Briefing Room C was designed to intimidate. Curved walls of dark steel, a holographic projection table that hummed with barely contained data, and chairs that were just uncomfortable enough to keep you alert. Alex had been in here twice before—once for a lecture on "why breaking into restricted labs is bad" and once for a mission debriefing where Professor Grimshaw had spent forty minutes explaining everything they'd done wrong.
This felt worse.
Director Steele stood at the head of the table, his silver hair perfectly combed, his expression carved from granite. At sixty-something, he was a legend—the man who'd infiltrated the Kremlin during the Cold War, dismantled three terrorist networks, and allegedly once escaped captivity using only a paperclip and spite.
He also had the warmest personality of a tax audit.
"You're late," Steele said as Shadow Squad filed in at 0759.
"We're a minute early," Lila pointed out.
"Early is on time. On time is late. Late is unacceptable." His eyes swept over them like a barcode scanner. "Sit."
They sat. Across the table, Delta Squad was already positioned—Caleb with his usual smirk, Tessa fiddling with something that sparked, Rico barely visible despite sitting in plain sight, and Finn looking like he'd rather be anywhere that involved explosions.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: Scanning room... 8 individuals detected. Threat assessment: Director Steele (High - don't make him angry), Delta Squad (Medium - competitive but not hostile... probably). Current mission parameters: Unknown. Stress level: Rising. Recommendation: Try not to embarrass yourself.]
"Thanks for the confidence," Alex muttered under his breath.
"Did you say something, Thorne?" Steele's gaze locked onto him like a targeting laser.
"No sir. Just... clearing my throat."
Grimshaw, standing in the corner like a disappointed gargoyle, snorted. "The boy talks to himself now. Wonderful."
[SYSTEM: I'm not 'yourself,' I'm a sophisticated AI interface. There's a difference. Also, Grimshaw's tie is crooked. Feel free to point it out for petty revenge.]
Alex wisely kept his mouth shut.
Steele activated the holographic display. A figure materialized above the table—or rather, the absence of a figure. A humanoid silhouette made of static and question marks, constantly shifting.
"The Phantom," Steele announced. "Real name unknown. Age unknown. Nationality unknown. Gender unknown. Known associates: none. Confirmed sightings: zero."
"So we know literally nothing?" Jax asked.
"We know plenty, Mr. Rodriguez. We know The Phantom has successfully breached forty-seven intelligence networks in the past eighteen months. We know they've stolen classified files from MI6, the CIA, Interpol, and three private military corporations. We know they leave no digital trace, no physical evidence, and no patterns we can exploit."
The hologram shifted, displaying a cascade of code. "Their most recent target was Eclipse Academy's external server three days ago. They accessed personnel files, mission archives, and student records before our security systems even registered the intrusion."
Alex felt his blood go cold. "They hacked Eclipse?"
"Attempted," Steele corrected. "Our internal systems remain secure, but the breach was... concerning. Which is why you're here."
Caleb leaned forward. "You want us to catch a ghost that elite hackers haven't been able to identify?"
"I want you to use what they won't expect—teenagers who think outside the box and don't mind breaking rules." Steele's expression might've been a smile, but it looked more like a predator showing teeth.
"The Phantom has been active in the city. We have three potential locations where they might strike next: A tech corporation developing new encryption software, a government data center, and a underground server farm used by various... questionable organizations."
The hologram split, showing three buildings.
"Your mission: Stake out these locations. First team to make contact with The Phantom gets credit for the capture. However—" his voice hardened, "—this is a joint operation. You will coordinate. You will share intelligence. You will not let rivalry compromise the mission. Am I clear?"
"Crystal," both squads chorused.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: New Quest Updated! "The Phantom Protocol" - Part 2: Stake out three locations and identify The Phantom. Coordinate with Delta Squad (ugh). Reward: +50 XP, Unlock Advanced Surveillance Skills, Pride (if successful), Humiliation (if Delta Squad wins). Time limit: 72 hours.]
"You have seventy-two hours," Steele continued, as if reading Alex's implant. "After that, we escalate to professional agents and you return to standard training. Questions?"
Mia raised her hand. "Do we have any intel on The Phantom's methods? Specific malware signatures, hardware preferences, entry techniques?"
"If we had that, Miss Chen, we would've caught them already." Steele pulled up another display showing fragments of code. "What we do know is they're not purely digital. Several breaches required physical presence—someone had to be on-site to bypass air-gapped systems. They're both a hacker and an infiltrator."
"Like a digital ninja," Finn said, sounding impressed.
"Precisely. Which is why you'll be working in mixed teams." Steele's next words made Alex's stomach drop. "Shadow and Delta will split personnel across the three locations. Tactical diversity."
"Wait, split?" Caleb looked as unhappy as Alex felt. "We work better with our own squads."
"Then learn to work better with each other. Team assignments: Location Alpha—the tech corporation. Shadow: Thorne and Chen. Delta: Voss and Reyes. Location Beta—government data center. Shadow: Sato. Delta: Morales and Larkin. Location Gamma—server farm. Shadow: Rodriguez. Solo operation."
"I get my own location?" Jax perked up. "AWESOME!"
"It's a punishment, Mr. Rodriguez. The server farm is in an abandoned subway station filled with rats. Try not to cause a collapse."
Jax's enthusiasm dimmed slightly. "Oh."
Alex glanced at Lila, who looked professionally calm but he could see the tension in her jaw. She'd be stuck with Rico and Finn—not ideal given Rico's earlier suspected leak to Vortex, even if he'd supposedly been cleared.
[SYSTEM ANALYSIS: Team assignments suboptimal. You're paired with Mia (good) and Caleb (problematic) and Tessa (chaotic). Probability of success: 61%. Probability of interpersonal conflict: 89%. Probability of something exploding due to Tessa: 94%.]
"Assignments are final," Steele said, cutting off any protests. "You deploy tonight. Surveillance equipment and cover identities will be provided. Grimshaw will handle logistics."
The grizzled professor grunted. "Try not to die. I hate paperwork."
"Dismissed," Steele said. "Except Thorne. Stay behind."
Alex's heart sank as everyone else filed out. Mia gave him a concerned look; Lila's expression was carefully neutral. Even Caleb seemed curious as he left.
When the door closed, Steele's intimidating presence somehow doubled.
"Sir?" Alex managed.
"I've been reviewing your recent performance metrics," Steele said, pulling up what looked like Alex's entire academy record. "Your combat scores have improved 340% in six weeks. Your technical skills jumped from barely passing to expert level. Your language acquisition is unprecedented."
[SYSTEM ALERT: He knows. He definitely knows. Abort? Flee? Fake a medical emergency?]
"I've been studying hard, sir," Alex said, mouth dry.
"Don't insult my intelligence, Thorne." Steele leaned forward. "I know about Dr. Zorba's neural interface project. I know it was supposedly terminated eight years ago. And I know you've been visiting his lab for 'tutoring.'"
Alex's brain short-circuited. His implant threw up panicked error messages.
"I'm not going to ask if you have an implant," Steele continued. "Because I don't need confirmation—your performance curve speaks for itself. What I will tell you is this: You're not the first enhanced student Eclipse has handled, and you won't be the last."
"I'm... not?"
"Project Perfect Spy was the academy's original mandate, Mr. Thorne. Create the ideal operative through technology and training. It was abandoned publicly, but research never truly stops." Steele's expression softened—barely. "I'm not going to expose you. Your secret remains yours. But I expect results. If that implant makes you better than your peers, then prove it. Catch The Phantom."
"And if I can't?"
"Then I'll have questions about whether enhanced students are worth the liability they represent." Steele stood, signaling the conversation's end. "Use your advantages, Thorne. Just remember—technology makes you capable. It doesn't make you worthy. That's something you earn."
He left, leaving Alex alone with his racing thoughts and panicking implant.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: THAT WAS TERRIFYING. Analysis: Director Steele knows about implant, isn't going to expose you, but is basically threatening to if you fail. Pressure level: MAXIMUM. Current status: We're so screwed if we mess this up.]
"Not helping," Alex whispered.
[SYSTEM: When have I ever helped with anxiety? I give you skills, not therapy. Speaking of which, downloading "Advanced Stress Management" might be wise right now.]
"Just... download whatever we need for surveillance and hacking. We've got a Phantom to catch."
[SYSTEM: Already on it. Downloading: Advanced Surveillance Techniques, Code Breaking Level 3, Urban Infiltration, Social Engineering, and... wait, is that a file on 'How to Work with Annoying Rivals'? Perfect. Installing.]
Six hours later, Alex found himself crammed into a surveillance van with Mia, Caleb, and Tessa, parked across from Helix Technologies—a gleaming glass tower that probably cost more than Alex's parents' entire spy career.
"This is cozy," Caleb said dryly from the driver's seat. He'd changed into a black tactical outfit that probably cost more than Alex's tuition. "Four people, ten monitors, and whatever Tessa's building that keeps sparking."
"It's a signal amplifier!" Tessa protested, curls bouncing as she soldered frantically. "It'll let us intercept any wireless communications within a three-block radius! Probably. Assuming it doesn't catch fire."
"ASSUMING?" Alex and Mia said simultaneously.
"Science is about experimentation!" Tessa's device sparked, releasing a small puff of blue smoke. "See? That's just... residual energy discharge."
[SYSTEM ALERT: Device in vicinity showing unstable energy signature. Recommendation: Maintain distance of at least 3 meters. Current distance: 1.5 meters. You are in the danger zone.]
Mia was hunched over her tablet, monitoring six different feeds. "Helix Tech closes in twenty minutes. If The Phantom's hitting tonight, it'll be after hours when security does the shift change at 2300."
"You think they'll use the front door?" Caleb asked.
"No, but they'll need physical access to bypass the air-gapped system. Which means roof, ventilation, underground parking, or maintenance tunnels." Mia pulled up building schematics. "I've got drones covering the roof and parking. Tessa, once your thing stops smoking, can you monitor the tunnels?"
"On it!" Tessa plugged her device into Mia's system. The monitors flickered but held. "Okay, we're reading weird electromagnetic signatures near the... huh. That's odd."
"Odd how?" Alex leaned closer.
"There's already someone in the tunnels. Like, right now. Moving toward the building's foundation."
Everyone froze.
[SYSTEM ALERT: Potential target detected! The Phantom may already be on-site! Recommendation: Deploy immediately! Also, maybe tell your heart to calm down, it's very loud right now.]
"Could be maintenance," Caleb said, but he was already checking his equipment.
"At 10 PM? On a Saturday?" Mia was typing frantically. "I'm trying to access building security feeds—"
"Don't bother." A new voice crackled through their comms, making everyone jump. "Their cameras are on a thirty-second loop. Has been for the past ten minutes.
"Who is this?" Caleb demanded.
Soft laughter. "You're hunting me. Shouldn't you know?"
The Phantom.
"How did you access our frequency?" Mia's fingers flew across her keyboard, trying to trace the signal.
"The same way I access everything—I'm better than you." The voice was androgynous, processed through so many filters it could've been anyone. "Tell me, Shadow Squad and Delta Squad—is this really the best Eclipse can send? Teenagers playing spy?"
"We're going to catch you," Alex said, surprising himself with how steady his voice was.
"Are you?" More laughter. "I've been inside your academy's systems, Alex Thorne. I know about your parents. Your scores. Your... shall we say, recent improvements?" A pause. "Tell me, how's that implant working out?"
Alex's blood turned to ice.
[SYSTEM ALERT: THEY KNOW. THE PHANTOM KNOWS ABOUT THE IMPLANT. HOW?! Scanning for security breach... Multiple breaches found. They've been inside Eclipse's classified files. THEY KNOW EVERYTHING.]
"Come find me, little spies," The Phantom whispered. "I'll be in the sub-basement. Let's see if you're as enhanced as your file suggests."
The line went dead.
Tessa's device exploded—not metaphorically, actually exploded—filling the van with sparks and smoke.
"OUT!" Caleb yelled, and they piled into the street, coughing.
Mia grabbed Alex's arm. "They know about the implant. Alex, if this gets out—"
"Later," Alex said, mind racing. "Right now, we stop them. That's the mission."
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: Mission parameters updated. The Phantom knows your secret. They're taunting you. This just became personal. New objective: Catch them before they expose you. Recommended approach: Everything you've got.]
"We're going in," Caleb said, and for once, there was no rivalry in his voice—just focused determination. "Mia, alert the others. Tessa, what equipment survived?"
"Um... my grappling hook, three smoke bombs, and this really neat taser I've been saving for emergencies!"
"That'll do. Thorne, with me. We're taking the maintenance entrance."
They moved as a unit, rivalry forgotten in the face of a target who'd just made this hunt very, very personal.
Somewhere below Helix Technologies, The Phantom was waiting.
And Alex was going to make sure this was their last heist.