10 Years Ago
The high-tech training room hummed with the sound of kinetic energy. A young Victoria moved like a rhythmic blur, her punches connecting with a heavy bag with bone-crushing precision. Every strike was a display of raw dexterity and focused rage. Nearby, she transitioned to a massive barbell, her muscles straining and defining as she flawlessly repped 160 kg.
Wiping a bead of sweat from her brow, she glanced toward the shadow lingering in the doorway. "Hey, Dad."
The figure turned. It was Victor, the man who would one day be known only as the Advisor. In this time, his face was still visible, though his features were etched with a grim, perpetual worry. "What," he replied flatly.
Victoria's eyes were full of fire as she stepped forward. "I think I'm ready. I want to join the GDA and fight against the Void Army."
Victor turned fully, his eyes hardening as he surveyed his daughter. "Are you sure you are ready, young lady? Look at you. Still puny. Still tiny. I don't want to see you squashed on the battlefield like an ant fighting a fire ant."
"I am ready, Father!" Victoria's frustration boiled over into a shout. "Why are you so hard to talk to? I'm sixteen! What more can I possibly achieve?"
"Your dignity," Victor said, his voice dropping to a cold, clinical tone. "Your emotions. Your confidence. And your—"
He was cut short as a woman stepped into the room. Liaison, Victoria's mother, radiated a calm but firm authority that seemed to settle the air. "Victor, we need to talk. Real quick."
Victor's gaze softened instantly. "Yes, my wife."
As they retreated into a private office, Victoria let out a scream of fury, kicking the reinforced training wall with enough force to make the gym floor shudder. Inside the office, Victor sank into his chair, the weight of his rank vanishing. "I just want to protect her, Liaison. But she's so stubborn!"
Liaison smiled warmly, placing a steadying hand on his shoulder. "She's grown up, dear. She can take it."
Victor looked up, the fear of a father finally visible in his eyes. "I'm afraid she'll die at the hands of the Void."
"She won't," Liaison promised.
Victor let out a long sigh, taking her hand. "Yeah... she won't. For you, my wife."
5 Years Later
The setting shifted from the sterile gym to a muddy, blood-stained battlefield camp. The girl was gone. In her place sat a woman who had spent five years in the meat grinder of the GDA service. Her eyes were dark, tough, and haunted. Battle scars mapped her arms, and her biceps bulged as she rested her chin on the heavy handle of her massive war hammer.
"Hey, hot stuff. What you doin'?"
Victoria didn't flinch. She slowly looked up, her voice a low, dangerous growl. "Leave the Commander alone, twink."
The newcomer was a younger, cockier John. He leaned against a crate, flashing a confident grin. "I'm a Commander as well, bro. Listen, wanna be friends? I don't care if you disagree. I'm gonna annoy you for the rest of your life. I'm a part of your life now."
Victoria stared at him for a long beat, her gaze searching for a weakness. Instead, she found a genuine spark behind the arrogance. "Name?"
"John," he said, extending a hand toward her.
Victoria reached out and took it, her grip like a vice. A small, dangerous smirk played on her lips for the first time in years. "Name... Slammer."