Treatment 225_Badass in Disguise

Chapter 225 

 Author’s POV:

 Colonel Edwards walked down the driveway of Jade’s house, shaking his head in amazement. The evening air was cool against his face as he turned to Sergeant Ford and Walter Morrison. Streetmps cast long shadows across the suburban sidewalk as they headed toward their parked vehicles.

 “That youngdy,” he said, his voice filled with wonder, “is absolutely incredible.”

 Ford adjusted his arm, still feeling the residual effects of Jade’s treatment. The pain that had been his constantpanion for years had diminished significantly, reced by an unfamiliar sensation of mobility he hadn’t experienced since before his injury.

 “I’ve never seen anything like it,” Morrison agreed, falling into step beside them. “And I’ve been in medicine for over forty years. The neural regeneration technique she used… it’s decades ahead of current medical science.”

 Colonel Edwards gestured expansively. “She’s what–eighteen, neen at most? Yet her shooting skills, physical conditioning, and reaction time surpass even our Delta Force operatives.” He shook his head in disbelief. “And now we discover she’s an expert in pharmacology and neural regeneration. Thebination is unprecedented.”

 He chuckled, a rare sound from the usually stoic military man. “My luck must be exceptional. Talents like hers appear once in a century, yet I’ve encountered two such prodigies in my lifetime.”

 “Who was the other one?” Morrison inquired.

 Edwards smiled cryptically. “A cryptography genius who went off the grid years ago.”

 Sergeant Ford frowned, rotating his shoulder experimentally. A movement that would have sent shooting pain down his arm just hours ago now felt merely stiff. “About the treatment fee, sir… I’m still uneasy about epting her services without properpensation.”

 “She named her price,” Edwards replied firmly. “Our friendship. In this world, connections are often more valuable than money, especially for someone in her position.”

 Ford hesitated, then cleared his throat. “There’s something else, sir. About Miss Morgan…”

 Edwards raised an eyebrow. “Go on.”

 “There is a man, named Zach. He referred to her as ‘Boss.‘ And there’s something about him… a particr intensity. The kind you see in men who’ve killed before. There’s a lethal quality to his movements.”

 “Your point, Sergeant?” 

 “I’m wondering about Miss Morgan’s true identity and connections. Who exactly are we getting involved with? She seems too young tomand that kind of respect from dangerous men.”

 Edwards smiled dismissively. “Anyone with her capabilities would naturallymand respect. There’s nothing

 unusual about that.”

 “But sir-”

 “Perhaps Mr. Haxton arranged security for her,” Edwards suggested. “A woman of her value would need protection.”

 Walter Morrison adjusted his sses, his expression thoughtful. “In all my observations, Sergeant, I’ve only seen others seeking Miss Morgan’s assistance. I’ve never once witnessed her asking anyone for help.” He nced back at the house. “You and Colonel Edwards have excellent timing.”

 “I adore that girl,” Colonel Edwards dered with surprising enthusiasm. “When I return home, I must tell my son about her. He’s about her age–brilliant boy, graduated from West Pointst year.”

 “I doubt she’s looking for romantic entanglements,” Morrison remarked dryly. “She seems rather… focused.”

 “Everyone needs connections,” Edwards replied confidently. “Even extraordinary people like Miss Morgan.”

 In her bathroom, Jade wrapped a towel around her wet hair, steam billowing around her from the hot shower.

 Padding barefoot to her bedroom, droplets of water marking her path across the hardwood floor, she checked her encryptedptop for messages. A notification from a dark web hacking forum caught her attention–a new member

 announcement.

 Jade’s eyes narrowed as she read the details. Someone had sessfully broken Vex’s encryption challenge, iming the second position on the exclusive ranking board. Vex, previously ranked second, had been pushed to third ce.

 She quickly navigated to the ranking page. X—her own alias–remained firmly in first ce, as it had for years. The gap between first and second was almostughable–a chasm of skill that no one hade close to bridging.

 The new name in second ce made her smile. “Y,” she murmured, scrolling through the sparse profile information.

 A private chat window opened automatically as elite members logged into the system. The exclusive group had expanded from ten to eleven participants with the addition of Y.

 Vex: Who the fuck is Y and how did they break my encryption?

 R4dical: Fresh meat climbs the </idder. Wee to number two, Y.

 Phantom: Y, care to share your methodology? That encryption was supposed to be unbreakable. 

 Null: Took me three weeks just to understand Vex’s challenge structure.

 Hex: Impressive entrance. Show us your tricks, newble. 

 8:01 Fri, Sep 26 T 

 :

 The new member remained silent, prompting irritation from several hackers.

 Vex: Too good to talk to us? Typical newbie. Doesn’t know the rules.

 R4dical: Someone’s bitter about losing their spot

 Phantom: Second ce is still impressive, Vex.

 Vex: Fuck off. Y probably got lucky or cheated somehow.

 Q: Wee to the group, @Y! Excited to have new talent. 

 Across town, Connor sat in his apartment, eagerly watching the chat unfold on his screen. Thements came quickly after his wee message.

 R4dical: Kissing ass won’t keep you from falling out of the top ten, Q.

 Compor scowled at his screen. “What’s it to you if I wee him?” he muttered, typing a quick response.

 being friendly. Something you wouldn’t understand.

 86

 He leaned back in his chair, wondering if Y could possibly be Mr. Haxton. The timing would be perfect—right after their conversation about rankings.

 Vex: Hey Y, if you’re so good, why not challenge X? Or are you scared? 

 The chat fell silent for a moment. Then, to everyone’s surprise, Y responded.

 Y: I’m quite satisfied with second ce. X deserves their ranking. 

 R4dical: Another X fanboy. To 

 Phantom: X hasn’t 

 Connor’s

 noy

 xton.

 eads these messages or participates in the chat.

 Probably retired or working for some government now.

 he whispered. The timing was too perfect–it had to be his boss. He was certain

 xploded.

 antom: X IS HERE! 

 o shock when a new message appeared.

 8:01 Fri, Sep 26 T 

 R4dical: No fucking way! 

 Vex: X! An honor to have you in the chat.

 :

 Null: OMG IT’S ACTUALLY X! I never thought I’d see this day! 

 Hex: The legend appears! What brought you back? 

 66)

 Connor nearly fell out of his chair. The legendary X–his idol–was actually participating in the chat. Then the realization hit him. That was Miss Morgan. That was Jade. He sat there, stunned by the connection between the legendary hacker he’d worshipped and the young woman he’d been spending time with. The cognitive dissonance was jarring–X and Jade, the same person. For a moment, he felt conflicted, but excitement quickly washed away his

 confusion.

 “She’s actually here,” he whispered, watching the chat continue to explode with messages as the entire forum lit up with activity.

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Treatment 225