Shadowhunter in the Apocalypse

Viper's Origin

The awkward moment didn't last long, Jason soon came in with a visibly annoyed expression.

"Their limit is two missions" He glared, "And that is the lowest they are willing to go on the matter"

Reed calmly accessed the man, "Then we have a deal, now don't take this the wrong way but when exactly are you leaving?"

The man smiled as if the comment didn't bother him, "I'm afraid I can't leave until you report back with the mission."

"You are sending me on one now?" Reed looked at him with irritation evident in his eyes" You guys must be so happy everything is going exactly how you planned"

"I don't know what you are talking about Hunter Reed but I would like to remind you that it is in your best interest not to make baseless claims."

He took out his phone and tapped a bit, suddenly Reeds own phone buzzed.

Reed took it out and with a frown read the mission basics, his frown kept on deepening as he went on, at the end of the document he was already visibly pissed.

"So let me get this straight, you want me to enter the forbidden forest, one of the 5 Cursed Locations to find a S Class hunter that has been lost for a month?!"

"That is suicide!" Hale shouted from the side.

"Don't be so dramatic," Hunter Jason rolled his eyes at Hale's reaction, then looked back at Reed "All you have to do is go in and come back with her, Web has always been a particularly had to kill hunter, so all you have to do is go to her last reported location and track her."

Reed looked at Hale and back at his phone.

"And as usual I'm sure you wouldn't tell me why you sent her to a Cursed location in the first place." Reed mumbled frustrated "I could literally die there for a girl who has been missing for a whole month, someone who could be dead!"

"We won't send you on this mission if we weren't sure there was a chance Web was alive Reed." Jason said with a tone of finality and impatience. "And can you really sit back and watch as another S class hunter like you suffer?"

"I absolutely can" Reed answered without hesitation.

"And in the meantime," He gave his phone to Reed ignoring his answer, it seemed like the bad news wasn't over.

Reed read through it, all complex jargon and reasoning but he got the general gist of the matter.

"You will be the one supervising Mia's first mission." His knuckles whitened around the device, and for a moment, Hale thought he might crush it out of sheer anger.

Reed forced in a deep breath, mastering his emotions with effort, and finally let out a heavy sigh.

"You people really don't know when to quit, do you?" His tone was bitter. "I am her official mentor. I have the right to reject anything that interferes with her training." He threw back the phone.

Hale immediately nodded in agreement, the concern in his face plain as day. "He's right. My daughter's first mission isn't something to be toyed with. She doesn't need an outsider watching her every step."

You see for cadets, the first mission was always a delicate balance of test and rite of passage. They were shadowed by experienced hunters, usually someone close or familiar, to keep their nerves steady. Success wasn't just about completing the task; it was about doing it the Shadowhunter way: silent, efficient, leaving no trace behind.

The supervisor could step in if disaster struck but if they did, the cadet was marked as failed and sent back for more training. That was the tradition. That was the law.

And Mia had been promised Reed, not Jason.

"You're right, Hunter Reed," Jason said, surprising them both with his quick agreement. "You do have the right to reject my involvement." His smile widened as he set the trap with deliberate calm. "But you see, this isn't just about her first mission. This is about assessing whether she even still qualifies as a normal hunter."

"What do you mean by normal hunter?" Hale asked.

"Ever hear of a hybrid hunter?" Jason suddenly asked, both men fell silent "Well me too, the Council is still very much undecided about her, believe it or not she wasn't the first Shadowhunter to have her blood mixed with foreign elements but she was the first who survived with remarkable success….so what makes her special?"

"Thought we already agreed on no experimentation?" Hale voice grew deeper.

Jason rolled his eyes as if the men were taking this too seriously "I'm not talking about experimenting; I'm talking about whether she should even be allowed to continue with the Shadowhunter program since she biologically cannot really be said to be one of us anymore"

Reed knew where he was going with this before he even opened his mouth to continue.

"But if you let me Supervise her first mission, observe how she works, the Council will better understand her nature and be more inclined to keep her hunter status, even go further…"Jason smirked, like he was about to deliver the perfect undeniable treat. "She's already taken the serum. That can't be reversed. So why not take advantage of it? Why not mold her into something greater—another Special Class Agent." He looked directly at Reed.

"You want to create another Ghost?" Hale's voice said with disbelief.

Jason chuckled softly. "Viper. That would be her codename once she'd earned it. Her stats are already off the charts. Her physical strength is already beyond what any of us could dream of. Why restrict her to the level of…well, hunters like us, with weak bodies and limited lifespans?"

"It will be a big deal for her," Reed said finally, Hale nodded as he reached the same conclusion, he knew his daughter.

The Classic Carrot and Stick method, punish them to remind everyone who is boss and then dangle a shiny reward to motivate them, either way the House of Black's Council never lost.

"Of course, you can still refuse, and we will try to make the best of your second mission", all the Goodwill Reed felt towards the man suddenly disappeared once again without a trace.

Reed understood Hales secret concerns, in Reed's case he had always had the natural talent to go the extra mile, his daughter while talented wasn't that good yet nor did she give off the assurance Reed gave off, she just recently got her own uniqueness, how was he expected to throw her into the wolves so soon.

Hale finally asked, almost pleading, "Reed will still be her mentor?"

Jason nodded smoothly. "He retains that role and yes that means he can refuse missions on her behalf until he feels she is ready to become Viper."

Hale's shoulders relaxed, though only slightly. He turned to Reed, his voice heavy. "You said she's ready for her first mission?"

Reed hesitated. He thought of Mia's training, her restless energy, her stubborn determination to prove herself. He thought of how proud she'd looked when she managed to land a hit once because he had been a bit…..distracted.

"She's as ready as she'll ever be, Commander," Reed admitted.

Hale let out a slow breath. His eyes shifted to Jason, then back to Reed, the weight of the decision hanging between them.

"Then Jason," Hale said at last, though the words seemed to tear themselves from his throat, "for her first mission only, we accept your supervision."

Jason smiled, satisfied. But before he could say more, Hale stepped forward, his voice sharp.

"But as for my daughter becoming Viper,."

Jason paused.

Hale's gaze was steady, his voice firm with conviction. "This isn't just about her career. This is about her life. If she's to be pushed into this path, she deserves the right to decide for herself."

"You're right," Reed backed him up, the solution had been simple all along. "We ask her."

Jason smirked, clearly unconcerned. "By all means. Ask her. I doubt she'll say no to the chance to become something more than ordinary."

Reed ignored him. He was very right but it's not like they needed to cater to his already humungous ego.

Hale exhaled slowly, his chest rising and falling with the weight of everything that had just been decided. For a long moment, the room was silent, the tension like a heavy fog no one could quite disperse.

Finally, he turned toward his desk, reaching for the old, phone that rarely left his side. His fingers hesitated just above it, the call he was about to make somehow heavier than all the missions and battle reports he had ever signed.

"Hannah," he said once the line clicked open, his voice steady but low, the authority of a commander mixing with the worry of a father. "I need you to bring Mia to my office. Immediately."

A faint pause on the other end, then Hannah's warm, unquestioning voice replied, "Right away, Commander."

When the line went dead, Hale sat back in his chair and stared at the ceiling, as if bracing himself for the storm that was about to walk through that door.

Reed stayed quiet, arms folded, his gaze locked on Hale. Jason, of course, looked smug, as if the decision were already in his pocket.

But Hale knew better. Mia wasn't just a cadet, or a pawn anyone could use and throw away. She was his daughter. And in a few minutes, when Hannah escorted her in, they would finally put the choice in her hands.

For better or worse, her future would change today.