Location: Geneva, Switzerland – Summit Pavilion Grounds
The Summit Pavilion stood like a gleaming monument to global unity—glass, steel, and symbolism woven into one. Flags of over 60 nations fluttered in the alpine breeze. Delegates, security teams, and journalists filled the plaza, while snipers and scanners monitored every inch from rooftops and towers.
At the heart of it all, Nora stood tall in a slate-blue tailored suit, a symbol of Tavara's strength and medical innovation. She'd already shaken hands with prime ministers and medical titans. But her focus was fixed ahead—on the keynote stage where she'd be delivering a message not just about healthcare, but about survival.
From a distance, Damien watched her ascend the stage steps, flanked by elite security dressed in civilian form. His earpiece buzzed.
"Alpha Watch, status?" he murmured.
"Stable. No breach detected. Facial scans clear. But we've got electromagnetic fluctuations near the north control tower," Logan's voice responded.
"Send a drone sweep. Don't wait."
---
Location: Summit Control Tower – North Wing
A man in a technician's uniform moved quickly, typing commands into the power grid interface. Hidden beneath his sleeve, a tattoo marked him—a Phoenix sigil in black ink.
He inserted a drive into the console.
Command Accepted. Countdown: 17 minutes.
A hidden circuit lit up beneath the Pavilion's main stage—beneath Nora's feet.
---
Location: Main Stage – Summit Pavilion
Nora took the microphone as the lights dimmed. The crowd quieted. Cameras streamed her face to millions around the world.
"My name is Dr. Nora Lane, and I am a survivor," she began, voice steady. "I've seen war crush nations. Disease break families. Power poison the hearts of leaders. And yet, we stand—together."
The audience leaned in, captivated.
"Health is not a privilege for the powerful. It is a right for every soul, every child, every elder, every outcast. We will not let fear write our future. We will lead with truth—"
Suddenly, Damien's voice cut through her earpiece.
"Nora. Get off the stage. Now."
Her heart skipped. "What?"
"Bomb. Under the stage. Go. Now."
She turned mid-sentence. "Ladies and gentlemen, please evacuate calmly—this is a safety alert."
Security swarmed as murmurs turned to panic. The moderator tried to intervene, but Nora pulled away, rushing down the stairs.
Behind her, Damien sprinted onto the platform. "I've got the detonator feed. Logan's working on a signal jam. We have seconds!"
---
Location: Pavilion Basement – Bomb Chamber
Logan and two tech operatives stood before a makeshift explosive grid—advanced, military-grade.
"Whoever designed this... they had access to our decryption cores," Logan muttered.
"Can we disarm it?"
"One shot."
They keyed in the final override code.
System Halted. Countdown aborted.
---
Location: Pavilion Grounds – Moments Later
Nora stood surrounded by guards and press, her expression shaken but unbroken.
Damien reached her side, eyes locked with hers. "They tried to make a statement."
"They failed," she said, voice low.
But just as peace began to return, Damien's phone vibrated. An anonymous message. No number. Just text:
"Next time, we won't miss. And she won't see it coming."
Attached was a blurry image—of Nora, standing at the summit stage, taken from a sniper's scope.
Damien's jaw clenched. He turned to Logan. "We're not fighting one enemy anymore. We're fighting a network. A hydra."
Nora whispered, "Then we cut off every head… one by one."