Zog told Max to go back.Max agreed and went back.
The synthetic meatloaf in the HPF mess hall tasted like salted cardboard, but after six days of liquid nutrient drips and regeneration tanks, to Max and his team, it tasted like a five-star meal.
The squad sat at a corner table, finally out of hospital gowns and back in their casual base fatigues. Malina was flexing her left hand, testing the grip strength of her healed fingers. Eren was devouring his third helping of mashed potatoes, while Edy was nursing a cup of tea, looking pale but coherent.
"I'm just saying," Eren mumbled with his mouth full, "if I have to spend another day in that tank, I'm going to phase through the glass. It smells like pickled onions in there."
"It smells like antiseptic, Eren," Malina corrected without looking up. "And it knitted your femur back together in forty-eight hours, so show some gratitude."
Max poked at his food, his mind drifting back to the leather book hidden under the loose floorboard in his quarters. He hadn't touched it since the meeting with Zog.
Suddenly, a shadow fell over their table. An HPF junior agent stood there, looking nervous.
"Squad 5," the agent said, saluting. "Commander Zog requires your presence immediately. Briefing Room 1."
The laughter died at the table. Max exchanged a look with Malina. They hadn't even been cleared for active duty yet.
"Let's go," Max said, standing up.
The walk to the Commander's office was silent. When they pushed open the heavy double doors, the atmosphere inside was thick with tension.
Commander Zog was standing behind his desk, staring at a holographic map of a glittering, high-tech city sector. Instructor Jod was leaning against a filing cabinet, cleaning his nails with a combat knife, looking as bored and dangerous as ever.
"Sit," Zog commanded.
The four teenagers took the chairs opposite the desk.
"I'll make this quick," Zog began, his mechanical eye zooming in on the map. "This is the Rose District. It's the entertainment capital of the western Coast. Casinos, hotels, high-end clubs. It's where the rich go to forget that the world is ending."
"Sounds nice," Eren whispered to Edy. "Maybe we can get a drink."
"You are not going there to drink," Zog snapped. "We have received intel from a deep-cover source. A Level 4 Mutation has been tracked to the district."
"Just a Level 4?" Malina asked. "We killed M-Class entities in Oakhaven. A Level 4 should be standard procedure."
"Not this one," Jod spoke up, sliding his knife into its sheath. "This isn't a brawler. It's a Mimic."
Zog tapped the desk, and the hologram shifted to show a crowded street. "This Guut has evolved the ability to compress its shadow-mass and overlay it with a biological disguise. It looks human. It talks human. It bleeds red if you cut it superficially."
A chill ran down Max's spine. "So... it could be anyone?"
"Exactly," Zog nodded grimly. "It is currently hunting in the Rose District, picking off high-value targets. We can't send in a tac-team with heavy weapons; the panic would cause a stampede, and the Guut would slip away in the chaos."
"So, we go in quiet," Max realized.
"Undercover," Zog confirmed. "Civilian disguise. You act like tourists. You blend in. You find the anomaly, lure it to a secluded spot, and kill it."
"Jod will be leading the operation on the ground," Zog continued. "But he's a combat instructor, not a spy. So, I am assigning a specialist to babysit you."
Zog pressed a button on his intercom. "Send her in."
The side door to the office slide open with a soft hiss.
"Gentlemen," a sultry, confident voice echoed through the room. "And lady."
Max, Edy, and Eren turned their heads, and their jaws collectively dropped.
Walking into the room was a woman who looked less like a soldier and more like a weaponized pin-up model. She appeared to be in her late twenties, with cascading dark hair and lips painted a dangerous shade of crimson.
She was wearing a modified HPF officer's uniform, but it barely adhered to regulations. The jacket was unzipped low, revealing a deep, plunging neckline that showcased a massive amount of cleavage. Her shirt was tight, clinging to an hourglass figure that seemed to defy gravity. Her skirt was short, showing off legs that ended in sharp, stiletto-heeled boots.
She didn't walk; she prowled. Every step was deliberate, commanding attention.
Eren choked on his own spit. Edy's face turned bright red, and he quickly looked down at his shoes. Even Max felt his heart rate spike involuntarily. Malina just raised an eyebrow, looking unimpressed.
The woman stopped next to Jod, who didn't even blink, though he shifted slightly to give her space.
"This," Zog introduced, "is Special Agent Raina. She is the head of the Infiltration and Seduction Unit."
Raina smiled, and it was a dazzling, terrifying expression. She leaned over the desk slightly, emphasizing her assets, before turning her gaze to the squad.
"Hi, kids," she purred. "I heard you took down a Monarch's pet. Not bad for a bunch of virgins."
"I-I'm not—" Eren started to protest, but his voice cracked.
"Relax, speedster," Raina winked at him. "I'm here to teach you how to hunt without using your fists. In the Rose District, you don't kill with a sword. You kill with a smile."
She turned to Zog, placing a hand on her hip. "So, Commander. When do we leave? My heels are getting bored."
"Tonight," Zog said. "Pack your civilian clothes. No armor. No heavy weapons. Just your wits and your fluids."
Raina turned back to the team, her eyes scanning Max up and down with a predatory curiosity.
"Well, 'Shadow Boy'," she grinned. "Let's see if you can handle a different kind of danger. Try not to stare too hard; you might hurt your eyes."
She turned and walked out, her hips swaying hypnotically.
The room was silent for a full five seconds after she left.
"Close your mouth, Eren," Jod said dryly. "You're drooling on the Commander's carpet."