𝑼𝑵𝑬𝑿𝑷𝑬𝑪𝑻𝑬𝑫 | 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑑𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡

𝑇𝐻𝐸 𝑇𝑅𝑈𝑇𝐻

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　　 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐌𝐒. . . 𝐃𝐈𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐒𝐄 days. Lighter, somehow, like a weight I didn't realize was pressing down on all of us has finally lifted. Ever since Reese left, there's been this odd ripple through the headquarters—everyone's smiles feel less forced, more genuine. I catch myself noticing it, the way the tension seems to unravel in small, almost imperceptible ways. It's strange, and a little exhilarating.

And me? I feel... lighter too. I won't lie. Seeing Chase single again—it's selfish, but a relief. I can breathe a little easier without Reese's shadow hanging over him, over us.

Kaz has been persistent, unfortunately. He's too polite to be pushy, but there's this quiet determination in the way he angles his questions, the little glances he sends, waiting for me to crack. I don't want to hurt him, not now. Not when my heart is still so tangled in a mess of memories, a year of absence, and Chase. I keep thinking he's too much like Adam, and that only makes my head spin faster.

'Chase and Addilynn, suit up. We're sending you on a little mission.' Mr. Davenport's voice is sharp, deliberate.

I blink up at him, trying to wrap my brain around his words. 'Just the two of us?'

'Yes. Now go.' His tone leaves no room for argument, so I rise, my chest tight with anticipation. The familiar weight of my suit settles over me, metal and circuits humming against my skin. Chase suits up beside me, and I feel a strange comfort in that.

Douglas begins the briefing. 'Your job is to spy on Roman and Riker and see what they're up to.'

Chase furrows his brows, suspicious. 'Why just us two?'

'Because you both have bionic hearing and sight,' Mr. Davenport replies. 'Besides, you can work well together. That's what we need for this mission.'

I nod, trying not to let my pulse spike at the thought of us together in the field. We share this strange rhythm, this unspoken understanding that makes him feel... like home, even in chaos.

I bow slightly, offering him my back to leap onto, and he does, his weight settling there in a way that feels natural. I focus, feel the familiar thrill of speed coursing through me, and we're gone—racing toward our target, the city blurring around us.

Hours pass with nothing. Silence and shadows, broken only by the occasional flicker of movement. Neither Roman, Riker, nor Reese gives us any useful information. The waiting gnaws at me, the tension in my shoulders twisting tighter with every passing second.

Then Chase breaks it. 'So, what's going on between you and Kaz?'

I stiffen, turning my gaze away. 'Do you have to ask me this now?' I whisper, irritation prickling at the edges of my calm.

He nods heavily. 'Yes. I personally think that you're making a big mistake. I mean, it's Kaz.'

I can't hold it back. 'Why do you care? You're the one that got a new girlfriend only a year after I supposedly died.' My words sting with memory, with loss, with the unfairness of it all.

'It's complicated.'

'I don't care. If you weren't so busy with your "snookiepookie" we wouldn't be having this conversation right n—'

I freeze. Roman and Riker appear in front of us, sharp and menacing, dragging us into some basement-like lair. My stomach churns as we're separated, each locked into a capsule—three walls and a glass door. My chest tightens as I realize what's coming.