The hologram flickers out. A series of clicks follows, and the front door creaks open. Cipher stands on the other side.
Time has carved lines into their face, let their hair grow long into braids, and replaced the visor with glasses like his own. But it’s the clothes that catch Kane off guard. Cipher wears casual slacks and a green cardigan, a far cry from the armored getup they used to wear. His mouth lifts in amusement.
Still, cyberware glints at Cipher’s temples and along their neck, no doubt more hidden beneath their clothes.
Domestic or not, they’re a techie to the core.
When Cipher steps aside, his feed flags the old ceiling sensors, window screens, scramblers in the floorboards.
Bones of their base are here. But the steel is buried beneath antique furniture and knit throws. Not exactly the type of decor he pictured from Cipher.
A sudden glint snaps his focus. Cipher’s hand slips into the cardigan.
The gun comes up fast, barrel leveled at their chests.
Rafael sucks in a breath.
Kane’s arm shoots out over him. “What’s going on, Cipher?!”
“Drop your weapons.” Cipher nods at the ground. Their metrics read steady, as is the weapon in their hands.
His weapons clatter to the floor without protest. Rafael’s safety takes priority.
“He’s clean,” Kane declares. “No weapons. Hardly any cyberware.”
Cipher stares at him, then slowly holsters the gun. “Follow me. We’ll talk outside.”
They don’t wait for an answer, leading Kane and Rafael through a doorway on the opposite wall.
As they move through the house, Kane catches the changes in flashes. Where a holotable once dominated the room, a dining set sits against red walls with pink flowers. The kitchen—once loud with crew voices—is silent, stripped down to bare counters and empty chairs.
The sliding glass door at the far wall whirs open as they approach, revealing a backyard Kane remembers all too well. Where Athena once chanted, and Dragan whipped recruits into line. Now it’s a simple patio beside a garden of flora, spices,and vegetables.
At its center is a stranger in overalls with chin-length blond hair, close to Cipher’s age. While Rafael gawks, Kane’s fingers twitch at his side.
“Stand down,” Cipher hisses. “She’s my partner. Avery.”
Kane blinks. For a split second, Cipher’s drunken ramblings come back to him. They always talked of settling down. He laughed it off at the time.
Avery walks over with a smile. Her gaze flicks between them. “Hey, Sam…who are your guests?”
Sam. NotCipher.Sam.
A smirk tugs at Kane’s lips. “I’m Kane. An old friend of…Sam’s.” He gestures to Rafael beside him. “This is my partner.”
“Rafael,” he introduces himself with a wave. His focus drifts past the patio. “This garden is…incredible. Like something from V-link or the Premiere Corp Botanics downtown.”
Avery beams. “Thank you. It’s one of the fewauthenticnurseries in Nova City. Want a tour while these two catch up?”
“No” is halfway out of Kane’s mouth. One look at Rafael’s grin, and the word dies. Kane gives a nod to Cipher.
They exhale. “Fine,” Cipher mutters. “But keep it brief. And stay in sight.”
Once Rafael and Avery disappear among the greenery, Cipher gestures to a small table and a pair of chairs on the patio.
“So, Kane.” Cipher’s fingers tap once, then rest. “What do you really want—if you’re not here to get revenge for Duke?”
The name knocks the breath from Kane. For a moment, everything he told Rafael about ending the war vanishes. He leans forward, voice low through gritted teeth. “You really want to go there? Because you’re lucky—”