously.

Aisy laughed. "No, but I see why you'd think that. But in my opinion, he's more like a paladin".

"Paladin? Is that a position in football?" Ilya questions.

"Err... No. Are you seriously asking that?" said the befuddled Aisy.

"Oh, never mind that." Ilya tried to shrug the question before as if to hide her embarrassment.

By the way, this is supposed to be a secret organization, right?" Ilya pointed out. "Why is everything so flashy?"

Aisy shrugged, her grin widening.

Meanwhile, Alis approached the suitcase. Her face fell when she opened it. "Empty," she muttered.

"What?" Gaus asked sharply.

"It's a decoy," Alis replied. "And these targets—they're not even human. They're robots."

"Decoys," Gaus confirmed grimly, scanning the area.

A sudden ticking sound filled the air. Alis knelt beside one of the robots, her scanner revealing a bomb embedded in its chest.

"It's armed," she said, her voice tight.

"Track the real Azurium," Gaus barked.

Aisy's fingers danced across her tablet. "Got it! Three kilometres from here."

Alis exhaled sharply. "Lena lied to us again. Why do we still trust her?"

Her tone was light, but Zack bristled. "That's enough, Alis."

"Calm down," Gaus interrupted. "Alis, Zack, get the bomb out of here. I'll handle the new location."

--

As they loaded the bomb into their transport, Ilya turned to Aisy. "Can't we just defuse it?"

Aisy shook her head. "The encryption's too advanced. If we force it, it'll blow immediately. Only experts in bomb defusal can handle it, and even they need strict oversight. The only alternative is using IRIS."

"What's IRIS?"

"It's a super complex technology worn by super-agent candidates," Aisy explained. "Agent Ali once uses it." She pulled up a photo of a young agent with a determined expression on one of the floating screens.

Ilya froze. The image triggered a memory—a silhouette she couldn't place.

"You okay?" Aisy asked.

"Yeah, just... déjà vu," Ilya murmured, shaking her head.

--

Meanwhile, Gaus sped toward the new location. As he approached, a shadow blocked his path. Ilya, watching the feed, gasped.

"Gaus is going solo? Isn't that risky?"

Aisy smirked. "Don't worry. Gaus isn't just a leader in name. He's the real deal."

The mission was far from over.