The rooms were now silent. There were no flashing lights or warnings, only the faint crackling of burned-out circuits and the distant hum of dying power systems. The tension from the previous several minutes hung like a ghost, and the air still smelled of dust and ozone.
We paused for a while, Anthony and I, to collect our breath.
He then gave me a shoulder clap. "Not bad, boss."
I exhaled. "You either."
"Come on, let's get out of here before this place decides to fall apart anyway."
With our footfall resonating across the chilly metal floor, we began walking back the way we had come. The structure itself was still remarkably intact—too intact, given that it had been left unoccupied for more than ten years.
As we proceeded, I rubbed my fingers over the wall, feeling the smooth, intact surface beneath the dust. "This place doesn't make sense."
Anthony glanced at me. "You noticed too, huh?"
I nodded. "Even by today's standards, this technology is cutting-edge. Some of these systems look more advanced than what's commercially available now. And this place is how old?"
Anthony shrugged. "Future Vision was always ahead of its time. The stuff they developed was supposed to be classified, years ahead of the public sector. But this?" He kicked at a loose panel on the floor. "This looks like it belongs to the next generation of tech, not something from a decade ago."
I frowned. "That means whoever built this facility was working on something big. Something that never saw the light of day."
"And judging by the fact that they rigged the place to blow?" Anthony smirked. "I'd say someone really, really didn't want this tech getting out."
That didn't sit right with me. What was Future Vision working on here? What was so dangerous that the entire facility had to be wiped from existence?
Anthony patted the bag slung over his shoulder. "Either way, we've got the files. I'll go through them, see if there's anything useful. Worst case, I bring my team back to pull more."
I glanced at him. "Your team?"
Anthony grinned. "I'm a government spy, boss. You didn't think I was working solo, did you?"
I sighed. "Great. More secret agents."
He laughed, shaking his head. "Relax. You've got enough problems to deal with. Speaking of..."
We finally made it back to the shed where we first entered. The hidden passage was still open beneath the floorboards, but before we climbed up, Anthony turned to me.
"So, safe to assume you accepted being a candidate for 'World President'?"
"...I don't really have a choice."
Before I could stop myself, the words escaped my lips.
Anthony's eyebrows went up. "Are you certain? Boss, you always have an option."
One hand swept through my hair. "Maybe... I can't ignore this, though."
After observing me for a moment, Anthony laughed and shook his head. "Man, for all my talk about you having people you can rely on, you sure are dense when it comes to asking for help."
I frowned. "What's that supposed to—"
I pushed open the shed door.
Immediately, I sensed it.
Anthony was no longer behind me.
No sound. No footsteps. Not even a trace of movement.
I exhaled. "Truly an excellent spy."
I checked my watch. Just over an hour had passed since we first entered the facility. Time felt like it had moved differently down there.
No point in dwelling on it. I still had work to do.
I stepped out into the open air, the cold breeze hitting my face. The sun had moved, casting longer shadows over the worksite. Everything was still normal. No explosions, no secret agents lurking in the corners.
I reverted to my usual duties, assisting with site maintenance, moving machinery, strengthening scaffolding, and ensuring everything went without a hitch. In contrast to the prior pandemonium, the manual effort was grounding.
As the hours passed, the day came to a close.
After finishing, I said goodbye to Omar and Leo, before making my way to the parking lot.
Sienna was waiting beside the car.
I was immediately drawn to the way she looked: she was upset, her cheeks were a little red, and she was shifting her weight as though she was making a terrible effort to act normal.
I raised an eyebrow. "You okay?"
She crossed her arms, looking away. "I'm fine."
I glanced toward the building. Some of the female workers were sneaking glances our way, giggling among themselves.
"Did they tease you again?" I asked.
With a sigh, Sienna covered her face. "You have no idea."
I gave her a forehead kiss after grinning. She smiled faintly, but her face turned as red as a tomato.
The majority of the drive back was quiet, but it was a pleasant quiet. The type that didn't require filling. It was pleasant to hear the faint murmur of the city outside and the hum of the motor.
After some while, Sienna finally said something.
"...Where did you go?"
I glanced at her. "What do you mean?"
She gave me a look. "I taught you Team Coordination, remember? I can tell when a team member isn't present."
I let out a quiet breath. Of course she noticed.
I hesitated, then said, "I'll explain at home. When we're with the others."
Sienna studied me for a moment before nodding. "Okay."
Then she reached over and took my hand.
I squeezed hers back.
The rest of the ride was quiet, but that silence felt... lighter.
When we arrived home, Camille was lounging on the couch, flipping through her phone. Alexis was holed up in her office, no doubt buried in research.
"Sienna," I said. "Can you get Alexis? I need to talk to all 3 of you."
She nodded and walked off.
In the meantime, I sat down next to Camille.
She glanced at me. "Long day?"
"You could say that."
She smirked. "Well, my day's about to get longer. Someone leaked info connecting my masks to me, so now I have an interview lined up on a talk show soon."
I frowned. "That's a problem. People could figure out the Masked Syndicate's identity through you."
"I know. But don't worry—I've been handling media since before you met me. This is nothing."
I exhaled. "Alright, I trust you."
She stretched, then grinned. "Oh, and by the way, the next mask? It's practically ready. Want to see?"
I shook my head. "Later. I need to talk to everyone first."
Sienna returned with Alexis in tow.
Alexis adjusted her glasses. "Are you feeling better? After the phantom perception incident?"
Huh...since when does she wear glasses? Never mind, focus up!
I nodded. "I'm good. But it's time to get serious."
I straightened, looking at all three of them.
"First, I need to remind you of our main objective."
The mood shifted instantly.
They already knew, of course. We had gone over it before. But it was always worth reinforcing.
"The goal is to take down the so-called 'World President.'"
"And before anything else... I want to apologize for this morning." I rubbed the back of my neck. "I know I was distant. Waking up at 4 AM, walking in the park. I had a lot on my mind."
Sienna frowned. "What happened?"
I exhaled. "I met someone. A government spy named Anthony Smith."
Camille sat up. Alexis' fingers twitched slightly. Sienna's expression tightened.
"Wait," Alexis said slowly. "The government found you?"
I raised a hand to calm them. "They knew about me already. But not to capture me."
"...Then why?" Camille asked warily.
"Because they want me to become the next 'World President.'"
And then Sienna fainted.