A friend?
The Panacea was a completely fabricated identity that Black Jack had thrown together for her at the last minute.
Sure, any background check would confirm that this genius pharmacist existed.
Every credential and past experience held up perfectly under scrutiny.
But it was still nothing more than a carefully constructed ghost.
Why would a friend of the world's most dangerous arms dealer specifically mention
a fabricated persona to him?
Unless...
The 'friend' Joker was talking about was Black Jack?
Aside from Black Jack, absolutely no one else should know the truth about The Panacea.
But this was hardly the time to interrogate him.
The only thing she knew for certain was that this Joker wasn't an enemy.
Whether he was a true ally depended entirely on who this so-called friend actually
was.
Julian, having already effortlessly slotted The Panacea into his allied column, glanced at the transfer pod and smiled. "I'll handle Obsidian Sun."
He lifted his gaze, his eyes locking onto the apex-tier container.
His voice was deep and brokered no argument. "The cargo inside is yours."
Serena arched an eyebrow, looking at him with a ghost of a smile. "You want to team up with me?"
Julian didn't deny it. "You just saved me. I don't like being in debt."
The man stood tall in the middle of the devastated Logistics Spine.
His dark tailored suit remained impeccably sharp, and his tone was as casual as if
he were discussing a standard business merger.
"Whatever you plan to do with this cargo, I'll help you secure it."
No probing questions.
No interrogations.
He didn't even ask what her endgame was.
Simply because she had just stepped in for him.
Simply because she was someone his sister and Hazel trusted.
And just like that, he took the burden entirely upon his own shoulders.
Serena stared at the man standing before her.
A flicker of genuine appreciation sparked in her cool, dark eyes.
This legendary arms dealer...
He was far more to her liking than she had expected.
No nonsense, no wasted breath.
The corners of Serena's ruby lips slowly curled into a smile.
"Deal."
The second the word left her lips...
A massive, bone-rattling crash echoed from within the pod.
Boom-
The entire pitch-black container shuddered violently.
Every single metric on the exterior interface panels...
Instantly spiked into the red.
Serena turned her head.
Watching the frantic countdown ticking away on the screen.
Her smile grew incredibly dangerous.
"However."
"We're going to have to speed things up."
"Because whatever is inside..."
"Is about to wake up."
Inside the pod.
The heavy, rhythmic slamming continued.
Over.
And over again, growing more vicious with each strike.
The data screens surrounding the
pod, which had been barely stable
just moments ago, were now completely overtaken by blinding crimson alerts content
"Warning!"
"Target body temperature critical!"
"Genetic rejection escalating!"
"Sedative systems failing!"
The mechanical alarms blared
endlessly through the dim confinet
of The Logisties Spine
Serena stood perfectly still in front of the pod.
Her sharp, obsidian eyes calmly scanned the chaotic fluctuations on the display.
After a long moment...
She smiled, her expression intoxicatingly wicked.
"It seems..."
"This asset really is cut from the same cloth as Specimen Seven."
Her voice was an arrogant drawl.
She sounded like she was evaluating a piece of merchandise that
finally managed ng
Sne
interest. FindNovel.net
"Body temperature, heart rate, neural hyper-arousal... all blowing past human
limits."
"The rejection sequence is still climbing."
"The vitals are a total mess."