Professor Vale's office was colder than usual.
Not just the air, but the atmosphere—dense, electric, like the calm before a thunderstorm. He stood behind his desk, arms folded, jaw tight, like he was holding himself back from snapping someone's neck.
And unfortunately, that someone was me.
"Sit."
I sat.
Xavier leaned casually against the wall like this was all hilarious.
"I expected it from him," Vale said, voice razor-sharp, "but you, Vane… You disappoint me."
My throat tightened. Not because of guilt, but because I'd never heard him speak like that before.
Cold. Betrayed.
I hated how it made me feel.
---
"I don't know what kind of foolish stunt you two were pulling in a restricted zone at midnight," Vale continued, "but consider this your first and final warning."
He turned his glare to Xavier.
"You're suspended from Tech Lab for a week."
Xavier groaned. "You're cutting off the best hacker in this place. Dangerous move, teach."
"Would you like a second punishment?"
He shut up instantly.
Vale turned back to me. "And you, Vane, since detention won't break you…"
He opened a drawer, pulled out a sealed envelope, and slid it toward me.
"…you're going on a mission."
---
I froze.
"A real mission?" I asked slowly.
"A field simulation. One week. High-risk zone. You'll be paired with someone who has no patience for failure." He smiled thinly. "And no love for you."
The moment I saw the name on the file, I groaned.
Mikhail Dragunov.
Of course.
The most uncooperative, moody, and deadly assassin-in-training at the academy. And also the one person who looked at me like I was a mosquito that needed swatting.
"This is a death wish," I muttered.
Vale smirked. "Then survive."
---
That night, I didn't sleep.
Mikhail was infamous—he never worked in teams, never followed rules, and had been expelled from two other underground schools before this one. No one knew his real background. Only rumors.
That his mother was a cartel ghost.
That his father trained killers for hire.
That he killed someone at age ten.
I didn't believe them all. But the way he fought in class… silent, brutal, flawless?
Yeah. Some of it had to be true.
---
The next morning, I found him waiting by the heli-pad.
Black combat gear. Headphones. No words.
He barely glanced at me before tossing me a bag.
"No heels," he grunted.
I scowled. "They're boots."
"They make sound. I don't work with noisy partners."
I smiled sweetly. "Then walk alone."
His eyes narrowed. "Just don't slow me down."
Oh, this was going to be fun.
---
Our mission brief was simple: infiltrate a simulated weapons auction held by AI-controlled guards, steal the encrypted drive, and get out.
Easy.
If your partner didn't hate your guts.
We entered the simulation room—walls transformed into a neon cityscape, full of traps, turrets, and AI snipers.
And we had five hours.
---
"Stay behind me," Mikhail ordered.
I rolled my eyes. "Try not to get shot."
We moved.
Fast.
Quiet.
Mikhail was a machine—every move calculated, brutal, silent. I followed his lead, but my instincts screamed constantly.
This wasn't just a simulation to him. He was testing me.
---
Two hours in, we reached the server vault.
I hacked the entry while he covered me, guns blazing.
"You're slow," he said.
"You're rude," I shot back, slipping the drive into my belt.
As we turned to leave—
BOOM.
A wall exploded, and AI drones swarmed in.
Too many.
I grabbed Mikhail's arm. "New exit—west tower!"
"Go. I'll hold them."
"What? No—"
"GO!"
His tone left no room for argument.
I ran.
---
Fifteen minutes later, I reached the checkpoint—drive secured.
Alone.
I waited. Heart pounding. Every second a war in my head.
Did he make it?
Should I go back?
Then, finally—
He emerged. Bloodied. Smirking.
"Took you long enough," I said.
He tossed something at me.
It was a small, silver pin. A listening device.
"Planted it on the head AI," he said. "Bonus intel. You're welcome."
I blinked. "You broke protocol."
He shrugged. "I break everything."
And for the first time…
He smiled at me.
---
That night, as I collapsed into bed, exhausted and bruised, I couldn't help but wonder:
Did Mikhail… respect me now?
Maybe. Just a little.
One partner down.
Four more monsters to go.
---
End of Chapter 17
---