aOS v.2.5

The brick phone buzzed persistently in Alex's pocket, vibrating with a familiar rhythm. He glanced down, seeing Claire's name flashing on the screen. With a sigh, he answered, bracing himself for the inevitable barrage.

"Alex Han!" Claire's sharp voice snapped through the phone, no time wasted. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Uh... Hey, Claire," Alex began, trying to sound casual. "Just been—"

"Don't give me that," she cut him off. "I've been trying to reach you for years. Years, Alex. Not days, not weeks—years."

Alex winced. He knew Claire wasn't the type to exaggerate, but her definition of "chasing" him often involved situations he hadn't even been aware of. "Come on, it's not like I've been hiding," he mumbled defensively.

"Really? Because that's exactly what it feels like," Claire shot back, her tone biting. "Every time I get close to pinning you down, poof, you're gone. Like you're allergic to responsibility."

Alex opened his mouth to argue, but she didn't give him the chance. "You disappear for months on end, dodging calls, leaving me hanging while I've been out here doing the hard work! You know how many doors I've had to kick down trying to clean up after your messes?"

"Alright, alright!" Alex finally interrupted, holding up his hands even though she couldn't see him. "I get it, I've been... unavailable."

"Unavailable?" Claire scoffed. "You're lucky I haven't tracked you down and strangled you by now."

Alex sighed. "Okay, Claire. You've made your point."

"Good," she snapped, but her tone softened slightly. "Because while you were off doing God-knows-what, Victor Devereux slipped right through our fingers."

That got Alex's full attention. "Wait... what?" he said, his voice immediately tense. "Victor's on the loose?"

"Yep," Claire replied bitterly. "He escaped. I just found out, and I've been trying to get ahold of you for hours."

Alex rubbed his temples, the weight of her words hitting him hard. "How the hell did that happen? I thought we had him boxed in."

"So did I," Claire muttered, clearly frustrated. "But the bastard had connections. He slipped away, and now he's off the grid. No one knows where he is, and he's got enough resources to stay hidden for a long time."

Kofi's voice buzzed in Alex's ear with a snarky undertone. "Perfect. Just what we needed—a villain on the loose. And here I thought today was going to be boring."

Alex ignored him, pacing the room. "What's the last we know of him?" he asked Claire.

"Last intel says he boarded a private jet," she explained. "He's likely heading somewhere remote to lay low. Authorities got teams on him, but it's not looking good."

Alex let out a frustrated breath, his mind racing. Victor's escape wasn't just a complication—it was a potential disaster. "Alright," he said, steel in his voice now. "We'll figure this out. I'm not letting him get away."

"Damn right WE will," Claire agreed, her tone shifting to match his.

Claire didn't waste a second before pressing further. "So where exactly are you right now, Alex? We need to meet. ASAP."

Alex hesitated, glancing around the sleek hotel room and then over to Jin, who had been quietly observing the conversation, his expression unreadable.

"I'm... handling things," Alex said, sidestepping the question.

"Handling things?" Claire echoed, her voice full of skepticism. "Alex, don't give me that crap. Victor's on the loose, and you're handling things? I need specifics. Where are you?"

Alex exhaled, running a hand through his hair. He wasn't ready to let Claire in on everything he'd been involved in. The gambling, the training, Jin—none of that was something she needed to know about right now. But the urgency in her voice told him there wasn't much room for stalling.

"I'm in Prague," he finally admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "But I've got something lined up here tonight. Something important."

Claire went silent for a moment, the weight of his words hanging in the air. "Prague? Seriously? What the hell are you doing in—" She stopped herself, taking a breath. "Never mind. I don't even want to know. But you need to drop whatever you're doing and meet me. Victor slipping away is bigger than any side project you're working on."

Alex shot a glance at Jin, who gave him a slight nod, signaling that he understood the situation. Alex knew what she was saying made sense. He couldn't risk Victor staying off the radar any longer.

"I'll get there as soon as I can," Alex finally agreed. "Where do you want to meet?"

"I'll send you the details," Claire replied, her voice tense but relieved. "And Alex—don't disappear on me again. Not this time."

Alex smirked despite the gravity of the situation. "No disappearing this time, I promise."

"Good. See you soon," Claire said before the line clicked off.

Alex tucked the brick phone back into his pocket, the weight of everything sinking in. Victor was on the loose, and now he had to find a way to deal with it—without derailing everything he and Jin had been planning for tonight.

Jin looked at him, arms crossed. "So, what's the move?"

"We meet Claire," Alex said, his voice firm. "But after tonight's plan."

Jin's expression turned serious as he took a step closer to Alex. "We can't afford distractions right now, whatever's going on. Tonight's mission is our priority and we need to stay focused."

"I know, I know." Alex felt the weight of Jin's words. Jin didn't know about Victor—and right now, that was for the best. Focus on the mission, Alex.  

"Good" Jin cut in, his voice calm yet firm. "That's why we have to execute our plan flawlessly. We've trained for this. We can't let personal matters interfere, not when we're so close to achieving what we set out to do."

Alex took a deep breath, his determination returning. "Alright. You're right. I'll stay focused on the mission." He straightened his shoulders, feeling the familiar rush of adrenaline. "Let's do this."

Jin offered a small nod of approval. "Good. Stick to the plan, and we'll take it from there."

With that, the two of them headed toward the door, their minds set on the night ahead. Alex felt the intensity in the air—this was their moment to make a statement, to reclaim their place in a world that had tried to push them down.

As they stepped out into the bustling streets of Prague, Alex couldn't shake the feeling that whatever challenges lay ahead, he was ready to face them head-on. The stakes were high, and the thrill of the game surged through him.

"Let's make some noise," he said, a smirk playing on his lips as they moved forward into the unknown.