A hunter's apprentice

The Anomaly Hacker

After hanging up the call, Lincoln proceed on his way back to the Hub, the world around him feeling like it had grown darker, heavier. A dozen questions circled in his mind, who was Anomaly? Why did they want these files? And more pressing, why him? He could barely process what had happened on his first mission, and now he was caught in a trap that threatened everything he'd worked so hard to keep hidden, but he didn't have time to think. Piper would be waiting at the Hub for the debriefing, and if he showed up looking shaken, she'd know something was wrong. He took a deep breath, steeling himself.

"Just act normal," he whispered.

When he arrived at the Hub, the familiar hum of activity was both comforting and daunting. Piper was already in the briefing room, waving him over with her typical grin.

"Hey, Killzone! You ready?" she teased, nudging his arm as they took their seats.

Judge entered, reviewing notes on a tablet, her expression unreadable. 

"Let's start with the basics. Your first mission had complications, but your response was commendable." 

She glanced up, locking eyes with Lincoln. 

"You both stayed focused, adapted, and kept each other safe. And for that, you've earned your rewards."

Judge entered some buttons on her tablet and the two of them got a notification on their phones saying that they got 10 grand each sent to their Underground bank accounts. (Refer to chapter 2)

"Jeez, that's a lot of money and that's from one mission?" Lincoln said.

"Yep, best not to get greedy and spend it all at once."

Lincoln managed a small smile, but his mind was racing, barely listening as Judge and Piper continued to talk. He wanted to tell Judge about the call, the threat, but what would that accomplish? Anomaly seemed to know everything, including who he was and his connection to the Underground. Once the debrief was over, he and Piper headed toward the elevator, where Piper seemed to notice his distracted mood.

"Hey, everything good? I know the first mission is tough, but you really did well." she said, her voice gentler now.

Lincoln forced a smile. 

"Thanks, Piper. Just... processing, I guess. There's a lot to get used to."

That night, sleep was out of the question. He lay in bed, replaying the mission, the debrief, and Anomaly's chilling message. His phone buzzed just past midnight, and the sight of the unknown number on the screen sent a chill down his spine.

"Hello?" he whispered, hoping not to wake anyone.

"Hello again, Killzone, I trust you're ready to start?"

"Why me? Why not one of the actual Hunters?" Lincoln asked, fighting to keep his voice steady.

"Ah, but that would be too predictable. And you, Killzone, are uniquely positioned. The newest recruit, an apprentice. No one would suspect you."

Lincoln's pulse quickened. 

"What do you even want with these files?"

"Curiosity isn't necessary for you to succeed, but if it comforts you, let's just say... there are certain mistakes that the Underground has made that has greatly affected me on a personal scale and even the Judge is more than willing to benefit from exploiting them... let's just say it might not sound like it but I'm not the bad guy here and I'm just trying to rectify the sins of the past." Anomaly replied, the amusement clear in their tone.

Lincoln swallowed hard. He'd only just started this journey, only just started learning the ropes of being a Hunter, and already he was trapped in a twisted game he couldn't understand.