The mission had unfolded with precision until a sudden explosion shattered the calm. An enemy trap detonated beneath one of the agents, the blast throwing Viper and the others apart. The shockwave tore through her suit; shards of debris embedded themselves in her side, sharp enough to draw blood but not to stop her.

Static crackled in her earpiece. “Status report,” she ordered, her voice tight but composed.

All agents checked in shaken, but alive. They were too close to the objective to abort. The team would push forward, while Viper was ordered to fall back and secure the evacuation route. If the mission went south, she would be their contingency.

She pressed a hand against her side, rose to her feet, and forced herself onward. Pain was a distraction — one she could afford to ignore.

As she turned a corner, she froze. A civilian stood a few meters away, eyes wide, trembling in disbelief at the sight of the wreckage and armed agents. His presence was an unpredictable variable dangerous.

Viper’s mind calculated the risks in an instant. Exposure, information leak, panic response. All unacceptable.

She pressed a finger to her comm. “Command, we have a civilian witness,” she said, her tone steady, almost indifferent. “Proceeding under emergency protocol. Containment required.”