February 8, 2059 –
Abandoned church basement, South Side Chicago
Delphine's convoy arrived yesterday—three vans, twenty new kids, and one unbreakable woman carrying roux starter like ammunition.
The basement is fuller now: sixty-one kids, seven adults. Laughter echoes more than fear.
Tonight, Jonah's laptop pings with a secure relay—no name, just coordinates and a single line: "The man who built the collars wants to talk."
Elijah gathers the core six around the screen. Delphine joins, arms crossed, eyes sharp.
The video feed opens.
A man in his fifties, white, tailored suit, face half-lit in a nondescript office. Calm voice, soft Southern accent.
"Mr. Kane. Mrs. Kane. Liberty Line. My name is Dr. Elias Harrow. I designed the Purity serum. I funded the corporate academies. I am… the architect."
Silence.
Harrow leans closer. "I'm not your enemy tonight. The system is fracturing faster than projected. Iron Patriot is becoming… unreliable. I need insurance."
Aisha scoffs. "You want us to protect you?"
"No," Harrow says. "I want to give you the keys. Full schematics. Nullifier weaknesses. Academy locations. In exchange, when the collapse comes, you ensure certain research survives."
Maya's light flickers anger. "The research that collars kids?"
Harrow smiles thinly. "The research that could end involuntary powers forever. Choice, not suppression."
Delphine speaks first. "You think we trust a snake offering apples?"
"I think you're practical," Harrow replies. "You've kept sixty-one children alive against impossible odds. You need leverage."
Elijah stares at the screen.
Kayden's illusion ripples unconsciously—Harrow's face distorting into something monstrous, then back.
Jonah whispers, "Feed's clean. No trace."
Harrow continues. "Meet me in neutral ground. One representative. No ambush. I'll bring proof."
The feed ends.
The basement is quiet.
Elijah looks at his mother.
Delphine nods once.
"Send me," she says. "I know snakes."
Outside, snow falls soft.
Inside, the Liberty Line weighs a devil's bargain.