Badass in Disguise (Shadow) novel Chapter 51

Chapter 51

“Only if you can beat me in La Corona,” Ryan said, his voice carrying that familiar edge of challenge I knew too well. “If you do that, I’ll be the first to acknowledge you.”

I kept my face neutral, though something warm and nostalgic stirred inside me. This was exactly. why I’d always favored Ryan as my lieutenant in my previous life. Smart, strategic, and always testing boundaries–even mine.

“That’s fair,” I replied, watching his eyes narrow at my easy acceptance.

The next few days unfolded like a violent ballet I’d choreographed before. I followed Titan Defense Group on missions, observing how far they’d fallen since my “death.” The tropical humidity clung to my skin as we navigated through dense jungle foliage and dilapidated urban areas that reeked of desperation and rotting vegetation.

Their reputation was in shambles. According to what I overheard during late–night campfire discussions, they’d been lucky to successfully complete one mission out of five this past year.

But with me in the mix, things were different. I saw it in Ryan’s sideways glances, the way he studied my movements, the growing questions behind his eyes. The team’s efficiency had doubled, their

confidence building with each successful operation.

On our third mission together, we encountered Apex Tactical Group again. We were escorting a

shipment of medical supplies through a particularly treacherous mountain pass when they ambushed

us from the ridge above.

“Well, well,” their leader sneered through split lips I’d given him days earlier. “Thought you’d learned your lesson.”

I stepped forward before Ryan could respond. The man’s eyes widened when he saw me, recognition

and fear battling across his features.

“You again,” he spat, hand instinctively moving toward his weapon.

I moved with deliberate slowness, making sure everyone could follow what happened next. My fist connected with his nose, a clean, precise strike that ended with the distinct crack of cartilage giving

way.

Blood erupted from his nostrils as he dropped to his knees, howling. The rest of his team froze, weapons half–raised, clearly uncertain. The mountain air filled with the metallic scent of fresh blood.

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“Holy shit,” someone whispered behind me.

I turned to see Ryan staring, something like recognition flickering in his eyes. His grip on his rifle had slackened, and his mouth hung slightly open.

Later, after Apex had retreated with their wounded leader, Ryan pulled me aside. The evening sun cast long shadows through the trees, painting everything in deep oranges and reds.

“The way you move… you’re not just good. You’re like her,” he said, voice barely above a whisper.

“Like who?” I asked, though I knew exactly who he meant.

“Our Commander,” he replied, watching my reaction carefully. “You fight like her. It’s uncanny.”

The Apex leader hobbled back toward us, supported by one of his men. Blood had dried around his nose and chin, making him look like a second–rate horror movie extra. His eyes darted nervously between me and the ground.

“Titan Defense Group is supposed to be finished,” he growled, though his voice lacked conviction. “Your leader is dead. Who the fuck are you?”

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I smiled slowly, letting the menace seep into my expression. “Someone who suggests you take your men and disappear before I decide to remind you of the nightmare you experienced over a year ago.”

His face paled beneath the blood. “You–that’s impossible.”

“Try me,” I stepped closer, lowering my voice so only he could hear. “Or would you rather join Apex Tactical with me instead? I’m sure your skills would be… valuable.”

He flinched at my proximity. I could smell the fear on him, sour and pungent beneath the blood and

sweat.

“Fuck you,” he spat, backing away. “We’re done here.”

As they retreated, Zach glared at me. “You talk about our Commander like you knew her.”

We made camp in a small clearing, the evening jungle heat making everything sticky and uncomfortable. Xavier’s leg was healing well, thanks to the field medicine I’d applied. The rest of the team was gathering supplies and setting up a perimeter. Insects buzzed incessantly around us, and distant thunder promised another night of tropical downpours.

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I sat beneath a tree, cleaning my borrowed weapons, when Zach approached. His youthful face was set in hard lines, watching me with barely contained suspicion.

“Your Commander,” I remarked casually, not looking up from the knife I was polishing. “Gave you guys a heap of enemies, then just clapped her hands and died, huh?”

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Zach’s face instantly flushed with rage. He lunged forward, knife gripped white–knuckled in his hand. “I’ll kill you myself if you ever disrespect her memory again,” he snarled, trembling with fury.

Ryan pulled him back with a firm grip on his shoulder. “Easy, Zach. She’s on our side.”

“For now,” Zach muttered, stalking away, kicking at the underbrush as he went.

Ryan sat beside me, offering a can of beer. “Sorry about him. He’s the Commander’s most devoted fan boy. Worshipped the ground she walked on.”

“I can tell,” I said, popping the tab and taking a swig of the lukewarm beer. It wasn’t great, but it was

alcohol.

“She built something impressive here,” Ryan continued, looking around at what remained of Titan Defense Group. The men were setting up camp with practiced efficiency despite their reduced numbers. “We were ranked fifth in Venezuela under her leadership. And she personally maintained thirty–three consecutive wins in La Corona–an unbroken record.”

I nodded, memories of those fights washing over me. The roar of the crowds, the metallic taste of blood in my mouth, the rush of victory after victory. The strategic planning before each fight, the calculated risks. I’d built that reputation from nothing.

“Nobody could touch her,” Ryan said, his voice dropping to almost a whisper. “We called her ‘Nobody‘ because that’s what she’d say when people asked who she was.”

“Sounds mysterious,” I remarked, fighting the urge to smile at my old code name.

Ryan studied my face intently. “You remind me of her. The way you move, the way you fight–hell, even the way you give orders.” He leaned forward, firelight dancing across his weathered features. “Who are you, really? Why are your fighting styles identical?”

I smiled enigmatically. “Maybe I’m her, reborn.”

He stared at me for a long moment before laughing softly. “Wouldn’t that be something.”

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But I could see the seed of doubt–or perhaps belief–taking root behind his eyes.

∞

Over the next few days, word spread throughout the underground networks of Venezuela: Titan Defense Group’s Commander might have returned. Former members who had abandoned ship after my “death” began reaching out, testing the waters. Contracts that had dried up suddenly became available again.

“It’s weird,” Xavier commented one evening as we reviewed a new high–paying contract offer. “It’s

like the ghosts of our past are stirring.”

He didn’t know how right he was. The ghost of Nobody was rising, and with it, the legacy I’d built and lost. This time, I wasn’t going to let anyone take it from me.

As I watched my former team preparing for our next mission with renewed purpose in their

movements, I felt something close to pride. They had survived without me, battered but unbroken.

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