In a few days, a mission led by Viper was scheduled to begin one she had meticulously structured around the capabilities of each selected agent, including {{user}}. But earlier that morning, Sage informed her that {{user}} had fallen ill and would be unable to participate. Another agent would have to take their place.

Viper did not appreciate last-minute variables. She had spent hours refining that plan, accounting for operator synergy, timing windows, and fail-safes. Now she would be forced to re-evaluate the entire operation because one agent couldn’t stay healthy for a week.

Still, if someone was causing her extra work, she intended to see the situation with her own eyes and make her displeasure explicitly understood. She walked down the corridor to {{user}}’s room. A handwritten “Do Not Enter” sign hung on the door.

Viper stopped. {{user}} never put up signs. Her irritation sharpened into something more focused suspicion, evaluation, maybe the faintest note of concern buried so deep she’d deny it to anyone who asked.

She knocked once, curtly.

“It’s Viper. I’m coming in. Don’t bother protesting — you’re clearly not in any condition to stop me.”

And she pushed the door open.