The city didn't care that Mark had survived.
It never did.
Neon lights bled across rain-slick pavement as he moved through the lower district, hood pulled low, steps measured. Every joint protested. Every breath reminded him that temporary stability meant exactly that—temporary.
[CONDITIONAL MONITORING ACTIVE]
The system's presence sat at the edge of his awareness. Watching. Waiting.
Mark crossed an intersection and felt it before he saw it.
A shift.
Not sound. Not movement.
Pressure.
His pace slowed. Muscles tightened without conscious command. The city noise dimmed, like someone had turned down a dial.
[ANOMALOUS VARIABLES DETECTED]
Mark didn't look around. He kept walking, letting the crowd swallow him.
Someone's here.
He ducked into a narrow service lane between shuttered storefronts. The smell of wet concrete and garbage filled the air. His hand brushed the inside of his jacket—empty.
No weapon.
Figures emerged from the shadows ahead.
Two of them.
Clean clothes. Too clean for this district. One carried himself like a professional—shoulders loose, eyes sharp. The other stood half a step back, hand near his belt.
Hunters.
The front man smiled. "Mark Reves."
Mark stopped.
"Congratulations," the man continued. "You're harder to kill than projected."
Mark tilted his head. "You should've updated your projections."
The smile thinned.
[THREAT LEVEL: ELEVATED]
[IDENTITY MATCH PROBABILITY: 89%]
"So you do know who I am," Mark said.
"Of course," the man replied. "Project records are… thorough."
Mark felt the heat in his chest stir.
Not spike.
Respond.
[TRIGGER REQUIREMENTS: PARTIALLY MET]
His jaw tightened.
"What do you want?"
"To retrieve company property."
"I'm not property."
The second man moved.
Fast.
Mark reacted on instinct. He stepped inside the man's reach, shoulder rolling as his balance shifted—cleaner than before. The strike grazed past him instead of landing. Mark hooked an arm, twisted, and drove an elbow down.
The movement felt… right.
Efficient.
The man hit the ground hard.
[TECHNIQUE OPTIMIZATION — ACTIVE]
[ENERGY EXPENDITURE REDUCED: 12%]
Mark barely registered the data.
The first man sighed. "See? That's exactly the problem."
He raised his hand.
A device hummed to life, emitting a low-frequency pulse that made Mark's vision blur.
Pain tore through his chest.
[SYSTEM INTERFERENCE DETECTED]
[SYNC DEGRADATION IMMINENT]
Mark staggered, teeth clenched. His muscles screamed as coordination slipped. The optimization faltered.
The man stepped closer. "Your system is incomplete. Unstable. But it's learning."
Mark forced a breath. "You sound worried."
"We are."
The device's hum intensified.
[TRIGGER REQUIREMENTS: CRITICAL THRESHOLD APPROACHING]
[CONDITION: HOST UNDER EXTERNAL SYSTEM SUPPRESSION]
Something clicked.
Not power.
Permission.
[TRIGGER CONDITION MET]
[FAILSAFE RESPONSE: LIMITED OVERRIDE AUTHORIZED]
Heat surged—controlled, directed. The pressure in Mark's chest aligned instead of tearing outward. His balance snapped into place. The noise faded.
The device cracked in the man's hand.
Mark moved.
One step. Two.
He didn't hit harder. He hit better.
The man tried to retreat. Mark cut the angle, footwork precise, and drove a palm strike into the sternum. The impact folded the man backward, breath exploding from his lungs.
Mark caught him before he fell.
Up close, the man's eyes were wide. Afraid.
"Tell your people," Mark said quietly. "I'm not done yet."
He let go.
The man crumpled.
[FAILSAFE RESPONSE TERMINATED]
[WARNING: POST-OVERRIDE STRAIN DETECTED]
Mark swayed as the heat drained away, leaving a sharp, hollow ache behind. He braced himself against the wall, breathing through it.
Sirens rose in the distance.
This time, closer.
He didn't wait.
Mark slipped back into the crowd, heart hammering, mind racing.
"Limited override," he whispered. "That's new."
[CLARIFICATION: EMERGENCY RESPONSE ONLY]
"So it won't save me again."
[CONFIRMED]
Mark exhaled.
Fair.
As he disappeared into the city, a final line appeared—subtle, almost hesitant.
[NEXT OBJECTIVE: STABILIZATION REQUIRED]
[METHOD: UNDETERMINED]
Mark smiled thinly.
"Guess we're both looking for answers."
The city swallowed him whole.
End of Chapter 4