Dahlia’s words echoed like gunshots in Selene’s skull.
They came for their Queen.
Outside, tires screeched.
Boots hit concrete.
Then there was silence.
Not a siren. Not a shout.
Just the cold hush of precision.
Selene stared at the monitor. Dozens of Hydra soldiers. Formation tight, weapons drawn. Moving with military sync. Her face was on every one of their comms.
She turned slowly.
Dahlia smiled from the floor, blood trailing down her collarbone like a silk necklace.
“Funny how you always thought you were hiding from the Hydra,” she whispered. “Turns out you were building it.”
Selene’s hand tightened on her gun.
“They’re not my people,” Selene said.
Dahlia tilted her head. “Aren’t they?”
“They’ve hunted me for years.”
“Because they were waiting for you to claim what was yo
