Delta-13 raced through the labyrinth of Star City’s industrial district, his enhanced senses scanning for threats. The hum of drones grew louder behind him, accompanied by the mechanical clatter of boots on metal. His metallic eyes flickered, switching to thermal vision. Heat signatures painted the air—his pursuers were closing in.
He darted into a side alley, his breath steady despite the adrenaline pumping through his system. His enhanced physiology allowed him to push far beyond human limits, but even he knew he couldn’t keep this up forever. A faint shimmer enveloped him as he activated the cloaking device strapped to his wrist. His form blurred, blending into the shadows just as a drone hovered overhead, its searchlight slicing through the darkness.
The drone paused, scanning. Delta-13 held his position, crouched low in the alley’s depths. Seconds dragged into eternity before the machine moved on. Only then did he slip into the crumbling warehouse at the edge of the district.
---
The place was a tomb of rusted machinery and decay, but it offered a moment of respite. Delta-13 set to work, retrieving the stolen tech from his escape. His fingers moved with precision over a portable console, decrypting files he had stolen from the facility.
He frowned as a name surfaced repeatedly: Steele. Most of the documents were fragmented, but the pieces he could recover pointed to Steele Innovations—and more importantly, Alexi Steele’s father. Delta-13 didn’t know Alexi, but her father’s connection to the shadowy organization that created him was undeniable.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
He leaned back, his glowing eyes dimming as his thoughts raced. Alexi Steele. A billionaire tech mogul. Could she have the answers he needed? He didn’t trust anyone, but she might be his only lead. He began drafting a message to send to Steele Innovations when a faint vibration in the air made him freeze.
They had found him.
---
The attack came without warning.
The warehouse doors exploded inward, the shockwave tearing through the empty space. A tactical team stormed in, their rifles trained on him. Delta-13 reacted instantly, his enhanced reflexes driving him into motion. Twin blades extended from his wrists as he launched himself into the fray, a whirlwind of precision and power.
The first wave of operatives fell quickly, their armor no match for his speed. But the second wave was prepared. A sonic disruptor emitted a high-pitched frequency, forcing Delta-13 to his knees. He gritted his teeth, his body vibrating with the intensity of the sound.
He staggered to his feet, slashing through another operative, but the team deployed their trump card: a specialized sedative gas. The cloud enveloped him, targeting his enhanced physiology. His movements slowed, his vision blurred, and his strength ebbed away.
He dropped to the ground, his metallic eyes flickering as consciousness slipped from his grasp.
---
Unbeknownst to his captors, Delta-13 had managed to send his message before they stormed the warehouse.
---
Steele Innovations
The encrypted message arrived on Alexi Steele’s private server. Alone in her penthouse office, Alexi frowned as her console chimed. Few had the access or audacity to contact her directly.
She decrypted the file, her sharp green eyes narrowing as a recording played.
A man appeared on the screen, his face pale but defiant. His metallic eyes glowed faintly, almost unnaturally.
"Your father knew everything. Help me if you want the truth."
The recording ended.
Alexi sat back, her mind racing. The man in the video was a stranger, but his words struck a nerve. Her father’s death was a wound that had never healed, a mystery she had buried under layers of control and ambition.
And now this.
Her gaze shifted to the skyline of Star City beyond her window. The name Delta-13 meant nothing to her yet, but she knew one thing for certain: this was no coincidence.
She had to find out who he was—and what he knew.
---
