Sonya sat ba her chair, her expression thoughtful. The story that hua had told was strange, she didn’t reize any of the characters in it but her gut told her that it was important somehow. It was like hua was trying to expin something without expining it. She rubbed her , Did it have something to do with her vision after asding to the stage of her ability? Was the Penny character Pandora? She scratched her ned sighed. She just didn’t have enough information and she wasn’t about to go down the rabbit hole of spiracy theories.

  Her lip curled into a small smile, Speaking of which.

  She waved her hand and the monitors floating around the room densed and shifted about again, “Show me Martin Fuller. Breakdown of his current movements based oing intelligenotable transas, and any quotes that have been recorded and are worth listening to,” She said aloud and the ss flickered again. In an instant numerous camera images of Martin showed up in her field of view, different angles, all of them watg as he made his way from pce to pce. His yellow eyes gleaming in each image. Her lip twitched, Between Amos, The Night Society, Charon, and Kingsharks men, I keep an eye on you. It’s a huge iment for one man, but I think it’s worth it.

  She watched him walk down an alley in one video and gnce up at the camera, a frown on his face.

  Do you know I’m watg? She thought with amusement before chug a little, What’re you gonna do about it detective? She crossed her legs and held out her hand, a of soda appearing in it. She cracked it open and sipped, No worthwhile quotes. He’s being careful to avoid rec devices somehow. Her eyebrow rose, Or he’s not saying much, which wouldn’t surprise me holy. She snorted and sipped her drink. She gnced down at it and gnced around. She knew no one was there but she just wao make sure Car didn’t sneak up and tease her about the part. A hard light straeared in the . She sipped through it and leaned forward, Transas, flights… already in Paris! Good for you!

  She set the down, I’m curious what will happen when you y eyes on him for the first time, Detective, she thought smugly. Good luck! I’m ting on you.

  That was when something happened on one of the feeds and she leaned forward, the straw slipping out of her lips as she squinted only to lean back with a ugh, “You little fucker!” She cackled and kicked her feet, “Someohinks he’s a edian. Alright, game on.”

  –

  Martin gnced up at the camera and frowned. Every time he saw one he had a feeling that she was able to see him somehow. It was an i feeling usually, like it was saving a rec. This time, though, his eyes told him otherwise. He stopped in front of the camera and stared into it, tilting his head and fishing through his pockets for what he’d prepared for this exaent. A few seds ter he pulled out a business card with the words ‘Enjoying the show, ASTArte?’. He gri the camera and shoved the card bato his pocket, walking away..

  To think she used a damn pun for the a of her pany’s name. How has no one else noticed it? He scoffed. Making his way around a er and into an alley. His eyes narrowed and he felt the heat building in them for a moment before the world was illuminated before him. He shuffled through the degeneracy that took p the alley, the befoulment, the sadness, the siess, until he found what he was looking for. A single man stood o the wall, he was thin but athletic, his smile a bit coy. He wore a suit despite his surroundings and seemed utterly unbothered by the filth. He reached out and pushed in one of the bricks and the wall opened up for him.

  Martin blinked and his visiouro normal, he turned his eyes from the alley itself to the point on the wall the image had indicated. He walked over to it and frowned, it looked pletely indistinct from the rest of the wall. He reached up and pressed his fingers against it and without hesitation it depressed, sliding into the wall before clig ohe wall soundlessly slid down in front of him, revealing a stairwell going down. His eyes narrowed and he clicked his tongue when no lights came on. Typical. He fished through his pockets before pulling out a lighter and gring at it. He gnced down the passage, I could use my eyes.

  He sidered what ovna had said during an interview ohat she aeam ‘theorized’ that powers were like a muscle, they o be worked to be strengthened. It annoys me that I o take advice from her, but it’ll do. He thought as he stepped into the darkness, his eyes lighting up and the space before him covered with a yellow-gold hue. He could see clearly despite it. As he did he felt something in the air to his right and gnced over, his lips curling downward. “You’re nosy,” He gruo the floating pink digital-looking eye.

  The eye flickered and turned into a face that ughed impishly at him before vanishing. He clicked his tongue, Crazy bitch. He grumbled and tinued dowairs. Her range is monstrous, though I suppose as long as she has a general idea of where something is, she pinpoint. She used the field of view of the camera and then followed me. I o be more cautious. He thought grimly as he found the base of the stairs. A turetched out in front of him with a small stream of water going down the way on his left. He reached up and adjusted his hat, stalking forward. I should have brought a on. As an ordinary citizen it was far harder to get a on past s and France was on high alert after what happened in The Hague.

  He felt that presence again and spun around, shoving his hand into his pocket and grabbing the first thing he felt. He tossed it at the pink floatihat was now following him, “Would you quit following me you goddamn voyeur!” He barked, annoyed, and threw his lighter through the eye. It vanished and he huffed, grumbling irritably as a spsh echoed iunnel. He blinked and looked at his hand and then at the water, watg his lighter float by. He stared at it for several seds before letting out a sigh and reag up to scratch his scruffy , “Let her annoy me, damn it. I practically hear her ughing at me.”

  –

  Sonya leaned forward across her desk, spping her fist down on it and ughing. She held onto the desk, trying to support herself as she watched Martin mourn his lighter. She sniffed and leaned back as a chime rang out in her office. She gnced up and reached out with her senses, feeling Car oher side, “Welp, guess it’s time for bed!” She snickered and slipped out of her chair, waving her hand over the crystal aivating it, “I’ll che you ter, have fun in the sewers, detective,” She snickered.

  –

  He felt her presenpletely vanish this time a out a sigh of relief, “Finally,” He grumbled and rubbed his neck, “Makes my damn skin crawl,” He muttered before pausing and gng down the passage. He saw no movement. He let out a breath, I got loud. Looks like there are no guards, I doubt they’d be expeg ao just stumble on this pce that easily. He gnced again over his shoulder at the spot where her eye had been floating. Did she notice that I sensed her? He chastised himself and flexed his fingers, feeling the senses in his body react to even the smallest movements around him. It was maddening at times.

  If I drink more it’ll cut it down, but look where being drus me. He grumbled.

  He wasn’t sure if it was an ability of its own or if it was something else. He was still figuring it out and had only realized how intehey’d bee retly. If it was an ability, it didn’t e with an instinct of its own. Instead, it provided him with something far more valuable. Clear and plete uanding of Gaze of Mimir. Not just the bare minimum instinct a normal person started with, every nook and y of the power.

  Fat lot of good it does me when my state of mind and the one most patible with the power are so damn far apart, he thought irritably. Even so, he ched his fist, I ever let that woman touch my hand. Thanks to the Gaze I know how her powers work and why she wao shake my hand so badly. He clicked his tongue, Gaze of Mimir would be bad enough in her hands, but instincts that could let her perfectly uand her powers? He shuddered and started walking, I feel like I’m walking around with a nuclear football.

  He focused oh in front of him, pushing the grim thoughts aside. His brow furrowed as he made his way down the passage, gng around to get more detail on his surroundings. It’s an old sewer, out of use from the look of it. Just after Haussman’s refurbishment, then, lots of opportuo build aryway like this around then. Hardly any ht. He rubbed his neck again and paused, feeling the hairs on his neck stand on end. He frowned and turo the right, gng over the wall.

  Another?

  He took a few steps bad searched the history of the wall, the various shadows that walked past it. He ighem, the flickering shapes, until finally he saw that man again. He was standing in front of the wall and saying something. Then the door opened. Martin tilted his head and squinted, walking around to get a better look at the man’s face. Damn if I ’t hear what he’s saying. Still not synized enough with the eyes. He thought irritably and watched the man’s lips. Give me something… e on… he squinted, pushing a bit more into the eyes as he tried again to rex his mind, pushing the wandering thoughts away as best he could.

  L’huma betail.

  Martin’s shoulders tensed, a wave of nausea running up his throat. He g the wall again and swallowed hard, the very thought of repeating those words- he grit his teeth and shook his head. Whatever it takes. He thought before stepping into the spot where the man had stood and clearing his throat, “L’huma betail,” He said aloud, doing his best approximation of a french at. It wasn’t great but it wasn’t terrible either. High School French was good for something at least, he chuckled as the a small chime rang out, the sound of a digital lock disengaging before the wall slid down revealing a new passage.

  He stalked forward, moving more cautiously. The hairs on his neck were still standing on end, every sense in his body told him danger was nearby. He dipped low, pulling his hat down a bit to ease the glow of his eyes. He slipped forward into a short hallway with two offshooting passages goi and right. He pressed against the right wall and peered into that passage before turning his head left into the other. He stopped and squinted, A body? He thought, spotting the legs poking into the left passage from the side. He gnced back down the right passage before quickly moving to the side of the body, keeping his senses on high alert. Danger was close, but it looks like luck is smiling on me. He thought as he pulled the gun off the belt of the dead man.

  He examihe man for a moment but only got a name and cursory information. He’d have to trate hard to get more and giveate of his nerves he didn’t have that kind of time. He checked the magazine, full. He g the body again, the pool of bloinating from the man’s neck. Knife, o, very fast. He thought as he whipped the gun up and poi behind his own head. The sed a knife hesitated just an inch from his jugur, “I’m not much of a fighter,” He grumbled, “So I’d appreciate it if we just talked.”

  “You’re not one of the svers,” It was a woman’s voice, a bit hoarse, smoker? No. Sihere was a rhythm to her words. Her at was… Australian? What was she doing here? His seold him she was still dangerous even with the gun in her fad the k bay. “Who are you?” She demanded.

  He didn’t look back at her, “A disgraced detective,” He said holy.

  “You got a lot of nerve ing down into the belly of the beast, ‘detective’,” She growled, “You’re also dead weight as far as I’m ed if you ’t fight. Gimme a reason to keep you alive. You’ve got ten-”

  “Mythic. Ocur power. See the truth of what’s before me.” He cut her off.

  “-seds…” She trailed off, the danger in the air slipping immediately, “You’re not lying?”

  “ I turn around?” He asked.

  She pulled her knife away from his ned took a step back. He rose, slowly, and lowered his neon before turning to face her. He reached up and tilted his hat a bit, giving her a cursory look. She had red hair that was cut short, freckles across her nose and a pair of luminous green eyes. He paid little attention ture beyond the pression shirt and the cargo pants held up by a bat belt. His eyes told him the rest, “Addison Kelly, bat veteran, served in TAG, awakened ahe military after actally-”

  He held up a hand, “Enough, that’s enough, I believe you,” She said cooly.

  “Fine,” He grunted and shoved his new gun into his pocket. He gnced dowh behind her, “I’m looking into the man who owns this pce.”

  “You know who owns it?” She asked, incredulously.

  “Superficially,” He grumbled, “I won’t know for certain until I y eyes on him myself.”

  She frowned, “Better than me, I’ve been following disappearances and human traffickers, it led me here.”

  He scowled, He’s already started, then. Damn it. Hoeople has he- He closed his eyes a out a breath. He opened his mouth to say something and then a face popped up in his mind. He closed his mouth and rubbed the bridge of his nose, “I’m moving on,” He grunted and started walking past her.

  “Hold it,” She bit out, spping the wall and blog him. “Why don’t we-”

  “Team up?” He interrupted her again, looking her square in the eyes, “I don’t do partners anymore,” He said with a sigh and dipped under her arm, “But if you happen to follow me, I ’t do a damn thing about it.”