Kwandezi stood over the empty space where the Whisper had been, breathing heavily. The faint purple light in his eyes slowly receded, leaving behind only the cold, hard cynicism that was his default setting. He was still in control, but he was furious. He hadn't just killed a monster; he had saved the person he was supposed to hate.
"Efficient," Aisha managed, pushing herself upright. The psychic assault had left her body trembling, but her eyes were clear, fixed on him with renewed resolve. "You maintained control. You... you used precise molecular manipulation to target its core, didn't you? Not just brute force."
"Don't thank me," Kwandezi snapped, turning his back on her. He pulled the shortswords from their sheaths, the blades now faintly shimmering with residual Void energy, and began cleaning them with a piece of scavenged cloth. "I saved my leash. Nothing more. Now tell your Captain the training exercise is complete. I want the name."
The three unconscious VDC operatives lay slumped on the jungle floor. Aisha quickly moved to them, checking their vitals. "They'll live. Psychic trauma, but they'll recover. You did well, Kwandezi."
"I did what I was paid for," he retorted, his voice dry.
Before Aisha could respond, Captain Akanni's voice boomed through her earpiece, devoid of any warmth. "Operative Aisha, report. Status of the asset and the target."
"Target Whisper terminated, Sir. Null-Kinetic pulse registered at 58% of maximum threshold, indicating controlled engagement," Aisha reported, deliberately focusing on the technical metrics. "Three VDC operatives recovered, stable."
A brief, satisfied silence followed. "Acceptable. The asset's performance exceeded expectations. Tell him I keep my word," Akanni's voice cut through the air. "The man who caused his mother's death is Marcus Thorne, a former high-ranking VDC General who now operates in the criminal underworld."
Kwandezi's head snapped up, the purple flaring in his eyes once more. The name hit him like a physical shock—a solid, tangible target for the amorphous hatred that had consumed him for years.
"He's a ghost now. But he's running. We believe he's using a massive Tier-Two Void-borne to smuggle high-grade materials out of a decommissioned Deep-Earth Research Site in the Delta region," Akanni continued. "That site is under the jurisdiction of Chapter 15. That is your next mission. Go to the Chapter 15 staging ground. Report to Captain Zara for briefing. Thorne is your objective. Containment of the Void-borne is secondary."
Aisha relayed the information, watching Kwandezi's expression harden into a mask of pure, cold purpose. The self-loathing was gone, replaced by a terrible, singular focus.
"Thorne," Kwandezi whispered, tasting the name. "Where is this Chapter 15 staging ground?"
"They'll be sending a dropship for us," Aisha said, pointing to a clearing where the trees were beginning to shift, signaling the approach of heavy aircraft. She activated her Specialist Aegis Suit's comms and checked her new plasma pistol, her movements efficient and practiced. "Akanni has already filed the report. You're no longer just a prisoner, Kwandezi. You're officially a VDC Specialist Asset. And I'm your handler. Don't mistake this for freedom. Every move we make is on the official record now."
He slid his twin blades back into their sheaths, his attention already elsewhere. "I don't care about your records, Anchor. I care about the target. Thorne is a traitor. The VDC is corrupt. They gave me the name of the man who killed my mother, and now I have to kill a monster to get to him. This is all still just a game."
Aisha looked at the three unconscious men on the ground, then at the smoking hole where the Whisper had vanished. "No, Kwandezi," she countered, her voice low and steady. "It's not a game. It's a political war, and the monsters are just the bullets. Akanni just pointed you at the enemy. And now, my job is to make sure you don't become the biggest casualty."
The VDC Dropship, a massive, heavily armored transport, descended through the canopy with a roar of its retro-thrusters, kicking up leaves and dirt. The ramp lowered, revealing the sterile interior of the military machine—the perfect metaphor for the cold, unfeeling system that now owned Kwandezi's purpose.
"Let's go, Specialist," Aisha said, gesturing toward the ramp. "We have a Chapter Captain to meet, and a traitor to hunt."
Kwandezi stepped onto the ramp, the cold determination in his eyes reflecting the dark, corrupted world he was being forced to save. He was a monster with a purpose, and that purpose was revenge. The game had just begun.