Kabelo "Shadow" Ndlovu pressed his back against the cold concrete parapet, taking a steady breath as he peered through the rifle scope. The derelict warehouse across the yard was dimly lit by flickering fluorescent lights, its walls tagged with faded Cyrillic slogans. Somewhere inside, a target was moving—a critical link to the remnants of Project Prometheus. The night air in Transnistria was crisp and still; even the stray dogs were quiet as if sensing the tension.
Shadow lay prone on the rooftop of an abandoned factory building, overlooking the smuggler's compound on the outskirts of Tiraspol. He adjusted the scope's zoom, finding the silhouette of a man in a cheap suit escorted by two armed guards. Anton Federov, the arms broker who had been peddling Prometheus tech on the black market. This man held documents that could expose international efforts to replicate the Prometheus experiments. Shadow steadied his aim, the rifle's suppressor casting a long shadow under the moonlight. His orders were clear: obtain those documents by any means necessary.
Through the small earpiece in his left ear, a voice crackled softly with a British accent, dripping with wry humor. "Oi, Shadow, the drone's picked up movement by the east gate. Looks like our friend Federov brought more mates to the party than expected," the voice said. That would be Ian Pierce, the new MI6-trained tech and drone specialist, recently attached to Shadow's task force. True to his reputation, Pierce couldn't resist a quip even in the tensest moments. "Also, not to rush your perfect shot or anything, but we've got a narrow window before his convoy heads out. You know, in case you were getting too comfy up there."
Kabelo allowed himself the slightest smirk. He kept his voice low, barely above a whisper. "Visual on Federov. I count two bodyguards armed with AKs. No eyes on any additional hostiles yet."
Another voice came through the comms—female, calm and no-nonsense. "Acknowledged, Shadow. We're in position at the breach point." That was Naledi Khumalo, the new field medic on the team. A South African like Kabelo, by coincidence, though she hailed from a different part of the continent. Naledi had joined the task force with a sterling combat medic record—and a guarded demeanor that suggested a weighty past. Shadow suspected she'd seen more than her share of trauma.
From a secondary position on the ground, hidden behind the crumbling remains of a brick wall, Naledi and Pierce stood by. Pierce's part of the operation was to jam communications and monitor via a small reconnaissance drone circling overhead. Naledi's role: be ready for casualties and support the assault if needed.
The plan was straightforward but daring: Shadow would eliminate Federov's guards and any lookouts with precision shots. Then he would use his unique advantage—his portal ability—to snatch the target before anyone knew what happened. It was a bold tactic they'd codenamed a "phantom breach." In theory, Kabelo could create a short-lived portal directly into Federov's vicinity, grab the briefcase of documents and even Federov himself if necessary, and vanish into the night like a ghost. The success of such a stunt, however, demanded perfect timing and coordination.
Shadow exhaled slowly, finger tightening on the trigger. Over the comm, their team leader—Commander Raines back at the mobile command truck—gave the green light. "All units, Shadow is weapons free. Execute on target."
Without a sound, Kabelo squeezed the trigger. His rifle kicked into his shoulder, whisper-quiet. Through the scope, he saw the first guard drop before the man knew what hit him, a single 7.62mm round piercing the skull. Before the echo faded, Shadow adjusted aim and fired again. The second guard stumbled, a crimson spray misting the air as he collapsed against Federov's car.
Federov himself was momentarily frozen in shock, his eyes widening as the realization set in that he was exposed. Shadow didn't give him a chance to run or duck. In one fluid motion, he slung his rifle across his back and raised his left hand toward the rooftop ledge before him. Concentrating, he felt a familiar tug in his chest—a sensation like the world holding its breath.
A circular distortion, as dark as midnight, blossomed in the air beside Kabelo. It was as if someone had torn a hole in reality itself, edges shimmering faintly. Simultaneously, twenty meters away behind Federov, its twin portal opened against the warehouse's corrugated metal wall. Federov whirled around, mouth agape at the sudden black oval that defied all logic.
He had no time to scream. Shadow stepped through the portal on the roof and instantaneously emerged from the one behind Federov. One moment Kabelo was lying on a rooftop; the next he was stepping out of thin air onto cracked asphalt right behind his target.
Federov made a panicked yelp as strong arms wrapped around him. Shadow clamped a gloved hand over the man's mouth. With his other hand, Kabelo wrenched the briefcase from Federov's grip.
Inside Shadow's earpiece, Pierce whooped quietly. "Smooth entrance, mate. Textbook 'Phantom Snatch'! Now bring our guest over for tea, would ya?"
Bullets suddenly pinged off metal nearby, startling Federov into renewed struggle. A surviving guard from further down the yard had spotted them and opened fire wildly. Naledi's calm voice cut in, "Shadow, get clear! I'll lay down suppressing fire." True to her word, a burst of suppressed gunfire erupted from Naledi's position. Her shots drove the remaining gunman into cover behind a stack of barrels.
Shadow tightened his grip on the wriggling Federov. The man was all sweat and desperation, the stench of fear rolling off him. Kabelo dragged him backwards a few steps, toward where his portal still shimmered. Through that oval doorway, he could see the rooftop where he had been moments before. Maintaining a portal took focus and energy, and he could already feel a strain behind his eyes. He knew better than to push it too long.
With a heave, Shadow shoved Federov ahead of him straight into the inky portal. The two of them tumbled out onto the rooftop on the other side. Federov collapsed in a heap, eyes bulging as he tried to process how he had been instantly transported from ground to roof.
Kabelo emerged behind him and immediately released his concentration. Both portals snapped shut with a faint crackle of displaced air. Down below, confused shouts in Russian told him the remaining guards were scrambling, unsure of where their target had vanished to.
Federov crawled backwards on all fours, away from Kabelo, babbling in Russian, "Что ты… демон?!" The terrified question—"What are you… demon?!"—made Kabelo wince inwardly. Demon. Ghost. Phantom. He'd heard it all from those who had seen his powers in action. He supposed he couldn't blame Federov for thinking he was some vengeful spirit; in the darkness, Shadow's lean, black-clad form and the balaclava covering the lower half of his face likely did look otherworldly.
Shadow swiftly closed the distance and pressed Federov flat with a boot on his chest. "Stay down," he ordered curtly. In accented English, Federov stammered rapidly, "Don't kill me! Please, I– I'll tell you what you want—anything!"
"That's the idea," Kabelo muttered, quickly binding Federov's wrists with flex-cuffs he pulled from his belt. The mission protocol was to extract Federov alive if possible. His knowledge of the tech trafficking networks would be invaluable. The briefcase lay nearby; Shadow scooped it up, heart pounding with adrenaline and triumph. They had him.
Pierce's voice chimed in cheerily. "All right, assets secured. Now let's get out before the neighbors bring any welcome wagons. Shadow, we've got company moving in from the main road—looks like two trucks, maybe reinforcements. I suggest using the express exit."
The "express exit" was Pierce's nickname for Kabelo's portals, which he seemed to treat with cavalier humor. Shadow glanced at Federov, gauging if the portly arms dealer could handle another jump through space. Too bad if he couldn't—he was coming along regardless.
"Copy that," Kabelo responded. "Moving to exfil." He hoisted Federov to his feet with a firm grip on the man's collar. Into his mic, he instructed, "Pierce, mark an extraction point."
On the ground, Ian Pierce pulled a small laser designator from a pouch and aimed it at an open stretch of concrete outside the compound's east wall. The designator painted a nearly invisible infrared beam as a target marker. "Marked. If you can port to that beam location, we'll be clear of the compound and close to our getaway vehicle."
Kabelo focused on the spot Pierce described. He'd ported to places he could not directly see before, but only when guided by precise coordinates or markers. The IR beam Pierce provided was visible through Kabelo's multi-spectral goggles as a bright dot on the ground two hundred meters away—just at the edge of his portal range. Shadow felt the familiar tightness in his chest as he extended a hand and willed a new portal into being. A disc of darkness, about two meters high, formed in front of him and Federov, while its twin simultaneously appeared at the IR marker by the wall where Pierce and Naledi waited.
Without further ceremony, Shadow pushed Federov through and stepped in after him. In a blink, the duo emerged beside Pierce and Naledi, who were crouched amid tall weeds by the wall. Federov promptly fell to his knees, retching, overwhelmed by this impossible mode of travel.
Pierce clapped the astonished arms dealer on the shoulder breezily. "First time teleporting? It does take the stomach for a ride, old chap." Naledi rolled her eyes but said nothing, her focus scanning their surroundings for threats.
Naledi's face was set in a hard mask, brown eyes flickering to the bound Federov. Her grip on her silenced SMG remained tight. Shadow knew she had no love for men like him—warlords, arms dealers, the sort who left trails of bodies that she'd spent her career trying to save. "Convoy's two minutes out," she said briskly. "We need to move."
Commander Raines's voice came over comms, "Team, rendezvous at extraction point Bravo. Good work. Bird is inbound to pick you up." A helicopter would be swooping in to get them out of this unrecognized territory before local forces or mercenaries could react.
They hustled Federov across a field towards a line of trees where their extraction awaited. Pierce lugged his backpack of drone controls, Naledi kept a hand on Federov to shove him forward when he stumbled, and Kabelo brought up the rear, rifle at the ready.
Within minutes, the dark shape of a stealth transport helicopter descended into the clearing. Its rotors whipped the tall grass as Shadow's team escorted the prisoner aboard. The team piled in, strapping Federov to a seat.
As they lifted off, leaving the chaos of the compound behind, Kabelo finally allowed himself a moment to breathe. The adrenaline rush ebbed, replaced by the cool satisfaction of a mission accomplished. Federov sat across from him, pale and shaking under the red glow of the cabin's lights. Pierce was already unpacking a tablet, eager to crack open the briefcase and see what intel they'd snatched. Naledi secured her gear and removed her helmet, revealing close-cropped black hair and a face glistening with sweat. She caught Kabelo's eye and gave him a small nod—a silent acknowledgment of a job well done and everyone home safe, for now.
Kabelo returned the nod. In the dim thrum of the helicopter, he reflected on how much had changed in the past few weeks. He had gone from working largely alone to being part of an expanding team of specialists. The task force had grown after the initial battles against Project Prometheus. They had realized that to truly dismantle the far-reaching tentacles of that project, they needed more manpower and diverse skills.
As if reading his thoughts, Pierce piped up, looking at Shadow with a crooked grin. "Not a bad first outing together, eh, Shadow? I gotta say, watching you do your portal thing up close – bloody brilliant. Beats anything I saw in MI6's toy box."
Shadow gave a slight shrug, unhooking his earpiece and securing his rifle for the flight. "Just doing my part. Your drone intel was on point. And Naledi, your cover fire saved us some trouble back there. Good shooting."
Naledi, who had been quietly checking Federov for any hidden weapons, replied simply, "Covering your team is part of the job." Her tone was professional, but Kabelo sensed pride beneath it.
The helicopter banked and headed toward a safe airstrip where a jet would ferry them and their prisoner to a secure facility for interrogation. Shadow allowed himself to close his eyes for a moment. The night wasn't over—debrief and likely new orders awaited—but at least this phase had gone well. Federov's capture could provide a trove of information on black market dealings of Prometheus technology.
In those brief moments of quiet, Kabelo's mind drifted. Images flashed behind his eyelids: the ghostly shimmer of his portals, men falling by his gun, the fear in Federov's voice. Demon, he had called him. It wasn't far from the truth, Kabelo thought bitterly. Ever since he acquired these powers—ever since Prometheus had turned his life upside down—he had become something beyond a normal soldier. Something both dangerous and necessary.
He felt a light nudge on his boot. Opening his eyes, he saw Pierce offering him a foil pack of energy drink powder and a canteen. "You know, I read the after-action reports from your last mission. They say popping portals like that can really dehydrate you. Gotta keep those electrolytes up, mate."
Kabelo accepted the packet with a word of thanks. It was true—using his ability sapped his energy. Small jumps were barely a blip, but larger ones or multiple back-to-back jumps left him drained. He emptied the orange-flavored powder into water and drank. The sharp tang pulled him further out of the fog of his thoughts.
Naledi spoke up quietly, looking at Shadow with a hint of concern. "Any dizziness? Headache?"
"Nothing I can't handle," Kabelo replied. She gave him a once-over as if professionally assessing his condition. Satisfied, she resumed her silence.
The helicopter's headset crackled with Commander Raines's voice to all on board: "Excellent work team. We'll get Federov to a black site for questioning. In the meantime, return to base and debrief. Pierce, secure those documents and start analysis ASAP."
Pierce saluted lazily even though Raines couldn't see him. "Aye, Commander. Operation Snatch-and-Grab is a resounding success. Ten out of ten, would abduct arms dealer again."
Kabelo almost chuckled. Naledi looked like she might scold Pierce's flippancy, but instead she merely shook her head with an exasperated exhale that might have been the ghost of a laugh.
As the helicopter streaked through the night, Shadow took a last glance at the dark landscape below. One battle won. Countless more ahead. The remnants of Project Prometheus were scattered across the globe like embers of a fire—each capable of igniting an inferno if left unchecked. At least now, with this expanded team, Kabelo didn't have to fight alone.
He steeled himself for what was to come. New allies, new challenges. The mission to extinguish Prometheus's legacy was only just beginning another chapter, and Shadow intended to see it through—no matter how far into the shadows he had to walk.