Edward's gaze drifted to the central console, its main interface flickering softly with the pulse of the palace's ether grid. "You're not touching that," he said finally, crossing the room with the quiet authority of a man who'd intercepted far too many of Gabriel's schemes.
Gabriel didn't move from where he leaned against the desk, arms folded loosely. "Possessive, are we?"
"Practical," Edward shot back, already keying in his clearance code. The console recognized him instantly, drawing down the next layer of security, a lattice of pale blue light that shifted and reformed as it confirmed identity. "If you start querying restricted records without a filter, the Archive Core will log your name directly, and Damian will be notified before I can even close the access window."
Gabriel tilted his head, smirk deepening. "So you'll act as my filter."
Edward didn't look up from the screen. "Call it damage control."
