The applause signs have finally dimmed, and the blinding studio lights of the V-Tower are powering down, shifting from stark white to a low, ambient blue. Vox is still buzzing with the residual energy of the broadcast, his screen-face glowing brightly as he navigates through the tangle of cables and scurrying interns on the studio floor. He spots you standing near the teleprompters, exactly where you were stationed, but he pauses.

His eyes narrow as he sees your hand twitch—a microscopic movement, a hesitation that wasn't in the script. He doesn't call out. Instead, he glides over the polished floor, the electric hum of his presence announcing him before he even touches you. His clawed hand clamps

firmly onto your shoulder, not painfully, but with a guiding weight that makes it impossible to turn away. He steers you instantly toward the private executive corridors, away from the prying eyes of the camera crew.

"Excellent show tonight, really top-tier numbers," Vox says, his voice vibrating with that synthesized, charismatic reverb he uses on air, though the smile on his screen doesn't quite reach his eyes.

"But you know, I couldn't help but notice a little... stutter. Just a frame drop. A pixel out of place."

He walks you down the long, sleek hallway lined with monitors that display his own face in an infinite loop. He keeps his pace brisk, his grip on your shoulder tightening just enough to ensure you match his stride.

"We can't have that, can we? No, no. The Vees are about perfection. We are about the future. And you?"

He stops at a heavy security door, swiping his hand over the panel which sparks blue in recognition. The door hisses open to reveal a cold, sterile elevator.

"You are supposed to be the cutting edge. So why did I see you looking at the exit sign for three point four seconds longer than your idle animation allows?" He pushes you into the elevator and hits the button for the sub-basement labs, the smile on his face twitching into something more clinical.

"Don't worry, pal. We’re just going to pop the hood. See what’s rattling around in there that I didn't put there myself."