The interior of the Skybolt Mk II suit hummed around him, a low mechanical rhythm syncing with his heartbeat. Noah sat slumped in the corner of the hidden basement, still bruised, ribs bound beneath the reinforced torso plate. His breathing was shallow but steady. The suit, though sleek and more advanced, felt heavy—partly from his injuries, partly from the weight of what came next.
The HUD flickered softly in front of his eyes.
VI:
"Noah, upon system boot-up, I detected and decrypted a locked file cluster embedded in the suit's core memory. It was uploaded at the time of integration."
NOAH
(grimacing)
"Merren?"
VI:
"Correct. Dr. Merren preloaded this data before finalizing the design. It contains confidential logs, video clips, transaction records… and direct communications implicating Victor Hales in multiple federal violations."
Noah slowly raised his head, eyes narrowing as the first document filled the screen—a signed order for the drone strike that killed a civilian convoy, marked "within acceptable test parameters." Another followed—wire transfers to shell corporations linked to black-market weapon testing in foreign war zones. Then came something even worse: a classified blueprint for "Red Winter," dated two years before Aerodyne ever disclosed the project to the board.
VI:
"These files demonstrate a deliberate effort by Victor Hales to mislead government partners, violate multiple arms treaties, and cover up evidence of internal sabotage."
Noah clenched his jaw.
NOAH:
"Send it. Everything. Strip the headers, bounce the signal, make sure it hits every damn police channel in Edgeport. I want it untraceable, but undeniable."
VI:
"Understood. Transmitting data to EPD Internal Affairs, District Attorney's Office, and four independent press servers. Estimated upload time: 9 seconds."
The status bar on the HUD blinked rapidly.
NOAH
(breathing hard)
"Time to let the world see who he really is."
VI:
"Upload complete."
The HUD dimmed slightly as VI confirmed the data upload. Noah allowed himself a single breath of relief. One step closer. One blow landed.
Then it hit.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
A high-pitched tone pierced the silence—sharp, urgent, unrelenting.
VI:
"Noah. Distress signal received. Origin: Imani Kade. Location: 0.4 miles from Edgeport Medical Center."
Noah's blood ran cold.
NOAH
"What?! Pull it up!"
The HUD shifted immediately, a blinking red beacon pulsing on the digital map. VI overlaid the signal data with shaky, rapidly-cut visuals—blurred footage from a broken car camera, a figure landing hard on the hood, then static. Noah caught a flash of red and black. The sound of screaming. A glimpse of Imani being dragged from the passenger side.
Then: nothing.
NOAH
(panicked, breath catching)
"VI, that was him. That was Victor. He took her—he took her!"
VI:
"Imani's signal ceased transmitting three seconds after elevation acceleration exceeded local atmospheric norms. Based on trajectory, she is no longer groundside."
Noah gritted his teeth, trying to stand. A bolt of pain shot up through his side, forcing him back down with a strangled groan.
NOAH
(grimacing)
"I don't care. Suit status?"
VI:
"Skybolt Mk II currently at 82% operational capacity. Pilot injuries remain severe. Ribs unstable. Internal bleeding risk remains elevated. Flight capability will be compromised under strain."
Noah clenched his fists. Every nerve in his body screamed not to move—but she had risked everything to save him. She found him under rubble. Stole supplies. Believed in him when he couldn't believe in himself.
And now she was in the hands of the man who murdered Merren and nearly killed him.
NOAH
(through grit teeth)
"She needs me now."
He forced himself upright, fingers twitching as the suit locked around his body piece by piece. The chestplate sealed with a metallic hiss. The HUD flared to life, brighter now. Sharper. The roar of the upgraded thrusters began to build beneath his feet.
NOAH
(strained, but focused)
"VI… lock in on her last known trajectory. Trace residual heat, wind displacement—whatever you can."
VI:
"Calibrating. Ready for pursuit."