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Niko tripped over the word. It wasn’t the first time Zann had called Elliott that.

He opened his mouth to speak, to object to the term.

But… was it wrong? What was Elliott? What were they?

They had grown so close as to be inseparable lately, living together, working together, sleeping with one another.

Niko felt something deep, intangible, and raw for Elliott.

Even thinking about him made Niko’s heart skip a beat.

He decided to ignore it for now. It wasn’t what mattered in Zann’s question, anyway. “Yeah. I don’t really love it either, but he insisted on coming. He’s going to stay stealthed. Hopefully I can get what I need and get out quick without any trouble.”

“You realize on the scale of one to fuck-awful that this idea is about a one hundred. Right?”

“I know, Zann. But I have to do it. Everyone Honeybliss hurt deserves it. We can prevent more from being taken and killed. And we can prevent any more copycat murders. We’re going to end Honeybliss for good.”

“Well, you always used to be a crazy son of a Toliai. And ambitious. I’ll give you that.

” He eyed Niko for a moment. “Despite everything, I missed this. I missed you . It’s good to see you not acting like a zombie anymore.

Even if it means you’re out fist-fighting the universe with Elliott Kestrel. ”

“Not the entire universe. Just the galaxy.”

“Right,” Zann said. “Well, that makes it way more manageable.”

“I feel awake again for the first time in years, Zann,” Niko admitted. “It feels good to be fighting again.”

The two of them fell into a long silence before Zann finally spoke again.

“Shit. You know,” he said slowly. He ran a hand over his short-cropped coils. “Maybe it’s time I do something about it too.”

“What?” Niko looked at him.

“Honeybliss. I knew they were out there, but didn’t do anything about it. They were beyond what I could do. They were too big. I let them be too big; we all did. Maybe you have the right idea. Even if you did it in the most asshole, chaotic way possible.”

A multitude of feelings ran through Niko.

Elation, hope, joy. Fear and sorrow. He wanted to ask Zann to join him, to work with him.

Niko knew his brother would excel at researching, at strategizing, at bringing down those who wrecked and ruined.

It was what the man lived for. The three of them working together as a united team would be unstoppable.

The question was on the tip of his tongue.

But he couldn’t dare ask that of him—doing so would only lead down a dangerous, deeply lonely path. He couldn’t strip Zann’s very life from him. He’d already cost him his career.

“Zann, I don’t know. I don’t want you to be at that kind of risk—”

“Niko. Wasn’t it you who said before that we don’t back down from the hard stuff?”

“I— Yeah. I did.”

“So don’t coddle me. Maybe I can help you out from the outside, somehow. I’ll think of something.”

“Just be careful, okay?” Niko said.

“Real rich, coming from you, Niko.”

Another quiet lulled over them.

“How’s, um,” Niko mumbled. “How’s Dad?”

“He’s pretty broken up over you, still,” Zann said.

“He’s under Galapol’s protection, though.

They’re keeping a close eye on him. I harassed them until they agreed to post constant surveillance.

They might be bastards for firing me, but I made sure they’re going to take good care of him. It’s the least they can do.”

Niko wished that information comforted him more than it did. “Do you think it’s going to be enough? If—”

Zann cut him off. “It’s going to have to be. What else am I supposed to do?”

Niko nodded. Unless I brought him to the facility .

The idea of depressed and anxious Oliver, stuck and isolated in the too-quiet, too-empty halls of the facility while he and Elliott were out on a hit made Niko nauseous with constricting grief.

A safehouse wasn’t guaranteed to be safe at all, anymore.

Somewhere like Celelast or Sunorrna were just as lonely as RM-9832642G, maybe worse.

And both had their own inherent dangers.

Maybe if Lady Death didn’t want the credits on his head…

The black market hive inside Dainna wasn’t a place for Niko’s father, either, though.

He’d really fucked up. Niko hadn’t been thinking at all.

But the alternative had been to let Elliott get killed by Zann, or be given a harrowing public execution at the hands of Galapol—or any other number of planetary governments out for his head.

Before Niko could spiral further into the despair of that thought, Zann stood up. He followed suit.

“Listen, no more disappearing acts this time. I’ll stay in touch with you through that burner phone. So keep an eye out,” Zann said.

“Come here.” Niko opened his arms wide. He pulled Zann into a tight hug that he realized probably wasn’t quite pleasant for his brother, given the suit.

When they separated again, Zann eyed him warily up and down. He jabbed an accusing finger at him. “And one more thing. Don’t ever body slam me in that armor. I didn’t appreciate that shit.”

Niko smirked. “Then don’t shoot my boyfriend. I didn’t appreciate that shit, either.”

“Yeah, well, you just make sure that boyfriend’s worth it, huh?”

“He is.”

They parted ways, Niko glancing back over his shoulder as he wandered back through the desolate old playground and memorial park, stealing one last glimpse of his brother. Zann was watching him, too. He struggled to light up another smoke as the fickle wind picked up.

“Keep in touch, asshole,” Zann shouted.

Niko flipped him the bird.

He made his way out through the old park and toward where the Sonadora waited.

The warmth of his reconnection with Zann faded as he cast another look around.

His surroundings were just as they’d been before he spoke with Zann.

Darkened, shattered windows peered out at him from distant abandoned buildings, their rooms steeped in murky shadows.

The park itself remained empty, scraps of old napkins and a paper cup caught up in flight by the wind, only to snag on clusters of scraggly plants, temporarily bound again in a sojourn to nowhere.

Everything was quiet, and he was alone.

But Niko found the hair on the back of his neck rising. Someone had seen. Someone had noticed him here, had watched. Had lingered, quietly. He didn’t know how or why, but he couldn’t shake the feeling. Had Zann been tapped, somehow? Had Galapol been watching him in secret and decided to follow?

It wasn’t out of the question that Galapol might have eyes on Zann.

He reached the Sonadora and paused before entering, giving one final sweep of the ruinous landscape.

Overgrowth and long neglected weeds sprouted through cracks in the old concrete.

The decrepit playground equipment creaked and moaned, metal against unoiled metal as it was pushed about by the wind.

The apartments in the background sat quiet, empty, dark.

Still. Nothing had changed. Niko glanced up at the roof of the tallest one.

He half expected to see Elliott there, perched, sniper rifle in hand.

But he was greeted only by miles of emptiness.

Yet hunters’ instinct told him that someone had been watching.

And was watching still.

Niko climbed into the ship, hastily locking the door behind him, paranoia rapidly spiking again. He did a quick sweep of the cabin, the bathroom, even under the bunk. He checked the interior and exterior security cameras. Nothing had been disturbed. Nothing was bugged.

He didn’t want to linger here any longer. Niko sank into the pilot seat and began take off procedures to return to the only place he could even somewhat call home now—the quiet facility on Elliott’s eternally frozen, forgotten moon.