Freya searched the man's body, retrieving a cracked phone and a worn leather wallet. She examined the device briefly before passing it to Sid.
"Open it when we return to the hotel," she instructed. "There may be something useful inside."
Sid nodded, slipping the broken phone into his pocket before crouching beside the corpse again. "He stepped out only minutes ago. The killer might still be nearby."
"That is not our priority right now. The phone comes first."
Freya straightened, turning toward the deeper end of the alley, only to freeze at the sharp click behind her.
She tilted her head toward the sound. A man stood several steps away, a gun aimed squarely at her chest, his hands trembling.
"What the hell is this?!" he barked.
Freya regarded him calmly. She recognized him as the friend who had accompanied Mr. Hale earlier.
"We played no part in this," she said evenly. "We merely arrived at the wrong moment. Lower your weapon."
"Really?" he snapped. "You just happened to stroll by, found a fresh corpse, and stayed calm? Well, aren't you a bloody angel? Hands up!"
They obeyed, slowly raising their arms as he kept the gun trained on them. The man knelt beside his fallen friend, pressing two fingers against his neck.
His face twisted. Rage overtook him.
"You sick bastards. What did you do?!" He shot to his feet, fury blazing in his eyes. "You're coming with me. Move, and you die. You can beg for mercy in court."
Freya sighed softly, casting Sid a glance.
"Well, aren't you swift to judge?" she said. "Why not listen before you condemn?"
The man scoffed. "Listen to you? So you can spin some lie?"
"If I wanted you dead," Freya replied calmly, "you would not have had the chance to shout."
His grip on the gun tightened. "Don't test me."
"I'm not," she said. "I'm only asking you to think. Does this truly look like the handiwork of someone who would stay behind to admire their work?"
The man hesitated, but kept the barrel steady. "You could be covering your tracks."
"What is there to cover other than the weapon?" Sid added, voice steady.
The man hesitated, uncertain, though still gripping the gun tight. "Oh please, save it fo-"
"Um… hello?"
A timid voice spoke from behind them. Freya instinctively reached for her weapon, but the man with the gun shouted,
"Hands where I can see them!"
With an exasperated breath, she lifted her hands once more and turned.
A young boy stood there, fidgeting anxiously.
"I-I'm sorry, sir!" he stammered, hurrying past Freya to stand between her and the gunman. His arms stretched wide like a makeshift barrier. "She didn't do anything! I swear!"
"Kid, back off!" the man shouted, voice cracking. "This has nothing to do with you!"
The boy's eyes narrowed. He stepped forward defiantly.
"My mother would never do such a thing!"
The gunman faltered. His eyes flicked toward Freya, disbelief settling over him. "Mother-?"
The boy didn't wait for clarification.
With surprising force, he rammed into the man's side, knocking him off balance. Freya lunged forward, seizing the opportunity. She clamped one hand over his mouth, the other forcing his gun arm aside and slamming him against the wall.
"Mmhmm-!"
Sid swiftly pried the gun from the man's grasp. Freya shifted her grip, capturing both his hands and pinning them above his head with calm efficiency.
Silence fell.
"Sid, use the silencer," Freya ordered.
Sid hesitated, his eyes flicking toward the trembling man. He let out a quiet sigh."Madam Freya… should we not question him first?"
Freya regarded their captive in silence, her expression unreadable, before finally turning to Sid."It is clear this man knows nothing apart from our faces. Our only option is to silence him."
Sid watched the man for a short moment and gave a small nod. He fitted the silencer to his weapon, leveled the gun, and fired. The muted shot echoed faintly in the alley. The man slumped lifelessly against the wall, his body sliding down until it came to rest in a heap.
"Was that truly necessary?" a small voice asked. The boy's wide eyes lingered on the corpse with pity. "He didn't even do anything wrong…"
Freya turned, her gaze falling on the child. She had nearly forgotten he was still there."Sparing an enemy," she said evenly, "only bites you back later. Consider this a lesson."
Sid crouched, placing a gentle hand atop the boy's head before straightening once more, arms folding across his chest."Now then," he said, his tone calm, "who are you and why did you help us?"
The boy huffed, his lips pursed into a pout. "Wow. Adults really are cruel, aren't they? Not even a thank you for the lovely being who saved you from jail?"
A soft laugh escaped Freya as she bent to meet his eyes, her voice carrying both warmth and curiosity."Very well- thank you, little one. But I must know the name of our wonderful savior. Won't you tell us?"
The boy's posture straightened, and with a spark of pride in his voice, he declared:
"Augustus Clive. That is the name of the one who will bring down the calamity threatening his country!"