Phoenix Rising

Chapter 7

Alessia made it back to the safe house a few hours later alive and well. Despite the challenges they faced, she felt a sense of pride when thinking about her squad. They had prioritized the mission and done all they could, even if it meant leaving her behind when things got rough. It had been the right call. That discipline is what she needed in a member of the Phoenix Elite.

Once her debrief with Lori and Jamal was over, Alessia wandered the halls of the safe house, replaying the events of the last mission in her mind. She was so drawn towards Kai, so curious on the part he was going to play. But she needed to figure that out later. For now, there was work to do.

When she entered the briefing room, she found the rest of the Phoenix Elite already there, with Nico at the center of attention.

Celeste, Tavi, and Priya were standing in front of a table, Nico grinned, holding a small box in his arms. "Good timing, Alessia. I have a gift for you guys," he said in a sing-song voice.

Celeste crossed her arms. "It's going to be another prank."

Tavi giggled. "You're just mad he bleached your hair with his last invention."

Nico snickered. "Tavi, I'll get you next, don't worry. But anyway, this is different." He set the box on the table in front of him, and they all gathered around. It clicked open, revealing a row of sleek black watches. "Feast your eyes on these. Custom designed by yours truly. These are wristbands I created for you guys." He glanced up, looking around at them with a devious smile on their face. "They're cool as hell."

He grabbed Alessia's arm, yanking it toward him. Alessia chuckled and held out her wrist for him to put it on. "They aren't just wristbands; they're communication devices, trackers, and they're got a self-destruct mode, which is probably the sickest thing I've designed so far. Explosives small enough to fit in the lining of this thing, but with high power."

Tavi raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Self destruct? You trying to blow us up?"

Nico shrugged. "Only if you ask nicely. But seriously, these are loaded with features and they're encrypted to the nines. And check this out-" He pressed a button on the side, and the wristband's screen lit up with a hologram, displaying a symbol of a phoenix with fire behind it. "I made you a Phoenix Elite emblem." He looked giddy. "You're going to look so badass."

Alessia fidgeted it with it, pressing buttons and examining it. She glanced up as Priya gently lifted one out of the box and slipped it on. "This is awesome. You've outdone yourself."

"Of course I have," Nico rolled his eyes. "I have a reputation to maintain. But seriously, these are going to come in handy. I'll keep them updated, but this is a solid base design. You guys like them?"

Alessia swung an arm around his shoulders. "I love them. They're actually perfect. Sometimes I forget you're a tech genius."

The group laughed, all looking at the wristbands. Alessia felt the comm device in her pocket vibrate. Kai.

She moved away from the rest of the group. They didn't need to know that she was working with an Alynthi official yet. She flicked the device open and held it to her ear. "Hello?"

"Alessia." His smooth voice came through the speaker. "There's an event coming up for us military officers. It's high profile and they're unveiling some new weaponry. Interested?"

Alessia's pulse quickened. If Kai was reaching out for this, it had to be important. "I'm interested. When?"

"Tonight, at the Capital Hall. I'll meet you at the west entrance."

"I'll be there." Alessia made to hang up, but his voice came through again.

"Oh, and leave the boots at home. It's a formal event."