The rain hadn't stopped by the time the sirens arrived. I had retracted the armor—the purple metal melting back into the heavy silver cuff, the green light dissolving into the mist. I sat on the cold pavement, cradling Daniella, until my father’s patrol car screeched to a halt at the mouth of the alley.
I will never forget the sound he made. It wasn't the sound of an officer. It was the sound of a father breaking.
The days that followed were a blur of gray. The funeral was small. Officers from the precinct lined the path, their uniforms stiff and formal. My father stood like a statue of salt, his hand resting on my shoulder so hard it bruised. He didn't know that beneath my black sweater, the Watch was pulsing against my skin, warm and restless, as if it were mourning her, too.
"We'll find him, Victoria," he whispered, his voice hollow. "I promise you. The guy who did this... he's going to pay."
I looked at the grave, then at the silver cuff hidden by my sleeve. I already found him, Dad, I thought. But I can't tell you how.
The Secret Service of West Corp
A week later, I was walking home from the cemetery when a sleek, matte-black SUV pulled up beside me. The window rolled down to reveal a man with sharp features and eyes that seemed to scan my very DNA.
"Victoria Vega," he said. It wasn't a question.
"I don't have any money," I said, my hand instinctively dropping to the Watch.
"I’m not here for your money. I’m Garder West."
I blinked. Everyone knew that name. He was the CEO of West Corp, the man responsible for the satellites in the sky and the phones in everyone's pockets. But up close, he didn't look like a businessman. He looked like a soldier.
"I’m sorry for your loss," he said, stepping out of the car. "Your sister was a fine officer in training. But we need to talk about what happened in that alley. The energy spike our satellites picked up... it wasn't a standard firearm."
My heart hammered. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Don't lie to me, Victoria. You’re not from this Earth." He stepped closer, dropping his voice. "West Corp isn't just a tech company. We are a specialized division of the Secret Service. We monitor 'anomalies.' And right now, you are the biggest anomaly on the planet."
He handed me a sleek, translucent card. "Your father is a good cop, but he's looking for a common criminal. You and I both know that something much worse is coming for that Watch. Doctor Science didn't stop at your world, Victoria. He's tracking the signal. He's coming here."
I looked at the card. It glowed with a faint, familiar violet light.
"If you want to protect your parents—your real family—you need to learn how to use that suit," West said. "Come to the coordinates on that card. Unless you want the next funeral to be your father's."
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and then Add to home screen.