"Got what you wanted. Hope it's all worth it 'cause their drug harend to detonate post-mortem or a while after getting captured." Virgil ehe ic bearing his trophy—a limp Adrenomaossed over one shoulder. Edith ed her head over the room's edge to eye the captured Adrenomancer. She appeared distracted—as if she wasirely there.

  Virgil didn't press the issue. He dumped the fallen Hyperion unceremoniously on a gurney.

  Edith strode towards him—fiddling with some equipment as she moved. He caught a glimpse of a set of sers and medical tools. Whatever. Edith could py her little sce experiment. He'd take the opportunity to rest. bat was taxing work.

  "Sure," she said nonittally.

  Virgil didn't ahe duo's usual pattern. A give-and-take. The bad-forth worked for them—meistid methodical. A business retionship—with some fringe bes. Nothing more. Virgil preferred his "bes" over Edith's aloofness—she could be cold and ical. Then again—so was he. It was fine. Mutually beneficial.

  "Guess I'll leave you to your business," Virgil said. "Shoot me a message when you're done. We're done for now. Gotta prepare for the attack. Figure out what the hell Salvatore's pyin' at." He turo leave.

  "Wait," Edith halted his departure.

  Virgil stopped in his tracks.

  "What?" he responded. "You need somethin' else?"

  "I heard you had one of your 'talks' with Fii agaih fronted, crossing her arms. "About killing."

  Virgil wasn't expeg a topic ge. She wao discuss this—now? Of all the inveiming—this took the cake.

  He put aside his annoyance. A quick word and he'd be outta here. "Yeah. About killin'. No use keepin' that from the kid. She 't afford to be soft anymore. Not in this line of work. Too many opportunists lookin' to exploit a weakness. Gotta adapt. Evolve. And for that, you gotta go hard o home."

  Virgil studied Edith's scowling face—hmph. He didn't sign up for retionship advice. "Thought you'd get where I'm in' from," he hinted pointedly. "Don't o expin."

  Edith scoffed. "Just because we don't practice soft doesn't mean we have to be callous. That girl's out there getting torn up. In case you missed her injuries from her st fight." Virgil turned away to leave. "Look—I'm just saying...you don't o be an asshat. Quin like your tough-guy act. I don't bme him either."

  "Who the hell's side are you on?" Virgil grunted.

  "Fii's. Look. I get your motives—tough love, and all that. I'm more on your side on this one," Edith relented. "You're right. Fii does o step things up—otherwise she's gonna be roadkill." Virgil caught her faint smirk. "Still—don't o be a dick about it, right? Give her a few words of encement. Don't o give her an ultimatum to ge. The girl already feels terrible enough."

  "Says you. Your bedside manners arely what I'd call f. The kid respects me. Not you," Virgil argued. "Might as well put my two ts in now. Beat that into her before she's six feet under." He gestured to the motionless body behind them. "Maybe then she'd wise up."

  "Hmph. Well. It's still on your sce when the girl iably breaks down. You sure you'll sleep alright? Going to bed knowing your words send her doiral?" Edith retorted. She rubbed her temples. "Never mind. It's te. You have the right to do whatever you want. We all have the right to say what we want." She waved dismissively. "Shoo."

  Virgil decided to take his leave—better not to tihis pointless squabble. Their versation wouldn't aplish anything productive. Besides—he wanted a quiet, rexing night—not another useless discussion. Virgil closed the ic door and headed in the dire of the Neon Alley. Time for a well-deserved break. He could use the brief reprieve after today's fight.

  Outside the ic, he spotted Kenzo emerging from an alleyying with his hair.

  Virgil sidestepped the man and proceeded without aowledging his presence. He didn't have the patience or energy to engage in small talk with Kenzo—he needed his shut-eye. The previous frontation had depleted his reserves.

  "Oi, Virgil!" Kenzo caught his shoulder and spun him around. Virgil ripped himself out of Kenzo's grip. Dammit. So much for avoiding Kenzo's useless babbling.

  "What do you want?" Virgil demanded. He folded his arms—challenging Kenzo to engage.

  "I heard about what happe the Rust Market a couple of days ago," Kenzo responded. "Did that Salvatuy send in more Adrenomancers?"

  "Yeah. Axion took on five of 'em. Ended in a draw when it should have been a total wipeout. The girl's still holdin' herself baow's not the time for that." Virgil tilted his head in the ic's dire. "I huwo of 'em down. Killed one and brought the other one over for Edith. She probably wants to figure out how Salvatore's serum works." He snorted. "Let's hope she doesn't create any neons with its secrets."

  Kenzo raised his eyebrows. "Whoa. Sounds serious." He eyed the ic warily. "Edith's experimenting with Salvatore's serums? Isn't that...kinda dangerous?"

  "Beats me. Far as I care—that's not my problem. Just a heads-up," Virgil replied curtly. "Anythin' else? Otherwise—leave. I o get a breather."

  Kenzo cleared his throat. "Yeah. I actually o ask a question—a bit random. Maybe it wait till ter when you're in a better mood, but..."

  "Make it quick." Virgil tamped down the rising urge to sh out at Kenzo's self-imposed reservations.

  "Sure," Kenzo acquiesced. "I'm gonna be helping a friend out, sometime soon. They're involved in a gang war...against the Echo Syndicate."

  Virgil's gaze hardened. Kenzo didn't o go into detail. He already had a fair guess. "And who is this...friend? What exactly do they need help with? You pn on starting trouble, Kenzo?"

  "It's...kinda plicated. Look. We got a whole history together—trust me when I say it's difficult to expin," Kenzo said sheepishly. "Anyway—just a heads-up in case things get heated—and trust me—there'll be plenty of fire. My friend...kinda did something they shouldn't have...and I o fix a problem. Y'know what I mean?"

  Virgil pihe bridge of his nose. Great. Kenzo didn't answer his damion. How reliable. He sighed. "Just spill it already." He locked eyes with Kenzo. "Remember—I'll shoot you for this. In case you fet—I hate bullshitting and even bigger liars."

  Kenzo's palms shot upwards in mock surrender. "Hey—look. It's a bit personal and kinda plicated, all right?" He brushed the back of his head and averted eye tact. "Don't worry. After this, I'll help you dismantle Salvatore's drug facility—no questions asked. Alright? All you o know is—my friend is in a spot of trouble and I gotta help. Just don't get involved. Okay? This is my problem—not yours."

  "Right." Virgil couldn't help but find the situation suspicious. He raised an eyebrow. "Anything else? I'm giving you time to speak—make sure to make your story airtight."

  Kenzo shifted uneasily. He stuck his hands in his pockets. "This is all I'm willing to divulge for now. Oh—tell Axion not to get involved either. Though, I'm sure she has her hands full with those Adrenomancers..." His eyes flickered momentarily towards Edith's ic.

  "Sure." Virgil jabbed an index finger into Kenzo's chest. "You know better than to screw us over. Else...there will be sequehe girl's taken a shio you, Kenzo. She seems to think you're a good person. I won't say otherwise unless you prove me wrong. We clear?"

  "Crystal clear." Kenzo fshed a half-smile. "Rex. I don't pn on backstabbing my allies." He shifted the headphones on his neck. "This ain't the metropolis. There's honor here. An uanding—respect."

  Kenzo cpped his hand on Virgil's shoulder. "Get yourself a dri something good. We'll all need some if we're gonna put the hurt on Salvatore. Later, man." He pivoted on his heel and strode off.

  Virgil watched Kenzo leave until his outline vanished into the alleyways.

  Hmm.

  He cracked a small smile. Kenzo always surprised him. Perhaps that was why he stuck around.

  He'd let him pass today.

  After all—his gut feeling told him that Kenzo meant well. Virgil trusted his gut. It had seldom deceived him.

  Mirage watched "Backfire" leave the premises—heading in the dire of the Neon Alley. Her cloaking device destructed—transitioning her into visibility as she leaned against the ic's back alley. She appeared absorbed ihought—leaning on her rakishly tilted rapier.

  So...this was the pce where her arget resided? Didn't seem too spicuous. Pin, dingy, and nondescript. A fettable pce amongst an equally unmemorable ndscape.

  Mirage had to sacrifice two of her colleagues for the info. It was a bit pricey for her liking, but it was the quickest way to locate Edith Weiss. This mission ecifically tasked for her—with its specifistraints. And that meant cutting ers when necessary. Salvatore allowed it. He wahe woman captured at all costs.

  This "Edith" person. Who the hell was she? This unremarkable backstreet physi must be an important part of Salvatore's scheme. Was she involved with Axion as well? Whatever the case, her capture was Mirage's job now. Time to get to work.

  She activated her cloaking device. She smirked as her form faded away.

  An incredible little device. One of a kind. Salvatore really spshed out to obtain it. Still—he never shied away from money—especially when he believed it'd be his business ventures. Now that Mirage possessed it, she had to admit—it certainly upped her gamepy.

  Mirage approached the entrance of the ic with the same grace as a prowling cat—a graceful silhouette wavering through the air. The sliding door parted with a meical whir and a small whoosh of air. The faux-pstic doors aal panels peeled to either side to grant Mirage entry. A chiming sound chimed as she slipped through the entryway—but the few nurses or patients scattered throughout paid her no heed. None were able to track her movements, and all of the equipment inside registered her invisible presence as a glitg static mess.

  Onside, Mirage strode carefully around the scattered croassed through the primary ic halls. She perused her surroundings carefully.

  Unbelievable. This facility...was ineffit. So cluttered and g anization—all signs pointing to inpetence. Any destine agent would tear this pce apart. All that occupied the hallway were busy nurses, disheveled and overwhelmed individuals seeking a quick remedy for a fever or a scraped k itiful.

  Ba the metropolis—medical ters ducted operations much more effitly. Hospitals were mostly automated, allowing them to tackle every health-reted need without the need for human interference. She wasn't surprised—backwater zones had teology and cepts well out-of-date and useless. The people who resided here were lucky if they were familiar with basic hygie was truly unfortunate—even sad—that so many individuals existed in these depraved ditions.

  As Mirage traversed the gested hallways of the primary ic area—she eventually entered a single room. I the prize she sought—the prize Salvatore was after. There—Edith Weiss—hard at work, back turned and preoccupied, tinkering with the unscious Blitz's Adrenomancer harness. Her eention appeared devoted to the Adrenomancer before her.

  Mirage watched as Edith crouched and pyed with a needle attached to Blitz's right forearm. Occasionally, the syringe would pump liquid in—sometimes drawing a small amount of blood or fluid into a test tube.

  Strange.

  Salvatore had designed a few termeasures around those harnesses in case someoried to hijack them or repurpose the materials withihe doctor was able to fiddle with Blitz's harness without resistance. How?

  Was this the reason why Salvatore wanted her? No. It couldn't be just that. His thoughts and aspirations were more nuanced and plex—more yered.

  Still—watg the doctor's adept hands fiddling with the various parts of Blitz's drug harness firmed this Edith womahe expertise needed. Was she a mastermind on Salvatore's level? A rival? The possibility was high. And that meant Salvatore pnned on utilizio his advantage.

  Mirage scouted the surroundings—eyes gliding over the disheveled desk. Spread on its surface y an assortment of data files, medical data chips, and puters. Everything on it appeared locked with a digital seal. Irrelevant. Not important for now.

  Satisfied, Mirage performed a slow turn—peering at her surroundings. No windows. No access points except through the sole entryway she used. A small and enclosed area.

  She frowned.

  Grabbiarget and making an escape through this building's chaotic traffic of bodies would be...problematic.

  No. Improbable. Her cloaking devily masked her body and nearby sound—not everything else. Exiting the froranseen with Edith was an unrealistic gamble. Mirage wouldn't have had much of an issue if this had been just an assassination mission.

  Salvatore had ordered "capture—alive."

  If she couldn't plete that objective, he settled for her exact location instead. Either table.

  Mirage's eyes lingered on the doctor.

  No matter how much of a genius this woman was supposed to be—it'd still take a long time before she made signifit progress with the Adrenomancer harness.

  So...no rush. The target wasn't going anywhere.

  Mirage exited the id drifted bato the alleyways.

  She removed a unication earpied pced it within her ear. Oher end, she ected to a voice el with her employer.

  "Talk to me, Mirage," Salvatgore's distorted voianded.

  "I found our quarry," she whispered. "Sending the coordinates now."