Colonel Andrew sat hunched over his desk, fingers steepled beneath his chin. The dim glow of the desk lamp cast long shadows across the cluttered surface, files, surveillance photos, and reports all centered around one person: Steven.
"That goddamn guy…" Andrew muttered, his jaw tightening. The sound of the clock ticking on the wall seemed louder in the heavy silence. His thoughts swirled with frustration and calculations. Every move Steven made was unpredictable, slipping through the cracks of even G.U.N.'s vast network.
A sharp knock broke through the quiet.
"Enter." Andrew snapped, sitting up straighter.
The door swung open, and a uniformed agent stepped in briskly, saluting. His face was pale, eyes tense.
"Colonel Andrew, we have news."
Andrew's eyes narrowed. "Talk."
The agent lowered his salute and approached, holding out a tablet. On the screen flickered grainy satellite footage, two figures moving through a dense forest near a remote facility. The timestamp was from less than an hour ago.
"We picked up movement near Outpost 17. It's one of the lesser-guarded data relay stations in Scandinavia. We initially thought it was local wildlife, but upon closer analysis..." The agent tapped the screen, zooming in on a blurry figure with a glint of light catching on his forehead.
The diamond.
Steven.
Andrew leaned forward, his eyes narrowing to slits.
"Well, I'll be damned…" He muttered. His fingers drummed against the desk before pointing sharply at the agent. "Status of the outpost?"
"Minimal personnel, sir. Mostly automated systems and a skeleton crew for maintenance. No heavy security since it's considered low risk."
Andrew's lip curled into a thin, humorless smile.
"Low risk, huh?" His voice was cold, laced with disdain. "Tell me, Agent, how many times has that label come back to bite us?"
The agent swallowed hard. "Too many, sir."
Andrew leaned back in his chair, staring at the frozen image of Steven on the tablet. His mind was already racing. Steven wasn't there by accident. No, this was deliberate. Strategic.
"He's learning." Andrew's words were quiet but carried a dangerous edge. "He's not just running anymore. He's probing."
The agent shifted uneasily. "Orders, sir?"
Andrew stood up slowly, the chair creaking under his weight. He moved to a large screen on the wall and flicked it on, revealing a map of the Scandinavian sector with Outpost 17 marked in blinking red.
"Scramble Ghost Unit 3. They're close enough to intercept without drawing attention. Full stealth. I want Steven alive. No more near-misses. No more excuses."
The agent hesitated. "And the second figure, sir? Satellite scans show he's not alone."
Andrew's eyes flicked back to the image. The second figure was harder to make out, but clearly human.
"Doesn't matter. They're expendable."
The agent gave a tight nod. "Understood."
Andrew's jaw tightened. "And get me Commander Graves. If Steven's making moves on our data relays, I want countermeasures in place. Double encryption on all sensitive data streams. Anything he learns, we make worthless."
"Yes, sir." The agent turned on his heel and exited swiftly.
Colonel Andrew stared at the blinking red dot on the map, lost in thought. The dim hum of the monitors filled the silence, broken only by the rhythmic ticking of the wall clock. His reflection stared back at him in the glass surface of the screen, stern, cold, calculating.
He's learning.
That thought unsettled him more than he cared to admit. Steven had always been unpredictable, but reckless. Now, this… this was strategy. And strategy was dangerous.
In the cold winds of Scandinavia Steven and Fionna are sneaking into the outpost.
Fionna is shaking, her heart feeling like it's about to explode. She can't quite say if it's the insane fear or the excitement mixed with the cold.
As they sneak, Fionna start thinking on how to get pass the security and invade the outpost. "A- Alright… we can get disguises and— no, they would recognize our faces… or we could try to enter a ventilation— No, it would be too loud… or maybe—"
Suddenly, Steven pulls one axe and infuse it with his energy before striking the outpost wall.
The deafening crash of crumbling concrete echoed through the cold air as the dust settled around the freshly carved hole in the outpost wall. Fionna stared at the opening, her mouth slightly agape, her earlier plans for a stealthy infiltration crumbling as spectacularly as the wall itself.
Steven leaned casually against the jagged edge of the hole, his smirk unshaken. "Problem solved. You're welcome."
Fionna shot him a glare, her voice a sharp whisper. "Are you insane? Subtlety clearly isn't in your vocabulary!" She waved her arms toward the surrounding forest. "We probably just alerted everyone in a ten-mile radius!"
Steven stepped inside, ignoring her protests, his sneakers crunching against the scattered debris. "If they didn't know we were here before, they do now. Might as well skip the sneaking and get to the fun part." He looked over his shoulder, his diamond glowing faintly. "You coming, or do you want to keep brainstorming ventilation plans?"
Fionna hesitated, her hands clenched into fists. She wanted to yell at him, but the sound of distant alarms blaring snapped her focus back. Gritting her teeth, she followed him through the hole, stepping into the sterile, dimly lit corridor of the outpost.
"You're impossible." She muttered under her breath, but Steven's smirk widened as if he'd heard her.
Inside, the outpost was eerily quiet, the hum of machines and faintly flickering lights creating an unsettling atmosphere. Fionna's heart raced as they moved deeper into the facility.
"Alright, Mr. Wrecking Ball," she said, glancing around nervously. "What's the plan now?"
Steven paused, surveying the corridor. "Find the data core, download what we can, and get out. Simple."
Fionna raised an eyebrow. "Simple? You really think they're not gonna send reinforcements the second they realize we're here?"
Steven grinned, his confidence maddeningly unshakable. "That's the beauty of being unpredictable. They're scrambling to figure out what we're doing while we're already doing it."
The sterile corridors seemed to stretch endlessly, the faint hum of machinery and overhead lights their only companions as Steven and Fionna moved deeper into the outpost. Steven walked with a relaxed swagger, his hand occasionally brushing the diamond on his forehead, while Fionna kept casting nervous glances over her shoulder.
The alarms weren't deafening yet, more of a subtle pulse in the distance, a clear sign that the outpost's automated systems were still processing the breach. That wouldn't last long.
Fionna grabbed Steven's arm, forcing him to stop. "Wait. If we're looking for the data core, shouldn't we be heading down? These places always have the good stuff in the basement."
Steven nodded, giving her a small, begrudging smirk. "Not bad. Let's hope your instincts are right."
They turned a corner, and Fionna immediately spotted a set of stairs leading downward. "There." She said, tugging at his sleeve.
"Wow, you're more helpful than I thought." Steven teased.
"Shut up and move."
The staircase was narrow and dimly lit, the air growing colder as they descended. Each step seemed to echo louder than the last, and Fionna felt her stomach twist. They had no idea what was waiting below.
As they reached the bottom, they were greeted by a heavy steel door. A red panel blinked beside it, clearly a security checkpoint.
"Alright." Fionna said, stepping forward. "We'll need to—"
Before she could finish, Steven reached out, his fingers crackling with black energy, and pressed them against the control panel. The screen fizzled, and with a groan of strained mechanics, the door slid open.
Fionna stared at him, exasperated. "Do you always have to brute force everything?"
"Why waste time hacking when you can just short-circuit?" Steven said with a shrug, stepping inside. "Besides, it's faster."
The room beyond was larger than they expected, with rows of servers glowing faintly in the dim light. In the center stood a cylindrical terminal, its interface glowing blue.
"That's it," Steven said, striding toward the terminal.
Fionna followed, her eyes scanning the room. "This is too easy."
"Maybe they didn't expect anyone dumb enough to bust through the wall," Steven muttered, pulling a small device from his diamond. He plugged it into the terminal, and streams of data began pouring across the screen.
"Alright." He said, watching the progress bar crawl upward. "This should take a couple minutes."
"Minutes we probably don't have." Fionna's tone was sharp, her nerves on edge. "Do you hear that?"
Steven tilted his head, his expression darkening as he caught the faint sound of boots echoing down the corridor.
"Reinforcements." He muttered. "They're faster than I thought."
He pulls two axes from his diamond and infuses his energy into them.
"Finn, stay here and take care of the data. We'll need that to know what G.U.N. has to offer." Steven says, looking at Fionna over his shoulder.
Fionna's heart pounded in her chest as she nodded, swallowing her fear. She turned her attention back to the terminal, her hands trembling as she tapped at the interface to speed up the download. The steady progress bar moved agonizingly slowly, each second stretching into an eternity.
Behind her, Steven positioned himself at the door, his dual axes glowing with dark energy. The faint hum of his power filled the room, mingling with the approaching sound of boots and muffled commands. His smirk was gone now, replaced by a sharp, focused expression.
The first set of shadows appeared at the far end of the corridor, and Steven raised one axe in a mock salute. "Welcome to the party," he muttered, his tone darkly amused.
The soldiers advanced quickly, their weapons drawn and ready. The leading agent raised a hand in signal. "Stand down and surrender!" His voice was authoritative, but Steven didn't flinch.
Instead, he stepped forward, twirling his axes in a lazy arc. "Surrender?" he echoed, his voice dripping with mockery. "That's cute."
Before the agent could respond, Steven hurled one of his axes, the weapon spinning through the air in a blur of dark energy. It struck the ground in front of the squad, erupting in a shockwave that sent them stumbling back.
The agent barked orders, and the soldiers opened fire.
"Steven!" Fionna's panicked voice called out, but Steven was already moving. He darted forward, a blur of motion, deflecting bullets with precise sweeps of his remaining axe. Each clash of metal and energy echoed through the corridor as he closed the distance, his strikes deliberate and devastating.
Back at the terminal, Fionna's fingers flew across the interface. The progress bar hit 50%, and she cursed under her breath. "Come on, come on…"
The clash behind her intensified. Steven leaped and twisted with an almost feral grace, his laughter cutting through the chaos. "You guys really thought this would work?" he taunted, disarming one soldier with a swift kick before sending another sprawling with a backhanded strike.
But the reinforcements kept coming. For every agent he incapacitated, another two seemed to take their place.
"Steven!" Fionna yelled again, glancing back. "We've got to go—"
"Not until we get what we came for!" Steven interrupted, his voice firm but edged with strain.
Fionna clenched her jaw, forcing herself to focus on the terminal. She glanced at the progress bar, 75%. The room felt smaller, the air heavier with tension. She could feel the vibrations from the battle behind her, each clash of weapons and burst of energy rattling her nerves.
Suddenly, a new sound cut through the chaos, a low, mechanical whirring. Fionna's stomach dropped as she turned to see a towering, armored drone entering the fray. Its multiple gun barrels began to spin, the soft hum of its targeting systems locking onto Steven.
"Steven, look out!" she screamed.
Steven's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing as he saw the drone. "Oh, now this is getting interesting."
He charged the drone head-on, his axes crackling with power. It unleashed a torrent of bullets, but Steven spun and dodged, the diamond on his forehead glowing brighter. He leaped, swinging one axe through it and slicing the drone in two.
Fionna kept watching the progress bar load, her nerves taking the best of her. Finally, the progress bar reaches 100%, completing the upload.
Fionna unplug the device and calls out for Steven. "Steven, it's finished! Let's go!"
He grins and goes to her, grabbing her hand. He infuses one axe with energy and swings it at the soldiers, sending an energy blast that send all of them to the ground.
He grips her hand tighter and start running to the exit with her.
The corridor was a blur of chaos as Steven and Fionna sprinted toward the jagged hole he'd made in the outpost wall. Alarms screamed, their shrill wail echoing through the metal halls, while distant shouts and heavy footsteps signaled the pursuit closing in behind them.
They get to the stairs and get out of the basement, going outside the base of the outpost.
As they leave, a dozen of soldiers are waiting for them, all of the soldiers with pointed rifles at the duo.
"Drop your weapons and surrender!" barked the squad leader, stepping forward with a steely glare. The soldiers tightened their grips on their rifles, their postures rigid and ready to fire.
Steven glanced around, his expression unreadable for a moment. Then he grinned, his diamond glowing faintly on his forehead as he raised his axes, both humming with dark energy.
"Really?" Steven drawled, his voice tinged with mockery. "After all this, you think that's gonna work?"
Fionna tugged on his arm, her voice low but urgent. "Steven, there's too many of them! We can't fight all of them and get away clean!"
Steven glanced down at her, his grin softening for just a moment. "Don't worry, Finn. I've got this."
He stepped forward, but before he could go any further, he start hearing an helicopter sound.
The soldiers also look at the helicopter in confusion. The leader of them grab a walkie-talkie, asking with a firm tone. "Central, what's going on? Air reinforcements weren't required."
The central immediately responds at the walkie-talkie. "This isn't air reinforcements. Commander Graves ordered us to deliver this."
The helicopter above them suddenly release a steel container at the outpost. The container starts shaking and sounds come from it, as if something was hitting it from inside.
The leader widens his eyes, realizing what it is. "Men, run!"
The door of the container is suddenly launched away and from inside comes a huge creature that ressembles the form of a wolf with orangish-brown skin, three horns on the face and light beige hair and an orange gemstone on the chest.
The beast stepped out of the shattered container, its claws digging into the frozen ground as it surveyed the chaos around it. Its glowing orange gemstone pulsed like a heartbeat, casting an eerie light over its towering form. The soldiers froze in place, some dropping their weapons in sheer terror.
Steven's cocky grin faltered slightly as he stared at the creature. "Well, that's... new," he muttered, tightening his grip on his axes.
The wolf-like creature let out a deep, guttural growl, its glowing eyes locking onto Steven and Fionna. Without warning, it charged with incredible speed, the ground trembling beneath its massive paws.
"Steven, MOVE!" Fionna screamed, yanking on his arm.
Steven barely managed to sidestep the first swipe of the creature's claws, its momentum tearing through the space he'd just occupied. The impact sent a shockwave that knocked nearby soldiers off their feet.
"Guess they're done playing game.," Steven said, his voice strained but still carrying a note of dark humor. He raised his axes, their energy flaring brighter. "Stay behind me, Finn."
The creature snarled, its gemstone glowing brighter as it reared up, ready to strike again.
Fionna's voice trembled as she whispered, "What the hell is that thing?"
Steven's smirk returned, but this time it was tinged with unease. "A problem."
Before either could react, the creature lunged again, its claws aimed directly at Steven. The air crackled with tension as he raised his axes to meet it head-on.
[TO BE CONTINUED]