Emmett crouched low on the roof, more out of habit than necessity. The scrubbing protocol hid him from the drones circling above, and cloaking hid him from the biomech patrol walking down the street.

  He stared down at the approaching patrol. Emmett was four stories in the air, but it didn’t feel very high up anymore—especially not when the giant hec unit was a little over two stories tall. The two sec units walked on either side of it, while the three small rec units scurried like pets beneath the hec unit’s feet.

  While Emmett waited for his moment, he tracked Athena and the second squad of biomechs in his HUD map. Athena was walking up to the target’s front door now. She would use nanites to pick the lock and let herself in, then relay the situation to Dimitri and his family.

  If everything went well, they would be ready to go by the time Emmett took down the two patrols.

  “At the door,” Athena said through the comms. There was a click as nanites opened the lock. “Letting myself in…”

  Athena entered the house and began talking with someone. Emmett was vaguely aware of the confusion and conversation that followed, but he mentally pushed it aside and focused on his part.

  Just as expected, the biomech patrol stopped on Emmett’s corner and turned down the street. In a few more minutes, they would be at Dimitri’s house and taking him into custody.

  They would never get the chance.

  Emmett leapt off the building. It was a short fall to the top of the heavy mech. Emmett landed with a dull clang. A first layer of nanites sloughed off his suit. They dug into divots and tiny imperfections in its armor, anchoring Emmett to the surface like velcro.

  The next layer of nanites was already streaming off Emmett and through the gaps in the mech’s armor. They would go after the hec unit’s circuitry, cutting off its weapons and major systems.

  They’d run hundreds of simulations of how to take down heavy biomechs. Emmett’s fusion rifle could take off smaller weapons, and given enough time, it could melt through their hull. Both Clara’s fusion blast and Athena’s blades had similar outcomes. The problem was, they never had enough time to get through the hull. As soon as the main guns targeted them, it was game over.

  Nanites weren’t the flashiest solution, but it was hard to argue with their effectiveness. Why spend minutes trying to crack through heavy armor plates when nanites could slip inside and melt the wires in a few seconds?

  One day, Emmett would use the same principle to take down heavy drones… but he fully expected something made by Dr. Venture to be harder to crack.

  Not that the hec unit was completely defenseless. Its armor flashed as high voltage electrical current passed through it. Anyone else would’ve been thrown across the block, but Emmett’s suit and prosthetics were insulated. The smell of ozone hung in the air.

  The heavy mech lurched, trying to throw Emmett off of it, but he held fast. The mech hummed, one of its generators revving up for another electrical discharge.

  It never got the chance.

  The heavy mech groaned and finally froze. Its internals groaned and whined a second longer before they gave out too. Emmett pulled back as many nanites as he could.

  NANITES 285% CAPACITY

  By now, the smaller sec and rec units were coming after him. The twin sec units fanned out so that they could target him from the street, while the three small rec units clambered up their lifeless brethren and up the nearby building.

  Emmett had already unslung and leveled his rifle. Kinetic blasts were more than enough for both of them. The twin sec units didn’t even get a shot off before kinetic blasts shattered them. Rec units faired similarly—

  Except that one rec unit managed to leap at Emmett. It was dog-sized and shaped like a metal spider. Emmett spun and caught it in mid-air. He held a leg in each hand while metal proboscises tried to jab him.

  Emmett tore it in half like a piece of paper and dropped the two halves unceremoniously over the side. Then he leapt off the lifeless heavy mech and raced down the street.

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  The second biomech patrol rounded the corner. Emmett waited until they were all out in the middle of the street before he opened fire. Kinetic shots echoed like the steady punch of a typewriter.

  The four sec units were top priority. Each had rifles, making them a threat to bystanders all around the block. Emmett dropped them all before they had the chance to return fire.

  A few of the smaller rec units tried to go prone on the street, flattening themselves to avoid getting shot. It didn’t work.

  Ten units in just over one second. Emmett barely slowed his stride. Wreckage was still tumbling across the street when he arrived at Dimitri’s front door.

  Emmett let himself in. “Biomech squads are down—”

  In front of Emmett was a short hallway framed with family photos. The kitchen and small dining table was at the end. Dinner was still on the table, Alfredo by the smell of it.

  Dimitri, his wife, and two small boys were in the kitchen. Dimitri was a short, wiry man with sharp features. Despite his stature, he carried himself with the bearing of a super.

  His wife, Pauline, was just a civilian, but she kept a stoic face. The boys were huddled behind her and were trying to corral a small, fluffy dog.

  Dimitri and Pauline didn’t have any children. These were his nephews. That complicated things…

  From the looks on their faces, Athena and Dimitri had been shouting at one another, but had stopped abruptly when Emmett came in.

  Now, everyone was staring at him.

  While Dimitri and Pauline looked worried, at least they were used to the sight of supers. The two boys cowered behind their aunt. Emmett had forgotten to adjust his nanites. He must’ve looked like a ghost. He adjusted his disguise, first to his normal hoodie and sweats, and then again to let his face show through. There was little point in hiding it anymore—the entire world knew his identity.

  The boys still stared at him, but at least they knew he was a person. They weren’t holding their breath in fear now.

  On the other hand, Dimitri’s and Pauline's eyes widened. She clasped his arm tightly.

  Dimitri turned to Athena. “You’re with him?”

  “Yes,” Athena replied, as if that should’ve been enough to set them at ease.

  Dimitri glanced between them both. “The news doesn’t paint you guys in a wholesome light.”

  Athena scoffed. “Since when do you trust everything you see on the news?”

  Dimitri chuckled uneasily. “About the same time that I quit skulking around alleys and rooftops…”

  “Uncle Dimitri, what’s wholesome mean?”

  TINA interrupted and spoke into both of their ear pieces, “Your window is closing.”

  Emmett held out his hands in a gesture of peace and walked to the kitchen slowly. “The biomech squads are down. This is our chance to leave.”

  Dimitri and his wife shared an uncertain glance.

  Athena added, “We can take both of you and drop your nephews—and the dog—off on the way, but only if we go now.”

  Dimitri hesitated and glanced between Pauline and the two boys.

  Finally, Dimitri shook his head. “No. I’m staying. I should’ve registered when I had the chance… and if I have to pay for that mistake, then I will.”

  Emmett masked his emotion and kept his face expressionless. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Athena attempting to do the same.

  Pauline reached out to her husband, and the pair clasped hands. Dimitri asked, “Pauline will be safe, won’t she?”

  Emmett nodded. “So far, the Brotherhood hasn’t imprisoned family members of supers. They probably don’t want to jeopardize public opinion.”

  “That settles it. I’m staying,” Dimitri said. Then to Athena, “I’m sorry to cause you all this trouble… again.”

  Athena’s face wrinkled as she held back her emotions. “Don’t be sorry. It’s your choice. We always have a choice.”

  “You’re a super, Uncle Dimitri?” one nephew asked.

  Dimitri knelt down and forced a smile. “Yes, I am. And supers never leave their team behind.” Dimitri pointed to Athena and Emmett. “That’s why they came back for me… and that’s why I’m staying with you guys now.”

  All four of them embraced while Athena and Emmett walked out the back door. Athena left without a goodbye. Dimitri called after her, but she didn’t stop.

  Their cloaking reengaged. The pair threaded through the back alley in silence. They continued walking quickly, tracing a winding path through the city streets. Drones circled above the block, but they didn’t pay the drones any mind.

  Emmett watched on his map as another biomech patrol fanned out and surrounded Dimitri’s house. About a minute later, TINA sent them confirmation that Dimitri—only Dimitri—had been apprehended.

  They were far enough away that TINA was certain they weren’t being tracked. Emmett breathed a sigh of relief, but they didn’t slow their pace.

  Dimitri knew he was going to the Vault. It wasn’t a secret. But Dimitri was also under the impression that he would one day get out. So far, that remained to be seen.

  “I’m sorry about your friend,” Emmett said quietly.

  Athena didn’t slow. “Yeah… me too.”

  ~ ~ ~