Jones knew something was different the moment he entered the briefing room.
It wasn't the room itself—same steel walls, same muted lights—but the people inside it. Guards lined the perimeter now, alert and armed. A few researchers stood behind reinforced glass, eyes fixed on the central display.
Commander Derick stood at the front, hands resting on the table.
"This is not a simulation," Derick said.
The words landed with weight.
Jones straightened. His systems remained calm, attentive. No spike. No surge.
"A rogue droid cluster was detected twelve kilometers from the city perimeter," Derick continued. "Low-density zone. Minimal civilian presence. Perfect conditions for a first live operation."
Jones' jaw tightened slightly.
*So this is it.*
"You will not deploy alone," Derick added. "Observation unit only. I'll be watching every move."
The display shifted, showing grainy aerial footage—twisted metal structures, half-buried buildings, erratic heat signatures moving through the ruins.
Jones studied the patterns. They weren't random.
"They're coordinating," Jones said quietly.
Derick nodded. "Good catch."
Moments later, the transport doors sealed shut.
The ride was silent.
Jones stood secured in place, feeling the low vibration of the carrier beneath his feet. Unlike before, there was no anger boiling in his chest. No hunger for destruction.
Only focus.
When the doors opened, heat and dust rushed in.
The ruin zone stretched out before him—collapsed structures, scorched ground, the faint sound of metal scraping against stone somewhere in the distance.
"Live feed active," Derick's voice came through his comm. "Remember—judgment first. Force second."
Jones stepped forward.
Movement.
Two droids emerged from behind a broken wall. Their movements were sloppy, damaged—but their targeting systems locked onto him immediately.
Hostile.
Jones advanced calmly.
The first droid charged. Jones sidestepped and struck low, disabling its leg joint. The second attempted to flank him.
Jones adjusted, redirected the incoming strike, and drove a controlled blow into its core. Sparks burst as it collapsed.
The first droid tried to crawl away.
Jones paused.
It powered down on its own.
Jones stepped back, scanning the area.
More movement—this time deeper in the ruins. Multiple signatures.
Jones didn't rush in.
"Derick," he said into the comm. "They're pulling back. Drawing me in."
A brief pause.
"Confirmed," Derick replied. "What's your call?"
Jones took a breath.
*This isn't training anymore.*
"Hold position," Jones said. "I'll control the approach."
He repositioned, using debris for cover, forcing the droids to reveal themselves instead of chasing them blindly.
When the next unit appeared, Jones was ready.
Clean strike. Controlled force. Immediate shutdown.
This went on till all signatures had either disappeared or been taken down by Jones
Silence followed.
Jones stood still, systems scanning, posture relaxed but ready.
Derick's voice came through again, quieter this time.
"Mission complete. Extraction inbound."
Jones looked out over the ruins, metal husks scattered across the ground.
For the first time since waking up in this body, he felt it clearly.
He wasn't just surviving missions anymore.
He was leading them.