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It rattled my teeth. Lights blew out in the southern quadrant. Sparks rained from the transformer and kissed my skin, but I didn’t feel any pain.

A voice, far away, echoed in my ear. DITA.

“Guards are on the move.”

I took the long way around the building, sprinting at top speed. My legs and lungs should’ve burned. I didn’t feel it.

Sliding through the darkness, I stayed low, my pulse a concerningly fast drumbeat in my ears as I reached the west side fence and the now-empty entrance gate.

I slipped through, pressing myself against the wall of the building. The security booth was just ahead.

“DITA, how long until backup arrives?”

“Reinforcements already in motion. ETA four minutes.”

Fuck. I had to be fast. But I could do that. I could do anything.

I yanked the booth door open, and one remaining guard spun. His hand went for a gun, and I ran straight at him, clamping my hand over his face. I shocked him, and I wasn’t careful. He convulsed beneath me, body twitching. His pants grew dark as he pissed himself, but I didn’t stop. I swore I heard his heart struggling.

“EON!” DITA screamed in my ear.

I dropped him.

I looked at vid feeds pulled up on the booth’s monitors.

Me: Where are you?

Taos: Storage 3, behind some crates.

I pulled up the feed, sparks flying from my fingers over the system’s controls. They weren’t visible on camera. They’d done at least that much.

The screens flashed red:LOCKDOWN IN PROGRESS. I tried to override it, but the system needed higher clearance.

“Should I—” DITA offered, but I shook my head.

“Work smarter, not harder.” I dragged the unconscious guard to the access panel and slapped his hand down to clear the override.

I let him flop back to the floor. “At least you get to keep it,” I muttered.

The Vector was still riding high in my system, making time feel fluid, slippery. I clenched my fists, ready to throw more Flux at the panel if I had to—

Then the light blinked green.

I didn’t hesitate. I hit the override, unlocking every security door in the building.

Me: You’re clear.

Taos: Copy. Moving.

Me: Front gate clear for two mins.

Shadows slipped out from behind the crates on the screen and disappeared down a now-open corridor.

I slipped back out into the rain, keeping low as I sprinted toward the rendezvous point.

Emergency lighting flickered inside the building, casting everything in an eerie red glow. Then I saw them—Taos, Vex, Marco—bolting toward the exit.

I waved them toward the gate.