# Chapter: Shadows of the Past
## The Briefing Room - USOV Headquarters
The morning sun filtered through the reinforced windows of the USOV briefing room as Team C assembled around the polished conference table. Sarah stretched in her chair, still nursing her second cup of coffee while Amir shuffled through a stack of mission files with practiced efficiency. Elaine sat quietly at the far end, her attention focused on a tablet displaying what appeared to be surveillance footage from their last operation.
"Anyone know why we're here this early?" Sarah asked, stifling a yawn as she glanced at the wall clock showing 7:30 AM.
"Grey's orders," Amir replied without looking up from his files. "Something about a priority briefing, but that's all Kent would tell me when he called last night."
The door opened with a soft hiss, and Liam walked in, looking unusually formal in his standard-issue tactical gear rather than his usual casual attire. Behind him followed Kent, carrying a secure briefcase and wearing the kind of expression that suggested the morning's discussion wouldn't be routine.
"Good morning, everyone," Kent said, setting the briefcase on the table with a deliberate thud. "Director Grey sends his apologies—he's currently in conference calls with the higher-ups, but he wanted me to brief you on a developing situation that requires immediate attention."
Sarah straightened in her chair, her drowsiness evaporating as the serious tone registered. "What kind of situation?"
Kent opened the briefcase and pulled out several manila folders, distributing them around the table. "Three days ago, our monitoring stations detected unusual energy signatures emanating from the industrial district. Initially, we thought it might be related to some of the experimental tech companies that operate in that area, but further investigation has revealed something far more concerning."
Liam opened his folder first, his enhanced reflexes allowing him to scan the contents faster than the others. His expression darkened as he absorbed the information. "These readings… they're similar to what we encountered during the Graves incident three years ago."
"Exactly," Kent confirmed, his voice carrying a weight that made everyone in the room focus intently on his words. "We believe Dorian Graves is attempting to recreate some form of his previous experiments, possibly using the same energy manipulation techniques that made him so dangerous before."
Elaine finally spoke up, her quiet voice cutting through the tension. "The facility locations marked here—they're all abandoned warehouses in sectors that have minimal civilian presence."
"Strategic positioning," Amir noted, studying the aerial photographs included in his file. "If something goes wrong, collateral damage would be limited, but it also means he's planning something big enough that he's concerned about containment."
Sarah leaned forward, her finger tracing a pattern on one of the surveillance photos. "Look at these construction modifications. Someone's been reinforcing these buildings from the inside—steel plating, what looks like specialized ventilation systems, and are those power conduits running underground between the facilities?"
Kent nodded approvingly at her observation. "Our tech analysis team believes he's creating a network of connected laboratories, each one potentially capable of operating independently while sharing resources through those underground connections."
Liam closed his folder and looked directly at Kent. "What's our objective? Reconnaissance or direct intervention?"
"That depends on what you find," Kent replied. "Grey wants a full assessment of the threat level before we decide on a course of action. If Graves is simply conducting research, we monitor and gather intelligence. If there's immediate danger to civilian populations or if he's actively developing weapons-grade technology, then we move to containment protocols."
"And if he resists?" Sarah asked, though her tone suggested she already knew the answer.
"Then we remind him why he left the city three years ago," Kent said grimly.
The room fell silent as everyone absorbed the implications. The Graves incident had been one of USOV's most challenging operations, requiring the combined efforts of multiple teams and resulting in significant casualties on both sides. None of them had expected to face that particular ghost again so soon.
Amir was the first to break the silence. "Timeline?"
"You deploy in two hours," Kent replied, checking his watch. "Initial surveillance begins at 1100 hours, with check-ins every four hours until we have a complete picture of his operations."
"Equipment loadout?" Elaine inquired, already mentally cataloging what they might need for extended reconnaissance.
"Standard surveillance gear, plus some specialized detection equipment for energy signatures. Liam, you'll have access to your full range of abilities for this one—Grey's authorization came through this morning."
Liam nodded, understanding the significance. Full authorization meant Grey was taking this threat seriously enough to risk exposing Liam's more unusual capabilities if the situation escalated.
Sarah stood up, gathering her files. "I'll need thirty minutes to review the building schematics and identify optimal observation points."
"Take forty-five," Kent suggested. "This isn't the kind of operation where we can afford to rush preparation."
As the team began to disperse, Kent caught Liam's attention. "A word, if you don't mind."
The others filed out, leaving Kent and Liam alone in the briefing room. Kent's expression shifted from professional to concerned as he activated a privacy screen that would prevent their conversation from being overheard.
"Grey wanted me to give you some additional context," Kent began, his voice lowered. "The energy signatures we're detecting aren't just similar to the Graves incident—they're identical. Whatever he's doing now, it's directly connected to his previous work."
Liam's jaw tightened. "You think he never actually stopped his experiments?"
"We think he's been perfecting them," Kent replied. "Three years in hiding, three years to refine his techniques and eliminate the flaws that led to his previous failures. If we're right, then what we're facing now could be significantly more dangerous than what we dealt with before."
"Any word on his resources? Last time he had a small army backing him up."
Kent shook his head. "That's one of our biggest unknowns. Edmund Carver is definitely with him—we confirmed that through hotel records—but beyond that, we don't know who else might be involved or what kind of funding he's working with."
Liam stood up, his expression resolute despite the weight of the information he'd just received. "Understood. We'll get you the intelligence you need."
"Liam," Kent called as he reached the door. "Be careful out there. Graves has had three years to plan his comeback, and men like him don't usually make the same mistakes twice."
## Team Preparation
An hour later, the equipment bay buzzed with focused activity as Team C prepared for their mission. Sarah had spread building blueprints across three tables, marking potential observation points with different colored pens while cross-referencing them with satellite imagery on her tablet.
"The northwest facility has the best sight lines," she explained to Amir, who was checking the calibration on a long-range camera. "But the southeast location shows the most activity based on these thermal readings."
Elaine methodically packed surveillance equipment into a specialized backpack, each piece of gear secured in custom foam padding. Her movements were precise and economical, the result of years of field experience that had taught her the value of properly organized equipment.
"Communication protocols?" she asked without looking up from her packing.
"Standard encrypted channels, with a backup frequency in case we need to go dark," Amir replied,
The morning sun filtered through the reinforced windows of the USOV briefing room as Team C assembled around the polished conference table. Sarah stretched in her chair, still nursing her second cup of coffee while Amir shuffled through a stack of mission files with practiced efficiency. Elaine sat quietly at the far end, her attention focused on a tablet displaying what appeared to be surveillance footage from their last operation.
"Anyone know why we're here this early?" Sarah asked, stifling a yawn as she glanced at the wall clock showing 7:30 AM.
"Grey's orders," Amir replied without looking up from his files. "Something about a priority briefing, but that's all Kent would tell me when he called last night."
The door opened with a soft hiss, and Liam walked in, looking unusually formal in his standard-issue tactical gear rather than his usual casual attire. Behind him followed Kent, carrying a secure briefcase and wearing the kind of expression that suggested the morning's discussion wouldn't be routine.
Good morning, everyone," Kent said, setting the briefcase on the table with a deliberate thud. "Director Grey sends his apologies—he's currently in conference calls with the higher-ups, but he wanted me to brief you on a developing situation that requires immediate attention."
Sarah straightened in her chair, her drowsiness evaporating as the serious tone registered. "What kind of situation?"
Kent opened the briefcase and pulled out several manila folders, distributing them around the table. "Three days ago, our monitoring stations detected unusual energy signatures emanating from the industrial district. Initially, we thought it might be related to some of the experimental tech companies that operate in that area, but further investigation has revealed something far more concerning."
Yes lets go boy