Ava kept her pace even, her breathing steady as she neared the
exit gate
. The air here smelled different—
less refined, less controlled
—the kind of place where security was more about intimidation than real enforcement.
She didn’t slow.
Hesitation invited suspicion.
The guards at the checkpoint weren’t military—
private enforcers
, likely working under Angel’s influence. One leaned lazily against a metal barricade, a rifle slung over his shoulder. The other was speaking into his comm, distracted.
Her system
pinged.
[RECOMMENDED ACTION: PASS THROUGH. NO ENGAGEMENT REQUIRED.]
Ava adjusted her stance,
shifting weight to her left foot
—a tiny, imperceptible movement, but enough to change her gait slightly. The system had already optimized her body language to project
boredom, fatigue—nothing worth a second glance.
She reached the gate.
The guard barely looked at her before flicking his eyes down to a
small tablet in his hand
.
"ID?" he muttered, disinterested.
Ava didn’t hesitate. She pulled a small card from her pocket—
forged, of course
, but high-quality. Lucas made sure of that she had the right matterials.
The guard took it, barely scanning it before waving her through.
No questions.
She stepped past the barricade.
She was out.
The street beyond was dimly lit, the
buildings rougher, older, less polished
than those in Level One’s core district. The crowd here was different—
traders, freelancers, drifters looking for work or escape.
Ava turned into a narrow alley, pressing herself into the shadows.
Her system
pinged sharply.
[PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: COMPLETE.]
[NEW DIRECTIVE: RENDEZVOUS POINT REQUIRED.]
Ava inhaled, steadying herself.
Time to disappear completely.
Ava kept moving.
No hesitation.
The moment she left Level One’s core district, she was stepping into
a different world
—one where Angel’s influence didn’t stretch as far, but neither did order.
The
Outer Wards
were a mess of old infrastructure, forgotten checkpoints, and
unspoken rules that kept people alive.
Here, the military didn’t interfere unless someone forced their hand. That made it dangerous—but it also made it
the perfect place to vanish.
Her system pulsed, overlaying a map across her vision.
[RECOMMENDED RENDEZVOUS POINT LOCATED.]
A single blinking marker appeared.
A warehouse near the industrial line, six blocks west.
Ava adjusted her stride, blending into the small crowds that drifted through the
cracked streets and rusted alleyways
. No one cared who she was here. No one asked questions.
That was
exactly
what she needed.
Five blocks.
A food vendor shouted over the noise, advertising
hot rice cakes and protein strips
—the kind that were barely legal, but good enough to keep workers on their feet. The air smelled like
oil, burnt spice, and desperation.
She resisted the urge to slow down.
Four blocks.
A man stood on the corner, arms crossed, scanning the crowd with
a sharp, practiced gaze.
A bounty hunter? A scout?
Ava’s system
scanned him instantly.
[NO AFFILIATION DETECTED.]
[THREAT LEVEL: LOW.]
She passed without a second glance.
Three blocks.
A group of
off-duty enforcers
leaned against a rusted-out truck, laughing over a conversation she didn’t need to hear.
They weren’t military—just hired muscle for some local boss.
They didn’t notice her.
Good.
Two blocks.
Her system
pinged
again.
[MOVEMENT DETECTED BEHIND YOU.]
Ava’s pulse slowed. She didn’t turn her head.
Didn’t react.
Just kept walking.
One block.
The alley to her left was empty. No cameras. No lights.
She turned—
fast.
A
shadow followed.
Ava moved.
One step. Two. Pivot.
The moment the figure rounded the corner, she struck.
A sharp twist—
grab, pin, blade to throat.
A soft grunt.
Then—
"Easy, Beauty."
Ava’s grip
tightened
before her mind fully processed
the voice
.
Lucas.
Of course.
She exhaled sharply, stepping back.
"You have a death wish, Bai?"
Lucas grinned, hands raised in mock surrender.
"Not tonight."
Her system
flickered
, rerouting objectives.
[RENDEZVOUS POINT: UPDATED.]
Ava huffed.
"You could’ve warned me."
Lucas smirked.
"Where’s the fun in that?"
She shook her head, pushing past him.
"Let’s go. Before my system decides to kill you next."
Lucas chuckled, falling into step beside her.
"I’d love to see it try."
Ava didn’t look at Lucas as she walked.
Her system had
rerouted their exit
, and she didn’t question it.
Not yet.
Lucas, however, had no such patience.
"So,"
he drawled, keeping pace beside her,
"should I be worried?"
Ava exhaled.
"About?"
Lucas gave her a pointed look.
"You. Your system. That knife to my throat a minute ago."
Ava’s grip
tightened
at her side. She could still feel the weight of Jessica’s blood on her hands—
fresh, unseen, impossible to forget.
Her system had given the order.
She had followed it.
Lucas didn’t press, but he was watching her.
Too closely.
He always did.
"Tell me something,"
he said, voice almost casual.
"When did it start giving you commands?"
Ava
hesitated.
That half-second was enough.
Lucas hummed.
"Thought so."
She finally shot him a glare.
"And what exactly are you implying?"
Lucas smirked, golden eyes sharp.
"That you and I have more in common than you think."
Ava stopped walking.
"Explain."
Lucas leaned against the alley wall, arms crossed.
"Your system gave you an order tonight, didn’t it? A direct one."
Ava said nothing.
Lucas chuckled.
"I’ll take that as a yes."
He tilted his head.
"And what did it say?"
Ava’s jaw locked.
"It said to abort."
Lucas’s smirk faded.
Just for a second.
Then—
"Smart system."
Ava folded her arms.
"And yours?"
Lucas’s smile returned, but
it was slower this time.
More careful.
"Mine stopped asking permission a long time ago."
That sent an
unpleasant chill
through her spine.
Ava didn’t let it show.
"Sounds inconvenient."
Lucas grinned.
"It has its moments."
She studied him, searching for the joke in his expression.
There wasn’t one.
For the first time since meeting him, she felt something close to
unease.
Looking around Ava exhaled sharply.
"We need to move. This place isn’t safe."
Lucas pushed off the wall.
"After you, Beauty."
Ava stepped forward, but the weight of his words lingered.
She wasn’t the only one following orders.