The war room had emptied out except for Raven, Azul, and Jeffrie. The others were gearing up for their own missions, but Raven's departure was first.
Azul swiped across the holographic interface, bringing up the schematics of the Tokyo black site prison. The high-security facility was buried beneath a skyscraper owned by one of Sable's shell companies, disguised as a high-tech research lab.
"This place is no joke," Azul said, adjusting her glasses. "It's locked down tight. Facial recognition, pressure-sensitive floors, biometric scanning—you name it. If you trip one alarm, the entire sector will be on you in minutes."
Raven studied the map with a cool gaze. "Guess I better not trip any alarms then."
Jeffrie folded his arms. "You sure you want to go solo? In a place like this, an extra set of hands wouldn't hurt."
Raven smirked. "Appreciate the concern, but stealth isn't exactly your strong suit."
Azul nodded. "She's got a point. The more people we send, the higher the risk. This mission is about getting in undetected."
Jeffrie exhaled, jaw tightening. "Just don't get yourself killed, all right?"
Raven stepped closer, tilting her head slightly. "You worried about me, boss?"
Jeffrie held her gaze, his voice steady. "I'm worried about all of us."
For a brief second, something flickered in Raven's expression—something unreadable. But she didn't let it linger. Instead, she grabbed her gear off the table and started strapping in—lightweight armor, combat knives, silenced pistols, and a grappling hook.
Azul slid a small device across the table. "This is your entry key. Once you're inside, plug it into their system, and I can shut down internal cameras for a five-minute window. You'll need to move fast."
Raven tucked it into her belt. "Fast is what I do best."
Azul exhaled. "Kai and Jiro are high-value prisoners. Sable's goons aren't going to let them go without a fight. Expect the worst."
Raven smirked. "I always do."
Jeffrie gave her a final nod. "Get in. Get them. Get out. We'll be waiting for your signal."
Raven turned for the exit—but before she could take a step, Jeffrie caught her wrist.
She barely had time to react before he pulled her into a firm embrace, his arms locking around her waist. It wasn't rough, wasn't desperate, just steady, certain. Like a promise.
Caught off guard, Raven stiffened for a split second before melting into him.
"You're the one telling me who's not stealthy?" Jeffrie murmured against her ear, his voice low, teasing—but laced with something deeper.
Raven let out a soft chuckle. "You got lucky, boss."
Jeffrie pulled back just enough to look her in the eyes, his gaze dark, searching. Then—before she could say anything else, he leaned in, capturing her lips in a slow, deep kiss. It wasn't rushed. It wasn't hurried. It was the kind of kiss that left a mark, something to carry into the unknown.
By the time they broke apart, Raven's smirk had turned wicked. "Now you're just giving me a reason to come back faster."
Jeffrie's thumb brushed over her jawline. "If anything goes south, if you need me—" his voice turned serious, low "—I'll come for you."
Raven's grin softened just a little. "I know."
She took a step back, disappearing into the shadows.
And just like that—she was gone
Heavy rain pounded against the rooftop as Raven crouched on the edge of a high-rise, staring down at the prison disguised as a corporate building. Neon lights bled into the storm, their glow flickering across the sleek glass structure below.
From her vantage point, she mapped out her approach—armed guards on the perimeter, drones sweeping the rooftop, reinforced security doors at every entry. No room for error.
Azul's voice crackled softly in her earpiece. "Alright, you're in position. I've got your biometric scrambler online, but that's only gonna buy you a few seconds if you get spotted."
Raven adjusted her gloves, smirking. "Don't worry. I don't get spotted."
With a steadying breath, she leaped from the rooftop.
Mid-air, her grappling hook fired, latching onto a narrow ledge just beneath the rooftop security grid. She swung smoothly, boots landing with barely a whisper against the slick glass.
Azul's voice remained steady. "You've got two options: Ventilation system—tight squeeze, but it leads straight to the lower levels. Or the west side maintenance corridor—less security, but motion sensors."
Raven's violet eyes flicked between the choices before she grinned. "I never liked vents."
Scaling the side of the building with calculated precision, she reached the maintenance corridor's entry point. A quick swipe of Azul's entry key, and the lock disengaged. She slipped inside, swallowed by the shadows.
Predator in the Dark
The corridor was dimly lit, a sterile hum vibrating through the walls. The rhythmic thrum of security systems pulsed beneath her fingertips as she navigated forward. Then—footsteps.
Two guards, walking in sync. Their conversation was low, casual.
Raven pressed herself against the shadows, waiting.
The moment the first guard passed, she lunged. An arm around his throat, a precise squeeze—he was out before he could react.
The second barely had time to turn before her knife flicked across his leg, severing the tendon. He crumpled, sucking in a sharp breath—too late.
A silenced pistol pressed against his temple.
"Make a sound, and I'll make sure it's your last."
His hands trembled as she disarmed him. A single strike to the temple—lights out.
Azul's voice filtered through again. "Nice work. You've got a clear path to the control room, but hurry—shift change in five minutes."
Raven smirked. "Five minutes? I'll be done in three."
She moved fast, a ghost slipping through steel and glass. Every step brought her closer to her objective—Kai Ramirez and Jiro Takeda, two of the most vital assets left in this war.
The Path to the Prisoners
Raven flowed through the Tokyo detention facility, reading the space like a battlefield. The air was cold, sterile, and humming with unseen threats. Every corner, every doorway—she saw them before they saw her.
Azul's voice remained her anchor. "Raven, you've got movement ahead. Three guards near the control room. You can take them, but if they raise an alarm—"
"They won't," Raven whispered, sliding a dagger from her belt.
The hunt had begun.
The Ghost Strikes
Like a phantom, Raven vaulted onto a support beam above, her movements fluid, silent. Below, the three guards chatted, unaware that death was already among them.
She dropped soundlessly.
The first barely turned his head before her blade whispered across his throat.
The second fumbled for his gun—too slow. She caught his wrist, twisting until the bone snapped with a sickening crack, then shoved his own weapon beneath his chin and pulled the trigger.
The third tried to run.
He made it two steps before Raven struck, slamming him against the wall, her knife pressing into his throat.
"Where are the prisoners?" she whispered, her voice razor-sharp.
The guard gasped. "Basement level! High-security wing! You won't—"
A precise strike to the temple. He dropped.
Azul's voice crackled in her ear. "Damn, you're efficient."
Raven wiped her blade on her sleeve. "You say that like you're surprised."
She moved swiftly, bypassing the biometric scanner with the keycard she swiped from the guard. The elevator to the lower levels was just ahead.
Then Azul's tone shifted—sharp, urgent.
"Wait. The elevator just activated… Someone's coming up."
Raven froze. "Who?"
A pause. Then—"I… I don't know. But their security clearance is high. Really high."
Her eyes narrowed, gun drawn, as the digital floor counter ticked upward.
Ding.
The doors slid open.
A tall, broad-shouldered figure stepped out, dressed in sleek black tactical gear. Rainwater dripped from his dark hair, silver eyes locking onto hers.
Raven's stomach clenched. No way…
The man smirked. "Did you miss me, Raven?"
Ezra King.
Once a trusted ally. Now standing between her and her mission.
Azul's voice crackled with urgency. "Raven… get out of there. Now."
But Raven didn't move.
Because deep down, she knew—
This fight was inevitable.
Raven's grip on her gun tightened, her heart a steady drum in her chest. Ezra King was supposed to be dead.
Yet here he stood. Smirking. Unbothered.
He raised his hands in a mock surrender. "Still quick on the draw, huh, Raven?"
She didn't lower her weapon. "You have ten seconds to tell me why you're here before I put a bullet between your eyes."
Ezra chuckled, tilting his head. "I thought you'd be happy to see me."
"Happy?" she scoffed. "I thought you were dead. And now you're standing in my way."
Secrets in the Dark
Ezra's smirk faded slightly. "I'm not your enemy, Raven."
Azul's voice crackled through the earpiece. "Raven, what the hell is going on? Why haven't you shot him?"
Raven ignored her, keeping her gaze locked on Ezra. "Then start talking. Why are you here?"
Ezra lowered his hands, stepping slowly out of the elevator. His movements were calm—too controlled for a man expecting a fight. "Same reason you are, I imagine. I'm getting someone out."
Raven's jaw tightened. "Who?"
Ezra exhaled. "Jiro Takeda."
Raven froze.
Jiro. One of her targets.
Azul, silent for a beat, suddenly came back on the line. "Wait. Ezra's extracting Jiro?"
Ezra nodded. "Yeah. I've been here a few days, scouting. This place is locked down tight. I was planning my own breakout when you waltzed in." He crossed his arms. "Not gonna lie, you almost screwed up my plan."
Raven huffed, lowering her gun slightly. "Then why didn't you contact us? Let anyone know you were alive?"
Ezra's jaw tensed. "Because I didn't know who I could trust."
A cold weight settled in Raven's chest.
This was bigger than she thought.
She stepped closer, voice low. "Ezra… What do you know?"
He hesitated, then looked her dead in the eye and said four words that changed everything.
"Sable has a mole."
Raven's stomach dropped.
Azul's voice came back, alarmed. "Raven, did he just say—"
"Not now."
Ezra's gaze was unwavering. "Jiro knows something. Something Sable wanted buried. That's why he's still alive."
Raven let out a slow breath. "Then we're taking him. Together."
Ezra smirked. "That's the Raven I remember."
She holstered her gun. "Let's move."
Raven tapped her earpiece. "Azul, update our mission parameters. We have an ally."
Azul, still wary, responded, "We better hope he's not lying. If he's telling the truth, this changes everything."
Ezra rolled his eyes. "Nice to know I'm still getting the warm welcome."
Raven ignored the sarcasm and focused on the mission. "Jiro's in maximum security, right?"
Ezra nodded. "Yeah, deep in the heart of the facility. Ayana's being held separately, but not far. I was going to grab them one at a time, but…" He smirked. "Since you're here, we can do it in half the time."
Split and Conquer
Raven hesitated, then nodded. "Fine. We split up. You get Jiro, I'll take Ayana. Meet back here in ten."
Ezra grinned. "Just like old times."
Raven shot him a deadpan look. "This isn't nostalgia hour. Move."
Ezra chuckled but didn't argue, slipping into the shadows. He was good. Too good.
Raven turned and moved fast. The facility was crawling with enhanced guards, but she had no intention of being seen.
Azul's voice crackled in her ear. "You've got a clear route to Ayana's holding cell, but you'll need to bypass a biometric lock."
Raven smirked. "Good thing I brought my tools."
She pressed forward, slipping past security checkpoints with precision. Ayana had been off the grid for too long, and Raven needed answers.
Meanwhile, Ezra moved like a phantom through the hallways, taking down a guard with a swift, silent strike. He was just as efficient as Raven remembered.
Two retrievals. Two ghosts in enemy territory.
They were either walking out together… or not at all.
The Rescue
Raven moved swiftly through the dark corridors, every step deliberate. Security was tight, but not impenetrable.
Azul's voice was steady in her ear. "You're close. Two enhanced guards stationed outside the cell."
Raven exhaled. So much for a quiet entry.
She didn't hesitate. In a flash, she lunged forward, her blades a blur.
The first guard barely had time to react before she drove her knee into his ribs, knocking the air from his lungs. She caught his falling body and twisted, using him as a shield just as the second guard raised his weapon—
A gunshot rang out.
The second guard slumped to the ground, a bullet clean through his visor.
Raven blinked.
Ezra stepped into view, casually spinning his silencer before holstering it. "You're welcome."
Raven scowled. "Weren't you supposed to be getting Jiro?"
Ezra shrugged. "He's already on his way out. We got lucky—turns out he was planning his own escape. You, on the other hand, looked like you needed a hand."
Raven ignored him and pushed into the cell.