"What the fuck—" Wes started, but Tonka was already on him, massive hands closing around his throat.
Mina spun toward the new threat, but Kawan tackled her to the ground before she could get a shot off. They rolled across the floor, fighting for control of her weapon.
Pipe moved to Lark, producing a tactical knife to cut through her zip ties. "You okay?"
"Better now," she gasped, flexing her freed hands.
The fight between Kawan and Mina was vicious but brief. She was skilled, but he overpowered her—every move brutal and efficient. He managed to knock the pistol from her hands, sending it skittering across the floor.
Mina immediately went for a backup weapon at her ankle, rolling away from him as her fingers closed around the grip of a small pistol.
Specs, who had been watching the chaos unfold, suddenly dove for Mina's fallen primary weapon. Her fingers closed around it just as Mina came up with her backup piece, swinging it toward Kawan, who was still on the ground.
"Stop!" Specs shouted, the pistol steady in her hands despite the tremor in her voice.
Mina froze, her weapon halfway to target. For a moment, the room went still except for the sound of heavy breathing and the distant wail of sirens.
"You don't have it in you," Mina said, but there a hint of was uncertainty in her voice.
"Maybe not," Specs admitted. "But he's my family. And you're not taking any more of my family away from me."
Mina's eyes flicked between Specs and Kawan, calculating odds. Her weapon was still pointed in Kawan's general direction.
"Put it down," Brick commanded from where he stood over Wes's unconscious form. "It's over."
"Is it?" Mina asked. Then she smiled—cold, calculating. "You have no idea how deep this goes. Killing me won't stop anything."
She started to swing her weapon toward Specs.
Two shots rang out simultaneously—Specs firing to protect herself and Kawan taking a precision shot from across the room.
Mina dropped without another word.
For a moment, the room was silent except for the approaching sirens and the sound of Specs carefully setting her weapon on the floor.
"First time?" Pipe asked gently.
Specs hands’ shook now that the adrenaline was wearing off.
"It gets easier," he said. "The shaking, I mean. The rest of it... that, you carry with you. But that's what keeps you human."
Lark struggled to her feet, every muscle protesting, and moved to pull Specs into a fierce hug. "You saved his life," she said. "You saved all our lives."
Kawan was there, too, his arms wrapping around both of them. "Thank you," he said to Specs. "I owe you everything."
"No," Specs said quietly. "We're family. That's what family does."
Thor appeared in the doorway, surveying the carnage. "Local law enforcement will be here in a minute. We need to get our story straight."
"Already handled," Pipe said, pulling out his phone. "Official report will show an attempted kidnapping, multiple assailants, justifiable use of force. The works."
"What about Lorre?" Kawan asked.
"Still hunting him," Thor replied. "But this part is finished."
“And Bradford and Alverez?” Lark asked.
“They’re safe,” Brick said. “They’ve been quiet because they needed to protect the AI. Now that this is over, they can come out of hiding, and the AI can go back to Senatrex to finish its final testing.”
