Chapter 399 News

Jarrett took a step closer.

“Queen, do we have another mission for the squad?”

His fists curled like he was itching to swing, and his face lit with fire.

The others looked just as hungry for action.

Their victory at Hotel Morloss had left them buzzing with reckless confidence.

That was exactly what Tilda had been waiting for.

Six months of brutal training had sharpened their raw talent into steel.

All they’d needed was one win to spark the fire in their blood.

“This time it isn’t a mission. It’s something else.”

Tilda repeated every word Manfred had passed down to her.

By the time she finished, the team was staring at her in disbelief.

“Queen, you mean if we sign on, we don’t just get the government’s word? We get access to the national data vault too?”

Lucian’s voice cracked with awe.

“That’s Cetherland’s master database!”

“For a hacker, that’s like walking into a library built by gods. It’s packed with secrets the outside world will never touch!”

Astrid and Jarrett burst out in shouts.

Even Zach, the quiet one, had his face glowing with heat.

For codebreakers who lived to dig up hidden truths, the lure was too sharp to resist.

“At the start, we’d only see surface files. Clearance problem. But every mission would unlock more. And we’d officially be part of the state. There’s a catch. If Comet signs, we stop being free. We’d belong to the government.”

Tilda’s words hit like a stone sinking into deep water.

The four fell silent.

Joining meant serving as soldiers behind screens.

It meant touching the forbidden vault.

The pull was heavy.

But the cost was freedom.

People once swore freedom was worth more than life and love.

That was why Comet had stayed independent.

They served their country, but only on their own terms.

They wanted freedom.

“God, this choice is tearing me apart! My head feels like it’s about to explode!”

Lucian dropped into a squat and ripped at his perfect hair until it stuck out in a wild mess.

“Same here! I’m greedy. I want both.”

“I can’t make sense of it either. Queen, you decide for us. We’ll follow you.”

Their eyes burned with trust as they locked on her.

Tilda pressed her lips together, then gave a sharp nod.

“If you’re leaving it to me, then… I have an idea. Hear me out.”

They were in Hetsa the next day.

Manfred had answered Tilda’s call the night before.

She told him she would bring her squad to Lab Seven to meet him and his commanders face to face.

He cleared it with command and gave her the green light.

River led Comet into a stark meeting room where they would gather.

“Sit.”

Manfred himself poured tea for Tilda and her squad.

The Comets gaped at the vast facility around them.

To them, places like this only existed on movie screens.

They never thought they’d stand inside one.

Iris scanners swept their faces, red beams traced their bodies, and machines hummed with the newest tech.

Only Tilda sat calm and steady.

“Mr. Parker, where’s my senior?”

“He’s buried in the lab. The project hit a breaking point. He hasn’t stepped out in days.”

“I see. Mr. Parker, if you need anything from me, just say so.”

“Queen, you’re too generous. At this point, it’s out of my hands. We all answer to the professor.”

Manfred never spoke Dane’s name out loud.

He trusted Tilda with his full weight.

But this was his first look at the four she brought with her.

She swore they were solid, and if anything broke down, she would take the blame herself.

Caution was still wise.

The subject of Dane slipped away, and Manfred leaned forward, lacing his fingers as his tone grew firm. “Now… tell me your conditions, Queen.”

“Our condition is simple. My squad and I hate chains. We want the freedom to move. So if you want us in the national cyber force, it’s easy. As captain, I need full command. No one interferes with how we run.”

“I…”

Manfred’s brows pinched tight, then eased as he let out a long breath. “If it were mine alone to decide, I’d trust you, Queen. I’d give you every ounce of freedom I could.”