Ephraim, Volga, and Cyra arrive in a decaying Hyperion level amid Vox graffiti and newsfeeds vilifying Darrow for the ArchWarden’s murder. Their heist prep has narrowed locations, and through liaison Gorgo the Syndicate agrees to supply a military-grade gravWell in two weeks, confirming their deep backing.

On the street, Volga longs for a rooftop garden penthouse, and Cyra dismisses the cost as unreachable. They enter Kobachi’s Tech Emporium despite a sign banning Reds and Obsidians. Volga hesitates under the prejudice, but Ephraim urges her in as Cyra begins shopping.

Inside, a drugged Green employee enforces the no-Obsidian rule until Ephraim’s pistol and reputation compel him to fetch Kobachi. The owner banters nervously, then recoils when Ephraim reveals the Syndicate’s black rose, shifting from bluster to compliance. Kobachi quietly cautions that the Syndicate never lets people go, underscoring the danger of Ephraim’s arrangement.

Kobachi unveils a concealed armory of illegal tech. He touts weapons and marvels at Ephraim’s rare Omnivore-540 railgun, but Ephraim declines upgrades and instead asks for a compact hunter-killer drone, indicating the team’s strategy for the upcoming job and cementing their reliance on Syndicate-sourced tools.