There were thousands of terrorist organizations around the world—And 90% of them had one thing in common: They hated America.
Especially after 9/11, the U.S. practically raised the global banner of anti-terrorism, waging wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Ironically, the harder they fought, the more groups emerged—each declaring their holy mission to destroy the "Eagle Nation" in the name of justice or belief.
That's where DHS came in—its counterterrorism responsibilities even outranked its counterintelligence duties.
So when Ryan was told he'd be infiltrating a terror cell, he wasn't surprised.
If they'd asked me to infiltrate a cartel or street gang instead… now that would've been suspicious.
"Terrorists probably bring higher system rewards than drug dealers anyway."
Dylan got straight to the point.
"Ryan, the group you'll be infiltrating is called Prometheus."
"They're not like other organizations. Most terrorists operate under religious ideologies. Not these guys."
"Their mission? Save the world."
Ryan raised an eyebrow.
Dylan continued, "Their way of saving it? Burning down the old world in fire… and building a new one atop the ashes."
"So far, I've sent in over a dozen undercover agents. Every one of them? Dead."
"Only the last one managed to send a message out before disappearing. Their L.A. leader, Killian Anderson, is preparing to bring a 'special weapon' into the country—likely through the port of Los Angeles."
Dylan laid out all available intel.
Ryan's expression tightened.
Special weapon entering through L.A.? That means the target is probably this city…
F—k. It's either bioweapons… or nukes!
Thank God I agreed to go undercover. If that thing detonated, even my system wouldn't save me!
My life is my most valuable asset—it needs to stay in my own hands.
He took a deep breath. "How do I get in?"
Though Ryan didn't exactly want L.A. to become as quiet and peaceful as a suburban Chinese city, he certainly didn't want it turned into smoking rubble either.
Dylan nodded. "We'll give you a background identity—one that can withstand intense scrutiny. Then we'll arrange your entry point."
Ryan listened carefully—and frowned.
No wonder every undercover you sent got killed.You people have no damn clue how deep cover ops actually work.
"Excuse me?" Dylan asked, puzzled.
Ryan snorted. "You should've consulted the CIA. No offense, but DHS is still a toddler compared to them. You don't understand undercover principles."
"Building an alias is like telling a story. The best story fits perfectly—it should feel inevitable, not fabricated."
"But no matter how good the cover, it's still fake. It only takes one slip-up to unravel it all."
Dylan blinked, then nodded slowly. "Damn. That actually makes a lot of sense…"
"You want to build your own identity?"
Ryan shook his head.
"My real identity is the most perfect one."
"I just saved a kidnapped child. Took down an entire organ trafficking ring. Bled for this city."
"And in return? Politicians stole my credit. Elites want me jailed. Human rights activists are calling me a war criminal."
"Don't you think a guy like me would be bitter enough to want to burn down the entire system?"
"Maybe I really do want to destroy the old world… and build a new one."
Ryan's voice was calm, expression unreadable—but Dylan shivered.
It sounded like he meant it.
Holy sht… is he really turning against the system?*
He quickly shook the thought out of his head.
Come on, he's just a patrol officer. There's no way he could pull off something that massive… right?
Still, he accepted Ryan's terms: go in as himself.
They then discussed communication protocols. Ryan refused all bugs and surveillance gear.
"Most undercovers get outed because of that crap," Ryan scoffed."All I need is a secure burner phone. I'll keep it in storage—no one will find it, not even the CIA."
After reviewing the profiles of Prometheus's L.A. members, Ryan already had a plan.
Before leaving, he turned to Dylan.
"One more thing, Director—"
"I want the public to know that I, the officer who dismantled the organ-trafficking ring, had all my credit stolen by bureaucrats."
"Let it spread like wildfire."
Dylan nodded instantly. "Done. That's well within our power."
After all, if Ryan succeeded, Dylan himself would become a national hero.
Maybe even earn a seat at DHS headquarters.
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