- He combed his hair.
- He straightened his uniform.
- He even did a few push-ups in the bunk for no reason other than to feel cool.
David, sitting on his bunk tying his boots, barely spared him a glance.
“You know you’re just going to be covered in mud and sweat in ten minutes, right?”
Bilal stood up dramatically. “Not before I make a lasting impression.”
Lara, who had been watching in pure amusement, smirked. “Oh, this is gonna be good.”
Lyra, still half-asleep, groaned, “If he actually succeeds, I’ll eat my boots.”
Bilal ignored them, cracking his neck. “Watch and learn, losers. Today is the day of romance.”
David sighed. “Today is the day of combat drills, dumbass.”
The recruits were lined up in Lot 50, facing the first challenge of the day—a multi-stage obstacle course featuring:
Rope climbing
Wall scaling
Sprint drills
A final endurance test
Bilal spotted Ava Renner in the middle of the group—exactly as planned.
She was tall, athletic, with short black hair tied back into a braid. She stood with her squad, stretching, not giving a single fuck about the boys eyeing her from the side.
Bilal took a deep breath. This was it.
“All I have to do is beat everyone in the first event,” Bilal muttered. “Easy.”
David gave him a flat look. “Oh no.”
Tim’s voice boomed across the field.
“FIRST EVENT—ROPE CLIMB! MOVE!”
The recruits sprinted forward.
Bilal ran like a man possessed, laser-focused on Ava, who effortlessly scaled the rope like a goddamn assassin.
“Shit—she’s fast.”
Bilal jumped, grabbing onto the rope—
And immediately realized his hands were still sweaty from warming up.
His grip failed.
His body yanked downward.
And then, in full cinematic glory, he slipped off the rope entirely, crashing to the ground with a loud, wet THUD.
The recruits burst into laughter.
Tim facepalmed.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Ava?
She didn’t even notice.
Lara and Lyra, watching from the side, were crying from laughter.
David walked past Bilal’s corpse, sighed, and muttered, “Incredible. Truly inspiring.”
Bilal groaned. “Shut. Up.”
After the course, the recruits were given five minutes to rehydrate.
Bilal, still covered in dirt and ego damage, saw Ava near the water station.
David saw where he was looking. “No. Don’t.”
“I have to,” Bilal whispered.
“You don’t,” David whispered back.
“Watch me.”
David shook his head. “I refuse to be involved in this.”
Bilal strode up to Ava, who was chugging from her canteen like a war goddess.
He casually leaned against the water tank beside her.
And in the smoothest voice he could muster, he said:
"So… you come here often?"
Ava paused mid-drink, blinking like she just heard the dumbest thing ever said in human history.
Lyra, Lara, and David—who had been watching from a safe distance—instantly lost their shit.
Ava wiped her mouth, stared at him for a full second, and then said, “We’re literally in the same camp, dumbass.”
And then she walked away.
Bilal stood there, frozen.
His soul left his body.
David walked up and patted his shoulder. “That went well.”
Lara was in actual tears. “Oh my god—oh my god—I can’t breathe—”
Lyra, between gasps, held out her boot. “Start eating, Bilal.”
Bilal just stood there, staring into the abyss.
“...I’m never talking to a woman again.”
David smirked. “Good idea.”
The recruits finally had a break, and the squad was laughing their asses off under a training tent when Ava returned.
But this time? She wasn’t looking at Bilal.
She was looking at Lyra.
“We need to talk.”
Lara frowned. “Oh boy. Here we go.”
Lyra sighed, sitting up. “About what?”
Ava crouched down. “Your father. And mine. They’re both alive.”
Silence.
David, Lara, and Bilal stiffened.
“…You better explain. Now.” Lyra’s voice was sharp.
Ava exhaled. “Before they vanished, our fathers left hidden data logs—evidence about Phoenix Corp and Shaw’s real operations. Everything we’ve been trained for? It’s all leading toward something bigger.”
Lyra’s stomach twisted. “How do you know this?”
Ava hesitated. Then, softly, she said, “Because my father sent me here to find you.”
Lara whispered, “Holy shit.”
David’s face was unreadable. “Where do we start?”
Ava’s voice dropped lower. “Go to Lieutenant Tim. He knows something.”
That night, Lyra found Tim near the supply depot, his uniform half-unbuttoned, a cigarette hanging from his lips.
He saw her approach and raised an eyebrow.
"Vox," he muttered. “Didn’t take you for a rule-breaker.”
Lyra crossed her arms. “I need answers.”
Tim sighed, tossing his cigarette.
“Your father… wanted peace. Just like Shaw pretended to.”
Lyra’s chest tightened.
Tim reached into his jacket and handed Lyra something small and cold.
A data drive.
“Your dad left this for you,” Tim murmured. “I kept it hidden. You’ll know what to do when the time’s right.”
Lyra gripped it tightly.
She had her first real clue.
And she wasn’t going to waste it.