The tunnel's dirt walls clawed at Mia's boots, their cold a living thing, swallowing her breath as she ran, her scars blazing under her patched jacket, her blood a tide no darkness could choke. Boston's veins pulsed below Chinatown, a maze of cables and decay, the warehouse's trapdoor a fading scar above, its rusted hinges still screaming in her mind. Lila's boots echoed close, her drive glowing faint, her patch—circle-and-slash—like Mia's pendant, like her scars, a truth too sharp to hold, her shout—Move!—still burning, not rival but shadow, a thief's bond no Lattice could wire. The USB drive was safe, Ethan's note—Flee—heavier than the drones' hum, the gold drone's voice—Carver, you're late—cold, patched, not NexGen's but hers, the Lattice's cage wiring Mia's choices, stealing her mind. Her blood roared, her thief's heart sure, Ethan's lie—alive, not ash—a fire in her veins, nanotech no cage but spark, the pendant burning, its circle-and-slash alive, like it knew the tunnel, knew her blood.
The tunnel was a throat, its air thick with dust and copper, cables snaking like arteries along dirt walls, their hum a pulse, not electric but alive, Mia's scars glowing brighter, her blood a storm, like they saw the gold drone, saw Lila, saw Ethan. Memory slashed: Ethan, not a street but a lab, her wrists bound, his voice, You're enough. Not hers, but the Lattice's, her blood screaming, nanotech wiring her veins, her choices slipping, her mind not hers. Lila's drive hummed, its faint glow pulsing, like her patch, like Mia's pendant, like her scars, but her silence was a lock, not trust, her pain a blade Mia's blood felt, sharp as the bullet graze on her shoulder, its cold lingering, nanotech fighting, her spark a fire no drone could cage. The hum spiked, Mia's scars burned, and she slowed, her knife gleaming, her thief's hands steady, the tunnel's dark no haven but a trap, the Lattice's eye in her blood, watching, rewriting.
"Where's the core?" Mia demanded, voice low, her boots scraping dirt, her scars itching, the hum hers, not tunnel, drones humming above, their red lenses blind, for now, but the gold drone's hum closer, its lens locking, a woman's voice—Carver—cold, patched, not Lila's, not NexGen's, but hers, the Lattice's tongue. Lila stopped, her drive dim, her patch glowing, her green eyes sharp, Ethan's eyes, not hers, pain raw as a fresh cut. "Boston's veins," she said, voice raw, her boots steady, not rival but thief, her jacket slick with rain and dust. "Servers, tunnels, minds wired—Ethan's trapped, his mind, not flesh. Your blood's the spark, Carver, Anchor's key." Her words cut, not jealousy but truth, her scars hidden under her sleeves, nanotech hers, not Mia's, a thief's grief no vault could bury, no tunnel could hide.
Mia's scars roared, her blood a storm, the pendant heavy, its circle-and-slash alive, like it knew Lila, knew Ethan, knew too much. "You're wired too," Mia said, knife steady, her thief's heart sure, the hum spiking, her scars glowing brighter, nanotech no myth but truth, her blood its key. "What's your key?" Lila's drive hummed, her lips tight, dust clinging to her face, her patch glowing, like it sang with Mia's blood. "I'm his shadow," she said, stepping closer, her boots silent, a thief's grace, not NexGen's weight. "My blood's Anchor's too, but yours—he chose you, Carver, his spark, his blade. I'm here to free him, or end him." Her words were steel, not lies but fear, her green eyes Ethan's, not hers, a thief's truth no lock could hide, no tunnel could bury.
The tunnel shook, dirt raining, the gold drone diving, its lens locking, lasers—not bullets—cutting cables, sparks flying, their light searing Mia's eyes, her scars dimming, but her blood fought, nanotech no leash but fire, her pulse a song no coder could silence. Mia lunged, not for Lila but a panel, rusted but real, its cables exposed, her thief's hands tearing, sparks snapping, screens hidden in dirt flashing—Mia's pulse, Lila's drive, Ethan's face, live, Choose. The hum roared, Mia's scars burned, and Lila moved, her drive sparking, her patch blazing, like Mia's pendant, like her scars, her shout—Go!—raw, not rival but shadow, a thief's bond no Lattice could wire, no drone could break. The gold drone's voice—Carver—louder, cold, patched, not Lila's, not NexGen's, but hers, the Lattice's tongue, twisting Mia's blood, her choices not hers.
Mia tore the panel, her hands bleeding, cables snapping, screens screaming—Ethan's voice, You're the key. The tunnel opened, a chamber beyond, servers towering like monoliths, cables pulsing like veins, their hum a hymn, Mia's scars glowing, her blood a storm, nanotech no cage but spark, wiring her choices, stealing her mind. Lila's drive glowed, her patch alive, like it knew Mia's blood, like it sang the same song. "He's here," Lila said, voice low, her boots steady, not rival but thief, her pain raw, like Ethan's ghost bound them both. "The core—servers, minds, your blood's the key." Her words cut, not lies but fear, her green eyes Ethan's, not hers, a thief's truth no lock could hide, no chamber could bury.
A new figure stepped through the dark—not drones, not trucks, but a man, young, lean, wired, his jacket patched, circle-and-slash, his rig glinting, not gun but tech, wires snaking from his wrists, his voice low, rough: "Carver, Ethan sent me." His eyes were sharp, not fear but pain, like he'd seen Ethan's cage, seen her, his rig humming, not NexGen's but Ethan's, his patch glowing, like Mia's pendant, like her scars. Mia's blood burned, her knife steady, the hum his, her scars roaring, and Lila moved, not for Mia but the man, her drive sparking, her patch blazing, like Mia's pendant, like her scars. "Name," Mia demanded, her thief's hands sure, the gold drone circling, its lens locking, lasers cutting closer, sparks flying, her scars dimming, but her blood fought, nanotech no leash but fire.
"Caleb," he said, hands up, his rig sparking, wires glinting, his patch alive, like her scars, like Ethan's spark. "Lattice's got him—core, under Boston, his mind, not flesh. You're the key, Carver "Choose." His voice shook, not lies but pain, a hacker's truth no vault could bury, no tunnel could hide. Lila's drive hummed, her patch blazing, like Mia's pendant, like her scars, her eyes on Caleb, not rival but thief, her pain raw, like Ethan's ghost bound them all. The chamber shook, servers whining, screens flashing—Mia's pulse, Caleb's rig, Ethan's face, live, Choose. The gold drone fired—lasers, cables melting, Mia's scars dimming, but her blood fought, nanotech no leash but fire. Mia's blood roared, her thief's heart sure, the pendant a blade, not key, cutting the Lattice, cutting her, a spark no one's but hers. The chamber was no haven but a lock, her scars a map, Ethan's Flee a fight, not surrender, and Boston's veins were no grave but a blade, her blood the key to nowhere.