Zhu Yuan strode into the precinct, her movements slightly sluggish, still reeling from the remnants of her nightmare. She collapsed into her chair, exhaling sharply, trying to shake the uneasy feeling lodged in her chest. Her gaze drifted to the small box sitting on her desk, and without a second thought, she reached for J.D.'s daily dessert. The first bite dissolved on her tongue, momentarily clouding her mind with sweetness, giving her a brief reprieve.

"You're getting way too dependent on J.D.'s desserts, Captain," Qingyi teased behind her table, her voice light but laced with amusement.

Zhu chuckled, nodding as she chewed. "Yeah, I admit it—I'd probably lose my mind if I didn't get my daily sugar fix."

"One more dessert and we'll have to enroll you in a recovery program," Qingyi quipped, her lips twitching in mock seriousness.

Before Zhu could retort, the familiar crackle of her radio interrupted the moment. She inwardly groaned, glaring at the device. It's too early for this kind of drama, she thought, dragging a hand across her face.

"Captain?" Seth's voice crackled through the line.

Zhu glanced at the radio, then slowly leaned back in her chair. "Go ahead, Seth. What's going on? Over."

"I think I saw Mr. E's car... I'm heading to my patrol spot. Should I follow him? Over."

Zhu froze mid-bite, blinking. "Wait... you mean Mr. Smith?" She lowered her voice to a hushed whisper. "Elias?"

"Yes, Captain. Should I—" he was muted.

Zhu quickly grabbed her earpiece, popping it into place. There was no way she wanted this conversation overheard in the precinct, with its thin walls and too many curious ears. "Hold on, Seth," she muttered, already picturing Qingyi's amused look from the corner of her eye.

Qingyi opened her mouth to say something snarky but stopped when Zhu raised her hand, gesturing for silence. Her expression said it all—something important was happening.

After a moment, Zhu's voice dropped again, barely a whisper. "Okay, Seth. Permission granted, but be discreet. And gear up with your listening device. Don't let him spot you."

There was a pause. Zhu swore she could hear Seth gulp on the other end.

"Discreet. Got it," he replied, sounding as if he was mentally repeating the word to himself like a mantra.

Zhu leaned back in her chair, running a hand through her hair. "Please don't make this another one of your 'fastest to get busted' situations," she muttered under her breath, earning a stifled giggle from Qingyi.

Zhu's expression shifted, her brow furrowing in clear concern after the radio chatter ended. Qingyi, noticing the change, scooted her chair closer with a soft squeak. "What's going on, Captain?"

"Seth spotted him—Elias. He's probably driving towards western city." Zhu replied, taking another bite of her dessert, though the sweetness did little to ease her growing unease.

Qingyi raised an eyebrow, leaning in with a smirk. "Really? Maybe he's just running out to pick up groceries, doing his daily routine," she remarked with heavy sarcasm, her tone playfully mocking.

Zhu sighed, setting her spoon down. "Western City? That's towards the Outer Ring, can't risk. I just want to see what he's up to behind our backs." Her voice grew defensive. "I just hope Seth can handle this little undercover mission without blowing it."

She quickly reached for the radio again. "Seth? You still there?"

"Yes, Captain. And... I think he's heading towards western city," Seth's voice came through, laced with growing panic. "You know I can't follow him discreetly in this PUBSEC mobile. It's basically a billboard with sirens."

Zhu pinched the bridge of her nose, thinking. "Alright... park it at our outpost and grab a bicycle or something nearby. Tell them it's for PUBSEC emergency." She scoots across her table accessing her computer. "I'll give you a clearance on your tablet."

There was an awkward pause. She could practically hear Seth processing the ridiculousness of her suggestion.

"A bicycle? Captain, you want me to tail him on a bicycle?" Seth's tone was filled with disbelief.

"Exactly. And ditch the PUBSEC uniform, Seth. Blend in," Zhu added, rubbing her chin, trying to sound confident.

Another hesitant silence hung over the radio.

"...The outer ring is really hot, Captain. Do I really have to—"

"Seth," Zhu interrupted, suppressing a sigh, "...let's just call this a part of your training."

Qingyi stifled a laugh beside her, unable to resist adding, "I'm sure you'll look great—real incognito on that bicycle, Seth."

After the radio exchange, Seth nervously trailed behind Elias's car, his eyes darting between the road ahead and his rearview mirror, searching for any PUBSEC highway patrol officers for assistance. His fingers drummed against the steering wheel.

Was the Captain really serious about him using a bicycle? In the Outer Ring? His mind raced as he imagined himself wobbling down the road, trying to tail Elias with nothing but a pair of pedals and a basket. Feasible? Not unless he had some kind of secret super serum from New Eridu Defense Force no one had told him about.

Shaking off the absurd thought, Seth's eyes lit up as he remembered the NEPS motorpool was on the way. Relief washed over him. He swerved off at the next exit, steering the PUBSEC mobile into the facility's lot and jumping out in one fluid, hasty motion. The last thing he needed was to blow his cover in this glaringly obvious vehicle.

He practically ran up to the attendant, trying to sound as official as possible. "Need one of the discreet cars. Got clearance," he said, out of breath, half tugging at his PUBSEC top uniform as if that was proof enough. Without waiting for much of a response, he grabbed the keys to one of the motorpool's plain sedans.

Quickly, he shed his uniform jacket, stuffing it into the backseat, leaving him in a plain t-shirt. With only his listening device and radio in hand, Seth sped off, hoping Elias hadn't gotten too far ahead.

As he merged back into the traffic flow, he spotted Elias's car up ahead. Seth leaned back in his seat, feeling a wave of accomplishment. This was much better than a bicycle.

"Captain," Seth radioed in, "I've got a motorpool vehicle instead. I'll keep my distance."

Zhu's reply crackled over the radio, her voice laced with approval. "That's very resourceful... Keep me updated. We'll go and wait you at the motorpool."

Seth smirked to himself. For once, things were going smoothly. No bicycles. No sweating it out in the heat. Just good ol' undercover work... in a car, like a normal person.

As they neared the outer ring border, Seth kept a cautious distance, squinting through the windshield. With fewer cars on the road, sticking too close would be like waving a giant PUBSEC flag from his rearview mirror.

The only other vehicles in sight were dusty delivery vans, crawling along with supplies. Who in their right mind would travel out here? It was blistering hot, the kind of heat that made you question every life choice that led you to this point.

The radio crackled to life, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Seth, sit-rep? Remember to keep your distance," Zhu's voice came through, sharp and steady.

"We've passed the border on the outer ring, Captain. I'm way behind his car, no need to worry." He gave a quick glance at the tiny dot that was Elias's car up ahead. Way behind might have been an understatement. He could probably stop for a snack and still catch up.

The hot desert stretched on both sides of the road, a surprisingly beautiful yet punishing landscape. Heat shimmered off the cracked pavement, and in the distance, ominous smaller Hollow spheres loomed on the horizon like black holes that wanted to eat up the sky.

Seth wiped a bead of sweat from his brow despite the car's air conditioner blasting at full power. Great. I'm sweating like I'm on trial for something. He adjusted the vents, but it was no use—nothing could cool off the growing anxiety gnawing at him. Please let me drive back in one piece. Captain better come rescue me if this goes south.

The further they drove, the less civilization seemed to exist. No highway patrol in sight, just wide open roads and... biker gangs. Seth's heart skipped a beat as a group of leather-clad bikers rumbled alongside him, peeking through his window.

He glanced over, meeting their stares with an awkward, tight-lipped smile. Totally undercover here, nothing to see. One biker raised an eyebrow, and Seth quickly looked away, pretending to adjust his radio like a professional, very inconspicuous agent.

Up ahead, Elias's car slowed, pulling into an old stop over fuel station surrounded by more bikers than Seth could count. His stomach did a somersault. An old stop-over station? Biker gang hangout central? Of course it is. He watched as Elias parked and disappeared into the rundown building.

Seth swallowed hard, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. Do I really have to do this? The thought of walking into a biker-infested station made him want to curl up in the trunk and wait for it to be over.