That night, the apartnt was unusually quiet. Zephany lay curled under her blanket, one hand lazily swiping through The Archive app on her phone.
She had already gone through the "social" tab, which was just an odd mix of coded ssages and bored agents posting photos of their dinner plates, and now she hovered on the mission tab.
Nothing. Again.
She sighed. "At this rate, I’ll still be Level 4 by next year."
Across the hall, Kendrick sat on the edge of his bed, the sa app open on his screen. He was leaning against the wall, hair still slightly damp from his shower, his face lit faintly by the phone’s blue glow.
"No missions. What a surprise." He tossed the phone on the bed beside him and rubbed a hand over his face.
Almost in unison, both of them were about to hit the close button when a sudden chi echoed from their phones.
Zephany’s eyes widened. "Wait—"
Kendrick snatched his phone up. A mission notification blinked at the top of the screen.
Incoming Mission: Null64pa Available Now
Both tapped it imdiately. Without reading the full details, their fingers hit the accept button out of sheer instinct.
Kendrick’s screen loaded.
Mission Acceptance Failed. Soone already accepted this mission.
"What?" he muttered, sitting up straighter. "Who?"
On Zephany’s side, a glowing confirmation appeared.
Congratulations. Mission Null64pa Accepted by Team Bacon.
She blinked. "Wait, what? Team Bacon?" Her eyes nearly popped out of her head when she saw the notification. She jumped up on her bed. "Yay! I did it! Finally!"
anwhile, Kendrick’s phone buzzed again.
Mission Null64pa Accepted by Eclipse on behalf of Team Bacon.
A slow smirk spread across his face. "That loudmouth woman is being useful."
Both then tapped to view the mission details.
Mission: Extract encrypted data from an informant aboard a long-distance train.
Mission Code: Null64pa
Level 4: High-Risk Mission
Mission Type: Undercover Retrieval, Surveillance
Point Rewards: 400 Null Points
Access Granted To: Classified train route information, encrypted informant dossier, access to facial recognition logs
Monetary Reward: $125,000
*Description: An informant possessing key intelligence regarding Helix movent is traveling under alias. The informant will board Train Line R29 departing from Northpoint Central Station, heading south. The agent’s task is to locate the informant, confirm identity, and retrieve the encrypted flash drive without alerting other passengers or the informant. Extraction must be subtle. Public casualty not permitted. Partner cooperation recomnded.
"Helix movent? What was that?"
Both asked the sa question. Kendrick automatically started searching for it, while Zephany decided to send a ssage to Obscura instead.
Eclipse: Obscura? Have you seen the notification about our new mission?
Eclipse: What do you an by Helix movent?
Eclipse: Are you there?
Eclipse: Tell about your plan.
Eclipse: You damn mute! Are you ignoring again?
Obscura, who was busy researching the Helix movent, sighed in annoyance as Eclipse flooded him with ssages.
"This loud woman is at it again. Does she even know how to wait?"
Still, he replied anyway.
Obscura: I saw the mission. Let’s just et at the station tomorrow.
Eclipse, finally seeing his reply, smiled and responded instantly.
Eclipse: Good. I’ll leave it up to you. See you tomorrow, partner!
She then closed the app and stretched, a smirk forming on her face.
"Finally, it’s ti for so action again. I feel like my body’s rusted from not fighting these past few weeks."
anwhile, on Obscura’s side, he let out a frustrated sigh after spending so ti searching.
"Damn it. What do they even an by ’Helix movent’? Why does there seem to be no information about it?"
Then, a dangerous idea crept into his mind as he stared at the mission description.
"Should I secretly copy the data from that flash drive after we retrieve it?"
He sighed again.
"They’ll notice if I do it. Better not."
---
[110 Days Left to Live]
Morning ca. Bright, quiet, and deceptively normal.
Zephany stepped into the kitchen, her usual soft sweater hanging a bit loose over her shoulder, a banana in one hand. "I’ll be heading out early. Pia needs help organizing the new dia files."
Kendrick poured himself coffee. "I’ve got a commission due. So guy wants to paint his dog as a Roman emperor."
Zephany grinned. "Do you ever say no?"
"Not when they pay upfront."
She laughed softly. "Well, good luck with Caesar the Poodle."
"Break a leg at Air dia."
They waved each other off with casual smiles and went to their respective rooms. Fifteen minutes later, both left the apartnt.
Zephany, in a dull gray coat and glasses that slid down her nose.
Kendrick, in a light hoodie and ssenger bag.
Both headed in separate directions. Or so they thought.
Northpoint Central Station bustled with people. Morning commuters filled the platform. Train whistles blew in the distance.
Zephany slipped her phone into her coat pocket, ticket already scanned. She clutched her tote bag close, eyes flicking over the crowd.
"Just in and out," she mumbled to herself. "Find the informant, get the drive, and disappear."
She boarded Car 4 and took a seat by the window, adjusting her scarf like a seasoned introvert.
anwhile, Kendrick boarded from the opposite end of the train, heading toward the sa car. He adjusted the strap of his bag and moved carefully, his eyes scanning every face.
Then, just as he reached his assigned seat...
He stopped cold.
A few seats ahead, he saw her.
Zephany.
His first instinct was to turn around. Maybe pretend he got on the wrong train. But her eyes caught his.
And froze.
Kendrick blinked. "Zeph?"
Zephany froze halfway to standing. "Ken? What... what are you doing here?"
"I thought you were at work."
"I thought you were painting a poodle."
They stared at each other, both trying very hard not to panic.
Kendrick approached slowly and lowered his voice. "Let guess. Air dia assignnt?"
Zephany nodded slowly, clutching her bag tighter. "And you? Art reference trip?"
He nodded back, equally deadpan. "Totally."
Both sat down beside each other, pretending it was a coincidence. But inside, panic was rising.
’She’s not supposed to be here,’ Kendrick thought. ’This mission is high-risk. What if she’s caught in the middle?’
’He’s not supposed to be here,’ Zephany thought. ’What if he sees sothing? What if he finds out?’
Neither of them said a word for a long ti. The train lurched forward.
"I guess we’re both just... taking the scenic route today," Kendrick said finally.
Zephany forced a smile. "I love... landscapes."
Zephany leaned toward the window while Kendrick subtly checked his watch, syncing his tir for the next phase.
They were now unknowingly working the sa mission.
And unknowingly working together.
Zephany turned slightly. "I’m going to use the bathroom," she said casually, standing up with her bag.
Kendrick nodded. "Sure. I’ll be here."
Zephany moved down the aisle toward the lavatory, slipping inside quickly. Once the door locked behind her, she tapped her earpiece and whispered in the usual tone she used as Eclipse, "Obscura, where are you? Have you spotted him yet?"
Kendrick’s voice, now deepened through the comm modulator, ca through. "Still scanning the train. No visuals on the target yet."
He glanced over his shoulder and stepped into the space between train cars, an emptier spot with no passengers in sight. He leaned against the wall and exhaled slowly. "Good thing I brought my disguise."
He dug into his ssenger bag and quickly pulled out his change of clothes: a dark coat, subtle prosthetics for his nose and chin, and shaded contact lenses. He changed swiftly, adjusting his posture and slipping into the composed, calculated air of Obscura.
anwhile, in the lavatory, Zephany had already pulled out her kit from beneath a false panel in her tote bag. A wig, light makeup, a soft prosthetic scar above the brow, and a new wardrobe later, she no longer resembled Zephany. Eclipse was now on board.
She took a mont to breathe and glanced in the mirror. "Ti to work."
Both agents returned to their seats—now dressed as strangers.
Kendrick stepped into Car 4, scanning carefully. When he saw their original row empty, he relaxed. ’She must have moved to another car,’ he thought.
Zephany returned from the other side, glancing around. "He’s gone. Maybe he’s busy with his dog-painting mission. Good."
Eclipse tapped her earpiece. "Obscura, where are you now?"
Obscura responded coolly. "Just entered Car 4, east corridor near the luggage rack. You?"
"I’m here too. Rear section, near the ergency exit."
Obscura narrowed his eyes. "Let’s confirm."
Without speaking, he raised his hand subtly, his fingers mimicking a coin toss in the air.
He did it three tis.
Across the car, Eclipse saw it. Her eyes widened slightly, then she mirrored the sa gesture.
They were only three seats apart.
"You’re kidding," she muttered under her breath.
"Small world," Obscura replied. His tone was flat, but there was amusent underneath.
They quickly returned to the mission.
"Target’s supposed to be using a cane with a wolf’s head handle," Obscura said. "Reported to board last-minute. Keep watch near the middle connector."
"Whoa, you’re speaking a lot today."
Obscura shot him a look, while Eclipse just smirked.
Eclipse then moved down the aisle slowly, pausing at the corner where Car 4 t Car 5. The connector space was tight, narrow. A man with a long trench coat stood near the door, adjusting sothing in his pocket.
She waited for a better look. The handle of a cane flashed under the coat’s hem. A silver wolf’s head.
"Visual confirmation," she whispered. "Target located."
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