Morning frost still clung to the Combat Core grounds when Levi and Lily stepped from their quarters. The halls were quiet. Only the muted footsteps of early risers and the distant hiss of steam pipes disturbed the silence. Levi walked slightly ahead, already dressed for duty. Lily kept pace beside him, tying her white hair into a neat ponytail as they moved. Neither spoke. After last night— that was probably safer.
They had almost reached the central desk when hurried footsteps came from behind them.
"Levi!"
He stopped. Silvia jogged toward them, a clipboard tucked beneath one arm and a folder in her hand.
"Lily!"
Levi stared. Silvia slowed.
"What?"
"When you're in uniform."
He gestured toward himself.
"Captain."
Silvia rolled her eyes.
"Right, right."
She saluted with exaggerated seriousness.
"Sorry, bro—I mean, Commander Levi."
Levi's eye twitched. Lily looked away before he could see her smile. Silvia handed him the folder.
"This came through from Apprehension."
Levi opened it while walking.
"About the prisoner from yesterday?"
"Supposedly."
Lily moved closer and read over his shoulder. Her expression quickly hardened.
"This is it?"
Levi flipped the page. There wasn't another.
Lily tapped the report. "There's no name, no power assessment, nothing about where he came from or his medical condition."
Silvia caught up beside them.
"Our Medical team hasn't received anything either."
Levi stopped. Silvia continued.
"I checked before I came down."
"They haven't sent a medical log at all?"
"Not one."
Levi snapped the folder shut.
"They're hiding something."
Lily folded her arms. "Or buying time until they have an answer. We don't know which yet."
"That doesn't make this excuse for a report any better."
"No, it doesn't." She glanced at the folder. "Either way, it's getting messy."
Apprehension Core — Lower Detention Level
Several blocks away— the reason for the missing report was screaming. The prisoner lay chained to a reinforced steel slab. Heavy restraints bound his wrists. His ankles. His chest. Even his neck. None of it stopped the shaking. His entire body convulsed beneath the straps. Black vapor seeped through his skin. Not smoke. Not quite.
It crawled across the room like fog flowing over water. A senior medical officer watched through reinforced glass. Behind her stood several Apprehension interrogators. One of them spoke.
"How long until he can answer questions?"
The medic didn't look away.
"At this rate?"
She checked the instruments.
"He may never answer anything."
The prisoner groaned. The lights flickered. The medic immediately adjusted a valve. A clear sedative moved through the tubing attached to his arm. His body relaxed slightly. The aura weakened. She exhaled.
"We believe he's from a newer generation of Compound X-9 subjects."
One interrogator frowned.
"Newer? How does it differ from the original prototypes?"
She gestured toward the prisoner as another spasm ran through him. "He's demonstrating more power than the original records describe, but less stability."
She pointed toward the dark markings beneath his skin.
"The compound didn't bond correctly."
"So he's dying?"
"Possibly."
The medic shook her head.
"But that's not the immediate problem."
She held up a small vial. Only a little remained.
"We've been forced to keep him sedated constantly."
"Why?"
"Distress triggers the reaction."
The prisoner suddenly pulled against the restraints. Metal creaked. The medic stared.
"Fear, pain, anger, withdrawal—any of it can set him off." The prisoner pulled again, and the black aura thickened.
The interrogator looked toward the vial.
"Give him more."
She looked at the heart monitor. "We're almost out, and if I keep increasing the dosage, his heart stops."
Silence filled the room.
One interrogator swallowed.
"And if you don't?"
The prisoner opened his eyes. Black veins crawled toward his temples. The medic whispered—
"Then he's a walking bomb."
The restraints screamed. Her eyes widened.
"EVERYONE BACK!"
CRACK.
One chain snapped. Then another. The prisoner screamed. Black energy exploded outward. The reinforced glass shattered. Officers were thrown across the chamber. The prisoner's chest restraint tore apart. Broken chains dangled from his wrists. He slowly stood. Not like a man. Like something waking up inside one.
Combat Core Station
Levi sat behind his desk. Paperwork had defeated stronger men. He was beginning to understand why. He signed one form. Then another. Then another.
He stared at the stack.
"Remind me why I took this job."
Across from him, Lily sorted reports into neat piles.
"To bring order to chaos."
"I thought there'd be more punching."
"There is."
"Not enough."
Lily didn't look up.
"Tragic."
Levi signed another form. He groaned.
"Next time I see that purse snatcher, I'm making him fill all of these out."
The alarm screamed. Both officers froze. A mechanical voice rang through the station.
"CODE CRIMSON."
Levi stood.
"PRISON BREAK."
Lily was already reaching for her coat.
"APPREHENSION CORE — STATION THREE."
Levi grabbed his weapons.
"OFFICER LIVES IN IMMEDIATE DANGER."
Lily looked toward him.
"That's our prisoner."
"Has to be."
Levi moved for the door.
"We're taking a squad."
He turned toward the company floor.
"Full combat gear!"
Officers began moving.
"We leave now!"
"YES, SIR!"
Apprehension Core — Detention Yard
They heard the destruction before they entered the yard. Metal screamed. Glass shattered. Someone yelled. Then—
BOOM.
An Apprehension officer flew through a doorway and hit the ground outside. Levi's squad rushed through the gate. The yard looked like a battlefield. Walls were cracked. One watchtower leaned dangerously sideways. Black scorch-like markings spread across the stone. Officers lay scattered throughout the compound. Most were moving. A few weren't. At the center stood the prisoner. Or what remained of him. The black aura had completely swallowed his body.
Broken chains hung from both wrists. He swung one. A guard tried to approach. The chain wrapped around his shield. The prisoner yanked. The guard went airborne. Three more officers rushed him. He spun. The chain swept across them. All three crashed into the ground. Levi's new company stared. One officer stepped forward.
"Let's show the Captain what we're made of!"
Levi's eyes widened.
"Wait—"
Too late. Several Combat Core officers charged. The first landed a clean strike against the prisoner's ribs. Nothing. The prisoner grabbed him. Lifted him. Threw him into a steel wall. Another officer came from the side. The chain caught his legs. He smashed into a lamppost. A third barely avoided being crushed beneath a black tendril.
"FALL BACK!"
Levi's voice shook the yard. His officers stopped.
"That's not a normal target."
Electricity crawled across Levi's arms.
"Lily."
She stepped beside him.
"On me."
"Always."
Levi disappeared. Lightning struck the yard. He reappeared in front of the prisoner. His fist connected. Thunder exploded. The prisoner staggered backward. Levi followed. Left. Right. Elbow. Lightning surged through every strike. The prisoner swung a chain. Levi ducked. Another came. Levi vanished in a flash. He appeared above him.
"DOWN!"
A bolt descended from the sky. The prisoner was driven into the ground. Stone exploded outward. Lily fired. Three rounds. Each struck ice forming across the prisoner's shoulder. The frost spread rapidly. He roared. Black energy erupted. The ice shattered. Lily slid backward.
"He's resisting everything!"
"I noticed!"
Levi threw a Lightning Javelin. The prisoner caught it. Not cleanly. Electricity tore through his arm. But instead of going down— he screamed and kept moving. Levi stopped. Something about it— the darkness. The violence. The way the power tore through its own user. For half a second— he wasn't standing in the Apprehension yard anymore. He was younger. Smoke filled the air. Captain Stone stood ahead of him. Lightning everywhere. Darkness swallowing it. Then—
Stone fell. Levi's eyes widened. Lily saw it immediately.
"Levi?"
The prisoner charged. Levi met him. Hard. Too hard. His fighting changed. No longer measured. No longer controlled. Every strike came heavier. Faster. Angrier. Lightning crawled across his entire body. His eyes glowed pale blue. The prisoner swung. Levi took the hit against his forearm and drove a knee into his stomach. Then another punch. Another. Another. Lily's expression changed.
"He fights just like..."
She stopped herself. Not the same power. Not exactly. But the feeling— the uncontrolled darkness. The impossible violence. It was enough. Levi remembered Stone bleeding. Remembered being powerless to stop it. His hand moved toward his belt. Two blades came free. Electricity wrapped around them.
"Levi!"
He advanced. Every step cracked the frozen ground beneath his boots. Lightning arced from his shoulders into nearby metal. The prisoner roared. Levi lunged. Blade. Chain. Lightning. Darkness. The collision shook the yard. One knife cut across the prisoner's side. The other struck his shoulder. Black energy erupted from the wounds. The prisoner slammed both fists downward. Levi crossed his blades. The impact drove him into one knee. Lightning exploded outward. The prisoner staggered.
Levi stood. His breathing was heavier now. He raised the knives. This wasn't restraint anymore. This wasn't capture. This wasn't justice. This was revenge.
"Levi!"
He ignored Lily. The prisoner swung. Levi overextended. The chain wrapped around his side.
CRACK.
It struck his ribs. Levi flew. He hit the ground. Rolled. Stopped. Blood left his mouth.
"LEVI!"
Lily rushed forward. He raised one hand.
"Stay back!"
Electricity erupted around him.
"I've got this!"
Lily stopped. Not because she agreed. Because she recognized the look in his eyes. And hated it. The prisoner charged. Levi forced himself up. Then— something moved between them. Four figures. Fast. Precise. One struck the prisoner's left knee. Another his right shoulder. The third cut across the black tendrils. A fourth drove a weapon into his back. The prisoner stumbled. Levi froze. A fifth man walked directly through the opening they'd created.
No wasted movement. No hesitation. One clean strike. His weapon punched straight through the prisoner's chest. The black aura stopped. Silence. The prisoner's eyes widened. His broken chains fell from his hands. The fifth man pulled his weapon free. The body collapsed. Levi stared. The man passed him. His expression didn't change.
"Sorry I'm late."
He wiped his weapon.
"We were redirected after finishing another mission."
Lightning still crawled across Levi.
"I didn't need help."
The man continued walking.
"Sure you didn't."
He raised one hand.
"Squad."
The other four immediately formed behind him.
"We're finished."
"Move out."
Levi watched them go. His jaw tightened. Then he looked toward the corpse.
"Who the hell was that?"
Lily approached, rubbing dirt from her sleeve. Her arm had been singed by flying debris.
"Wolfgang, second-in-command of the Apprehension Core," Lily said. She watched the five officers disappear into the compound as Levi looked toward her. "He commands their Execution Squad."
"Execution Squad?"
"A specialized unit for Shard-bearing outlaws, rogue officers, and targets considered too dangerous for ordinary capture." Lily's voice lowered.
Levi looked toward the dead prisoner.
Her eyes followed him. "They call Wolfgang the Executioner."
Medics flooded the yard. Combat Core officers were carried toward waiting stretchers. Levi moved from one wounded soldier to another.
"Gorran?"
"Breathing."
"Halden?"
"Broken arm."
"Sergeant Vale?"
"Concussion."
Levi exhaled. No confirmed deaths. Not yet. Then someone approached. Levi recognized the voice before he saw the face.
"Hell of a mess."
The same Apprehension officer from yesterday. The smug one. Levi slowly turned. The man glanced toward the corpse.
"Subject snapped during interrogation."
Levi stared.
"We tried to keep things quiet, but..."
He shrugged.
"You know how these people are."
Levi stepped toward him.
"These people?"
The man's smile faded.
"If you hadn't kept us in the dark..."
Lightning began crawling across Levi's fist.
"...we could've prepared."
"Captain—"
"My officers walked into this blind."
"We had it under control."
Levi looked around. Collapsed wall. Destroyed watchtower. Injured officers. Dead prisoner. Then back at him.
"This is your definition of control?"
The officer said nothing. Levi stepped closer.
"If one of my people dies because you decided protecting your reputation mattered more than sharing intelligence—"
His voice dropped.
"—I'll make you regret surviving this yard."
The officer opened his mouth. Thunder rolled overhead. Everyone stopped. Lily looked up. Clouds churned. Electricity crawled through them. The Apprehension officer slowly looked toward Levi. Levi's eyes glowed. Then—
CRACK.
A bolt of lightning came straight down. It struck Levi. The world turned white. The officer stumbled backward, shielding his face. Stone exploded beneath Levi's boots. When the light faded— Levi still stood. Completely unmoved. Lightning rolled across his body. The crater beneath him smoked. For one second— he looked less like an officer. More like a storm wearing a man's shape. The Apprehension officer swallowed. Lily stepped beside Levi. Calm. Collected. Cold.
"You don't want to get on my Captain's bad side."
The officer looked toward her.
"We expect full cooperation."
She held out her hand.
"Medical logs, interrogation records, compound analysis. Everything."
The man nodded immediately.
"Y-yes."
Levi stared. The officer corrected himself.
"Of course."
"Good."
Lily smiled. It wasn't friendly.
"Then we're finally understanding each other."
Combat Core — Evening
The sun had nearly disappeared by the time the last casualty report reached Levi's desk. No deaths. Three serious injuries. Several minor ones. Levi read the document twice before allowing himself to breathe. Lily sat nearby. Neither commented on the relief. They finished the remaining paperwork in silence. Eventually— Lily stood.
"I'm going to wash up."
Levi nodded.
"Same."
After today— they both needed it. Lily returned to the quarters later wearing shorts and a dark tank top. Her white hair was pinned loosely atop her head. She rubbed a towel across the back of her neck. Then stopped. Light spilled from beneath the training-hall door. Dim. Barely noticeable. She frowned. It was late. She pushed the door open slightly.
THUD.
Lily froze. Inside— Levi stood alone. No uniform jacket. No boots. His undershirt was soaked through with sweat. His fists were bruised. The weighted bag swung violently.
THUD.
Levi hit it again.
THUD.
Again.
THUD.
Again. No lightning. No powers. Just his hands. Lily watched. He wasn't training. Not really. He was punishing himself. Her gaze fell toward his ribs. Bandaged. Still injured. Yet he kept going.
THUD.
Lily tightened her grip around the towel.
(That's twice.)
Reed. Today. Twice she'd watched Levi throw himself between everyone else and something stronger than them. Twice she'd been forced into support while he carried the worst of it. And today— someone else had ended the fight. Not them. Lily's hand curled into a fist.
(I was helpless again.)
She looked toward Levi.
(And he thinks he has to do all of this alone.)
Levi struck the bag. Lily quietly closed the door. She didn't interrupt. Not tonight. But something had changed.
(I have to get stronger.)
Her footsteps moved down the hallway.
(Not because he needs someone to save him.)
She stopped outside their room.
(Because he shouldn't have to stand alone.)
Levi returned nearly an hour later. He opened the door. Lily was sitting on her bunk. Waiting. Levi paused.
"You're still awake?"
"Yes."
He closed the door. Silence settled between them. Levi removed the wraps from his hands. Blood had dried across his knuckles. Lily stared at them.
"You reopened those."
"I'm fine."
"You always say that."
"Because I usually am."
"No."
Levi stopped. Lily looked directly at him.
"You're usually still standing." Her voice softened. "That's not the same thing."
Levi said nothing. Lily looked toward his bruised hands.
"Next time we face something like that, I want us to be the ones who take it down," Lily said. "I can't keep watching you throw yourself at something I can't help you stop."
"Lily, you don't have anything to prove to me."
"I know. That isn't why I'm saying it." She stood, looking at his injured hands. "You matter to me, Levi. I'd like to be able to do more than wait for you to come back bleeding."
He looked up. Lily's face warmed, but she didn't retreat.
"And the company," she added. "Everyone who's counting on us. We both have to be ready."
Levi looked away. Stone's face flashed through his memory. His mentor. His failure. The Phantom. The promise Levi had carried ever since.
(This is mine.)
(My burden.)
(My cross to bear.)
(Stone deserves justice from me.)
Lily watched him. She knew that expression now.
"Whatever you're telling yourself, stop," Lily said.
Levi looked back, his brow furrowing. "You don't know what I'm thinking."
"I know the look. You decide it's yours to carry, and suddenly everyone standing beside you becomes someone you have to keep out of it." She stepped closer and held out her hand. "You don't get to make that decision for me. Let me share the load."
Levi looked at her outstretched hand. She wasn't asking him to forget Stone, and for a moment he had no answer. He remembered Leone and their first days together, when he had been the one insisting they were a team, in and out of the field. His expression softened.
"Where I go, you go. Field or office."
Lily nodded.
"I remember."
She smiled faintly.
"And I meant it."
Levi looked at her hand. Then took it. It was more than a handshake, though not quite romantic: an agreement, and a promise.
"Get some sleep."
Lily squeezed his hand once before letting go.
"You too."
Levi moved toward his bunk.
"Something tells me it's only getting harder from here."
Lily sat back down.
"Then we'll get harder to kill."
Levi laughed softly.
"That's the spirit."
Outside— the storm rolled north. Thunder echoed over the frozen city. And somewhere beneath the Apprehension Core— sealed evidence from the dead prisoner waited to be examined. Blood. Compound residue. Fragments of something black and living. And buried beneath the preliminary results— one name.
Kestrel.