First Blood on Delancey

By dawn, the official feeds called the incident contained. They always loved that word. Contained meant no one powerful had to admit the container was cracking. The hero boards argued whether Kieran deserved a higher rank. A corporate analyst with perfect teeth explained that uncontrolled protectors were a market inefficiency. A senator called him inspiring in one sentence and dangerous in the next. Somewhere, a hidden council, hive, machine, broker, or star-born architect adjusted its model of him. Somewhere deeper, the Core waited with patience older than human language. Kieran returned to whatever shelter the night allowed with hands still shaking too hard to unlock the door on the first try.