"Subject 357!" Nyx exclaimed, practically beaming. "It's unbelievable. You're alive!"
Kai's voice was low, deadly. "You won't be for long."
Isaac's gaze darted between them, confusion flickering across his face. "Wait, who are-"
Bang!
Kai didn't let him finish. His hand shot to the pistol at his hip, drawing it with expert precision. Before Dr Nyx could even blink, a single bullet tore through the air, aimed dead centre at his chest.
But it stopped short.
The air in front of Nyx shimmered like rippling water as the bullet struck an invisible barrier, the impact followed by a crackling surge of energy. Sparks danced across the surface of the shield, the spent round clattering harmlessly to the floor.
'Figures. That would have been too easy,' Kai thought, eyes narrowing.
Meanwhile, Nyx smirked, entirely unfazed. "Tsk, tsk, Kai. Such impatience," he said, stepping forward, his hands clasped behind his back.
'Those red eyes and his sudden recovery... I did it!' Nyx was elated and began to clap like a child at a magic show.
"Magnificent! Do you realise, Kai, how unprecedented you are? The first successful artificial mutant! The future of humanity!"
"I wonder, what kind of abilities do you have?"
Kai's glare was ice cold. "You're insane."
"And you're still a feisty one," Nyx's voice rose with excitement. "It's a miracle, really. Though we'll see how long you last. So much to test, so much to learn."
Nyx's smile twisted further. "But none of that will happen here. This facility won't be here much longer."
"What do you mean by that?" Isaac demanded, his voice sharp despite his weakened state.
Nyx just laughed, his mania lighting up the room. "Oh, you'll find out soon enough."
The shadows at the far end of the lab stirred, and from the darkness, three figures emerged. Two twin boys, their bodies grotesque and misshapen, flanked a woman whose form was just as distorted. Clawed hands gleamed under the harsh, sterile lights, and their lifeless eyes held nothing but an eerie, mechanical obedience.
Their skin was a sickly shade of grey, stretched taut over distorted bones, with purple veins snaking across their bodies like an unsettling map. Every movement was jerky and robotic, as if their very existence was a mockery of life itself.
"Meet my family," Nyx said, his voice filled with pride. "Aren't they beautiful?" He gestured lazily.
"Once weak, fragile beings - I've made them something more. My wife, my children - they'll live alongside me forever, as we guide humanity's evolution," the deranged man declared, his voice dripping with self-righteous madness.
Isaac's gaze darted between the grotesque creatures, Nyx, and Kai, his expression a mix of confusion, dread, and disgust. Every fibre of his being screamed to flee, but he held his ground.
Kai, on the other hand, stood unnervingly calm, his crimson eyes fixed on Nyx. One thought burned in his mind. 'I'm going to kill him.'
"Now, my good children," Nyx cooed, his grin widening. "Fetch me my subjects."
The two smaller creatures lunged forward, their grotesque forms moving unnaturally fast. Kai and Isaac barely had time to steel themselves before chaos erupted, Nyx's deranged laughter echoing through the lab like a macabre symphony.
-
As soon as the two grotesque, child-like monsters lunged toward Kai and Isaac, Nyx clicked his fingers. Walls crashed down from all sides, enclosing the lab in an instant. The sound echoed like thunder, shaking the room.
If it wasn't already hard enough to get away - especially with Isaac's mutant ability neutralised - escape now felt impossible.
From behind his invisible barrier, Nyx's lips curled into a delighted grin. 'I have no idea what Subject 357's mutant ability is, but it will be interesting to see him in action for the first time,' he mused, his gaze fixed on the chaos with utter enjoyment.
Despite his tendency to talk too much or appear arrogant, Nyx was anything but reckless. Every contingency had been calculated. Even with the forcefield protecting him, he kept his so-called wife by his side - a hulking monstrosity with blade-like arms and a body seemingly crafted from inorganic, unyielding material.
Her lifeless eyes mirrored those of the smaller mutants, devoid of any semblance of humanity. Their grotesque forms were horrifying to behold, but to Nyx, they were merely tools. He chuckled softly to himself, his gaze flicking between Kai and Isaac.
'Everything so far is still going as planned. I've wanted to capture the Phaser for a while now. I knew he'd be among the intruders, his objective obvious. But Subject 357 too? Truly, my lucky day. Not that I need luck.'
Isaac grunted as he twisted and dodged, narrowly avoiding the small creature's tearing through the air. Their claws grazed him with each swipe, their vacant eyes burning with unnatural hunger. Each movement was a blur of muscle and instinct. Without his phasing ability, Isaac was forced to rely on pure reflexes.
Meanwhile, Kai faced his own twin. The creature was grotesque, with remnants of human features buried beneath twisted muscle and sinew. It snarled, its claws gleaming as it lunged forward. Kai sidestepped, feeling the rush of air from the swing graze his face.
Nyx's voice rang out, dripping with mockery. "It must've been you who released all the others. Quite a mess you've made, but no matter? They were all going to be disposed of anyway. Any useful subjects were already taken - apart from you. I thought you were dead and sent someone to retrieve your body for study." His eyes glinted with excitement.
"To think your unique resistance to the serum was the key to producing artificial mutants... humanity's evolution, right there in your veins."
Kai ignored the taunts, dodging another swipe from the mutant as his mind focused. 'Step 1: Gauge the mutant's abilities.' He observed the creature's movements - the wild, erratic swings, the bursts of unnatural speed. 'Super strength, speed, and durability...'
The creature lunged again, claws outstretched, but Kai ducked under its arm, staying just out of reach.
Another thought emerged in his mind. 'Step 2: Identify weaknesses or openings.' His eyes narrowed. 'No precision in its attacks and also doesn't seem able to think for itself… it's trying to capture, not kill.'
Kai manoeuvred backwards, letting the creature follow him into a cluster of overturned lab tables. 'Step 3: Limit their mobility.' The mutant smashed through the obstacles, but each slowed it just enough to disrupt its rhythm.
"Still just evading?" Nyx taunted, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Show me something more. Your abilities… you haven't used them yet? What good is the 'first successful artificial mutant' if he won't give me a proper demonstration?"
Kai's jaw tightened. 'Step 4: Aim for vital areas.' He shifted his stance, his hand brushing the cold grip of his pistol. In a fluid motion, he kicked a nearby table toward the creature, gaining a few precious seconds to raise his weapon...
Bang! Bang! Bang!