The rustling came again, deliberate and ominous. I tightened my grip on the symbiote, the weapon pulsing faintly as if it, too, sensed the threat lurking ahead.
"Stay behind me," I said, my voice steady but low.
"Don't patronize me," Kate snapped, already shifting to my side, her symbiote gleaming in the dim light.
I clenched my jaw. Stubborn as ever. "I'm serious, Kate."
"And so am I." She crouched slightly, her gaze fixed on the bushes where the sound had come from. "Whatever's out there, I'm not letting you handle it alone."
There was no time to argue. The bush ahead trembled, leaves parting slightly, but whatever was moving didn't emerge. I scanned the shadows, every muscle in my body taut. The usual nighttime hum of crickets and rustling wind had vanished, leaving an oppressive silence.
Then it stepped out.
The Negron was enormous, even by their standards. Its hulking form was a mass of jagged, blackened hide, like volcanic rock that had cooled and cracked under intense heat. Glowing amber eyes burned in its skeletal face, locking onto me with unnerving precision. Its elongated arms ended in claws that gleamed like polished obsidian.
"Burns," Kate whispered, her voice tight.
"I see it," I replied, barely above a murmur.
The Negron let out a low, guttural growl that vibrated through the air. It wasn't just a sound—it was a warning, a challenge.
"Circle wide," I ordered, keeping my eyes on the creature. "We'll box it in."
"I'm not leaving you—"
"Now, Kate!"
Her hesitation lasted only a second before I heard her move, the soft crunch of her footsteps retreating into the shadows. Good. She knew how to fight, but she didn't know when to stay out of the way.
The Negron crouched low, its claws digging into the earth as it prepared to strike.
I didn't wait. Raising my symbiote, I rushed forward, swinging the blade in a wide arc. The weapon connected with its shoulder, slicing through its hide with a hiss as the symbiote's energy burned into it.
The Negron roared, twisting with surprising speed. Its claws lashed out, catching my side and sending me stumbling back. Pain flared, hot and sharp, but I gritted my teeth and steadied myself.
"You'll have to do better than that," I muttered, raising my hand.
A surge of energy coursed through me, pooling at my fingertip. I aimed and fired, a narrow beam of light shooting from my finger and striking the Negron in the chest. The impact sent it skidding back, its claws tearing deep gouges in the dirt as it tried to steady itself.
It didn't fall. The scorched mark on its chest seemed to enrage it further.
My abilities had kicked in before our travels just like the doctor predicted, but my control was still agitated and my attack power too raw.
"Cosmic meta manipulation"
The doctor had termed it, allowing me to tap into the cosmic energy that flowed metaphysically in the universe, and use an ounce of it's power. I was still rough around the edges, but surprisingly my confidence soared.
The creature lunged, and I sidestepped, swinging the symbiote again. This time, I aimed for its face. The blade carved a deep gash across its jaw, black blood oozing from the wound and hissing as it hit the ground.
The Negron roared, its claws slamming into the earth as it spun toward me. I barely had time to react before it swiped again, forcing me to leap back.
"Burns!" Kate's voice cut through the chaos.
I glanced over to see her darting in from the side, her symbiote raised. She struck with precision, her blade slicing into the Negron's side.
The creature howled, twisting toward her with frightening speed.
"Kate, back off!" I shouted, but she ignored me, landing another blow on its leg.
The Negron lashed out, its claws catching her shoulder. She cried out, stumbling back but managing to keep her footing.
The sight of her bleeding sent a surge of adrenaline through me.
I fired another beam, this one hitting the creature square in the back. The force sent it stumbling forward, giving Kate enough time to retreat.
"I told you to stay out of the way!" I snapped.
"And let you get killed? Not a chance!" she shot back, wiping blood from her shoulder.
The Negron crouched low again, its glowing eyes flicking between us. It was calculating, waiting for an opening.
Kate raised her hand, her face tightening with concentration.
"Kate, don't—"
The air around her shimmered.
Everything around me flickered—like a strobe light distorting reality. For a split second, the Negron froze mid-motion, and Kate appeared to glide past it, her body moving in slow motion as she positioned herself for a better strike.
But then everything snapped back, and time resumed its chaotic rhythm.
The Negron was suddenly back in motion, its claws swiping toward Kate with horrifying speed. I saw only brief flashes of the attack, too fast for me to react properly. Kate barely managed to duck, but the Negron's claws caught her arm, throwing her backward.
The world sped up again as the Negron turned toward her. I was left watching in a blur of distorted movements, adrenaline surging through me as I raised my symbiote.
"Kate!"
The flashes of her struggle made my heart pound in my chest. I moved, charging forward. The Negron's claws were a blur, but I darted beneath them, swinging my symbiote into its side. The blade connected with its ribs, but it didn't stop the beast.
Instead, it whipped around, slashing at me with unrestrained fury.
In that split-second, I felt the weight of my decision. Kate's ability was unpredictable, and this fight was far from over. My symbiote pulsed with a growing power, a connection deeper than ever before. It was as if it knew what I needed. The surge of adrenaline rushed through me like a dam breaking, and everything became sharper, clearer.
I fired a beam, the energy crackling as it tore through the Negron's thick hide. It stumbled back, and in that instant, I drove my symbiote into its chest with all my strength.
The creature let out a final, horrific screech before collapsing to the ground. Its massive body fell with an earth-shattering thud, its limbs twitching as it dissolved into a heap of ash.
Breathing heavily, I stepped back, wiping sweat from my brow. My body ached, my side still bleeding from where the claws had raked across me. I didn't care.
"Kate," I called, my voice rough.
She groaned but slowly pushed herself up, blood streaking down her arm where the Negron had slashed her.
"I'm fine," she muttered, reaching for her symbiote, though she was visibly shaken.
I glanced at her, knowing better than to press. She was tough, but I wasn't sure how much more she could handle.
"Can you move?" I asked, my voice quiet.
"It's just a scratch cap, I'll be fine," she said, though her tone was quieter now.
I nodded, though I wanted to argue. Kate was strong, but I wasn't sure how many more of these creatures she could fight off in the state she was in.
There was a silence between us, broken only by the distant sounds of the wilderness around us. The Negron's ashes were already beginning to scatter in the breeze, vanishing like smoke.
"We need to keep moving," I said after a long pause.
"Agreed," Kate replied softly.
I looked back at the spot where the Negron had fallen, my thoughts heavy. "There'll be more. And next time, we'll need to be faster."
Kate nodded, though I could see the weariness in her eyes. "Let's just make sure we're both still breathing next time."
I couldn't argue with that.