The battle at the port rages on. The dwarf opens his palms, blasting beams of digital magic. Lewis and Haley split up, circling him from opposite sides. The dwarf locks onto the boy, lunging at him with a flurry of punches and kicks. Lewis braces behind his energy shield, planting his feet and stiffening his arm to keep from being blown back again. The blows are heavy, the vibration rattling his muscles, but he holds his ground.

  Meanwhile, Haley draws her second sword and closes in for a slash. The dwarf spins, blocking with his forearm. Her blade hits something solid and bounces off.

  “You subconsciously pulled your strength to keep from taking my arm off,” the dwarf says, pulling back his sleeve to reveal a metal bracer beneath his glove. “In a real fight—”

  “'Don't underestimate your opponent,'” Haley cuts him off. “How many times do I have to hear the same lecture? Can we just focus on the fight?”

  “Straight to the point. I like you, human.” The dwarf imbues his arms completely and charges her.

  Lewis levels his rifle and fires into the dwarf’s path to intercept him. The target halts to dodge, and in that split second, Haley strikes with a double slash. The dwarf blocks again with his bracer.

  Haley’s movements grow faster, fueled by the lightness of her blades. The dwarf struggles to evade her reach until she aims a direct strike at his throat. He takes a long leap back, watching as the girl halts her momentum mid-swing. The moment he lands, a solid impact and a jolt of pain hit him: Lewis just slammed the butt of his rifle into his back. The dwarf winces and drops to his knees.

  “You’re impulsive when you fight,” Haley says. “When you get close to an opponent, you lose track of your surroundings.”

  “How embarrassing, falling for such a basic trap.”

  Both guys snap to attention at the new voice echoing through the port. A silhouette stands atop a nearby container, framed by the lights: it’s much taller, with pointed ears, a long tail, and hair reaching down to the small of her back. With a single leap, the figure lands behind Haley, who spins to face her.

  “An anthropomorph leopard,” Haley mutters, leveling her swords.

  “I see my darling could barely hold you off without getting hurt.”

  “He’s your partner?” Haley’s eyes go wide.

  “Is that a problem?” The leopard’s hands glow with digital magic. “We’re more than just partners in crime.”

  “Not at all. Just caught me off guard.” Haley imbues her blades. “You’ve got an aerodynamic build. You’ll be a pain if I don't take you down fast.”

  “Honey, can you get up, or should I report you as a liability?”

  The dwarf stands, ignoring the fact that Lewis has him at gunpoint.

  “It takes more than cheap tricks to take down an elite criminal.” His face is pure spite as he clenches his fists.

  Lewis is the only one who stays silent. His mind is fixed on the ship as it drifts further and further from the shore.

  Inside the ship’s bridge, Axel, Andrew, and Amellie remain seated with their hands up, held at gunpoint by two human crew members who turn out to be smuggler plants. Beside them is the police squad that boarded to inspect the containers, along with the rest of the innocent crew. Their weapons confiscated, they watch with frustration as the city fades into the horizon.

  Neither the guys nor the officers would yield to such simple threats if the criminals hadn't taken the rest of the crew hostage—especially the pilot, who is ordered to head for the open sea if he wants to stay alive.

  “Why aren’t you taking the rest of our devices?” Andrew asks, earning a murderous glare from the police.

  “Because you’re going to demand a ransom,” the adult Infergno responds. “You’ll demand a speedboat in exchange for your lives. Otherwise, we’ll kill you off one by one and toss you overboard.”

  The guys and the agents don't flinch; they’ve dealt with threats like this for years. What worries them is the safety of the civilians. Meanwhile, Axel, Andrew, and Amellie try to map out a strategy before being grouped with the others. The main problem is the pilot: he’s the most guarded, and if anything happens to him, they’ll lose control of the ship.

  “It’s no use,” PEGGY says through the earpieces. “The ship’s systems are heavily protected. It’ll take me too long to force my way in.”

  “Didn’t you have system access from working in security?” LENA asks.

  “The ship and the transport belong to private companies,” PEGGY replies. “The law protects the privacy of their systems.”

  The three examine the layout: there are two conventional ways in or out.

  “Aren't you going to tie our hands?” Andrew insists out loud. “We know how to use digital magic. Didn't you bring handcuffs?”

  The youngest Vance earns another round of glares. The red-scaled draconid plants himself in front of him and delivers a kick to his gut. Andrew loses his breath and doubles over, gritting his teeth against the pain.

  “You like to talk, human,” the draconid hisses. “If you don’t want us to speed things up, keep your mouth shut. Next time...”

  The infergno fires a laser beam at the wall near the crew, drawing screams of terror.

  “...we kill someone at random.”

  Axel glares at the man who hurt his brother. He feels an irrational urge to get up and strike him.

  “Control yourself,” Andrew murmurs. “That was on purpose.”

  “You.” The anthropomorph goat points at Amellie. “Call the police and demand what we said.”

  “Call now!” the draconid orders. “And put it on speaker.”

  “Do you guys have a plan?” Amellie whispers as she pulls the phone from her pocket.

  “In progress...” LENA’s voice crackles through the interference. “Still here... but the connection is fading... If you can get to the engines... you can... sabotage them.”

  “I’ll help you get there,” PEGGY intervenes. “And tell you where to strike.”

  “We don’t have many options,” Andrew declares. “Those guys aren't going to let us walk now that we’ve seen their faces.”

  At the port, Haley Stealthorn hits the ground after taking a blow from the anthropomorph leopard. Although she managed to block it, her nerves betray her, and she grinds her teeth in a grimace of pain.

  “Rarely face someone with superior physiology, do you?” The leopard watches her with a smug smile.

  Haley doesn’t respond; she knows her rival is just trying to bait her into wasting energy by talking.

  Meanwhile, Lewis struggles to repel another strike from the dwarf, whose rhythm has slowed after the impact to his back and the rifle fire. The boy is also exhausted; his breaths grow longer and heavier.

  “That hit to my back rattled me more than I thought,” the dwarf mutters to himself.

  In silence, Lewis aims for his target’s head and fires again. The dwarf imbues his feet with digital magic and lunges at high speed. Mid-dash, he shifts the energy from his feet to his hands to attack, keeping his arms back and leaving his face exposed.

  Lewis hesitates for a split second before pulling the trigger. The dwarf protects his forehead with digital magic and takes the bolt head-on. The impact dazes him, being so close to the brain, but the damage is minimal. With his right hand, he throws a punch at the boy’s face; Lewis expands his shield to absorb the blow, and both recoil after the exchange.

  “You lack the instinct of a true fighter,” the dwarf declares. “You’re holding back to avoid hurting me too much.”

  “Did you let yourself get hit on purpose by someone 'weaker,' or could you just not dodge my shot?”

  “Psychological warfare.” The dwarf lets out a dry laugh. “You’re not so boring after all.”

  “Darling, do you need help?” the leopard asks after kicking away Haley’s swords.

  The dwarf raises his right arm and gives a thumbs-up.

  “Pattern analyzed. Lewis,” Haley says into her earpiece, “we have to back each other up. If we fight separately, we’ll end up chopped to pieces at the bottom of the sea.”

  “Do you have a plan?” the boy in the hat asks, raising his shield. Between the exertion and the constant use of digital magic, his vision is starting to blur.

  “Don’t you have one?” Haley asks with a faint laugh. “That’s strange coming from the brain of the Vance Night Agency.”

  She dodges another swipe from the leopard woman and runs to regroup with Lewis, who repels the dwarf once more at a high energy cost. The two criminals also group up, facing them head-on.

  “We challenge you to a partner dance!” Haley announces.

  Both criminals launch their attack simultaneously, hands glowing with digital magic.

  “Challenge accepted.” The leopard unsheathes her claws. “The losers go to the bottom of the ocean.”

  Lewis and Haley fire a beam of digital magic, forcing their opponents to split up and try to flank them. This time, the anthropomorph lunges at the boy while the dwarf goes after the girl. Haley makes sure not to stray too far and, with her blades imbued, holds her rival’s attack at bay.

  Lewis, for his part, expands his bracelet shield and charges forward to collide. The leopard’s strength is superior; the clash of claws against the shield sends him flying back, leaving him on the verge of falling. However, before she can press her advantage, she’s forced to retreat as a beam of digital magic grazes her face.

  Haley, responsible for the shot, pulls away from the dwarf to regroup with Lewis again.

  “What was that?” she asks, catching her breath. “Trying to die?”

  “I needed to confirm something,” Lewis responds, gritting his teeth against the pain. “That anthropomorph is strong and fast, but she has a weakness.”

  The criminals see Lewis position himself behind Haley for a potential surprise attack. Both lunge at once to stop it, but to their surprise, the young humans move first and charge.

  The leopard imbues her claws again and strikes at the girl rushing toward her. In that instant, Haley reveals she’s holding Lewis’s rifle in her left arm and aims it. Her opponent, caught off guard, skids to a halt and covers up with her forearms. Haley doesn’t fire; instead, she hurls the weapon at her with all her might. Capitalizing on the distraction of the impact, she slides in with her blades for a double slash. The anthropomorph scrambles back, but the edges manage to graze her fur.

  Meanwhile, Lewis raises his shield again to take a kick from the dwarf. Though he resists falling, the force of the blow is relentless; he feels the bones and muscles in his left arm creak and groan. Before the dwarf can finish him off, Lewis fires a bolt from his right hand to force him back.

  “What are you... doing?” Lewis asks between gasps as Haley approaches him with the rifle. “I didn't lend it to you... so you could throw it.”

  “I don’t know how to shoot those things, darling.” Haley tosses the rifle back, and he catches it clumsily. “You were right; these two are all brawn and no brains. They only know how to rush in blindly.”

  “More psychological warfare?” the dwarf mocks. “You’ll burn out first.”

  “Don’t listen to them, honey.” The leopard lets out a low growl, baring her fangs. “Let’s just end them and blow off some of this steam.”

  “I love it when you get aggressive. Let’s take them down, or we’ll piss off the bosses.”

  The criminals' claws and metallic gloves glow with digital magic. This time they aren't reckless; they don't rush in. They prefer to wait for the humans to move.

  “Ready?” Haley smirks, fully giving in to the adrenaline.

  “Let’s do it... before... I can’t move anymore.” Lewis grips his rifle.

  The two humans sprint toward the criminals. Lewis takes the lead with his shield active, while Haley imbues both her swords.

  The leopard is the first to strike the shield; her plan is to lash out with her claws again the moment the boy is knocked back by the impact. The dwarf stops and readies his gloves to fire at anyone trying to dodge.

  Lewis doesn't stop running. With the rifle in his right hand, he aims over the top edge of the shield. The leopard keeps coming. Haley moves at high speed to flank the anthropomorph and land a cut, but the dwarf reacts by firing a combined bolt from both gloves. However, the girl acts first and hurls her right sword at him, the blade spinning through the air. The dwarf’s bolts ricochet off the edge of the blade, and he’s forced to throw himself to the ground to avoid being hit.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Lewis skids to a stop and retreats, moving out of range of the swipe. The leopard misses her attack and is forced to halt, imbuing her forearms to block Haley’s imminent slash. The girl pulls a quick maneuver, flipping her weapon to strike with the blunt side. The anthropomorph takes the hit with a wince of pain but manages to grab the blade and disarm the human.

  “Thanks for using both hands,” Haley quips, leaping to the side.

  Lewis pulls the trigger repeatedly, unleashing a flurry of low-intensity red laser beams. As she tries to jump clear, the first shot hits her, followed by several more. She feels as if heavy stones are pelting her side and ends up collapsing, dazed by the pulsing impact.

  Haley rushes to recover her swords, but she feels something beside her. The dwarf is heading straight for the boy in the hat. Lewis fires at him, but his opponent ignores the hits, shielding his face with his gloves.

  Lewis tries to activate his shield one more time but stops with a groan of pain. The dwarf plants his lead foot and throws a punch with his entire body weight behind it. Lewis throws up his digital-magic-imbued bracer as a last resort; the impact sends an unbearable bolt of pain through his arm and slams him into the ground.

  The dwarf inhales and exhales, trying to catch his breath.

  “How did you take her down?”

  “As an anthropomorph, she has more advanced abilities than we do,” Haley explains, never lowering her blades from the leopard woman, “and that is her weakness.”

  “What?” the leopard spits.

  “When you attacked head-on, you never used your arms for defense.” Lewis sits up on the ground. “You always skidded to a halt. We sensed you couldn't react quickly if you were in the middle of an attack; your hunting instincts were superior to your ability to adapt.”

  “We noticed it when you chose to stop just to dodge a digital magic bolt, even though it was a weak shot,” the girl continues. “Then, when I used the rifle to distract you, you chose to freeze again, probably anticipating a headshot. Because of your high speed, you can’t change your arm positioning mid-sprint.”

  “The rest was a simple plan,” Lewis concludes. “I took the lead with my shield to bait you into attacking first. Once Haley flanked you and you occupied your hands with her, the rest was just finishing you off with the laser flurry.”

  “But you didn’t foresee me reacting faster.” The dwarf aims his metallic glove at the boy.

  “We were going to deal with you afterward,” Haley responds.

  “Do it, honey.” The leopard sits on the asphalt as well, wearing a defiant smirk. “This girl won’t have the guts to kill me.”

  Lewis and Haley remain expectant. At that moment, the echo of police sirens begins to flood the port.

  “His life for her freedom.” The dwarf backs away from Lewis but keeps his weapon raised. “My gloves aren't designed to kill quickly or painlessly. Choose, human. Let your partner die and arrest two criminals, or let him live and watch us escape.”

  Haley, brow furrowed and blades ready, backs away from the leopard woman. Lewis does the same; both stand up and walk toward their respective partners under mutual surveillance. As he passes the anthropomorph, Lewis feels a suppressed bloodlust. The aura of someone who has taken more than one life with her claws.

  “You know the protocol for a hostage exchange. Well done.” The anthropomorph smiles and embraces her partner. “Thanks, honey.”

  “Don’t mention it, but save your energy to explain to the bosses why we failed.” The dwarf scoops her up, carrying her bridal-style. After one last look at their victors, he bolts toward the edge of the port; jumping the security fence won’t be a problem for him.

  “We won the battle, and they still got away.” Haley lets out a frustrated sigh. “What a bitter result.”

  “If either of us had been alone, they would have pinned us down.” Lewis checks his phone. “Their combined physical capabilities were far superior to ours. LENA, do you still have contact with Axel and Andrew?”

  “Very little,” the AI responds through the boy’s earpiece. “They can barely hear me.”

  “PEGGY?” Haley asks her own digital companion.

  “Amellie is fine... for now.”

  With no other options, the older siblings head toward the landing zone, waiting for the ship’s return with the support of the Coast Guard.

  It’s five in the morning in Neo-Aureborn. Fifteen kilometers off the coast, the hijacked ship continues to drift away while the Coast Guard watches from their patrol boats, helpless. After the threat to execute the crew if anyone approached, they preferred not to take any risks. Communication with the city is about to cut out, and they fear what criminals who have already declared they don’t mind dying for their cargo might be capable of.

  In the cabin of one of the boats sits a forty-five-year-old man, an amphibioid, dressed in the dark blue uniform of the institution with a matching cap. His insignias denote that he holds one of the highest national ranks: Sector Captain, in charge of several coastal posts, with Neo-Aureborn being the most significant.

  “Captain Kuoraus,” the pilot calls out, eyes fixed on the ship. “The units are in position to act.”

  “We will do nothing,” the higher-ranking man declares. “There are innocent people on board; we can only wait.”

  “Are we really going to trust the crew’s safety to a private agency?”

  “That agency has the Stealthorn lineage behind it, and they have never failed to keep people safe. Let’s hope today isn't the first time.”

  On the ship, a group of criminals led by the red-scaled draconid and the goat pushes one of the containers toward the edge of the bow. Lacking the time or energy to dump the entire container into the sea, they pry it open to reveal a massive shipment of smaller crates storing various models of laser and melee weapons—some of them banned in the country. The criminals open the crates one by one and hurl the contents into the water. Millions of credits sink into the depths, a drastic measure imposed by their own bosses.

  Inside the bridge, the hostages remain in silence; some are calm, others pray in anguish. Two of them maintain their composure, as the first part of the plan has gone perfectly: the hijackers haven't realized that one of the hostages is no longer there.

  “Your charisma surprises me more every day, Andrew,” Amellie murmurs.

  The youngest Vance gives a thumb’s up in response. A bruise marks his left cheek, the result of another heavy blow received after speaking up.

  “Without my pistols, I can’t take those guys down fast,” the boy says, switching on his earpiece. “Axel is better suited for this. LENA, you still there?”

  Andrew receives no response from his AI sister, which puts him on high alert.

  “PEGGY?” Amellie tries as well, never taking her eyes off the two human criminals holding them at gunpoint.

  Among the ship’s narrow passageways, several criminals lie unconscious, their faces twisted in pain. Axel, still in his blazer, has taken them down with his bare fists before they could even react; like a human stampede, not even their laser bolts could slow his advance.

  Axel checks his phone one last time to review the map LENA provided before the connection died. Around the next corner, he must push through toward the engine room. Fortunately, they didn’t confiscate his gloves, so he can use them to break down doors if necessary. Peering around the corner, he confirms there is no guard in sight.

  “The door isn't locked,” he mutters after opening it with a simple motion. “They didn’t bother sabotaging the physical security system.”

  As he crosses the threshold, the roar hits him like a sledgehammer. The heat in the engine room is dense: a breath of steam and oil that blurs his vision for a second and forces him to close his eyes. His blazer feels much heavier now. Axel stays pressed against the wall, observing the steel colossus: the main engine, a ten-cylinder beast spanning three decks high, roars with mechanical fury, vibrating his very bones.

  Ignoring the sweat trickling down his forehead, he locates his target: the fuel distribution lines PEGGY pointed out. He moves along the narrow metal catwalks, alert for any guard that might appear. He positions himself in the midsection, right where the engine block widens into a series of high-pressure pipes. The din is so loud that his own breathing is inaudible to him.

  “Hit and run,” he tells himself, recalling the maneuver. His right knuckle imbues with a maximum charge of digital magic.

  Axel plants his feet on the grating, rotates his hips, and throws the punch with all the inertia of his body. The impact doesn't sound like metal on metal; it sounds like thunder trapped in an iron box. Upon contact, the glove releases a burst of energy. The three-centimeter-thick steel plate buckles, and an electric arc leaps from the point of impact, racing through the pipes and melting the pressure sensors in a trail of sparks.

  The engine coughs, and a metallic groan shudders through the ship’s three-hundred-meter length. The rhythm of the pistons breaks, valves hiss with pressurized steam, and after a violent spasm that nearly throws Axel over the railing, the giant’s engines finally disconnect from the bridge.

  The effect is immediate. Inside the pilot’s cabin, alarms go off and red lights flash, signaling that something is wrong. The ship gives a sudden jolt before only inertia keeps it drifting forward. The hostages let out screams of panic, and the hijackers grab onto the walls to keep from falling. However, for two of the guys, this is the signal. Andrew and Amellie spring up as fast as they can, each lunging to attack the two criminals guarding them.

  On the bow, the roar also jolts those throwing the cargo. Many weapons fall into the sea as intended, but others scatter across the deck. The draconid and the goat know instantly that this isn't a move orchestrated by their crew; they turn toward the bridge and don’t need to ask a single question when they see two figures from outside their group emerge wielding pistols.

  “Keep dumping the weapons!” the draconid orders, flapping his wings and flying toward the cabin. If his men didn't finish the job, he’ll handle it himself.

  However, halfway through his ascent, a flurry of laser beams aimed at his wings forces him into an emergency landing.

  “I’ll handle you.” With a high leap powered by digital magic, Amellie springs onto a container.

  The girl stands still, feeling a rush of air against her skin. Her enemy rises and lands on the same container, his sword already imbued with digital magic. Amellie rushes to meet him and ducks at the last second as he swings a wide sweep with his blade. Above her, she feels an even more intense gust of wind. The draconid spins and lunges again. The girl fires at his winged limbs once more, forcing him to land and retract them.

  “All that physical strength is useless if you can’t reach your target.”

  The draconid doesn’t fall for the bait; he maintains a calm expression. He drops into a fighting stance, gripping his sword with both hands. Amellie keeps her aim steady without breaking her posture. He charges at her, imbuing his chest with digital magic to block any potential bolts. The girl doesn’t fire; instead, she takes a long leap backward to force him to run further.

  Feeling the edge beneath her heels, Amellie reverses direction and sprints forward, ducking to dodge a last-minute sword strike. She plants her feet, propels herself forward, and, in the same motion, spins to aim. The draconid reaches the edge of the container and tries to pivot as well, but mid-rotation, a beam hits one of his wings dead-on. The stun throws off his balance, and he instinctively tries to stabilize himself through sheer inertia.

  As the turn completes, he makes one last attempt to hurl his sword. However, Amellie is already on him, thanks to the digital magic in her feet. At point-blank range, she aims at her opponent's chest and pulls the trigger three times; the impacts worsen the draconid’s disorientation.

  “Your wings are part of your physiology; they regulate your balance on both land and air, and they aren't exactly light. A hundred-and-eighty-degree turn at high speed is something you can’t pull off without a faster opponent hitting you.”

  “You bitch—” The draconid tries to throw one last, weak punch, but his body tilts back until he falls off the container, hitting the deck with a dull thud.

  “Freeze!”

  The goat and the other criminals stare for a second at the boy in the trench coat, who has them held at gunpoint.

  “Don’t stop dumping the weapons,” the anthropomorph orders. “I’ll—”

  A red laser beams hits one of the criminals in the head, knocking him out cold before his leader can even finish the sentence.

  “Enough with the introductions.” Andrew fires at the goat.

  The anthropomorph dodges and returns fire with his own weapon. Andrew uses his pistol to intercept the beam and retreats into one of the narrow aisles formed by the stacked containers. The goat follows, ready to fire again, but Andrew unleashes two parallel bolts: one from his gun and another of digital magic from his left hand.

  The anthropomorph leaps to his right, and the magic beam barely grazes him. He fires, but Andrew allows the projectiles to hit him, holding his aim. His opponent anticipates the move, preparing to dodge right—where he thinks the digital magic beam is headed.

  At the very last second, the boy crosses his arms so the beams fire in the opposite directions of what was expected. Caught in the confusion, the anthropomorph moves by pure inertia, and the laser beam meant for his left hits him dead-on. Though he doesn't fall, Andrew seizes that second of disorientation to close the gap and unleash a continuous flurry. The goat raises his arm by sheer force of will before collapsing onto his back.

  “You shouldn’t have followed me into such a narrow hallway,” Andrew says. “It limited your lateral movement and, from what I can see, you’re not used to dodging any other way.”

  The boy walks toward the remaining criminals, who are throwing weapons into the sea. The volume of the cargo has dwindled, but a fair amount still litters the deck.

  “Are you going to keep going? The Coast Guard received the alarm. They’re already moving in to surround the ship.”

  One criminal tries to snatch a weapon from the floor, but as he leans down, a red beam takes him out. Amellie is the one responsible; from atop a container, she aims downward to signal that the battle is over.

  The remaining criminals do nothing but raise their hands. They don’t even trust their numerical superiority to defeat the guys.

  “Looks like everything is wrapped up here.”

  Andrew and Amellie turn toward Axel, who approaches dragging the adult infergno who shot at the hostages by the collar of his shirt. It only took him a few seconds to overpower him with physical strength. The boy and his blazer are drenched in sweat.

  “Communications restored,” PEGGY announces through the earpieces.

  “Good job, Axel,” LENA congratulates her human brother.

  The three of them listen with relief to the voices of their AI companions as the Coast Guard sirens draw near, beginning the rescue of the hostages and the arrest of the smugglers.

  It’s six-thirty in the morning in Neo-Aureborn. Sunlight already illuminates every corner of the massive port, where, alongside the workers, several police officers patrol, guarding the criminals captured within the labyrinth of containers. The five guys rest on the ground facing the sea after completing their missions, watching the Coast Guard boats in the distance as they undoubtedly scout for the weapons tossed overboard.

  The Stealthorn twins watch with amusement as the Vance brothers try to use their clothes to shield themselves from the intense sunlight.

  “Good thing you were able to recover your weapons,” LENA comments. “If they’d ended up at the bottom of the sea, it would have cost you a lot of credits and days of paperwork to see them again.”

  “Whoever... the bosses of... those guys are... they didn’t send qualified people,” Andrew says, slurring his words from exhaustion. “They were... total rookies.”

  Lewis and Axel nod. Both look spent, as their tasks pushed their physical limits to the brink. The twins laugh again at the boys' weakness, but the mood suddenly turns serious at the sight of three approaching figures.

  Sector Captain Tristan Kuoraus and two Coast Guard officers, also of the amphibioid race, stand before them with an authoritative presence. The five youths stand up to show respect to one of the country's highest authorities. The Vances have to make an extra effort to keep the sun from blinding them while maintaining their composure.

  “We have confirmed that your agencies are legal and were hired by personnel linked to port security,” the captain declares in a solemn tone. “As the head of naval security, I must express my gratitude. As for the damage caused to the ship, the police have already reported they will handle it; they will take responsibility for the extreme measures taken.”

  “Our agency will also cover part of the costs,” Amellie interjects. “It was a Stealthorn Multipurpose initiative.”

  “Consider yourselves lucky there were no injuries. On the other hand, I was informed that some suspects managed to escape.”

  Lewis and Haley lower their gaze, embarrassed.

  “They threatened to kill me if we didn't let them through,” the boy in the hat speaks up. “Miss Stealthorn acted under duress.”

  “Do you have any information relevant to security?”

  “Only that, apparently, they weren't cooperating with the hijackers,” Haley responds, surprising the rest of her companions. “They were separate groups.”

  “Very well. We will need you to report to Coast Guard headquarters tomorrow to give your statements. Again, thank you on behalf of the institution.”

  The captain and his guards depart with a brief nod.

  “It’s hard... to take... that ‘thank you’ seriously... when he talks like he hates us,” Andrew mutters once the tension dissipates. He, Lewis, and Axel collapse onto the ground once more.

  “Many high-ranking officers don't like independent groups,” PEGGY says through the earpieces.

  “When you succeed, it makes them look bad,” LENA adds. “Sometimes pride outweighs their duty to protect the citizens. Are you okay?” she asks, noticing the earpiece cameras are pointing directly at the ground.

  “Let’s just go,” Axel says. “Between the sun and the exhaustion, I’m done.”

  The three brothers stand up heavily and walk slowly toward the port exit.

  “Aren’t you going to say thank you?” the elder Stealthorn asks.

  The Vances, without the strength to argue or formally say goodbye to their rival agency, simply raise their thumbs as they walk away. The three lean on each other’s shoulders to keep from falling. The twins watch them go with a smile.

  “They’re weird,” Amellie mentions. “But without them, we wouldn’t have solved this.”

  “I’d like to work with them again,” PEGGY admits. “It’s strange interacting with another AI of my kind.”

  “Me too,” Haley says, her eyes fixed on one of the boys as they disappear into the morning horizon.