The lobby was already loud when they stepped out of the elevator.
Everyone was awake. Everyone was waiting. And everyone noticed the time.
"You're late," Cassian said immediately, arms crossed, voice flat.
"Very late," Adrian added, blinking once like he was recalculating his entire schedule.
Theo froze mid-step.
Eliot shrank just a little.
Leon stopped, straightened.
"My fault," he said calmly. "Morning complications."
Rex yawned loudly behind him. "Tiny humans require maintenance."
"That's not an excuse," Cassian shot back.
"It absolutely is," Rex replied.
Mira looked up from her phone, smirked. "Relax. Five minutes won't kill us."
Elara crossed her arms, glancing at Lunara. "Unless someone starts asking too many questions."
Lunara stood slightly apart, coat zipped tight, beanie low, hands in pockets. She tilted her head. "Humans complain too much this early."
Theo whispered to Eliot, "See? Even she's grumpy."
"I'm always grumpy," Lunara muttered.
Cassian sighed. "Okay. Enough. Where are we heading?"
Adrian looked to Mira. "Yeah. You've been quiet. That's suspicious."
Mira's smirk widened. "You'll see."
"That's not an answer," Elara said.
"That's the fun part," Mira replied, already walking toward the doors.
Theo jogged to keep up. "Is it food-related?"
"No."
"Danger-related?"
"Maybe."
Theo gasped. "Even better."
Rex laughed. "I like her."
Leon shot him a look.
Outside, Ashfall City was fully awake now—cars moving, screens flashing, the city breathing.
Mira finally stopped near the transport bay. She turned, eyes sharp, voice confident.
"We're going to my dad's company."
Silence. Then—
Cassian blinked. "Your dad's… company?"
Adrian frowned. "The one with half the city's surveillance contracts?"
Mira nodded. "Exactly."
Elara stiffened. Lunara's ears twitched beneath the beanie, just for a second.
Theo leaned closer to Eliot. "That sounds… important."
Eliot nodded. "And terrifying."
Mira clasped her hands behind her back, smiling like she'd already won.
"If there's an escaped subject in Ashfall," she said smoothly, "we'll find it in no time."
Leon's jaw tightened. Rex's grin faded just a little.
Lunara didn't speak. Her tail flicked once beneath the coat.
The game had started.
"Alright," Leon said after a beat. "Let's move."
And they did—together—stepping straight into whatever Ashfall was about to throw at them.
--
Mira led them deeper into the company, past glass walls and humming corridors, until they reached a massive operations room.
Screens covered the walls.
City maps.
Heat signatures. Blinking dots that moved like prey. Tables were lined with sleek gadgets—trackers, wrist scanners, body cams, compact comms.
Theo froze. "Okay. This place definitely knows my social security number."
"Relax," Rex said. "If it wanted us dead, we'd already be dead."
"That is not comforting," Eliot whispered.
Mira moved with practiced ease, picking up a tray of devices. "Everyone take one. Trackers, body cams, emergency pings. Don't lose them."
She handed them out. Soft beeps answered.
"I'll stay here," she continued, tapping a screen where the city expanded. "I'll watch your feeds and give instructions. If anything moves weird, I'll see it."
Cassian nodded. "Formation?"
"Groups of two," Mira said. "Partners."
Immediate chaos.
Theo spun around. "Nope. Absolutely not."
Eliot clutched Leon's sleeve. "I don't like that."
Rex crossed his arms. "This feels emotionally unnecessary."
Leon pinched the bridge of his nose. "We knew this was coming."
Mira didn't even blink. "Four people together are easier to track. Two teams cover more ground. Faster. Safer."
Theo deflated, dramatic. "…I hate logic."
Elara raised her hand smoothly, blonde hair catching the light. "I'm with Lunara. My best friend. For now."
She didn't wait—she grabbed Lunara's sleeve and dragged her aside.
"I could walk myself," Lunara muttered.
"You could," Elara said sweetly. "But you won't."
Cassian stepped forward. "Adrian's with me."
Adrian blinked. "You didn't ask."
Cassian smirked. "Didn't need to."
That left the four boys.
Theo immediately pointed. "I'm not leaving Eliot."
Rex blinked. "…Wait, what?"
Eliot tightened his grip on Leon. "I stay with Leon."
Leon looked down at him, calm but firm. "That works."
Theo turned slowly. "Excuse me?"
Rex burst out laughing. "Ohhh. So that's how it is."
Theo huffed, grabbed Rex's arm. "Fine. You're mine then."
"Thrilled," Rex said. "Honored. Deeply moved."
They stood there for a second, the separation finally real.
Eliot stepped forward and hugged Theo tight. "Check in. A lot."
Theo hugged back harder. "Every two minutes."
Rex leaned in and ruffled Eliot's hair. "You'll be fine, tiny human."
Leon gave Theo a steady look. "Stay sharp."
Theo nodded. "…You too."
Mira handed out walkie-talkies. "Pick group names."
Cassian didn't hesitate. "Black Channel."
Elara glanced at Lunara. "Night Howl."
Lunara paused, then nodded once. "…Acceptable."
Mira turned to the boys.
Rex grinned. "Alright, Theo. Ideas?"
Theo thought hard. "Thunder—"
"No," Leon said from across the room.
Theo scowled. "Sunrise Squad."
Leon sighed. "Of course."
Mira tapped the screen. "Sunrise Squad: Rex and Theo."
Then she looked at Leon and Eliot.
Eliot hesitated, then said softly, "Quiet Signal?"
Leon nodded. "Works."
Mira smiled faintly. "Quiet Signal: Leon and Eliot."
Routes lit up. Paths diverged.
"Stay on comms," Mira said. "Stay together. We find the escaped wolf fast."
The teams split.
Theo looked back one last time, pointing. "Don't die."
Eliot nodded seriously. "Don't get lost."
Rex laughed. "No promises."
And just like that, Ashfall City opened up around them—
—and the hunt began.
As the teams split and disappeared into the city, Mira stayed behind in the operations room, eyes tracking the moving dots on the screen.
Her phone buzzed.
She glanced down at the name and sighed. "Of course."
She answered. "What do you want, Brent?"
"Tch," his voice scoffed through the line. "You really sent them out there?"
Mira leaned back in her chair, crossing one leg over the other. "Good morning to you too. Did you trip over your ego on the way in?"
"Don't dodge it," Brent snapped. "You're using them. All of them. Just to get what you want."
Mira smiled—slow, sharp. "Still bad at reading situations, huh?"
There was a brief pause.
Then she asked casually, "Have you arrived?"
Brent hummed. "Yeah. Just got down in Ashfall City."
"Good," Mira said smoothly. "Come here. I'll explain everything."
Silence. Suspicion. "You better."
She didn't wait for his reply.
The call ended.
Mira lowered the phone and allowed herself a small smirk—just a little—as the screens continued to glow in front of her.
Whatever Brent thought he knew, he was already behind.