The waves crashed gently against the speedboat as Lucas tightened his life vest for the third time. "So just to recap," he said nervously, "we're sneaking into a billionaire's private island that might have death lasers, robot dogs, and a shadow army guarding a top-secret message from a dead super-spy?"
Ava, checking her gear calmly, replied, "Yes. And also: no backup, no permission, and no exit plan."
Lucas blinked. "Wow. That really didn't make it better."
The island came into view—high cliffs, dense jungle, and a sleek futuristic mansion on top, gleaming in the moonlight. Drones buzzed overhead like mechanical mosquitoes.
"This guy has a jungle lair?" Lucas asked. "That's classic villain behavior."
"His name's Byron Vale," Ava said. "Tech billionaire. Former MAYHEM supporter. But Zero suspected he switched sides."
Lucas leaned closer. "You think Vale's working with Cipher?"
"I think," Ava said, standing up and loading her tranquilizer gun, "that if Zero hid the first Echo Node here, he didn't trust Byron anymore."
---
Inside the Jungle
They ditched the boat and hiked through the jungle, avoiding sensors and robotic wildlife. Lucas swatted away a vine and nearly walked into a camera drone.
Ava grabbed his collar, pulling him down. "One more step and you'd be live-streamed to the mansion security room."
Lucas whispered, "That would've been embarrassing. I'd want a filter at least."
She smiled faintly. "Come on. The Echo Node is likely hidden under the mansion, in the old bunker from Vale's military days."
As they crept closer, Lucas spotted something strange. A statue of Byron Vale in full armor stood outside the mansion gates—hand outstretched, looking heroic.
Lucas muttered, "Who builds a statue of themselves on their lawn?"
Ava replied, "The kind of guy who needs to be watched very closely."
---
Inside the Mansion
Ava used an old MAYHEM security override to disable the gate. Inside, the mansion was eerily quiet—too quiet. No staff. No guards. Just a wide hallway filled with glass display cases, each holding strange artifacts: laser sabers, alien fossils, old MAYHEM relics.
"Wow," Lucas said, peeking at a glowing red gemstone. "This place is like a billionaire's version of a comic book store."
"Focus," Ava whispered. "This way."
They reached a sealed vault door deep in the back. Ava pulled out the pen—the one from Agent Zero—and inserted it into a hidden slot.
The panel lit up green. The vault door hissed open.
Inside: darkness.
Lucas followed Ava in, heart pounding. Then the lights flickered on—revealing a massive underground room lined with servers and a single black pedestal in the center.
Sitting on the pedestal was a metal cube, glowing faintly.
"The first Echo Node," Ava said.
Lucas stepped forward. "That's it?"
Just as he reached for it, a booming voice echoed around the room.
"I wouldn't touch that if I were you."
Spotlights flared. Doors slammed shut. And from the shadows walked a tall figure in a deep purple coat, his face hidden by a half-metal mask.
Byron Vale.
He clapped slowly. "You must be the boy Zero left everything to. A curious choice."
Lucas stepped back. "You're Vale?"
The billionaire smiled coldly. "And you… are in my vault."
Ava raised her gun. "Step aside. We're taking the cube."
"I think not," Vale said. "You're trespassing on private property. And that cube contains things the world isn't ready to know."
Lucas frowned. "You mean like how Agent Zero said you were part of a conspiracy?"
Vale chuckled. "Ah, so he finally suspected me. Clever old man. But he never knew who really pulled the strings."
He snapped his fingers. A wall slid open—and two Shadows stepped into the room, weapons drawn.
Lucas cursed under his breath. "Of course."
Ava shouted, "Lucas—grab the cube and run!"
He didn't think—he sprinted forward, yanked the glowing cube off the pedestal, and ducked as lasers flew over his head.
Ava opened fire with her tranquilizer darts, hitting one Shadow in the leg.
The cube suddenly began to glow brighter—and emitted a high-pitched hum.
Vale hissed, "He's activating it!"
Lucas didn't know what he was doing. The cube lit up—and projected a hologram of Agent Zero, standing tall in his classic black coat.
"Whoever sees this… you're in danger. Vale has aligned himself with a greater enemy. Cipher is not just a man—he's a system. Hidden in shadows. Watching everything. And you… Lucas… you are the glitch that can break it."
The message faded.
Lucas stared at the cube. "Okay. That was officially the coolest—and scariest—thing anyone's ever said to me."
Vale lunged. "GIVE IT TO ME!"
Lucas spun, dodged—and the cube triggered a smoke release. The room filled with gray fog.
Ava grabbed his arm. "Let's go! Exit chute—there!"
They leapt into a narrow tunnel, sliding down into darkness as the Shadows yelled behind them.
---
They landed in a small cavern near the beach, coughing but alive. Lucas still clutched the cube.
Ava looked at him, shaken. "He knew your name. Zero knew this would happen."
Lucas sat down. "He called me the glitch."
Ava nodded. "That means you weren't a mistake. You're meant to change everything."
Lucas stared out at the ocean, heart thudding. "Then I'd better stop acting like a joke."