Spies, Volume 1: Hurricane

Chapter 4 - Rematch

It was now 12:00 pm on Saturday, September 10th, 2016. The sun was high in the sky above downtown Norfolk, Virginia. Families were spending time with each other at the park, or at the movie theater, or even just sitting on a blanket at the beach. But for Nick Santiago and the ASO, it was just another normal day at HQ. Well, at least until now.

"Sir!" Nick burst into the commander's office, out of breath from running down the hallway. "The ISA is planning another attack. I received word from an undercover worker over at the ISA headquarters. He said that they're looking for some new weapon that we have," he said as the brown leather in front of him swung around.

A middle-aged man with stubby black facial hair looked at his best agent. "Well, seems like we'll have to prepare for the impending assault," the ASO commander said before sounding an alarm that blared throughout the entire facility. "All agents! Report to the board room immediately," he ordered, walking out of his office past the agency's laboratory.

Inside the laboratory, the ASO's elite team of scientists were perfecting the world's first cybernetic enhancer in the form of a microchip, codenamed Phoenix.

"Looking good, boys. Once we load this thing up with our top agent's attributes, we'll be ready for the final phase," the lead scientist said, looking at the black and red microchip as a small red light started to blink.

Meanwhile, The ISA's elite group of agents, Delta Squad, were suiting up and preparing for their attack on the ASO.

Raven walked into the ISA's armory and made her towards her weapon locker, marked with her insignia: a black raven with amethyst embedded eyes. She opened the locker before grabbing her personal set of black and purple tactical knives and a single escrima stick.

After sheathing the knives to the holsters on her belt, she met up with the other members of Delta Squad to discuss the strategy for finding their enemy's new weapon. "Okay, so... What's the plan?" she asked while putting her hair into a bun.

James, a fellow Delta Squad member, handed Raven the blueprint of the ASO's Headquarters before saying, "We're gonna cause a distraction while you break in through this side door." The agent then pointed at a door located on the west side of the building. "Our mission is simple: locate the missing half of the new weapon file and download it," he stated, looking at each of his comrades.

Raven nodded and led the agents to the garage, where two black SUVs were waiting for them, both equipped with synchronized GPS devices.

One by one, the agents climbed into the vehicles and drove off towards the enemy base, just 5 miles down the street.

Raven stayed silent once the SUV had started moving. She couldn't stop thinking about Agent Striker for some reason. She couldn't stop thinking about the dream she had about him dying. Snap out of it, Raven. You're doing this to steal the file, not make out with Striker, she thought, looking up at the road.

Back at the ASO headquarters, the agents were gearing up for the incoming attack and robbery attempt. The weapons in the agency's armory were slowly disappearing, except for one: Agent Striker's escrima stick.

Nick, now clad in his black and grey agent uniform, walked up to the escrima stick in his locker and took it, sheathing it to his belt before rushing to the meeting room across the hall.

"Okay, the ISA will be hitting us from all sides of the building. We need Echo and Bravo team posted on the west and east wing of the facility," the ASO commander said, looking at the agents in the room. He breathed a sigh of relief when Nick had arrived just in time. "Santiago, you're gonna be with Echo team guarding the laboratory."