The night was long, and there was no rest for either Alice or Coraline. For Alice, it was the relentless tossing and turning of a mind unable to find peace, haunted by the possibilities of what her stolen technology might be used for. For Coraline, it was the ceaseless drive that came with donning the mask of the Vulpes. She had made a vow, and the Vulpes never broke her promises.
Moving like a shadow across the rooftops of late-night Toronto, Vulpes kept her eyes on the city below. The Agosta murder case tugged at the back of her mind, but there was little she could do about it tonight. As a consultant at best in the legal proceedings, she had to trust the system to handle it. For now, her focus had to be on a more immediate threat—the theft of Alice’s prototype. And as much as she hated to admit it, this matter had become personal. Alice was her friend, and someone had made her a target.
The Macentyre Systems building loomed in the heart of downtown Toronto, a modern fortress of glass and steel. It wasn’t just a center for R&D; it was a symbol of corporate power and paranoia. The company was infamous for its unrelenting security measures and aggressive protection of patents, copyrights, and trade secrets. Malcolm Macentyre, the CEO, had built a reputation for being a control freak with an almost pathological aversion to theft.
That was what made this theft so striking. Whoever had stolen Alice’s prototype hadn’t just been skilled—they had to have been exceptional. The company’s security was airtight, and breaking through it required either a thief of extraordinary talent or someone deep on the inside.
Vulpes crouched at the edge of a rooftop overlooking the building, her mind racing through the possibilities. Alice had provided a list of names—people with the clearance and access to steal the prototype. Vulpes had gone over the names with John, running background checks on each of them. On paper, none of them stood out as having the motive or skill to pull off a heist like this.
That only left one conclusion: whoever was behind this had covered their tracks well. Too well.
She scanned the building, her sharp eyes picking out every security measure she could spot—motion sensors, cameras, guards, even a few security drones patrolling the perimeter. It was a fortress, but every fortress had its weaknesses. What she needed was information, something to lead her to the leak before it could spiral further out of control. And more importantly, she needed to prevent Alice from being thrown under the bus if things turned ugly.
The Vulpes straightened, her breath fogging in the cold night air. This wasn’t just about recovering stolen tech. It was about protecting Alice, and by extension, countless others who could be hurt if the prototype fell into the wrong hands. With that thought burning in her mind, she leapt to the next rooftop, her shadow disappearing into the Toronto skyline.
***
Alice pushed herself out of bed, her movements sluggish and her mind a whirlwind of thoughts she couldn’t quiet. Sleep had become an elusive luxury, slipping further from her grasp with every passing night. The intrusive whispers of Other Alice had grown louder, sharper, and more insistent, their clarity cutting through her attempts at calm like glass against stone.
She glanced at the clock, though she already knew what it would tell her. The hour sat in that liminal space between too late and too early, a time when the world seemed to hold its breath, waiting for the sun to rise. She wasn’t sure she’d slept at all, maybe a fleeting moment here or there, but certainly not enough to chase away the exhaustion pressing down on her like a weight.
“I can fix this, Alice,” the voice whispered, sharp and insistent, curling out from the shadowy corners of her mind. “You know I can find who’s behind this and make sure they learn not to cross you.”
Alice shuddered, clutching her blanket tightly as she pressed her lips together. “No,” she murmured aloud, her voice trembling but resolute. “I don’t need you anymore. I have friends. I have Michael. I’m strong enough to handle this myself.”
For a moment, there was silence—deceptive, almost comforting—before the voice returned, its tone coaxing and pointed. “Your technology, Alice. It can find the thief. You know it can. I know it can.”
Alice sat up straighter, her knuckles whitening as she gripped the edge of the blanket. “But the telepathic receiver... it’s intrusive. What right do I have to delve into someone’s innermost thoughts, to violate their privacy like that?”
The voice scoffed, the softness gone, replaced by an edge that felt like a blade against her doubts. “What right do they have to steal what’s yours? To sell it to who-knows-who? To take your life’s work and treat it like a cheap commodity, a bauble for the highest bidder? You poured your soul into Wonderland, and they’ve desecrated it.”
Alice’s breath caught, her arguments faltering under the weight of that truth. She stared into the dark void of her room, her thoughts racing, the voice’s words churning in her mind. Minutes passed in silence, her gaze fixed on nothing, until finally, she spoke again, her voice barely a whisper.
“All right,” she said, her shoulders sagging under the decision. “But I’m doing this. Not you. I can solve my own problems now. I have people who love me, who support me. I appreciate you, I do, but I don’t need you taking charge.”
The voice softened, a shadow of its earlier sharpness. It carried a strange warmth, an ache of something almost maternal. “I know, Alice. All I’ve ever wanted is for you to be safe, happy, and loved. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
***
Breaking into Macentyre Systems was no small feat, even for the Vulpes. Her tools, while reliable, were an eclectic mix of hand-me-downs and improvised gadgets. They had served her well in the past, but this was no ordinary heist. This was going to be a test—a true measure of her skills, training, and ingenuity. The building was a modern fortress, bristling with security measures designed to deter even the most determined intruders.
She had spent hours casing the complex, observing everything from guard rotations to camera placements, but as expected, much of the real security was hidden. Advanced electronic countermeasures, biometric locks, and a network of alarms that would alert someone with the stroke of a keyboard—all of it lay within. What she needed wasn’t going to be in plain sight; it would be buried deep in their closed systems, locked behind layers of encryption and restricted access.
And that was the crux of the problem. The Vulpes wasn’t entirely sure what Macentyre Systems knew about the stolen prototypes. Were they aware of the breach? Were they covering it up? Or was this theft being perpetrated under their noses by someone within their own walls? The risks were significant. If Macentyre Systems was complicit—or worse, if they were the masterminds behind this—she could be walking straight into a trap. But if they were unaware, then digging through their files might give her the lead she desperately needed.
Standing in the shadows near one of the building’s rear service entrances, the Vulpes took a deep breath, steeling herself. The risks were worth it. Someone had stolen Alice’s technology and was selling it to people who could wreak unimaginable harm. That wasn’t something she could ignore.
Her thoughts drifted briefly, unbidden, to Alice. Sweet, shy, brilliant Alice—who had always been a beacon of kindness and curiosity, entirely undeserving of the chaos that had infiltrated her life. Coraline felt a pang of protectiveness that surprised even her. Alice didn’t just deserve better; she deserved a world where her biggest worry was picking the right shade of lipstick for her date with Michael, not dealing with stolen technology that could destroy lives.
A faint smile crossed her lips as she thought of Alice’s nerdy, endearing charm. She was smart, funny, and completely unaware of just how utterly adorable she was. If Alice weren’t so unmistakably straight, Coraline might have been tempted to ask her out herself. But they were best friends, and Coraline valued that bond too much to let it become anything else. Besides, there were plenty of fish in the sea, and being Alice’s friend was just as rewarding as a romantic one that was always going to be a no go anyway.
With a slight shake of her head, the Vulpes pushed the thoughts aside, replacing them with the unrelenting focus she needed. This wasn’t the time for distractions, no matter how fond. Tonight, her target wasn’t Alice’s worries or the stolen tech—it was whoever had betrayed her.
Her gaze lifted, following the towering lines of Macentyre Systems’ corporate headquarters. The sleek building rose into the night sky, its upper floors glowing faintly from interior lights left on for the night crew. The height didn’t intimidate her; it thrilled her. The higher she climbed, the more confident she felt that no one would expect an entry from above. This wasn’t a job for amateurs. Most thieves would balk at the idea of scaling such a structure, but the Vulpes wasn’t most thieves.
She adjusted her gear, tightening the straps of her harness and checking the claws of her grappling device. This was going to take precision, strength, and more than a little nerve, but it was her best shot at finding a way in without raising an alarm.
With one last glance at the ground, she fired her grappling line, the sound of the hook catching a secure anchor high above satisfying her need for precision. The ascent was slow and steady, her muscles burning as she climbed, but she welcomed the challenge. It reminded her why she did this—not for the thrill of the heist, though she couldn’t deny she enjoyed it, but for moments like this, when she could tip the balance against those who abused power.
As she neared the upper floors, the city sprawled out beneath her like a glittering tapestry, and for a moment, she paused to take it in. Toronto was her city. Its shadows, its secrets—they were hers to uncover, its wrongs hers to right. Tonight was no different.
Reaching her target window, she braced herself against the glass, her pulse steady. The faint light from inside revealed an empty office, a perfect point of entry. With practiced ease, she attached a glass cutter to the window and began carving a circle, her movements deliberate and silent.
When the cut was complete, she slid the glass free, her body slipping through the opening as smoothly as the shadows that followed her. The office was just as she’d hoped—empty and nondescript, a typical corner of corporate mundanity. But this was only the beginning.
The Vulpes adjusted her utility belt and crouched low, her eyes scanning the room for any signs of hidden security. Tonight, she wasn’t just here for Alice. She was here to uncover the truth, to find the traitor who had betrayed her friend, and to make sure that person paid for what they’d done.
***
Alice arrived at the office at a time that felt as ambiguous as her thoughts—somewhere between too late and too early. The hallways were eerily quiet, save for the soft hum of fluorescent lights and the occasional clink of a security guard’s boots. She told the guards she needed to work on something urgent, flashing her clearance badge with a calm confidence that belied her inner turmoil. They didn’t question her; they simply nodded and escorted her to her laboratory.
That part was easy. Too easy.
The hard part waited for her inside—a decision she was still wrestling with. The experimental telepathic receiver band sat on her desk like a silent accusation, its polished surface catching the dim light. It was a marvel of her own creation, a piece of Psi-Tech that could read and translate the thoughts of others into decipherable data. It was also a Pandora’s box, one that Alice wasn’t sure she had the right to open.
She paced the room, her footsteps echoing softly against the sterile tile floor. Do I really want to do this? she thought. There were privacy laws, of course—stringent ones that made it clear the use of such technology without consent was not only unethical but outright illegal. And then there were the even murkier laws about the admissibility of evidence gathered this way in court. But what gnawed at her more than the legalities was the morality of it all. The receiver wasn’t just a tool; it was an invasion, a violation of a person’s innermost sanctuary.
Alice sighed, running her fingers through her hair. “What right do I have?” she murmured aloud, her voice barely audible. “What right do I have to spy on their thoughts, even if it’s for the greater good?”
The thought tugged at her, a weighty conflict between her principles and her fear. If the theft of her prototype wasn’t stopped, if the technology fell further into the wrong hands, the consequences could be catastrophic. And yet, she couldn’t help but feel like she was standing at a precipice, looking down at the kind of person she might become if she took this step.
Other Alice stirred, her voice a quiet whisper in the back of Alice’s mind. “It’s not spying if you’re protecting yourself. Protecting everyone.”
Alice clenched her fists, shaking her head. “It doesn’t matter how you frame it. It’s wrong.”
“And letting them walk free to exploit your work—that’s right? You’re not doing this for fun, Alice. You’re doing this to stop them from hurting anyone else. They made this choice when they stole from you.”
Alice fell silent, staring at the receiver band on her desk. It gleamed with an unsettling allure, as if daring her to pick it up. The world she lived in wasn’t simple. Privacy laws, admissibility clauses, superpowers—it was all part of the chaotic legal landscape of a world where extraordinary abilities were a reality. She couldn’t help but think how much easier life might be if the world weren’t so complicated, if it were a little less magical.
But then again, would she want to live in a world like that?
Her hand hovered over the band, her heart pounding in her chest. “If I do this,” she whispered, “it’s to find the truth. Nothing more.”
The decision weighed on her like a leaden chain, but she knew she couldn’t afford inaction. With a deep breath, Alice picked up the band, its smooth surface cold against her palm. This wasn’t a choice she was making lightly, and it wasn’t one she would let define her. She would use the receiver—but only to protect what she had built, to safeguard the people who trusted her.
She reached for a nearby spanner and took a slow, steadying breath. The familiar weight of the tool in her hand was grounding, a small comfort in the chaos of her racing thoughts. While she calibrated the receiver, she could let her mind wander, running through the possible consequences of what she was about to do. What if it worked? What if it didn’t? Either way, she was stepping into uncharted territory, and the stakes couldn’t have been higher.
***
High above the bustling city streets, the Vulpes moved with the precision of a shadow, her instincts honed to razor sharpness. She had gambled on security being thinner at this altitude, and the wager had paid off. Patrols were sparse, and the rooftop entry point had been relatively easy to breach, but she knew better than to relax. The hardest part was still ahead.
Her goal was the server rooms, a treasure trove of secure data that might hold the key to unraveling the theft of Alice’s prototype. It would be slow going, carefully navigating the labyrinthine corridors and bypassing the high-tech defenses Macentyre Systems was infamous for. But as she crouched near a vent overlooking the executive wing, a new idea crept into her mind.
The CEO and Vice CEO’s offices.
If there were answers to be found, Malcom Macentyre’s office—or Michael’s—was as likely a place as any. Coraline couldn’t ignore the possibility that one of them might have left behind something—anything—that could point her in the right direction. A note, a document, even an encrypted drive could be a game-changer.
But it’s a risk, she thought, biting the inside of her cheek. The executive wing would have tighter security than most other areas. If she diverted from her original plan to head for the servers, she’d be doubling down on a gamble that might not pay off.
Her eyes narrowed behind the mask as she considered her options. The clock was ticking, and every second counted. Finally, she made her decision. Start with the offices, then the servers. If anyone knows about the prototype’s theft—or is responsible for it—it’s one of the Macentyres.
With a practiced grace, the Vulpes slipped through the vent, her movements fluid and deliberate. Every step she took brought her closer to the heart of the corporation’s secrets—and perhaps closer to uncovering the truth behind the theft.
***
The senior security guard at the front desk maintained his usual composed demeanor, his eyes flickering over the security monitors with practiced ease. The faint hum of the screens was the only sound in the quiet lobby until the sharp click of expensive leather shoes echoed against the polished floors. He glanced up, momentarily surprised to see a man in a dark suit approaching.
The man moved with a measured confidence, holding out an ID badge that caused the guard to straighten instinctively. The badge bore a high-level clearance that few in the company possessed, and the sight of it was enough to quell any questions.
"Hello, sir," the guard said, his tone respectful but not overly deferential. "Didn't expect to see you at this hour."
The man didn’t reply immediately, instead reaching into his pocket to produce a single silver key. He held it up, the faint overhead light catching the polished metal as it swung slightly between his fingers.
The guard nodded in understanding, standing to retrieve a small logbook. “Ah, the executive elevator,” he said, scanning the log quickly. “Yes, it should be working fine now. They finished the repairs after you left work yesterday.”
The man offered a curt nod, slipping the key into his pocket without another word. He stepped toward the executive elevator, his movements efficient and purposeful. The guard didn’t think to question his presence further—after all, people with clearance like his rarely required an explanation.
As the elevator doors slid open and the man disappeared behind them, the guard returned to his seat, the incident already fading into the routine of his night. On the monitors, the building appeared as silent and unremarkable as ever, giving no hint of the events unfolding far above or deep below.
