The warehouse smelled of rust and damp concrete.
Every step echoed as they escorted me across the empty floor. Their formation was careful: two ahead, two behind, one on each side. Close enough to stop me instantly, far enough that none of them risked getting grabbed first.
They were cautious.
That alone said enough.
A single white lamp illuminated the far side of the building. Beneath it stood the man who had built the organization I once belonged to.
He hadn't moved since we walked in.
Hands folded behind his back, posture straight, expression unreadable.
Waiting.
The tall agent beside me leaned closer.
"You're about to meet the reason we've been so polite."
"I guessed as much."
"You should feel honored."
"I don't."
He chuckled quietly.
"Still sarcastic. Good sign."
We stopped several meters away.
Viktor stepped forward first.
"Sir."
The boss acknowledged him with a brief nod, though his attention remained fixed on me.
"So the reports were true."
His voice carried easily across the room.
I met his gaze.
"Hello."
A faint smile touched his face.
"Eight years."
"Yes."
"You vanished convincingly."
"That was the intention."
Behind me, someone shifted.
Another agent muttered, barely audible.
"She doesn't look nervous."
The boss began walking toward us, footsteps slow and deliberate. Each one rang sharply against the concrete floor.
When he stopped, he studied me like a technician examining a recovered machine.
"You look smaller."
"I'm the same height."
"That isn't what I meant."
Silence lingered between us.
Then he tilted his head slightly.
"Do you understand why you're still breathing?"
"Yes."
"Explain."
"You want something."
His smile widened.
"Correct."
The tall agent behind me spoke up.
"We told you she's still sharp."
The boss ignored him.
"You were my most effective operative."
"I remember."
"You solved problems entire teams failed to handle."
"That was your description."
"And it was accurate."
He stepped closer.
"So I'm curious."
"About what?"
"What remains of you."
I didn't answer.
He turned to Viktor.
"Did she resist?"
"No."
"Attempt escape?"
"No."
That earned a raised eyebrow.
"Interesting."
The tall agent chuckled.
"She knows the odds."
"Perhaps," the boss replied.
Then he looked at the group of agents.
"Let's verify something."
Several of them exchanged glances.
"Sir?" Viktor asked.
The boss gestured toward the open space nearby.
"Test her."
Confusion rippled through the group.
"You mean now?" the tall agent asked.
"Yes."
"Here?"
"Yes."
The tall man grinned as realization settled in.
"Oh."
He stepped away from the formation and rolled his shoulders.
"This should be fun."
One of the younger agents frowned.
"She's unarmed."
"That's the point."
The boss folded his arms.
"Three of you."
"Why not all of us?" the tall man asked.
"If three can't manage her," the boss replied calmly, "the rest of you aren't worth much either."
A few uneasy laughs followed.
The circle opened as three men moved forward.
The tall one.
A heavy-built agent with shaved hair.
Another with narrow eyes and careful movements.
The rest backed away, creating a rough arena on the concrete floor.
The tall man cracked his knuckles.
"Well, Apita."
"This is awkward."
"For who?"
"For you."
He gestured toward the empty space.
"Boss wants proof."
"Proof of what?"
"That the stories weren't exaggerated."
I glanced briefly toward the boss.
He watched quietly.
This wasn't punishment.
It was evaluation.
I returned my attention to the tall agent.
"You expect me to fight?"
"You could refuse."
"And then?"
"Then we break you slowly instead."
I sighed.
"That sounds unpleasant."
"So?"
"So I suppose we fight."
The shaved-head agent stepped closer.
"Careful."
"She's fast."
The tall one waved him off.
"She's been hiding behind spreadsheets for eight years."
He lunged without warning.
His hand shot toward my shoulder.
Predictable.
I shifted sideways.
Momentum carried him past me.
Two fingers pressed sharply into the nerve between neck and shoulder.
His body locked for a split second.
Long enough.
My knee drove into his stomach.
Air burst from his lungs.
Shouts erupted behind us.
"Did you see that—"
"Damn—"
The shaved-head agent charged next.
Stronger. More aggressive.
His fist cut through the air in a wide arc.
I slipped beneath it.
My elbow struck his ribs once.
Then again.
The impact echoed sharply.
He grunted but remained standing.
Good resilience.
His hands grabbed for my arm.
At the same moment the narrow-faced agent moved in from the side.
Three attackers.
Better coordination.
Still cautious.
They were trying to restrain me.
Not kill me.
That hesitation slowed them.
The tall agent recovered first.
"Stop holding back!"
All three rushed forward.
The shaved-head agent seized my left arm.
The narrow one reached for my shoulder.
The tall man dropped low for my legs.
For a moment the trap nearly worked.
Then I shifted my weight and twisted sharply.
My trapped arm rotated free.
My heel struck the tall agent's knee.
He stumbled.
I pivoted.
My elbow connected with the narrow-faced agent's jaw.
A sharp crack echoed.
He collapsed instantly.
Silence swept through the warehouse.
Then the tall man started laughing.
"Oh, this is excellent."
The shaved-head agent wiped blood from his mouth.
"You're enjoying this?"
"Absolutely."
He turned toward the others watching.
"Now I believe the reports."
The boss still hadn't moved.
His eyes followed every movement.
The tall agent stretched his neck.
"Alright."
"No more warm-up."
He nodded to the shaved-head agent.
"Together."
They attacked again.
Faster.
More aggressive.
The shaved-head agent grabbed a metal pipe leaning against a crate.
Viktor's voice cut through the room.
"No weapons."
The boss raised a hand.
"Let him."
The pipe swung toward my ribs.
I stepped back.
Metal sliced through empty air.
Another swing.
This time I caught his wrist.
Momentum worked against him.
The pipe slipped free and clattered across the floor.
The tall agent rushed from behind.
I twisted aside.
His shoulder slammed into his teammate.
Both stumbled.
I stepped away.
Breathing steady.
The tall man laughed again.
"You're still dangerous."
"Yes."
"But slower."
"I'm conserving energy."
"Smart."
Then he charged again.
This time his fist connected with my shoulder.
Pain flared through the muscle.
Before I recovered, the shaved-head agent tackled my legs.
Balance vanished.
Concrete slammed into my back.
Boots surrounded me instantly.
Hands seized my arms.
Others pinned my legs.
Weight pressed down from every direction.
Six against one.
I broke one grip.
Another.
But more hands replaced them.
The tall agent knelt beside me, breathing hard.
"Well."
He wiped sweat from his forehead.
"That answers our question."
Viktor approached.
"Enough."
The blows stopped.
The men holding me tightened their grips but didn't strike again.
The boss walked toward us.
His footsteps echoed through the warehouse.
He stopped beside us and looked down.
"You lasted longer than expected."
I looked up.
"Three wasn't enough."
He nodded thoughtfully.
"No."
He turned to the agents restraining me.
"Let her stand."
They hesitated.
"Sir—"
"Let her up."
Reluctantly they released me.
I rose slowly.
My shoulder throbbed from the earlier hit.
The boss studied me again.
"You didn't attempt escape."
"There was nowhere to go."
"True."
He glanced at the tall agent.
"And your assessment?"
The man grinned widely.
"She's exactly what the files described."
The boss nodded once.
Then his gaze returned to me.
"Good."
"Why?"
"Because the weapon I lost…"
He paused.
"…still functions."
Behind him the agents shifted uneasily.
The tall man wiped blood from his lip and laughed.
"You should've stayed hidden."
"Why?"
His smile widened.
"Because now the boss won't let you disappear again."
The boss turned toward the interior of the warehouse.
"Take her inside."
Viktor stepped forward.
"Restraints?"
"Yes."
"Full."
Cold metal snapped around my wrists.
The tall agent leaned closer as they escorted me deeper into the building.
"You fought well," he murmured.
"That was only the beginning."
I glanced at him.
"For what?"
His grin widened.
"For the part where we stop testing you…"
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"…and start breaking you."