Chapter Text
Four years had passed since the C-virus first unleashed its devastating wrath upon the Republic of Edonia and China. The world teetered on the brink of collapse, a close call that would have marked the end,if not for an unexpected anti-hero. Jake Muller, a man once shadowed by the sins of his father, had turned the tide. Who could have predicted that the son of a tyrant would be the one to save humanity?
When the world thought the nightmare was over, whispers surfaced about a resurgence of the C-virus,this time, deadlier, stealthier. The Division of Security Operations (DSO) caught wind of an underground pharmaceutical company crafting a variant dubbed the "C-2” virus. The source? A disgraced former DSO operative who, after being fired for misconduct, had sold classified documents detailing Jake Muller's blood and genome to the black market. This leak gave rise to the new threat.
Unlike its injectable predecessors, the C-2 virus comes in the form of a seemingly innocent white pill, indistinguishable from any over-the-counter medication. This evolution makes it far harder to detect. The company behind it employs a sophisticated distribution network, peddling the pill through a “dealer to user” chain, and advertising it on the dark web as a non-FDA-approved energy supplement. Like the original C-virus, the effects are immediate and addictive. In just two to three doses, users would feel a surge of energy, until the addiction takes hold.
Once a person consumes more than the recommended dose, the side effects become irreversible. Numbness, psychosis, and the gradual decay of the user’s grip on sanity. But unlike previous outbreaks, this isn’t about zombies, it’s a slow, agonizing descent into madness, pushing users to the brink of suicide as they desperately cling to their fleeting existence.
With DSO tracking dark web activity related to this drug, they've launched "Project Vulture." The mission is to locate Jake Muller once more to determine if there are new findings in his blood that could aid in manufacturing the antidote for this emerging craze. Studies from four years ago yielded no useful results, but with the recent advancements in technology, they believe that obtaining fresh blood samples from Jake could provide crucial insights.
Agent Sherry Birkin, now entrenched in her fifth year with the DSO, faced a new assignment with a mix of anticipation and apprehension. Her new supervisor, John Stuart, had entrusted her with the task, recognizing that her experience, particularly the challenging escort mission with Jake, made her ideal for the job. The dynamic with Jake had shifted since her last mission objective; their once-urgent camaraderie had dulled into an unspoken distance. The communication between them had dwindled, leaving their connection a mere fleeting memory.
To Sherry, Jake had become a relic of the past, a reminder of a mission that was both binding and incidental. She tried to convince herself that their relationship had been purely professional, a mere job in the grand scheme of things. Yet, deep down, a part of her couldn't fully dismiss the lingering curiosity about him. Did he ever reflect on their time together? Had he found a new path, and settled into a different life? And did he ever think of her? Though she would never voice these questions, the occasional flicker of these thoughts was betrayed by her expression,a silent testament to the lingering impact Jake had on her life.
September 2017, Washington DC, USA - DSO HQ | 5:01 PM
Sherry Birkin sat at her desk, once again pouring her attention over the 500-plus page report for Project Vulture. The document detailed everything from the elusive C-2 Virus to the last known coordinates of Jake Muller. She squinted at a grainy CCTV image of Jake caught in a gunfight, his face a blur of pixels.
“So, he’s back in Edonia…” she mused, her thoughts heavy with the weight of the ongoing conflict there. Even after the C-virus outbreak, Edonia remained a battleground, with sporadic skirmishes and outbreaks continuing to ravage the land. Jake, it seemed, was immersed in the chaos, doing what he could: Helping locals, clearing the dead, and accepting meager payments in food, shelter, and clothing.
Before she could delve further into the report, her laptop pinged with a notification. It was from her supervisor.
“Sherry. My office. Now.”
She closed her laptop with a resigned sigh and made her way to John’s corner office. The door was already ajar.
“You need me, John?” she asked, knocking softly before entering.
“Yes, change of plans,” John said, his tone brooking no argument. “New MO (mission objective) for you. Hand over the mission to Agent (Y/N). We’ve just received intel about an underground lab in Seattle, suspected to be a production site for C-2. I need you on the ground first thing tomorrow morning to investigate.”
Sherry nodded, her heart sinking a little. She had been looking forward to the prospect of seeing Jake again, even if just through the hazy lens of her assignments. She gathered the binder of documents and her laptop, heading to her colleague (Y/N) to discuss the mission turnover.
Meanwhile, (Y/N) was deeply engrossed in updating Jake Muller’s whereabouts. As the coordinator on Project Vulture, she’s responsible for tracking his every move. What had initially seemed like an exciting assignment had become a tedious routine, tracking Jake’s erratic travels across the country. One moment he’ll be in the city, the next he will be in the wilderness.
As (Y/N) refreshed a webpage and scribbled coordinates in her notepad, she felt a presence beside her.
“Agent Birkin, how can I help you?” (Y/N) greeted with a smile.
“I need to speak with you. Meet me in Conference Room C in five minutes,” Sherry said curtly, her tone leaving no room for discussion. The smile on (Y/N)’s face faltered slightly as she wondered what this could be about.
Although (Y/N) and Sherry were good friends outside of work, they maintained a professional demeanor within HQ. Their playful banter and camaraderie were set aside when it came to serious matters like Project Vulture.
With a curious frown, (Y/N) closed her laptop and gathered her things, heading to Conference Room C. Upon entering, she saw Sherry setting up her laptop on the projector.
“Take a seat,” Sherry instructed. “I’m transferring the mission over to you,” she added, skipping the pleasantries.
(Y/N)’s eyes widened in surprise. “Wait, what?”
“Yes, I’ll be heading to Seattle tomorrow to investigate a lab,” Sherry continued, opening a few documents on Jake.
“Hold on, they’re sending me out there alone?” (Y/N) asked, her voice tinged with apprehension. Despite her two and a half years with DSO, she had always been paired with a senior, never taking on a full solo mission.
Sherry sighed. “Why act as if you’ve never done fieldwork before?”
“I have,” (Y/N) protested, “but not without Agent Ledger.” Sebastian Ledger was her usual partner, an imposing thirty-five-year-old figure with slicked-back blonde hair and a 6-foot frame, who had recently become the object of her secret affection.
“(Y/N), you’re 25 and have been with the agency for almost three years. It’s time you handled a mission on your own. And it’s not like you can say no to this, this is John’s order. You’ve been keeping track of Jake for us, if anything, you’ll be the one to find him faster” Sherry reassured her.
“But this starts tomorrow, right?” (Y/N) asked nervously, taking a seat.
“Yes. You’ll be flying out to Edonia’s capital. Your flight’s at 8 a.m. I’m going to brief you on Jake. I know you’ve read his file, but I think you need to hear about my firsthand experience of him,” Sherry said, her discomfort evident. She wanted to keep her personal experiences with Jake private, but felt it necessary to prepare (Y/N) for the task ahead.
“Okay,” (Y/N) replied, resigned.
When the devastating news of the crises in Edonia and China broke in 2012, (Y/N) was merely a graduating student, her world still defined by the routine of academic life. Like Sherry, she felt a deep, urgent desire to contribute, to be part of something larger than herself. Driven by this resolve, she pursued a path that led her to the DSO.
After enduring rigorous tests and evaluations, (Y/N) eagerly embraced every assignment that came her way, regardless of scale or complexity. Each task, whether big or small, was a step toward her goal of making a meaningful difference. Initially, these were mostly short-term assignments, quickly completed and easily forgettable, but each one fueled her commitment and deepened her understanding of the challenging world she had chosen to enter.
(Y/N) wasn’t oblivious; she could sense the undercurrent between Sherry and Jake. From the moment Project Vulture had been launched and Sherry had been appointed co-leader, it was clear that Jake’s name carried an unusual weight. Every time Sherry received an update about him, a subtle, almost imperceptible shift would occur in her demeanor, an expression that fluctuated between concern and nostalgia.
At first, (Y/N) had struggled to understand how a brief period of shared experience could forge such a deep bond. The office stories and fragmented details from Sherry’s past, however, began to piece together a clearer picture. As she delved deeper into the intertwined histories of Sherry and Jake, she began to grasp the intensity of their connection. It wasn’t just about the escort mission they had survived together; it was about the unspoken understanding and trust they had built in the crucible of high-stakes danger.
(Y/N) came to respect this bond, recognizing that it was not merely the result of proximity but of shared trials and mutual reliance. In the harsh reality of their work, such relationships were forged in fire, and understanding that helped her navigate the complexities of their current project.
After two hours of briefing, (Y/N) came away with two key insights about Jake: he was deeply distrustful of government personnel and had a sharp, often offensive wit. Fantastic. Babysitting a rebellious manchild while racing against the clock to save humanity was exactly what she needed.
By the time (Y/N) and Sherry parted ways, the evening had settled into a quiet dusk. The promise of a safe mission exchanged between them felt hollow against the weight of the tasks ahead. As (Y/N) drove to her apartment, the fatigue of the day pressed heavily on her shoulders. She couldn’t shake the feeling of a couple of afterthoughts,why was she the one sent on this mission? And why was she to go alone? It seemed a cruel twist that, with so many agents involved in Project Vulture, she would be left to face this daunting task without a partner.
Agent Ledger was already occupied with another project, further tightening the squeeze on available personnel.
Her apartment was a mere twenty-minute drive from HQ, a small mercy on an otherwise taxing day. Upon arriving, (Y/N) was met by the familiar, unwelcoming silence of her home. She had no appetite for dinner; instead, she simply let her bags fall to the floor and sank onto the couch. After a moment of stillness, she mustered the effort to drag herself to bed.
As she lay there, staring up at the ceiling, she exhaled a deep, weary sigh. She hoped that tomorrow would unfold smoothly, but the uncertainty gnawed at her. She closed her eyes, trying to imagine a positive outcome, though doubt lingered at the edges of her thoughts.