———Kat———

I stare at the glowing screen of my laptop, fingers hovering over the keyboard as I sift through article after article, database after database, looking for anything on M.V. or his connection to Smith Inc. The deeper I dig, the more I feel like I'm spiraling. Whoever he is, he's a ghost. No records, no trails, no digital footprint—it's maddening. How are the others managing to sleep when we're dealing with someone this elusive?

With a frustrated sigh, I close the laptop and lean back in my chair, the soft click of the screen snapping shut echoing in the dark room. Silence settles over me, the weight of unanswered questions pressing down on my chest. Then, a knock breaks through the stillness.

"Kat, it's Keegan," a familiar voice calls from the other side of the door. "Can I come in?"

I smirk to myself. "Sure, Walker. Enter my humble abode," I say, my tone playful.

The door creaks open, and Keegan steps in, a small grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Your residence, huh?" he says, playing along. "Quite the upgrade from the warehouses, I'd say."

I chuckle softly. "What can I say? I have a taste for luxury now."

He leans against the doorframe, crossing his arms. "So, I was wondering... Do you regret it yet? Trusting these people?"

I shake my head, meeting his gaze. "Not yet. Honestly, it feels like a solid choice so far. I mean, you know me—I'm not exactly a team player. I usually prefer working alone. Less drama, fewer complications. But the Smiths? They seem... different. Alyse and Red are alright, Claire's got a good head on her shoulders, and that Kylen guy is sharp as hell. And then there's Hail..." My lips curl into a smirk. "There's definitely a story there. Can't wait to figure out what it is."

Keegan nods, his expression thoughtful. "You're good at reading people. I trust your instincts. But still, you really have no idea who M.V. is?"

"Not a clue," I admit. "Didn't even know those were his initials until we found that briefcase."

Keegan frowns, his mind clearly working through the puzzle. "That's weird, though, isn't it? He hired you for multiple jobs, but you never met him. Yet those goons are involved once, and suddenly they have his initials? That doesn't add up."

I raise an eyebrow, impressed. "That's why I like you, Walker. You actually think. You see the threads and start connecting them."

He grins, rubbing the back of his neck. "Thanks, Kat. But seriously, doesn't that strike you as... odd?"

I nod, leaning forward. "It's strange, no doubt. Scarface and his crew couldn't even handle us—they were a mess. Sloppy, dumb, the kind of people who barely qualify as henchmen. Maybe they were his goons, or maybe M.V. just didn't trust me the way he trusted them. Hell, it could be something else entirely..."

My voice trails off as a thought hits me like a freight train.

Keegan notices instantly. "What is it?"

I sit up straighter, the realization swirling in my mind. "What if he wanted us to find that briefcase? What if he planted it, knowing I'd interfere?"

Keegan furrows his brow. "You think it was a setup? Why would he do that?"

"Think about it," I say, my voice quickening with the rush of my theory. "This whole time, I've been thinking it was a mistake—that Scarface slipped up. But what if it wasn't? What if M.V. left it there on purpose? A calculated move to get us riled up, to make us dig deeper, chase after him?"

Keegan's face darkens, his mind turning over the possibility. "So, you're saying this whole thing was a game? A way to manipulate us?"

"Exactly," I reply. "And if that's the case, then we're not just dealing with someone who's hard to find. We're dealing with someone dangerous. Someone who knows how to stay ten steps ahead."

Keegan exhales sharply, pushing off the doorframe. "Well, that's just great. A mastermind pulling our strings, and we don't even know what they want."

I nod grimly, the weight of the revelation settling in my chest. "Yeah. But now we know one thing for sure—we're playing his game. The question is, how do we turn the tables?"

Keegan doesn't answer immediately, but the fire in his eyes tells me he's just as determined to figure this out as I am. For the first time in a long while, I feel like I'm not alone in this.

Keegan steps further into the room, his jaw tight with determination. "If this guy is as calculated as you think, we can't keep playing by his rules. We need to figure out what he wants—and fast."

I lean back in my chair, tapping my fingers on the desk as I think. "We know he wanted the orb for something."

Keegan tilts his head, his brows furrowing. "What about Scarface? Any chance he's still alive?"

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I shake my head. "Nope, he cleaned up that mess the second we got involved."

Keegan lets out a low whistle. "Hell of a start."

I smirk despite myself. "Optimistic as always, Walker."

He grins faintly. "It's a gift. But seriously, what's our next move?"

"Well—"

Keegan raises a hand, stopping me mid-thought. "Actually, let's not get ahead of ourselves yet. I'm gonna grab us some energy drinks before this turns into an all-nighter."

Before he can move, another knock echoes on the door. Keegan freezes, throwing a questioning look my way. I gesture for him to stand aside and cautiously open it.

Dylan leans casually against the doorframe, a grin plastered on his face. "Hey, am I interrupting the secret meeting of the anti-social club, or can anyone join?"

I roll my eyes. "What do you want, Dylan?"

He smirks, brushing past me and into the room. "I saw Keegan slip in here and figured you two were either plotting something shady or bonding over how broody you are. Whatever it is, I hope you're leaving room for Jesus."

Keegan crosses his arms, though the corner of his mouth twitches. "We're working on the M.V. problem, Dylan. You're welcome to help, or you can go find something shiny to distract yourself with."

Dylan flops into the chair at my desk, his feet propped on the edge. "Oh, please. If you're talking about that briefcase and the orb, I'm all in. I've been trying to crack the whole M.V. mystery since we got here."

Keegan raises an eyebrow. "And? Got anything useful, or are you just here for the commentary?"

Dylan grips his head, trembling as a faint blue glow pulses from his hands. "No... no, not again!" he shouts, his voice strained.

Keegan rushes to his side, gripping his shoulder. "Dylan, what is it? What do you see?!"

Dylan's body shakes, his breathing uneven as he stutters, "It's your mom... she's... she's..."

Keegan's eyes widen, panic setting in. "My mom? What happened? Is she okay?!"

Dylan pauses, his face contorting as if in agony—then his entire demeanor shifts. The glow fades, and his lips curl into a mischievous grin. "She got a raise at the pub for being the hottest employee!" he blurts, before bursting into uncontrollable laughter.

Keegan freezes for a moment, realization dawning. "Are you fucking serious right now?"

Dylan doubles over, clutching his sides as his laughter grows louder. "You should've seen your face! I got you two so good!"

"You're such an asshole!" Keegan snaps, shoving him back.

I cross my arms, glaring at Dylan. "What the fuck! That wasn't funny. You scared the shit out of us!"

"Oh, come on," Dylan says, trying to catch his breath. "You've gotta admit it was a little funny."

"No. It wasn't," I say firmly, though Keegan's muttered curses speak volumes.

Dylan's laughter dies down as he straightens up, brushing himself off. "Alright, alright, I'll lay off. But seriously, the look on your faces—priceless."

Keegan points a finger at him, his jaw clenched. "Next time, I'm letting you drop when your glowing hands start up. See how you like it."

Dylan smirks, unbothered. "Noted. But don't worry, if I actually see anything, you'll be the first to know."

"Damn right I will," Keegan mutters, turning away.

Dylan winks at me. "Relax, Kat. I'll behave—mostly."

I narrow my eyes at him. "You'd better."

The tension hangs for a moment before Dylan shrugs and walks off, still chuckling under his breath. Keegan glances at me, shaking his head. "One of these days, I swear..."

"Yeah," I mutter. "One of these days."

Dylan smiles, his expression shifting to something more serious. "Okay so back to what we were talking about. I was digging through the network in Kylen's lab earlier—don't ask how, let's just say I'm good with tech—and I found some encrypted files linked to Smith Inc. shipments. Guess whose initials popped up?"

My heart skips a beat. "M.V.?"

Dylan nods, his grin returning. "Bingo. It's not a ton, but there were multiple shipments labeled with those initials. They all went off-grid—no delivery confirmations, no follow-ups, nothing."

Keegan frowns, leaning against the wall. "So he's not just targeting Smith Inc. warehouses. He's been involved with their shipments too."

"Exactly," Dylan says. "Whatever he's doing, it's bigger than we thought. He's using the company's resources for his own plans, and Kylen doesn't even seem to know."

I glance at Keegan, who seems just as unsettled as I am. "If M.V.'s been embedded in Smith Inc. for this long, then he's not just some random player in this game. He's been planning this for a while."

Dylan leans forward, his tone dropping. "That's not even the weirdest part. The shipments were routed through places that don't exist—at least, not on Earth. I cross-checked the coordinates, and they don't match any known locations here."

Keegan narrows his eyes. "So... he's been sending shipments to where, exactly? Naurus?"

Dylan shrugs. "Could be. Or some other universe. All I know is, the guy's got access to tech that can bypass dimensions. We might be dealing with something way more advanced than we thought."

I run a hand through my hair, feeling the weight of the revelation settle in. "Alright. If M.V. is using Smith Inc. to move materials off-world, we need to figure out what those materials are. That could give us a clue about his endgame."

Keegan pushes off the wall, pacing. "We also need to find out how he's doing it. If he's using Smith Inc.'s tech, that means he has people on the inside."

Dylan smirks, leaning back in the chair. "Guess it's a good thing you've got me, huh? I'll dig into those files more tomorrow and see what else I can pull up."

I nod. "Do it. In the meantime, Keegan and I will go over the briefcase again. If there's any connection we missed, we'll find it."

Dylan stands, clapping his hands together. "Alright, team mystery-solving squad is on the case. This is gonna be fun."

Keegan snorts. "Yeah, because uncovering a potential interdimensional conspiracy is such a good time."

Dylan grins as he heads for the door. "You'll see, Walker. This is just the beginning."

As he leaves, Keegan shakes his head. "That kid's energy is exhausting."

I smirk. "He's not wrong, though. This is just the beginning."

Keegan nods, his expression turning serious. "And if M.V. really is as dangerous as we think, we'd better be ready for whatever's coming."

"Agreed," I say, glancing at the closed laptop on my desk. There's still so much we don't know. But with Dylan's new lead, we're finally starting to piece this puzzle together. And for the first time in days, I feel like we're one step ahead of M.V. instead of ten steps behind.

"Better go congratulate your mom on the raise." I say with a smirk.

Keegan stands, his grin returning. "Oh shut the fuck up."

We laugh simultaneously as he turns to the door and leaves. The wheels turn in my head. Whoever M.V. is, he's not just some shadow in the distance anymore. We're closer to understanding him. And that means we're closer to stopping him.

For now, it's a small step. But it's a start.