Chapter 9: The First Mission: A Shady Broker
The first mission. It was a rite of passage for every superhero team, every crime-fighting duo, every couple of randoms who just got super powers. For Adam and Skye, it was a test of their new dynamic. They were no longer just a private investigator and a hacker. They were a team. A weird, sarcastic, and ridiculously overpowered team.
"Okay," Skye said, her voice a calm, professional hum, a stark contrast to her manic rambling from the day before. "The target is a guy named Marcus Thorne. He's a tech broker, but he's also been selling illegal surveillance software to some shady clients. I've been tracking him for a while, but his encryption was always too good. Now... it's a joke."
Adam, in his "Stiels Investigations" office, was sipping on a cup of lukewarm coffee, a small, weary smile on his face. "So we're going to hack the system, get the info, and then what? Send a strongly worded letter?"
"No," Skye said, a mischievous grin on her face. "You're going to be my eyes and ears on the ground. I'm going to hack his system, and I'm going to need you to be there. I'm going to tell you where to go, what to look for, and who to avoid. And you're going to get a good old-fashioned evidence."
Adam's heart was doing a happy dance. This was it. The real thing. The start of his grand, chaotic plan.
[Side Mission: Take down the tech broker. Reward: 5 Coins.]
The system's message was a welcome confirmation. This was a side mission, a small taste of what was to come. He was ready.
He drove to the location, a bustling office building in downtown Miami. He was wearing a fake pair of glasses, a generic suit, and a look of utter, professional boredom. He was a master of blending in, a master of being forgettable. He was a private investigator, and he looked the part.
Meanwhile, Skye was in the office, a thousand miles away, her fingers dancing across the keyboard. With her Techno Gu, the world of technology was her oyster. She could see the building's security system, the firewalls, the cameras, all in her mind's eye. She was a ghost, a phantom, a whisper in the machine.
Okay, Adam, I'm in. she said, her voice a calming presence in his earpiece. He's in his office, on the 10th floor. He has two guards outside his door, and one inside. There's a camera in the hallway, but I can loop it for you. You have a two-minute window. You got this, private investigator.
Adam, using his Liquor Worm Gu to keep his focus razor-sharp, navigated the building. He was a phantom, a whisper in the machine, moving with a silent, calculated grace that would have made Black Widow proud. He dodged the cameras, he bypassed the guards, and he made it to the 10th floor.
Okay, I'm at the door. he said, his voice low and professional.
Good, Skye said. Now, there's a guard inside. He's on his phone. He's about to get a text from his girlfriend, a nasty one. It's going to distract him for exactly three seconds. That's your window. Go.
Adam didn't hesitate. He opened the door, a look of professional charm on his face. The guard, a big, hulking man, was staring at his phone, a look of utter bewilderment on his face. "I can't believe she said that," he muttered to himself.
Adam walked past him, a small, triumphant smirk on his face. He was in. He took a photo of the computer screen, which was displaying a list of all the illegal tech Thorne had sold. He took a few more photos, and then he left. He was a ghost, a phantom, a whisper in the machine.
Mission accomplished. he said, his voice full of a giddy, boyish excitement. We got him.
Good job, private investigator, Skye said, her voice a proud, triumphant hum. Now, let's see what else he's been up to.