Cipher's footsteps echoed in the narrow corridor as he and Nova moved swiftly through the underground lair. The recent heist at Titan Corp weighed heavily on his mind. The encrypted files he'd uncovered were unlike anything he had seen before—layers of protection, hiding something that could disrupt the balance of power.
"Anything new on that data?" Cipher asked, his voice cool and controlled.
Nova glanced at the small holo-device on her wrist, where the files Cipher had retrieved from Titan Corp were now stored. She shook her head, her brow furrowed. "Still locked. Whoever encrypted this wasn't messing around."
Cipher smirked, his pride sparked by the challenge. "We'll crack it. Whoever did this isn't better than us."
They reached the main chamber of their base, a massive room filled with tech, holograms, and the constant hum of servers. Cipher sat at his station, sliding into his chair, while Nova took her place beside him.
"Start by running a deep scan," Cipher instructed. "Let's see what we're dealing with."
As Nova initiated the scan, the room darkened slightly, the glowing holograms casting faint shadows. Cipher's gaze never wavered from the screen as lines of code flashed rapidly.
"Got something," Nova said, breaking the silence. "It's linked to a classified military project. Codenamed 'Eclipse'."
Cipher's eyes narrowed. "Military?"
Before he could probe further, an alert blared across the system. Someone was tracking them.
"Impossible," Cipher muttered, his fingers moving fast. "We covered our tracks. How did they find us?"
Nova's voice remained calm, but her fingers moved swiftly across her own console. "We've got a tracer embedded in the data. They must've anticipated the breach."
Cipher growled under his breath, adrenaline flooding his veins. "Prepare to engage defenses. They're coming for us."
Nova's hands danced across the controls, activating a defensive firewall around their system. "We're going dark."
Suddenly, the lights flickered, and the room plunged into an ominous silence. The hum of the servers stopped, and for the first time in a long while, Cipher felt the weight of danger looming over them.
"They know we're here," Nova said quietly.
Cipher leaned back, his mind racing. He wasn't used to being hunted. He was always the one in control, but this time, the stakes had shifted.
"They've underestimated us," Cipher said, a slow grin spreading across his face. "Let them come. We'll show them what happens when you mess with the best."
Nova nodded, her expression firm. "What's the plan?"
Cipher's fingers tapped against the desk. "We make sure they regret ever looking for us."
---TBC