Painted in Red Pt. 6

While the others were currently making their way through the underground facility, Zephyr raced through the building at surface level, moving so fast that time itself seemed to blur. She skidded to a halt at an intersection.

Third floor, room B-9; that was the location Astrid had given her. Without wasting a second, Zephyr shot up to the third floor, her eyes scanning the virtual signs as she sped by. In one breath, she had already passed rooms A-4 to A-15. The next moment, she veered into the adjacent corridor, blurring past rooms B-1 through B-8.

But then, she hit a dead end. The last door she passed was marked B-8, and beyond it, there was nothing—just a blank wall.

Curiosity piqued, Zephyr approached the end of the hallway. She ran her fingers along the smooth surface, searching for any irregularities. After a moment, she felt it—a faint gap, barely noticeable. Yet, nothing was visible to the naked eye. She traced the outline once, twice, then a third time, confirming her suspicion. The gaps formed a rectangle, outlining what had to be a hidden door.

"Cute," Zephyr muttered with a smirk.

Taking a step back, she gripped her katana’s hilt. With one swift motion, her blade sliced through the air, leaving four searing lines of molten plasma on the concealed door, each one cut with precision. With a gentle shove, the door fell over.

Zephyr stepped in, beholding a massive dark room lit only by a pedestal at the very center. It was a small cage barred by constant beams of laser. Resting within was a spherical object about the size of her hand. She noted a small hole in the center, where it is mostly the socket for a code nucleus.

"Package in sight, Astrid," Zephyr said. "It's being blocked off by a laser grid. Think you can turn it off?"

"Negative. Whatever is in that room isn't being powered or overseen by the system in the building itself. Unless I decide to deploy the EMP now. Want me to ask the Boss?"

"It's fine. I'll handle it. Attempting manual retrieval now."

Zephyr shut her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath.

"Code: Eleventh Hour."

A sharp flash of lightning arced from seemingly nowhere. Cracks split open all around her. When her eyes opened, she stood within the familiar monochrome world—a place where time was nonexistent.

Zephyr unsheathed her katana and pointed it forward. She slid the blade through one of the many lasers guarding the iron cell. Gently and carefully, she lifted the blade, making sure to keep it parallel to the ground. She did the same for the two laser beams to the left and right, creating a small opening that could fit her hand. 

She reached her hand in and grabbed the heart. As soon as she pulled it out, the timestream resumed, and the laser grid was back in the blink of an eye.

"Captain," she said. "Package has been secured."

"Understood. Prepare to head back up."

"Copy."

Suddenly, from the shattered doorway, dozens of soldiers stormed into view. Rifles raised, they aimed but held their fire.

The sound of slow, deliberate clapping echoed through the room, accompanied by steady footsteps. A soldier emerged from the crowd, his armor more intricate and imposing than the rest. He was a young man, and in his piercing gaze, two hollowed triangles gleamed with an unsettling focus.

"You've got some balls, Calypso," he chuckled mockingly. "You knew we were here, yet you still chose to act so ignorantly. I don't know if it's because you're confident or you're just that dumb."

A soldier emerged from the crowd, his armor more intricate and imposing than the rest. He was a young man, and in his piercing gaze, two hollowed triangles gleamed with an unsettling focus. However, it did not faze Zephyr.

"Nothing to say, huh?" the man scoffed. "I guess that's to be expected. Even since your former captain died, you Calypsos haven't really been in the right mindset. Just a bunch of headless chickens."

"...You. What is your name?" asked Zephyr.

"Why does that matter?"

"It is my way of honoring your existence after this blade pierces through your heart."

"Oooh~ Scary. Haha! I'm Ace of the Royal squad. My teammates are here too, so it'd be nice if you could just surrender. I don't wanna have to deal with another headache."

"Ace. I will remember that. My name is Zephyr of Calypso."

"Oh, I know who you are. A whopping bounty of two-point-two billion credits. The things I could buy once I turn you in. Just face it. The age of the fearsome Calypso is over. You guys are washed-up defects, thinking you're still at the top when you clearly aren't."

Despite appearing to be nearly the same age, Zephyr couldn’t help but see how immature the man was. His cockiness and poor manners made it glaringly obvious.

"May I ask..." Zephyr said. "How long have you been serving as an Athenian?"

"What's all these questions? A final wish maybe? If you must know, five years."

"Then you are still far too young."

"...What?"

Zephyr unsheathed her katana, holding it firmly with an elegant stance. Her eyes were calm yet icy, radiating a chilling aura that instilled fear in her enemies, even as she stood motionless.

"Code: Eleventh Hour."

A clasp of thunder shook the ground. Distorted time waves began cracking the sky open as strands of lightning arced the surrounding area, and Zephyr disappeared.

One by one, the soldiers fell seemingly of their own accord. An enormous volume of blood painted the sky, and the screams of the next victims joined the orchestra of death.

As if the halted time came to a curtain call, Zephyr appeared in the center of the stage. Just like that, every drop of blood fell to the ground with a splash, along with those whom they belonged to.

She slightly turned her head to face the quivering Ace. Within those indifferent eyes, the hollowed diamond glared at him menacingly. A dash of blood dripped down from her forehead, but he knew very well it wasn't her own.

"A warrior who clashes with words is nothing but a coward, ill-mannered, inexperienced, and unbefitting of that which he claims," she gently declared. "For you to speak such harsh words when you know nothing about us... It is a shame that I can only kill you once."

"Shit... Code—!"

That was all he was able to say, before he saw a pair of gleaming teal eyes flash toward him, cutting through the black. In the blink of an eye, Zephyr lunged forward, her blade trailing behind her in a graceful arc as she slid past Ace.

"The battlefield isn't the place for exaggerated confidence," she said. "If you do not wish to die, then you must be ready even before you meet the eyes of your opponent. Otherwise... There won't be a second chance."

Zephyr sheathed her katana. At the same time, Ace's body lifelessly fell over, his now-severed head rolling across the ground.

"You fought well," she said, bowing her head at him.

"Boss! Bad news!" Astrid shouted through the comms.

"Send traffic, Astrid," Holiday replied. "What's going on?"

"It's... General Hela. She's keeping Minerva pinned."

Zephyr's body froze. General Hela, Keira Van Lachlein. Her first thought immediately went to Loki.

"Zephyr! Get to Minerva! Now!"

"On it, Captain."

Her eyes lit up in a bright flash of blue, and she bolted away.