Julian didn't move. He simply turned his head back toward Dr. Thorne, his movement slow and deliberate. The faint smirk was gone, replaced by an absolute, chilling neutrality.
"Are you," he asked, his voice so calm it was more unsettling than a shout, "threatening me?"
He took a single step forward. It wasn't an aggressive lunge, but the sheer focused intent behind it made the entire plaza seem to tilt. The Arbiter enforcers, who had been still as statues, tensed almost imperceptibly.
Veronica's smile widened, a predator seeing her mate begin the hunt.
"I'm afraid you've misunderstood the situation, Doctor," Julian continued, his gaze pinning Thorne in place. "You possess data. I possess the capacity to erase the collectors of that data. The New Order, with their citadel, their marks, and their army, issued similar threats. You can see what remains of them."
