JJ Psychic

Chapter 13

Alpha Corp

JJ had been working for Alpha Corp for several years.

By now, missions had become part of his routine.

He would receive an assignment, study the objective, complete it, and return.

Most missions were straightforward.

Some weren't.

Tonight's assignment was one of the latter.

JJ sat across from Marcus in the Alpha Corp briefing room.

A map was displayed on the screen.

"We've tracked a group of thieves to an abandoned warehouse," Marcus said. "They're holding stolen Alpha Corp equipment."

"How many?"

"Eight confirmed."

"Armed?"

"Definitely."

JJ nodded.

"Hostages?"

"None that we know of."

"Then what's the objective?"

"Recover the equipment and bring them in."

JJ stood.

"Anything else?"

Marcus shook his head.

"Try not to destroy the building."

JJ smiled.

"I'll try."

---

The warehouse was quiet when JJ arrived.

He stood on a nearby rooftop and looked down at the entrance.

Two guards were standing outside.

JJ raised one hand.

The door behind them opened.

Both guards turned.

Nobody was there.

While they were distracted, JJ jumped from the roof.

He landed behind them.

One turned around.

JJ caught his wrist.

The other reached for his weapon.

It disappeared from his hand.

He stared at JJ.

"How—"

JJ placed a finger against his lips.

"Quiet."

A few seconds later, both guards were unconscious.

JJ opened the warehouse door.

---

Inside, several men were gathered around crates.

One of them noticed JJ.

"Hey!"

Everyone turned.

JJ sighed.

"So much for being quiet."

Three men rushed toward him.

JJ lifted his hand.

The first man's feet left the floor.

He floated helplessly for a moment before JJ moved him gently to the side.

The second threw a punch.

JJ caught it.

The third attacked from behind.

JJ ducked.

The punch missed.

JJ pushed the attacker away with a controlled burst of telekinetic force.

He landed several meters away.

The others reached for their weapons.

JJ moved his hand.

Every weapon flew across the room simultaneously.

They landed in a pile.

One of the men stared.

"What are you?"

JJ looked at him.

"Busy."

He moved forward.

---

The fight ended quickly.

The remaining thieves surrendered after watching their weapons disappear and several of their companions get thrown across the warehouse.

JJ contacted Alpha Corp.

"Warehouse secured."

Marcus answered.

"Any damage?"

JJ looked around.

A table was upside down.

One chair was broken.

A few crates had fallen over.

"Minimal."

Marcus paused.

"Define minimal."

JJ looked at the broken chair.

"Nobody important was sitting on it."

Marcus sighed.

"I'll take that."

---

Mission Two

JJ's next assignment came three days later.

This time, he was sent to recover a stolen data drive.

The thief had escaped into a crowded shopping district.

JJ walked through the streets, following the location Alpha Corp had given him.

He spotted the suspect.

The man saw him too.

He ran.

JJ followed.

The man pushed through the crowd.

JJ didn't need to chase him physically.

He simply teleported the man's keys out of his pocket.

The man stopped.

He looked around.

JJ appeared in front of him.

"Looking for these?"

He held up the keys.

The man turned and ran again.

JJ sighed.

"Why do people always do that?"

He followed.

The suspect ran into an alley.

JJ walked in after him.

The man pulled out a weapon.

JJ looked at it.

"Seriously?"

The weapon disappeared.

The man stared.

JJ held out his hand.

"The drive."

The man hesitated.

JJ raised an eyebrow.

The man surrendered it.

JJ smiled.

"Thank you."

The entire mission lasted less than five minutes.

---

Mission Three

The third mission was different.

JJ arrived at an underground facility just before midnight.

Alpha Corp had received information that someone was attempting to steal experimental technology.

The facility's security system had already been disabled.

JJ entered carefully.

He moved through the corridors.

Everything was dark.

Then he heard footsteps.

Someone was coming.

JJ stopped.

A man stepped around the corner.

He was wearing combat gear.

JJ waited.

The man attacked immediately.

JJ blocked the first punch.

The attacker swung again.

JJ ducked.

A kick followed.

JJ stepped backward.

The attacker was fast.

Very fast.

JJ narrowed his eyes.

The man attacked again.

JJ moved aside.

The attacker immediately changed direction.

JJ barely avoided the second strike.

He frowned.

Okay. You're different.

The man attacked again.

JJ blocked the first punch, but the second caught him in the shoulder and sent him several steps backward.

JJ looked at his shoulder.

"That actually hurt."

The man didn't answer.

He charged again.

JJ raised his hand.

The man's movement suddenly stopped.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

JJ was holding him with telekinesis.

The man strained against it.

Slowly, surprisingly, he began moving again.

JJ's eyes widened.

"You're resisting?"

The man pushed forward.

JJ increased the pressure.

The floor beneath the man's feet cracked.

Still, he kept moving.

JJ smiled.

"Now this is interesting."

The attacker lunged.

JJ didn't try to overpower him.

Instead, he teleported the man's weapon away, ducked beneath his next strike, and grabbed his arm.

With a quick movement, JJ threw him across the room.

The man rolled.

Then immediately got back up.

JJ sighed.

"You really don't know when to quit."

The attacker charged again.

JJ waited until the last possible second.

The man swung.

JJ caught his fist.

Then he used his strength to stop him completely.

The man's eyes widened.

JJ looked at him.

"My turn."

A controlled burst of telekinetic force sent him crashing into a padded wall.

He slid down and finally stopped moving.

JJ stood there for a moment.

Then he looked at the unconscious man.

"That was actually fun."

JJ paused.

Ricky would've hated how much I enjoyed that.

A small smile appeared on his face.

"He'd probably make a joke about it too."

JJ shook his head.

"Focus."

He continued through the facility.

---

He eventually reached the laboratory.

Three men were loading equipment into containers.

They immediately noticed him.

One reached for his weapon.

JJ teleported it away.

Another threw a metal object at him.

JJ stopped it in midair.

The object floated inches from his face.

JJ looked at it.

Then at the man who threw it.

"Really?"

He sent it gently back in the opposite direction.

It knocked the man off his feet.

The third tried to escape.

JJ teleported himself directly in front of him.

The man stopped.

JJ pointed toward the floor.

"Sit."

The man sat.

JJ smiled.

"Good choice."

---

The stolen technology was recovered.

The suspects were arrested.

And JJ returned to Alpha Corp before sunrise.

Marcus was waiting for him.

"You look tired."

"I am."

"Successful mission?"

JJ placed the recovered equipment on the table.

"Very."

Marcus looked at the equipment.

"Any injuries?"

"Nothing serious."

"Good."

JJ started walking away.

Marcus called after him.

"JJ."

He turned.

"You did well."

JJ nodded.

"Thanks."

---

Later that evening, JJ sat alone in his apartment.

His jacket was hanging over a chair.

His Alpha Corp identification card lay on the table.

For a moment, he simply stared at it.

Then his eyes moved toward a small photograph beside it.

JJ picked it up.

It was an old photograph of him and Ricky.

They were much younger.

JJ smiled.

"Ricky would've laughed at that guy."

He paused.

"Actually, he'd probably say something stupid first."

JJ laughed quietly.

The room became silent again.

He looked at the photograph.

He wondered where Ricky was.

Whether he was safe.

Whether he had changed.

Whether he ever thought about him too.

JJ placed the photograph back on the table.

He didn't know when they would meet again.

Maybe years from now.

Maybe never.

But he refused to let the uncertainty control his life.

There was work tomorrow.

Another mission.

Another assignment.

Another day.

JJ turned off the light.

For now, that was enough.