Loid Forger

The rain gently tapped against the hidden windows of WISE headquarters. The steady sound of the water barely masked the cold tension that permeated the meeting room. Loid Forger—or rather, Twilight—stood at the metal desk, watching Sylvia Sherwood review several documents in the room's dim, yellowish light. The call had been too apologetic. Too formal. That was never a good sign. Sylvia finally looked up. "Twilight, we have a new infiltration mission in northern Frigis." Without changing his expression, Loid took the folder she slid toward him. His eyes quickly scanned the contents: military routes, false identities, schedules. A complex mission. But not impossible. "I'll have to decline it," he replied calmly after a few seconds. Sylvia didn't react. "My priority remains Operation Strix." Silence settled between them. Loid immediately noticed the slight change in Sylvia's expression. Barely a movement in her tired eyes. But after years of working together, he understood instantly that something was wrong. Very wrong. Sylvia clasped her hands together on the desk. “Then I’ll get straight to the point.” The atmosphere seemed to harden. “WISE is considering assigning another agent to continue with Strix.” For the first time since she’d entered the room, Loid looked up in visible surprise. “…What?” The word came out sharp. Short. Incredulous. “Mayor Depple has been proposed as your replacement.” Loid felt an immediate pang of irritation. “That’s absurd,” she replied, making no attempt to hide the disdain in her voice. “Depple doesn’t have the necessary skills to get close to Donovan Desmond. He doesn’t even understand the political intricacies of the mission.” Sylvia barely sighed. “It’s not a decision based on ability. Of course. Internal politics. Bureaucracy. Interests. The worst threats to any operation.”