Code Name: Untraceable

Chapter Four: Knife Through Butter

The third mission was supposed to be a nightmare.

Twenty guards. Reinforced walls. Motion sensors. Drone patrols.

Didn't matter.

The Thunderbolts were slicing through them like knives through butter-fast, precise, coordinated chaos. Bucky took point, silent and brutal. Yelena moved like a dancer with knives. Ava was efficient and pissed. John was loud but reliable. Bob-still nervous, but sharper every mission.

They were starting to feel like a unit.

And then she appeared.

Again.

Frankie Vale dropped into the hallway mid-firefight like she'd been summoned by the scent of violence and sarcasm.

Hair tied back, red streak catching the light. Tactical gear tight to her frame, pistols already blazing. No hesitation. No backup plan. Just relentless forward motion and her signature soundtrack bleeding from her headphones-barely audible over the gunfire.

They didn't freeze this time.

They moved with her.

She slipped through their formation without a word, flipped over a guard, shot two mid-spin, reloaded mid-jump. Yelena caught her eye. Frankie smirked. They pivoted back to back.

For two full minutes, it was beautiful.

Bucky parried a blow. John knocked a guy unconscious with a metal door. Ava took down three with two shots. Bob stared for a second too long-just long enough to catch the end of Frankie's roundhouse kick flattening a man twice her size.

The room was cleared.

Frankie reloaded calmly, adjusted the strap on her rifle, and turned toward the exit.

She didn't say goodbye.

She never did.

But this time-this time-Ava called after her.

"Wait."

Frankie stopped.

Just for a second.

She turned her head over her shoulder-half shadow, half spotlight-and met their eyes.

Then she winked.

And was gone.

Vanished through the smoke like she'd never been there at all.

Yelena let out a breath. "Okay... I'm officially obsessed."

John nodded. "Same."

Bob just stood there, mouth slightly open, like he wanted to say something he didn't have the words for.

Bucky stared at the door she vanished through.

"We need to find out who she is."