Are You Ready?

As Clara and her team walked into the meeting room, a wave of cold air greeted them, carrying with it an underlying note of tension. The room was modern and minimalist, with a massive, gleaming table in the center, surrounded by leather swivel chairs. Against one wall stood a huge electronic screen, displaying a myriad of data and statistics.

There, at the head of the table, sat a figure that commanded immediate respect, a woman whose mere presence could silence a room - Paula, the Chief Director of D.U.S.K. With her black hair neatly pulled back, a pair of spectacles perched on the bridge of her nose, and her sharp eyes that seemed to dissect everything they rested upon, Paula was the very embodiment of authority.

"Director Paula," Clara was the first to recover, stepping forward with a respectful nod, "We weren't expecting you."

"Good morning, Clara," Paula said, her voice authoritative yet controlled. Her eyes moved across the room, studying each member of Clara's team, "John, Julia, Trevor. Please, have a seat."

John cleared his throat, shooting Clara an amused glance as they pulled out their chairs. "Seems like things are getting serious," he said in a low voice, leaning towards Clara, "Maybe they'll finally let us take on some real bad guys."

Trevor, unphased by the unexpected change in circumstances, just chuckled dryly and replied, "Or maybe they're just going to fire us. Ever think of that, kid?"

As they all settled down, Clara couldn't help but feel a tinge of anticipation. The presence of Paula could only mean one thing – they were on the brink of something big, something that could change the trajectory of their lives as D.U.S.K agents.

The air grew heavy with anticipation as Paula slowly rose from her chair. Her hand clutched onto a tablet, and her steely eyes scanned the room, meeting each member of Clara's team. She walked over to the screen, her heels echoing in the stillness.

Turning to face Clara, she asked in a grave tone, "Do you understand why you're here, Clara?"

Clara met Paula's gaze, a flicker of determination in her eyes, "Yes, Director. We're here in the hope of doing more...of protecting our world."

Paula nodded, her eyes narrowing, "And do you understand that once you step into the most dangerous world, there's no going back? It's do or die from here. And the full picture...the larger scope of your tasks can only be revealed once you agree. Are you ready for that?"

Clara swallowed, her gaze flitting across the faces of her team. The room was filled with a weighty silence, the gravity of Paula's words hanging heavily in the air. But then, the silence was broken by the firm nods of John, Julia, and Trevor, their faces reflecting the same resolve mirrored in Clara's eyes.

Together, in a moment that would forever be etched in their memories, they replied in unison, "We are ready."

Paula's face softened, just a touch, a small smile playing on her lips. "Good." She reached out, grabbing a thick, leather-bound file, and slid it across the polished surface of the table towards Clara.

"Congratulations, Team Eclipse," she said, her voice carrying an undertone of pride, "You are now cleared for Class 1 missions. Sign these documents, and you can start a new chapter of your lives. Make us proud."

"Yooho! We did it…No, you did it, Clara!" John said with a excited shout as he raised his hand to high five Clara who smiled with a shake of her head and high fived him, "You praise me too much, Johnny. We got here because of our team effort."

"As modest as always, hehe," Julia giggled as she excitedly began to look over the file.

She found four different sets of papers inside the file, each named for every member of her team.

"Sigh, I hate having to go through papers," Trevor sighed as he lazily put on his spectacles.

As Julia finished distributing the papers, Paula warned, "Do not skim through those documents and read each and every thing carefully within 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, if everyone hasn't signed you all may leave."

Without further ado, Clara and her team began to go through the papers right away.

Clara went on signing on each page and most of it was about how they should maintain secrecy no matter the circumstances otherwise the consequences could be severe.

Clara hesitated for a second upon seeing how reading all this was just giving her an anxious feeling, especially when wondering if she would have to be away from Alex more than before.

But thinking about keeping him happy and safe, her eyes glowed with a determined light as she signed the last page.

Paula's fingers danced over the tablet, and with a swift gesture, the large screen behind her sprung to life, painting the room with a bluish hue. An array of headlines, pictures, and excerpts from news articles appeared, each one depicting cataclysmic events, destruction, and anarchy from every corner of the globe.

The headlines screamed of cities in ruins, countless lives lost, and panic spreading like wildfire. Images of the after-effects of untamed Deviant powers filled the room with a chilling reality. The world was bleeding, and the culprits were their own kind who didn't know restraint.

Clara's heart clenched as she took in the severity of it all. Her fingers tightened around the edge of the table, knuckles whitening. There was no telling when these disasters could reach her city and even put Alex in danger.

Beside her, John's jovial nature was replaced with a grim, focused expression, his hands balled into tight fists.

Julia had her lips pressed into a thin line, her eyes reflecting the gravity of their situation.

Trevor remained silent, his gaze never wavering from the images displayed on the screen.

Clearing her throat, Paula cut through the thick silence, her voice steady and serious, "The incidents you're seeing here are not isolated cases. They have been connected and tracked back to a single entity, a Deviant operating in the shadows."

A shudder ran through Clara at her words, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion. She turned to Paula, her voice a low murmur, "How is it possible for a single Deviant to cause such widespread chaos and still remain hidden?"

A subtle scoff escaped from Paula as she leaned forward, her gaze steady. "Because the Deviant we're dealing with is not just anyone. He's a Class 1 Deviant."

Before Clara could process her shock, Paula tapped on her tablet once more. The screen flickered before revealing a familiar face – a middle-aged 50 year old man with strikingly handsome features, a strong jawline, a light gray beard, and mesmerizing blue eyes.

The room filled with surprised gasps as recognition dawned upon each team member. John was the first to break the silence, "That's... Leon Luren. The owner of Luren Corp! He's the 3rd richest man and owner of one of the largest business empires in the world."

"As far as I know, he is quite good in the real estate business," Julia said as she tapped her pen on the table.

Clara looked back at the screen, her heart pounding in her chest, "Yes. He's respected and well-known worldwide and even donates to charity every day. How could he possibly be the mastermind behind all this? Even if he was, shouldn't he have gotten caught already?"

Paula shook her head, her lips pressed into a thin line, "Appearances can be deceiving. The world may know him as a Class 3 Deviant, but in reality, he's much more powerful. He has immense resources at his disposal and has never needed to get his hands dirty, which makes it difficult for us to apprehend him."

She paused, allowing her words to sink in before continuing, "We've been trying to capture him for over two decades. However, he has always managed to stay one step ahead of us."

The team exchanged grave glances, the gravity of the situation dawning upon them.

Paula, however, was unyielding in her stern demeanor. "The higher-ups and I have reached a conclusion. The only way we're going to catch Leon is by infiltrating his business. We believe Team Eclipse is ideal for this task."

Clara frowned, uncertainty clouding her features. "But how are we supposed to infiltrate his business?"

A knowing smile crossed Paula's face. "The concept is quite simple. Leon Luren is widely recognized for his real estate ventures. However, we've discovered that he's using this as a front to conceal his co-conspirators. They're aiding him in his actual business - disseminating terrorism and illegal weapons."

Anger flared up in Clara's eyes at Paula's revelation as she wished she could just take him down right away.

John, ever the pragmatist, leaned forward, his voice steady, "So, how exactly are we supposed to infiltrate his real estate business?"

Paula met his gaze steadily, "Leon has recently opened a gated community for the elite. The prices of the villas there could put our lifetime salaries to shame."

John swallowed hard while Clara's eyes remained focused on Paula, her mind racing.

"The department is prepared to finance an undercover mission for your team," Paula continued, her gaze now moving to Trevor.

Trevor's brows furrowed at the word 'undercover.' "Undercover, huh? Who exactly will be going undercover, and how?"

Paula's gaze shifted to Clara, a hint of anticipation in her eyes, "As the most competent DUSK agent in your class, we've decided that you, Clara, will act as an undercover agent. You'll pose as a prospective buyer of one of Luren's villas and gather information from the inside."

Clara's brows shot up at this, the unexpected nature of her first major mission catching her off guard. Was she really going to become a spy for her first big mission after being an assassin all this time?