She Outshines Them All



Jaden and Brandon finally found Athena after driving around the city for a while.

She was waiting there, surrounded by a few heavily armed, tough-looking personnel. Athena was also fully geared up, wearing bulletproof equipment and looking ready for anything.

Jaden and Brandon were a little shocked when they saw her like this. They couldn't help but think, 'Is Athena really planning to go head-to-head with the terrorists?'

Athena was holding a few printed maps and handed one to each of them. "This is a satellite map of Wyomarlo City. We're here right now," she said, pointing to their location. "It's covered with weeds a few meters high."

She tapped the map, then pointed at a spot. "Me and my team will sneak in through the weeds and keep a low profile while protecting Zayn. You two will meet us here."

Brandon didn't like it. "No way. You're the younger one-why should you risk your life while we hang back? I've been through my share of combat, even gunfights. I'll go."

"Guys, this isn't the time to be emotional," Athena replied. "Against terrorists who kill without hesitation, we need strength, not just guts.

"You guys aren't trained. You don't even know how to use your weapons properly. If you go in, you'll just make things harder and distract Zayn." "Well, true. But-" Jaden started to speak, but Athena held up a hand, signaling for silence. She glanced to the side. "Heads up. Someone is coming. Jaden and Brandon immediately tensed, following her gaze. About 30 feet away, a dozen heavily armed Osceiton soldiers stepped out from behind a broken road marker.

The leader of the group was smaller than the rest, but the presence was much stronger. Seeing Athena, that person smiled and said, "I heard what you said, Miss Donovan. Well said."

The voice wasn't loud, but it was clear enough for them to hear.

Jaden and Brandon both let out a silent breath of relief. It was good to know they were speaking to one of their own who recognized them.

As the soldiers came closer, Jaden and Brandon were taken aback when they saw the leader up close.

The soldier turned out to be a young woman. She had sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, and stood tall with a steady, confident walk, almost like a cheetah in the dark.

But what stood out the most was the burn on her face, about the size of a baby's palm, standing out against her otherwise strong features.

She walked right up to Athena, showed her military ID, and said in a calm, deep voice, "Nicolette Trevor. I'm a major general. I've been in the war on terrorism for nearly ten years, and I am in charge of this operation."

Even Athena was surprised, and Jaden and the others were shocked.

Nicolette couldn't have been over 30, but she was already a major general.

Normally, it took at least 10 years to rise to that level, sometimes 20. They were all curious about which path she had taken.

To make it there so young meant she had either a serious background or had done something extraordinary-or maybe both.

Athena took a moment to collect herself. "Since you know we're Zayn's family, please allow us to join the operation."

"I understand your feelings," Nicolette said, recognizing that Athena was in charge. "But like you said, emotion and courage alone won't take down the enemy. In the end, it's all about strength."

She looked them over seriously. "You're not professional soldiers. You've never seen real combat. With all due respect, if you run into the terrorists, you'll be dead before you even get a shot off."

Jaden and Brandon tensed, but Nicolette wasn't done. "Let us handle the mission of protecting Zayn and rescuing the hostages. You can help with support from the perimeter."

Athena nodded but wasn't backing down. "General Trevor, I hear you. But you have to trust that the people I've brought with me are trained professionals."

Nicolette raised an eyebrow. "Okay, if you're sure, then show me."

Athena didn't hesitate. She grabbed her laptop, typed a few commands, and before anyone could blink, two owls silently swooped down and landed on her SUV.

When Jaden and Brandon saw the two owls, their faces lit up. "Harry and Hommy?" they both said at the same time.

Harry and Hommy didn't respond. They seemed to know tonight was serious, keeping quiet and turning their heads 360 degrees, scanning the area like they were on high alert.

Athena explained, "I've got some high-tech gear, like these two electronic surveillance owls. I sent them into Wyomarlo City to gather footage."

She showed them the images.

"Here's what they got. It shows

where the hostages are, where the

I

terrorists are patrolling, and the

drones monitoring the outer

perimeter. But since the city's so big and it's dark, they couldn't get every detail."

Nicolette looked over the footage, clearly impressed. "This is the first time I've seen something like this. The Donovan family really has some hidden surprises."

While the army also had some high-tech equipment, it was rare and a lot more noticeable. If the terrorists spotted it, they would probably get suspicious and start attacking.

But these two owls were different. They blended in with the environment, especially at night. Even if the terrorists saw them, they wouldn't think twice, let alone take any precautions.

Athena nodded. "Wyomarlo is too big for the terrorists to keep an eye on every corner. From the owl footage, we can see this entrance is clear. We can sneak in."Content is property © NôvelDrama.Org.

Nicolette studied the images, then turned to Athena. "Even so, non-professionals can't join the fight unless absolutely necessary. It's a rule, and it's a reasonable one."

Athena smiled. "General Trevor, have you figured out how to sneak in and take down the terrorists?"

Nicolette shook her head. "Of course we have a plan, but it's classified. I can't share it."

Athena thought for a moment, 'Fair enough.'

Athena smiled. "I've got a solid plan, if you're interested."

Nicolette checked her watch and nodded. "Go ahead, I'm listening."

Athena opened the SUV's

compartment and pulled out a long gun. "This has a range of 660 feet and fires a high-concentration anesthetic smoke bomb. Once fired, it explodes a second later-pretty quietly-but the smoke can fill 550 square foot area instantly,

W

"Anyone who breathes it in is out cold, even a bear wouldn't get back up. I brought twenty of these anesthetic rounds, but that's my full stock if we can locate the terrorists if and hit them accurately, we'll knock them out without any bloodshed."

SW

In the lab's underground storage, there were even more powerful weapons-compact but dangerous. They would be more than enough to handle those terrorists.

But Athena couldn't risk letting the military catch sight of this advanced gear. It would raise too many questions about where it all came from. Hearing it, Nicolette eyed her closely. "And how exactly can you prove those bullets work the way you say?"