After the events of Legend, June Iparis and Daniel "Day" Altan Wing arrive at Las Vegas in search for the Patriots.

Razor offers Day a prosthetic leg and protection in exchange for assassinating the new Elector Primo, Anden Stavropoulos, who has recently succeeded his deceased father.

Day learns about the current situation of the international world–the fact that the Republic is considered a pariah state–and further hones his skills to become a Runner, the Patriots' diversion team.

One night, while creating a diversion at a local train station, Day meets a boy experimented to be a biological war weapon like Eden and wasn't able to free him.

Seeing that June is infected by the Republic's virus, Day carries her further across the sewers until they cross the border and arrives at a city of the Colonies, which turns out to be a corporate state ruled by several major companies.

Seeking refuge at a hospital, Day meets with Kaede and is informed that the botched assassination attempt was deliberate; the Patriots had been deceived by Razor, who in truth works for several Republic Senators to assassinate Anden, whom they deem to be revolutionary; should Anden lose the faith of the masses, Razor will ascend to the Elector Primo position.

The portrayal of their dilemma is taut and insightful, and while the story line resembles a high plateau of tension rather than a conventional arc, there are enough unfolding questions to propel the narrative to its aching ending.