“What are we looking at?” Nora asks.
Giselle tilts her head. “What is this supposed to prove?”
“These are communications from my contacts across Nova City.” Echo gestures to the display. “Ones who know better than to feed me false intel.” Her smile loses its warmth. “Each one documenting therealrelationships Athena’s been forgingbehind your backs.”
Athena scoffs. “Your audware needs an upgrade, old hag.” She releases a humorless laugh. “I already told you we’re building alliances. The Order has never forbidden strategic partnerships.”
Charles tilts his head thoughtfully. “They’re not enemies, just rivals who’d benefit from structure.”
“Exactly,” Titus adds with a dry chuckle. “Most of them hate the NCPD and corps as much as we do. That makes them useful for now.”
Giselle’s smile sharpens. “Let them believe we’re allies. Eventually, they’ll fall in line and join our Order.”
“Sure.” Echo shrugs. “Teaming up makes sense. Can be a smart move in most cases, and if you play your cards right, you might end up absorbing them.” Her tone shifts, this time more serious. “But what about allying with VitaCorp—or, say, Factura? Would you sign off onthat?”
She swipes across the table controls. The display transforms into a wall of V-link profiles. Each a suited corporate executive, their rank and clearance level displayed beneath blurred names and faces.
“These are the contracts I mentioned—corpo spies and insiders. And all of them say the same thing.” Echo leans forward. “They met with Athena. Talked territory, trade routes, insider leaks. Not to support your cause, but to secureherfuture.”
A wave of mutters breaks from Athena’s team. She stares at the projection. Her biometrics only stutter for a second in Kane’s HUD before returning to normal.
“That’s your smoking gun?” Athena snorts. “A few shady suits with doctored logs and deals even the worst AI couldfake?” She laughs, a little too hard.
Echo’s boots slide off the surface. “Why would they fake it? They’ve got everything to lose and nothing to gain.”
Charles clears his throat. “Athena…some of these clearance levels…they’re legitimate. High-ranking.”
“Yes,” Nora whispers. “If this were to leak…our members…”
“They’ll never trust us again,” Charles finishes.
Athena pivots to face them, and for the first time, her voice falters. “I haven’t met with them. Not Premiere, Factura. No suits. That’s not who we are.” She lifts her chin. “We’re pure. Clean.”
“Are you really buying this story, Nora?” Giselle leans past Athena’s shoulder.
“True. Why would Athena deal with the same scum we’re trying to purge?” Titus questions. Except even he doesn’t sound convinced.
A sharp thud cuts through the room as Athena’s palm strikes the table.
Her followers fall silent.
In Kane’s overlay, a flicker of static blooms around her eyes. The same glitch.
It looks like—
No, that tech doesn’t work on people.
Kane arches a brow and shifts his attention to Coda at his side. The techie glances up then focuses on his wristlink.
So he’s seeing it too.
Athena cuts in louder. “Think for yourselves. This is what they want! Doubt and division. You know I wouldn’t sabotage everything we’ve built. Not after what I’ve risked, everything I’ve led you through. For what? False promises from a couple of dirty suits?”
Titus and Giselle murmur agreement, eyes fixed on the floor. Charles and Nora offer no response.
Athena lowers into her seat, fingers twitching at her collar. “And even if these suits claim they met with me, where are they now? Huh? Why aren’t they—”
She barrels on, but Kane’s attention is on his vibrating wristlink.