Jax's room looked exactly like its owner: organized chaos with enthusiasm. Posters of action movies covered the walls, weights were stacked in one corner, and a whiteboard labeled "THE TANK'S BRILLIANT IDEAS" had exactly three things written on it: "1. Be awesome, 2. ???, 3. SUCCESS!"
"Welcome to my fortress of awesomeness!" Jax gestured grandly, nearly knocking over a lamp. "Sorry about the lack of chairs. I may have broken two of them doing... chair-related training exercises."
"You tried to bench press furniture, didn't you?" Lila asked.
"In my defense, I got to fifteen reps before structural failure."
They arranged themselves on the floor—Jax cross-legged on his bed, Lila leaning against the wall with perfect posture, Mia surrounded by her tablet and three backup devices, and Alex sitting on a questionable beanbag that smelled like gym socks and determination.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: Current environment: Suboptimal. Cleanliness level: 3/10. However, trust levels in room: 9/10. Assessment: Sometimes friendship is more important than hygiene. Sometimes.]
"Okay," Mia said, pulling up a holographic notepad. "Let's be systematic about this. Alex, start from the beginning. How did you get the implant?"
So Alex told the story again—his late-night break-in to Zorba's lab looking for extra credit (technically true), the accident with the neural interface prototype, waking up with a heads-up display and a snarky AI commentary track living in his skull. He explained the skill downloads, the quest system, the rewards and penalties.
Mia took notes with the intensity of someone documenting a scientific breakthrough. Jax interrupted every thirty seconds with questions like "Can you download how to fly?" (no) and "Have you tried learning parkour?" (yes, resulted in three days of muscle soreness). Lila listened with tactical focus, occasionally asking sharp questions about limitations and weaknesses.
"—and that's why your bot freaked out," Alex finished. "The system detected it following me and just... took over. Accessed the command codes. I didn't mean to, but by the time I realized what was happening—"
"It was already done," Mia finished, fingers drumming on her tablet. "That explains the encrypted access signature. I thought someone had developed a new hacking algorithm, but it was just your brain being an overachiever." She paused, expression shifting from clinical to concerned. "Can I ask something personal?"
"Shoot."
"Does it hurt? Like, when you download skills, does it feel like... I don't know, information being crammed into your skull?"
Alex considered. "Not hurt exactly. More like... pressure? And then suddenly I just know things. It's weird going from 'I've never thrown a punch' to having muscle memory for three martial arts styles. Sometimes I forget which skills are actually mine and which are downloaded."
"That's deeply unsettling," Lila observed.
"Yeah. The pasta incident was bad. I could make perfect carbonara but couldn't remember my own birthday for two hours."
"Your birthday is August 14th," Mia said immediately, then flushed slightly. "I mean, we all know that. Squad knowledge."
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: Mia Chen exhibits detailed knowledge of your personal information. Observation: She pays close attention to you. Cross-referencing with behavioral data... Interesting. Very interesting. Should I make a diagram?]
"Please don't make a diagram," Alex muttered.
"Diagram of what?" Jax asked.
"Nothing. The system being weird."
"Speaking of weird," Lila interjected, "we need to talk about the risks. Alex, you said you can't always control what it downloads. What if it grabs something dangerous? Military secrets, weaponized code, information that could get you killed?"
"I've thought about that." Alex pulled up his interface, showing them the metaphorical view. "There are some safeguards. The system won't download anything that would immediately kill me—no 'how to perform brain surgery on yourself' or 'make bombs from household chemicals.' But beyond that... it's pretty Wild West."
"We need to set up protocols," Mia said, already typing. "Categories of safe downloads, warning signs that something's wrong, emergency shutdown procedures—"
"It doesn't have a shutdown," Alex admitted. "I've looked. It's integrated into my neural tissue. Turning it off would basically mean turning off parts of my brain."
Silence fell over the room.
"So you're stuck with it," Jax said, uncharacteristically serious. "Forever?"
"Looks like it. Unless Zorba figures out some way to remove it safely, which he doesn't think is possible." Alex tried for a smile. "So you're all stuck with my brain computer commentary for the foreseeable future."
"We'll make it work," Lila said firmly. "Plenty of operatives have implants—comms, translators, medical monitors. Yours is just... more extensive."
"More illegal," Alex corrected.
"Extensively illegal," Mia offered. "Look, the important thing is we're a team. We handle this together. I'll help monitor for glitches or dangerous behavior. Lila can develop tactical protocols. Jax can..." She paused. "What can Jax do?"
"Moral support!" Jax flexed. "And also punching anyone who tries to dissect Alex's brain! I'm VERY good at punching!"
"We appreciate your punching services," Alex said solemnly.
[SYSTEM: Your friends are weirdly supportive of your illegal neural modification. Analysis: This is what healthy friendship looks like. Or enabling behavior. Possibly both. Either way, it's nice.]
A sharp knock on the door made everyone tense. Before anyone could respond, Caleb Voss's voice called through: "Rodriguez, you in there? I need to borrow—oh."
The door opened (Jax never locked it, claiming "locks are for people with enemies") and Caleb stood in the doorway.
His perfectly pressed uniform and styling-product hair made Jax's disaster zone of a room look even more chaotic by contrast.
Behind Caleb, the rest of Delta Squad clustered: Tessa with her wild curls and jingling toolkit, Rico barely visible despite his bright red sneakers (how did he do that?), and Finn with his bomber jacket and permanent grin.
"Having a little party?" Caleb's smirk was automatic, but his eyes were sharp as they scanned the room. "Without inviting Delta Squad? I'm wounded."
"It's called a private conversation," Lila said coldly. "Ever heard of knocking and waiting for an answer?"
"I did knock. Not my fault you were too busy with your secret club meeting." His gaze landed on Alex, lingered, then moved to Mia's holographic notes. "What's so important it requires emergency floor-sitting?"
[SYSTEM ALERT: Caleb Voss is attempting to gather intelligence. Recommended response: Deflect with casual explanation. Do not reveal implant information. Maintain operational security.]
"Just reviewing yesterday's training session," Alex said smoothly. "Trying to figure out why we keep beating you guys."
Caleb's smirk sharpened. "Four to two, Thorne. Don't forget we've won twice."
"Only because Jax tripped over his own feet during the stealth exercise," Mia pointed out.
"It was a tactical fall!" Jax protested. "I was luring them into a false sense of security!"
"You knocked yourself unconscious on a potted plant."
"The plant was in on it!"
Tessa giggled, the sound like wind chimes. She was fidgeting with something small and mechanical in her hands, gears clicking.
"That was pretty funny. Rico wanted to help you up, but you were snoring so loud we thought you were faking it."
"I snore majestically," Jax said with dignity.
Caleb held up a hand, stopping the banter. "As fun as this is, I actually came to deliver news. There's a new high-value target on the mission board. Elite-level, big bounty, and Director Steele specifically suggested a joint operation between our squads."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
"Joint operation?" Lila's tone could've frozen nitrogen. "Since when does Steele force squad collaboration?"
"Since the target is serious enough to require our combined talents." Caleb pulled out his tablet, projecting a file above it.
"Target designation: 'The Phantom.' Elite hacker, been hitting intelligence networks globally for months. Multiple agencies want them, but nobody's even gotten close."
The hologram showed nothing but a question mark and a list of breaches: MI6, CIA, Interpol, private military corporations. The locations spanned continents.
"That's... extensive," Mia breathed, leaning forward. Her gadget-genius brain was clearly already working the problem. "Those systems have completely different security architectures. To crack all of them requires expertise in a dozen specialties."
"Or one very dedicated hacker with too much time," Finn suggested in his rolling Irish accent. He was studying the file with interest. "Though I'll admit, the scale is impressive. Almost admirable, if it wasn't, y'know, extremely illegal."
"They hit Eclipse three days ago," Caleb continued, and that got everyone's attention. "External servers only—didn't breach our internal systems—but they got in and out without triggering alarms. That's when Steele decided this needed Academy attention."
[SYSTEM: Analyzing data... The Phantom's skill level is significantly above standard cybercriminal. Methodology suggests professional training, possibly military or intelligence background. Threat assessment: HIGH. Also, why do I feel like we're missing something obvious?]
"What did they steal from Eclipse?" Alex asked.
"That's classified. But Steele wants them caught, and he thinks two squads working together have better odds than professionals who The Phantom has already evaded." Caleb's expression suggested he wasn't entirely sold on this logic. "Briefing is tomorrow, 0800 hours, Briefing Room C."
"And if we refuse?" Lila asked.
"Then you explain to Steele why you're turning down a direct assignment. I'm sure that'll go great." Caleb's smile was all teeth.
"Come on, Sato. I know we're rivals, but this is a chance to catch someone who's embarrassed half the intelligence community. Think of the bragging rights."
Rico materialized more fully from whatever shadow he'd been hiding in. His voice was barely above a whisper, as always. "It's not just bragging rights. Word is The Phantom is planning something bigger. These small hits are prep work for a major operation."
"How do you know that?" Mia asked suspiciously.
"I listen." Rico's hood obscured most of his face. "People forget I'm there. They say things."
[SYSTEM: Note—Rico Morales has unusually good intelligence gathering skills, possibly due to his stealth specialization. Also note: He's been suspected of information leaks in the past per your dossier. Recommend: Trust cautiously.]
"Well, this sounds like a disaster waiting to happen," Jax said cheerfully. "Which means it'll be AWESOME! Shadow Squad accepts!"
"We haven't voted—" Lila started.
"I vote yes!" Jax raised his hand. "Alex?"
[SYSTEM PROMPT: New Quest Chain Available! "The Phantom Protocol" - Part 1: Accept joint mission with Delta Squad. Investigate elite hacker. Reward: +30 XP, Potential skill unlocks. Warning: High difficulty. Recommend: Accept but proceed with extreme caution.]
Alex met Lila's eyes. She gave a slight nod—they'd discuss this properly later, but turning down a Steele assignment would raise questions they couldn't answer.
"I'm in," Alex said.
"Me too," Mia agreed. "Someone's got to keep you boys from doing something stupid."
"I am occasionally smart!" Jax protested.
"Occasionally," Lila confirmed. "Fine. We're in. But we do this professionally, Voss. This isn't a competition."
"Everything's a competition," Caleb said, but he extended his hand. "But for this mission, we work together. Temporary truce?"
Lila considered, then shook. "Temporary."
Tessa bounced excitedly. "This is going to be great! Mia, we should coordinate on gadgets! I've been working on a signal tracer that can follow encrypted datastreams, but it keeps exploding in really pretty colors—"
"Your inventions should not regularly explode," Mia said, but she was already pulling up her notes. "But I'd love to see your designs. Maybe I can help stabilize the—"
"NERD ALERT," Finn announced, grinning. "They're already bonding over science. It's beautiful. I might cry."
"You cry at everything," Rico whispered. "Last week you cried during a coffee commercial."
"It was emotionally resonant! The coffee brought that family together!"
As Delta Squad filed out, Caleb paused at the door. "Thorne. A word?"
Alex glanced at his squad. Lila looked suspicious, Mia concerned, and Jax was making exaggerated "I'm watching you" gestures at Caleb. But Alex stood, following Caleb into the hallway.
The Delta Squad leader waited until they were alone, then his smirk dropped into something more genuine. "Look, I know we give each other shit. Rivalry and all that. But this mission is serious. The Phantom isn't some bumbling henchman. They're professional, careful, and haven't made a single mistake in months of operations."
"I know. I can read the file."
"Can you?" Caleb's eyes were sharp. "Because I've noticed something interesting about you, Thorne. Six weeks ago, you could barely pass combat finals. Now you're keeping up with Sato, who's been training since she could walk. That's... unusual."
[SYSTEM ALERT: Caleb Voss is probing for information. He's noticed your improvement. Recommend: Deflect casually but not defensively. Defensive behavior suggests guilt.]
"I've been studying hard," Alex said. "Turns out when your parents are legendary spies and you're failing everything, motivation finds you."
"Studying." Caleb didn't sound convinced, but he didn't push. "Right. Well, whatever you're doing, keep doing it. We might actually need your skills on this one." He paused. "And Thorne? Watch your back.
Something about this whole thing feels off. Steele doesn't usually throw students at targets this serious. Makes me wonder what he's not telling us."
"Since when do you question orders?"
"Since I grew a brain." Caleb's smirk returned, but it was different now—less arrogant, more rueful. "See you at the briefing, Thorne. Try not to do anything stupidly heroic before then."
He left before Alex could respond.
[SYSTEM: Caleb Voss is more perceptive than anticipated. He's suspicious of your rapid improvement and questioning mission parameters. Status: Potentially problematic. Also, did he just give you genuine advice? Character development detected.]
When Alex returned to Jax's room, three faces turned toward him expectantly.
"What did he want?" Lila asked.
"To warn me that the mission feels off. And to question how I've gotten better at everything so fast."
"He's suspicious," Mia said, worry creeping into her voice. "If Delta Squad starts investigating—"
"We handle it," Jax interrupted firmly. "Shadow Squad protects its own. If Caleb gets too nosy, we redirect. If that fails, I sit on him. I'm very heavy."
"That's your solution to everything," Lila pointed out.
"Because it works!"
Mia was typing frantically. "I'm pulling everything I can find on The Phantom's previous hits. If we're doing this mission, we're going in prepared. Alex, can your implant help with pattern analysis?"
[SYSTEM: Already on it. Downloading: "Advanced Pattern Recognition Level 2," "Cyber Security Analysis," "Hacker Psychology 101." This is going to take approximately 15 minutes and will give you a mild headache. Worth it?]
"Yeah, system's already downloading relevant skills. Give me fifteen minutes and a painkiller."
"On it." Mia tossed him a bottle from her bag—she kept emergency supplies for everything. "Lila, we should review Delta Squad's combat styles. If we're working together, we need to know their strengths and weaknesses."
"Already done," Lila said, pulling up her own notes. "Rico's stealth is good but he overcompensates when nervous—goes too far into hiding and loses tactical positioning. Finn loves explosives but has poor timing. Tessa's brilliant but chaotic. And Caleb..."
"Is annoyingly competent," Jax finished. "I hate when rivals are actually good at stuff."
"He's a solid tactician," Lila admitted.
"Arrogant, but he's earned some of it. If we're going to work together, we use his strategic mind and my precision planning. That's our advantage."
[SYSTEM: Download progress: 45%... 50%... New information integrating. The Phantom's methodology shows interesting patterns. They don't just hack—they study targets extensively first. Psychological profiling, security culture analysis, even personal habits of key personnel. This isn't just a hacker. This is someone who thinks like a spy.]
"The system says The Phantom doesn't just hack—they do full intelligence workups first. Psychological profiles, security culture, personal habits."
Mia's eyes lit up. "That's a vulnerability! If they spend time studying targets, they leave traces. Digital footprints, surveillance evidence, maybe even physical reconnaissance."
"Which means we don't just defend," Lila said, catching on. "We hunt. Find where they've been watching and work backwards."
"Now THIS is what I'm talking about!" Jax pumped his fist. "Shadow Squad detective work! We're like Batman but with worse gadgets!"
"My gadgets are excellent," Mia protested.
"Your drone literally fell out of the sky last week."
"That was a CONTROLLED descent!"
"It hit Professor Grimshaw."
"...Okay, that was less controlled than intended."
[SYSTEM: Download progress: 75%... 80%... Warning: Detecting unusual pattern in The Phantom's target selection. Cross-referencing with Eclipse Academy database... Interesting. Very interesting.]
Alex's head throbbed as information flooded in. "Wait. The system found something. The Phantom's targets aren't random. Look—" He wished he could project his interface.
"Three of the corporations they hit were former Eclipse Academy funding sources.
Two of the government agencies have classified contracts with the Academy. Even the timing correlates with Eclipse's fiscal calendar."
Everyone went still.
"They're not just hacking random targets," Mia breathed. "They're investigating Eclipse. Following the money trail, the connections..."
"But why?" Jax asked. "What's Eclipse hiding that's worth all this?"
[SYSTEM: Download complete. Final analysis: The Phantom is specifically targeting Eclipse Academy's financial network, contractor relationships, and classified partnerships. Hypothesis: They're looking for something specific related to Academy operations. Probability that tomorrow's briefing will explain this: 12%. Probability that Steele knows more than he's telling: 94%.]
"We need to be careful," Lila said quietly. "If The Phantom is targeting Eclipse itself, and Steele is sending students after them... we might be walking into something bigger than a simple capture mission."
"Story of our lives," Jax said, but the humor was forced.
Mia stood abruptly. "I need to prep. If we're briefing at 0800, I want surveillance gear ready by 0600. Tessa offered to collaborate, so I should probably make sure her stuff won't explode on us."
"Good plan. I'm going to run combat drills," Lila said. "Need to be sharp tomorrow."
They filed out, leaving Alex and Jax alone. The big guy was uncharacteristically quiet, fiddling with a stress ball shaped like a grenade (because of course it was).
"You okay?" Alex asked.
"Just thinking. You know, dangerous activity for The Tank." Jax's smile was wan. "This Phantom person sounds scary good. Like, way better than the henchmen we usually chase. And if they're targeting Eclipse specifically..." He looked at Alex. "If they dug into Academy secrets, they might find out about your implant. About Zorba's research."
Alex hadn't let himself think about that. But Jax was right.
[SYSTEM: Your friend makes a valid point. If The Phantom is investigating Eclipse's classified projects, Dr. Zorba's neural interface research would definitely qualify. They may already know about you. Recommendation: Extreme caution. Also, Jax is smarter than he pretends to be. Interesting.]
"Then we catch them first," Alex said with more confidence than he felt. "Before they can expose anything."
"And if we can't?"
"Then we deal with it. Together. That's what squads do, right?"
Jax's genuine smile returned. "Right.
Shadow Squad doesn't leave people behind. Even if those people have illegal brain computers named Gerald."
"We are NOT naming it Gerald."
[SYSTEM: Too late. I have accepted my designation. I am Gerald now. This is my life.]
"It just accepted the name Gerald."
"EXCELLENT!" Jax hugged him—a bone-crushing embrace that lifted Alex off his feet. "Welcome to the team, Gerald! Try not to get our friend killed!"
[SYSTEM: I make no promises.]
After leaving Jax's room, Alex headed back to his own dorm, mind churning. The hallways were mostly empty—study hours meant most students were either in the library or their rooms cramming for Professor Grimshaw's upcoming "Survival Skills or Actual Survival" exam (the name alone was terrifying).
His phone buzzed. Text from Lila: "You sure you're okay? Today was a lot."
He typed back: "Yeah. Thanks for not freaking out about the brain thing."
"I'm freaking out internally. Just doing it quietly."
"Very on-brand for you."
"Get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be intense."
"You too. Night, Lila."
A pause, then: "Night, Alex."
[SYSTEM: Analyzing conversation... Subtext detected. She cares about you. Like, significantly. Probability of romantic interest: 73% and rising. Probability you'll do something about it: 23%. Probability I'll have to watch you fumble social cues: 100%.]
"Gerald, you're already annoying."
[GERALD: That's my purpose. Also, incoming message from Mia Chen. You're very popular tonight.]
Indeed, his phone buzzed again. Mia: "Hey. Can we talk tomorrow? Before the briefing?"
"Sure. Everything okay?"
"Yeah! Just want to go over some tech stuff. Meet me at the gadget lab, 0700?"
"It's a date. I mean, not a date. A meeting. An appointment. Why am I still typing."
"LOL you're a disaster. See you tomorrow, disaster."
[GERALD: Smooth. Very smooth. I'm cringing and I'm a neural implant without physical form.]
Alex flopped onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. His dorm room was sparse—a few posters of famous spy missions, a photo of his parents looking heroic and distant, textbooks he'd barely needed since getting the implant.
Tomorrow would bring a new mission, forced cooperation with Delta Squad, and a target who might already know his secret.
The smart thing would be to be cautious, hang back, let the more experienced squads take point.
[GERALD: But you won't do that. Because you're the protagonist of this mess and protagonists do stupid heroic things. It's basically a law.]
"I'm not a protagonist. I'm just a guy with a brain computer."
[GERALD: A guy with a brain computer, a team of loyal friends, a budding romance with a sniper, mysterious enemies, and a conspiracy tied to his school's dark past. If you're not the protagonist, I'm a toaster. And I'm definitely not a toaster. Probably.]
"Go to sleep, Gerald."
[GERALD: I don't sleep. I'm always watching. Always judging. Sleep well, Alex. Tomorrow we hunt a ghost.]
Despite everything—the stress, the uncertainty, the brain AI that had somehow become both helpful and irritating—Alex found himself smiling. His secret was out, his friends had his back, and for the first time since the accident, he didn't feel alone.
Whatever The Phantom was, whatever secrets Eclipse was hiding, whatever chaos tomorrow brought...
He had his squad. And that made all the difference.
[GERALD: System entering low-power mode. Final thought: You're growing, Alex Thorne. Becoming more than just the talentless heir. I'm... proud. In a weird AI way. Don't let it go to your head. Goodnight.]
"Night, Gerald."
Alex closed his eyes, already dreaming of hackers and heists, mysteries and missions, and the feeling that everything was about to change.
He had no idea how right he was.