The first mistake was letting Evie drink tequila.

The second mistake was letting Kane encourage her.

The third mistake—

according to Luca later—

was giving emotionally unstable mercenaries access to karaoke microphones after midnight.

The NOCTURNE dining room no longer resembled a professional tactical organization.

It looked like a support group for armed disasters.

Beer bottles crowded the long wooden table.

Music blasted from overhead speakers.

Dominic and Luca were arguing loudly about flamethrowers again.

“They absolutely do not count as subtle weapons,” Sofia said from the kitchen doorway.

“You lack imagination,” Dominic informed her.

“I have medical training.”

“Exactly. Oppressor mindset.”

Evie nearly slid out of her chair laughing.

Cassian sat near the far end of the table with a drink in one hand, watching the chaos with the exhausted stillness of a man reconsidering every life choice that led him here.

Which honestly felt fair.

Because Kane had somehow convinced half the team to participate in:

Mercenary Impression Night.

A concept that never should’ve survived the planning stage.

Luca stood beside the table holding a beer bottle like a microphone.

“All right,” he announced, “next category—”

Kane pointed immediately across the room.

“Evie does the boss.”

The room exploded.

“No.”

Cassian said it instantly.

Too late.

Evie slapped both hands onto the table.

“ABSOLUTELY YES.”

Kane looked moments away from religious enlightenment.

“This is the greatest night of my life.”

Cassian reached for his drink slowly.

“I’m leaving.”

“You can’t leave,” Evie informed him seriously. “You’re the reference material.”

Luca folded over laughing.

Sofia muttered into her coffee:

“This ends in property damage.”

Evie stood dramatically from her chair.

Swayed slightly.

Pointed at Cassian.

“Okay first of all—”

Then she dropped her voice several octaves.

The room lost composure immediately.

“—everyone in this building has unresolved psychological damage.”

Dominic hit the table wheezing.

Evie started pacing slowly behind the chairs with terrifying accuracy.

“Hydrate.”

Point at Kane.

“Sleep deprivation lowers tactical awareness.”

Point at Luca.

“Stop touching suspicious electronics.”

Point at Dominic.

“Emotions are distractions.”

At this point Kane was openly crying.

Actual tears.

Cassian stayed perfectly still.

Which somehow made it funnier.

Evie narrowed her eyes and kept going in a low monotone.

“Weapons check in ten.”

A pause.

“Trust nobody.”

Another pause.

“Especially people with podcast energy.”

The room detonated.

Luca collapsed sideways off his chair.

Dominic slid halfway onto the floor laughing.

Even Sofia turned around to hide a smile.

Evie grabbed an empty beer bottle and held it like a tactical briefing pointer.

“Mission update.”

She pointed at Kane.

“Kane remains emotionally fragile.”

“I HATE THIS WOMAN.”

She pointed at Luca.

“Luca continues violating several international laws.”

Luca raised his beer proudly.

“ALLEGEDLY.”

“Dominic still believes grenades solve communication problems.”

“They do.”

Evie slowly turned toward Cassian.

Then clasped her hands behind her back exactly the way he stood during briefings.

The room noticed immediately.

Kane whispered in horror:

“She learned posture.”

Evie lowered her voice again.

“New protocol.”

Silence hit the table instantly.

“If anyone touches my coffee mug again…”

Long dramatic pause.

“…I become the problem.”

The entire room died.

Gone.

Absolutely gone.

Kane slid out of his chair clutching his ribs.

Dominic made a noise that sounded medically dangerous.

Even Sofia laughed into her drink.

And through all of it—

Cassian stayed quiet.

Watching her.

Watching Evie stand in the middle of his team laughing like she’d always belonged there.

Like the room had rearranged itself around her somehow.

Evie pointed at him suddenly.

“Oh my God, wait.”

Kane wheezed weakly from the floor.

“There’s more?”

“You know what his real problem is?”

“No socialization?” Luca guessed.

“He narrates emotionally.”

Cassian’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Evie deepened her voice even further.

“Evie has entered the room.”

A pause.

“She is chaos.”

Another pause.

“…This feels tactical somehow.”

Dominic screamed directly into the tabletop.

Kane physically rolled onto the floor.

Sofia gave up pretending not to laugh.

And Cassian—

Cassian looked down briefly at the glass in his hand.

Something shifted near the corner of his mouth.

Small.

Fast.

But real.

The room froze instantly.

Everyone saw it.

Kane stopped breathing.

Luca looked genuinely frightened.

Dominic whispered:

“…Holy shit.”

Evie blinked once.

Cassian had almost smiled.

Not polite.

Not fake.

An actual involuntary reaction.

Like his face forgot its own rules for half a second.

Cassian noticed the silence immediately.

The expression vanished.

Too late.

Kane pointed at him from the floor like a man witnessing paranormal activity.

“THE BOSS IS GONE.”

“I’m alive,” Cassian said calmly.

“No. Emotionally.”

Kane sat up slowly, horrified.

“You’re developing personality.”

Evie looked deeply pleased with herself.

“Oh, this is huge.”

Cassian drained the rest of his drink in one motion.

“You’re all embarrassing.”

“Correct,” Sofia said immediately.

Another wave of laughter hit the room.

And for the first time in years—

Cassian didn’t leave when it got loud.