The gentle hum of Horizon's mainframe center was usually a comfort to Gwen. Rows of servers blinked in silent rhythm, whispering data through light and code. But tonight, it felt like breathing beside a snake—calm only because it hadn't struck yet.
"Log access again," Gwen muttered, eyes flicking over her custom audit software.
Luffy leaned on the far wall of the server room, arms folded, watching her work. His red-lined hoodie hung open, revealing a reinforced suit under civilian clothes. "Same ghost pattern?"
Gwen nodded grimly. "They accessed drone telemetry. Three different nights. Always between 2:00 and 2:15 a.m. when the nightly scrub cycles start."
"Someone internal," Luffy said.
"Someone careful," Gwen corrected. "They used root permissions disguised as cleanup scripts. I almost missed it."
She pulled up a digital heat map of user logins. One ID flickered into view more often than others — R. Klein, junior developer, hired four months ago.
"Name's clean," Gwen murmured. "No priors. Education checks out. But his badge pinged server rooms he was never scheduled for."
Luffy stepped closer. "Let's pay him a visit."
They didn't confront him directly — not yet. Instead, Gwen reviewed Horizon's internal security cams, looping footage from Klein's last few late-night visits. He never looked suspicious. Never hesitated.
But in one clip, he entered a lab that was supposed to be sealed.
Inside was a test unit of Horizon's compact drone series.
The very model Gwen had decommissioned a week ago… after it attempted to track her instead of following its route.
Her gut twisted.
"He's not a mole," she said aloud. "He's a field agent. A plant."
Luffy's jaw tightened. "Oscorp."
She nodded. "Using Horizon as their lab and us as the experiment."
Later that night, Gwen reviewed STRAW's scan data at Field Alpha when her screen flared red.
PRIORITY ALERT: STACY, GEORGE – THREAT PROFILE ACTIVE.
"No. No, no, no—"
Luffy appeared beside her, already zipping up his suit. "What's wrong?"
"Dad's on an Oscorp watchlist. Someone flagged his movement near our last site takedown. They think he's connected to the vigilantes."
She hit a hotkey. A second window opened — a drone trajectory projected over the 17th Precinct parking structure.
"A Horizon drone's been reprogrammed to discharge inside the precinct. Scheduled tonight. Dad's on shift."
Luffy didn't wait.
The garage smelled like oil and concrete. Shadows swam across polished bumpers and flickering overhead lights.
The drone hovered silently, parked behind a squad car, its scanning eye dark.
Luffy dropped into the garage from above just as George Stacy stepped out of the stairwell.
The drone's eye turned red.
"MOVE!" Luffy shouted.
George barely had time to flinch before the drone detonated.
A wall of concussive force swept the area — and was met by a rubberized shield. Luffy flung himself between the blast and the man, arms stretching to absorb and disperse the shock.
The sound rang through the garage like a thunderclap.
Smoke. Sparks. Then silence.
George looked up from the ground, stunned.
Luffy was already gone.
The hospital room was quiet, save for the steady beep of a heart monitor. George Stacy sat upright, one arm in a sling, bandaged forehead gleaming under the fluorescents.
Gwen stepped in, trying not to look like she'd been running.
"They said you saved two other officers before the blast hit," she said.
"I got lucky," George replied. "And someone else... was luckier for me."
He studied her carefully.
"Whoever it was... moved like they knew me. Like they weren't protecting the building — just me."
Gwen said nothing.
"Tell Horizon thanks for the field medtech," George added, lifting a small pod beside the bed. "The nurses said it wasn't registered in any system. Just showed up. No label."
Gwen smiled faintly. "Prototype. I'll let the team know."
He reached out, squeezed her hand.
"Whatever's going on… just be careful."
"Always," she whispered.
That night, Gwen stood on the rooftop with Luffy. The city buzzed below them, unaware.
"They're not just watching now," she said. "They're hunting. And they're not aiming for us anymore. They're aiming for everyone close to us."
Luffy's voice was quiet. "Then it's time we stop pretending they're in the dark."
She looked over.
"No more shadows. We fight smart. But this time, we leave marks."
Luffy grinned. "Just tell me where to punch."