## Chapter 1 — Rogue's Problem The message arrived at 18:07. **Afterlife. One hour.** Ace stared at it for a moment, then turned the phone toward Mai. Mai read the message. “Oh, good.” Ace lowered the phone. “You say that like you mean the opposite.” “I do.” Across the safehouse living room, Shammy looked up from the couch. “Rogue?” Ace nodded. “Rogue.” Shammy sat up. No signature. No explanation. None needed. When Rogue sent a message like that, you went. --- Fifty-two minutes later, the three of them walked into the Afterlife. The place was busy enough to sound alive but not yet packed, the evening still gathering momentum. Conversations rolled beneath the music. Glasses clicked against tables. Somewhere near the bar, somebody was laughing loudly enough to irritate half the room. Rogue was already there. Of course she was. Ace spotted her immediately and changed direction without needing to say anything. Mai followed. Shammy came last. Rogue waited until all three were seated before speaking. “I have a problem.” Ace leaned back. “That sounds expensive.” “It probably is.” Mai gave Ace a sideways look. Ace shrugged. Rogue slid a data shard across the table. “Seven dead.” That killed the humor. Mai picked up the shard. “Related?” “That’s what I want you to find out.” Ace frowned. “Seven people and you don’t know if they’re related?” “If I knew, you wouldn’t be here.” “Fair.” Rogue rested one forearm on the table. “First one was six weeks ago. Last one two nights ago.” “Same district?” Mai asked. “No.” “Same employer?” “No.” “Same gang?” “No.” “Same fixer?” “No.” “Same ripper?” “No.” Ace glanced at Mai. Mai kept going. “Same club?” “No.” “Same dealer?” “No.” “Same enemies?” “Nothing useful.” Shammy looked at Rogue. “Then what connects them?” Rogue’s expression tightened slightly. “Reports.” Ace raised an eyebrow. “What kind of reports?” “The kind I normally ignore.” That got her attention. Rogue nodded toward the shard in Mai’s hand. “Witness statements. Surveillance. Street chatter. None of it agrees with anything else.” Mai slotted the shard into her reader. Ace leaned closer. The first file opened. A man had been found dead in Kabuki. Broken neck. One witness described seeing him arguing with a tall man in a dark coat. Another witness, across the street, described a short blonde woman. Same place. Same time. Ace looked up. “Both sober?” “One mostly. Other completely.” “Chrome issues?” “No.” “Braindance bleed?” “No.” Mai moved on. Second case. One witness described an older man. Another described someone young and heavily chromed. A third described a woman with long black hair. Ace stared at the screen. “Okay.” Rogue said nothing. Mai opened the next statement. Then another. And another. The descriptions kept changing. Age. Height. Sex. Hair. Clothing. Chrome. Sometimes even apparent ethnicity. Nothing stayed consistent except one thing. Every witness was certain. Not uncertain. Not confused. Certain. Mai stopped scrolling. “They’re not describing the same person.” “No.” “They think they are.” “Yes.” Ace leaned forward. “Memory edit?” “No evidence.” “Psychotropic?” “Nothing that fits all of them.” “Shared BD?” “No.” Shammy spoke quietly. “Could be more than one attacker.” Rogue looked at her. “That’s what I thought.” “But?” Rogue nodded toward the reader. “Watch the footage.” Mai opened the first recording. Security camera. Alley. Bad angle. Good enough. A man backed away from something the camera could not see. Ace’s expression changed almost immediately. The victim wasn’t stumbling randomly. He was tracking something. His eyes moved. His shoulders turned. He shifted left. Then right. Like somebody was approaching him. Nothing was there. The man suddenly raised both hands. His head snapped sideways. He hit the wall. Hard. Ace leaned closer. “Run that back.” Mai did. Same thing. The man reacted to a blow. There was no visible attacker. He staggered upright. Something struck him again. His knees buckled. Then his body slid half a meter across the pavement. Nothing touched him. Nobody spoke for several seconds. Ace looked at Rogue. “Original?” “As far as anyone can tell.” “Kiro’s seen it?” “No.” “Why not?” “Because I wanted you three first.” Ace nodded once. Fair enough. Mai opened the second recording. Parking structure. A woman running. She kept looking behind her. Nothing followed. She changed direction sharply. Like somebody had moved to cut her off. Still nothing. Then she lifted off the ground. Not jumped. Lifted. Thrown sideways. Her body slammed into a parked vehicle hard enough to dent the door. Shammy’s eyes narrowed. Mai froze the frame. The woman hung half sideways against the car. Empty air beside her. Ace stared at it. “No distortion.” “No,” Rogue said. “No visual glitch.” “No.” “No deleted frames.” “No.” “Thermal?” “Nothing useful.” Ace sat back. “That’s irritating.” Rogue gave her a flat look. “Seven people are dead.” Ace looked at her. “I know.” The humor was gone now. Mai switched to the next file. “Causes of death?” “Varied.” “How varied?” “One broken neck. Two blade wounds. One massive blunt trauma. One fall. One had internal injuries consistent with being hit repeatedly by something much stronger than average.” “And the last?” Rogue paused. “Throat torn open.” Ace’s eyes moved to Shammy. Shammy’s expression didn’t change. “Animal?” “No match.” “Cyberware?” “No match.” “Weapon?” “No match.” Mai closed the report. “Street chatter?” Rogue’s mouth pulled slightly to one side. “That’s where it gets stupid.” Ace almost smiled. “Good. I was worried this was going to stay normal.” Rogue ignored that. “Some people are calling it a soul-eater.” Ace blinked. Then turned toward Shammy. Shammy looked back. Ace turned to Rogue again. “A soul-eater.” “Yes.” “That’s what they’re calling it.” “Yes.” “Seriously.” Rogue’s stare hardened. “Ace.” “Right.” Mai remained focused. “Why?” Rogue looked at her. “Because one witness started saying something was missing from the body.” Shammy’s attention sharpened. “Missing how?” “Not physically.” Ace looked at her. Rogue continued. “First victim’s sister found him.” “What did she say?” “That it wasn’t him anymore.” Ace frowned. “He was dead.” “I know.” “She knew he was dead?” “Yes.” “And still said that.” “Yes.” Shammy leaned forward slightly. “Exact wording?” Rogue reached across and selected a transcript. The statement opened. Shock. Disjointed answers. NCPD trying to get something useful. Then the same sentence repeated. **He isn’t there.** Ace read it once. Then again. The next line was worse. **That’s his body. He isn’t there. Something took him.** The table went quiet. Even with the Afterlife moving around them, the space around Rogue suddenly felt smaller. Mai looked at Shammy. Shammy did not immediately answer. Rogue watched her. “Well?” Shammy’s eyes remained on the transcript. “I don’t know.” Ace glanced at her. Shammy continued. “But I’d like to know why she said it.” Rogue gave a short nod. “That makes two of us.” Mai removed the shard. “What do you want from us?” Rogue answered immediately. “Facts.” Ace’s mouth twitched. “Your favorite thing.” “Exactly.” Rogue looked at all three of them in turn. “I don’t care whether this is experimental camouflage, mass hallucination, some fucked-up neurohack, a cyberpsycho with tricks nobody’s seen yet or an actual goddamn monster.” Ace looked amused. “Monster is currently winning.” “Shut up.” Ace smiled. Rogue pointed toward the shard. “I want to know if these deaths are connected.” Another finger. “I want to know what killed them.” Another. “I want to know why every witness gives me a different person.” Then one more. “And I want to know why every camera says nobody was there.” Mai nodded slowly. “Kiro.” Rogue nodded. “Obviously.” “Reyes.” Another nod. Ace leaned back. “So extended Triad.” “If that’s what you want to call it.” “That’s what it is.” Rogue didn’t care enough to argue. Mai looked at Ace. Ace looked at Shammy. Shammy was still watching the frozen transcript. Ace exhaled. “Fine.” Rogue raised an eyebrow. “Fine?” “We’ll take it.” “I assumed you would.” “Of course you did.” Rogue leaned back. “There’s one more thing.” Ace stopped. Mai looked at her. Shammy finally shifted her attention away from the transcript. Rogue’s voice dropped slightly. “Last victim had a witness.” “You said that.” “This one hid.” Ace waited. “Whatever killed her knew he was there.” Mai’s expression tightened. “How?” “It looked straight at him.” Ace frowned. “And he saw what?” Rogue was silent for a moment. Then: “A woman he used to work with.” Shammy tilted her head. “Used to?” “She’s been dead for nine years.” That landed. Ace didn’t say anything. Neither did Mai. Shammy’s expression changed by almost nothing. But Ace knew her well enough to notice. Rogue pushed the shard toward Mai again. “You still want the job?” Ace looked at the shard. Then at Rogue. “Now I really want the job.” Rogue gave her a thin smile. “I thought you might.” --- They were halfway to the door when Ace pulled out her phone. Kiro answered on the second ring. “Ace?” “Safehouse.” “When?” “Soon as you can.” A pause. “Rogue?” Ace smiled. “You’re getting good at this.” “I’ve known you too long.” “Bring serious hardware.” The humor left Kiro’s voice immediately. “What happened?” Ace glanced back toward Rogue’s table. “She has seven bodies, witnesses seeing different attackers and cameras seeing nobody.” Silence. Then: “That’s bullshit.” “Probably.” Another pause. “I’m bringing coffee.” “Good girl.” Ace disconnected. Mai was already messaging Reyes. Shammy walked beside them. Ace glanced at Mai’s phone. “Coming?” “Yes.” “How fast?” Mai looked at the reply. “Thirty minutes.” Ace grinned. “See? Reyes loves us.” Mai put the phone away. “Reyes loves trouble.” “Same thing.” “No.” Outside, Night City looked completely normal. Traffic flowed. Neon burned against concrete. Music leaked from a passing vehicle. Somewhere in the distance a siren rose, fell, and disappeared. Ace stood for a second with her hands in her jacket pockets. Then she looked at Shammy. “Ten eddies says this is not actually a soul-eater.” Shammy considered it. “Twenty says Kiro hates the recordings.” Ace smiled. “Deal.” Mai stopped beside the car. “You two know I can hear you.” Ace looked at her. “Want in?” Mai sighed. Then opened the door. “Fifty says Rogue regrets giving us this job.” Ace’s grin widened. “Now that’s my girl.” --- ## Chapter 2 — Nothing on the Recording Kiro arrived with two coffees, one energy drink, a hard case full of diagnostic hardware and the expression of someone who had already decided the problem was going to annoy her. Reyes arrived six minutes later carrying nothing except her sidearm and considerably less patience. Ace opened the armored door for her. “You’re late.” Reyes looked at her. “I’m early.” “Emotionally late.” “That doesn’t mean anything.” “It means I missed you.” Reyes stepped past her. “You’re already irritating.” Ace closed the door. “So you did miss me.” From the living room, Mai called: “Stop flirting with the gun.” Reyes looked toward the voice. “I’m not sure which one of us you mean.” Ace grinned. “See? She loves me.” Kiro was already setting up at the table. “No one loves you.” Ace looked offended. Shammy, curled sideways into one end of the couch, lifted a hand without looking up. “I do.” Mai raised hers from beside her. Ace pointed at them. “Majority.” “There are five of us,” Reyes said. “Kiro’s currently disqualified.” Kiro plugged the first storage unit into her rig. “Why?” “Hostile attitude.” “Fuck you.” Ace smiled brightly. “See?” Reyes dropped into a chair. “What exactly did Rogue find?” Mai passed her the shard. “Seven bodies. Witnesses who can’t agree on who they saw. Cameras that don’t see anyone.” Reyes looked at her. “Anyone?” “Anyone.” “Cloak?” “That’s what Kiro gets to tell us.” Kiro stopped moving. Slowly, she looked at Mai. “No.” Ace leaned against the table. “No?” “You said cameras don’t see anyone.” “Yes.” “And now you want me to explain that.” “Yes.” “No.” Mai smiled faintly. Kiro looked around the room as if hoping someone more reasonable had appeared while she wasn’t paying attention. Nobody had. She sighed. “Fine.” Ace glanced at Shammy. Shammy glanced back. Neither said anything. Yet. Kiro loaded the first recording. The alley footage filled one of the larger displays. She didn’t watch the victim. Not at first. Her eyes went to the metadata. Timestamp. Codec. Device identifier. Firmware. Recording chain. Compression history. Then the file itself. She pulled it apart without ceremony. Ace watched from behind her shoulder for approximately twenty seconds before understanding nothing at all. “Kiro.” “No.” “I haven’t asked anything.” “You were going to.” “That’s becoming a theme today.” Mai sat at the opposite side of the table. Reyes leaned back against the couch with one ankle resting over the opposite knee. Shammy watched Kiro rather than the screen. Kiro ran the first integrity check. Then another. Then opened the raw feed. She frowned. Ace noticed. That was promising. Or terrible. With Kiro, often both. “What?” “Nothing.” Ace leaned closer. “That sounded like something.” “It isn’t.” Kiro rewound. Ran the same section again. Then opened a second diagnostic window. Mai asked: “Compression damage?” “No.” “Dropped frames?” “No.” “Tampering?” “Not seeing any.” Reyes glanced at the display. “Could somebody have removed the attacker before the file got to Rogue?” Kiro shook her head. “Not like this.” “How do you know?” “Because if you remove something, you replace it with something else.” Reyes frowned. “Background.” “Background is still something.” Kiro pointed at the image. “If somebody reconstructed the alley around an attacker, there’d be inconsistencies. Light, noise, compression, sensor pattern, motion compensation, temporal artifacts, something.” She enlarged the section where the victim’s head snapped sideways. “There’s nothing.” Ace folded her arms. “That’s what Rogue said.” Kiro looked over her shoulder. “Rogue is not me.” “Fair.” Kiro turned back. She isolated the surrounding pixels. Then the victim. Then reflections from a dirty metal panel mounted on the wall. Then a puddle. Then three different areas Ace would never have thought to examine. Nothing. Kiro’s frown deepened. Shammy’s mouth twitched. Ace saw it. Shammy saw Ace seeing it. Still neither said anything. Kiro ran the file through another tool. Then another. The room gradually got quieter. Even Reyes stopped looking bored. Mai finally asked: “Anything?” Kiro didn’t answer immediately. Then: “The recording is clean.” Ace looked at Shammy. Shammy very slowly extended one hand. Ace stared at it. “We’re not done.” Kiro turned. “What?” “Nothing.” “Why is Shammy holding her hand out?” “She has circulation problems.” Shammy’s smile widened. Kiro narrowed her eyes. “What did you bet?” Ace ignored her. “Second recording.” “Ace.” “Science waits for no woman.” “You bet on me.” “I bet on the investigation.” Shammy said pleasantly: “I bet on you.” Kiro stared at both of them. Reyes began laughing. Mai covered her mouth. Kiro pointed at Ace. “You’re paying me half.” “That’s not how betting works.” “It is now.” “Second recording.” Kiro muttered something in Czech under her breath. Ace didn’t understand a word of it. Tone translated beautifully. The parking structure footage opened. Kiro attacked it harder. She traced camera routing. Checked clock drift. Verified sensor records. Compared the embedded feed against the archive copy. Pulled firmware logs. Reconstructed packet timing. Found a minor clock discrepancy between two local systems and spent six minutes proving it was irrelevant. Then another seven proving that the file had never passed through a generative reconstruction layer. Her expression got worse. Ace started enjoying herself. Not the situation. Kiro. There was a distinction. Kiro replayed the moment the woman was lifted from the ground. Once. Twice. Again in slow motion. The victim’s coat pulled tight across one shoulder. Her body twisted. Her feet left the floor. Her weight shifted around a point that did not exist in the image. Kiro froze the frame. Nobody spoke. She advanced it one frame. Then another. The parked vehicle deformed when the woman struck it. Kiro enlarged the impact. “Force is real.” Mai nodded. “Obviously.” “No.” Kiro pointed. “I mean the physical interaction is real. Vehicle suspension moves. Panel deformation matches the impact. Reflections change correctly. Camera vibration is consistent. Nothing about the environment has been patched.” Reyes leaned forward. “So she gets thrown by nobody.” Kiro stared at the screen. “Yes.” “Can camouflage do that?” “Not without existing.” Ace smiled. “That seems like a low bar.” Kiro ignored her. Mai asked: “Optical cloak?” “Would still affect light.” “Active camouflage?” “Still has mass. Still blocks something. Still reflects something. Still fucks with the image somehow.” “Thermal?” Kiro pulled up Rogue’s attached data. “Nothing.” “Radar?” “Nothing useful.” “Lidar?” “Nothing.” Ace blinked. “Now that’s rude.” Kiro turned. “This is not funny.” “I know.” “You’re smiling.” “I contain multitudes.” Kiro turned back. “Shut up.” Shammy’s hand was still out. Ace pointed at her. “And you can stop that.” “No.” “You haven’t won yet.” Kiro looked between them. “What exactly was the bet?” Shammy answered. “Twenty says you hate the recordings.” Kiro stared at her. Then at Ace. Then back at Shammy. “I hate the recordings.” Shammy moved her hand slightly toward Ace. Ace sighed. “Oh, fuck off.” She transferred the money. Reyes laughed harder. Kiro looked offended. “I should get that.” “No.” “I did the work.” “You were the event.” “That is worse.” Ace sat beside her. “Think of it as peer recognition.” “I’m going to recognize your face with the table.” Mai said: “Kiro.” “Metaphorically.” Reyes nodded. “Good recovery.” Kiro leaned back and rubbed both eyes. For a moment, nobody spoke. Then she lowered her hands. “Okay.” The tone changed. Ace straightened. Kiro tapped the frozen frame. “There is no attacker in this recording.” Reyes nodded. “We noticed.” “No.” Kiro looked at her. “You don’t understand.” She pointed at the victim. “This woman is responding to force. Her clothing responds. Her center of gravity responds. The environment responds. The car responds. Everything behaves exactly as though someone picked her up and threw her.” She tapped the empty space. “But there is no optical evidence that anything occupies this volume.” Mai’s expression hardened. “So either the attacker is doing something we don’t understand—” “Or the recording system fundamentally cannot perceive it.” Kiro said it. Then immediately looked unhappy that she had. Ace’s smile disappeared. Shammy shifted slightly on the couch. Reyes asked: “Can that happen?” Kiro turned toward her. “With a camera?” “Yes.” “No.” A beat. Then: “Apparently.” That landed harder than anything else she had said. Mai looked at the display. “Run the others.” Kiro nodded. They did. The third recording showed a man backing through a small shop storage area. He was talking. No audio. His mouth shaped words toward someone standing just outside the camera’s view. Then whatever he was speaking to entered the space where he was looking. The camera saw nobody. The man recoiled anyway. The fourth showed a victim raising a metal pipe and swinging it at empty air. The pipe stopped halfway through the arc. Not slowed. Stopped. Then ripped from his hands. It flew sideways and hit the floor. Nothing held it. Kiro watched that one four times. By the fourth, she looked personally insulted. The fifth was worse. A woman stood near a service elevator. She wasn’t running. She was talking calmly to someone. Smiling, even. Then her expression changed. Not fear. Confusion. A second later she took one step backward. Then another. The camera saw nobody standing in front of her. Her mouth moved. Mai leaned closer. “Can you reconstruct the audio?” “No source audio.” “Lip-read?” Kiro isolated the face. “Maybe.” Ace leaned beside her. The woman said something. Paused. Then said something else. Kiro replayed it. Reyes watched. “What?” Kiro slowed it further. Ace stared at the woman's lips. “I know you.” Nobody reacted immediately. Kiro replayed. Ace pointed. “She says ‘I know you.’” Mai nodded. “I think so.” Then the woman spoke again. Three words. This time Shammy caught it first. “She says a name.” Kiro enlarged the image. The lips moved. Ace couldn’t identify it. Neither could Mai. Reyes shook her head. Kiro marked the section. “We’ll run enhancement later.” The woman took another step backward. Then the recording ended. Not corrupted. Not cut. The elevator camera simply rotated away on its programmed sweep. Kiro stared at the blank section after playback stopped. Ace noticed her jaw tighten. “What?” Kiro opened the witness statement. Read. Then looked back at the frozen image. “What?” Kiro turned the display toward them. The witness had described the person the victim was speaking to. Male. Around sixty. Gray hair. Thin face. Long brown coat. Mai looked at the image again. “There’s nobody there.” “Yes.” Kiro opened a second witness report. Same incident. Female. Under thirty. Short black hair. Red jacket. Reyes frowned. “Same person?” “Same place. Same time.” “Two attackers?” Kiro shook her head. “Both witnesses say the victim was speaking to one person.” Ace sat very still. “So they saw different people.” “Yes.” “And the camera saw neither.” “Yes.” Shammy said: “But the victim recognized whoever she saw.” Kiro looked at her. Mai’s gaze moved to the woman frozen on the display. **I know you.** Ace felt that same cold sensation from the Afterlife return. Less dramatic now. Worse because of it. Reyes stood and walked closer to the screen. “Rogue’s last witness saw a dead coworker.” Mai nodded. “Nine years dead.” Kiro folded her arms. “So either these people are being fed individualized hallucinations—” “By what?” Reyes asked. Kiro’s expression sharpened. “I don’t know.” “Neurohack?” “No common implants.” “Signal?” “No evidence.” “Drug?” “No.” “BD?” “No.” Reyes looked at the empty frame. “Then we’re back to monster.” Ace sighed. “I hate when Rogue is right.” Mai looked at her. “Rogue didn’t say it was a monster.” “She put it on the list.” “After camouflage, hallucination and cyberpsycho.” “Still counts.” Kiro closed the playback and opened a fresh workspace. “We need witness interviews.” Ace nodded. “Tomorrow.” “Tonight.” Ace looked at her. Kiro pointed at the screen. “No. Fuck this. I want to know what they saw.” Reyes smiled. “Now you’re interested.” “I’m offended.” “By the killer?” “By reality.” Ace leaned across and patted her shoulder. “That’s my girl.” Kiro slapped her hand away. “Don’t.” Shammy stood. Her expression was thoughtful now. Not frightened. Not calm either. Something between. Mai noticed. “What?” Shammy looked at the frozen image one more time. “I don’t think the witnesses are wrong.” Reyes frowned. “They can’t all be right.” Shammy looked at her. “Why not?” Silence. Kiro slowly turned toward her. Ace felt the room change. Shammy continued. “They may all be describing exactly what they saw.” Mai’s eyes narrowed. “Different people.” “Yes.” “At the same time.” “Yes.” Reyes folded her arms. “That doesn’t make sense.” Shammy smiled faintly. “No.” She looked at the empty place on the screen. “It doesn’t.” Ace stood. “Good.” Four faces turned toward her. Ace grabbed her jacket. “Then tomorrow we go ask people what impossible looks like.” Mai sighed. “Ace.” “What?” “It’s almost midnight.” Ace checked the time. Then looked at Kiro. Kiro was already reopening the first recording. Ace grinned. “Fine. Tomorrow.” Kiro didn’t look away from the screen. “I’m staying.” Mai pointed toward the guest room. “You’re sleeping.” “No.” “Yes.” “I have seven—” “Six hours.” “Mai.” “Five.” Kiro turned. “You negotiate sleep like a hostage situation.” Mai smiled. “And yet you’re going to bed.” Reyes stretched. “I’m staying here too.” Ace brightened. “Sleepover.” “No.” “Extended Triad sleepover.” “No.” Shammy walked past Reyes. “Yes.” Reyes stared at her. Shammy kept walking. Ace followed. “Democracy.” “There are five of us.” Mai switched off one of Kiro’s displays. “Bed.” Kiro looked betrayed. Mai switched off another. “Now.” Kiro gathered her coffee. “I hate this house.” Ace called from the hallway: “No, you don’t.” Kiro looked at Reyes. Reyes shrugged. “They’re usually right about that.” Kiro sighed. Then followed. Behind them, the last display remained active. The parking structure footage had frozen on the woman suspended beside the car. Held by nothing. Thrown by nothing. Killed by something every instrument insisted had never been there. --- ## Chapter 3 — Witnesses By ten the next morning, Kiro had changed her mind about sleep. Not because she had become reasonable. Because Mai had physically removed the diagnostic rig from the table and carried it into the locked storage room. Kiro had stared at her. Mai had stared back. Kiro had gone to bed. Ace considered that a tactical victory. By eleven, all five of them were moving. The first witness lived in Watson. Small apartment. Third floor. Bad hallway lighting. One door with three locks and a camera that had probably been replaced twice after people kept stealing the first one. Ace knocked. Nothing. She waited. Knocked again. A voice from behind the door: “Who?” Ace glanced at Mai. Mai answered. “We’re here about Tomas.” Silence. Then: “Who sent you?” “Rogue.” That changed things. Not enough to open the door immediately. Enough to make the locks move. One. Two. Three. The door opened perhaps twenty centimeters. A woman in her late thirties looked through the gap. She saw Ace first. Then Mai. Then Shammy. Her expression changed when Reyes entered her field of view. Then Kiro. “You’re a lot of people.” Ace smiled slightly. “We travel badly.” The woman did not smile back. Fair. Mai kept her voice calm. “We only need to ask a few questions.” “I already told NCPD.” “We know.” “I told Rogue’s guy too.” “We know.” “Then why are you here?” Kiro answered this time. “Because the recordings don’t match what people saw.” The woman’s eyes moved to her. That landed. The door opened wider. “Come in.” The apartment was clean. Too clean. Not stylish. Not obsessive. Just the kind of clean people maintained when they needed control over at least one thing. Ace noticed the framed photographs on the wall. Two children. One older couple. A man laughing beside a river. She looked away before the woman noticed. They stayed standing. The woman did too. Mai started. “What did you see?” The woman folded her arms. “A man.” “Describe him.” “I already did.” “We need to hear it directly.” She sighed. “Tall. Maybe one-eighty-five. Gray coat. Dark hair. Beard.” Kiro watched her carefully. “Chrome?” “No.” “Age?” “Forty, maybe.” “Face?” “Normal.” Ace tilted her head. “Normal how?” The woman looked irritated. “Normal. Just a guy.” “Would you recognize him again?” “Yes.” Immediately. No hesitation. Kiro noted it. Mai asked: “What was Tomas doing?” “Arguing with him.” “About what?” “I couldn’t hear.” “Did Tomas know him?” The woman paused. “I think so.” “Why?” “Because he wasn’t afraid at first.” Ace looked at her. “That changed?” “Yes.” “When?” The woman’s expression shifted. “He said something.” “The man?” “No. Tomas.” “What?” “I don’t know. Then the other guy moved.” “How?” The woman’s hands tightened against her arms. “Wrong.” Silence. Ace did not interrupt. The woman continued. “I know that sounds stupid.” “It doesn’t.” “Yes, it does.” She looked at Ace. “He moved like…” She stopped. Tried again. “Like he didn’t need to move the way people move.” Ace’s expression changed slightly. Mai caught it. “Fast?” “No.” “Jerky?” “No.” “Chrome-assisted?” “No.” The woman shook her head. “Just wrong.” Shammy spoke for the first time. “Did his face change?” The woman looked at her. “No.” “Did anything about him change?” “No.” A beat. Then: “I did.” Shammy tilted her head. “What do you mean?” “I got scared.” Her voice had dropped. “Before he even touched Tomas.” Nobody moved. The woman looked toward the wall. At the river photograph. “I knew something was wrong.” Ace followed her gaze. “Tomas?” The woman nodded. “My brother.” That explained the apartment. The photographs. The control. Ace’s voice softened. “You found him?” “Yes.” Nobody said anything. The woman swallowed. “I knew he was dead.” Shammy’s eyes stayed on her. The woman continued. “I knew.” Her voice cracked. “But he wasn’t there.” Ace felt Mai shift beside her. “What does that mean?” Kiro asked carefully. The woman looked at her. “I don’t know.” “Try.” The woman’s eyes hardened. “I have tried.” Kiro nodded. “Okay.” The anger passed as quickly as it came. The woman looked down. “It was his face.” Her voice was quieter now. “His hands. His jacket. Everything.” She pressed her fingers together. “But he was gone.” Shammy did not speak. The woman looked up at her. “You understand?” Shammy waited. Then: “I understand what you’re saying.” Not more. Ace appreciated that. No false certainty. No mystical bullshit. Just enough. The woman’s shoulders lowered slightly. Mai asked: “Did you see the attacker after Tomas died?” The woman’s eyes shifted. “No.” “Why?” “I looked at Tomas.” “And when you looked back?” “Gone.” “Walked away?” “I don’t know.” “Ran?” “I don’t know.” Kiro asked: “Did you hear footsteps?” “No.” “Vehicle?” “No.” “Door?” “No.” The woman looked at all of them. “He was just gone.” Ace nodded. “Thank you.” They were almost at the door when the woman spoke again. “Wait.” Ace turned. The woman was looking at Shammy. “Do you think it really took something?” Shammy stood still. The room went very quiet. She answered carefully. “I think something happened that you felt before anyone explained it to you.” The woman stared at her. “That isn’t an answer.” “No.” Shammy’s voice remained gentle. “It’s the only honest one I have.” The woman nodded once. Small. Tired. “That’s better than the others.” --- The second witness was in Japantown. Male. Twenty-seven. Street vendor. Talked too fast. Sweated constantly. Insisted he had not been using anything stronger than nicotine and cheap coffee. Kiro believed him. Ace did too. He had seen a woman. “Short.” “How short?” Ace asked. He looked at her. Then immediately realized the problem. “Not that short.” Reyes coughed. Ace turned slowly. Reyes looked innocent. Mai’s mouth twitched. The witness looked increasingly uncomfortable. “I mean—” Ace raised a hand. “You’re fine.” He exhaled. “Maybe one-sixty.” “Hair?” “Blonde.” “Clothes?” “White jacket. Expensive.” “Age?” “Twenty-five? Thirty?” “Chrome?” “Didn’t see any.” “Face?” “Pretty.” Ace glanced at Mai. Mai ignored her. Kiro asked: “What was the victim doing?” “Talking to her.” “Calmly?” “At first.” “Did he know her?” “Looked like it.” “What changed?” The witness rubbed the back of his neck. “He said her name.” Ace leaned slightly closer. “You heard it?” “Yeah.” “What name?” “Lena.” Nobody reacted visibly. Except Ace. Barely. Mai saw it. So did Kiro. Reyes’ eyes narrowed. The witness kept talking. “He said, ‘Lena, what the fuck?’” Ace’s gaze sharpened. “Exact words?” “Yeah.” “You’re sure?” “Yes.” Kiro looked at her. Ace shook her head once. Not now. Mai continued. “And then?” “She smiled.” The witness went pale. Ace noticed. “What kind of smile?” “I don’t know.” “Try.” He swallowed. “Like she knew something.” “About him?” “No.” He looked at Ace. “About me.” That changed the air. Kiro stopped typing. Mai’s voice became very still. “She looked at you.” “Yes.” “Directly?” “Yes.” “How long?” “Maybe two seconds.” “And what did you do?” “Nothing.” “Why?” The witness laughed once. No humor in it. “Because she looked like my mother.” Silence. Ace stared at him. Mai said: “You just described a blonde woman in her twenties.” “I know.” “But when she looked at you—” “She was my mother.” Kiro leaned forward. “Same clothes?” “I don’t know.” “Same body?” “I don’t know.” “Same hair?” “I don’t know.” “You just said—” “I know what I said.” His voice rose. Then stopped. He looked ashamed. Kiro softened immediately. “Okay.” The man rubbed both hands over his face. “I saw a blonde woman.” He lowered them. “And then she looked at me, and it was my mother.” Ace’s voice was quiet. “Your mother alive?” “No.” “When did she die?” “Four years ago.” Nobody joked. Not even Reyes. Mai asked: “Did the victim also see your mother?” “No.” “How do you know?” “He called her Lena.” Ace felt something turn over in her stomach. “Who’s Lena?” The witness shook his head. “Don’t know.” Kiro glanced at Ace. Ace still said nothing. Not yet. The witness continued. “She walked toward him.” “What happened?” “He backed away.” “And?” “She touched his face.” Ace frowned. “Touched?” “Yes.” “Then what?” “He started screaming.” The witness’s eyes went unfocused. “He screamed her name again.” “Lena?” “Yes.” “And then?” The man swallowed. “She broke him.” Reyes’ jaw tightened. “How?” “I don’t know.” “Try.” “She hit him.” “With what?” “Her hand.” “One hit?” “No.” “How many?” “I don’t know.” “Fast?” “Yes.” “Strong?” He looked at Reyes like the question was stupid. “Yes.” “Then?” “He fell.” “And the woman?” “She looked at me again.” His voice dropped. “My mother smiled.” Ace felt cold. “What did you do?” “I ran.” No shame now. Good. Ace nodded. “Smart.” The witness looked at her. “I left him.” “You were unarmed.” “Yes.” “You would’ve died.” He looked down. Ace repeated: “Smart.” That seemed to help. Barely. --- Outside, nobody spoke for almost a full block. Then Reyes said: “So.” Ace kept walking. “So.” Kiro looked at her. “You know a Lena.” Ace stopped. Mai stopped with her. Shammy did too. Ace looked at Kiro. “I know a Lena.” “Blonde?” “No.” “Twenty-five to thirty?” “Not relevant.” Kiro’s expression changed. Ace nodded slowly. “Exactly.” Reyes folded her arms. “Meaning?” “The victim saw someone named Lena.” Mai’s eyes narrowed. “The witness saw his mother.” “Yes.” Shammy looked back toward the building. “And neither description has to be wrong.” Kiro exhaled. “I hate where this is going.” Ace smiled without humor. “Again?” “Shut up.” Mai started walking. “We need more.” Reyes followed. “How many?” “Enough that coincidence stops being useful.” Ace fell into step. “I think we’re already there.” Mai looked at her. “We’re not making the conclusion before the evidence.” Ace sighed. “Yes, mom.” Mai stopped. Ace immediately kept walking. “Moving on.” Reyes laughed. --- The third witness saw an old friend. Not dead. Alive. Living in Santo Domingo. The fourth saw his former boss. Also alive. The fifth saw a woman he had once dated. Dead for six years. The sixth saw someone he could not identify by name but described as immediately familiar. The seventh refused to speak to them after seeing Shammy. Not because of Shammy. Because the witness looked past her. Into the hallway. And went white. Ace turned instantly. Nothing. Empty corridor. Reyes’ hand dropped to her weapon. Kiro spun. Mai shifted closer to Ace. Shammy did not move. The witness whispered: “No.” Ace looked at him. “What?” He stared into the hallway. “No.” “There’s nobody there.” “I know.” Ace’s skin prickled. The witness backed away. “No, no, no.” Mai stepped inside the doorway. “Who do you see?” The witness shook his head. His lips trembled. Ace asked again. “Who?” The man’s eyes filled with tears. “My daughter.” Silence. Kiro’s voice was barely audible. “Where?” The witness lifted one shaking hand. Pointed. Straight past them. At empty air. Ace turned slowly. Still nothing. The hallway was empty. The overhead light flickered once. Probably coincidence. Nobody trusted coincidence anymore. Reyes drew. Mai’s hand moved toward her pistol. Ace felt Shammy beside her. Still. Too still. Ace looked at the witness. “Your daughter alive?” He made a sound that was almost a laugh. “No.” “How long?” “Eleven years.” Ace’s mouth went dry. Kiro whispered: “Camera.” Mai looked at her. Kiro pointed toward the witness’s doorframe camera. It faced the hallway. Recording. Reyes kept her weapon up. Ace looked at the empty space. “Can you see her now?” The witness nodded. “What is she doing?” “Standing.” “Looking at us?” “No.” “At you?” “Yes.” Ace’s pulse slowed. That was never a good sign. It meant the rest of her was getting ready. “What is she wearing?” The witness started crying. “Her yellow coat.” Mai looked at Ace. Ace saw the answer in her face. This was no longer retrospective. No corpse. No unreliable memory. No old footage. Whatever the witnesses had been seeing— someone was seeing it now. Kiro pulled out her phone and connected to the door camera. Her eyes moved rapidly. Then stopped. “Nothing.” Reyes looked at her. “What?” “The camera sees nothing.” Ace stared into the hallway. The witness whispered: “She’s smiling.” Shammy finally moved. One step forward. Ace’s hand shot out. Caught her wrist. Shammy stopped. Looked down at Ace’s hand. Then at Ace. Ace shook her head. Not because Shammy could not handle herself. Because they did not know what the fuck they were handling. The witness gasped. Then recoiled. “What?” Mai asked immediately. “What changed?” The man stared. “She looked at her.” His finger moved. Not toward Ace. Not Mai. Not Reyes. Not Kiro. Shammy. Ace’s grip tightened. “What does she look like now?” The witness blinked. Confused. Then horrified. “She doesn’t.” Kiro’s voice sharpened. “What do you mean?” The man pressed himself against the wall. “I can’t—” He stared. “No.” Ace stepped backward. “Everyone out.” Reyes moved first. Covering the hallway. Mai pulled the witness deeper into the apartment and away from the doorway. Kiro kept watching the camera feed. Shammy remained beside Ace. The hallway stayed empty. Then the witness screamed. Ace spun. He was staring at the door. At nothing. Mai pulled him backward. “What?” The man pointed. “She’s gone.” Nobody relaxed. Reyes looked into the corridor. “Gone where?” The witness shook his head frantically. “I don’t know.” Kiro checked the camera. “Nothing changed.” Ace waited. Five seconds. Ten. Twenty. Nothing. No movement. No footsteps. No sound. No visible threat. Finally Reyes lowered her weapon slightly. “Fuck.” Ace looked at Kiro. “Tell me you recorded that.” Kiro gave her a murderous look. “The camera did.” Ace smiled faintly. “Right.” Kiro looked back at the feed. “There’s nothing on it.” Shammy’s voice was quiet. “But he saw something.” Ace turned toward the witness. The man was shaking in Mai’s arms. Mai looked at him. “What did she do before she disappeared?” The witness swallowed. His eyes moved to Shammy. “She looked at her.” Shammy’s expression barely changed. “And?” The witness stared. Then whispered: “She smiled.” Ace felt the cold return. This time it did not leave. --- They did not speak until they were back outside. Kiro was first. “That wasn’t memory.” “No,” Mai said. “That wasn’t post-event contamination.” “No.” “No drugs.” “No.” “No corrupted footage.” “No.” Kiro stopped walking. “So he saw something standing in front of us that none of us saw.” Ace looked at her. “Yes.” Reyes shook her head. “That’s worse.” Shammy looked toward the building. Mai watched her. “What?” Shammy took a long moment. Then: “I think we’re asking the wrong question.” Ace raised an eyebrow. “What’s the right one?” Shammy looked at all four of them. “Not what does it look like.” A beat. “What does what?” Shammy’s gaze returned to the building. “The thing everyone keeps seeing.” Kiro frowned. Shammy continued. “What if it doesn’t look like any of them?” Ace went still. Mai’s expression hardened. Reyes understood half a second later. “You think the witnesses are filling it in.” Shammy looked at her. “I think something is there.” Kiro glanced at her phone. “The camera says there isn’t.” Shammy nodded. “And people say there is.” Ace folded her arms. “So machines get nothing.” “Yes.” “People get…” She stopped. Mai finished it. “Someone.” Silence. Kiro looked down at the witness reports. Old man. Young woman. Mother. Boss. Former lover. Dead daughter. Different people. Different minds. Same empty camera frame. Ace stared back toward the building. Then smiled faintly. Not because anything was funny. Because something finally fit. “Okay.” Mai looked at her. “What?” Ace’s eyes stayed on the entrance. “I think we just found our first rule.” Kiro’s expression tightened. Ace turned toward them. “The camera sees nobody.” She pointed toward the building. “But a person apparently can’t.” Reyes frowned. “Can’t what?” Ace looked at her. “See nobody.” That silenced all four of them. Ace put her hands into her pockets. “So whatever that thing is…” She looked at Shammy. “…the brain gives it somebody to be.” Shammy’s faint smile returned. “Maybe.” Kiro exhaled. “I hate that.” Ace started walking. “I know.” Kiro followed. “And stop enjoying that.” “I’m not.” “You are.” “A little.” Mai caught up with them. “We still need direct contact.” Reyes looked at her. “After that?” “Especially after that.” Ace smiled. “There’s my girl.” Mai gave her a look. Ace’s smile widened. They kept walking. Behind them, three floors above the street, the witness remained inside his apartment. His door camera continued recording an empty hallway. Exactly as it had the entire time. --- ## Chapter 4 — Konrad They chose the location because it was ugly. Ugly was useful. An unfinished service level beneath an abandoned commercial block in Charter Hill gave them concrete, steel, three access routes, bad lighting and enough open space that nothing could get close without somebody seeing it. At least in theory. Kiro hated that qualifier. Ace liked it. Reyes had spent twenty minutes checking firing angles. Mai had spent thirty checking Reyes. Shammy had said almost nothing. They had baited the place with information. Not a person. Not exactly. A rumor. A deliberately sloppy little trail suggesting somebody connected to one of Rogue’s victims had found something valuable and was willing to sell it. Kiro had seeded it through channels low enough to look believable and dirty enough that nobody respectable would touch them. If Shadow was listening to the same Night City whispers that followed his killings, maybe he would come. If he didn’t— they would try something else. Ace sat on the edge of a concrete barrier and swung one boot slowly. “This is boring.” Mai stood beside one of the support columns. “That’s usually a good sign.” “It never is.” “It means nobody is trying to kill us.” “Yet.” Reyes looked down from the upper walkway. “Can you two flirt quieter?” Ace looked up. “We’re not flirting.” Mai looked at her. Ace reconsidered. “Okay, statistically we might be.” Kiro’s voice came through comms. “Movement.” Everything changed. Ace dropped from the barrier. Reyes disappeared from the railing. Mai’s hand settled near her pistol. Shammy lifted her head. “Where?” Mai asked. “North access.” Kiro paused. Then: “One person.” Ace moved into a better line. “Visual?” Another pause. “Yes.” Something about Kiro’s voice made Ace look toward Mai. Mai heard it too. “What?” Ace asked. Kiro did not answer immediately. Then: “You’re going to hate this.” Ace smiled faintly. “Again?” “No.” A beat. “This is different.” Footsteps echoed through the concrete passage. Slow. Unhurried. Ace’s smile faded. The figure appeared at the far end of the level. Burgundy coat. Dark jeans. Walking shoes. Bald head. Sunglasses. Spider tattoo near the right edge of the forehead. Ace stopped breathing. For one second. Maybe two. Then: “Konrad?” Mai went perfectly still. Shammy did the same. Reyes’ voice came through comms from above. “Are you fucking kidding me?” Kiro whispered: “I see him too.” Ace stared. Konrad walked closer. No rush. No surprise. No visible concern about the five heavily armed women who had arranged a kill box around him. Which, in fairness, was very Konrad. Ace’s hand stayed away from her weapons. For now. “What the fuck are you doing here?” The figure smiled. Also very Konrad. “Good evening, Ace.” Ace frowned. Wrong. Not enough to identify. Enough to irritate. “Answer the question.” He stopped perhaps eight meters away. Mai moved half a step closer to Ace. “What are you doing here, Konrad?” The figure looked at her. Then at Shammy. Then upward toward Reyes’ position. Finally toward the place Kiro was hiding behind her equipment. He knew where all of them were. Ace’s pulse tightened. That was also not impossible for Konrad. Annoyingly. “You’ve been looking for me.” Ace stared. “No.” The figure smiled. “You have.” “No, we’ve been looking for something that keeps killing people.” “And now you’ve found me.” Reyes’ voice came quietly over comms. “I don’t like this.” Ace did not respond. Her eyes stayed on the man in front of her. Every visual detail said Konrad. Every one. The posture. The coat. The glasses. The faint amusement. But— Ace knew Konrad. Not well enough to understand him. Nobody understood Konrad. But well enough to know what irritated her about him. This was close. Too close. And still— something was off. Mai asked: “Why are you here?” The figure looked at her. “To talk.” Ace snorted. “That would be a first.” The smile widened. Better. Still wrong. Shammy watched him carefully. “About what?” “About you.” Ace frowned. “Us?” “All of you.” Reyes shifted above. The faint scrape of a boot. The figure glanced toward the sound. Then back to Ace. “You’re interesting.” Ace rolled her eyes. “Oh, fuck off.” There. That should have earned something. A sharper smile. A cryptic answer. A line designed to make her wonder whether Konrad knew something she didn’t. Instead, the figure’s gaze moved over her. Slowly. Too slowly. Ace felt the first real fracture. Not fear. Recognition. Wrong recognition. He looked at her in a way Konrad never did. Not because Konrad was incapable of noticing sexuality. Because Konrad’s interest in Ace had always been something else. Pressure. Probability. Amusement. Provocation. Never this. Ace’s expression changed. Mai noticed immediately. The figure took one step closer. “You’re tense.” Ace said nothing. “You should relax.” Reyes’ voice went flat over comms. “Oh, no.” The figure smiled. Ace stared. “Excuse me?” He tilted his head. “You might find me easier to tolerate afterward.” Ace’s eyes narrowed. “After what?” The smile became openly suggestive. “A proper fuck.” Silence. Complete. Absolute. Even the building seemed embarrassed. Ace blinked. Once. Very slowly. Kiro whispered: “What the fuck.” Reyes said: “Nope.” Mai did not move. Shammy’s expression remained unreadable. Ace stared at the man in front of her. He looked exactly like Konrad. Exactly. And he had just said something so fundamentally un-Konrad that the visual match became irrelevant. Ace’s voice went very quiet. “You want to try that again?” The figure smiled. “Maybe after I fuck your brains out, you’ll be less difficult.” Ace stood completely still. Then: “Okay.” Mai looked at her. Ace held up one finger. “No, seriously.” She looked at the figure. “Okay.” The figure’s smile widened. Ace’s expression did not. “That was fucking weird.” Kiro made a sound somewhere between a laugh and panic. Reyes whispered: “Ace.” Ace ignored her. The figure took another step. “You disagree?” “Yes.” “Why?” Ace’s eyes hardened. “Because Konrad would never say that.” The figure stopped. For the first time, the smile changed. Not vanished. Changed. A tiny pause. Too tiny for anyone else. Not too tiny for Ace. Mai’s hand moved closer to her pistol. Shammy’s head tilted. Reyes’ breathing changed over comms. Kiro said: “Oh.” Ace pointed at him. “There you are.” The figure said nothing. Ace took one step forward. “Nice coat.” Another. “Right face.” Another. “Wrong asshole.” Mai moved with her. The figure looked at Ace. Then Mai. Then Shammy. Then upward. Then toward Kiro. Something in his expression sharpened. Ace smiled. No humor now. “Who are you?” --- ## Chapter 5 — Wrong Face The lights flickered. Once. Twice. Kiro’s voice snapped through comms. “Power’s stable.” Ace did not look away. The figure’s smile returned. But it no longer looked like Konrad’s. Even though the face still did. That was worse. Much worse. The lights went out. Not flickered. Out. Kiro swore. Reyes moved. Ace drew both blades. Mai’s pistol cleared leather. Shammy stepped closer. Emergency lighting snapped on. Red. Low. The figure was still there. Still Konrad. For perhaps half a second. Then something moved beneath the skin. Ace froze. Not because she wanted to. Because her brain did. The face changed. No. Not changed. Failed. That was the only word that fit. The human shape did not transform so much as lose the argument. Shoulders widened past anything human. The coat ceased to make sense around the body beneath it. Limbs lengthened. The head tilted at an angle no neck should allow. The sunglasses vanished first. Under them— nothing human remained. Eyes like deep furnace pits. A mouth too wide. Teeth too numerous. Skin pulled over a structure built for tearing rather than speaking. Something hornlike pushed backward from the skull. The hands opened. Claws scraped concrete. Ace’s body finally caught up with her mind. “Oh.” Reyes’ voice: “Now?” Ace smiled. “Now.” The first shot cracked through the service level. Shadow moved. Not fast. Wrong. Exactly like the witness had said. One moment he was standing. The next he was somewhere else without Ace understanding the movement between. Reyes’ second shot shattered concrete. Shadow hit the support column. Not because the round had struck him. Because he had chosen to. Then launched himself upward. Reyes barely cleared the railing before one claw tore through the metal where her torso had been. “Fuck!” Mai fired. The disruptor struck Shadow across the ribs. This time he reacted. Good. Very good. Ace moved. Two blades. Low angle. Shadow turned toward Mai. Wrong choice. Ace hit him from the side. One katana bit. Not deep. Enough. Shadow roared. The sound was physical. Ace felt it in her sternum. Shammy hit him next. A burst of force and pressure that threw dust from the concrete around them. Shadow staggered. Kiro shouted through comms. “Camera still sees nothing!” Ace ducked beneath a claw. “BIT BUSY!” “I KNOW!” Reyes fired again. Shadow twisted. The bullet tore through one shoulder. Black fluid hit the wall. Real. Visible. Ace saw it. So did the camera? Later. Not now. Shadow lunged. At Ace. Of course. Ace moved left. Too slow. A claw caught her jacket and ripped fabric from shoulder to hip. Mai fired point-blank. Shadow recoiled. Ace rolled. Came up. “Rude!” Shadow looked at her. The furnace eyes narrowed. Then— he smiled. Not human. Not even close. But unmistakably amused. Ace hated that. The creature spoke. The voice was no longer Konrad’s. Too deep. Layered. Like several throats trying to agree. “You are interesting.” Ace brought both blades up. “You said that already.” Shadow moved again. Mai shouted: “Ace!” Ace barely got one blade across in time. The impact threw her backward. She hit the floor. Hard. Reyes fired. Shammy moved. Mai moved faster. Shadow turned toward her— and stopped. Not because of the weapon. Because of Mai. His attention changed. Just for a fraction of a second. Ace saw it. Mai saw it too. So did Shammy. Reyes fired again. Shadow twisted away. The round missed his head by centimeters. His gaze snapped upward. The distraction vanished. Then he moved for the north access. Ace pushed herself up. “Don’t let him—” Too late. Shadow hit the concrete wall. And went through the opening beside it. Not through the wall. Just fast enough that Ace’s brain almost failed to track where he had gone. Reyes jumped from the upper level. Mai reached the access corridor first. Empty. Shammy followed. Ace arrived last. Kiro’s voice came through comms. “I have external feeds.” “Anything?” “No.” “Thermal?” “No.” “Movement?” “Nothing.” Reyes looked down the empty corridor. “He can’t just disappear.” Kiro answered: “He can if nothing can see him.” Ace leaned against the wall. Breathing hard. Mai turned immediately. “You hurt?” “My dignity.” “Ace.” “Jacket.” Mai grabbed the torn fabric and checked underneath. No blood. Ace looked at her. “See?” Mai exhaled. Reyes came closer. “That thing almost took your head off.” Ace smiled. “But didn’t.” “Excellent tactical analysis.” “Thank you.” Shammy was looking back toward the room. At the black fluid on the wall. Mai noticed. “What?” Shammy walked toward it. Ace followed. The fluid remained where Shadow had been shot. Real. Dark. Thick. Kiro emerged from her position carrying a portable scanner. Her face was pale. She stopped when she saw it. “Oh, good.” Ace looked at her. “Good?” “No.” Kiro scanned the wall. Then looked back at the security feed. “Camera sees the blood.” Everyone went quiet. Ace turned toward the nearest camera. Then back to the stain. “So it can see what comes out of him.” “Yes.” “But not him.” “Yes.” Reyes holstered her pistol. “That’s stupid.” Kiro looked offended. “I didn’t design it.” Ace glanced at Shammy. Shammy touched one finger to the concrete beside the stain. Not the fluid. Beside it. Her eyes narrowed. Ace waited. Mai waited. Finally Shammy stood. “Well?” Shammy looked at them. “He’s real.” Reyes stared. “We established that when he tried to remove my spine.” Shammy nodded. “I know.” Ace smiled faintly. “So profound.” Shammy looked at her. Ace stopped smiling. Shammy continued. “He’s real.” A pause. “But I don’t think what we see is.” Kiro folded her arms. “The witnesses.” “Yes.” Mai looked toward the empty access corridor. “All five of us saw Konrad.” Ace nodded. Kiro looked at each of them. “Exactly the same?” “Bald,” Reyes said. “Burgundy coat,” Mai added. “Spider tattoo,” Ace said. “Sunglasses,” Shammy finished. Kiro swallowed. “Me too.” Ace looked at the black stain. Then at the camera. Different witnesses. Different people. One creature. Five minds. One shared answer. Konrad. Ace sighed. “Okay.” Mai looked at her. “What?” Ace stared at the stain. “I officially dislike this job.” Kiro looked at her. “Only now?” Ace considered it. “Fine.” She pointed at the black fluid. “I officially dislike it more.” Reyes laughed once. Shammy smiled faintly. Mai looked at Ace. “And?” Ace sighed. “Fine.” Mai closed her eyes. Reyes folded in half laughing. Kiro made a choking sound. Shammy turned away, shoulders shaking. Ace immediately pointed down the corridor. “Monster. Focus.” Mai opened her eyes. “I’m going to remember that.” Ace started walking. “That sounds threatening.” “It is.” Reyes recovered enough to follow. “I like this job again.” Ace looked over her shoulder. “Fuck you.” “Later.” Ace nearly walked into the wall. Kiro burst out laughing. Even Mai lost the fight with her smile. For perhaps five seconds, the service level stopped feeling like a place where something impossible had just tried to kill them. Then Kiro looked at the empty camera feed again. The smile disappeared. “Safehouse.” Mai nodded. “Now.” This time nobody argued. --- ## Chapter 6 — Five Konrads Kiro had the recordings running before anyone had taken their jackets off. Mai noticed. Of course she did. “Kiro.” “I’m only checking one thing.” “You said that yesterday.” “This is different.” Ace dropped onto the couch. “It always is.” Kiro ignored both of them and pulled up the service-level footage. The first thing the camera showed was empty concrete. Then five women reacting to somebody who wasn’t there. Ace leaned forward. “Oh, that is unpleasant.” Reyes stood behind Kiro’s chair. “Play it.” Kiro did. There they were. Ace facing empty space. Mai angled toward the same point. Shammy watching. Reyes above them. Kiro partly hidden behind equipment. All five tracking the same invisible figure. Then Ace speaking to nobody. Konrad. Except not Konrad. The footage had no sound from the creature. Only their side. Ace’s voice came from the speakers. “Konrad?” Kiro paused the file. Nobody spoke. Ace looked at the empty place on the screen. “Okay.” Mai folded her arms. “That confirms we were all looking at the same location.” Reyes looked at her. “We knew that.” Mai nodded. “We knew what we remembered.” Reyes’ expression shifted. “Fair.” Kiro resumed playback. The empty space moved. Not visibly. Their bodies betrayed it. Five separate pairs of eyes followed the same path. Five heads turned. Ace stepped. Mai adjusted position. Shammy shifted. Reyes leaned over the railing. Kiro’s own recorded body reacted a fraction later. Kiro froze it again. “There.” Ace looked at the screen. “What?” “All of us.” Kiro pointed. “We track the same movement.” Reyes leaned closer. “So whatever we saw, we saw it in the same place.” “Yes.” Mai looked at Ace. “And as the same person.” Ace nodded. “Konrad.” Shammy sat at the end of the table. “Exactly the same?” Kiro turned. “What do you mean?” “Not generally.” Shammy looked at each of them. “Exactly.” Ace understood. “Details.” “Yes.” Mai sat opposite her. “Fine.” She looked at Ace. “You first.” Ace sighed theatrically. “Bald.” Reyes said: “Obviously.” “Dark jeans.” Mai: “Walking shoes.” Kiro: “Burgundy leather coat.” Shammy: “Spider tattoo. Right side of forehead.” Ace continued. “Nearly black sunglasses.” Reyes frowned. “Shirt?” Ace thought. “Black.” Mai shook her head. “I didn’t notice one.” Kiro looked at her. “Nothing underneath the coat?” Mai nodded. “Possibly.” Shammy said: “I couldn’t tell.” Ace shrugged. “Okay. Minor uncertainty.” Kiro looked pleased. “Good.” Ace stared at her. “Good?” “Yes.” “Why?” “Because if all five of us gave perfectly identical descriptions down to details none of us actually focused on, I’d start looking for external synchronization.” Reyes looked at her. “You aren’t already?” “I am.” “Then why good?” “Because I prefer fewer impossible things at once.” Ace leaned back. “Coward.” Kiro gave her the finger. Mai continued. “Voice?” Ace frowned. “At first?” “Yes.” “Konrad.” Reyes nodded. “Same.” Kiro did too. Shammy: “Close enough to register as him immediately.” Mai looked at Ace. “You?” Ace stayed quiet for a moment. “Yeah.” Then: “But wrong.” Kiro turned toward her. “When?” Ace thought back. Not the visuals. The rhythm. The tone. The way he watched her. The way the words landed. “Before the sexual line.” Mai’s expression sharpened. “You noticed earlier?” “Not consciously.” Ace tapped two fingers against her knee. “Something irritated me.” Reyes smiled faintly. “Konrad always irritates you.” “Exactly.” That got a laugh. Ace continued. “It was the wrong kind.” Kiro brought up a note field. “Explain.” Ace gave her a look. “You want a diagnostic report on irritation?” “Yes.” “Of course you do.” Mai gestured. “Try.” Ace sighed. “Konrad is annoying because he knows too much.” Shammy smiled faintly. Ace pointed at her. “You know what I mean.” “I do.” “He pokes.” Ace searched for the words. “He says something that sounds useless until three hours later when you realize it was probably aimed at something you hadn’t even decided yet.” Mai nodded slowly. “He provokes without pushing toward a single outcome.” “Yes.” Ace pointed at her. “That.” Reyes folded her arms. “And this one?” Ace’s expression flattened. “Wanted something.” Kiro stopped typing. “Sex.” “Yes.” Shammy looked at Ace. “Immediately.” Ace nodded. “Too immediately.” Mai leaned back. “And without subtlety.” Ace laughed once. “Konrad can be an asshole.” “That isn’t the same thing.” “No.” Reyes said: “He can also be inappropriate.” Ace turned. “Sure.” “But?” “But not like that.” Ace looked toward the paused image. “He doesn’t need to prove he’s outrageous.” Kiro glanced up. “That thing did.” Ace nodded. “It was trying to sound like somebody who doesn’t give a fuck what anyone thinks.” Shammy’s gaze sharpened. “A surface copy.” “Maybe.” Mai looked at the display. “He had the appearance.” Ace: “He had enough mannerisms.” Reyes: “Not enough personality.” Silence. Kiro wrote that down. Ace saw it. “You actually wrote that.” “Yes.” “Can I get that on a shirt?” “No.” --- Kiro opened the witness files. Seven columns appeared. Seven incidents. Descriptions beneath each. Age. Sex. Height. Hair. Clothing. Chrome. Familiarity. Alive or dead where known. Reyes frowned. “This is ugly.” Ace looked at her. “The spreadsheet?” “The pattern.” “Still.” Reyes ignored her. Kiro tapped the first witness. “Tall man. Dark coat.” Second. “Short blonde woman.” Third. “Older man.” Fourth. “Young chromed woman.” Fifth. “Former boss.” Sixth. “Dead lover.” Seventh. “Dead daughter.” Mai looked at the columns. “No consistent physical traits.” “None.” “Except human.” Kiro stopped. Shammy looked at Mai. Mai repeated: “They all saw a person.” Ace straightened. Kiro slowly nodded. “Yes.” Reyes looked at her. “Is that important?” “Maybe.” Shammy said: “No witness described an animal.” Mai nodded. “No monster.” Ace: “No shapeless thing.” Kiro: “No visual anomaly.” Reyes looked toward the frozen service-level frame. “And we got Konrad until the human form broke.” Shammy’s eyes narrowed. “Yes.” Ace looked at her. “What?” Shammy thought for a moment. “What if we didn’t see his true form because he chose to reveal it?” Kiro turned. “Then why?” “Maybe he didn’t.” Ace frowned. Shammy continued. “Maybe whatever makes a mind interpret him as human stopped working.” Mai looked toward the screen. “Under stress?” “Possibly.” “Attack?” “Possibly.” Reyes: “Because we knew he was false?” Shammy looked at her. “Possibly.” Ace smiled faintly. “You really love that word.” Shammy smiled back. “It’s better than pretending.” Ace nodded. “Fair.” Kiro enlarged the frame just before the transformation. Empty space. Always empty. “There’s no visual transition here.” Mai looked at her. “Because there’s no visual anything.” “Exactly.” Kiro leaned back. “We only have our memories.” Reyes sighed. “I hate memory-based evidence.” Ace looked at her. “You have a gun. You hate anything you can’t shoot.” Reyes looked at Ace. “I shot him.” Ace considered it. “Excellent counterargument.” --- Kiro spent the next hour doing something that looked to Ace like violence against data. Witness timestamps. Camera angles. Distances. Line of sight. Statements. Movement. Victim reactions. She built models. Rejected them. Built worse ones. Rejected those too. Mai joined her. Shammy sat nearby. Reyes eventually made coffee. Ace contributed by eating something and claiming this counted as morale support. Nobody agreed. Eventually Kiro stopped. Not dramatically. Her hands just left the controls. Mai noticed first. “What?” Kiro looked at the wall of information. “I think the cameras are the easy part.” Ace nearly choked. “The easy part?” Kiro turned toward her. “Yes.” “Wonderful.” “We know the rule.” Ace put down her food. “Do we?” “As far as surveillance goes.” Kiro pointed at the footage. “Shadow does not appear.” “Why?” “No idea.” “Mechanism?” “No idea.” “Can we detect him some other way?” “Maybe indirectly.” “Thermal?” “No.” “Radar?” “No.” “Lidar?” “No.” “Blood?” “Yes.” Ace nodded. “So the rule is annoying.” “The rule is simple.” Kiro’s expression tightened. “He’s absent from the recording.” Reyes said: “But physical consequences aren’t.” “Yes.” “Victims.” “Yes.” “Blood.” “Yes.” “Things he touches.” Kiro hesitated. “Sometimes.” Mai caught that. “Sometimes?” “The pipe moved.” “Yes.” “The woman was lifted.” “Yes.” “The car dented.” “Yes.” “But if he picks something up…” Kiro frowned. “We need more data.” Ace groaned. “Please don’t say that around him.” Kiro looked confused. “Why?” Ace stared. Then looked at Reyes. Reyes started smiling. Mai said: “Ace.” Ace raised both hands. “I said nothing.” Shammy laughed quietly. Kiro looked between them. Then understood. “Oh, fuck all of you.” Ace smiled. “There she is.” --- Mai stood and walked to the larger screen. “Camera rule first.” Kiro nodded. Mai counted on her fingers. “Shadow is not recorded.” “One.” “Physical consequences are.” “Two.” “Detached material from him is.” Kiro nodded. “Blood, at least.” “Three.” Mai looked at Shammy. “Human observers perceive him.” Shammy nodded. “Four.” Ace added: “Not consistently.” Reyes corrected: “Consistently for the individual.” Ace looked at her. Reyes shrugged. “We each saw Konrad the entire time.” Kiro turned sharply. “That matters.” She stood. “Say it again.” Reyes frowned. “We each saw Konrad the entire time.” “No transitions.” Mai understood. “The witness who saw his mother.” Ace looked at her. “He described a blonde woman first.” “Yes.” Shammy shook her head. “Not necessarily a transition.” Kiro stared at the reports. Ace followed. Then understood. “Oh.” Reyes looked annoyed. “What?” Ace pointed. “He described what the victim saw.” Kiro nodded rapidly. “Exactly.” Mai looked at the statement. “The victim called her Lena.” “And the witness saw his mother.” Shammy’s eyes sharpened. “Same entity.” “Different observers.” Kiro was already pulling files up. Reyes moved beside her. “Wait.” She looked at the screen. “So the blonde woman may never have been what the witness saw.” “Yes.” “He inferred that because of the victim?” “Possibly.” Ace smiled. “Shammy’s word.” Kiro ignored her. “The important point is this.” She opened both statements. “Victim addresses attacker as Lena.” “Witness sees his dead mother.” Mai nodded. “Simultaneously.” Kiro looked at all of them. “If both reports are accurate—” Reyes finished: “Then Shadow looks different to two people standing in the same place.” Silence. Ace slowly sat forward. There it was. Not proof. Close. Very close. Shammy looked at Kiro. “The mind chooses.” Kiro nodded. “Or resolves.” Mai: “Not consciously.” “Obviously.” Ace raised a hand. “Because I promise you I would not voluntarily choose Konrad.” Reyes laughed. Shammy smiled. Mai’s mouth twitched. Kiro pointed at Ace. “That actually helps.” Ace looked offended. “Of course it does.” “No, I mean it.” Kiro started pacing. “People aren’t selecting an image.” Shammy: “The image happens to them.” “Yes.” Reyes: “So Shadow isn’t shapeshifting.” Kiro stopped. “Not in the normal sense.” Mai’s eyes stayed on the screen. “He may not be choosing the appearance at all.” Ace’s expression changed. The false Konrad. His pause when she accused him. The smile. Shammy saying: We are. Ace looked at her. “You called it.” Shammy frowned. “What?” “In the service level.” Ace pointed at her. “You said he wasn’t choosing Konrad.” Shammy remembered. “We were.” Kiro stared at her. Then at Ace. Then back to the data. “That fits.” Reyes folded her arms. “I hate that it fits.” Ace smiled. “Welcome to the team.” “I was already on the team.” “Emotionally, you just arrived.” Reyes threw a cushion at her. Ace ducked. Mai caught it. Without looking. Ace stared at her. Mai placed the cushion beside herself. “Continue.” Ace grinned. “Understood.” Mai turned her head. Ace immediately looked at Kiro. “Science.” Reyes collapsed against the counter laughing. --- Kiro eventually created a new header. Not a theory. She refused to call it that. A working model. **OBSERVER-DEPENDENT HUMAN RESOLUTION** Ace read it. “That sounds sexy.” Kiro didn’t look at her. “No, it doesn’t.” “Depends on the observer.” Reyes groaned. Shammy covered her face. Mai looked at the ceiling. Kiro took a long breath. Then continued typing. Ace was very pleased with herself. The model stayed deliberately simple. Shadow existed physically. Cameras did not record him. Living human observers did perceive him. The perceived appearance could differ between observers. The perceived figure was human. The selection did not appear consciously controlled by the observer. The selection did not appear fully controlled by Shadow. Familiar people appeared frequently. Dead people appeared frequently. But not always. No reliable emotional category yet. And for the five of them— Konrad. Ace stared at the name. “Why him?” Nobody answered. Kiro finally said: “We don’t know.” Mai nodded. “Leave it.” Ace looked at her. “You’re not curious?” “Extremely.” “Then why leave it?” “Because curiosity isn’t evidence.” Ace sighed. “Yes—” Mai looked at her. Ace smiled sweetly. “—ma’am.” Reyes made a strangled noise. Kiro turned away before anyone could see her laughing. Shammy failed completely. Mai stared at Ace for several seconds. Ace stayed very still. Then Mai smiled. That was worse. Much worse. Ace’s eyes narrowed. “You’re planning something.” Mai turned back to the screen. “No.” “Liar.” “No evidence.” Reyes nearly dropped her coffee. Ace pointed at Mai. “See? This is abuse.” Shammy leaned toward her. “You started it.” “I know.” “And?” Ace thought. “Worth it.” --- By evening, the wall was cleaner. Not clearer. Cleaner. The impossible had edges now. Kiro stood in front of the model. “No visual identification.” Mai nodded. “Ever.” Reyes: “If we see him again, we do not trust the face.” Ace: “Or voice.” Shammy: “Behavior may still tell us something.” Ace looked at her. “Especially bad behavior.” Reyes smiled. “Your specialty.” “Recognition, not production.” “Debatable.” Mai raised a hand. They stopped. Mostly. “What do we know about the killings?” Kiro pulled up the seven files again. “Physical attacks.” “Personal?” “Yes.” “No remote deaths?” “None confirmed.” Reyes looked at the cases. “He gets close.” Mai nodded. “And stays close.” Shammy’s expression shifted. Ace noticed. “What?” Shammy looked at the victims. “Every time?” Kiro frowned. “What do you mean?” “He kills them himself.” Reyes: “So?” Shammy stood. “I’m not sure.” Ace waited. Shammy looked toward the transcript from Tomas’ sister. **He isn’t there. Something took him.** Then toward another report. Then another. Her face grew more serious. “I want to see the bodies.” Silence. Mai asked: “Why?” Shammy’s eyes remained on the screen. “Because everyone keeps talking about what Shadow looks like.” A beat. “I want to know what he leaves behind.” Ace looked at Mai. Mai looked at Kiro. Kiro closed the visual model. Reyes finished her coffee. Nobody joked. For the first time all day. Ace stood. “Rogue can get us access.” Mai nodded. “Tomorrow.” Shammy looked at the victim list. “No.” Ace frowned. Shammy’s voice stayed quiet. “Tonight.” That was enough. Mai reached for her jacket. Reyes checked her weapon. Kiro copied the files to a portable unit. Ace watched Shammy for another second. Then stood. The perception problem was beginning to make sense. Which meant, naturally, they were about to find something worse. --- ## Chapter 7 — What the Dead Are Missing Rogue got them access in fourteen minutes. Ace considered asking how. Then decided she preferred sleeping occasionally. The first body was still in a private forensic facility in Northside. Not NCPD. Not Trauma. One of those places Night City produced when wealthy people wanted medical certainty without paperwork becoming public property. Rogue had clearly called someone. Someone had clearly complained. Rogue had clearly won. The technician who met them at the security door looked unhappy about all five of them. He looked considerably more unhappy about Shammy. Ace noticed. Shammy noticed Ace noticing. Neither commented. The technician scanned their temporary credentials. “You have forty minutes.” Reyes looked at him. “Why forty?” “Because that’s what you were given.” Reyes smiled faintly. The technician reconsidered his tone. “Possibly longer.” Ace liked him already. Kiro carried the portable scanner. Mai carried the case files. Shammy carried nothing. Ace and Reyes carried the part of the conversation that discouraged interruptions. The technician opened the inner door. Cold air met them immediately. Ace hated morgues. Not because of the dead. The dead had already finished suffering. She hated the way morgues tried to make death procedural. Steel. Light. Labels. Temperature. Storage. As though enough organization could make the central fact less offensive. Mai glanced at her. Ace caught it. “I’m fine.” Mai said nothing. That was worse. Ace sighed. “I know.” Mai’s mouth moved almost enough to become a smile. They followed the technician. --- Tomas was first. His sister’s description remained on Ace’s mind. **That’s his body. He isn’t there.** The technician opened the drawer. Ace looked. Male. Forties. Broken neck. No visible mystery. No blackened veins. No missing eyes. No impossible symbols carved into skin. No supernatural theater. Just a dead man. Shammy stood at the foot of the table. Very still. Kiro began scanning. Mai opened the medical report. Reyes stayed near the wall. Ace watched Shammy. The technician spoke. “Cervical fracture. Severe rotational trauma. Force exceeded normal unaugmented human capability.” “Chrome?” Reyes asked. “Minimal.” “Defensive wounds?” “Some.” “Anything missing?” The technician frowned. “Physically?” Mai looked at him. “That was the question.” “No.” “Organs?” “Present.” “Implants?” “Present.” “Blood volume?” “Consistent.” “Tissue loss?” “Nothing significant.” Ace looked at Shammy. Shammy did not move. Kiro ran another scan. “No unusual signal residue.” The technician folded his arms. “You expecting something?” Ace answered: “Yes.” “What?” “No idea.” The technician stared. Ace smiled. “Welcome to the job.” He did not smile back. Definitely a professional. Shammy stepped closer. Not touching. Just closer. Ace felt the air change slightly around her. Not weather. Attention. Shammy looked at Tomas’ face. Then his hands. Then his chest. She closed her eyes. Kiro noticed. “What are you doing?” Shammy opened them again. “Looking.” Kiro glanced at Ace. Ace shrugged. Shammy leaned slightly closer. The technician said: “Please don’t touch—” Reyes turned her head. He stopped. Shammy still did not touch anything. After almost a full minute, Mai asked: “What?” Shammy looked at her. “I don’t know.” Ace frowned. “You wanted to come.” “Yes.” “Because you thought something was wrong.” “Yes.” “And?” Shammy looked back at the body. “It is.” The technician sighed. Ace ignored him. “What kind of wrong?” Shammy’s expression tightened. “I don’t have words for it yet.” Kiro lowered the scanner. “Biology looks normal.” “Yes.” “Medical cause of death makes sense.” “Yes.” “Nothing anomalous in measurable systems.” “Yes.” Kiro frowned. “So what are you reading?” Shammy looked at her. “I’m not reading anything.” That stopped Kiro. Shammy continued. “That’s the problem.” Ace felt something cold move through her stomach. Reyes pushed off the wall. “Explain.” Shammy took her time. “The body is there.” “Yes,” Reyes said. “The damage is there.” “Yes.” “The person died here.” “Yes.” Shammy looked back at Tomas. “But there should still be…” She stopped. Ace waited. Shammy’s brow tightened. “Weight.” The technician looked confused. Kiro looked interested. Mai said: “Literal?” “No.” Shammy shook her head. “Not mass.” Ace understood before she wanted to. “Presence.” Shammy looked at her. “Yes.” The room became quieter. Ace hated that answer. Reyes frowned. “He’s dead. Of course his presence is gone.” Shammy turned toward her. “No.” Not defensive. Certain. Reyes waited. Shammy searched for language. “When someone dies, the person is gone.” She looked back at the body. “But what they were does not disappear instantly from everything around them.” Ace stayed silent. Shammy continued. “Rooms remember people.” Kiro opened her mouth. Closed it. Shammy gestured faintly toward Tomas. “Objects do. People do. Air does, sometimes.” The technician stared at her. Ace did not care. Shammy’s voice dropped. “This feels cleaned.” Mai’s eyes narrowed. “Cleaned?” Shammy shook her head. “Wrong word.” “Try another.” “Emptied.” Silence. That one landed. Ace looked at the body again. Nothing visibly changed. Still Tomas. Still dead. Still ordinary. And now profoundly not ordinary at all. --- They examined the second body. Same result. Different death. Different location. Different witnesses. Same absence. Shammy became quieter. The third made her step back. Ace moved toward her immediately. “You okay?” “Yes.” “Lie again.” Shammy looked down at her. Ace waited. Shammy exhaled. “I don’t like it.” Ace softened. “Good enough.” Mai came closer. “What changed?” Shammy looked toward the third victim. “A little stronger.” “Absence?” “Yes.” Kiro frowned. “Can absence have strength?” Shammy looked at her. “Apparently.” Kiro muttered: “I hate this story.” Ace looked at her. “Story?” Kiro blinked. “Situation.” Reyes smiled. “Freudian slip.” “Shut up.” Mai ignored them. “Can you distinguish this from ordinary death?” Shammy answered immediately. “Yes.” “How certain?” Shammy looked at her. “Very.” That mattered. Shammy rarely spent certainty casually. Ace noticed Mai register the same thing. Reyes asked: “Could Shadow be draining something biological we haven’t identified?” Kiro shook her head. “Then we’d expect physical correlation.” “Neural?” “No pattern.” “Implant data?” “No.” “Memory?” “Dead people are notoriously bad at postmortem memory tests.” Ace looked at her. Kiro stared back. Ace smiled. Mai continued. “Could it be environmental contamination?” Shammy shook her head. “No.” “Residual anomaly?” “No.” “How do you know?” Shammy paused. “I don’t.” Mai waited. Shammy corrected herself. “I don’t know how I know.” That answer made Kiro stop moving. Ace looked at her. Kiro’s face had changed. Not disbelief. Respect. There were moments when technical certainty had to stop pretending it owned reality. Kiro was good enough to know when one had arrived. She lowered the scanner. “Okay.” Shammy looked surprised. “That’s it?” “No.” Kiro gestured toward the body. “I hate it. I hate your explanation. I hate that I can’t measure it.” Ace smiled. Kiro pointed at her. “Don’t.” Ace closed her mouth. Kiro continued. “But the same person who told us the camera rule before we proved it is telling me ordinary death doesn’t look like this.” Shammy nodded. “Yes.” “So I’m logging it.” Reyes raised an eyebrow. “As what?” Kiro stared at the screen. Then typed. **POSTMORTEM ANOMALOUS ABSENCE — NONPHYSICAL / UNRESOLVED** Ace leaned over. “That’s elegant.” “It’s ugly.” “Same thing in technical writing.” Mai nodded. “Keep it.” Kiro saved the note. The technician finally spoke. “You people always work like this?” All five turned toward him. He immediately looked like he regretted asking. Ace smiled pleasantly. “No.” A pause. “Sometimes it gets weird.” --- The fourth victim had been dead longer. That helped. Not medically. Comparatively. Shammy stood beside the body and closed her eyes. Then opened them. “This one is easier.” Mai frowned. “Why?” “Time.” Ace looked at her. “Meaning?” “The room has had longer to become normal around the death.” Reyes looked at the body. “But the absence is still there.” “Yes.” Kiro said: “So whatever Shadow takes doesn’t come back.” Shammy looked at her. “No.” Ace folded her arms. That sentence sat badly. Very badly. Mai heard it too. “Takes.” Kiro looked toward her. “I said takes.” “You assumed removal.” Kiro frowned. “Based on Shammy saying emptied.” Shammy nodded. “That’s still the best word I have.” Mai stared at the victim. “Could destruction feel the same?” Shammy thought. Then shook her head slowly. “I don’t know.” Ace looked between them. “So we don’t know whether he takes something, destroys something, eats something—” Reyes: “There’s the street rumor.” Nobody spoke. Ace looked at her. Reyes continued. “Soul-eater.” Kiro visibly disliked the word. “Street rumor is not evidence.” “No.” “But it’s interesting that people arrived there independently.” Mai nodded. “Especially the sister.” Ace looked toward Tomas’ drawer. **Something took him.** Shammy’s expression tightened. Kiro said: “We’re not calling it a soul.” “No one said we were,” Mai answered. Reyes looked at her. “We’re all thinking it.” Ace raised a hand. “I’m thinking lunch.” Four people looked at her. Ace shrugged. “I’m multitasking.” Shammy smiled faintly. Good. Ace had wanted that. Mai noticed. Of course she did. --- The last victim was the woman from the parking structure. The one the camera had shown being lifted. Thrown. Killed by nothing. Her injuries were brutal. Ace stopped joking. So did everyone else. Shammy approached slowly. The technician kept his distance now. Learning. She stood beside the table. Closed her eyes. And flinched. Ace was moving before anyone else reacted. Her hand caught Shammy’s forearm. “Hey.” Shammy opened her eyes. For a second, they looked darker. Not supernatural. Just hurt. Mai moved to her other side. “What?” Shammy took one breath. Then another. “It’s worse.” Kiro’s voice softened. “Because she died recently?” “No.” Shammy looked at the woman. “Because she knew.” Ace frowned. “Knew what?” “I don’t know.” Reyes came closer. Shammy looked at the dead woman’s face. “She was terrified before she died.” Mai glanced at the report. “We know.” “No.” Shammy’s voice was quiet. “She understood something.” Ace felt the Shadow Aura shift around her almost imperceptibly. The technician stepped back without knowing why. “What?” Shammy whispered: “That dying wasn’t the worst part.” Nobody moved. Ace’s grip tightened slightly around Shammy’s arm. Kiro looked pale. Reyes’ jaw hardened. Mai closed the report. “How certain?” Shammy looked at her. “Enough.” That was all. Ace turned away from the body. Not because she couldn’t look. Because if she kept looking, something inside her was going to become very simple. Shadow had killed seven people. That had already been enough. Now there was something else. Something those people had understood at the end. Something worse than death. Ace knew exactly what happened when a predator found a category of harm beyond the obvious one. Her world became smaller. Cleaner. More violent. Mai’s hand closed lightly around the back of Ace’s neck. One touch. Enough. Ace breathed. The Shadow Aura eased. Barely. Reyes saw it. Said nothing. Good. --- They left the facility thirty-eight minutes after entering. The technician did not remind them about the forty. Outside, Northside sunlight felt offensively ordinary. Ace stood beside the car. Kiro opened her notes. Mai stopped her. “Not yet.” Kiro looked up. Mai gestured toward Shammy. Shammy had not moved from the curb. Ace walked over. Stood beside her. No question. After a moment, Shammy spoke. “I don’t want to call it a soul.” Ace nodded. “Then don’t.” “But…” Ace waited. Shammy looked at her. “If people use that word because they don’t have another one…” Mai joined them. “…it may still be operationally useful,” she said. Shammy nodded. Kiro approached more slowly. “So.” She hated the word before she said it. “Soul.” Reyes came last. “Nobody has to believe in one.” Ace looked at her. Reyes shrugged. “We need a label.” Mai nodded. “A working label.” “Not cosmology,” Kiro said. “Not proof,” Shammy added. Ace looked back toward the facility. “Just the thing Shadow takes.” Silence. Kiro entered one new line into the file. **WORKING HYPOTHESIS: PERSONAL KILL → NONPHYSICAL EXTRACTION (“SOUL” AS OPERATIONAL SHORTHAND)** Reyes read it. “Personal kill?” Kiro nodded. “All seven.” Mai looked at her. “You noticed.” “Yeah.” Kiro pulled up the cases. “No remote deaths.” She swiped. “No proxies.” Again. “No environmental trap set earlier.” Another. “No victim dies after Shadow leaves.” Ace looked closer. Kiro continued. “He is physically present for every confirmed death.” Reyes frowned. “That could just be preference.” “Could.” Mai’s expression sharpened. “Or requirement.” Kiro nodded. Shammy looked at the case list. “If the absence happens at death…” Ace finished: “…then he may have to be there when it happens.” Reyes looked thoughtful. “Meaning killing personally matters.” Mai: “Possibly.” Ace: “Shammy’s word.” Shammy smiled faintly. Kiro continued. “If he could get whatever he wants from any dead person, there’s no reason to take this much risk.” Ace looked at the cases. Direct confrontation. Close range. Physical violence. Witnesses. He kept putting himself there. Personally. “Energy,” Ace said. Everyone looked at her. She shrugged. “Predator eats because predator needs something.” Mai frowned. “Maybe.” “Maybe he enjoys it.” Reyes said. Ace looked at her. “Also possible.” Shammy’s expression turned distant. “Both.” A beat. Mai looked at her. “Both?” Shammy nodded. “He may need it.” Then: “And like it.” Ace stared toward the city. That fit far too well. Kiro closed the files. “So working model.” She counted. “Shadow kills personally.” Mai: “At death, something nonphysical is removed.” Shammy: “Permanently, as far as we know.” Reyes: “He may consume it.” Ace: “And if the street wants to call him a soul-eater…” She looked at all four of them. “…for once the street may not be completely full of shit.” Reyes smiled faintly. “Historic occasion.” Kiro did not. She was staring at the case files. “What?” Mai asked. Kiro looked up. “If killing feeds him…” Ace saw where she was going. “…how many has he killed?” Nobody answered. Seven confirmed. That was not the same thing as seven. Not even close. Shammy looked toward the road. “Rogue needs to know.” Mai nodded. “And we need another contact.” Reyes smiled without humor. “Why?” Ace looked at her. Reyes continued. “We already know he can bleed.” “Yes.” “We know he can be hurt.” “Yes.” “We know he has to get close.” “Probably.” Reyes checked her pistol. “So next time we stop letting him leave.” Mai shook her head. “Not yet.” Reyes looked at her. “We had him.” “No.” Mai’s voice was calm. “He had us.” That silenced everyone. Mai continued. “He chose the engagement.” Ace nodded reluctantly. “He left when he wanted.” “Yes.” “He knew our positions.” “Yes.” “He nearly got Reyes.” “Yes.” Reyes looked annoyed. “Thank you for cataloguing that.” Mai ignored her. “And we still don’t know how durable he is, what feeding does to him, whether it heals him, whether he becomes stronger, or what else he can do.” Ace sighed. “You’re going to say we need more data.” Kiro visibly fought a smile. Mai looked at Ace. “We need more data.” Ace looked skyward. “Fuck.” Shammy laughed. Quietly. Then Reyes said: “There is one thing we know.” Mai turned. “What?” Reyes holstered her pistol. “He talks too much.” Ace smiled. “Now that…” She pointed at Reyes. “…is useful data.” Kiro frowned. “How?” Reyes looked at Ace. “You noticed the fake because he got horny.” Ace blinked. Mai went still. Shammy’s eyes shifted toward Reyes. Kiro slowly smiled. Reyes continued. “He had us in front of him.” She shrugged. “Five armed threats.” Another shrug. “And instead of keeping control, he started trying to fuck Ace.” Ace raised one finger. “In fairness—” Mai looked at her. Ace lowered the finger. Reyes smiled. “He got distracted.” The group went silent. Not because the observation was funny. Because it was true. Kiro’s smile widened. “Oh.” Ace looked between them. “Oh what?” Kiro glanced at Reyes. Reyes glanced back. Something deeply unhealthy passed between them. Mai noticed. Shammy noticed. Ace definitely noticed. “No.” Kiro looked innocent. “I didn’t say anything.” “You were about to.” Reyes’ smile became worse. Ace pointed at both of them. “Absolutely not.” Mai folded her arms. Ace turned toward her. “Tell them.” Mai remained silent. Ace stared. “Mai.” Mai’s mouth twitched. Ace recoiled. “You too?” Shammy looked almost serene. “I think we need more data.” Ace stared at her. “Traitor.” Shammy smiled. “Possibly.” Ace groaned. Around them, Night City kept moving as though the world had not just produced a soul-eating demon with poor impulse control. Ace looked at all four women. Then sighed. “Fine.” Reyes raised an eyebrow. “Fine what?” Ace pointed toward the car. “We go talk to Rogue.” A beat. “And nobody volunteers anyone for anything until we know whether this is actually a weakness.” Kiro smiled. “Very responsible.” Ace narrowed her eyes. “Don’t make me regret it.” Reyes opened the passenger door. “Too late.” Ace followed her. For the first time since Rogue’s message, they had something that resembled leverage. It was ridiculous. Potentially useful. And given their luck— probably about to become everyone’s problem. --- ## Chapter 8 — The Other Appetite Rogue listened without interrupting. That was usually worse than questions. Ace sat opposite her in the Afterlife back room with Mai beside her. Shammy had taken the chair nearest the wall. Kiro stood because sitting apparently interfered with thinking. Reyes leaned against the table with her arms folded. Rogue looked at Kiro’s summary. Then at Shammy. “Soul.” Shammy shook her head. “Working word.” “You believe it?” “I believe something is missing.” “From all of them?” “Yes.” “And ordinary dead don’t feel that way.” “No.” Rogue looked at Kiro. “Tech?” “Nothing.” “Meaning?” “Meaning every measurable biological explanation I can test says they’re dead in completely ordinary ways caused by completely extraordinary violence.” Rogue waited. Kiro sighed. “And I can’t measure what Shammy says is missing.” “But?” Kiro glanced at Shammy. “But I believe her.” Rogue’s eyes moved to Ace. Ace shrugged. “Street calls him a soul-eater.” “You buying street mythology now?” “No.” Ace leaned forward. “I’m buying the part where seven people are dead, cameras see nothing, witnesses see different people, all five of us saw Konrad, and Shammy says the bodies are empty in a way normal dead bodies aren’t.” Rogue looked at Mai. “Your conclusion?” “Shadow personally kills his victims.” “Confirmed?” “All confirmed cases.” “Why?” “We don’t know.” Mai’s voice remained calm. “But the consistency suggests either preference or requirement. If the anomalous absence is connected to the moment of death, personal presence may matter.” Rogue tapped one finger against the table. “Feeding.” “Possible.” “Energy?” “Possible.” “Healing?” “Unknown.” “Strength?” “Unknown.” “Memories?” “Unknown.” Rogue looked annoyed. Ace smiled faintly. “Welcome to our week.” Rogue ignored her. “Can you kill it?” Reyes answered. “Yes.” Everyone looked at her. Rogue raised an eyebrow. Reyes shrugged. “It bleeds.” “That wasn’t the question.” “I know.” “Then?” Reyes smiled slightly. “I’m optimistic.” Ace leaned toward Mai. “She has a gun. It’s a medical condition.” Reyes looked at her. “You have two swords.” “Yes.” “So?” “Mine’s cultural.” Mai closed her eyes. Kiro snorted. Rogue stared at Ace for several seconds. Ace smiled pleasantly. Eventually Rogue continued. “What do you need?” Mai answered. “Another controlled contact.” Rogue’s expression hardened. “You nearly lost control of the first.” “Yes.” “And you want another.” “Yes.” “Why?” Reyes pushed away from the table. “Because we noticed something.” Rogue looked at her. “What?” Reyes glanced at Ace. Ace immediately pointed at her. “Don’t.” Rogue’s gaze moved between them. “What?” Kiro suddenly found the ceiling fascinating. Shammy was visibly enjoying herself. Mai remained professionally neutral in a way Ace deeply distrusted. Reyes said: “He’s horny.” Rogue stared at her. Silence. Afterlife continued somewhere beyond the soundproofing. Finally Rogue said: “Say that again.” Ace covered her face. Reyes did not even blink. “Shadow has a severe sexual distraction problem.” Rogue looked at Mai. Mai nodded. “We think Reyes may be right.” Ace lowered her hands. “Do not encourage her.” Rogue looked back at Reyes. “Evidence.” “The first contact.” Reyes counted on her fingers. “Five armed people. Prepared position. He knew where all of us were.” “Right.” “He had initiative.” “Yes.” “He had information advantage.” “Yes.” “And what did he do?” Rogue waited. Reyes pointed at Ace. “Tried to fuck that.” Ace stared at her. “That?” Reyes looked down at her. “Yes.” Ace stood. “I am a person.” “Debatable.” “I will climb you.” Rogue slammed one palm lightly against the table. “Children.” Ace and Reyes both looked at her. Rogue sighed. “Continue.” Reyes did. “He stopped treating us like threats.” Mai added: “Not completely.” “No. But enough.” Kiro finally turned from the ceiling. “His attention narrowed.” Rogue looked at her. “You saw it?” “Yes.” “Quantify.” “I can’t.” Rogue’s expression became dangerous. Kiro held up both hands. “Not because it isn’t real. Because the asshole doesn’t appear on instruments.” Rogue leaned back. Kiro continued. “Behaviorally? Yes. He changed. Positioning got worse. Threat scanning decreased. He stayed focused on Ace longer than tactically justified.” Ace looked at Mai. “See? Irresistible.” Mai looked at her. “Yes, dear.” Ace froze. Reyes made a choking noise. Shammy smiled. Kiro whispered: “Oh, fuck.” Ace slowly turned toward Mai. Mai’s expression remained perfectly calm. “You…” Mai raised one eyebrow. Ace sat down. “Fine.” Rogue looked between them. “Can we finish the soul-eating demon before whatever this is becomes my problem?” “No promises,” Reyes said. Rogue pointed at her. “You. Quiet.” Reyes smiled. --- The second contact took two days. Not because Shadow was difficult to find. Because finding something that could not be recorded required redefining what finding meant. Kiro stopped searching for Shadow. She searched for reactions. People changing direction for no visible reason. Crowds opening around empty space. Pedestrians looking at someone cameras could not see. Objects moving without visible cause. It was, according to Kiro, the stupidest tracking method she had ever successfully designed. Ace called it genius. Kiro accused her of sarcasm. Ace was offended. Mostly because she had meant it. At 22:13 on the second night, Kiro found him. Kabuki. A narrow entertainment strip where enough people were drunk, high, augmented, distracted or professionally uninterested that one impossible man could move through the crowd without immediately becoming news. Kiro’s feed showed nothing. That was the point. “Got him.” Ace straightened in the passenger seat. “Where?” “Moving east.” Mai drove. Shammy sat behind Ace. Reyes beside her. Kiro’s voice came through comms. “Three cameras. Same pattern.” “What pattern?” “People looking at empty space.” Ace smiled. “Our boy.” “Probably.” Mai turned into the next street. “Any aggression?” “No.” “Victim?” “Not that I can identify.” Reyes checked her pistol. Mai heard it. “No shooting unless necessary.” “I know.” “You sounded disappointed.” “I contain multitudes.” Ace turned around. Reyes smiled. Ace pointed at her. “Thief.” “Prove it.” --- They found him outside a club. Or rather, they found Konrad. Again. Ace stopped twenty meters away. Burgundy coat. Bald head. Spider tattoo. Black sunglasses. Same impossible familiarity. Same immediate internal certainty. Konrad. Her brain said it before thought arrived. Ace hated that. Mai’s voice came quietly over comms. “Confirm.” “Konrad,” Reyes said. “Konrad,” Kiro answered from remote support. Shammy: “Konrad.” Ace: “Unfortunately.” Mai exhaled. “Same.” The figure turned. Looked directly at them. Smiled. Ace felt her skin crawl. Knowing did not change seeing. That might have been the worst part. Her eyes insisted. Her memory corrected. Konrad’s face. Not Konrad. The figure walked toward them. Ace kept both hands visible. “So.” He smiled. “Ace.” “Still wearing him.” “Do you dislike it?” “I dislike him.” Somewhere, wherever the real Konrad happened to be, Ace hoped he experienced unexplained irritation. Shadow stopped. His gaze moved to Mai. Then Shammy. Then Reyes. It lingered. Ace saw it. So did Mai. Reyes definitely did. Shadow looked back at Ace. “You came looking for me.” Ace shrugged. “You left early.” His smile widened. “There will be other opportunities.” Ace heard Reyes over comms. Very softly: “There.” Mai answered: “Yes.” Shadow’s gaze moved toward the sound. Reyes stepped forward. Not dramatically. One step. Then another. She wore ordinary street clothes. No cover. No performance. No attempt to appear harmless. Reyes looked like Reyes. Confident. Armed. Interested. Shadow’s attention settled on her. Ace watched. The change was subtle. Too subtle to call certainty if they had not already been looking for it. His shoulders relaxed. His stance opened slightly. His attention stopped moving between the five of them. Reyes smiled. “Hi.” Ace almost laughed. Shadow looked at her. “Hello.” Reyes stopped perhaps four meters away. “You always this friendly?” “When I have reason.” Reyes looked him over. Slowly. Deliberately. “Do you?” The smile changed. There. Ace felt Mai touch two fingers against her wrist. She had seen it too. Shadow took one step toward Reyes. Ace watched his feet. His angles. His hands. The distance to cover. The distance to Mai. The distance to Shammy. He had stopped optimizing. Not completely. But enough. Reyes tilted her head. “You killed those people.” The smile faded slightly. Not gone. “You care?” “Not personally.” Ace knew Reyes well enough to hear the lie. Shadow apparently did not. Reyes continued. “I care about whether you’re as dangerous as everyone says.” Shadow’s smile returned. “And?” “I haven’t decided.” He stepped closer. Reyes did not move. Ace’s muscles tightened. Mai’s fingers remained against her wrist. Wait. Shadow stopped inside two meters. Too close. Reyes looked up at him. “You know what’s funny?” “What?” “You’re supposed to be terrifying.” Shadow’s expression sharpened. Reyes smiled. “I expected more.” Ace thought: Oh, you evil bitch. Shadow took another step. Now close enough to touch. Reyes did. One hand against the front of the burgundy coat. Nothing dramatic. Just contact. Shadow looked down at her hand. Then back at her. And forgot Ace existed. Not literally. Ace hoped. But his attention collapsed onto Reyes so completely that the rest of the street might as well have disappeared. Kiro whispered: “Holy shit.” Mai: “Quiet.” Reyes’ fingers curled lightly into the coat. “Still interested?” Shadow smiled. “Very.” “Good.” Reyes pulled him closer. And kissed him. Ace blinked. Shammy made a tiny sound beside her. Mai remained still. Kiro whispered: “Oh.” Reyes kissed Shadow long enough to make the answer unmistakable. Shadow’s hands moved to her waist. Reyes allowed it. More than allowed it. When she finally drew back, she looked distinctly pleased. Shadow followed. Reyes stopped him with one finger against his chest. “Easy.” The creature wearing Konrad’s face actually obeyed. Ace’s eyebrows went up. Reyes looked toward Ace. Just once. There it was. Confirmation. Not theory. Not yet proof of how far it went. But confirmation. Ace looked at Mai. Mai gave the smallest nod. Shadow noticed Reyes’ attention moving away from him. His hand tightened at her waist. Not painfully. Possessively. Reyes looked back. “Problem?” “No.” “Good.” She smiled. Then moved closer again. Shadow’s attention narrowed. Ace watched his right side open. His awareness of Shammy vanish. His angle to Mai deteriorate. His back turn partly toward the street. His entire tactical posture become worse because Reyes was touching him. Ace’s amusement disappeared. This was real. The weakness was real. And it was severe. Reyes’ mouth brushed near Shadow’s ear. Ace could not hear what she said. Whatever it was, Shadow laughed. Wrong laugh. Wrong man. Wrong face. Then Shadow looked toward the club entrance. Reyes followed his gaze. “You want privacy?” “Yes.” Reyes smiled. “Maybe.” Shadow looked at her. Reyes let the pause stretch. Ace knew that smile. Reyes was enjoying this. Not merely the operation. That complicated nothing tactically. Emotionally, it was going to make the debrief unbearable. Shadow leaned closer. Reyes allowed him near her ear. Then her expression changed. Barely. Something he said. Ace could not hear it. Reyes looked at him. “Really?” Shadow smiled. Reyes laughed. Not fake. Ace knew that too. Then Reyes looked toward Mai. A question. Mai shook her head once. Not yet. Reyes turned back. “Not tonight.” Shadow’s expression changed instantly. Not anger. Frustration. Raw and surprisingly human. Reyes saw it. Her smile widened. “What?” “You came to me.” “Yes.” “And now you leave?” “Yes.” Shadow stared. Reyes stepped backward. His hand reached for her. Stopped. Ace’s blades remained sheathed. Barely. Reyes looked at the hand. Then at him. “Careful.” Shadow smiled again. Predator returning. But slower than it should have. “You’re playing.” Reyes shrugged. “So are you.” Shadow’s gaze moved past her. Finally. Ace. Mai. Shammy. The rest of the world returning. His posture changed. Closed. Corrected. Too late. Ace had already seen enough. Mai had too. Kiro certainly had. Shammy watched him with quiet fascination. Shadow looked at Ace. “You brought her for me.” Ace smiled. “No.” He waited. Ace’s smile widened. “She brought herself.” Reyes looked over her shoulder. “Damn right.” Shadow’s eyes returned to her immediately. Again. Instantly. Ace almost laughed. There it fucking was. Shadow stepped backward. “You’ll come back.” Reyes looked him over. “Maybe.” He smiled. Then walked away. Not vanished. Not impossible. Simply walked into the crowd. People moved around him. Looked at him. Saw whoever their minds required. The cameras saw nothing. Kiro tracked the hole through human behavior until even that disappeared. “Lost him.” Mai exhaled. Ace finally relaxed. Shammy looked at Reyes. Reyes was still watching the crowd. Ace waited. Reyes turned. Her expression was calm. Too calm. Ace narrowed her eyes. “What?” Reyes shrugged. “Nothing.” Ace stared. Reyes started walking toward the car. Ace followed. “Bullshit.” “Professional observation.” “You kissed him.” “Yes.” “Voluntarily.” “Yes.” “Enthusiastically.” Reyes looked at her. “Would you prefer I conduct poor research?” Kiro burst out laughing over comms. Ace pointed at Reyes. “You enjoyed that.” Reyes stopped. Looked at Ace. Then at Mai. Then Shammy. Finally back at Ace. “Yes.” Ace blinked. Reyes continued walking. Ace hurried after her. Her legs were shorter. This was discrimination. “How much?” Reyes looked down at her. “Operationally relevant?” “Extremely.” “No.” “Reyes.” “No.” “Reyes.” Mai opened the car door. “Leave her alone.” Ace turned. “You want to know too.” Mai paused. Ace pointed triumphantly. “You do.” Mai got into the car. “That is irrelevant.” “Coward.” Shammy climbed into the back beside Reyes. She looked at her. Reyes looked back. Shammy smiled. Reyes’ expression cracked. Just slightly. “Oh, fuck you too.” Shammy laughed. Ace climbed in. Kiro was still on comms. “I have a question.” Reyes closed her eyes. “No.” “It’s scientific.” “No.” “Did his attention change before or after—” “No.” Ace shouted: “SCIENCE WAITS FOR NO WOMAN!” Reyes lunged forward between the seats. Ace squealed and folded herself against the dashboard. Mai caught Reyes by the shoulder. Shammy was laughing too hard to help anyone. Kiro had apparently fallen out of her chair. For several seconds the soul-eating demon ceased to be the most dangerous thing in Ace’s immediate environment. Eventually Reyes sat back. Ace carefully unfolded herself. “Violence against researchers.” “You’re not a researcher.” “I’m principal investigator.” “You’re principal irritation.” Ace considered that. “Fair.” Mai started the car. Then her expression became serious. “So.” The laughter faded. Reyes nodded. “Yes.” Mai looked at her in the mirror. “Real?” “Very.” “How severe?” Reyes thought. “Severe enough that I could feel him stop tracking the others.” Kiro’s voice returned. “I saw the same thing from your movement.” Reyes nodded. “He knew they were there.” “But stopped caring.” “Yes.” Mai looked at Ace. Ace answered before she asked. “I saw his positioning fall apart.” Shammy added: “He became impatient when Reyes withdrew.” Reyes smiled faintly. “Very.” Ace caught that. Filed it. Later. Mai continued. “Could you have drawn him somewhere private?” Reyes considered it. “Yes.” “Confident?” “Yes.” “Could you have kept his attention?” A pause. Reyes smiled. “Yes.” Ace slowly turned around. Reyes saw it. “Don’t.” Ace faced forward again. Mai asked the important question. “Long enough for an attack?” Reyes’ smile disappeared. She thought. Then: “Probably.” Mai nodded. “Not enough.” Ace looked at her. “No.” Reyes agreed. “No.” Kiro sighed through comms. “We need reproducibility.” Ace’s eyes widened. She looked toward Reyes. Then Mai. Then Shammy. “Oh, no.” Reyes smiled again. Kiro continued: “One observation could be individual preference.” Ace stared at the comm unit. “Kiro.” “If he reacts similarly to another person—” “Kiro.” “—we establish a broader behavioral vulnerability.” “Kiro.” Silence. Then: “Yes?” Ace pointed at the comm unit as though Kiro could see it. “You are enjoying this.” A pause. “No.” Reyes laughed. Shammy laughed. Mai actually smiled. Ace stared at all of them. “You’re monsters.” Kiro’s voice came back. “Working hypothesis.” Ace sank into her seat. Night City passed outside. Somewhere in it, Shadow was hunting. Somewhere else, Rogue was probably already regretting asking them to investigate him. And sitting in the car with Ace were four women who had just discovered that the soul-eating demon’s most exploitable tactical weakness might be getting laid. Ace closed her eyes. “Rogue is going to hate the next report.” Reyes leaned back. “No.” Ace opened one eye. Reyes smiled. “She’s going to hate the one after that.” --- ## Chapter 9 — Field Test: Reyes Rogue hated the report. Not loudly. That would have been easier. She read it once. Then again. Then set the datapad down very carefully. Ace watched her face. Mai watched Rogue’s hands. Kiro watched the datapad as though the document itself might be blamed. Shammy looked serene. Reyes looked suspiciously pleased with herself. Rogue finally spoke. “You kissed the soul-eating demon.” Reyes nodded. “Yes.” “To test whether he gets distracted by sexual attention.” “Yes.” “And?” Reyes leaned back in the chair. “He does.” Rogue stared at her. Ace raised one hand. “In fairness—” Rogue pointed without looking. “No.” Ace lowered it. Rogue looked at Mai. “You approved this.” Mai answered calmly. “I approved controlled observation.” Rogue looked toward Reyes. “That looked controlled to you?” Mai paused. “Yes.” Reyes smiled. Rogue’s eyes narrowed. “You’re enjoying this.” Reyes did not insult anyone by pretending otherwise. “Yes.” Kiro made a tiny choking sound. Ace covered her mouth. Rogue looked at Kiro. “And now you want another test.” Kiro straightened. “For reproducibility.” Rogue stared. Kiro added: “Scientifically.” Ace turned away before Rogue could see her expression. Rogue closed her eyes. For one long second. Then opened them. “Explain why this isn’t five idiots turning a murder investigation into entertainment.” Mai answered immediately. “Because if Reyes’ observation generalizes, it gives us the first reliable behavioral weakness Shadow has demonstrated.” Rogue’s attention settled. Mai continued. “He remains physically dangerous.” “Yes.” “He can be wounded but survived a coordinated attack.” “Yes.” “He chooses engagement timing.” “Yes.” “He cannot be tracked directly.” “Yes.” “He may require personal kills to feed.” Rogue nodded once. “And sexual opportunity makes him worse.” Reyes said: “Much worse.” Mai glanced at her. Reyes held up one hand. “Tactically.” Ace whispered: “Sure.” Reyes kicked her under the table. Ace made a small wounded noise. Rogue ignored both. “So what exactly are you proposing?” Nobody answered immediately. That was interesting. Rogue noticed. Also interesting. She looked at Reyes. “You started this.” Reyes shrugged. “I finish it.” Ace slowly turned toward her. “Oh.” Kiro’s eyebrows rose. Shammy smiled faintly. Mai did not move. Rogue looked unimpressed. “Define finish.” Reyes met her eyes. “Private contact.” Ace folded her arms. “Very private?” Reyes looked at her. “Yes.” Ace nodded slowly. “Science.” Reyes smiled. “Exactly.” Rogue’s expression suggested homicide. Mai intervened. “Controlled environment.” Rogue looked at her. “Whose?” “Kiro can build observation around indirect effects without recording Shadow himself.” Kiro nodded. “Doors. Pressure sensors. Furniture movement. Sound. Reyes’ biometrics if she wants them.” Reyes answered immediately. “No biometrics.” Kiro blinked. “Why?” “Because I’m not turning sex into a lab graph.” Silence. Ace looked at Reyes. Then at Kiro. Then nodded. “Fair.” Mai did too. Kiro hesitated. Then: “Fair.” Rogue watched that exchange closely. Good. She should. Reyes continued. “I can handle him.” Ace’s humor faded. “That’s not the same as being safe.” Reyes looked at her. “I know.” The answer was simple enough that Ace stopped. Mai asked: “What are your limits?” Reyes looked toward her. “Same as any other operation.” “That’s not specific enough.” Reyes sighed. “No restraints I don’t control.” Mai nodded. “No weapons out of your reach.” “Obviously.” “No isolation from comms.” Reyes frowned. “That may ruin the setup.” Kiro spoke. “Not if it’s passive.” Reyes looked at her. Kiro continued. “Emergency trigger only. No constant voices.” Reyes considered. “Fine.” Mai: “You withdraw the moment his behavior becomes predatory instead of consensual.” Reyes raised an eyebrow. “He’s already a predator.” “You know what I mean.” Reyes’ expression softened slightly. “Yes.” Ace watched her. Reyes noticed. “What?” Ace shrugged. “Nothing.” “Bullshit.” Ace looked at Mai. Mai said: “She’s worried.” Ace glared. “Traitor.” Reyes looked back at Ace. Ace sighed. “Just don’t be stupid.” Reyes smiled. “I’m never stupid.” Kiro coughed. Shammy laughed. Mai looked at the table. Rogue said: “Enough.” Everyone stopped. Rogue leaned forward. “You get one attempt.” Reyes nodded. “If anything goes wrong, you leave.” “Yes.” “You do not improvise heroics.” Reyes smiled faintly. “No promises.” Rogue’s stare sharpened. Reyes sighed. “Fine.” “And if this works?” Mai answered: “We know attraction is not limited to Ace.” Kiro: “We know the tactical degradation persists under sustained intimacy.” Shammy: “We know whether he remains dangerous while distracted.” Ace: “And Reyes gets to be insufferable.” Reyes looked at her. “Already achieved.” Rogue rubbed her forehead. “I hate all of you.” Ace smiled. “Working hypothesis.” --- They chose a hotel. Not romantic. Not luxurious. Neutral. Discreet. Security that could be mapped. Multiple exits. No reputation worth remembering. Choosing the room was the easy part. Getting Shadow there was the actual problem. They had no number. No address. No known den. No clean digital channel. Nothing Kiro could point at and call his. And Shadow himself could not be tracked by the systems Kiro normally trusted. So Kiro went back to the one thing that had worked. People. Kabuki had given them enough. Shadow had wanted Reyes. She had made sure of that before walking away. He had told her she would come back. Now they needed him to hear that she had. Kiro built the invitation into the same low-level nightlife channels that had helped them locate him the first time. Not a direct message. Not a challenge. Not anything that mentioned Rogue, bodies, demons, or the Triad. Just a woman from Kabuki. Interested. One hotel. One room. One time. The kind of information that moved through bartenders, club staff, joytoys, runners, bored security, and people who made a living remembering who wanted whom without asking why. Kiro looked at the finished bait and frowned. “This is offensively low-tech.” Ace leaned over her shoulder. “He doesn’t appear on cameras.” “That does not mean I have to enjoy using gossip as a delivery protocol.” Reyes read the message once. “He’ll understand.” Mai looked at her. “Certain?” Reyes smiled faintly. “He told me I’d come back.” Ace folded her arms. “And naturally your response was to weaponize confidence.” “Predator confidence.” “Still.” Reyes looked at Kiro. “Send it.” Kiro did. Then they waited. Not for a signal. Not for a reply. For evidence that someone who could not be recorded had heard about a woman he wanted. Reyes arrived first. Ace hated that. Not logically. Emotionally. She stood with Mai and Shammy in the adjacent room while Kiro finished checking the emergency system. “No active camera,” Reyes said through the wall comm. “We know,” Kiro answered. “No audio recording.” “We know.” “No biometrics.” “Yes, mom.” Silence. Ace’s head snapped toward Kiro. Mai slowly turned. Shammy covered her mouth. Reyes’ laughter came through the comm. Kiro froze. “Oh, fuck.” Mai stared at her. Ace pointed. “WELCOME.” Kiro looked horrified. “I didn’t mean—” Shammy was shaking. Reyes spoke through the comm. “I suddenly feel much safer.” Mai opened her eyes. “Everyone stop.” Ace took two steps backward. Operational distance. Wise. --- Twenty-three minutes after the time Kiro had seeded, the hallway changed. Not visibly at first. A woman near the elevator looked toward empty space and moved aside. A man coming the other direction slowed for someone the camera could not see. The elevator doors opened. Nothing stepped out. Then the pressure sensor outside Reyes’ room registered one person standing there. Kiro leaned closer to the display. “He took it.” Ace’s humor vanished. Mai moved closer. Shammy became very still. Ace folded her arms. “Reyes?” A pause. Then: “I see him.” Konrad again. Of course. Reyes opened the door. Shadow stepped inside. The hallway camera recorded Reyes moving aside for nobody. Then the door closed. Kiro switched the comm to emergency-only mode. Silence. Ace hated that more. Mai noticed. “Sit.” “No.” “Ace.” “I’m fine.” Mai looked at her. Ace sat. “This is coercion.” Shammy sat beside her. “Effective coercion.” Ace looked up. “You too?” “Yes.” Kiro watched the indirect sensors. Room pressure. Floor vibration. Door status. Nothing useful enough to pretend they could see. Everything useful enough to know two people were moving inside. Ace hated it. She hated not seeing. She hated not hearing. She hated knowing Reyes had chosen this and still wanting to kick down the door because choice did not erase danger. Mai sat beside her. No words. Just shoulder against shoulder. Good. --- Inside the room, Reyes did not pretend. That was important. Shadow stood near the door wearing Konrad’s face. Reyes looked at him. Really looked. The burgundy coat. The sunglasses. The tattoo. Her own brain insisting this was someone familiar. Someone known. Someone impossible. She smiled. “You came.” Shadow’s expression warmed. “You invited me.” “Yes.” “You came back.” Reyes smiled. “So confident.” “You did.” “That doesn’t mean you were right.” Shadow’s smile widened. “And tonight?” Reyes reached up and touched the front of his coat. “Tonight I’m curious.” That part was true. Shadow leaned toward her. Reyes did not retreat. His hand settled at her waist. She watched his face. Konrad’s face. Wrong eyes hidden behind familiar glasses. Wrong patience. Wrong hunger. She kissed him first. Again. Because this was her test. Her choice. And because, annoyingly, she had wanted to know whether the first kiss had been a fluke. It had not. When she drew back, she was smiling. Shadow noticed. “So.” Reyes lifted one eyebrow. “So?” “You approve.” She laughed. “Confident.” “Accurate.” “Maybe.” His attention narrowed immediately. There it was again. That loss of breadth. That strange contraction where the predator stopped being interested in the room and became interested in her. Reyes filed it. Then stopped pretending the filing mattered more than the moment. She slid her hands up into the open coat. Shadow’s breath changed. Small. Human enough to be disturbing. Reyes looked at him. “You’re really bad at hiding this.” “Hiding what?” “How much you want things.” He smiled. “Why hide it?” Good question. Bad tactical doctrine. Reyes kissed him again. Longer. He followed immediately. Too immediately. His awareness collapsing further. She shifted position. He followed her instead of controlling distance. Another point. She guided him backward. He went. Another. His back approached the bed. Reyes stopped him there. He looked at her. Waiting. Actually waiting. That mattered too. She pushed the coat from his shoulders. He let it fall. The visual lie stayed. Konrad underneath. Wrong. So fucking wrong. Reyes almost laughed. Shadow noticed. “What?” “Nothing.” “You’re amused.” “Yes.” “By me?” “Currently.” He reached for her. Reyes caught his wrist. Not hard. Clear. Shadow stopped. Good. She held his gaze. “Remember something.” “What?” “This only works while I want it.” The room changed. Not threatening. Focused. Shadow looked at her hand around his wrist. Then at her. “Yes.” Reyes studied him. “Say it properly.” A pause. Then: “You decide.” Good. Reyes released him. “That’s better.” Shadow smiled. Reyes did too. And stepped closer. --- Next door, Kiro stared at the pressure map. Ace stared at Kiro. “What?” Kiro frowned. “Movement pattern changed.” Mai leaned in. “How?” “Shadow’s estimated position keeps following Reyes.” Ace looked at the blank visualization. “You can tell?” “Indirectly.” Kiro pointed. “Weight shifts. Bed frame. Floor sensors.” Mai: “He isn’t controlling space.” “No.” Shammy looked at Kiro. “Reyes is.” Kiro nodded. Ace exhaled. Good. Then the bed sensor changed. Ace’s eyebrows went up. Kiro froze. Mai looked away from the screen. Shammy smiled. Ace looked at Kiro. Kiro looked at Ace. Neither said anything. Then Ace whispered: “Science.” Kiro bit her lip. Mai said: “No.” Ace: “I didn’t say anything.” “You were going to.” “That remains unproven.” Shammy laughed quietly. --- Reyes sat on the edge of the bed. Shadow stood between her knees. That pleased him. Too much. She could see it. The important part was not desire. Desire was easy. The important part was what desire did to him. He stopped checking the room. Stopped checking the door. Stopped thinking about anyone else. Reyes touched him. Kissed him. Let the moment become less tactical and more honest. That mattered too. She was not sacrificing herself. Not enduring. Not performing interest she did not feel. She wanted this. That gave her control no plan could fake. Shadow bent toward her. Reyes leaned back just enough to draw him with her. His hands found her. She redirected one. Accepted the other. Clear. Chosen. His attention narrowed until the world beyond her might as well have stopped existing. Reyes smiled against his mouth. Useful. Dangerous. And, irritatingly— very good. --- The decisive transition came without ceremony. Reyes drew him closer, shifted back across the bed, and made the invitation unmistakable without turning it into performance. Shadow followed. Not rushed. Not careless with her. Careless with everything else. That distinction was exactly what she had come to test. Reyes stripped away the remaining clothing that would get in the way, never surrendering the pace she had chosen. Shadow followed her lead and waited when she made him wait. She held his gaze for one final second. “Still my choice.” “Yes.” “Good.” Then they had sex. Reyes’ breath caught. Briefly. Honestly. Her hand tightened against his shoulder before she could decide whether to hide the reaction. She did not. Shadow saw it. His focus sharpened on her pleasure with almost frightening intensity. Not violence. Attention. Too much attention. The sort that erased the rest of the world. Reyes pulled him closer. Partly because it felt good. Partly because she wanted to see whether he would notice anything else. He did not. That answer was nearly as satisfying as the physical one. Nearly. --- Kiro looked at the door sensor. Then the hallway feed. Then back at the floor data. “He’s gone blind.” Mai frowned. “Meaning?” “Not literally.” Kiro pointed toward the door. “Someone walked past the room.” Ace looked at her. “So?” “Shadow didn’t react.” “How do you know?” “The bed pattern didn’t change.” Ace stared. Kiro continued. “Earlier he reacted to every hallway movement.” Mai leaned closer. “And now?” “Nothing.” Shammy’s expression sharpened. “Because of Reyes.” “Yes.” Ace sat back. There it was. Not funny anymore. Not entirely. The weakness was stronger than they had guessed. Mai said: “If you entered now?” Kiro looked at the door. “He might not notice immediately.” Ace’s eyes narrowed. “Enough for Reyes to shoot him?” Kiro shook her head. “Wrong geometry.” Mai nodded. “Enough for someone else?” Kiro looked at her. Then: “Maybe.” Ace smiled slowly. Not humor. Planning. --- Reyes discovered the final part by accident. Shadow was good. Annoyingly good. Enough that Reyes stopped treating pleasure as secondary information. Enough that when the first wave finally broke through her composure, she let it. No performance. No suppression. A sharp breath. Eyes closed. Hands holding him closer. Then stillness. Just a few seconds. Shared heat. Shared breathing. No need to turn it into anything else. Shadow stayed close. Reyes opened her eyes. Konrad’s face looked back at her. She nearly laughed from pure wrongness. Shadow frowned. “What?” Reyes shook her head. “Nothing.” “Tell me.” “No.” He looked offended. Reyes smiled. “That’s adorable.” The expression got worse. That made her laugh for real. Shadow watched her. Still focused. Still not checking the room. Still vulnerable. Reyes filed the most important observation of the entire night: Even after satisfaction, he did not immediately recover tactical discipline. Interesting. Very interesting. She touched his face. Wrong face. Not his. Not really. “Do you always get this distracted?” Shadow smiled. “By something worth the distraction.” Reyes nodded. Arrogant. Useful. She sat up. Shadow followed. She held up one hand. “Done.” His expression changed. Instantly. Not rage. Disappointment. Then hunger returning. Reyes watched. “See?” “What?” “You hate being told no.” He smiled. “I dislike endings.” “Same thing.” She stood. He reached for her. Reyes looked at the hand. He stopped. Good. She dressed without hurry. Shadow watched. Every movement. Reyes noticed how slowly his tactical awareness returned. The room came back to him in pieces. Door. Window. Sound. Distance. Too late. If Ace had been behind him with a blade— If Mai had been holding his attention— If Reyes had been somewhere else with a pistol— Reyes smiled. There was the plan. Not complete. But visible. Shadow noticed. “What?” Reyes looked at him. “Nothing.” “You keep saying that.” “Maybe I like keeping things from you.” He smiled. “That can be corrected.” Reyes’ expression flattened. “No.” Shadow paused. Reyes held his gaze. The moment stretched. Then he smiled again. Less predatory. More amused. “For now.” Reyes picked up her jacket. “For always, unless I say otherwise.” Shadow studied her. Then nodded. Good. Still dangerous. Still capable of listening. Important. Reyes opened the door. Shadow remained behind her. She looked back once. “You coming?” “No.” “Why?” “I think I’ll remember this room.” Reyes laughed. “Creepy.” Shadow smiled. Then picked up his coat and walked past her into the hallway. Reyes stayed in the doorway long enough to watch two people farther down the corridor adjust around someone the hall camera could not see. The elevator pressure sensor registered the extra weight, then cleared. Only then did Reyes close the door. No camera would ever prove he had been there. She pressed the emergency comm once. “Clear.” The adjacent door opened almost immediately. Too immediately. Ace appeared first. Of course. She stopped. Looked Reyes up and down. Reyes looked back. Ace’s expression changed. Slowly. Oh no. Reyes pointed. “Don’t.” Ace’s smile widened. “Did you—” “Don’t.” Kiro appeared behind Ace. Shammy behind Kiro. Mai last. Ace looked at Reyes. Reyes looked entirely too satisfied. Ace’s eyes narrowed. Then widened. “Oh my fucking god.” Reyes closed her eyes. Kiro started laughing before Ace even finished. Ace pointed at Reyes. “You actually fucked him.” Reyes opened her eyes. “Yes.” Shammy smiled. Mai’s mouth twitched. Ace stared. Reyes added: “For science.” Kiro folded against the doorframe. Ace made a helpless noise. Then: “And?” Reyes looked at her. Ace waited. Reyes smiled. “Operationally?” Ace shouted: “NO.” Reyes laughed. Mai finally stepped inside. “Later.” Ace turned. “Coward.” Mai looked at Reyes. “Are you okay?” Reyes’ expression softened. “Yes.” “Anything crossed?” “No.” “Anything you regret?” Reyes thought. Then smiled. “No.” Mai nodded. That was enough. Kiro recovered. Mostly. “Tactically?” Reyes looked at all of them. The humor faded. “He gets worse.” Ace folded her arms. “How much?” “A lot.” “He stopped scanning?” “Yes.” “Stopped tracking?” “Yes.” “Could someone approach?” Reyes thought. “Yes.” “Could they approach close?” “Yes.” Mai asked: “Blind side?” Reyes nodded. “Yes.” Kiro looked at Mai. Mai looked back. Something clicked. Reyes saw it. “So.” She zipped her jacket. “You have your reproducibility.” Kiro’s expression became thoughtful. “Not quite.” Ace slowly turned. “No.” Kiro looked innocent. Reyes started smiling. Ace pointed at her. “No.” Kiro lifted both hands. “One subject.” “No.” “One observer.” “No.” “One successful full-contact test.” Ace stared. Kiro continued. “We still don’t know whether this is Reyes-specific.” Silence. Ace looked at Reyes. Reyes looked at Kiro. Then at Ace. Her smile became deeply malicious. “Oh.” Ace took one step backward. “No.” Shammy looked delighted. Mai said nothing. Which was worse. Ace looked at Kiro. “You’re not suggesting—” Kiro shrugged. “Reproducibility.” Ace pointed. “You.” Kiro blinked. “Me?” “Yes.” Kiro stopped. Reyes’ grin widened. Ace folded her arms. “Science waits for no woman.” Kiro stared. Shammy covered her mouth. Mai looked away. Reyes leaned against the wall. “Your turn, researcher.” Kiro’s face went through several emotions. Then settled somewhere extremely dangerous. She smiled. “Oh.” Ace immediately regretted everything. Kiro looked toward the empty room. Then back at Reyes. “How good?” Reyes answered without hesitation. “Damn good.” Ace slapped both hands over her face. From behind them: “Fuck my life.” Reyes laughed. Kiro smiled wider. And Mai— Mai, traitorous, composed, wonderful Mai— simply said: “We’ll need another room.” --- ## Chapter 10 — Field Report They did not need another room that night. Kiro made that clear approximately four seconds after Mai suggested it. “No.” Ace lowered her hands from her face. “You were literally the one demanding reproducibility.” “I said we need reproducibility.” “Yes.” “I did not say immediately.” Reyes leaned against the wall. “Cold feet?” Kiro looked at her. “No.” “Sounded like cold feet.” “I want data.” Reyes smiled. “You want details.” Kiro opened her mouth. Stopped. Ace’s eyes widened. “Oh, she does.” “I want operational details.” “Sure.” “Fuck you.” Ace pointed at Reyes. “See? She’s already becoming emotionally compromised.” Kiro looked at Mai. “Can I shoot her?” “No.” “Why does Reyes get a gun?” Reyes patted her pistol. “Seniority.” “You don’t have seniority.” “I have a gun.” Ace nodded. “Strong argument.” Mai pinched the bridge of her nose. “Safehouse.” Reyes pushed away from the wall. “Good.” Kiro looked at her. “You’re not leaving.” Reyes stopped. Slowly turned. Ace made a delighted noise. Reyes smiled. “I thought you didn’t want details.” “I want the report.” “Tonight?” “Yes.” “Immediately?” “Yes.” Reyes looked at Ace. Ace spread her hands. “Science waits for no woman.” Kiro pointed at her. “You started that.” “And I have never been prouder.” --- The safehouse kitchen became a debrief room because nobody had the energy to pretend otherwise. Weapons went away first. Jackets followed. Kiro claimed the table. Reyes claimed a beer. Ace climbed onto one of the stools. Mai made coffee. Shammy sat beside Ace and watched Kiro construct what was becoming a distressingly formal document. Reyes looked at the screen. “Absolutely not.” Kiro looked up. “What?” “Title.” Ace leaned sideways to read it. **FIELD TEST: SUSTAINED SEXUAL DISTRACTION** Ace made a strangled noise. Shammy covered her smile. Mai stopped pouring coffee. Reyes stared at Kiro. “No.” “It’s accurate.” “It sounds like you’re writing a research paper.” “I am writing a research paper.” “You are writing an operational report.” “Same thing with guns.” Ace slapped the table. “That may be the most Kiro sentence ever spoken.” Kiro changed nothing. Reyes took a drink. “Fine.” Kiro began. “Initial contact.” “Voluntary.” Kiro looked up. “I know.” “Put it in.” Kiro did. **Contact initiated voluntarily by Reyes.** Reyes nodded. “Good.” Ace watched her. That mattered. Not because anyone in the room doubted it. Because the report should not leave room for someone later to misunderstand what Reyes had chosen. Kiro continued. “Shadow complied with stated limits?” “Yes.” “Immediately?” “Yes.” “Any coercive behavior?” “No.” “Any attempt to prevent withdrawal?” Reyes considered. “He reached for me when I ended it.” Ace’s expression changed. Reyes saw it. “I looked at his hand. He stopped.” Mai set a mug in front of Kiro. “Without verbal instruction?” “Yes.” Kiro entered it. “Any threat?” “No.” “Any indication refusal could trigger violence?” “Not during the encounter.” Kiro looked at her. “Important distinction.” “Yes.” Reyes took another drink. “He’s still Shadow. Don’t confuse sexually cooperative with safe.” Shammy nodded. “He kills people.” “Yes.” Ace looked at Kiro’s screen. “So the weakness doesn’t make him harmless.” “No,” Reyes said. “It makes him stupid.” Kiro stopped typing. Looked up. Reyes smiled. “Tactically.” Ace snorted. Kiro typed. **SEXUAL ENGAGEMENT PRODUCES SIGNIFICANT TACTICAL DEGRADATION. DOES NOT REDUCE BASELINE PHYSICAL THREAT.** Mai sat opposite her. “Specific degradation.” Reyes counted. “Threat scanning.” Kiro typed. “Positioning.” Typed. “Environmental awareness.” Typed. “Response to movement outside immediate focus.” Typed. “Distance control.” Typed. Reyes thought. “Patience.” Kiro looked up. “Explain.” “He wants what he wants immediately.” Ace nodded. “We saw that with me.” “Yes.” Reyes continued. “If he thinks sex is available, he starts making decisions around getting it instead of maintaining advantage.” Mai: “Can he delay gratification?” “Yes.” Everyone looked at Reyes. She shrugged. “I made him.” Ace smiled. “Of course you did.” Reyes ignored her. “But he didn’t like it.” Kiro typed. **IMPATIENCE / REWARD FIXATION.** Shammy looked at the words. “Overconfidence.” Kiro turned toward her. Shammy continued. “He knew Reyes was part of the group that attacked him.” Silence. Ace’s smile disappeared. Mai nodded slowly. “And still entered a room she selected.” Reyes looked at Kiro. “There.” Kiro typed again. **SEVERE OVERCONFIDENCE WHEN SEXUAL OPPORTUNITY IS PRESENT.** Ace stared at the sentence. “That might be the biggest one.” Mai nodded. “He walked voluntarily into a controlled environment chosen by someone he knew was hostile.” Reyes raised one finger. “Potentially hostile.” Ace looked at her. “You shot him.” “Before I knew him.” Ace stared. Reyes smiled. Ace turned to Mai. “Do something.” Mai drank her coffee. “No.” “Marriage has failed me.” Mai looked over the rim. “We’re not married.” Ace pointed at her. “Exactly. Failed before it even started.” Shammy laughed. Kiro tried not to. Failed. Reyes drank her beer. “Can we continue?” Ace looked offended. “You started it.” “I absolutely did not.” --- Kiro reached the part everyone had carefully avoided discussing. “During sustained sexual contact.” Reyes looked at her. “Yes.” Kiro waited. Reyes waited back. Ace looked between them. “Oh, this is going to be good.” Mai touched Ace’s knee. Ace became silent. Mostly. Kiro said: “I need to know whether the degradation increased progressively or reached a stable level.” Reyes considered the question seriously. “Increased.” “At what point?” “Attention narrowed during kissing.” Kiro typed. “More with sustained touching.” Typed. “Then considerably more once we moved to the bed.” Kiro paused. “And once intercourse began?” Reyes nodded. “That was the biggest change.” Kiro typed without comment. Ace managed nearly three seconds. “Professional.” Reyes looked at her. “I am being professional.” “I know. That’s why it’s funny.” Mai’s hand tightened slightly on Ace’s knee. Ace shut up again. Kiro continued. “How immediate?” “Very.” “Before or after you showed a pleasure response?” Reyes stopped. Kiro looked at her. Reyes’ expression shifted. Not embarrassed. Thinking. “Both.” Kiro frowned. “Explain.” “The physical transition narrowed his attention further.” Kiro typed. “Then when he realized I was genuinely enjoying it, it got worse.” Shammy tilted her head. “He focused on your pleasure.” “Yes.” “Instead of his own?” “No.” Reyes smiled. “Definitely not instead.” Ace made a tiny sound. Mai did not even look at her. Reyes continued. “But my response mattered to him.” Kiro stopped typing. “How much?” “A lot.” Shammy said quietly: “He wants reciprocation.” Reyes looked at her. “Maybe.” Mai corrected gently: “Too early.” Shammy nodded. “Possibly.” Kiro added: **PARTNER PLEASURE APPEARS TO INCREASE ATTENTION FIXATION — MECHANISM UNKNOWN.** Ace read it. “That could matter.” Mai nodded. “If a final distraction is voluntary and genuine.” Reyes looked at her. “It should be.” The room quieted slightly. Ace understood. Fake interest could work. Maybe. But genuine desire had produced something stronger. Shadow had not simply been distracted by access to sex. He had become absorbed by someone actually enjoying him. Ace looked at Reyes. “You really did.” Reyes met her eyes. There was no joke in Ace’s voice this time. Reyes answered just as plainly. “Yes.” “Okay.” That was all. Kiro continued. --- “Recovery time.” Reyes frowned. “What?” “How quickly did his tactical awareness return after sex ended?” “Slowly.” Kiro leaned forward. “Define slowly.” “I noticed it.” “That’s not a unit.” “I’m not a stopwatch.” Ace raised one finger. Kiro pointed at her without looking. “No.” Ace lowered it. Reyes thought. “Several seconds before he started checking the room properly.” Mai’s attention sharpened. “Several?” “Yes.” “Enough to act?” “Yes.” “Decisively?” Reyes looked at her. “Yes.” Kiro typed faster. Reyes continued. “He was still focused on me after I was satisfied.” Ace blinked. “Wait.” Reyes looked at her. Ace leaned forward. “You stopped because you decided the test was done.” “Yes.” “Not because he lost interest.” “No.” Kiro stopped. Mai stopped. Shammy looked from Reyes to Kiro. Ace smiled slowly. “Oh.” Reyes knew that smile. “What?” “That’s useful.” “Yes.” “No, really useful.” Mai was already there. “The distraction window can be controlled by the partner.” Reyes nodded. “At least partly.” Kiro: “He doesn’t recover simply because the partner climaxes.” “No.” Ace: “So if someone keeps him engaged—” “He stays engaged.” Reyes took a drink. “Based on one test.” Kiro nodded. “Needs confirmation.” Ace turned toward her. Kiro saw it coming. “Don’t.” Ace smiled. “Reproducibility.” Kiro looked back at the screen. “Yes.” Her voice had changed. Just slightly. Reyes noticed. So did Ace. Shammy definitely did. Mai probably noticed before anyone else. Ace leaned forward. “Kiro.” “What?” “Are you volunteering?” Kiro looked at her. “No.” Reyes smiled. Kiro corrected: “Not yet.” Ace slapped both palms against the table. “I FUCKING KNEW IT.” Mai caught the coffee before Ace could knock it over. “Careful.” “Sorry.” Kiro glared. Ace sat back down. “Continue.” Reyes looked at Kiro. “You want to.” Kiro stared at her. Reyes smiled. “You do.” Kiro looked toward Mai. Mai offered no rescue. Traitor. Kiro looked at Shammy. Shammy smiled warmly. Worse. Finally Ace. Ace was practically vibrating. Worst. Kiro sighed. “I’m curious.” Ace made a noise. Kiro pointed. “Shut up.” Ace physically pressed both hands over her mouth. Kiro looked at Reyes. “I want to know whether he reacts the same way to someone else.” Reyes nodded. “And?” Kiro hesitated. Then decided there was no point lying in this room. “And after listening to you, yes, I’m personally curious too.” Ace’s hands stayed over her mouth. Her eyes were enormous. Mai looked at Ace. “Good girl.” Ace froze. Completely. Shammy’s eyebrows rose. Reyes slowly turned toward Mai. Kiro forgot Shadow existed. Mai took another drink of coffee. Ace lowered her hands very carefully. “That was deliberate.” Mai looked at her. “Was it?” Ace stared. Mai smiled into her cup. Reyes whispered: “Holy shit.” Shammy laughed. Ace pointed at Mai. “We are discussing this later.” Mai nodded. “I assumed so.” Kiro rubbed both hands over her face. “I hate this house.” Ace immediately answered: “You love this house.” Kiro dropped her hands. “Yes.” --- The report ended with three conclusions. Kiro put them on the main screen. **1. SHADOW’S SEXUAL INTEREST CREATES A REPEATABLE TACTICAL DISTRACTION.** **2. SUSTAINED, GENUINELY MUTUAL SEXUAL ENGAGEMENT SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASES THE EFFECT.** **3. SHADOW REMAINS DANGEROUS. DISTRACTION MUST NEVER BE TREATED AS INCAPACITATION.** Mai read them twice. “Good.” Reyes nodded. Shammy did too. Ace looked at Kiro. “And conclusion four.” “There is no conclusion four.” “There absolutely is.” Kiro sighed. “What?” Ace smiled. “Reyes had fun.” Reyes looked at her. “Yes.” Ace blinked. She had expected resistance. Reyes smiled. “A lot.” Kiro looked at her. Reyes took the last drink from her beer. Then set the bottle down. “Since apparently this is relevant to future test methodology—” Ace leaned forward eagerly. Mai let her. “—Shadow is attentive, responsive, very confident, and yes.” Reyes looked directly at Kiro. “He’s damn good in bed.” Silence. Kiro stared at her. Ace whispered: “Oh, fuck.” Reyes smiled. “Exactly.” Kiro looked back at the report. Then at Reyes. Then at the screen. Then somewhere very far away. Mai watched her. “Kiro.” Kiro blinked. “Yes?” “Still curious?” A pause. Kiro smiled. “More.” Ace fell sideways against Shammy. Shammy caught her. Reyes laughed. Mai simply nodded. “All right.” Kiro looked at her. “All right?” “If you choose to test it, we plan it properly.” Kiro’s smile widened. “I choose to test it.” Ace lifted her head from Shammy’s shoulder. “That was fast.” Kiro looked at her. “Reproducibility.” Ace nodded solemnly. “Science.” “Science.” Reyes stood. “I’m going to bed.” Ace looked up. “Alone?” Reyes stopped. Slowly turned. Ace immediately hid behind Shammy. Reyes pointed at the visible top of Ace’s head. “One day.” Ace’s voice came muffled from behind Shammy. “Worth it.” Reyes left. Kiro saved the report. Mai collected the empty mugs. Shammy stroked Ace’s short hair once. Ace emerged. She looked at Kiro. “So.” Kiro closed the terminal. “No.” “You haven't even heard the question.” “Yes, I have.” Ace smiled. Kiro stood. “Good night.” “Should we book the same hotel?” Kiro kept walking. “Good night, Ace.” “Different room?” “Ace.” “Do you want Reyes to recommend—” “Ace.” Ace grinned. Kiro reached the hallway. Stopped. Looked back. “Different room.” Ace’s mouth fell open. Kiro disappeared down the hall. Shammy laughed. Mai stopped beside Ace. Ace looked up at her. “This investigation has become ridiculous.” Mai nodded. “Completely.” Ace smiled. “Still good plan.” Mai considered. “Yes.” Shammy rose. “Possibly.” Ace pointed at her. “There she is.” Shammy smiled. Mai switched off the kitchen light. And somewhere beyond the safehouse, something that ate what death should have left alone had no idea that five women were turning its appetite into a weapons system. --- ## Chapter 11 — Field Test: Kiro Kiro changed the hotel. Ace discovered this at breakfast. “You changed the hotel.” Kiro continued eating. “Yes.” “Why?” “Independent test conditions.” Ace stared at her. Kiro took another bite. “That is the most transparent excuse I have ever heard.” “It’s methodologically sound.” “You just don’t want Reyes’ room.” Kiro stopped chewing. Across the table, Shammy smiled into her coffee. Mai kept reading. Ace leaned closer. “You don’t.” Kiro swallowed. “No.” “Why?” “Because I don’t.” Ace’s smile became dangerous. “Because Reyes fucked him there.” Kiro pointed her fork. “You have approximately three seconds to become interested in something else.” Ace looked at the fork. Then at Kiro. “Is that a threat?” “Yes.” “Effective.” Ace returned to her breakfast. Two seconds passed. “Different bed too?” Kiro put the fork down. Ace ran. --- The practical problem was easier this time. They knew Shadow would follow an invitation. They knew which informal networks could carry one. More importantly, they knew he had taken Reyes’ bait once already. Using exactly the same method again would be stupid. Shadow was horny. Nobody had established that he was stupid enough to ignore repetition. So Kiro built a different route. She went back through the human anomalies from Kabuki and identified three locations Shadow had passed more than once. One was a club. One was a bar. The third was a twenty-four-hour food stall whose owner apparently knew everybody in Kabuki and considered privacy a theoretical concept. Kiro chose the bar. Ace looked at the plan. “You’re going yourself.” “Yes.” “Before the hotel.” “Yes.” “You’re bait.” Kiro looked at her. “I prefer participant.” Ace smiled. “Of course you do.” The plan was simple. Which meant Mai distrusted it immediately. Kiro would spend enough time at the bar to become noticeable. She would make no attempt to hide that she belonged to the group Shadow already knew. If Shadow appeared, she would approach him. If he did not, she would leave a message with the bartender for the bald man in the burgundy coat. Not a name. Not Shadow. Not Konrad. Just a description. Hotel. Room. Time. If Shadow had never used the bar directly, nothing happened. If he had, the invitation might reach him. If he appeared while Kiro was there— Ace smiled. “Science begins early.” Kiro looked at her. “I regret teaching you that word.” “You didn’t.” “I regret you learning it.” --- Shadow appeared eighteen minutes after Kiro ordered her second drink. Kiro knew because a patron two stools away shifted aside for empty space. The stool beside him compressed. Kiro turned. Konrad was sitting there. Or that was what her eyes told her. Kiro looked immediately toward the small security monitor above the bottles. Empty stool. The cushion compressed beneath nobody. Kiro smiled. “Well.” Shadow turned his head. “Kiro.” She hated how naturally Konrad’s voice said her name. “You know me.” “I know all of you.” “Creepy.” “I’ve been called worse.” “By Ace?” A smile. “Frequently.” That was almost right. Almost. Which somehow made it worse. Kiro turned toward him. “You know what happened with Reyes.” Shadow said nothing. Interesting. Kiro took a drink. “She told us.” His smile changed. “How much?” Kiro laughed. “Oh, you care.” “Curiosity.” “Sure.” Shadow looked at her. “You’re curious too.” Kiro held his gaze. “Yes.” No performance. No coyness. The answer caught him harder than flirting would have. Kiro saw it. There. Attention narrowing. Not much. But immediately. She smiled. “Interesting.” “What?” “Nothing.” Shadow leaned slightly closer. Kiro looked at the movement. Then at him. “You really are easy.” His smile sharpened. “Am I?” “Reyes said you were.” That did it. Not anger. Competition. Kiro nearly laughed. Shadow’s attention settled fully on her. “What else did Reyes say?” Kiro finished her drink. “That you’re damn good in bed.” Shadow smiled. Kiro stood. “But I don’t trust other people’s data.” She put money on the bar. Shadow looked up at her. “Where are you going?” Kiro slipped on her jacket. “Hotel.” A pause. Then: “Come with me if you want.” She walked away. She did not look back. The security camera showed Kiro leaving alone. Four seconds later, three people near the door moved aside for someone following her. --- Ace stared at Kiro’s tracker. “That was fast.” Mai drove. Reyes sat in the back with Shammy. Ace rode passenger again. Kiro was six minutes ahead. Reyes smiled. “Told you.” Ace looked back. “You created a monster.” “No.” Reyes leaned into the seat. “We’re testing one.” Shammy looked at her. Reyes sighed. “Fine. That was good.” Ace faced forward. “Thank you.” Mai glanced at the route. “Kiro?” Her voice came through comms. “Fine.” “Shadow?” “Following.” “Certain?” “I can’t see him behind me.” Ace blinked. Kiro continued. “But people keep getting out of somebody’s way.” Reyes laughed. Ace looked at Mai. “This is still the stupidest surveillance technique in Night City.” Mai nodded. “And currently one of our most reliable.” Ace sighed. “I hate supernatural cases.” Shammy said: “No, you don’t.” Ace thought about it. “No.” --- Kiro entered the hotel alone. Shadow followed. The lobby camera recorded the front door opening after Kiro had already passed through it. A decorative plant moved slightly. One guest stepped aside. The elevator registered additional weight. Nobody appeared beside Kiro on the recording. Kiro watched the floor numbers. Shadow stood next to her wearing Konrad’s face. “You’re very calm.” Kiro looked at him. “I know what you are.” “And that doesn’t frighten you?” “Yes.” Shadow tilted his head. Kiro smiled. “Those aren’t opposites.” The elevator opened. Kiro stepped out. Shadow followed. “Reyes wasn’t afraid.” Kiro glanced at him. “You’re wrong.” That interested him. “She was?” “Yes.” “And still—” “Yes.” Kiro stopped outside the room. Turned. “That’s what choice means.” Shadow watched her. Kiro opened the door. “Coming?” He smiled. “Yes.” --- The second room had the same principles and different geometry. Two exits. Mapped hallway. Adjacent support room. Passive sensors. No active recording inside. No biometrics. Kiro had insisted on that last point herself. Ace had not commented. Mostly because Mai had looked at her before she could. Shadow entered. Kiro closed the door. She turned. For several seconds neither moved. This was different from Reyes. Good. It should be. Kiro had no intention of reproducing Reyes. She wanted to reproduce Shadow. He approached first. Kiro let him. Stopped him with one hand against his chest. “Rules.” Shadow smiled. “You all have rules.” “Yes.” “Reyes had rules.” “I’m not Reyes.” His expression sharpened. Good. Kiro continued. “If I stop, we stop.” “Yes.” “If I redirect you, you listen.” “Yes.” “No games with the door.” Shadow glanced toward it. Then back. “Yes.” “And if I decide I’m done, I leave.” “You decide.” Kiro smiled. “Reyes taught you.” “She insisted.” “Good.” Kiro took hold of the burgundy coat. “And now I’m insisting.” She pulled him down and kissed him. Shadow responded immediately. Kiro had expected that. She had not expected Reyes to be so right. When Kiro broke the kiss, she looked at him. “Oh.” Shadow smiled. Kiro frowned. “Don’t.” “Don’t what?” “Look pleased with yourself.” “I am pleased.” “You’ve done almost nothing.” “Yet.” Kiro stared at him. Then laughed. “Okay. That was terrible.” “You liked it.” “Unfortunately.” She kissed him again. Longer. Not because the test required it. Because she wanted to. And because the moment she did, she felt his attention contract around her. Reyes had described it. Kiro had watched the indirect evidence. Neither had prepared her for being inside it. Shadow did not merely look at her. He concentrated. The room seemed to stop mattering to him. Kiro shifted sideways. He followed. She changed direction. He corrected toward her. She stepped back. He came forward. Kiro smiled. There you are. She moved again. Shadow followed again. Not controlling her. Tracking her. Wanting. Kiro filed the distinction. Then he kissed her and the filing became temporarily less efficient. --- Next door, Ace watched the pressure display. “She’s doing it deliberately.” Mai nodded. Kiro’s movement traced a loose pattern through the room. Shadow’s estimated weight followed. Reyes leaned over the display. “She’s testing tracking.” Shammy watched. “She already knows the answer.” Ace looked at her. “How?” Shammy smiled. “Look.” Kiro moved left. Shadow followed. Right. Followed. Backward. Followed. Ace stared. “He’s chasing her around the fucking room.” Reyes smiled. “Yap.” Mai’s eyes stayed on the display. “Not chasing.” Ace looked at her. Mai pointed. “Kiro controls direction.” Ace watched another movement. “Oh.” Reyes nodded. “That’s what he did with me.” Mai: “Which confirms it isn’t specific to Reyes.” Ace looked toward the wall. “Not yet.” Reyes smiled. “No.” Ace glanced at her. “You are enjoying this far too much.” “Yes.” --- Kiro stopped beside the bed. Shadow stopped with her. She looked at him. “You know I’m studying you.” “Yes.” “And you came anyway.” “Yes.” “Why?” Shadow smiled. “You wanted me.” Kiro considered lying. Pointless. “Yes.” “And I wanted you.” “That simple?” “Yes.” Kiro studied Konrad’s face. That answer was probably more important than it sounded. Shadow knew this was dangerous. Knew she belonged to the people hunting him. Knew Reyes had almost certainly reported everything. And still— here. Because he wanted her. Kiro touched his face. “Your threat assessment is fucking terrible.” “Currently.” Kiro laughed. “Good answer.” She pushed the coat from his shoulders. Shadow let it fall. Again the appearance remained. Konrad. Wrong. Kiro shook her head. “What?” “This face.” “You dislike it?” “I know him.” “Yes.” “And you are very much not him.” Shadow leaned closer. “Would you prefer someone else?” Kiro froze. There. A question they had not asked. Could Shadow deliberately alter what she saw? Or did he only think he could? Kiro’s analytical mind lit up. Then immediately restrained itself. Not now. Wrong experiment. “Stay.” Shadow smiled. “As you wish.” Kiro narrowed her eyes. “That sounded like you chose it.” “Did it?” Fuck. Later. She kissed him again before curiosity derailed the actual test. --- The transition came more slowly than Reyes’. Deliberately. Kiro wanted to know whether Shadow could sustain attention through anticipation without becoming impatient enough to force the pace. He could. Barely. That was useful. Every time Kiro slowed, Shadow’s focus intensified. Every time she stepped away, his attention followed. He never crossed the boundary she had set. But his impatience showed everywhere else. Breath. Posture. The speed with which he closed distance once invited. The way the rest of the room ceased to exist. Eventually Kiro sat back onto the edge of the bed. Shadow remained standing before her. She looked up at him. He waited. Kiro smiled. “You can ask.” Shadow’s expression changed. “May I?” “Yes.” He moved closer. Kiro drew him with her. The bed shifted beneath them. She adjusted position, keeping him where she wanted him, and for a moment simply watched him. Wrong face. Wrong creature. Very real desire. Her own included. Kiro removed the last practical barriers with the same deliberate precision she had used on every other variable. Shadow moved only when she invited him closer. “Still yes,” she said. Shadow held her gaze. “Yes?” Kiro laughed softly. “Yes.” That was enough. They began having sex, and Kiro kept him exactly where she had chosen. Kiro’s first reaction escaped before analysis could get in front of it. A sudden breath. Her eyes closing. Fingers tightening against him. Then a quiet: “Oh, fuck.” Shadow stopped. Not withdrawing. Waiting. Kiro opened her eyes. “What?” “You reacted.” Kiro stared at him. “Yes. That happens during good sex.” Shadow smiled. Kiro immediately regretted speaking. “Oh, shut up.” He kissed her. Kiro let him. And analysis became considerably more difficult. Good. That itself was data. --- Ace watched the sensors. Then looked at Reyes. Reyes was smiling. “What?” Ace pointed at the display. “Same pattern.” “Yes.” “Almost exactly.” Mai corrected: “Not exactly.” Ace looked. Mai pointed at the movement history. “Different pacing.” Shammy nodded. “But same narrowing.” Kiro and Shadow had remained within a small part of the room for several minutes. No reaction to hallway traffic. No response when the elevator doors opened nearby. No visible shift when someone knocked on a different room. Reyes folded her arms. “He’s gone.” Ace looked toward the wall. “Not gone.” “You know what I mean.” Ace nodded. “Yes.” Mai watched another minute. Then: “Confirmed.” Ace looked at her. Mai’s voice remained quiet. “Reyes wasn’t special.” Reyes looked offended. “I’m extremely special.” Ace smiled. “Scientifically replaceable.” “Fuck you.” Shammy laughed. Mai corrected herself. “The effect isn’t Reyes-specific.” Reyes nodded. “Better.” Ace watched the screen. “And Kiro?” Reyes’ smile returned. “Oh, she’s having fun.” Ace looked at her. “You cannot tell that from pressure sensors.” “No.” “How then?” Reyes leaned back. “I know Kiro.” That silenced Ace. Because yes. That was the whole fucking point of this case, wasn’t it? Machines could lie by omission. Eyes could lie by interpretation. But knowing the people beside you— Ace looked back at the wall. Kiro was fine. Not because the sensor said so. Because if she were not, they would know. --- Kiro lost track of the experiment for a while. Not completely. Enough. Shadow remained attentive in exactly the way Reyes had described. Responsive. Focused. Disturbingly good at reading what Kiro liked once she made it clear. And every genuine reaction made him worse at everything else. Kiro tested it once. She shifted her attention toward the door. Shadow followed her face. “What?” “Nothing.” He looked toward the door. Interesting. So not completely blind. Kiro pulled him back into a kiss. His attention returned immediately. More interesting. She did it again later. Same result. External cue could briefly recover awareness. Sexual engagement reclaimed it almost instantly. That was useful. Very useful. Then Kiro stopped testing because another wave of pleasure made coherent methodology temporarily unreasonable. Her breath broke. She held him close. Let herself enjoy it without measuring anything. And when release finally came, Kiro stopped moving entirely. Eyes closed. Forehead against him. Breathing hard. Shadow remained close. Neither separated. Several quiet seconds passed. Kiro opened her eyes. Still Konrad. She groaned. Shadow frowned. “What?” “Nothing about what just happened.” “Then?” “Your face.” He laughed. Kiro felt the sound against her. “This is deeply fucking weird.” “You seemed to manage.” “I’m adaptable.” Shadow kissed her forehead. That was so unexpectedly gentle that Kiro stared at him. “What?” “You keep asking that.” “You keep looking at me strangely.” “I am having sex with a soul-eating demon who looks like an irritating probability asshole I know.” Shadow smiled. “Was.” Kiro blinked. “What?” “Having sex.” Kiro looked down. Then back up. “Oh.” Shadow’s smile widened. Kiro narrowed her eyes. “Do not become smug now.” “Too late.” Kiro laughed despite herself. Then stayed where she was another few seconds. Because she wanted to. Because nothing required immediate separation. Because Reyes had been right about more than tactics. Eventually Kiro shifted. Shadow let her. Slowly. No grabbing. No attempt to restart without invitation. Good. Kiro sat up. Shadow’s attention remained on her. Still narrow. Still tactically awful. She looked toward the door. He did not. There. Reyes had been right about that too. The recovery lag. Kiro reached for her clothes. Only then did Shadow begin noticing the room again. Window. Door. Sound. Distances. Pieces returning. Kiro smiled. “What?” “Nothing.” Shadow sighed. “You all do that.” Kiro laughed. “We compare notes.” His head turned toward her. That got through. Good. “You compare notes.” “Yes.” “And you still came here.” “Yes.” “Why?” Kiro dressed. Then looked at him. “Because knowing something intellectually isn’t the same as knowing it firsthand.” Shadow studied her. “And now?” Kiro smiled. “Now I know.” She picked up her jacket. Shadow reached for her hand. Kiro let him take it. He looked at her. “Will you come back?” Kiro considered. Not coyly. Honestly. “Maybe.” Shadow smiled. “That means yes.” “No. It means maybe.” “You enjoyed me.” “Yes.” “And you’re curious.” “Yes.” “Then yes.” Kiro leaned closer. “You really need to work on your understanding of women.” Shadow smiled. “I have time.” Kiro’s expression changed. There was the reminder. Seven bodies. Maybe more. Whatever was missing from them. Whatever he had taken. Kiro withdrew her hand. “Not as much as you think.” Shadow watched her. Predator returning. The room changed with him. Kiro felt it immediately. Pleasure did not erase what he was. Good. It should not. She reached the door. Looked back. Shadow stood beside the bed. Still wearing Konrad. Still impossible. Still dangerous. Kiro opened the door. “Good night.” Shadow smiled. “Good night, Kiro.” She stepped into the hallway. Closed the door. And pressed the clear signal. --- ## Chapter 12 — “Did You Really Fuck Him?” Ace was waiting outside the adjacent room. Kiro stared at her. Ace stared back. Kiro pointed at her. “One question. Make it worth the oxygen.” Reyes appeared behind her. Kiro looked at Reyes. Reyes raised one eyebrow. Kiro tried to remain professionally neutral. Failed. Reyes smiled. “Told you.” Kiro sighed. “Yes.” Ace’s mouth opened again. Kiro pointed without looking. “No.” Ace made a wounded noise. Mai stepped out. Her eyes went directly to Kiro. “All good?” Kiro nodded. “Yes.” “Limits respected?” “Yes.” “Anything unexpected?” Kiro thought. “A few things.” “Dangerous?” “No.” Mai nodded. Shammy came last. She looked at Kiro for a moment. Then smiled. Kiro looked at all four of them. “Okay.” Ace vibrated. Kiro sighed. “Fine. Cash it in.” Ace’s face lit up. “One question?” “One.” Ace thought. This was clearly the most important decision of her life. Reyes folded her arms. Mai waited. Shammy looked amused. Ace finally asked: “Did you really fuck him?” Kiro stared. Reyes covered her face. Mai looked toward the ceiling. Shammy laughed. Kiro shook her head. “You wasted your one question on that?” Ace pointed toward the closed hotel room. “You went in there with a horny soul-eating demon and came out looking like that. I require verbal confirmation.” Kiro looked at her. Then smiled. “Yap.” Ace’s eyes widened. Kiro continued: “And Reyes was right.” Reyes lowered her hands. Ace whispered: “No.” Kiro’s smile became shameless. “He’s damn good in bed.” Ace folded in half. Reyes burst out laughing. Shammy caught Ace by the shoulder. Mai’s composure cracked completely. Kiro stood in the hallway, entirely satisfied with herself. Ace eventually straightened. Her face was red. “This is the dumbest investigation we have ever done.” Kiro nodded. “Yes.” Reyes: “By far.” Shammy considered. “Probably.” Mai looked at all of them. Then toward the closed door. Her expression settled back into operational focus. “But now we know.” The laughter faded. Kiro nodded. “Yes.” “Same effect?” “Absolutely.” “Attention collapse?” “Yes.” “Recovery lag?” “Yes.” “Still dangerous?” Kiro’s smile disappeared. “Very.” Mai nodded. Two independent tests. Same result. A weakness. Not an off-switch. Not safety. A window. Ace looked at Kiro. Then Reyes. Then the closed door. She became very still. Mai noticed first. Of course she did. “Ace.” Ace looked at her. “What?” Mai studied her face. Ace tried innocence. It lasted perhaps half a second. Reyes noticed next. “Oh.” Kiro followed. “Oh, no.” Shammy smiled. Ace looked between them. “What?” Mai folded her arms. “You’re thinking about it.” Ace stared at her. “Thinking about what?” Mai said nothing. She did not need to. Ace looked toward the closed hotel-room door. Then back at Mai. Kiro started smiling. Reyes’ smile became vicious. Shammy remained entirely too pleased. Ace sighed. “Fuck.” Mai raised one eyebrow. Ace pointed at her. “Not one word.” Mai smiled. “I didn’t say anything.” “That’s worse.” Reyes laughed. Ace headed for the elevator. “I hate all of you.” Kiro followed. “Working hypothesis?” Ace pressed the button. “No.” Shammy joined them. “Situation?” Ace looked at her. Shammy’s eyes sparkled. Ace groaned. “Oh, fuck you.” The elevator arrived. Mai stepped in beside her. Ace looked up. Mai looked down. Neither said anything. Then Mai’s mouth twitched. Ace pointed at her. “You’re enjoying this.” “Immensely.” “Traitor.” The doors closed. And Ace spent the entire ride down very carefully not thinking about the fact that two women she trusted had independently reached exactly the same conclusion. Operationally. And otherwise. --- ## Chapter 13 — Ace’s Turn Ace lasted until lunch. Mai had expected breakfast. Reyes had apparently bet on ten in the morning. Kiro claimed noon. Shammy refused to participate in the betting and therefore won by default. Ace learned all of this when she walked into the kitchen and found three piles of eurodollars on the table. She stopped. Looked at the money. Looked at Reyes. Then Kiro. Then Mai. “No.” Reyes smiled. “You haven’t asked what it’s for.” “I know what it’s for.” Kiro looked at the clock. “Thirteen fourteen.” Ace pointed at her. “Fuck you.” Kiro collected the money. “Thank you.” Ace stared. “You bet on me?” Reyes leaned back. “We bet on when you’d crack.” “I have not cracked.” Mai put a plate in front of Ace. Ace looked at her. Mai looked back. Ace sat. “I hate this house.” Shammy smiled. “Working hypothesis.” Ace closed her eyes. “Not you too.” Shammy’s smile widened. Ace ate in silence. Twenty seconds. Thirty. Forty-five. Reyes waited. Kiro waited. Mai ate her own lunch. Shammy appeared perfectly content to let eternity pass. Ace put down her fork. “All right.” Reyes held out one hand toward Kiro. Kiro gave her part of the money back. Ace stared at them. “You had a second bet?” “Whether you’d make it through lunch,” Reyes said. “You people are fucking awful.” “Yes.” Ace looked at Mai. “You didn’t bet.” “No.” “Why?” Mai took a drink. “I knew.” Ace narrowed her eyes. “Knew what?” “That you would want to.” Silence. Ace looked away. That was the problem with Mai. Not that she knew Ace. That she knew exactly when not to make knowing her into a weapon. Reyes stood. “I’m giving you two the kitchen.” Kiro immediately followed. “So am I.” Ace looked between them. “You don’t have to leave.” Reyes smiled. “Yes, we do.” Kiro nodded. “Absolutely.” Shammy rose too. Ace looked betrayed. “You?” Shammy touched Ace’s shoulder as she passed. “You need Mai.” Then she followed the others toward the living room. Ace watched them go. “Cowards.” Mai said nothing. Ace looked at her. “You planned that.” “No.” “You let it happen.” “Yes.” “Worse.” Mai waited. Ace looked down at her plate. Then: “They both enjoyed it.” “Yes.” “Actually enjoyed it.” “Yes.” “Not just tolerated it because it gave us information.” “No.” Ace pushed the plate away slightly. Mai waited. “They both say he’s good.” “Yes.” “Really good.” Mai’s mouth twitched. “So I’ve heard.” Ace glared. “Do not.” “I didn’t.” “You were about to.” “No.” Ace stared. Mai’s expression remained calm. Ace sighed. “Fine.” She looked toward the window. “I’m curious.” “I know.” “I know you know.” Mai smiled faintly. Ace continued. “That isn’t the only reason.” “No.” Ace looked back at her. “I want to know what they know.” Mai nodded. “Firsthand.” “Yes.” “Because you don’t trust them?” Ace frowned immediately. “No.” “Good.” “I trust them completely.” “I know.” Ace leaned back. “That’s almost why.” Mai waited. Ace searched for the right words. “Reyes can tell me what he does.” “Yes.” “Kiro can tell me what happens to his awareness.” “Yes.” “But neither can tell me what I’ll notice.” Mai nodded once. There. Ace exhaled. “And if we actually use this to kill him…” “You want to understand the weakness from inside it.” “Yes.” Mai studied her. “Only that?” Ace stared at her. Mai raised one eyebrow. Ace looked away. “No.” “Good.” “Stop being reasonable.” “No.” Ace folded her arms. “I want him.” Mai’s expression did not change. Ace watched closely anyway. Nothing hidden. No jealousy. No discomfort. Just Mai. Ace continued. “I’m curious what he feels like. I’m curious whether Reyes and Kiro are right. And yes, I want to fuck him.” Mai nodded. “Then say that.” “I just did.” “Yes.” Ace narrowed her eyes. “You’re enjoying this.” “A little.” “Monster.” Mai smiled. Ace’s voice became quieter. “You’re really okay?” Mai reached across the table. Ace gave her hand without thinking. “Yes.” No qualification. Ace squeezed her fingers. Mai squeezed back. Then: “But I want you to remember what he is.” Ace’s smile disappeared. “I do.” “Seven confirmed dead.” “Yes.” “Possibly more.” “Yes.” “Something missing afterward.” “Yes.” “Sex does not make him safe.” “I know.” Mai held her gaze. “If anything changes—” “I leave.” “If he ignores a boundary—” “I leave.” “If you get the feeling he is switching from sex to hunting—” “I leave.” Mai nodded. Ace smiled slightly. “Yes, mom.” Mai stared at her. Ace immediately brightened. “Oh, come on. That one was mandatory.” Mai tried not to smile. Failed. Ace leaned across the table and kissed her. Brief. Warm. Familiar. When she sat back, Mai still held her hand. “Tomorrow?” Mai asked. Ace thought. Then shook her head. “No.” Mai waited. “Tonight.” Of course. --- Finding Shadow was no longer the problem it had been. That bothered Kiro. “We are developing a social protocol for contacting an unrecordable soul-eating demon.” Ace stood behind her. “Yes.” “I want you to appreciate how offensive that sentence is.” “I appreciate it deeply.” Kiro looked around. Reyes was on the couch. Shammy beside her. Mai stood near Ace. Kiro pointed at the screen. “We cannot keep feeding invitations through the same networks.” Ace nodded. “Agreed.” That stopped Kiro. “You do?” “Yes.” Kiro looked suspicious. Ace continued. “He knows we compare notes.” Reyes nodded. “Kiro told him.” Kiro looked at her. “It was useful.” “It was.” Ace leaned against the table. “So if invitation number three arrives the same way, even he might wonder why we’re making this so easy.” Shammy said: “He already knows it’s a test.” Everyone looked at her. Shammy shrugged slightly. “Kiro told him she was studying him.” Kiro nodded. “Yes.” Ace smiled. “Then maybe we stop pretending.” Mai looked at her. “Direct.” “Yes.” “How?” Ace looked toward Kiro. “That bar.” Kiro understood. “He found me there.” “Yes.” “Or was already using it.” “Either works.” Reyes smiled. “You’re going to walk in and wait for him.” Ace shook her head. “No.” She looked at Kiro. “I’m going to leave him something.” --- It was offensively simple. A folded piece of paper. Ace insisted on actual paper specifically because Kiro hated it. Kiro watched her write. “You’re enjoying this.” “Yes.” “What does it say?” Ace covered the paper. “Private.” “You are handing it to a bartender.” “Professionally private.” Kiro sighed. Ace finished. The note was painfully simple. **HOTEL. ROOM. ELEVEN.** **REYES AND KIRO SAY YOU’RE WORTH THE TROUBLE.** **PROVE IT.** She folded it once. Then handed it to Mai. Mai opened it. Ace looked offended. “You!” “You handed it to me.” “I trusted you.” Mai read. Her eyebrow rose. Reyes immediately stood. “What?” Mai folded the note. “Nothing.” Ace snatched it back. Kiro stared. “What does it say?” Ace put it into her pocket. “Operationally relevant information.” Kiro looked at Reyes. Reyes shrugged. “Now I need to know too.” Shammy smiled. Ace headed for the door. Mai followed. Kiro called after her. “Paper is not secure!” Ace looked back. “He eats souls, Kiro. If handwriting defeats us, we deserve to lose.” --- The bartender remembered Kiro. That helped. He remembered the bald man less clearly. That did not. Ace sat on a stool while Mai waited outside. Not because Ace needed a bodyguard. Because Ace wanted her nearby. The bartender looked at the folded paper. “For the bald guy?” “Burgundy coat.” “Yeah.” “If you see him.” “What’s in it?” Ace smiled. “If I wanted you to know, I wouldn’t have folded it.” He looked at her. Then at the paper. “Fair.” Ace slid enough money across the bar to make remembering worthwhile. The bartender pocketed both. “When?” “Tonight.” “That it?” “That’s it.” Ace left. Outside, Mai fell into step beside her. “You really wrote ‘Prove it.’” Ace smiled. “I did.” “Subtle.” “He’s a horny soul-eating demon, Mai. I’m not writing poetry.” Mai’s mouth twitched. “Room eleven.” “He still has to open the note.” Mai shook her head. “He’s going to come.” Ace’s smile widened. “I know.” --- At 22:41, the bartender called the disposable number Kiro had reluctantly allowed Ace to leave. “He took it.” Ace sat on the hotel bed. Mai was in the adjacent room with the others. Ace looked toward the wall. “Did he say anything?” “No.” “Definitely him?” A pause. “Lady, I watched a piece of paper float off the counter.” Ace blinked. “Oh.” “Then everybody around it acted like there was some guy standing there.” Ace smiled. “Definitely him.” She ended the call. Pressed the comm. “He has the invitation.” Kiro answered: “That bartender is going to drink for free on this story for years.” Reyes: “Nobody will believe him.” Shammy: “Some will.” Mai said only: “Ready?” Ace looked around the room. Different hotel again. Different geometry. Same principles. Her blades were not with her. That had taken discussion. They were next door with Mai. Ace had a concealed pistol within reach and an emergency trigger. She hated guns. But a katana was difficult to keep available during the specific activity under consideration without creating entirely different safety problems. Ace breathed out. “Yes.” Mai: “Say it properly.” Ace smiled. “Yes. I want this.” A pause. Then Mai: “Good.” The comm went passive. Ace waited. --- Shadow arrived at 23:07. The hallway camera did not see him. It saw a couple approaching the elevator move apart to let nobody pass between them. It saw a room-service cart stop abruptly. It saw the carpet depress. Then somebody knocked. Ace stared at the door. She smiled despite herself. Of course he knocked. She opened it. Konrad stood outside. Ace’s smile vanished. Not from fear. Annoyance. “Oh, fuck me.” Shadow smiled. “That was the invitation.” Ace stared at him. Then laughed. Actually laughed. “Okay. One point.” Shadow entered. Ace closed the door. He looked around. “Alone?” “Currently.” “You don’t trust me.” “No.” “And yet you invited me.” “Yes.” “Reyes.” “Yes.” “Kiro.” “Yes.” Shadow smiled. “And now you.” Ace leaned against the door. “Apparently.” He looked her over. Not dismissively. Not exactly. But Ace knew that look. Small. Light. Easy to underestimate. She had built half her combat life around people making that mistake. Shadow approached. Ace did not move. “You wanted me the first time.” “Yes.” “Before Reyes.” “Yes.” “Kiro says you all compare notes.” “Yes.” Shadow stopped in front of her. “Did they convince you?” Ace smiled. “No.” That surprised him. “They made me curious.” “Difference?” “Big one.” Ace reached up. Caught the front of the burgundy coat. Pulled. Shadow bent with the motion. Ace stopped with his face close to hers. “My choice.” “Yes.” “My pace.” A pause. Then: “Yes.” “If I stop—” “We stop.” Ace smiled faintly. “Good. You can learn.” She kissed him. --- Next door, Reyes looked at the pressure display. Then at Kiro. “She went straight for it.” Kiro smiled. “Have you met Ace?” Mai stood nearest the wall. Shammy watched her rather than the sensors. Mai noticed. “What?” “Nothing.” Mai looked at her. Shammy smiled. Mai sighed. “Everyone has learned that word.” “Yes.” On the display, Shadow’s estimated position shifted immediately toward Ace. Reyes folded her arms. “There.” Kiro nodded. “Same.” Mai looked at the pattern. Not enough yet. They knew attraction. They knew fixation. Ace was testing something else. Whether Shadow’s confidence changed because of who Ace was. --- Ace broke the kiss first. Shadow followed. She stepped aside. He followed again. Ace smiled. Reyes had described it. Kiro had described it. Neither description quite captured the sensation of having something that dangerous reorganize its entire attention around you. Ace crossed the room. Shadow turned with her. She climbed onto the bed. Not seductively. Practically. Then sat cross-legged near the center. Shadow stared. Ace raised an eyebrow. “What?” “You’re unusual.” “You look like Konrad.” “Yes.” “Your standards for unusual are fucked.” Shadow smiled. Ace pointed at the edge of the bed. “Sit.” He did. Ace blinked. Interesting. She moved closer on her knees. Shadow looked up at her. That did not happen often. Even seated, he was not much lower. Ace put both hands on his shoulders. “You know I helped cut you open.” “Yes.” “And you still came.” “Yes.” “Why?” “You wanted me.” Same answer Kiro had gotten. Ace smiled. “You really think that’s enough.” “It was.” Ace considered. “Fair.” She kissed him again. This time she let it last. Let curiosity become desire without pretending there was a clean border between them. Shadow’s hands settled against her. Ace redirected one. He accepted the correction immediately. Good. She shifted closer. His attention tightened. Good. Then Ace deliberately glanced toward the window. Nothing. Shadow did not follow. She looked toward the door. Nothing. Ace smiled against his mouth. Oh, you idiot. Useful idiot. She pulled back. Shadow immediately tried to close the distance. Ace put one finger against his lips. “Wait.” He stopped. But she saw the frustration. There. Impatience. Ace waited longer than necessary. Shadow’s focus became almost painful. Entirely on her. Ace smiled. “You hate waiting.” “Yes.” “Good.” She kissed him again. Reward. Shadow forgot the room. --- Next door, Kiro pointed. “She’s modulating it.” Reyes nodded. “Of course she is.” Mai watched the movement. Ace would pull away. Shadow would follow. Ace would stop. Shadow would stop. Ace would re-engage. Each time the response became faster. Shammy looked at Mai. “He underestimates her.” Mai nodded. “How can you tell?” Reyes asked. Mai pointed at the pattern. “He keeps giving her control of distance because he assumes he can take it back.” Kiro stared. Then saw it. “Fuck.” Reyes smiled. “Ace.” Mai’s expression remained serious. “Yes.” --- Ace saw it too. Shadow was stronger. Bigger. Dangerous enough that if this changed into violence, the room would become very small very quickly. And he knew it. That was the weakness inside the weakness. Not merely desire. Confidence. He believed allowing Ace control cost him nothing. Ace knew exactly how expensive that assumption could become. She moved closer. Slowly this time. No testing for several seconds. No tactical thought. Just her hands against him, his attention on her, and the increasingly inconvenient discovery that Reyes and Kiro had not exaggerated. Ace drew back enough to look at him. “Oh, fuck.” Shadow smiled. “Again?” Ace narrowed her eyes. “Do all of you become smug?” “All of us?” “Men.” Shadow laughed. Ace froze. Then laughed too. “Okay. Fair. Unknown.” She pushed the coat from his shoulders. He let it fall. Konrad remained. Ace stared. “This is going to be a problem.” “My face?” “His face.” “Would you prefer another?” There it was again. The same question Kiro had reported. Ace’s attention sharpened. “Can you change it?” Shadow smiled. “Would you like me to?” Ace studied him. Then shook her head. “No.” “Why?” “Because I’m not opening a second experiment in the middle of the first.” Shadow looked genuinely amused. “Kiro said something similar.” Ace stared. “You talked about experimental methodology during sex?” “Before.” Ace considered. “Yeah. That sounds like Kiro.” Her fingers touched the edge of his sunglasses. Then stopped. Shadow watched her. “No?” “Second experiment.” His smile sharpened. Ace shook her head. “One at a time.” She left the sunglasses exactly where they were and touched his face instead. “Wrong asshole.” Shadow laughed. “Still.” Ace kissed him. --- The transition was not accidental. Ace made it deliberately slow. Not because she was uncertain. Because she wanted to feel where Shadow stopped tracking anything except her. She guided him back. Changed position. Paused. Let him wait. Every time he might have taken control, he waited for the permission she had demanded. Ace noticed. Filed it. Then stopped filing for a moment because she wanted this to belong partly to her rather than entirely to the operation. She moved closer. Shadow followed. Ace dealt with the remaining clothing in quick, efficient movements, then made him wait one extra beat simply because she could. Ace held his gaze. “Still yes?” Shadow smiled. “Yes.” Ace shook her head. “Mine.” He understood. “Is it still yes?” Ace smiled. “Yes.” She drew him with her. Then the experiment became sex, mutual and unmistakable. Ace’s breath caught at the first change. Her fingers tightened against his shoulders. She went still for one beat. Not fear. Adjustment. Pleasure arriving quickly enough to interrupt thought. Shadow watched her. Too closely. Ace exhaled. “Oh.” His attention narrowed. There. Ace saw it happen from inches away. Everything else ceased to matter. She smiled. Then moved again. Shadow’s focus collapsed completely onto her. Ace closed her eyes. For several seconds she stopped being an investigator. That was allowed. More than allowed. Necessary, perhaps, if Reyes was right. And Reyes was very fucking right. Ace pulled him closer. Her breath changed. The room became less important to her too. Not gone. Never gone. But distant enough that she finally understood the danger of the weakness from both directions. Pleasure made people stupid. Shadow was simply spectacularly gifted at it. --- Mai watched the sensors. Ace had stopped testing. Reyes saw it too. “She’s enjoying herself.” Mai nodded. Kiro looked toward her. “You okay?” Mai glanced at her. “Yes.” Simple. True. Kiro nodded. Shammy moved closer to Mai anyway. Shoulder against hers. Mai accepted it. On the display, Shadow had not reacted to the hallway for almost three minutes. Kiro quietly said: “Full collapse.” Mai looked. “Yes.” Reyes: “Same as us.” “No.” Everyone looked at Mai. She pointed. “Worse.” Kiro checked the pattern. Then: “Oh.” Shadow’s estimated movement had become almost entirely reactive to Ace. Ace shifted. He shifted. Ace paused. He paused. Ace drew him somewhere. He followed. Reyes smiled slowly. “He really does underestimate her.” Mai nodded. “And he has no idea.” --- Ace discovered the difference at the height of it. Shadow was not merely focused on her pleasure. He was fascinated by it. Every change in her breath pulled more of his attention inward. Every involuntary reaction made him forget more. Ace tested it once. Only once. She deliberately looked past his shoulder toward the door. Nothing. Then let herself stop holding back. The next reaction came naturally. Sharp breath. Eyes closing. Her body drawing him closer. Shadow lost everything else. Ace knew. Could feel it in the way his attention stopped having edges. She let the pleasure build without interrupting it for analysis again. When release finally reached her, it broke through the last of her deliberate composure. Ace held him close. Breathing unevenly. Eyes shut. For a few seconds neither moved. Stillness. Heat. His forehead against hers. Ace opened her eyes. Wrong eyes. Wrong face. Strangely gentle expression. She started laughing. Shadow stared. “What?” Ace shook her head. “This is so fucking stupid.” “What is?” “Our investigation.” He smiled. Ace laughed again. Then remained close. No rush to separate. No tactical reason to ruin the stillness immediately. Eventually her breathing settled. Shadow’s attention did not. There. Recovery lag. Ace touched his cheek. “You’re still not thinking about the door.” Shadow glanced toward it. Only because she had mentioned it. Ace smiled. “Fuck.” “What?” “They were right.” “About?” “You.” Shadow’s smile returned. Ace narrowed her eyes. “Do not make me regret saying that.” “You enjoyed yourself.” “Yes.” No shame. No reason for any. “A lot.” His smile widened. Ace pointed at him. “Careful.” He laughed. Ace shifted away. Slowly. Shadow let her. His attention followed. She reached for her clothes. Only then did the room begin returning to him. Ace watched it happen. Window. Door. Distances. Same as Reyes. Same as Kiro. But slower than it should have been. Ace dressed. Shadow watched. “Will you come back?” Ace paused. Interesting. Reyes. Kiro. Now her. Was that simple appetite? Or did he collect people the way he collected— No. Too little data. Ace looked at him. “Maybe.” Shadow smiled. “Kiro said that.” Ace froze. Then stared. “You are comparing notes too?” “In a way.” Ace burst out laughing. “Oh, fuck you.” “You already did.” Ace stopped. Shadow smiled. Ace pointed at him. “That was terrible.” “You laughed.” “I did not.” “You are laughing now.” Ace realized she was. “Fuck.” She finished dressing. Then looked at him. The humor faded. “Seven people.” Shadow became still. Ace continued. “Seven we know about.” No answer. “What did you take?” Shadow smiled faintly. The predator returned. Not instantly. But enough. Ace felt the room change. “What they no longer needed.” Ace’s expression went flat. “That’s not an answer.” “It is mine.” Ace stared at him. There he was. Not Konrad. Not lover. Not an entertaining tactical problem. The thing from the morgue. The thing that left bodies empty. The sunglasses were still there. So was Konrad’s face. Wrong as ever. Ace went to the door. Behind her: “You’ll come back.” Ace stopped. Looked over her shoulder. “No.” Shadow tilted his head. Ace smiled without warmth. “Maybe means maybe.” Then she left. --- The adjacent door opened before Ace reached it. Reyes stood there. Kiro behind her. Shammy beside Mai. Mai looked at Ace. Ace looked back. Nobody spoke for a second. Then Ace walked directly to Mai. Mai opened her arms. Ace stepped into them. Simple. Familiar. Home. Mai kissed the top of her head. “You okay?” “Yes.” “Limits?” “Respected.” “Danger?” “Still very real.” Mai nodded. Ace stayed there another moment. Then turned within Mai’s arms to face Reyes and Kiro. Both were smiling. Ace pointed at them. “Not. One. Fucking. Word.” Reyes’ smile widened. Kiro looked innocent. Ace stared. They stared back. Ace lasted three seconds. “Fine.” Reyes laughed. Kiro folded her arms. Ace sighed. “You were right.” Reyes: “About?” Ace glared. Reyes smiled. Ace looked at Kiro. Kiro smiled too. Ace sighed harder. “Both of you.” Kiro: “Operationally?” Ace pointed. “I hate you.” Reyes laughed. Shammy smiled. Mai’s arms remained around Ace. Ace finally admitted: “He’s damn good in bed.” Reyes slapped Kiro’s shoulder. Kiro shouted: “YES.” Ace buried her face against Mai. “This is humiliating.” Mai stroked her hair. “No, it isn’t.” Ace’s muffled voice: “It should be.” “No.” Ace looked up. Mai smiled. Ace sighed. “Fine.” Reyes looked toward the closed hotel-room door. “Same weakness?” Ace’s expression changed immediately. Back to work. “Yes.” “Attention?” “Collapsed.” “Threat tracking?” “Almost nonexistent once he was fully engaged.” “Recovery?” “Slow.” Kiro asked: “Partner response?” Ace nodded. “Big factor. Genuine pleasure makes it worse.” Mai looked at her. “And underestimation?” Ace smiled. “There.” Reyes leaned closer. “How bad?” “He gave me control of distance almost automatically.” Kiro understood. “Because you’re small.” “One-forty-five,” Ace said. “He treats that like permission to underestimate me.” Ace’s smile sharpened. “He thinks being stronger means he can afford to let me control the situation.” Mai: “Can we use that?” Ace thought. “Yes.” Silence. Then Ace turned in Mai’s arms. Looked up at her. Mai saw the answer before Ace spoke. “No.” Reyes frowned. “No what?” Mai kept looking at Ace. Ace smiled faintly. “The final bait can’t be me.” Kiro: “Why?” Ace answered. “Because he knows me now.” Reyes: “He knows all three of us.” “Yes.” Ace looked at Mai. “But there’s one person he’s already shown interest in who hasn’t offered him anything.” The room went quiet. Shammy looked at Mai. Kiro followed. Reyes’ expression slowly changed. Mai remained still. Ace continued. “At the service level, he looked at you.” Mai nodded. “Yes.” “Kabuki too.” “Yes.” “He knows you’ve watched Reyes.” “Yes.” “He knows you were involved with Kiro.” “Probably.” “And now he knows I chose him too.” Mai understood. Not jealousy. Not competition. Escalation. Shadow had been given three successful experiences with women from the same group. Three demonstrations that his appetite could override caution without immediate consequence. Three reasons to become even more confident about the fourth. Reyes whispered: “Oh.” Kiro smiled slowly. “That’s fucking nasty.” Ace nodded. “Yes.” Shammy looked at Mai. “He will expect you eventually.” Mai considered. Then: “Yes.” Ace’s humor vanished. “And that’s why it works.” Mai looked down at her. “Thirty seconds?” Ace shook her head. “Maybe less.” Reyes’ expression became serious. “If I have the angle.” Kiro: “I can build the approach.” Shammy: “I can contain him if he notices.” Ace looked at Mai. “You keep his attention.” Mai nodded once. “And Reyes kills him.” Reyes smiled. Not playful now. Cold. “Yes.” Ace exhaled. There it was. The ridiculous part was over. Almost. Now they had to turn it into murder. Mai looked around the group. “Safehouse.” Ace raised an eyebrow. “Now?” “We plan before anyone gets clever.” Everyone looked at Ace. Ace stared. “Why the fuck are you looking at me?” Reyes opened the hallway door. “No reason.” Kiro followed. “Statistical tendency.” Shammy smiled. Ace looked up at Mai. “You defend me.” Mai kissed her forehead. “No.” Ace sighed. “Failed relationship.” Mai smiled. “We’re not married.” Ace pointed. “There it is again.” They headed for the elevator. Behind them, the hotel room remained closed. Shadow did not follow. He had gotten what he wanted. And, without realizing it, had given them everything they needed to kill him. --- ## Chapter 14 — Kill Plan The safehouse table had hosted worse plans. Ace could not immediately remember one. Kiro had taken the far end and filled the main screen with a floor plan. Reyes sat beside her with her pistol disassembled on a cloth. Shammy occupied the couch. Mai stood at the table. Ace sat on it. Mai looked at her. Ace looked back. “No.” “You have a chair.” “I prefer this.” “You’re sitting on the escape route.” Ace looked down. Then behind herself. “Oh.” She moved thirty centimeters. Mai waited. Ace sighed and climbed off the table. “Authoritarian.” “Yes.” Ace took the chair beside her. Kiro enlarged the floor plan. “First problem.” Reyes looked up from the pistol. “He survived us.” “Yes.” The humor disappeared. Kiro brought up the service-level reconstruction. No image of Shadow. Only five people fighting empty space. Environmental damage. Blood. Movement. The physical consequences of something every sensor insisted had never existed. Kiro froze the recording. “We had surprise for part of this.” Mai shook her head. “Not enough.” “We had five attackers.” “Not simultaneously.” Reyes nodded. “He broke our rhythm.” Ace looked at the screen. “He was faster than expected.” Shammy said: “And strong.” Ace glanced toward her. Shammy rarely sounded impressed by strength. That mattered. Kiro continued. “He was injured.” “Badly?” Reyes asked. Ace thought back. “My cuts landed.” “Mine too,” Mai said. Reyes: “I hit him.” Shammy: “I hit him.” Kiro looked around. “And he left.” Silence. Ace leaned back. “So we don’t do that again.” “No,” Mai said. Reyes began reassembling the pistol. “What changes?” Ace answered: “We don't fight him.” Reyes looked at her. Ace smiled faintly. “We execute him.” That got everyone’s attention. Mai nodded once. “Yes.” Kiro changed the screen. “Then we need one clean window.” “Reyes,” Mai said. Reyes clicked the slide into place. “Yes.” “Head.” “Yes.” “Why head?” Shammy asked. Reyes looked toward her. “Because center mass already failed.” Kiro nodded. “And because we know damaging him matters. We don’t know which systems matter.” Ace: “So remove the thinking end.” Reyes smiled. “That’s the idea.” Mai looked at her. “One shot?” “If I have the angle.” “And if one isn’t enough?” Reyes picked up a second magazine. “It won’t stay one.” Ace smiled. There was something deeply reassuring about Reyes when the solution became bullets. --- Kiro switched to the next problem. “Shadow cannot know Reyes is there.” Ace frowned. “He knows we work together.” “Yes.” “He probably assumes we’ll have backup.” “Yes.” “So?” Kiro looked at Reyes. “He cannot know where.” Reyes nodded. “If he sees me before the shot, window closes.” Mai studied the floor plan. “Then no adjacent-room setup.” “No.” Ace looked at Kiro. “Why?” “Too obvious now.” Reyes answered instead. “He knows how we operate.” Kiro nodded. “Three hotel meetings. Support close enough to intervene. If we repeat that geometry, we’re assuming libido erased his memory.” Shammy: “It doesn’t.” “No.” Mai looked at the screen. “So change the environment.” Kiro smiled. “Yes.” She replaced the hotel plan. A new layout appeared. Industrial. Large central room. Two elevated maintenance corridors. Multiple access points. Ace recognized it. “Warehouse.” “Unused distribution facility in Arroyo.” Reyes leaned closer. “Sight lines?” “Excellent.” “Distance?” “Twenty-eight meters from this maintenance position to the primary bait area.” Reyes studied it. “Too far.” Kiro blinked. Ace looked at Reyes. “Really?” “If he moves unexpectedly, yes.” Kiro adjusted. “Seventeen from here.” Reyes studied the second position. “Better.” Mai pointed. “Can Shadow see it?” “Not from the bait position.” “If he moves?” “Yes.” Ace: “So he doesn’t move.” Everyone looked at her. Ace shrugged. “That’s Mai’s job.” Mai raised one eyebrow. Ace smiled sweetly. “Love you.” “We’re not married.” “That joke doesn’t work there.” “It worked for me.” Reyes snorted. --- Kiro highlighted three entrances. “He needs to come through this one.” Mai looked. “Can we control that?” “Probably.” Ace grimaced. “I hate probably.” “So do I.” Kiro highlighted the others. “These remain physically accessible, but we make them unattractive.” “Locked?” Reyes asked. “No. Too obvious.” Shammy leaned forward. “Light.” Kiro looked at her. Shammy pointed toward the primary entrance. “Dark outside. Warm light here.” Ace understood. “Make the place look occupied.” Mai nodded. “And the others abandoned.” Kiro smiled. “Easy.” Reyes looked at Shammy. “Nice.” Shammy smiled. “Possibly.” Ace groaned. “Stop making that adorable.” Shammy looked innocent. --- Mai studied the central space. “How do we get him there?” Silence. Then everyone looked at her. Mai looked back. Ace smiled. Mai ignored her. “We still need contact.” Kiro nodded. “I don’t want another nightlife message.” “Agreed.” “Hotel is worse.” “Agreed.” Reyes looked at Ace. “Paper?” Ace brightened. Kiro immediately said: “No.” Ace’s shoulders dropped. “You hate joy.” “I hate operational repetition.” Mai considered. “He asked all three whether they would return.” Reyes nodded. “Kiro?” “Yes.” Ace: “Yes.” Kiro looked at Mai. “So?” “He expects continuity.” Ace slowly smiled. Mai continued. “We don’t need to pretend this is another isolated encounter.” Kiro understood first. “We invite him to meet the group.” “No.” Mai pointed at the warehouse. “We invite him to meet me.” Ace looked at her. “Directly.” “Yes.” “How?” Mai thought. “The bar.” Kiro frowned. “Again?” “Not as a message drop.” Mai looked at Kiro. “I go there.” Ace immediately said: “No.” The room stopped. Mai looked at her. Ace knew exactly how that sounded. She corrected. “Not alone.” Mai’s expression softened. “No.” Ace leaned forward. “We’re close.” “Yes.” “Not visible?” “Yes.” Ace nodded. “Okay.” Reyes watched the exchange. Said nothing. Kiro looked at the map. “If Shadow appears, Mai talks to him there.” “And if he doesn’t?” Shammy asked. Mai answered: “Then I leave.” Kiro nodded. “No message.” “No.” Ace understood. “You make him come to you.” “Yes.” “And if he doesn’t?” “Then the plan waits.” Good. No forcing the mechanism. No magical invitation system. Shadow still had agency. So did they. --- Reyes finished assembling the pistol. “Now the important part.” Ace looked at her. “You mean the shooting?” “No.” Reyes looked at Mai. “How long?” Mai knew what she meant. “So far, attention degradation begins before sex.” “Yes.” “Kissing is enough to start it.” “Yes.” “Sustained physical engagement makes it worse.” Kiro nodded. “Intercourse produced the strongest observed collapse.” Mai’s expression remained neutral. Ace knew her too well to mistake neutral for uncertain. Mai was calculating. “How long from first contact to full collapse?” Kiro looked at Reyes. “Varied.” Reyes nodded. “With me, relatively fast.” “Kiro?” “Slower deliberately.” Ace raised one hand. “Mine was somewhere between.” Kiro checked her notes. “Then we shouldn’t plan around time.” Mai nodded. “Behavior.” “Yes.” Kiro highlighted a small indicator beside Reyes’ position. “Mai gives the signal.” Reyes shook her head. “No.” Kiro frowned. “Why?” “If Mai signals, Shadow can notice.” Ace nodded. “Especially if he’s focused on her.” Reyes pointed at the map. “I decide.” Mai looked at her. “Based on what?” “His attention.” “You won’t see his face from there.” “I don’t need his face.” Reyes pointed toward the central position. “I need his body position.” Kiro nodded slowly. “Mai keeps him oriented.” “Yes.” “Back or side toward you.” “Yes.” “No sudden change.” “Yes.” Mai looked at Reyes. “And if I think he’s not distracted enough?” “You don’t give me the angle.” Simple. Ace liked it. No comm signal. No code word. No theatrical countdown. Mai controlled Shadow. Reyes read Mai. The shot happened when both pieces aligned. Trust. Not technology. Again. --- Shammy stood and came to the table. “My position?” Kiro highlighted the nearest ground-level access. “Here.” “Too close.” Ace looked at her. “You think?” “Yes.” Shammy pointed farther back. “If he notices me, he may remember the first fight.” Mai nodded. “Good.” Kiro moved her. “Containment?” “Yes.” “If he survives the shot?” Shammy’s expression changed. Just slightly. “Then he doesn’t leave.” Ace looked at her. No joke. No uncertainty. Reyes nodded. “Good.” Kiro looked at Ace. “You’re here.” Ace frowned. “Why am I behind Mai?” “Because if he survives and turns on her, you’re fastest.” Ace stopped. Then nodded. “Yes.” “Blades?” “Yes.” Mai looked at her. “No pistol?” Ace looked offended. “Absolutely not.” Reyes smiled. “Cultural?” “Exactly.” --- The plan looked almost insultingly simple when Kiro finished. Mai enters. Shadow follows. Mai keeps him interested. Reyes remains unseen. Ace protects Mai if the plan breaks. Shammy blocks escape. Kiro controls environment and tracks indirect movement. Reyes shoots. Ace stared at it. “That’s it?” Mai nodded. “That’s it.” “We usually have more arrows.” Kiro looked at the screen. “I can add arrows.” “No.” Ace leaned closer. “Maybe one.” Mai: “Ace.” “Fine.” Reyes stood. “The fewer moving parts, the better.” Ace looked at her. “You really think one headshot does it?” Reyes met her eyes. “No.” That silenced everyone. Reyes continued. “I think one headshot gives me the opportunity to make sure.” Ace smiled. “There she is.” --- Then came the part nobody had written on the screen. Mai sat down. Ace looked at her. Reyes looked away first. Kiro suddenly became very interested in checking equipment. Shammy stayed where she was. Mai folded her hands. “How far do I take it?” No jokes. Ace answered first. “As far as you choose.” Mai nodded. “I know.” Reyes looked back. “The strongest effect was during sex.” “Yes.” Kiro said: “But we don’t know that it’s required.” “No.” Ace watched Mai. Mai looked at the floor plan. “If I can give Reyes the shot before that, she takes it.” Reyes nodded. “Yes.” “If I can’t?” Silence. Ace reached for Mai’s hand. Mai gave it. Ace said: “Then you decide.” Mai looked at her. Ace squeezed gently. “Not the plan. You.” Mai held her gaze. Then nodded. “Yes.” Shammy spoke quietly. “And if you choose to continue, we stay with you.” Mai looked toward her. “I know.” Kiro turned from the equipment. “So do I.” Reyes nodded. “Same.” Mai smiled faintly. “Good.” Ace leaned back. “Also, for the record—” Mai looked at her. Ace smiled. “Reyes and Kiro say he’s damn good.” Reyes closed her eyes. Kiro groaned. Shammy laughed. Mai stared at Ace. Ace held her expression for perhaps two seconds. Then cracked. “Sorry.” “No, you aren’t.” “No.” Mai shook her head. The tension broke. Just enough. Good. --- Kiro ran the plan twice. The first time Shadow entered from the wrong direction. They adjusted. The second time Reyes’ angle crossed too close to Mai. They adjusted again. The third simulation worked. Ace looked at the screen. “No fourth.” Kiro frowned. “Why?” “Because we’ll start optimizing for a simulation instead of him.” Mai nodded. “She’s right.” Kiro looked wounded. Ace smiled. “Record that.” “No.” “Timestamp it.” “No.” “Historic event.” “Ace.” Reyes laughed. Kiro shut down the simulation. --- Later, after weapons checks and route planning, the safehouse settled. Reyes took her pistol back to her room. Kiro stayed with the equipment. Shammy disappeared toward the kitchen. Ace found Mai by the window. For a while they stood without speaking. Then Ace leaned against her. Mai put an arm around her. “You’re okay with this,” Mai said. Not a question. Ace nodded. “Yes.” Mai looked down. “Really.” Ace looked up. “Really.” Mai studied her. Ace smiled faintly. “I was inside it.” “I know.” “I know what you’re choosing.” “Yes.” “And I know why.” Mai touched Ace’s cheek. Ace leaned into the hand. “This isn't you doing something for me,” Ace said. “No.” “Or for Reyes.” “No.” “Or because the plan says you have to.” “No.” Ace nodded. “Good.” Mai smiled. “You’re checking.” “Yes.” “Mom.” Ace’s mouth fell open. Mai walked away. Ace stared after her. “YOU BITCH.” From the kitchen, Shammy burst out laughing. Mai did not turn around. Ace followed. “You waited all fucking night for that.” “Yes.” “I love you.” “I know.” “Still a bitch.” “Yes.” --- The following evening, Mai dressed for the bar. Nothing theatrical. Nothing that announced bait. Just Mai. Ace watched from the bedroom doorway. Mai checked her jacket. Then looked at her. “Too much?” Ace shook her head. “No.” “Too little?” “No.” Mai smiled. “Useful.” Ace crossed the room. Stopped in front of her. Then kissed her. Not long. Not goodbye. Just theirs. When Ace stepped back, Mai touched her forehead to Ace’s for one second. “Ready?” Ace nodded. “Yes.” Mai: “Say it properly.” Ace smiled. “I trust you.” Mai’s expression softened. “I know.” They headed for the armored door. Reyes was already armed. Kiro had the routes live. Shammy waited by the door. Nobody joked. Not now. Ace looked around at them. Five women. One impossible predator. One absurd weakness. One simple plan. Ace exhaled. “This is still fucking ridiculous.” Reyes checked her magazine. “Yes.” Kiro picked up her bag. “Completely.” Shammy opened the door. “Probably.” Mai looked at Ace. Ace smiled. “But it’ll work.” Mai stepped through the doorway. “Possibly.” Ace stared. Shammy laughed. Reyes nearly walked into the wall. Kiro made a strangled noise. Mai kept walking. Ace ran after her. “OH, FUCK YOU.” And the Extended Triad went hunting. --- ## Chapter 15 — Bait Mai went into the bar alone. Not alone alone. Ace hated that distinction. She sat two buildings away in a parked car with Shammy. Kiro occupied another vehicle across the block with enough passive observation gear to make the dashboard look diseased. Reyes was farther back. Invisible by intention. The bar itself looked exactly as it had when Kiro used it. Same low light. Same indifferent music. Same bartender. Same collection of people pretending not to watch one another. Mai walked in. The bartender recognized her immediately. Not her name. The association. One of them. He looked past her toward the door. Mai sat. “One drink.” He poured. Then: “Looking for your friend?” Mai looked at him. “Which one?” He smiled. “Fair.” Mai took the glass. “No message tonight.” “Okay.” “If he comes, he comes.” The bartender nodded. No curiosity. Good. Or at least professionally hidden curiosity. Mai took a drink. Waited. --- Ace checked the time. Then checked it again. Shammy looked at her. Ace immediately stopped. “What?” “Nothing.” “You were looking.” “Yes.” “At me.” “Yes.” Ace narrowed her eyes. Shammy smiled. Ace leaned back. “I’m calm.” “Yes.” “You don’t believe me.” “I do.” “That sounded worse.” Shammy rested one hand over Ace’s knee. Ace exhaled. “Fine.” Ten seconds later she checked the time again. Shammy said nothing. Ace muttered: “Fuck you.” Shammy smiled. --- Twenty-one minutes. Nothing. Thirty-four. Nothing. Kiro spoke quietly over comms. “Same indirect pattern as last time is not present.” Ace looked toward the bar entrance from half a block away. “Meaning?” “Nobody avoiding empty space. No weird door movement. No unexplained weight events.” Shammy: “He isn’t there.” “Not yet.” Mai’s voice came through. Calm. “I’m staying.” Ace closed her eyes. Of course she was. --- Forty-six minutes. A man at the bar looked toward the entrance. Then smiled. Then moved his stool slightly. Kiro’s voice changed. “Possible.” Ace sat forward. The front door opened. Nobody entered on camera. A woman near the entrance stepped aside. The bartender looked toward empty space. Then toward Mai. Kiro: “Confirmed.” Ace’s heartbeat kicked once. Hard. Shammy’s hand remained on her knee. Mai did not turn immediately. Good. Do not chase. Do not reward too fast. Let him come. The stool beside her moved. Konrad sat down. At least to Mai. The security camera showed empty space. Mai looked at him. Then took another drink. “You took your time.” Shadow smiled. “You waited.” “Yes.” “You could have invited me.” “I could have.” “But you didn’t.” “No.” Shadow watched her. Mai looked back. “I wanted to see if you’d come without being asked.” His smile deepened. “And?” “You did.” --- Kiro whispered: “He’s already focused.” Ace looked at the external feed. “From what?” “Her.” Reyes’ voice came through from farther away. “Good.” Mai said nothing over comms. She did not need to. --- Shadow leaned slightly closer. “You watched.” “Yes.” “Reyes.” “Yes.” “Kiro.” “Yes.” “Ace.” Mai met his eyes. “Yes.” “And now?” Mai took a slow drink. “Now I’m deciding.” Shadow smiled. “You already decided.” Mai’s expression barely changed. “That confidence is going to get you killed one day.” A pause. Then Shadow laughed. Not offended. Interested. Mai looked at him. “See?” “What?” “You like being warned.” “I like certainty.” “You don’t have any.” “I have enough.” Mai smiled. “No.” She finished the drink. Set the glass down. Shadow watched her hand. Good. Attention on movement. Not the room. Not exits. Not people. Her. Mai stood. Shadow did not. She looked down at him. “Coming?” He smiled. “Yes.” Mai walked toward the door. Shadow followed. The camera showed Mai leaving alone. Two people outside moved around someone who did not exist. Ace watched. “Hooked.” Kiro answered: “Not yet.” Mai’s voice came through, quiet and controlled. “No. Not yet.” --- Mai did not go directly to the warehouse. That had been Kiro’s strongest recommendation. Shadow knew where Kiro had taken him. He knew where Ace had taken him. He knew what hotel corridors looked like. A direct line from bar to isolated industrial building was too clean. Too much like a trap. So Mai walked. Not far. Enough. A late-night market. A narrow street. A pedestrian bridge. Places with people. Places where Shadow’s absence could be tracked indirectly through how people moved around him. Ace and Shammy shadowed one block behind. Kiro kept cross streets. Reyes remained nowhere Shadow should plausibly notice. Mai never looked back. Shadow stayed with her. At the market, Mai stopped at a food stall. Shadow stopped. She ordered something small. Ate half. Offered him the rest. He took it. Ace stared through binoculars. “He eats?” Shammy looked at her. “Apparently.” Ace lowered the binoculars. “This case keeps getting stupider.” Kiro whispered: “Do not log dietary behavior unless relevant.” Ace: “I was absolutely going to.” “Please don’t.” --- Mai continued. Shadow beside her. “You’re making this complicated,” he said. Mai looked ahead. “No.” “You could have taken me somewhere already.” “I could have.” “Then why not?” Mai glanced at him. “Impatient.” “Yes.” “Good.” Shadow smiled. “You learned from them.” Mai shook her head. “No.” That caught him. “I learned about you from them.” Difference. Important difference. Shadow watched her more closely. Mai continued walking. “You think because Reyes wanted you, Kiro wanted you, and Ace wanted you, I eventually will too.” Shadow smiled. “Yes.” Mai looked at him. “And if I don’t?” “You do.” Mai laughed softly. “See?” “What?” “That.” “Confidence.” “Arrogance.” “Difference?” Mai stopped under the pedestrian bridge. Turned toward him. “Yes.” Shadow stopped. Mai stepped closer. Not touching. Not yet. “You think this has already happened.” Shadow looked down at her. “It has.” Mai held his gaze. “Then prove it.” Ace closed her eyes in the car. “Oh, fuck.” Shammy smiled. Kiro whispered: “She used Ace’s line.” Reyes: “Effective.” Ace opened her eyes. “Traitors.” --- Shadow reached for Mai. Mai caught his wrist. Stopped him. Not rejection. Control. Shadow went still. Mai looked at his hand. Then at him. “No.” He waited. Good. Mai released him. Then touched the front of the burgundy coat herself. “Now.” Shadow leaned down. Mai kissed him. Brief. Nothing more. Then stepped away. Shadow followed automatically. Mai smiled. There. Not full collapse. Not even close. But enough. He wanted continuation. Good. Mai turned and kept walking. Shadow followed. --- Kiro watched their movement. “He accelerated.” Ace looked at her comm display. “What?” “After the kiss. His following distance decreased.” Reyes: “Same pattern.” Mai heard. Said nothing. Shammy looked at Ace. Ace smiled despite herself. “He has no idea.” “No.” --- The warehouse was nine minutes away. Mai took twelve. One wrong turn deliberately. One stop. One moment where she leaned against a railing and made Shadow wait. Each delay increased impatience. Not aggression. Not yet. Desire. Attention. Confidence. By the time they reached Arroyo, Shadow had stopped asking where they were going. That mattered. Mai noticed. Ace did too. Kiro definitely did. Reyes said quietly: “He trusts the outcome.” Mai answered for the first time in several minutes. “Yes.” Ace’s mouth tightened. That was the point. Not that Shadow trusted Mai. That would have been impossible. He trusted his own expectation. Three previous women had taught him the same lesson. Wanting worked. Waiting worked. Going with them worked. He believed the pattern continued. Good. Let him. --- The warehouse looked occupied without looking prepared. Kiro had done good work. Warm light inside. One obvious entrance. A vehicle parked badly near the loading bay. A small portable heater visible through a side window. Nothing tactical. Nothing pristine. Nothing that screamed ambush. Mai stopped outside. Shadow looked at the building. Finally. Awareness returning. Good. Not good. Expected. Mai watched his face. “What?” “Why here?” “Privacy.” “You used hotels before.” Mai smiled. “I’m not Reyes.” Shadow’s attention returned to her. Good. “And I’m not Kiro.” She stepped closer. “Or Ace.” Another small shift. His focus tightened. Mai touched his chest. “You wanted different.” Shadow smiled. “Yes.” “Then stop asking for the same.” That did it. He looked at the warehouse once more. Then at her. “Lead.” Mai turned. Walked inside. Shadow followed. --- Reyes already had position. Seventeen meters. Maintenance platform. Dark behind structural beams. No direct light. No movement. Pistol ready. Not aimed yet. Too early. Shammy was farther back than before. Near the secondary exit. Hidden. Ace positioned behind stacked industrial crates close enough to cross the distance fast. Kiro had no direct view of Shadow. She did not need one. Pressure sensors. Door contacts. Floor vibration. Human movement. All indirect. All enough. Mai entered the central space. Shadow came behind her. The main door closed. Not locked. Important. Never lock the predator in before he chose to stay. Mai kept walking. Stopped under warm light. Turned. Shadow looked around. Once. Reyes saw the movement. Awareness high. No shot. Ace remained still. Shammy breathed quietly. Kiro whispered: “Stable.” Mai took off her jacket. Slowly. Not theatrical. Shadow’s attention moved to her. Reyes saw it. Still no shot. Mai placed the jacket over a chair. Shadow came closer. “Still deciding?” Mai looked at him. “Yes.” Shadow smiled. “Liar.” Mai raised one eyebrow. Then stepped into him. Kissed him. Longer this time. Shadow’s hands settled at her waist. Mai allowed one. Redirected the other. He obeyed. Reyes watched. Shoulders opening. Stance narrowing. Attention moving inward. Not enough. Mai broke the kiss. Shadow followed. Mai stopped him with a palm against his chest. He froze. Reyes watched the frustration. Good. Mai smiled. “You really hate that.” “Yes.” “Good.” She moved away. Shadow followed. Again. Same pattern. Reyes’ finger rested beside the trigger. Not yet. --- Ace could see Mai. Only Mai. Shadow remained whatever her eyes insisted he was. Konrad. Always Konrad. Wrong. Ace hated it more now. The burgundy coat. The familiar posture worn badly. The face of a man who would never have behaved like this. Mai knew too. Ace could tell. But Mai gave nothing away. She moved through the space deliberately. Let Shadow follow. Let him believe pursuit meant control. Ace almost smiled. Poor bastard. --- Mai stopped near the central support column. Exactly where they needed him. Almost. She touched Shadow’s face. He leaned into it. Too focused. Reyes shifted aim fractionally. Still no shot. Shadow’s body orientation wrong. Mai changed angle. He followed. Reyes saw his side. Better. Still not enough. Mai kissed him again. His stance changed. Back partly toward Reyes. Ace saw it. Kiro saw it through pressure. Reyes definitely saw it. Nobody moved. Mai drew him closer. Then stopped. Shadow waited. Barely. “Mai.” First time he had used her name. Ace’s expression changed. Mai’s did not. “Yes?” “Enough.” Mai looked at him. “Enough what?” “Waiting.” Mai smiled. “Impatient.” “Yes.” “You know where that gets you.” Shadow laughed. Mai did not. She stepped in again. This time there was no brief test. No teasing kiss and withdrawal. She made the choice clear. Shadow responded immediately. His hands returned. Mai accepted them. Redirected once. Then held him close. Reyes watched his body soften into focus. No scanning. No glance toward exits. No check of the room. Good. Mai shifted. Shadow followed. Back more exposed. Reyes’ breathing slowed. Ace went completely still. Kiro whispered: “Loss increasing.” Shammy said nothing. Mai moved again. Shadow followed. Reyes now had most of the line. Not all. Not safe enough. Mai knew. She did not look toward Reyes. Could not. Instead she changed position through Shadow. Small movement. Natural. Nothing tactical on the surface. Everything tactical underneath. Shadow went with her. And gave Reyes the angle. Reyes’ pistol rose. Ace’s heartbeat stopped. Not yet. Still not enough. Mai needed him deeper. More committed. More blind. Reyes lowered the muzzle one centimeter. Wait. --- Shadow kissed Mai again. Mai let him. Longer. His attention collapsed another step. She could feel it now. The same thing Reyes described. Kiro. Ace. That impossible narrowing. He was still dangerous. Still strong. Still something that could turn this room into blood if awareness returned. But right now— he wanted her. And that want had become the center of his world. Mai moved toward the prepared area. Not marked. Just where geometry favored Reyes. Shadow came with her. No question. No hesitation. Good. Mai stopped. Looked at him. “Still want this?” Shadow smiled. “Yes.” Mai held his gaze. “Then listen.” He did. That itself almost made her laugh. Almost. She guided his hands. Set the boundaries exactly where she wanted them. He accepted. Mai stepped closer. Shadow’s breath changed. Reyes saw the change in posture. Kiro saw the pressure shift. Ace saw the surrender of distance. Shammy saw whatever Shammy saw. The room became very quiet. Mai looked at Shadow. This thing. This predator. This impossible absence wearing Konrad. Seven bodies. Emptied. Whatever that meant. Whatever he had taken. Mai wanted him. That was true. Not enough to erase anything else. Enough to make what came next real. She touched his face. “Kiss me.” Shadow did. And stopped watching everything else. --- Reyes’ sight picture settled. Clean. Back of head. No obstruction. Mai offset. Ace clear. Shammy clear. Kiro nowhere near the line. Perfect. Almost. Reyes’ finger entered the trigger. Then stopped. Not yet. The plan had never been to fire at the first possible shot. It had been to fire at the best one. Mai shifted. Shadow followed. Again. Reyes saw the angle improve. And understood exactly what Mai was doing. No signal. No code. No look. Just geometry. Trust. Reyes smiled faintly. There you are. --- Mai drew Shadow farther in. The warehouse ceased to exist for him. He had not looked toward an exit in forty-three seconds. Kiro knew. Reyes knew. Mai could feel it. Ace knew because she knew Mai. The time had come. Almost. Mai’s hands moved to the front of Shadow’s shirt. She began undoing it. Slowly. Shadow’s entire attention followed. Ace swallowed. Reyes adjusted her stance. Kiro whispered: “Full fixation.” No one answered. Mai looked into the wrong face. Shadow smiled. “You finally decided.” Mai smiled back. “Yes.” He believed her. That was the most important part. Mai stepped backward toward the low padded bench Kiro had placed there under the excuse of making the warehouse look lived in. Shadow followed. Mai sat. He moved between her knees. Exactly where Reyes needed him. Exactly where Ace could reach. Exactly where Shammy could cut the exit. Reyes lifted the pistol. This time she did not lower it. Mai looked up at Shadow. He bent toward her. She kissed him. Held him. Kept his attention entirely on her. Then drew him closer. The last tactical distance disappeared. Reyes breathed out. Not yet. One more step. One more commitment. Mai knew that too. She shifted back. Shadow followed. And the kill box closed around him without a single door being locked. --- ## Chapter 16 — Thirty Seconds Reyes had the shot. She did not take it. Not yet. Mai knew. She did not look toward the maintenance platform. Did not need to. Shadow stood between her knees, bent toward her, every piece of attention narrowed onto the woman directly in front of him. Mai held the front of his shirt. Not tightly. Enough. He kissed her again. Mai answered. No performance. No pretending. That had always been part of the plan. The weakness worked best when the desire was real. So Mai let it be real. She drew him closer. Shadow followed without checking the room. Reyes tracked the movement through the sights. Clean. Almost perfect. Ace remained hidden behind the crates. Every muscle ready. Kiro watched numbers Shadow would never know existed. Shammy guarded the only route that mattered. Nobody spoke. Mai shifted farther back onto the bench. Shadow moved with her. His body blocked more of the room from his own awareness. Better. Reyes adjusted one fraction. Still waiting. Mai looked up at Shadow. “You’re distracted.” He smiled. “By you.” “Bad habit.” “Worth it.” Mai laughed softly. “You’re remarkably confident for something that’s already been stabbed, shot, and thrown across a room by the people I live with.” Shadow’s smile widened. “And still you wanted me.” “Yes.” The answer hit him exactly as expected. Mai felt it. His entire focus tightened. Not simply lust. Validation. Three before her. Now four. The pattern he believed he understood. Mai touched his face. “You really think this means you won.” Shadow leaned into the contact. “Yes.” Mai smiled. “Interesting.” Then kissed him again. Long enough for the warning to disappear inside the reward. --- Kiro watched the timing. Twenty-seven seconds since Shadow had last shown any response to the room. Too long. Perfect. She whispered: “Full.” Ace heard. Reyes heard. Shammy heard. Mai did not react. No signal. No acknowledgment. Kiro stopped speaking. --- Shadow’s hands moved. Mai redirected one. Accepted the other. He followed immediately. Good. Same compliance. Same fixation. Same blindness. Mai adjusted her position. Not much. Enough to make the next step unmistakable. Shadow paused. Waiting. For all his predatory nature, he had learned the rule. Mai held his gaze. “Still yes?” “Yes.” Mai smiled faintly. “Good.” Without taking her attention off him, she shifted the remaining clothing out of the way with quick, practical movements and drew him into the exact position she wanted. Then intercourse began exactly where Mai had put him. No rush. No uncertainty. Mai’s breath caught. Small. Real. Shadow stopped for half a beat. Watching her. Of course. Mai opened her eyes. “Don’t stop.” He didn’t. The first movement pulled another reaction from her. A sharper breath. Her fingers tightened against him. Shadow’s attention collapsed completely. There. Mai knew it. Not from sensors. Not from Reyes’ report. Not from Kiro’s analysis. From being inside it. His world had become her. Mai moved with him. Controlled the rhythm enough to keep his body exactly where Reyes needed it. Shadow never noticed. --- Reyes saw everything she needed. Back exposed. Head stable. Mai clear of the line. Seventeen meters. Nothing between muzzle and target except air. Her finger took up pressure. Not yet. She had promised herself the best shot. Not merely a good one. Shadow shifted. Mai corrected him. Reyes almost smiled. They had not rehearsed that. They did not need to. Mai knew. Reyes knew she knew. Trust. One centimeter. Two. There. Perfect. Reyes held. Still not yet. Because Mai had not finished controlling him. --- Ace hated this part. Not the sex. Not Mai wanting someone else. None of that. She hated waiting with her blades ready while the thing that had emptied seven people stood less than ten meters away from the person Ace loved most. Shadow looked like Konrad. That made it worse. Always wrong. Always the familiar shape over something that had no right to wear it. Ace watched Mai. Mai was calm. Not unaffected. Calm. Important difference. Shadow moved. Mai responded. Ace saw the change in her face. Pleasure. Real. Good. That had been the choice. Ace trusted it. Still wanted to cut Shadow in half. Both could be true. --- Mai stopped thinking tactically for several seconds. Not accidentally. Deliberately. The plan did not require her to fake anything. Quite the opposite. She let herself feel him. Let pleasure build. Let her breathing change. Let her hands pull him closer because she wanted him closer. Shadow reacted exactly as the others had described. Every genuine response deepened his fixation. His awareness did not broaden. It contracted. Mai understood why Reyes and Kiro had both called him good. Why Ace had finally admitted the same. Shadow paid attention. Dangerously well. To one thing. Her. That was the flaw. And right now, Mai was perfectly willing to be the center of it. --- Reyes breathed slowly. In. Out. Sight steady. Shadow’s head shifted slightly. No. Wait. Mai moved. Corrected. Back. There. Reyes began the trigger press. Then stopped again. Not because of doubt. Because Mai’s position changed. Half a step. Too close to the margin. Reyes released pressure. Wait. --- Mai knew the shot had vanished. She could not see Reyes. Did not need to. Her own body position told her. Too narrow. She changed angle. Shadow followed instantly. Good. Again. Mai drew him farther into her. The geometry opened. Reyes reacquired. Clean. Mai kept him there. Now. --- Shadow kissed her neck. Mai’s eyes closed. That was not tactical. Neither was the sound that escaped her. Shadow’s attention deepened again. Mai held him. The pleasure climbed faster now. No reason to fight it. No reason to hide. If anything— useful. Shadow had become completely unaware of everything except what she was feeling. Mai’s breathing became uneven. Her control did not disappear. It became narrower. Enough for him. Enough for Reyes. Enough. The first strong wave passed through her. Mai held closer. Not climax. Not yet. But close enough that the rest of the warehouse had become background even to her. Dangerous. Good. Ace was there. Shammy was there. Kiro was there. Reyes was there. Mai could let go because they would not. That was the real weapon. Not sex. Trust. --- Reyes watched Mai’s face. Could not hear her. Did not need to. She knew the change. Everyone who knew Mai would. Close. Shadow was deeper in the tunnel than ever. Reyes’ sight settled at the back of his head. Perfect. Finger tightening. Then— Mai’s hand shifted against Shadow’s shoulder. Not a signal. Pleasure. Real. Reyes hesitated. One fraction. That fraction mattered. --- Mai’s climax arrived hard enough to steal her breath. Her eyes shut. Her body tightened against Shadow. She held him there. No thought. No control for one sharp, brilliant instant. Only sensation. Shadow froze with her. Absorbed. Completely. Mai’s breath broke. Then stillness. One second. Two. Shared breathing. Shadow remained pressed close. His forehead near hers. No awareness of anything else. Mai opened her eyes. And understood. Now. --- Reyes fired. The suppressed shot cracked through the warehouse. Shadow’s head snapped forward. For one impossible fraction of time, Konrad’s face remained. Then it failed. The shape convulsed. Human proportions broke. Darkness tore through the familiar outline. Mai shoved backward at the same instant. Ace was already moving. Reyes fired again. Second shot. Then third. The first had gone through the head. The next two made certainty. Shadow fell sideways. Not elegantly. Not supernaturally. Hard. Dead weight against concrete. The human resolution collapsed completely. No Konrad. No coat. No familiar face. The demonic thing from the service level lay twisted beside the bench. Long limbs. Black fluid. Teeth. Ruined head. Still. Ace reached Mai first. Blades out. Positioned between her and the body. Shammy arrived next. Kiro’s voice: “No movement.” Reyes remained in position. Weapon trained. Mai sat up. Breathing hard. Hair slightly disordered. She pulled her clothing back into place without taking her eyes off Shadow. Ace looked at her. “You okay?” Mai nodded. “Yes.” Ace searched her face. Mai met her eyes. Then looked past her toward Reyes’ position. Her expression changed. Annoyance. Ace blinked. Mai raised her voice. “REYES.” Silence. From above: “Yes?” Mai stared toward the darkness. “You could have waited another five seconds.” Ace froze. Shammy’s mouth opened. Kiro made a strangled noise over comms. Reyes lowered the pistol slightly. “What?” Mai pointed toward Shadow’s corpse. “I was almost there.” Ace’s face did something complicated. Then collapsed entirely. She doubled over. Shammy started laughing. Kiro disappeared from comms because she could no longer breathe. Reyes stared down from the platform. “You climaxed.” Mai glared. “The first one.” Ace made a sound like a dying engine. Reyes shouted: “THE PLAN SAID BEST SHOT.” Mai shouted back: “YOU HAD FIVE SECONDS.” “I HAD THE BEST SHOT.” “YOU HAD A BETTER ONE COMING.” Ace fell against a crate. Shammy had both hands over her face. Kiro finally returned: “I cannot believe this debrief is happening now.” Mai pointed upward. “I am logging a timing complaint.” Reyes stared. Then started laughing. Ace managed: “She’s going to put it in the fucking report.” Mai looked at her. “Yes.” That made Ace worse. --- Then Shadow moved. Everything stopped. Not the body. Something inside it. A twitch. Ace snapped upright. Blades ready. Shammy’s eyes darkened. Reyes’ pistol returned to target. Kiro: “Movement?” Ace watched. Nothing. Then the corpse exhaled. One long, wet sound. Black fluid spread beneath the ruined head. And stopped. Shammy stepped closer. Ace put out one arm. “No.” Shammy stopped. They waited. Five seconds. Ten. Twenty. Nothing. Reyes remained aimed. Mai stood now. Rearmed. Focus returned. No humor. Kiro whispered: “Pressure stable.” Ace looked toward the corpse. “Shadow?” Nothing. Shammy watched. Then: “Gone.” Ace glanced at her. “Certain?” Shammy considered. “No.” Ace smiled faintly. Shammy’s mouth twitched. Mai looked toward Reyes. “Head?” Reyes answered: “Gone.” Kiro: “Environment says body hasn’t moved.” Ace: “Camera?” Kiro paused. “Still nothing.” Ace looked up. “What does it see?” “Blood. Floor deformation. The bench moving when he fell.” A beat. “No body.” Reyes climbed down from the maintenance platform. Mai stared at the corpse. Ace looked toward the nearest camera. Same rule. Alive or dead, Shadow itself remained absent. Only consequences stayed behind. --- Reyes reached them. Pistol still ready. She looked down. Then at Mai. Mai looked back. Reyes raised one eyebrow. “No.” Mai folded her arms. “You shot early.” “I killed him.” “Early.” Ace whispered: “Please continue. I need this.” Mai looked at her. “You’re not helping.” “No.” Reyes holstered the pistol. “Best shot.” Mai stared. Reyes smiled. “You’re welcome.” Mai looked like she was considering violence. Then— a voice behind them said: “Nicely done.” Nobody moved. For one full second. Then everyone turned. Ace’s stomach dropped. Konrad stood near the warehouse entrance. Real Konrad. Burgundy coat. Dark jeans. Walking shoes. Bald head. Spider tattoo. Nearly black sunglasses. Exactly the same visual lie Shadow had worn. And completely different. Ace knew instantly. No analysis. No test. No doubt. The posture. The stillness. The infuriating sense that he had arrived precisely when he meant to. Real. Reyes’ pistol was in her hand before anyone could think. Konrad looked at it. Then at Reyes. And nodded approvingly. Reyes stared. Konrad walked past them toward Shadow’s remains. Ace kept both blades out. “Konrad.” “Yes.” “Actual Konrad.” He glanced over. “That would be a fascinating philosophical discussion, but probably not the one you want.” Ace’s eyes narrowed. Mai moved beside her. Shammy watched him. Kiro came through the side entrance at a run, saw Konrad, and stopped so abruptly she almost fell. “Oh, for fuck’s sake.” Konrad smiled faintly. “Hello, Kiro.” Kiro pointed at him. “No.” Konrad turned back to the corpse. He crouched. Studied it. Not surprised. Not horrified. Mostly irritated. Ace watched him. Something cold settled in her chest. No. No fucking way. Konrad nudged one ruined limb with the toe of his walking shoe. Then sighed. He stood. Looked at the five women. His gaze settled briefly on Reyes. Another small approving nod. Then: “That fucking gremlin of mine got loose. My apologies.” Silence. Complete. Absolute. Ace blinked. Mai blinked. Kiro’s mouth opened. Reyes slowly lowered her pistol. Shammy stared. Ace finally managed: “Your—” Konrad raised one finger. Ace stopped. He smiled. Not helpfully. Of course. Then looked down at Shadow. The corpse remained visible. Solid. Dead. Their kill. Their solution. Konrad had arrived after. Exactly too late to be useful. Exactly on time to be infuriating. Ace stared at him. Konrad stared back. Ace pointed one katana toward the corpse. “You have got to be fucking kidding me.” Konrad’s smile widened. “No.” And somehow— that was worse. --- ## Chapter 17 — What’s Left Nobody moved for several seconds. Konrad did. Of course. He walked around Shadow’s corpse once. Slowly. Hands in the pockets of the burgundy coat. Ace watched every step. Reyes watched his hands. Mai watched his face. Kiro watched the corpse. Shammy watched something nobody else could see. Konrad stopped near the ruined head. Looked down. Then at Ace. Ace pointed one katana at him. “Explain.” Konrad smiled faintly. “No.” Ace closed her eyes. “Of course.” “You already know how this works.” “I was hoping traumatic circumstances had improved your personality.” “They have not.” Reyes holstered her pistol. “Your gremlin.” Konrad looked at her. “Yes.” “What does that mean?” Konrad nodded once. “Excellent question.” Reyes waited. Konrad waited. Ace groaned. “He’s doing the thing.” Kiro looked at Reyes. “What thing?” “The answer-without-answer thing.” Konrad looked mildly offended. “I answer frequently.” Ace opened her eyes. “No. You make noises shaped like answers.” Mai almost smiled. Konrad glanced at her. “You’ve been practicing.” Ace turned toward Mai. “Do not encourage him.” Mai: “I didn’t.” Konrad: “She did.” Ace: “Fuck both of you.” Shammy laughed quietly. The sound helped. A little. Because Shadow was still on the floor. Dead. Really dead. Probably. Ace looked down again. The demonic form had not changed. No human interpretation. No Konrad. No familiar face at all. Just the thing they had fought. Long limbs. Black fluid. Ruined head. Still. Kiro approached cautiously. “Camera still sees the blood.” Konrad turned his head toward her. “And him?” “No.” Kiro’s expression hardened. “You know why.” Konrad smiled. “I know many things.” “That was not my question.” “No.” Kiro looked from the camera feed to the corpse. Alive or dead, the refusal held. Konrad offered nothing more. Of course he didn’t. --- Shammy moved closer to the corpse. Ace watched. “Careful.” “Yes.” Shammy crouched. Did not touch. Her eyes darkened slightly. Not black. Not yet. Just deeper. Mai noticed. “Anything?” Shammy stayed still. Then: “No.” Ace frowned. “No what?” “No presence.” Kiro looked at her. “Same as the victims?” Shammy considered. “No.” Everyone became quiet again. Reyes stepped closer. “Different how?” Shammy searched for words. “The victims felt emptied.” Ace remembered the morgue. Presence gone. Something cleaned out. No. Emptied. Shammy pointed toward Shadow. “This feels finished.” Konrad’s head tilted. Ace noticed. Shammy did too. She looked at him. “What?” Konrad smiled. “Nothing.” Ace: “Oh, fuck you.” Konrad: “Frequently suggested.” Mai sighed. Ace glared. “That sounded like him.” Mai nodded. “Yes.” Kiro looked between them. “The real one.” “Yes,” Ace said. “No doubt?” Ace looked at Konrad. The way he stood. The patience. The exact amount of irritating amusement. The complete absence of Shadow’s crude hunger. “No.” Mai: “No.” Reyes: “No.” Shammy: “No.” Kiro sighed. “Good.” Konrad looked delighted. “How flattering.” Ace raised the katana slightly. “Do not make me test it.” --- Kiro tried to photograph the corpse. The image showed black fluid, damaged concrete, and empty space where the body lay. Thermal refused it. Radar refused it. Lidar refused it. Death had changed nothing about the sensor problem. Kiro crouched beside the body. “Still physical.” Reyes looked at her. “It was physical before.” “Yes.” Mai: “Does that help?” “No.” Ace nodded. “Excellent.” Kiro ignored her. She sampled the black fluid. Ordinary tools. Extraordinary problem. The sample existed. Stayed in the container. Registered mass. Temperature. Chemical composition would have to wait. Konrad watched. Kiro looked up. “You know what it is.” Konrad: “Yes.” “What?” “Black fluid.” Kiro stared. Ace laughed once. Sharp. “Okay. That was actually good.” Kiro looked at her. “No.” “Yes.” “No.” “Yes.” Mai: “Focus.” Ace: “Right.” Mai’s mouth twitched. --- Reyes walked the kill geometry. From maintenance position to Mai. Seventeen meters. Clear line. Three shots. First through the head. Second and third after collapse. She stopped where Shadow had stood. Looked toward the platform. Then at Mai. “Clean.” Mai nodded. Reyes: “You moved him exactly right.” Mai: “You waited.” Reyes folded her arms. Mai folded hers. Ace immediately stepped between them. “No.” Both looked at her. Ace pointed at Mai. “You got one.” Then Reyes. “You killed the demon.” Then both. “Everyone wins.” Mai: “She still fired early.” Reyes: “I fired perfectly.” Kiro made a strangled noise. Shammy covered her mouth. Ace looked at Konrad. Konrad looked deeply entertained. Ace pointed at him. “You are not allowed to enjoy this.” “I’m not.” “You’re smiling.” “Unrelated.” Ace stared. “Liar.” Konrad’s smile widened. --- Kiro finished the first pass. “No regeneration.” Ace looked toward the corpse. “How long do we need?” Reyes: “Until I get bored.” Mai: “That could take hours.” Reyes smiled. “Yes.” Kiro stood. “We need removal.” Ace looked at Konrad. “No.” Konrad had not spoken. Ace pointed. “No disappearing corpse.” Konrad raised both hands. “I wasn’t doing anything.” “That means nothing.” “It usually means exactly that.” “No probability nonsense.” Konrad: “Probability is not nonsense.” Ace: “Not tonight.” Mai looked at Konrad. “Will the body remain?” Konrad considered. Ace hated that. Then: “Long enough.” Kiro sighed. “That is a terrible unit.” Konrad looked at her. “I learned from Reyes.” Reyes: “Fuck you.” Konrad: “Noted.” Ace stared at Mai. Mai whispered: “Real.” Ace nodded. “Unfortunately.” --- The practical problem became transport. Because somehow, after everything else, they now had a dead demon in a warehouse and needed to decide where to put it. Ace looked at the body. Then at Kiro. “Do demons go in evidence bags?” Kiro: “No.” “Body bags?” “Yes.” “Good.” Reyes looked at the size. “Large one.” Shammy: “We have one.” Everyone looked at her. Shammy blinked. “What?” Ace slowly smiled. “Why?” Shammy looked toward Mai. Mai looked toward Kiro. Kiro looked toward Reyes. Reyes: “Don’t look at me.” Ace: “Why do we own a demon-sized body bag?” Mai: “We don’t.” Shammy smiled. “Vehicle recovery kit.” Ace stopped. “Oh.” Kiro nodded. “Actually yes.” Ace sighed. “Less fun.” --- They worked carefully. Konrad did not help. That felt important. He stood aside. Watched. Sometimes looked toward the corpse. Sometimes toward the five women. Never interfered. Never offered advice. Never solved anything. Ace noticed. So did Mai. When the body was finally secured, Kiro checked the cameras again. The body bag was visible. So were the straps, pulled tight around weight the image itself still refused to resolve. Shadow remained absent. Reyes stayed armed. Shammy stood near the bag. Ace cleaned the black fluid from both katanas. Mai checked her disruptor. Normal. Almost. Konrad eventually spoke. “You did well.” Ace looked up. “We know.” Konrad smiled. “Yes.” Mai watched him. “Did you know it was here?” Konrad looked at her. “Yes.” Ace’s hand stopped. “Before us?” “Yes.” Reyes’ expression changed. “And you did nothing.” Konrad looked at her. “Yes.” The room chilled. Ace stood. Not angry yet. Close. “Seven people died.” Konrad looked at her. “I know.” “You could have stopped it.” Maybe. That was the dangerous word. Could. Konrad’s expression changed. Only slightly. “I could have done many things.” Ace stepped closer. “That isn’t an answer.” “No.” Mai moved beside Ace. Not stopping her. Anchoring. Ace stared at him. “That does not erase the dead.” “No.” “Then why?” Konrad looked at the bag. Then at Ace. He said nothing. Ace waited. So did everyone else. Finally: “There are questions I will not answer.” Ace’s jaw tightened. “Could you have prevented them?” Konrad’s expression did not change. “There are questions I will not answer.” Mai’s fingers touched the back of Ace’s hand. Ace breathed once. Then: “Fine.” Konrad nodded. Ace pointed at him. “That was not forgiveness.” “I didn’t ask.” Real Konrad. Absolutely real. Infuriating bastard. --- Kiro looked toward the body bag. “Did it consume souls?” Konrad did not answer immediately. Shammy watched him. Kiro continued. “Not metaphorically.” Konrad: “I understood.” “Did it?” “Yes.” Nobody moved. There. One thing. Confirmed. Kiro swallowed. “What happens to them?” Konrad looked at her. “I don’t know.” Kiro’s eyes narrowed. “You.” “Yes.” “Don’t know.” “Yes.” Ace watched closely. No joke. No dodge. Maybe. Konrad continued. “Not in the way you mean.” Mai asked: “Are they destroyed?” “I don’t know.” “Recoverable?” “I don’t know.” Shammy: “Still somewhere?” Konrad looked at her. Longer than the others. Then: “I don’t know.” Shammy nodded. Accepted it. Ace did too. Because this was the exact place they had promised not to lie to themselves. No cosmology because they wanted one. No comforting answer because the alternative hurt. Seven people dead. Something taken. Beyond that— unknown. --- Reyes leaned against a crate. “So what was he?” Konrad looked toward her. “A nuisance.” Ace barked a laugh. Reyes stared. “A soul-eating demonic predator killed seven people.” “Yes.” “And you call that a nuisance.” “Yes.” Ace shook her head. “Scale problem.” Konrad smiled. “Possibly.” Shammy looked at him. “Was he yours?” Konrad’s expression became unreadable. “That word is doing too much work.” Ace pointed. “Ha.” Everyone looked at her. Ace: “That one was an answer.” Konrad sighed. “Tragic.” Mai: “What does ‘gremlin’ mean?” Konrad: “Exactly what I said.” Mai: “No.” Konrad: “Then we disagree.” Ace smiled. “You’re not telling us.” “No.” “Can’t?” Konrad looked at her. Ace waited. He smiled. “Good night, Ace.” Ace’s expression fell. “Oh, fuck you.” He turned. Started toward the warehouse entrance. Reyes straightened. “That’s it?” Konrad looked back. “Yes.” “You walk in, apologize for your soul-eating gremlin, refuse every useful question, and leave?” “Yes.” Kiro: “That cannot be the end of this conversation.” Konrad: “It can.” Ace: “Konrad.” He stopped. Ace looked at him. Really looked. Not Shadow. No doubt now. “Why did we all see you?” Konrad became still. The one question beneath everything. Five observers. Same impossible resolution. Konrad. Why? He looked at Ace. Then Mai. Shammy. Kiro. Reyes. His smile vanished. For perhaps one second. Then returned. Smaller. “Good question.” Ace stared. Konrad nodded once. And walked out. The camera caught him normally. Of course it did. Kiro watched the monitor. “There.” Ace looked. Konrad crossing the lot. Visible. Human. Real. Then gone around the corner. No glitch. No impossible disappearance. Just walking. Ace exhaled. “Asshole.” Mai: “Yes.” Reyes: “Definitely.” Kiro: “Scientifically confirmed.” Shammy smiled. “Probably.” Ace looked at her. Shammy’s smile widened. Ace sighed. “Fine.” --- They stood around the body bag. The victory did not feel clean. It should not. Seven people remained dead. Whatever Shadow had taken remained beyond their reach. Konrad had provided exactly enough certainty to make everything worse. Soul. Yes. What happened to it? Unknown. Why Shadow wore familiar faces? Unknown. Why all five saw Konrad? Unknown. Why cameras failed? Unknown. What “my gremlin” meant? Absolutely fucking unknown. Ace looked at Mai. “We didn’t solve it.” Mai nodded. “No.” Kiro looked up from the screen. “We solved enough.” Reyes: “He’s dead.” Shammy: “And no one else dies to him.” Ace considered. Then nodded. Practical victory. Not cosmological. Good enough. Maybe. Kiro sealed the sample kit. Reyes checked the doors. Mai took Ace’s hand. Shammy stood beside them. Five women. Still themselves. Still trusting one another. Even after an investigation where sight had been useless and cameras had insisted the threat did not exist. Ace looked toward the body bag. Then at the others. “We really killed a soul-eating demon by fucking him stupid.” Silence. Reyes looked at Kiro. Kiro looked at Mai. Mai looked at Shammy. Shammy looked at Ace. Then Reyes started laughing. Kiro followed. Shammy covered her face. Mai held out for perhaps two seconds. Ace broke last. Not because it was funny. Because it was completely, catastrophically fucking ridiculous. And somehow— it had worked. --- ## Chapter 18 — Rogue’s Report Rogue listened without interrupting. That was worse than shouting. Ace sat in the booth with Mai beside her. Shammy occupied the far end. Kiro had a tablet open. Reyes sat opposite Rogue. Nobody had volunteered to start. So naturally Rogue looked at Ace. Ace looked at Kiro. Kiro looked at Reyes. Reyes looked at Mai. Mai looked at Ace. Ace sighed. “Fine.” Rogue waited. Ace folded her hands. “The thing was real.” Rogue’s expression did not change. “It killed seven people.” “Yes.” “It didn’t appear on cameras.” “Yes.” “Witnesses saw different people.” “Yes.” “You all saw Konrad.” “Yes.” Rogue leaned back. “And it wasn’t Konrad.” “No.” “How did you know?” Ace smiled faintly. “He talked wrong.” Rogue stared. Ace added: “Very wrong.” Reyes looked down. Kiro pressed her lips together. Rogue noticed. “What?” Ace: “Nothing.” Rogue’s eyes narrowed. “Bullshit.” Mai said calmly: “It was excessively sexual.” Rogue looked at her. Then Ace. Then Reyes. Then Kiro. “No.” Ace nodded. “Yes.” Rogue looked genuinely irritated now. “No.” “Very yes.” “How excessively?” Ace considered. Mai answered: “Enough that Ace immediately knew Konrad would never talk like that.” Rogue looked at Ace. Ace spread her hands. “He offered to fuck my brains out.” Silence. Rogue closed her eyes. Reyes looked toward the ceiling. Kiro made a small sound. Shammy smiled. Rogue opened her eyes again. “That was your identification method.” Ace nodded. “Behavioral recognition.” Rogue stared. “Sexual vulgarity.” “Behavioral recognition.” “Sexual vulgarity.” “Technically both.” Rogue rubbed her forehead. “Continue.” --- Kiro took over. “Shadow exhibited observer-dependent human resolution.” Rogue looked at her. “Use human.” Kiro stopped. Then: “People saw him.” “Yes.” “Cameras didn’t.” “Yes.” “Different people could see different faces at the same time.” Rogue’s expression flattened. “And you’re certain?” “Yes.” “How?” “Witness interviews, concurrent observations, environmental response, clean surveillance, indirect tracking, controlled encounters.” Rogue paused. “Controlled encounters.” Ace looked at Reyes. Reyes looked at Kiro. Kiro looked at Ace. Mai muttered: “Cowards.” Rogue heard. “What controlled encounters?” Reyes answered. “We tested a weakness.” “What weakness?” Silence. Rogue looked at each of them. Then: “No.” Ace smiled. “Yes.” Rogue pointed at her. “Do not.” Ace leaned back. “You already know.” “I absolutely do not.” Reyes said: “Libido.” Rogue stared. Reyes continued. “Severe.” Rogue did not move. Kiro, perhaps unwisely, added: “Tactically significant.” Rogue slowly looked at her. “Tactically significant libido.” “Yes.” Rogue looked at Mai. Mai nodded. Rogue looked at Shammy. Shammy smiled. “Probably.” Rogue looked back at Ace. “I hate all of you.” Ace smiled. “Fair.” --- Rogue pointed at Reyes. “You tested it.” “Yes.” Then Kiro. “You tested it.” “Yes.” Then Ace. “You.” “Yes.” Rogue stopped. Looked at Mai. Mai met her eyes. Rogue stared for several seconds. Then: “Of course.” Mai smiled faintly. “Yes.” Rogue looked at the table. Nobody helped her. Finally she said: “How?” Kiro answered professionally. “Sexual attention progressively degraded Shadow’s situational awareness, distance management, threat tracking, and environmental scanning.” Rogue looked at her. “During sex.” “Yes.” “Actual sex.” “Yes.” “Not flirting.” “Flirting began the degradation. Sustained sexual engagement increased it.” Reyes: “Intercourse gave the strongest result.” Rogue stared at Reyes. Reyes remained perfectly serious. Ace admired her. Rogue looked at Ace. “You confirmed this?” “Yes.” “And enjoyed confirming it.” Ace considered lying. Mai said: “Yes.” Ace turned. “Traitor.” Mai smiled. Rogue closed her eyes again. --- When Rogue opened them, she was back in fixer mode. “Fine.” Everyone straightened slightly. “How did you kill it?” Reyes answered immediately. “Headshot.” Rogue looked at her. “Finally.” Reyes nodded. “Mai held its attention.” “How closely?” Mai: “Very.” Rogue looked at her. Mai looked back. Rogue sighed. “Of course.” Kiro brought up the warehouse reconstruction. No Shadow anywhere in the recording. Only Mai interacting with absence. Then— the first shot. Mai jerking backward. The bench shifting. Black fluid appearing across concrete where the camera still insisted no body existed. Later, the body bag closed around weight the image could not resolve. Rogue leaned forward. “Stop.” Kiro froze the frame. Rogue’s expression changed. “Still absent after death.” “Yes.” “Why?” “We don’t know.” “What is it?” “We don’t know.” “Why did people see different faces?” “We don’t know.” “Why did all five of you see Konrad?” “We don’t know.” Rogue looked at Kiro. Kiro said: “I’m aware this report is unsatisfying.” Rogue stared. “That is not the word I would use.” Ace: “Educational?” Rogue: “No.” “Memorable?” “No.” “Erotically tactical?” Mai elbowed her. Ace folded slightly. “Ow.” Rogue pointed. “Good.” --- Reyes leaned forward. “The useful conclusions are simpler.” Rogue looked at her. “Please.” “Shadow is dead.” “Yes.” “It physically interacted with the world while alive even though cameras couldn’t see it.” “Yes.” “Living observers automatically perceived a human figure.” “Yes.” “That perception could not be trusted for identity.” “Yes.” “Behavior could.” Rogue nodded slowly. Reyes continued. “It killed personally.” Kiro added: “And apparently consumed something nonphysical at death.” Rogue looked at her. “You’re using ‘soul.’” “As operational shorthand.” “Do you know it was a soul?” Everyone went quiet. Ace answered. “Konrad said yes.” Rogue froze. “What?” There it was. The part they had deliberately saved. Ace smiled faintly. “The actual Konrad showed up after.” Rogue stared at her. No reaction. Then: “After what?” “After Reyes killed Shadow.” Rogue looked at Reyes. Reyes nodded. Rogue: “Immediately?” “Pretty much.” “And he knew what it was.” “Yes.” Rogue’s eyes narrowed. “What did he say?” Ace looked at Mai. Mai looked at Kiro. Kiro looked at Reyes. Reyes smiled. Rogue noticed every single one of them. “Oh, fuck off. What did he say?” Ace took a breath. Then quoted exactly: “‘That fucking gremlin of mine got loose. My apologies.’” Rogue’s face did not change. Her eyes did. Only for an instant. Only on one word. Gremlin. Ace saw it. Mai saw it. Shammy saw it. Reyes and Kiro saw Rogue pause, but not what the pause meant. Then Rogue buried the recognition so completely that someone who did not know her would have sworn it had never happened. Silence. Long silence. Ace waited. Mai waited. Kiro looked dangerously close to smiling. Reyes did not bother hiding hers. Shammy’s shoulders moved once. Rogue finally said: “No.” Ace nodded. “Yes.” “No.” “Word for word.” Rogue looked at Kiro. Kiro turned the tablet around. “I logged it.” Rogue read. Her face became blank. Then she put the tablet down. Very carefully. “His.” Ace: “That word is apparently doing too much work.” Rogue looked up sharply. “He said that?” “Basically.” “Basically?” “Shammy asked whether Shadow was his. Konrad said the word was doing too much work.” Rogue leaned back. “Of course he did.” Mai nodded. “Yes.” --- Rogue was quiet for a while. Then: “Did Konrad help?” “No,” Ace said immediately. “Before?” “No.” “During?” “No.” “After?” “Only answers.” Kiro corrected: “Some answers.” Ace: “Barely.” Rogue: “So you found it.” “Yes.” “You identified it.” “Yes.” “You found the weakness.” “Yes.” “You tested the weakness.” Rogue looked at Reyes. Then Kiro. Then Ace. All three nodded. Rogue looked at Mai. “You used the weakness.” “Yes.” Rogue looked at Reyes. “And you killed it.” “Yes.” Rogue nodded. Good. That mattered. Ace could see it. Whatever Konrad meant by gremlin— whatever his connection— the job belonged to them. Not him. --- Rogue looked at the paused kill frame. “What about the seven?” The humor left. Ace answered. “Dead.” “I know.” “Whatever Shadow took, we couldn’t recover.” Rogue looked at Shammy. Shammy shook her head. “No.” “Konrad?” Mai answered. “He said he didn’t know what happened to them.” Rogue frowned. “You believed him?” Shammy: “Yes.” Ace nodded. “On that, yes.” Rogue looked at the screen. Seven people. No miracle. No undo. The victory remained what it was. One predator stopped. No resurrection attached. Rogue nodded once. “Families?” Kiro: “We keep the supernatural interpretation out unless there’s a reason not to.” Rogue looked at Ace. Ace nodded. “Tell them the killer is dead.” “That’s enough.” “Yes.” --- Rogue closed the footage. “Anything else?” Everyone became suspiciously quiet. Rogue noticed. “What?” Ace looked at Mai. Mai looked straight ahead. Reyes abruptly found the tabletop fascinating. Kiro coughed. Shammy smiled. Rogue’s eyes narrowed. “What else?” Ace said: “Nothing operational.” Rogue: “Ace.” “Really.” “Ace.” Mai sighed. Reyes smiled. Ace closed her eyes. “Reyes shot slightly early.” Rogue looked at Reyes. “Early?” Reyes immediately said: “No.” Mai immediately said: “Yes.” Rogue looked between them. Ace covered her face. Kiro said: “This has no operational relevance.” Rogue: “Now it absolutely does.” Mai folded her arms. “I had the situation under control.” Reyes: “And I had the best shot.” Mai: “You had another five seconds.” Reyes: “The shot was perfect.” Rogue stared. Then looked at Ace. Ace shook her head. “Do not make me explain.” Rogue smiled. That was terrifying. “Oh, I think you’re going to.” Ace looked at Mai. Mai looked entirely unrepentant. Ace sighed. “Mai had already climaxed.” Rogue’s eyebrows rose. Ace continued quickly: “She was close to another.” Reyes pointed at Mai. “See? Another.” Mai pointed back. “Five seconds.” Rogue stared at all of them. Then leaned back. Very slowly. Ace waited for anger. Disgust. A lecture. Anything. Instead Rogue started laughing. Not a polite laugh. Not even restrained. She put one hand over her eyes and laughed hard enough that Ace looked at Mai in alarm. Reyes smiled. Kiro looked vindicated. Shammy joined in. Rogue eventually managed: “You killed a soul-eating demon—” She lost it again. Ace groaned. “Yes.” Rogue tried again. “By fucking it into a firing solution—” “Yes.” “And your complaint is Reyes shot five seconds too early.” Mai: “Correct.” That destroyed her again. Ace dropped her forehead onto the table. “I’m leaving Night City.” Mai patted her back. “No, you aren’t.” --- Eventually Rogue recovered. Mostly. She wiped one eye. Then looked at Reyes. “Good shot.” Reyes smiled. “Thank you.” Mai muttered: “Early shot.” Rogue immediately started laughing again. Ace pointed at Mai without lifting her head. “This is your fault.” “Yes.” Finally Rogue stood. “Job closed.” Ace looked up. “That's it?” “That’s it.” “No contract dispute?” “No.” “No accusation of collective insanity?” “I’m assuming that.” “Fair.” Rogue looked at the five of them. The humor faded into something smaller. Warmer. “You did good.” No sarcasm. Ace nodded. Mai did too. Reyes looked pleased. Kiro closed the tablet. Shammy smiled. Rogue pointed toward the exit. “Now get out before you tell me anything else.” Ace stood. “Probably wise.” They started away. Then Rogue called: “Ace.” Ace looked back. Rogue’s expression was perfectly straight. “Five seconds?” Ace stared. Behind her, Reyes snorted. Mai said: “Yes.” Ace closed her eyes. Rogue smiled. “Get the fuck out.” Ace turned. “I hate this city.” Mai took her hand. “No, you don’t.” “No.” And they left Rogue laughing behind them. --- ## Chapter 19 — Epilogue: Friday Friday evening found the safehouse unusually quiet. Not tense. Just tired. The kind of tired that came after several days of being unable to trust eyes, cameras, witnesses, or the possibility that the bald bastard in the burgundy coat standing in front of you was actually the bald bastard in the burgundy coat. Ace was stretched across one end of the couch. Mai sat beside her. Shammy had claimed the floor with a cushion and a drink. Kiro occupied a chair with both feet pulled up under her. Reyes sat sideways in another. No screens. No maps. No weapons on the table. That had been Mai’s rule. Ace had objected for approximately eleven seconds. Then obeyed. Mostly. One katana rested within reach against the couch. Mai had noticed. She had decided not to comment. That counted as compromise. --- Kiro stared into her glass. Then said: “I still hate the report.” Ace looked at her. “You wrote it.” “That’s why.” Reyes smiled. “It’s accurate.” “That makes it worse.” Shammy looked up. “Possibly.” Ace pointed at her. “You’re getting too comfortable with that.” Shammy smiled. “Probably.” Mai laughed softly. Ace looked around. “We have created a monster.” Reyes lifted her drink. “One monster down. One Shammy problem up.” Shammy looked delighted. --- Kiro took a drink. Then: “I cannot believe Rogue accepted ‘severe libido’ as an operational vulnerability.” Ace smiled. “She didn’t accept it.” “She closed the job.” “That’s different.” Reyes nodded. “She suffered through it.” Mai: “Professionally.” Ace: “Mostly.” Kiro looked at Reyes. “You were pleased with yourself.” “I still am.” “You shot him three times.” “Yes.” “The first was enough.” “Probably.” Shammy looked at Reyes. Reyes stared at her. Shammy smiled. Ace collapsed against Mai laughing. Reyes pointed. “No.” Shammy: “Possibly.” “No.” “Probably.” “No.” Mai covered her mouth. Ace wheezed. Kiro leaned back. “This is what we are now.” Ace managed: “We’ve been worse.” Kiro looked at her. “Have we?” Ace thought. “Yes.” Mai: “Absolutely.” Reyes: “Fair.” --- There was a pause. Then Ace looked at Kiro. “So.” Kiro immediately narrowed her eyes. “No.” Ace smiled. “I haven’t asked anything.” “You were going to.” “Yes.” “No.” Reyes looked between them. “What?” Ace leaned toward Kiro. “Field research.” Kiro closed her eyes. Mai smiled. Shammy looked interested. Ace continued: “Now that the target is dead and the operation is closed—” “No.” “—do you stand by your original assessment?” Kiro looked at her. “What original assessment?” Ace smiled wider. “You know.” Kiro stared. Ace waited. Reyes began smiling too. Mai shook her head. Shammy took a drink. Kiro finally sighed. “Yes.” Ace brightened. “Quote?” “No.” “Scientific integrity.” “No.” Reyes: “She said he was damn good in bed.” Kiro pointed at her. “You said it first.” “Yes.” “And you still agree.” Reyes leaned back. “Yes.” Ace looked at Mai. Mai met her eyes. Ace did not even need to ask. Mai smiled. “Yes.” Ace fell backward dramatically. “Four independent confirmations.” Kiro: “This is not how peer review works.” Ace: “It is now.” --- Shammy looked at Ace. “And you?” Ace sat back up. “What?” “You.” Ace narrowed her eyes. “You were there.” “Yes.” “You know.” “I want to hear it.” Ace looked betrayed. Mai looked delighted. Reyes leaned forward. Kiro smiled. Ace stared around at all four of them. “You’re terrible people.” Mai: “Yes.” Ace sighed. Then: “He was damn good.” Reyes lifted her glass. Kiro did the same. Mai joined them. Shammy looked at her own. Ace stared. “No.” Shammy smiled. Ace: “You didn’t test him.” “No.” “You don’t get to toast.” Shammy lifted the glass anyway. “To research.” Ace stared. Then laughed and lifted hers. “Fine.” Glasses touched. --- The humor faded naturally. Not gone. Just quieter. Kiro stared toward the window. “I keep thinking about the victims.” Nobody answered immediately. Mai reached for Ace’s hand. Ace gave it. Reyes looked down at her glass. Shammy said: “Yes.” Kiro continued. “Seven people.” Ace nodded. “We stopped the eighth.” “Maybe.” Ace looked at her. Kiro corrected herself. “We stopped any more.” “Yes.” Reyes: “That has to count.” “It does.” Shammy looked toward Kiro. “But it doesn’t make the seven smaller.” “No.” Mai squeezed Ace’s hand. Ace looked down. Then: “Rogue will handle the families.” Kiro nodded. “She said the killer is dead.” “Yes.” “True.” “Yes.” No ghosts returned. No souls reappeared. No answer from Konrad. Good. Not good. But real. --- Reyes broke the silence. “I still want to know what gremlin meant.” Ace looked at her. Kiro: “Same.” Mai glanced toward Shammy. Shammy glanced toward Ace. Tiny. Fast. Reyes missed it. Kiro did not. “What?” Ace looked at her. “What?” “You three did something.” Mai: “No.” “Yes.” Shammy: “Probably.” Kiro pointed. “There. That.” Ace looked at Mai. Mai looked at Ace. Reyes frowned. “What did we miss?” Ace considered. Then leaned back. “Rogue.” Kiro frowned. “What about her?” “When I quoted Konrad.” “Yes.” “Gremlin.” Reyes nodded. Ace looked at Mai. Mai continued. “She reacted.” Kiro stared. “She reacted to the whole sentence.” “No.” Shammy shook her head. “To the word.” Reyes looked between them. “How do you know?” Ace shrugged. “We noticed.” Kiro’s eyes narrowed. “Why didn’t I?” Ace smiled. “Because you were busy being offended by reality.” “That is not an answer.” Mai said: “Rogue is old enough to know things we don’t.” Kiro looked at her. “Like what?” Mai shook her head. “No idea.” Reyes: “But she recognized it.” Ace nodded. “I think so.” Shammy: “Yes.” Kiro sat back slowly. “That’s worse.” Ace smiled. “Much.” Reyes looked at Mai. “Do we ask Rogue?” Mai answered immediately. “No.” Ace: “Definitely not.” Kiro stared at them. “Why?” Ace looked toward the window. “Because if Rogue wanted us to know, she would have said something.” Kiro: “She never says anything.” “Exactly.” Mai smiled. Reyes sighed. “Fine.” Shammy took a drink. “Probably.” Kiro threw a cushion at her. Shammy caught it. --- Later, food appeared. Nobody remembered ordering enough for five. Ace blamed Kiro. Kiro blamed Reyes. Reyes blamed Mai. Mai blamed Ace. Shammy ate. That settled it. Ace ended up half-curled against Mai with one leg over hers. Reyes had stolen the better chair. Kiro had migrated to the floor. Shammy remained exactly where she started. The safehouse felt normal again. Not because anything had been solved. Because they were all there. Same people. Same voices. Same habits. Sight had lied. Cameras had lied by omission. Witnesses had told mutually impossible truths. The one thing that had held was recognition. Ace knew Mai. Mai knew Ace. They knew Shammy. They knew Kiro. They knew Reyes. And they knew Konrad well enough that one stupid line about fucking had been more trustworthy than every sensor in Night City. Ace smiled. Mai noticed. “What?” Ace shook her head. “Nothing.” Mai waited. Ace sighed. “Fine.” She looked around the room. “We won because fake Konrad was too horny.” Silence. Then Reyes laughed. Kiro covered her face. Shammy smiled. Mai leaned her head back against the couch. Ace continued: “Think about it. Everything else was terrifying. Souls. Cameras. Dead people. Impossible faces.” Reyes: “And?” Ace: “And the bastard got caught because he couldn’t stop propositioning people.” Kiro: “That is reductive.” Ace pointed. “Accurate.” Mai: “Also accurate.” Shammy: “Probably.” Kiro threw another cushion. --- Reyes looked at Mai. “One thing.” Mai immediately looked suspicious. “What?” “Five seconds.” Mai’s expression hardened. Ace whispered: “Oh no.” Reyes smiled. “I reviewed the timing.” Mai stared. Kiro looked up. Shammy brightened. Ace sat up. “You did not.” “I did.” Mai folded her arms. “And?” Reyes took a slow drink. “Seven.” Silence. Ace’s eyes widened. Kiro burst out laughing. Shammy doubled over. Mai stared at Reyes. “Seven?” “Approximately.” “You said five.” “You said five.” “I estimated.” “So did I.” Mai pointed at her. “You shot seven seconds early.” Reyes smiled. “Best shot.” Mai stood. Ace grabbed her wrist. “No murder in the safehouse.” Mai looked down. “I’m not going to murder her.” Reyes: “Probably.” Mai slowly looked at Shammy. Shammy froze. Then started laughing again. Ace collapsed into Mai. “This is perfect.” Mai looked at her. “It is not.” “It really is.” “I had seven seconds.” Ace kissed her cheek. “Yes.” Mai remained offended. Ace kissed her again. Mai softened. Barely. Reyes looked deeply pleased with herself. Kiro said: “I am adding nothing about this to the official file.” Ace: “Coward.” --- Somewhere after midnight, the conversation finally slowed. Reyes had one foot tucked under her. Kiro was nearly asleep against the couch. Shammy rested her head against Ace’s knee. Mai had Ace tucked against her side. No one had moved to bed yet. No one seemed interested. Ace looked around. “Friday.” Mai: “Yes.” “We’re alive.” “Yes.” “Shadow isn’t.” “No.” “Konrad is still an asshole.” “Yes.” “Kiro has scientifically verified demon sex.” Kiro, eyes closed: “Fuck you.” Ace smiled. “Reyes shot early.” Reyes: “Best shot.” “Mai is still angry.” Mai: “Seven seconds.” Shammy murmured: “Probably.” Everyone started laughing again. Ace closed her eyes. This was home. Not the building. Not the armored door. Not the bullet-resistant windows. This. The people. The ridiculous arguments. The trust. The fact that when the world presented them with something impossible, they had still known one another well enough to find the lie. Ace smiled into Mai’s shoulder. Mai kissed the top of her head. “Sleep?” “Soon.” “You said that ten minutes ago.” “Yes, mom.” Mai pinched her side. Ace yelped. Reyes laughed. Kiro opened one eye. Shammy smiled. And Friday rolled quietly into Saturday.