The Verance headquarters hummed with the quiet rhythm of recovery.
Slade sat at the central table, the remnants of the London operation spread before him. The fragments had been scattered again, their leadership decimated, their network in chaos. But the victory felt hollow. Every time he thought he'd reached the end, the maze expanded.
Lyric was at her station, her fingers flying across the keyboard. "Slade. I've found something. The fragments are regrouping. But they're not just regrouping. They're evolving. They're becoming something new."
Slade's eyes narrowed. "Something new?"
"A decentralized network. No single leader. No single headquarters. They're adapting to our tactics. They're learning from their mistakes."
Kane's jaw tightened. "They're becoming like us."
"Exactly. They'
