The cold, saline bite of the South China Sea air filled Jäger's lungs as he ascended the submarine's ladder, leaving the oppressive hum of Keener's vessel behind. He needed space, air, anything to clear the tumultuous thoughts warring in his mind. Keener's offer, the revelation of Kelso's desperate search, the true nature of The Watchers – it was a maelstrom.
"I need time to think," Jäger had told Keener, the words rough.
Keener, leaning against a bulkhead, merely nodded. "Understood. But there's not much time, Jäger. Think carefully." His eyes, shadowed and intense, held a silent warning. The game had changed, and the clock was ticking louder than ever.
As Jäger's head broke the surface, the Syndicate's sleek yacht, once a symbol of his new, controlled life, now felt like another gilded cage. And standing on its deck, silhouetted against the pre-dawn glow, was Percival. His posture was rigid, his usual detached calm replaced by an almost palpable tension.
"Jäger." Percival's voice was sharp, cutting through the silence of the sea. "You took your sweet time. What did he want?"
Jäger climbed onto the deck, the seawater sluicing off his submersible suit. He didn't need to ask who "he" was.
Percival stepped closer, his eyes narrowed, cutting straight to the heart of the matter. "You want to pull Jäger to your dangerous path? We have a deal about Division agents!"
Jäger paused, stripping off his helmet. "You tracked me." It wasn't a question.
"Of course," Percival scoffed. "You think Merlin leaves anything to chance? Especially after what happened at Leviathan. That wasn't just a rogue bio-lab, Jäger. That was a sophisticated trap. And you walked right into it." His gaze hardened. "Now, tell me. What did Keener offer you?"
Jäger looked past Percival, out at the vast expanse of the ocean. The Watchers. Keener. Kelso. The Syndicate. Every loyalty, every perceived truth, was fracturing. "He offered me a choice," Jäger finally said, his voice flat. "A different path. And a truth you've been hiding."
Percival's face remained impassive, but his jaw tightened. "And what truth might that be?"
"The Watchers," Jäger stated, his eyes locking onto Percival's. "They're not just some cartel remnant. They're a highly advanced, organized force. They hunt Division agents specifically. They knew my name, Percival. They're built to counter us. And the Syndicate never told us this was a possibility."
Percival's composure flickered, a faint shadow of surprise in his eyes. "That information was compartmentalized. Above your clearance. It was deemed unnecessary for your operational parameters."
"Unnecessary?" Jäger snarled, the controlled fury he'd held in check finally breaking. "They ambushed us! They knew my codename! My existence puts this entire organization at risk if they continue to hunt me, and you were willing to let us walk into it blind to protect a 'compartment'?"
"We manage threats," Percival retorted, his voice regaining its icy calm. "And you, Jäger, are a valuable asset. Losing you would be inefficient. Rest assured, countermeasures are being developed. This new threat changes nothing about our agreement."
"It changes everything," Jäger shot back. "We didn't sign up to be blind pawns in a war we didn't understand. We signed up to protect the world. And if this is the cost of your 'discretion,' then the deal is broken."
A long, tense silence stretched between them, broken only by the lapping of waves against the hull. Percival studied Jäger, his analytical mind clearly weighing the risks. Jäger was too valuable to lose, too dangerous to alienate.
"Very well," Percival finally conceded, his voice low. "We will report everything to Merlin. Your… concerns. The information you've gathered. But understand, Jäger, once you are fully within the Syndicate, there is no turning back. No more 'choices.' Just the mission. And loyalty."
The Unveiled Truth
Hours later, deep within the Welsh countryside facility, Jäger and Percival stood before Merlin's distorted projection. The atmosphere in the Syndicate's briefing room was colder than usual, the hum of the advanced machinery almost a growl.
Jäger, stripped of his submersible gear and back in standard Syndicate operative attire, reported everything. The unexpected encounter with The Watchers, their specialized technology, the explicit recognition of his codename, and Keener's timely intervention. He detailed Keener's current activities, his network (though he omitted Rex's direct link to Kelso, for now), and finally, Keener's stark warning about the Syndicate's veiled truths and his direct offer.
Percival, to his credit, remained silent, allowing Jäger to deliver the unvarnished report. His own assessment would come later.
When Jäger finished, the silence from Merlin was absolute. Not a sound, not a flicker from the modulated projection. Jäger felt the cold gaze of a thousand unseen eyes. He had laid his cards on the table.
Finally, Merlin's voice, a filtered whisper of pure ice, filled the room. "The Watchers are indeed a remnant faction, driven by a twisted ideology. Their technology has advanced beyond our initial projections. Their focus on Division agents stems from their belief that the SHD's original activation was a catalyst for global collapse, not a solution."
Merlin paused, and Jäger felt a shift in the air, a subtle concession. "Our decision to withhold certain intelligence was for operational security. To avoid unnecessary complications. We manage the world's most dangerous threats, Jäger. Sometimes, that requires uncomfortable truths to be compartmentalized."
Jäger snorted. "Uncomfortable truths or convenient ignorance?"
Merlin's voice sharpened, though still devoid of emotion. "You are an asset, Jäger. A powerful one. Your value is in your capability, your unique skills. Your emotional entanglements, your personal history, are variables we seek to minimize. Agent Keener represents a profound security risk. He operates outside all known parameters. He sows discord. He is a wild card. His offer is a lure, a trap."
"Or a different kind of freedom," Jäger countered, pushing back. He felt Percival shift subtly beside him, a silent warning.
"Freedom is an illusion," Merlin stated, her voice chillingly final. "Order is the only reality that sustains humanity. And we provide that order, from the shadows. You have chosen to be part of that order, Jäger. Your life, your skills, are now bound to our purpose."
The threat was clear, unspoken. Jäger had made his choice. He had stepped into this gilded cage. But the bars, he now understood, were far more subtle, and far more inescapable, than he had ever imagined. The game of trust had just begun, and he was already wondering who was truly pulling the strings.