The atmosphere turned highly combustible; a violent bloodbath felt seconds away.
The sweat on Silas's forehead multiplied rapidly. He coughed awkwardly, rushing to defuse the ticking bomb. "Miss Panacea, Mr. Fenris is simply—"
But Jerrick clearly didn't need any interference.
He cut Silas off completely. There was zero anger on his face, his gaze entirely undisturbed. "This is our protocol. Please cooperate, Miss Panacea."
Serena's smirk deepened. She slowly turned her attention back to Silas. "What, afraid I stole something?"
She scoffed. "If you're so terrified, how did you ever find the courage to beg me to save your precious asset?"
Silas, practically drenched in sweat, scrambled for an excuse. "Miss Panacea, you misunderstand! Of course that isn't the case! This is simply—"
"This is my operational duty; it has nothing to do with the ship's management," Jerrick interjected smoothly. "Your aggressive lack of cooperation is making me highly suspicious."
Serena's gaze snapped right back to Jerrick, the brooding darkness in her eyes swirling violently. "Since when does a common mercenary have the right to search my belongings?"
Jerrick remained entirely unflapped. "This sector falls under my jurisdiction. You aren't being singled out. Everyone gets searched."
Serena laughed.
It was a soft, airy sound, but the temperature in her eyes plummeted to absolute
zero.
A violent chill raced down Silas's spine. Terrified the two were going to tear each other apart in the middle of the corridor, he blurted out, "Mr. Fenris, The Panacea's compounds are highly volatile! Please refrain from making direct physical contact during the search!"
Jerrick didn't even acknowledge Silas. His grey-blue eyes stayed firmly locked onto Serena. "Open it, please."
Serena tilted her head, giving him a deeply sinister smile. "The last man who tried to touch my kit is currently rotting at the bottom of the ocean."
"And I bet even in death, he deeply regrets ever having hands."
"Are you absolutely certain you want to touch my kit?"
It was a blatant, unapologetic challenge.
The two mercenaries behind Jerrick darkened even further, staring at Serena like she was a dead woman walking.
But Jerrick remained completely indifferent. "No one wants to touch your kit. Open it yourself, and we will merely scan it."
A subtle flicker passed through Serena's eyes.
This Fenris was significantly cooler under pressure than she had anticipated.
He hadn't let her mockery cloud his judgment, nor had he abused his authority in his
own jurisdiction to force her compliance.
He was cautious and terrifyingly rational.
He clearly understood how to navigate potentially fatal, unknown variables.
That highly disciplined operational style only amplified the haunting sense of familiarity.
This man was absolutely not a typical mercenary.
Serena stared at him for two solid
།
seconds before letting out a sudden, breathy chuckle. She
mover
unceremoniously dropped th
medical kit onto a nearby tray.
"Scan it."
She raised her hand and flicked the latches open with a swift, fluid motion.
Inside sat perfectly aligned rows of
glowing vials, silver acupuline
needles microinjectors, and myriad of bizarre glass bottle
holding unrecognizable substances.
Every single item was locked into its designated slot.
It was meticulously organized, yet entirely devoid of a single identifying label.
But in the precise millisecond she snapped the lid open, her fingers grazed the kit's inner lip.
Without making a single sound or
telegraphing the movement, she jammed a hair-thin silver needle directly into the seam of a hidden Srtment.
The trap was brilliantly concealed.
But if anyone tried to forcefully pry open that false bottom, it would trigger instantly.
Jerrick lowered his eyes to scan the contents, his gaze pausing for exactly one second on the concealed needle.
His grey-blue eyes remained cold, completely devoid of surprise.
He accepted the handheld scanner from his subordinate, raised it, and methodically began sweeping it over the medical kit...