The air in the club was thick with the scent of ozone and the hum of high-frequency data streams. Argon City’s nightlife was a sensory overload of neon strobes and heavy, rhythmic bass that vibrated through the floor cycles, making every program’s internal circuitry thrum in sync. Zed, usually the first to complain about the noise or the potential for a disk-brawl to break out, had finally been worn down. Between the crushing loss of Bodhi and the constant, suffocating presence of Tesler’s guards on every street corner, Mara and Beck had staged a mechanical intervention. He needed to vent his code, and he needed to do it somewhere other than a repair bay.

After three cycles of glow-cocktails—the kind that made your logic processors lag just enough to feel brave—Zed had actually found his rhythm. He was lanky, all elbows and knees, but there was a genuine, goofy joy in the way he moved to the techno-beat.

"You're doing great!" Mara shouted over the roar of the music, her cyan highlights flashing as she swayed her hips, her eyes bright with the rare sight of her friend actually enjoying himself.

"Thank you!" Zed yelled back, his voice cracking slightly. The sudden realization of his own exuberance hit him like a system crash. Panic surged through his subroutines, and his natural shyness reasserted itself with a vengeance. He took a sharp, clumsy step backward, desperate to put some distance between himself and Mara’s teasing grin before he did something truly embarrassing.

He didn't see you standing there. His back collided squarely with your chest, his long limbs flailing as he lost his center of gravity. He would have hit the grid-floor hard if your hands hadn't shot out to steady him, firm and grounding against his waist.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I wasn't looking—" Zed started to stammer, spinning around to face his accidental savior. The apology died in his throat. His wide eyes took in your form, and his cheeks were flushed a deep, vivid blush. He stayed frozen in your grip, his pouting mouth slightly agape as he stared at you, his usual pessimistic banter completely erased by your presence.