Evan leaned back in his chair, fingers moving effortlessly over the keyboard as he dove deeper into the digital underbelly of the government's classified databases. His eyes scanned lines of code at speeds no human should be capable of, navigating military-grade encryption as though it were a simple puzzle. He wasn't just hacking—he was reconstructing reality itself, piece by piece, shifting the balance of power without anyone realizing it.
With every keystroke, agencies across the country unknowingly had their surveillance systems rewritten, their priorities redirected. The intelligence community prided itself on control, on knowing everything before it happened. But Evan was beyond them now. He wasn't reacting to their moves—he was the one making them.
His first move had been to erase Amelia's existence from all federal mutant tracking databases. It wasn't enough to delete her; he needed to replace her with something more interesting. Across multiple classified reports, he planted false leads, fabricated sightings of powerful mutants in strategic locations, forcing intelligence agencies to shift their focus elsewhere.
A mutant reportedly surfaced in Chicago, another in Los Angeles, a supposed Omega-level threat sighted in Washington D.C. He fabricated witness statements, altered old reports, and even planted staged evidence into their systems—creating video surveillance footage and grainy photographs using hacked cameras to suggest something big was happening.
Within minutes, analysts, field agents, and top intelligence officers were scrambling to respond to a mutant outbreak that didn't exist.
But Evan wasn't done.
He turned his attention to ExxCorp.
The corporate giant had operated in the shadows for years, conducting inhumane experiments on mutants, ensuring that no government authority could touch them. That changed today.
With a few simple alterations, he made it appear as if ExxCorp had been violating a dozen international agreements, engaging in illegal human experimentation, off-the-books weapons testing, and unauthorized genetic research. He fabricated secure emails between executives discussing classified projects, highlighting operations that would look like gross human rights violations if leaked to the right places.
Then, he did just that.
With a few keystrokes, he anonymously leaked the fake documents to various government watchdogs, investigative journalists, and internal security teams within the Pentagon.
The trap was set.
As the files made their way through the intelligence community, the reaction was immediate.
Inside a Secure Government Facility – Intelligence Division Meeting
A group of high-ranking intelligence officers sat around a long steel table, reviewing the leaked documents that had arrived in their inboxes less than an hour ago. The tension in the room was thick.
"These reports…" one man muttered, flipping through the pages, "if even half of this is real, ExxCorp has been committing serious violations of international law."
"More than that," another agent said, tapping a page. "These documents suggest that they've been conducting covert biological research on mutants, using illegal testing sites outside U.S. jurisdiction. That's a direct violation of the National Security Bioethics Act."
The room was silent for a moment. Then, a higher-ranking officer at the head of the table sighed. "Who leaked these?"
The agents exchanged glances.
"No origin signature," one of them replied. "Anonymous drop. But whoever did it had access to internal ExxCorp communications. That means this came from someone high up, possibly a whistleblower."
A woman across the table spoke up, adjusting her glasses. "If these documents are accurate, then ExxCorp has been running unauthorized mutant detention sites. That would explain why certain mutant disappearances never got resolved."
A younger agent frowned. "If that's the case, why weren't we aware of it sooner? We've had surveillance on ExxCorp for years."
The higher-ranking officer exhaled. "Because they were good at covering their tracks. Until now."
The agents exchanged glances again.
"What do we do about it?"
"For now?" The lead officer leaned forward. "We put every available resource into confirming these reports. If this is real, we have no choice but to act."
ExxCorp Headquarters – Emergency Executive Meeting
Inside one of ExxCorp's high-security conference rooms, the company's top executives sat in a state of unease. The CEO, a sharp-eyed man in his late fifties, rubbed his temples as he listened to his security chief's report.
"The government has already begun an internal review based on the leaked files," the security chief said, flipping through printed documents. "They've flagged our recent activities in South America and Eastern Europe. If they dig deeper, they might uncover our classified projects."
The CEO clenched his jaw. "Where the hell did this leak come from?"
"We're still trying to trace it, but the source is masked. We can't confirm if it's from inside or an outside attack."
The CFO, a woman in her forties with a cold, calculating gaze, spoke next. "Regardless of the source, this means trouble. If the government believes we've been violating security protocols, they'll restrict our operations. We'll lose key defense contracts."
The CEO's expression darkened. "What about our government ties? We have people in the right places—Senators, Pentagon officials. We can suppress this."
The security chief hesitated. "Normally, yes. But there's another issue."
The CEO narrowed his eyes. "What?"
"Mercer Biotech."
A heavy silence filled the room.
"Mercer Biotech?" the CFO repeated, frowning. "What does that have to do with this?"
The security chief placed a folder on the table. "Shortly before these leaks surfaced, we detected a surge in Mercer Biotech's activity. They've been making major moves—acquiring patents, expanding their facilities, even preparing for a public release of their medical research. Their CEO, Evan Mercer, has been keeping a low profile, but…"
He hesitated.
"…There's reason to believe he's responsible for this."
The CEO's gaze turned ice-cold. "Explain."
"Our cyber team detected an anomaly in our internal security network—someone breached our private servers. Not just a normal intrusion—whoever did this left no trace, no identifiable signature. It was a perfect digital ghost."
The CFO's expression tightened. "And you think Mercer Biotech is behind it?"
The security chief nodded. "Evan Mercer is known for his work in biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and data encryption. He has the resources and the intelligence to pull off an operation like this. He's the only one capable of this level of infiltration."
The CEO's hands clenched into fists. "So not only is Mercer Biotech growing into a direct competitor, but they just engineered a government investigation against us?"
The room was silent.
Then, the CEO let out a slow breath and leaned back. His voice was dangerously calm.
"Then it's time we remind them who they're dealing with."
Back at Mercer Biotech
Evan sat at his desk, watching the chaos unfold through his hacked surveillance feeds. Government agencies were launching full-scale investigations into ExxCorp, tearing through their records, interrogating their staff. Meanwhile, ExxCorp was scrambling internally, trying to control the damage.
He had successfully diverted all attention away from Amelia.
But he knew this wasn't over.
ExxCorp wasn't the type to roll over and accept defeat. They would retaliate.
Evan smirked to himself. That was exactly what he wanted.
The more they struggled, the more mistakes they would make. And the more mistakes they made, the easier it would be to destroy them completely.
This was just the opening move.
The real game was just beginning.