At the DWO safehouse...
The evening sun dipped below the rugged Siberian treeline, casting long, bruised shadows across the snow outside the timber cabin.
Ethan sat quietly on the worn couch, hugging his knees to his chest. Every so often, the heavy footfalls of a DWO operative echoed off the floorboards as they moved through the staging area. He watched everything, his sharp young eyes tracking every gun movement, every tactical adjustment, and every word spoken in hushed tones.
Footsteps approached from the hallway. Liam stepped into the main room, his cold, analytical gaze drifting toward the couch.
Ethan looked up, meeting the young operative's eyes. Liam paused for a fraction of a second, an unreadable, subtle flicker of hesitation passing across his features. Stepping forward with measured, silent strides, Liam sat down on the far edge of the wooden sofa.
"Hello," Liam said softly, keeping his voice low enough so it wouldn't carry.
Ethan stiffened, his shoulders pulling tight as his guard went straight back up. He gave a single, guarded nod.
"I heard about you from the others," Liam continued, his eyes studying Ethan's trembling hands and oversized hospital gown.
Ethan remained quiet, offering another subtle nod.
"What's your name?" Liam asked.
"Ethan."
Liam let the name sit in the air for a moment. "You're from Canada, right? I overheard you talking to Ms. Zero earlier."
Ethan looked at him, slightly surprised. "Yes."
A faint, subtle smile touched Liam's lips. "I'm from Canada too."
Ethan stared at him, the tension in his frame relaxing just a fraction. Before either of them could say another word, a heavy metal latch clicked at the front entrance.
CREAK.
The reinforced oak door swung open. In an instant, every off-duty DWO operative in the cabin snapped to attention. Liam immediately rose from the couch, stepping back into formation alongside Stinger and Scorpion.
A tall, broad-shouldered man stepped across the threshold, unlatching his tactical ballistic mask and pulling it off to reveal a weathered, scar-lined face.
A thick white beard framed his jaw, matching his closely cropped white hair. Across his left eye ran a deep, pale combat scar that held the lid permanently half-closed. The scar extended to below his throat.
"Welcome, Boss," Stinger said, lowering his head in a brief, military nod.
Ethan's heart slammed against his ribs like a trapped bird.
That's him... Ethan thought, a cold sweat breaking out across his forehead.
The man swept his solitary good eye across the tactical layout table before meeting his team's gazes. "Report on our planning."
"We are prepped and locked, Boss," Scorpion answered respectfully. "We were just waiting on your arrival."
The Boss's gaze shifted, landing squarely on Liam standing at the end of the line. He extended a broad, leather-gloved hand toward the young recruit. "You must be Light. T-Rex transmitted your file before we crossed the border. Welcome to the DWO unit."
Liam stepped forward, taking the veteran's hand with a firm, practiced grip. "Thank you, sir. It's an absolute honor to serve under a commander of your standing."
The Boss clapped a heavy hand on Liam's shoulder in approval before turning back to the room.
As his eyes scanned the cabin, they caught sight of the small, shivering figure sitting on the couch behind the crate barricades.
Ethan swallowed hard, a sudden lump forming in his throat as their eyes locked.
Seeing their leader freeze, the entire unit shifted their focus back to Ethan.
"Where did the kid come from?" the Boss asked, his deep voice dropping an octave. "And where is T-Rex?"
"Vice Leader went out on reconnaissance," Scorpion reported immediately. "He's mapping the outer perimeter of Dr. Philip's manor."
The Boss nodded once. "And Zero?"
"She and Cheetah went with him," Stinger added.
The Boss's scar-lined face hardened as his eye remained pinned on Ethan. "What's the situation with the boy?"
Ethan felt his pulse spiking so hard he could hear it ringing in his ears.
"Boss, we picked him up inside the Kill Zone in the middle of the night," Stinger explained. "Cheetah flagged him as a potential scout and wanted to execute him on the spot."
"And T-Rex's call?" the Boss demanded flatly.
"Vice Leader overruled her," Stinger replied. "He stated the boy needed to be interrogated first. He intended to hold him for your arrival, but... afterward, Vice-Leader asked him a few questions."
The Boss raised an eyebrow, a flicker of genuine intrigue breaking through his stern expression. "T-Rex left a intruder alive inside an active staging zone? That's unusual for him."
"Vice Leader said the final disposition of the target rests entirely on your order, sir," Stinger concluded.
Without another word, the Boss began walking toward the sofa, his heavy combat boots thudding rhythmically against the floor.
Ethan's throat went completely dry. He was trembling visibly now, his breath coming in short, shallow hitches as the giant of a man closed the distance.
The Boss stopped right in front of the couch and dropped down to one knee, bringing himself down to Ethan's eye level.
Ethan's panicked gaze instinctively darted to the top-right emblem stamped onto the man's tactical chest rig:
DWO UNIT CODE NAME: TERMINATOR
Terminator observed the boy's sheer terror for a beat before speaking in a low, surprisingly measured tone. "What's your name, son?"
Ethan fought with everything he had just to force his vocal cords to work. "E... Ethan..."
Terminator nodded slowly. Reaching up, he slipped his gloved hand into the upper pocket of his tactical vest.
Ethan flinched, pulling back into the cushions as if expecting a sidearm. But when Terminator withdrew his hand, he held out a small, foil-wrapped chocolate bar.
Ethan stared at the candy in absolute shock. Terminator placed it gently on the cushion next to Ethan's knee.
"What were you doing wandering through a Kill Zone in the middle of the night?" Terminator asked softly.
Ethan stared at the chocolate, then looked up into the old commander's eye. "I... I was looking for my father."
Terminator listened quietly, his face unreadable. After a long moment, he pushed himself back up to his feet.
Stinger, Scorpion, and Liam immediately stepped up in unison. "Your orders, Boss?"
Liam's voice joined theirs, but his tone was distinctly softer, carries a quiet, hesitant edge.
Terminator turned his back to the boy. "We release him."
A sudden wave of disbelief washed over the room. Stinger and Scorpion exchanged stunned looks, while Ethan felt an overwhelming surge of relief flood his chest.
They're letting me go...?
Before Ethan could process the relief, Terminator turned with blinding speed, his palm striking the nerve bundle on the side of Ethan's neck with terrifying precision.
THUMP.
Ethan didn't even have time to gasp. Darkness claimed him instantly, his body slumping limply across the sofa cushions.
"You found him inside the Kill Zone," Terminator said, his voice dropping back into pure operational command.
The squad nodded instantly.
"Transport him past the outer perimeter boundary," Terminator ordered. "Leave him near the secondary logging road where civil transport or local patrols can spot him before nightfall."
"Understood, Boss," Scorpion acknowledged.
Liam immediately stepped forward, his eyes fixed on the unconscious boy. "Boss... allow me to handle the transport."
Terminator looked at Liam for a brief second, then gave a single nod. "Make it clean, Light."
Liam gently lifted Ethan's light frame into his arms, slinging the boy over his shoulder before heading out into the freezing evening air.
Terminator watched the door close behind them, his scarred face settling into an intense, calculating scowl. Turning back to the primary tactical map laid out on the table, he leaned over the blueprints.
"Once T-Rex and the recon team return, we finalize the assault plan," Terminator declared. "We breach Dr. Philip's manor at dawn."