Stillwell didn't look at Ashley. She kept her eyes on the tablet, swiping through the crime unit's data.
"The initial trauma is straightforward," Stillwell said. "Blunt force penetrating the chest cavity. The forensics team describes it as an 'adolescent-sized fist' driven through the sternum."
On the screen, a 50x magnification revealed the true horror.
"This is what the first exam missed," Stillwell murmured, more to herself than to Ashley. "Scattered across the back of the neck, the spine, and the femoral arteries. Micro-perforations. Dozens of them. Needle-sized entry points that bypassed the muscle and went straight for the marrow."
Stillwell continued. "We pulled the security tapes from The Gilded Cage. Wonder was contracted for a private flight with two honor students. He took one, Jennifer Mathers, daughter of Senator Schumer and left the other on the sidewalk."
She tapped a photo on the screen. It was a grainy, high-angle shot of a female shape standing across from the club.
"We have the second student in a holding cell. She confirms Wonder grabbed a third individual, a homeless female from across the street before launching. Mathers is currently missing, presumed dropped in the Atlantic. But this girl..." Stillwell tapped the face of the homeless figure.
"Small. Unassuming. Perfect camouflage," Stillwell said, staring at the grainy frame of the girl in the dress. "They're checking every facial recognition database. If she's a spy, she's a ghost. But she's carrying a dead Supe's entire genetic code inside her. The only silver lining is that Wonder wasn't a member of the Seven. He was mid-tier flyer. It's a loss, but it's not a catastrophe. We're safe for now."
Ashley felt a cold spike of fear drive through her.
She stood at the edge of the rug, her fingers digging into the back of her own tablet so hard the plastic groaned. She kept her eyes fixed on a spot on the floor, trying to keep her breathing level.
Ashley's mind was sprinting backward, replaying the face of the Deep in her office an hour ago. She could hear his voice: "I gave him some of my blood… he became 100% me."
Ashley's eyes squeezed shut. Kevin said it was a boy. The grainy photo on Stillwell's screen was a girl. Different genders. It had to be a coincidence.
If she told Madelyn now, the consequences would be her execution. No one must ever know. Fuck you, Kevin, you dumb, sardine-brained idiot.
"Ashley?" Stillwell's voice cut through the panic. "You're sweating. Did you find something in the flight path?"
"No, Ma'am," Ashley lied. She forced a professional smile. "Just... thinking about the press release. The 'Heart Defect' angle. It's solid. I'll go coordinate with the legal team."
Stillwell nodded. "Good. You do that. I'll see if we can find something on this 'ghost' before the Russians pull her out of the city."
Ashley didn't wait. She turned and ran out, her heels drumming a frantic rhythm against the marble floor.
She didn't go to Legal. She went straight to the Deep's private quarters.
She didn't knock. She overrode the keypad, the doors hissing open just as Kevin stepped out of the bathroom, steam curling off his shoulders. He looked confused, halfway through drying his hair, until he saw the look on Ashley's face.
"Ashley! What the" Kevin attempted to protest his invasion of privacy.
"Shut the fuck up, Kevin!" she hissed, her face inches from his. Her eyes were bloodshot, vibrating with a panic that looked like it was seconds away from a total meltdown. "You are in a world of shit. A galaxy of shit. You are currently the King of Shit Mountain, and I'm the one eating it."
Kevin blinked, his wet Face sliding into a mask of pure terror. "What? what did I do?"
"Stillwell found out that Great Wide Wonder was gutted and vacuumed out like a Thanksgiving turkey," Ashley rasped.
"She thinks it's a Russian spy. A girl. But I know, Kevin. I know your 'blood-son' on the beach is the one who did it."
"A girl?" Kevin stammered. "But it was a boy! I told you, he was"
Ashley grabbed the Deep's arm, her voice a low. "Kevin, listen to me. Stillwell has a photo of a girl. You're swearing up and down it was a boy. I don't care if it's a shapeshifter, or if the Russians sent twins, or if you're just too high on kelp to tell a dick from a clit it's the same shit show."
She let go of him and started pacing, her fingers clawing at her scalp.
"If Homelander finds out that a member of the Seven handed his genetic code to a predator on a public beach, he won't just kick you out of the group. He will split us both in half. Literally. He'll make a wish with our corpses."
Kevin's gills twitched visibly under his suit. "What do I do? Ash, please, tell me what to do."
Ashley stopped. She leaned in, her eyes wide and bloodshot.
"You're going to find that little shit. I don't care if you have to talk to every crab in the Atlantic. You find it, and you kill it. You erase it from the face of the earth and bring me whatever is inside that thing's chest."
"But... how do I find it?"
"It's a Supe-eater, Kevin! It's going to be where the Supes are!" She shoved her phone into his chest. "I'm keeping Stillwell looking at the Russians. I'm burying the Deep-DNA connection for now. But the second that thing pops up, you be there first. If you don't kill it, I will personally tell Homelander it was your idea to sell Vought secrets to the Kremlin. Am I clear?"
Kevin swallowed hard, his voice dropping to a terrified whisper. "But... Ash... I'm a Supe, too."
"KEVIN"
Kevin nodded frantically, his face pale. "Clear. Crystal clear."