XVII
Breach
Night City, 2077
The call came just as Ares lifted Sofie’s shirt over her head.
After she’d found him in the parking garage—shaken, trembling, and barely keeping herself together—he’d taken her back upstairs. He made her a cup of tea while she brushed her teeth again, and then they had sat together on the couch for a long time, her head in his lap as he stroked her hair.
No matter how tough Sofie was, she was still fragile; like a diamond, nearly impossible to scratch but easy to shatter. Ares found that fragility beautiful in its own way. And Sofie was never too proud to hide it from him.
By the time that the sun had set, and the tremble in her voice had faded, she’d asked him to take her to the bedroom. There, shy as their wedding night, she had offered herself to him.
Ares had hesitated at first. Sofie was rarely nervous when they were intimate. But she’d taken the lead, undressing him piece by piece, loving him with the same quiet certainty she always did. When she finally pushed him onto the bed and climbed into his lap, he’d understood: This was what she needed to feel herself again. He would never deny her that.
But someone else would.
Ares had just lifted her shirt when a flash of orange bled through the fabric. His gaze snapped upward. Two pinpoints of light glowed through the dark cotton—Sofie’s eyes lit by a sudden flare in her ocular display. Less than a heartbeat later, his own eyes ignited with the same orange tint as an incoming conference call forced itself into focus, overlaying another notification that had emerged at the same time.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Dr. Karin Holtmark. Priority One.
A soft, involuntary groan escaped Sofie’s lips—a sound of disappointed weariness. Ares released the hem of her shirt and withdrew his other hand, letting her reluctantly pull the garment back into place. As she did, they each accepted the call. Ares pulled Sofie close as Dr. Holtmark’s image flickered into view.
“Oh, thank God.” Karin’s voice was breathless. “I’ve been trying to reach you two for an hour. Damn snowstorm.”
“Dr. Holtmark, what’s wrong?” Ares spoke up when Sofie didn’t. She was frozen in place, pressed against his chest. When he checked the other notification floating in his vision, he understood why.
“The Nástr?nd quarantine has been breached,” Holtmark said quickly. “But that’s not all. Mr. Ulveson’s been hurt. Badly. Trauma Team took him to Oslo University Hospital. His injuries are severe. He’s in surgery now. That’s where I’m calling from.”
“What?” Ares asked, stunned. Beside him, Sofie shuddered and let out a small, surprised squeak. She jerked upright into a sitting position and started fidgeting with her ring.
“He was attacked,” Holtmark continued. “I’m sharing the security cam footage now. It was a cyberpsycho—a borged-out giant. Kept asking about Prosopon. He almost killed Mr. Ulveson but I managed to stop him.”
As she spoke, Ares watched as the video record of the fight played out. Ma?l was a good fighter, fast and lethal like his sisters. He’d put up a good fight and decently wounded his attacker but it hadn’t been enough.
“I gave him the access codes to enter the quarantine zone in exchange for your brother’s life…” Holtmark trailed off. In the video, Ares saw the lights return to normal as the attacker turned to leave, then wheeled around and fired another shot into Ma?l’s stomach.
Sofie’s eyes still glowed as her expression grew darker and darker. Tears slid down her cheeks and her whole body had begun to tremble as she balled her hands into fists.
“Monterro,” she whispered. “It was Tyler Monterro.”
“You know him?” Holtmark asked.
Sofie swallowed hard, rage and terror evident in her eyes. “Not for much longer,” she growled, voice cracking. “I—I’m going to fucking kill him.”
Ares felt his stomach drop. The sound of her voice—breaking as she was overwhelmed by fear and anger—twisted something deep in his chest. He reached out to touch Sofie’s shoulder, wanting to steady her, but she was already moving.
“Keep my brother safe, Dr. Holtmark. We’ll be there soon.” She said as her feet hit the floor. Sofie’s eyes dimmed as she dropped the call, then flared bright again as she opened another.
She paced the bedroom once, twice, fingers trembling as she brushed hair back from her face.
“Liv?” She said, breath sharp. “I need you to do my upgrades. Tonight.”
