The sterile hum of fluorescent lights buzzed in Alex Mercer's ears as he woke on a cold metal bunk, his head throbbing like a war drum. The room was stark—white walls, a single terminal, no windows. He sat up, disoriented, his black tactical gear unfamiliar yet snug, as if molded to him. A faint scar on his knuckles caught his eye, sparking a flicker of something—gunfire, a collapsing tower—but it vanished like smoke. Where was he? Who was he?
A door hissed open, and a man strode in—tall, broad-shouldered, with a shaved head and piercing gray eyes. "Mercer, you're late," he said, voice clipped. "Briefing's now. Move."
Alex blinked, the name anchoring him. "Right… who are you?"
The man's brow furrowed, then smoothed. "Carlton, your team lead. You hit your head in training—meds'll wear off. Let's go."
Alex followed, unease coiling in his gut. The corridor stretched endlessly, lined with tech panels and armed guards. Asia, he guessed—signage in Mandarin, the air thick with industrial hum. Carlton led him to a briefing room where two others waited: a wiry woman with sharp features, her fingers dancing over a holo-device, and a hulking man with a shaved scalp, cleaning a rifle with methodical precision.
"Team, this is Mercer," Carlton said. "Our operative. Huei, tech. Shvery, combat. We're hitting a rival corp's lab tonight—steal their prototype, a neural relay. Intel says it's game-changing."
Huei glanced up, her dark eyes assessing. "He looks out of it. You sure he's ready?"
"He's our best," Carlton replied, firm. "Mercer, sit."
Alex obeyed, the mission details washing over him. The target: XinTech, a fortified compound in Shenzhen. The relay could hack neural networks—dangerous in the wrong hands. His hands moved instinctively, checking gear he didn't recall owning—a silenced pistol, a collapsible staff. A flash hit him: a neon city, a woman's voice shouting "Run!" He shook it off, pulse spiking.
Shvery's gravelly voice cut through. "You spacing out, Mercer? Don't screw this."
"I'm good," Alex lied, the room sharpening. He knew this—tactics, infiltration—like muscle memory. But why?
Carlton projected a holo-map. "Huei, you'll loop security. Shvery, clear the path. Mercer, you grab the relay. I'll handle exfil. Questions?"
None came. The team dispersed to prep, but Huei lingered, her gaze lingering on Alex. "You don't look like you trust this," she whispered.
"Do you?" he shot back, testing.
She smirked, slipping away. "We'll see."
Alone in his quarters, Alex checked his gear, finding a folded note tucked in his jacket. Scrawled in sharp script: They've taken your mind, kid. Remember who you are. —Fae. His breath caught. Fae—who? A memory surged—auburn hair, a blade flashing, a strawberry scent—then faded. Zenith's logo on the wall glared down. Were they lying to him?
No time to dwell. He stashed the note, joining the team at the transport—a sleek hovercraft waiting in a hangar. Night cloaked Shenzhen as they sped toward XinTech, the city's neon pulse a dizzying blur. Alex's mind churned, Fae's words a splinter he couldn't pull.
"Focus," Carlton said, clapping his shoulder. "You're our edge."
The compound loomed, a fortress of glass and steel. They disembarked, moving like shadows. Huei's device hummed, disabling perimeter sensors. "We're dark," she whispered. "Go."
Alex led, scaling a wall with eerie ease, his body acting before his mind caught up. Shvery followed, silent but lethal, while Huei tailed, her holo scanning for traps. They slipped through a vent, dropping into a corridor lined with humming servers. Alex's pulse raced, a flash hitting hard—explosions, a shield flickering, a man's voice: "You're more than we hoped." He stumbled, catching himself.
"You okay?" Huei hissed, her hand on his arm.
"Fine," he muttered, shaking it off. But he wasn't. The corridor felt like a memory he couldn't grasp.
They reached the lab door. Huei plugged in, bypassing the lock. "Thirty seconds," she said, fingers flying. Shvery stood watch, rifle ready, his eyes flicking to Alex with suspicion.
The door hissed open, revealing a sterile chamber. At its center, the neural relay—a sleek, palm-sized device pulsing blue. Alex approached, a chill running through him. Something about it screamed wrong, like a puzzle piece from a life he didn't own. He lifted it, its weight stirring another flash—hands passing him glowing orbs, a city under siege.
"Got it," he said, voice steady despite the chaos in his head. "Let's—"
An alarm shrieked, red lights bathing the room. "Damn it!" Huei yelled, yanking her device free. "They had a secondary grid!"
"Move!" Shvery roared, firing as guards stormed in.
Alex ducked, pistol barking—each shot perfect, dropping foes with precision he couldn't explain. Huei hacked a side door, and they sprinted through, Shvery covering their rear. The compound was alive now, drones buzzing, boots pounding. Alex's mind split—half in the fight, half lost in flashes: a collapsing tower, a woman's scream, "They're coming!"
They burst onto the roof, Carlton's hovercraft screaming in. Bullets pinged off its hull as they leapt aboard, Alex clutching the relay. The craft soared, leaving XinTech's chaos behind.
Carlton's gaze was steel. "You tripped the alarm. Explain."
"Secondary grid," Huei said, breathless. "My fault."
Alex stayed silent, the relay heavy in his hands, Fae's note heavier in his mind. As the city blurred below, he vowed to uncover the truth—starting with Zenith.