Mutation Abyss-Chapter 49: Capture or Containment

Marlon’s expression hardened instantly. "We’re on our way."

Hayden turned on his heel without a word. Both men exited the observation deck and strode quickly toward the control room, the door hissing open as they entered.

Inside, screens glowed with live surveillance feeds, digital maps, and red-highlighted warnings. Personnel tapped rapidly on keyboards.

Hayden’s eyes narrowed. "What kind of breach?"

"Unauthorized movement inside Red Zone B1. High School campus perimeter, someone got in without clearance or AMSO surveillance logs. No military activity scheduled there today."

Marlon frowned. "Send it to the main screen."

The control room lit up with video feed and data. A few seconds of shaky surveillance showed a lone figure darting through the shadows of the school field.

Hayden’s jaw clenched. "That’s no ordinary civilian..."

Marlon’s brows pulled together. "It’s him again."

"Damn it," Hayden muttered. "How the hell did he bypass perimeter sensors?"

"Could be that ability of his. Stealth-related. Not even our drones picked him up."

"Should we extract him?" a tech asked nervously.

"No," Hayden said, shaking his head. "Not yet. Monitor him. I’ll make sure I get him this time!" Hayden grunted

"Understood, sir."

Marlon stared at the monitor, eyes narrowing at the ghostlike figure of Theo weaving through the field. "Why hasn’t this man applied to AMSO?"

Hayden leaned closer, studying the footage. "Maybe he’s not an AMS. Could be UMS."

That theory made sense. UMS were those Meteor Survivors who survived the meteorite exposure and developed abilities, but never registered with AMSO. Unlike AMS, who were trained and monitored, UMS were considered unpredictable. The real danger came when they reached critical condition or died, they mutated into unstable, monstrous forms.

"That’s why we tried separating AMS from UMS1 during those first sweeps," Hayden added, arms crossed. "But it turned into a disaster. Most of them slipped through, and now we’re stuck tracking them like fugitives."

"They were never meant to be left unchecked," Marlon said with a sigh.

Marlon’s eyes stayed locked on the screen. "Then the real question is, why hasn’t he come forward? Why stay in the shadows when he could join us?"

"This won’t do. We need to know who this man is!" Hayden grunted, frustration in his voice. "I’ll send a unit to that area now!"

Marlon didn’t argue. He too was curious. Whoever the man was, he wasn’t just some survivor, he moved with purpose, skill, and power.

"Why not dispatch Lexa with her selected units?" Marlon suggested, turning to Hayden. "I think this will be a good opportunity for her."

Hayden nodded slowly. "She just made Class 1. But then let’s see how she handles a field assignment involving an unknown operator. If anyone can keep things under control, it’s her."

Back at the AMSO training grounds, Lexa Spears was finishing her training session when her earpiece buzzed sharply.

"Lexa, report to the control room. Immediate briefing," a voice ordered.

She wiped the sweat from her brow and nodded. "On my way."

Inside the control room, Hayden and Marlon were already waiting. Hayden looked at her seriously.

"We have a situation," he began. "An unknown man has been spotted moving through Argo Province Red Zone B1, near the high school campus. He’s not registered with AMSO, but his abilities are beyond normal. Could be a possible UMS."

Marlon added, "Aside from saving survivors and eliminating infectees, we want you and your team to find him, identify who he is, and if possible, capture him alive."

Lexa straightened, determination flashing in her eyes. "Understood. I’ll hand-pick five AMS and head out immediately."

Hayden turned to her with a frown. "Only five for this operation? Lexa, you’re no longer just a Squad Leader. You’ve been promoted to Division Commander, a Field Captain. You’re authorized to bring multiple squads on missions now."

Lexa gave a confident smile. "Five will be enough. Small, mobile, and efficient. We can move faster and stay under the radar. If we’re only dealing with one intruder, there’s no need to deploy a full squad. Besides, the high school campus is just a small single building and a soccer field. That man’s already cleared the field. I’d bet he’s making his way through the building now."

Marlon rubbed his chin, glancing back at the red blinking dot over Zone B1. "It’s a high-alert zone, though. If something goes wrong-"

"I handpicked these five," Lexa interrupted firmly. "They’ve trained with me and are always on a mission with me. We’ve handled worse with less."

Hayden crossed his arms. "What’s your primary directive? Capture or containment?"

"Survivors come first," Lexa said without hesitation. "We don’t even know who this man is, only that he’s unregistered. If civilians are still alive in there, I’m not letting them die while we chase a shadow."

That silenced the room for a moment. Marlon gave a faint smile. "Good answer."

Lexa’s eyes flicked back to the red zones still untouched on the map. Her voice dropped. "Besides, we don’t have the numbers. Half the provinces haven’t seen a single unit this week. I’ll do what I can with what I’ve got."

Hayden gave a small grunt of approval. "Then go. Keep the comms open."

Lexa gave a crisp nod, and with a brisk salute, she left the room to prepare for deployment.

She quickly changed into her mission gear - a new jet-black uniform reinforced with light armor, trimmed with gold accents. The fresh gold insignia on her chest marked her recent promotion to Class 1 AMS.

Without wasting time, she summoned her assigned team and headed straight to one of the assembly rooms designated for her unit. As she walked down the hallway, she ran into Rick, a capable Class 2 AMS.

"Commander," Rick greeted, eyeing the uniform. "You’ve been dispatched already?"

She gave a simple nod.

"Can I come?" he asked, hopeful.

"No," she said firmly.

Rick was a strong fighter, but he had a reputation for acting impulsively and ignoring orders in the field, something she couldn’t afford on her first official mission as a Class 1 leader.

He scratched his head and gave a sheepish grin. "I promise I’ll behave this time."

Lexa raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "There are still plenty of red zones that need you and the squads. Focus on those."

Rick sighed but didn’t argue. He knew she was right.