Nyra's muscles burned as the drone's metallic claws clamped onto her arms, its unyielding grip biting into her flesh. She twisted violently, every fiber of her being screaming for freedom.
"Let me go!" she spat, her voice raw as she wrenched against the machine's hold.
The drone didn't even flinch. Its monotone voice was devoid of anything remotely human. "Command override: Subject Zero. Resistance will be neutralized."
Her heart thundered in her chest as her thoughts raced. The guards were closing in, their movements eerily synchronized, like predators circling their prey. These weren't ordinary humans—they were hybrids, grotesque amalgamations of flesh and steel. Faster, stronger, and utterly relentless. Nyra's raw human strength wasn't enough. She knew it.
But giving up wasn't an option.
With a guttural cry, she drove her elbow backward, the impact reverberating through her arm as it connected with the drone's head. Pain radiated up her arm like a live wire, but the machine didn't so much as stagger. Its claws tightened in response, jerking her closer with mechanical precision.
"Stop resisting, Zero," a deep, mocking voice called from behind her.
Nyra turned her head sharply, her glare locking onto the lead guard. His augmented eyes glowed faintly, casting a sinister light across his smirking face. "You're only making this harder on yourself."
"Shut up, rust bucket," she snapped, defiance flaring in her voice despite the odds.
The guard chuckled darkly, the sound low and cruel. "Rust bucket? That's rich, coming from a bag of bones like you."
Laughter erupted from the other guards, their jeers reverberating through the night like a twisted symphony. Each taunt stung, but Nyra's fury burned hotter.
"You think this is funny?" she snarled, thrashing against the drone's ironclad hold.
"Oh, it's hilarious," another guard sneered, his metal arm humming faintly as he flexed his clawed fingers. "Watching you squirm is the highlight of my week."
Nyra's hand inched toward the screwdriver hidden in her waistband. Her pulse quickened as her fingers grazed the cool metal. If she could just—
The drone's grip shifted suddenly, wrenching her arm behind her back with brutal force.
A sickening crack shot through the air. Pain erupted in her shoulder, white-hot and blinding. She screamed, the sound tearing through her throat like broken glass.
"Warning: further resistance will result in dislocation," the drone droned, its tone cold and detached.
The lead guard stepped forward, his boots crunching against the gravel as he closed the distance. He crouched, leveling his cybernetic gaze with hers. The faint whir of his ocular implant cut through the stillness as it scanned her face.
"Look at you," he sneered, his words laced with mockery. "All bruised and battered. What's the plan now, genius? Gonna hack your way out? Fight us with those fragile little bones of yours?"
Nyra's glare burned through the haze of pain. Her lips curled into a snarl. "Watch me."
The guard's smirk widened. He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a chilling whisper. "Oh, sweetheart, you're not fighting your way out of this one. You're prey. And we're the hunters."
The drone yanked her forward, dragging her like a discarded doll toward the transport truck. Her boots scraped against the ground, leaving faint trails in the dirt. The guards followed, their laughter trailing behind her, a grotesque chorus that echoed in her ears.
The truck doors groaned open, and the drone tossed her inside with a mechanical indifference that made her stomach turn. She hit the floor hard, her body colliding with the cold, unforgiving metal. The impact knocked the air from her lungs, leaving her gasping.
Before she could recover, a boot slammed down onto her chest, pinning her to the floor.
"Comfortable?" the lead guard asked, his smirk a cruel slash across his face. He leaned over her, his augmented features casting sharp, inhuman shadows. "Good. You'll want to save your strength for what's coming."
Nyra's jaw clenched as she fought against the pain radiating through her ribs. Her eyes burned with unyielding defiance. "You'll pay for this," she hissed, her voice trembling with fury.
The guard laughed, a deep, guttural sound that made her skin crawl. "Big words for someone who can't even stand."
The truck jolted forward, throwing Nyra against the wall. She coughed, pain flaring anew as the guard's boot lifted from her chest. But he wasn't done. His metal hand gripped her collar, yanking her upright. He slammed her against the truck's interior wall, his augmented eye whirring as he studied her.
"You really think you're special, don't you?" he growled. "A little hero, saving the world, avenging your family. But here's the truth, Zero—you're nothing. Less than nothing. Just another failed experiment we're cleaning up."
Nyra's breaths came in ragged gasps as his grip tightened around her neck. Her fingers clawed at his arm, but his augmented strength was immovable.
"You... don't... own me," she rasped, her voice barely audible.
The guard's grin widened, his teeth glinting in the faint light. "No? Then why are you here? Why do you keep crawling back, begging for scraps? Face it, Zero—you're not a fighter. You're prey."
The truck screeched to a halt, sending both of them stumbling. Nyra seized the moment, driving her knee into the guard's side. He grunted, his grip loosening just enough for her to lunge toward the open door. Hope sparked in her chest, fierce and fleeting.
But a hand clamped around her ankle, yanking her back with inhuman strength.
"You're not going anywhere!" the guard snarled, his voice like the grind of metal on stone.
Nyra thrashed wildly, her heel connecting with his jaw. Sparks erupted from his augmented face, and his snarl deepened into a roar. He retaliated, slamming her onto the floor with bone-jarring force.
"You'll regret that," he growled, his voice venomous.
The truck doors opened, revealing two more guards. They hauled her out with mechanical efficiency, their augmented bodies unyielding as iron. Her feet dragged against the cold concrete as they carried her toward the towering prison gates, their shadows looming over her like a death sentence.
The cell doors slammed shut with a deafening finality. Nyra crumpled to the floor, her body shaking with exhaustion and pain. She pressed a trembling hand to her ribs, wincing as the bruises made themselves known.
But her mind refused to falter. Even as the odds crushed down on her like a suffocating weight, a single thought burned bright in her mind.
This isn't over.
Her gaze hardened, determination flickering in her eyes like a flame that refused to die.
"This isn't over," she whispered, her voice steady—a vow carved into the darkness.