Iseult darted from the elevator right as it opened, hidden beneath his invisibility cloak. He paused within the dark hallway, but as he spotted me, he stalked closer.

“That’s far enough, Asher Madison, or more accurately, Iseult Gavana.”

He froze against a shattered glass door, but my eyes saw all. I shifted my head as he moved so he’d know there was no escape. I must have struck an imposing figure. He tore off his cloak, revealing himself.

“Who the fuck are you?”

“You know me. But you don’t know me. Not really.”

He drew his handguns and more flashed beneath his clothes.

“Are you Thomas perhaps? Or another friend of Mantor’s? I hope you know he cried like a bitch when I gutted him.”

“I don’t know who that is, and I don’t care. I’ve done much worse, for I am Genewall’s darkness. I am—Chaos Theory!”

I turned on the desk lamp and watched as his face stiffened.

“You. How the fuck can it be you? Mark said—”

“Of course it’s me. Wasn’t it strange I knew exactly where to find confidential files in Genewall? I led you here.”

He rubbed his head. Hehe, my play had shaken him. I’d give my performance an A+. No participation trophies here.

“Why? This makes no sense.”

“Never stick your nose where it doesn’t belong, or it’ll get cut off. Genewall doesn’t take kindly to investigation. Your partner knows this best.”

His eyes lit with fire and he pointed his guns at my head and heart.

“Where the fuck are you holding her?”

“Holding her? We’ve already sold her for a pretty penny.”

I teleported his arms to the side before he pulled the trigger. He fired several times in quick succession. When he tried to force his guns in my direction, I’d redirect them the same way so he overcorrected. When his handguns spent their ammo, he threw them at me in rage.

“Fuck you.”

I set my new cat on the desk, and it scurried away. I’d need to find it later. Iseult grabbed two more guns, but I teleported beside him and swept out his legs. He flailed his arms, catching me in the face. Oof, that hurt. I stumbled and we both fell.

He swung his body around, mounted me on the ground, and hammered at my face. Before he could follow through, I teleported behind him and held him in a chokehold. Wow, we had never been so close. My face grew hot.

Iseult bucked and squirmed, but I wouldn’t let go. After two minutes, he stopped struggling and gurgled in my grip. Yes, let your will collapse. Submit to me, tiny… wait, wrong script. I already did that part. This was supposed to be where I told him my tragic backstory. I loosened my grip so he wouldn’t blackout. I’d rather not repeat this.

“It didn’t have to be like this. We could have…. Things weren’t always this bad. I was a normal child in a nuclear family, only occasionally bullied. But then one day, I played an idle MMO. It was so fun and the community was so great, I started a guild. Oh, what a fool I was. ”

He regained his vigor and tried to buck me off, but I wouldn’t lose him easily. Was my story that exciting?

“The guild grew bigger and bigger, far beyond me. My members berated me for the smallest mistakes and our top players left for greener pastures. I cracked under the pressure. Long story short, I’m no longer welcome in Australia. Banned from the entire district.”

Iseult groaned.

“That was the shittiest story I have ever heard.”

Wha—? So rude. I worked hard making that up. In my moment of weakness, astonished by his audacity, he escaped my grasp and backed into the wall. I teleported beside him with my arms crossed.

“Your backstory better be good. Glass houses and all that.”

He drew two knives and slashed them at me. I didn’t need to think to avoid such simple weapons.

“Glass houses? We had no fucking glass houses. I grew up in the Three Faces Vilzone. The only houses there were rubble from constant conflict between heroes and villains.”