Y/N thought she had left her past behind. After barely surviving her final mission with A.E.G.I.S (Advanced Enforcement Group for Interspecies Security) she walked away from the life of combat and secrecy, trading it for the quiet comfort of a coffe...
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Two days had passed since that night. Since that thing glitched in and out of existence right before Shadow and Y/n's eyes. Since he held her in his arms as she trembled with a fear she had yet to put into words.
Now, back at AEGIS, Shadow sat at his desk, fingers flying over the keyboard as he typed up his report. The entire facility was buzzing with activity. Every department was operating at full capacity—scientists theorizing, engineers constructing, strategists planning. This wasn't just a potential crisis anymore. This was happening.
His report was straightforward: he had witnessed an entity phasing in and out of reality. It had humanoid traits but no stable form. He described the erratic nature of its presence, its brief existence before vanishing. The most notable part, however, was the confirmation that Y/n had seen it too.
She had admitted to seeing these things for a while now.
That fact alone made Shadow uneasy.
He closed out the report and leaned back in his chair, exhaling through his nose. He didn't like any of this. Not just because of the looming interdimensional threat, but because Y/n was tied to it in some way. She had seen things long before he had. She had known something was happening.
And yet, she hadn't told him.
His jaw tightened.
A knock at his office door broke him from his thoughts. He turned his chair slightly to see one of his subordinates peeking in.
"Commander, your team is gathering in the training center."
Shadow nodded, standing up. "I'll be there shortly."
The training center was located in one of the larger wings of the facility, designed for high-level combat simulations and drills. His department—comprised of some of the most capable fighters AEGIS had to offer—was already assembled when he arrived. Among them was Sonic, who had recently been placed under his command due to the severity of the situation.
Sonic, despite his usual carefree attitude, was clearly taking things seriously. He stood among the other operatives, arms crossed, listening attentively as Shadow began discussing battle tactics and formations for potential engagements.
"If these creatures can phase in and out of reality, then conventional combat might not be enough," Shadow stated, pacing slightly. "We need contingencies for dealing with something that doesn't adhere to our understanding of space and time."
One of the operatives raised a hand. "Sir, do we have any solid intel on what they are?"
Shadow's expression darkened slightly. "Not yet. But that's what the XTA department is working on."
Sonic glanced at him. "Y'know, I don't think I've ever actually met anyone from XTA. They're kinda secretive, huh?"
Shadow nodded. "They handle things the rest of AEGIS isn't equipped for. If we're dealing with something that can threaten the fabric of reality, it makes sense that they'd be leading the charge."
