Ford.
Exactly as he’d been at twenty-five.
The man who’d trusted me more than anyone ever had.
The man who had died because of me.
“Hawk,” Julia breathed. “Talk to me. What is this?”
Lyric answered instead:
“Ford was your partner during Operation Meridian. Intel was compromised. You had two extraction options. One saved the civilians. The other saved your team.”
My throat locked.
“Don’t,” I whispered. “Stop.”
But Lyric didn’t.
“You chose the civilians.”
Ford’s hologram stepped closer, eyes hollow, too knowing.
“And he died.”
Julia’s gaze snapped to me, wide and aching. Not judgment. Understanding. Hurt forme.
“Hawk… you never told anyone that.”
“Because it doesn’t matter,” I muttered.
Ford stepped closer, voice low and echoing:
“You promised you had me. You promised you’d come back for me.”
Julia shook her head fiercely. “Hawk. He’s not real. Look at me.”
The hologram spoke again, sharper.
“You chose strangers. You let me die alone. You failed me.”
Something broke in my chest.
“I tried,” I whispered. “God, Ford, I tried.”
Julia touched my arm. “Hawk—listen to me. Reese built this to gut you. To twist the truth.”
The hologram kept coming, relentless.
“You think you’re worthy of love? Of trust? Julia should run from you. You’ll fail her too.”
I snapped.
My fist hit the metal locker so hard the echo cracked through the room.
“ENOUGH!”
The hologram stopped moving.
