Instinct

The voice cut through the tension like a blade, sharp and commanding.

“Who’s there?”

Karl’s heart stopped for a split second. The others froze, each member of the team instinctively seeking cover or reaching for their weapons. 1MIN turned, his eyes narrowing in warning as they locked onto Karl. The silence stretched, the guard’s flashlight beam bouncing closer with each passing second.

Karl crouched low behind a server rack, his mind racing. If the guard raised the alarm, they’d be overwhelmed within minutes. They had no escape route, and the mission would end in disaster.

Do something, his instincts screamed, but what? The plan didn’t account for this kind of improvisation. 1MIN was in charge, but he hadn’t given an order, his eyes darting to the others as he weighed the options.

The guard’s flashlight beam swept closer, the clink of boots against the tiled floor growing louder.

Karl stood up.

The move was instinctual, almost reflexive. He stepped into the open, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender. Behind him, he could feel the stunned eyes of the team boring into his back.

“Easy, easy!” Karl called out, forcing his voice to sound irritated rather than terrified. “We’re tech support.”

The guard stopped in his tracks, his weapon still trained on Karl. “Tech support? At this hour? What are you talking about?”

Karl swallowed hard, his thoughts racing. He took a steadying breath and let irritation, rather than fear, color his voice. “Yeah, tech support. You think this stuff runs itself? Midnight maintenance cycle. Didn’t your supervisor tell you we’d be here?”

The guard squinted, his stance shifting slightly, though he didn’t lower his weapon. “Midnight maintenance? I didn’t hear anything about this.”

Karl shrugged, giving an exaggerated sigh of exasperation. “Because they never tell the night shifts, do they? Always think it’s someone else’s problem. Look, we’re almost done here. Just let us finish, and you can go back to your post. Or,” he added, letting a note of annoyance creep into his tone, “you can call your boss, wake them up, and explain why you’re holding up an urgent system repair. Your call.”

The guard hesitated, glancing back the way he came. His flashlight beam dipped slightly as he weighed Karl’s words.

“They always pull this crap on us,” the guard muttered, more to himself than Karl. “Fine. Just... make it quick.”

Karl nodded sharply, his heart hammering in his chest. “Thanks. We’ll be out of your hair in ten.”

As the guard turned and walked off, his flashlight swinging lazily, Karl let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. Behind him, the team began to move again.

“Nice work,” Spectral muttered, their tone begrudgingly impressed.

Axon snorted softly, the corner of her mouth twitching into what might have been a smirk. “Ballsy,” she said, her voice low enough that only Karl could hear.

Panzer gave a curt nod of approval, his hulking frame moving back into position to guard the entrance.

1MIN’s glare, however, was colder than ever. His grey eyes burned with frustration as he hissed, “Get back to work. Now.”

Karl didn’t argue. He slipped back to his role, helping Axon pack up the tools and gear as the team worked quickly to finish the job. The tension in the air was almost suffocating, but they moved with a precision that spoke of years of practice.

Within minutes, Spectral had downloaded the data, Axon had dismantled the locks and bypasses she’d set up, and the team slipped out through the service hatch without further incident.

Back at the safe house, the mood shifted. The team settled into their usual rhythm, exchanging quiet banter as they reviewed the data. But 1MIN wasn’t in the mood to celebrate.

The moment they were alone in the briefing room, he rounded on Karl, his voice a sharp, low hiss.

“What the hell was that?”

Karl met his glare, forcing himself to stand his ground. “I handled the situation,” he said evenly. “If I hadn’t, we’d be running for our lives right now.”

“You handled it?” 1MIN’s voice rose, his frustration bubbling to the surface. “You’re backup, Karl. Your job is to follow orders, not take the lead. What if that guard hadn’t bought it? What if he’d called for reinforcements? You put the whole team at risk.”

Karl clenched his fists, his voice steady but firm. “And what were we supposed to do? Wait for him to call it in? We didn’t have time for a vote.”

Before 1MIN could respond, the door opened, and Axon stepped inside.

“Back off, 1MIN,” she said, her tone sharp. “He handled it. If it weren’t for Karl, we’d be in a shootout right now. Maybe next time you’ll have a better plan ready instead of waiting for someone else to fix your mess.”

1MIN turned on her, his grey eyes narrowing, but Axon didn’t flinch. Her expression was steely, her arms crossed over her chest.

The tension was broken by Victor’s arrival. The leader strolled into the room, his casual demeanor contrasting sharply with the heated atmosphere.

“What’s all this noise?” Victor asked, leaning lazily against the door frame.

1MIN turned to him, his jaw tight. “He went rogue out there, boss. Improvised, made a call without orders. It could’ve blown the whole op.”

Victor raised an eyebrow, his gaze shifting to Karl. “But it didn’t,” he said simply. “We got the data, didn’t we? Everyone’s here in one piece.”

“That’s not the point,” 1MIN insisted, his voice clipped.

Victor shrugged, his tone light but his words cutting. “Then maybe next time, you’ll control the situation better before someone else has to.”

1MIN’s lips pressed into a thin line, but he said nothing. With a final glare at Karl, he turned on his heel and left the room.

Victor’s grin widened as he turned back to Karl. “That was risky,” he said, his tone conversational, “but it paid off. I like that. You’ve got instincts, kid. Stick with us, and I promise you won’t regret it.”

Karl didn’t know what to say. He nodded, still processing the whirlwind of emotions and events.

Victor clapped him on the shoulder, the gesture both encouraging and nearly bone-jarring. “Good work today.”

Later that night, as the others settled into their routines, Axon found Karl in the workshop, tinkering with a damaged drone.

“You did good out there,” she said, her tone softer than usual. “Don’t let 1MIN get to you. He’s got a stick up his ass, but he’ll come around.”

Karl glanced at her, surprised. “Thanks,” he said after a moment, unsure how to respond.

She smirked faintly, leaning against the doorway. “Just don’t get cocky, rookie. You’re not bulletproof.”

Karl chuckled dryly. “Noted.”

As Axon left, Karl leaned back in his chair, staring at the drone in his hands. For the first time in what felt like forever, he felt something more than just survival: pride.

He didn’t know what tomorrow would bring, but for now, he’d proven himself. And that was enough.