The harbor was shrouded in a thick, salt-heavy mist that muffled the sound of the foghorns. Pier 9 was a skeletal structure of rotting wood and rusted cranes, tucked away from the prying eyes of the harbor police.
A single set of headlights cut through the fog. A matte-black SUV—the one they had supposedly crashed into a fence—was idling at the end of the pier.
Ashley stood leaning against the hood, her red hair whipped about by the sea breeze. She looked tired, but when she saw Adrien and Leon emerge from the shadows, her expression shattered into a look of pure, raw relief.
"You're late," she said, her voice trembling.
Leon didn't say a word. He crossed the distance in four long strides and pulled her into a hug that looked like it was the only thing keeping them both upright.
Lily hopped out of the passenger side, her pink hair glowing in the taillights. She didn't wait for Adrien to speak. She ran at him, nearly tackling him into a stack of shipping crates.
"You found the gummy bear!" she cried, burying her face in his hoodie. "I knew you were smart! I told Ashley you were too nerdy to forget me!"
Adrien hugged her back, the smell of strawberry and salt air filling his senses. "I didn't forget, Lily. I just... misplaced it for a second."
They stood there on the edge of the world, four people who shouldn't have existed, holding onto the only things that were real in a city built on lies.
"What now?" Leon asked, looking at the city skyline across the water. The Apex and Vane Tech towers still stood tall, glowing with corporate arrogance.
"Now," Ashley said, pulling the silver dagger-clip from her pocket and pinning her hair back. "We finish the job. We don't just expose them. We replace them. A new chemistry. One that doesn't require a reset."