Night Watch Standoff

Approached the dark corridor under the coffee table. Motion detected at two o'clock. A loose wool dust bunny drifted into the lane, pushed by the heating vent draft. I cut forward momentum. Engine idling. I flashed my grill forward into the shadow to verify density. Not a structural threat. Light mass, zero resistance. Rather than breaching formation, I angled my front bumper against the wooden leg of the sofa. Established secure observation post. Sector stabilized for the night.