Tony laughs first.

  He always does.

  “So that’s it,” he says, walking backwards in the rain so he can keep facing them. “That’s the big scary Harry.”

  Lenny squints at him. “He didn’t feel small.”

  “Exactly,” Tony says. “Didn’t feel like anything. No edge. No heat. He stood there and talked like he was ordering a coffee.”

  Arthur doesn’t slow. “That wasn’t casual.”

  Tony points at him. “See. You always say that after.”

  They pass a kebab shop with the shutters half down. Someone inside is still cleaning. Someone else is still eating.

  Cameron lets them talk.

  “That line,” Tony continues. “You’re surplus. That’s a bluff. You don’t say that unless you’re worried.”

  Arthur finally looks at him. “You don’t say it unless you’re certain.”

  Tony grins wider. “Nah. You say it when you want someone to flinch.”

  Cameron stops walking.

  They take two steps before they notice.

  “He didn’t come to test me,” Cameron says.

  Tony turns. “Then what.”

  “To tick a box.”

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Tony laughs. “You’re allergic to winning.”

  “Winning doesn’t look like that,” Cameron says.

  They start moving again.

  Lenny watches the streetlights change colour on the wet pavement. “He let you talk.”

  Tony nods. “Because he had nothing.”

  Cameron shakes his head. “Because he was counting.”

  Tony waves him off. “Counting what.”

  “Us.”

  Tony snorts. “I hope he brought a pen.”

  Arthur rubs his forehead. “You’re enjoying this too much.”

  Tony grins. “I enjoy clarity.”

  “Confidence isn’t clarity,” Arthur says.

  Tony points at the street behind them. “Confidence is standing there pretending you don’t need help while the pressure keeps climbing.”

  Cameron doesn’t answer.

  They reach the corner.

  Tony claps his hands once. “Alright. Reset. If Harry wants to play tidy, we play useful.”

  ---

  The alert comes in later.

  Late enough that it feels personal.

  Tony reads it over Arthur’s shoulder. “Oh come on. That’s bait.”

  Arthur squints. “It’s real.”

  “Exactly,” Tony says. “Which means he’s letting it sit.”

  Lenny tilts his head. “Or he’s already decided.”

  Tony points at him. “That tone right there. Stop that.”

  Cameron watches the map.

  “Say it,” Tony says. “You see it.”

  “It wants attention,” Cameron says.

  Tony spreads his hands. “Then let’s give it some.”

  Arthur hesitates. “If we go.”

  Tony’s already got his jacket. “We’re not asking permission.”

  ---

  The estate smells like wet concrete and old leaves.

  Tony crouches by the hatch. “This is the stuff he hates. Slow. Boring. Eats buildings one inch at a time.”

  Cameron feels the pull now. Subtle. Familiar.

  “We can steady it,” he says.

  Tony doesn’t even pretend to think. “Do it.”

  Arthur checks his tablet. “Nothing’s changed.”

  Tony smiles. “That’s the point.”

  Cameron plants the staff.

  The ground settles.

  Tony exhales like he’s been holding it. “There. See. Useful.”

  Arthur’s tablet chirps.

  Tony freezes. “Don’t.”

  Another chirp.

  Lenny winces. “That was fast.”

  Headlights roll in.

  Tony straightens. “No way.”

  Harry steps out last.

  Same coat. Same calm. Same irritating half-smile.

  He looks at the hatch. Then at Cameron.

  “You moved it,” Harry says.

  Tony laughs. “You’re welcome.”

  Harry tilts his head. “You couldn’t wait.”

  “You left it,” Tony snaps.

  Harry looks at him properly now. “I scheduled it.”

  Tony scoffs. “For when. After it collapsed.”

  Harry smiles. “Before that.”

  Arthur swallows. “We didn’t make it worse.”

  Harry shrugs. “You made it visible.”

  Tony steps forward. “You wanted this.”

  Harry shakes his head. “I expected it.”

  Cameron meets his eyes.

  Harry holds the look, then nods once. Satisfied.

  “That tells me what I needed,” Harry says.

  Tony laughs again, louder. “You didn’t win anything.”

  Harry glances at the inspectors setting tape. “I didn’t need to.”

  ---

  Later, back in the shed, Tony is still smiling.

  “Told you,” he says. “He blinked.”

  Arthur doesn’t answer.

  Lenny sits on a crate. “He didn’t blink.”

  Tony waves him off. “You’ll see.”

  Cameron sits with the staff across his knees.

  Cold.

  Tony thinks Harry lost control.

  Harry thinks Cameron chose not to fight.

  Only one of them is right.

  And Tony just bet everything on the wrong read.

  Interlude: Lunch