The safehouse shuddered, concrete groaning as another Skraith screech ripped through the night—metal tearing, too close, the sound clawing at my skull like nails on bone. I gripped the alien weapon, its green pulse syncing with the kinetic energy buzzing in my tougher skin, nine hours left on this fresh mimicry. Mimicry Active: Tier 1 Kinetic Energy Manipulation. Output Optimized.
Physical Enhancement: 10% Durability Increase Stable. Energy Weapon Analysis: 38% Complete, my system chimed, cold and steady, cutting through the chaos.Tucker stood by the shattered door, machete raised, muscles straining as the shadow loomed outside—tall, jagged, armor glinting wet under the blood-red moon. Liv's hands crackled blue, sparks dancing, while Jace clutched his stun baton, ribs bruised but stubborn. Rylan groaned on the cot, bandages soaked red, barely conscious but gripping his own fading kinetic glow.
"Hold steady," Liv hissed, pistol aimed at the doorframe, her voice tight. "Wait for it to come in."
I nodded, the kinetic energy itching in my palms, a heavy pulse begging to burst. Force Projection Available. Recommend Target Acquisition, the system whispered, syncing with the weapon's hum. I pointed the rod, heart slamming, ready to fire if that thing smashed through again.
The doorframe buckled—claws raking, armor smashing through the remaining wood, green weapon flaring. I fired—a jagged beam laced with kinetic force, cracking its shell, sending it staggering back. Liv blasted, blue sparks searing its arm, and Tucker lunged, machete biting deep into its leg. It roared, claw swinging, knocking Jace into a crate with a sick crunch, wood splintering.
"Down!" Rylan shouted, weak but firm, firing a faint kinetic burst from the cot. It clipped the Skraith's head, buying seconds.
I lunged, kinetic energy flaring, and slammed a shockwave into its chest—raw force, heavy and wild, shoving it against the wall. My enhanced skin held, tougher now, as I fired again—a beam laced with force, cracking its armor, dropping it hard. Black blood pooled, stinking sour, as it twitched once, then stilled.
"Clear," Liv panted, lowering her pistol, sparks fading.
Jace groaned, pulling himself up, ribs likely cracked worse. "Damn, Kai. You're a tank."
"Lucky," I muttered, wiping sweat from my forehead, the kinetic energy buzzing on. Nine hours left—and my skin felt like steel, harder, sharper, syncing with the weapon's pulse.
"Luck's bullshit," Rylan rasped, struggling up. "You're a weapon now."
I didn't argue, just stared at the weapon, the hum syncing tighter. My system pinged. Biological Integration Optimized. Recommend Human Samples for Enhanced Kinetic Output. Skraith Samples for Further Durability Increase.
I froze, glancing at Rylan's blood on the cot—red, human, superhuman—and the Skraith's black pool on the floor. More blood? Permanent power from that? My stomach twisted, but the hum pushed—eager, insistent. Nine hours left, and I couldn't lose this edge, not with Skraiths crawling the city.
"Kai, help me patch Rylan," Liv said, sharp, hands glowing as she pressed them to his wounds.
I nodded, crouching, the kinetic energy pulsing. My fingers brushed Rylan's blood—red, sticky, superhuman—and the sting hit, sharp and hot, syncing with the hum. Temporary Mimicry Refreshed: Tier 1 Kinetic Energy Manipulation. Duration: 24 Hours.
I stood, shaky, the durability holding, the force stronger. Eight hours left on the old mimicry, but this was fresh, raw, and mine.
"Keep it quiet," Liv muttered, eyeing me. "We've got enough trouble."
I nodded, the weapon humming, the hum buzzing on. Nine hours—and I was still changing, steel and shadow both.
The safehouse's quiet hit hard after the Skraith's corpse cooled on the floor, its black blood stinking up the concrete, mixing with Rylan's red on the cot. I sat by the door, the alien weapon pulsing in my lap, its green glow syncing with the kinetic energy buzzing in my tougher skin, eight hours left on this fresh mimicry. Mimicry Active: Tier 1 Kinetic Energy Manipulation. Output Optimized. Physical Enhancement: 10% Durability Increase Stable. Energy Weapon Analysis: 42% Complete, my system chimed, cold and steady, cutting through the silence.
Liv patched Rylan, hands glowing faint, while Tucker cleaned his machete, the scrape of steel on stone grating my nerves. Jace muttered curses, ribs wrapped tight, and the radio crackled static—Sector 9, still a graveyard, its silence heavier than the ash outside.
"You're still off," Liv said, voice low, cutting through the hum. "What's eating you now?"
"Nothing," I lied, sharper than I meant. The weapon hummed louder, syncing with the force in me, heavy and alive. I could feel it—the Skraith's blood on the floor, black and wrong, whispering to the system. Biological Integration Possible. Skraith DNA Compatible. Recommend Sample for Enhanced Durability and Strength. Human Samples for Kinetic Optimization.
I swallowed, stomach twisting. More Skraith blood? Permanent power from that? My hands shook, the kinetic energy itching to flare, but I held it back, staring at the pool on the concrete. Eight hours left. What if I lost the kinetic energy, the durability, everything I'd stolen? What if this was my only shot against those bastards?
"Kai, talk," Liv pressed, eyes sharp, pistol on her lap.
I hesitated, then nodded at the blood. "That… I can use it. Again. Make it stick."
Her eyes widened, then narrowed. "More Skraith blood? You're insane."
"Maybe," I muttered, wiping sweat from my forehead. "But I'm not losing this."
She shook her head, smirking faintly. "If it fries you, don't expect me to scrape you off the floor."
"Fair." I crouched, the weapon humming, and pressed my fingers to the blood—black, thick, wrong. The sting hit—sharp, hot, a burn racing deeper, sharper than before. I gasped, knees buckling, but held on, the hum syncing with the pulse.
Integration Initiated: Skraith Biological Component. Minor Physical Enhancement Unlocked. Durability Increased by 15%. Strength Increased by 5%. Permanent Modification Pending Full Analysis.
I stood, shaky, the kinetic energy stronger, sharper, syncing with my skin—tougher now, harder, like armor, muscles denser under the tight tank top I'd scavenged. My system buzzed. Analysis Ongoing. Recommend Further Samples for Optimization.
"Holy shit," I whispered, voice cracking, flexing my arms, feeling the new weight, the new power.
Liv stared, pistol ready. "You alive?"
"Yeah," I rasped, slamming a shockwave into the wall—faint, solid, cracking concrete. "Better, maybe."
She shook her head, smirking. "You're a damn puzzle, Kai."
A screech outside—metal tearing, too close—snapped us straight. Tucker cursed, machete raised, as Liv's hands crackled. My system buzzed. Proximity Alert. Skraith Energy Signature: 15 Meters.
"Skraiths," I whispered, raising the weapon, kinetic energy pulsing.
We were in it now—deep, bloody, and alive.
The safehouse trembled, concrete groaning as the Skraith's screech tore through the dawn—metal on metal, too close, the sound clawing at my skull like a blade. I gripped the alien weapon, its green pulse syncing with the enhanced kinetic energy buzzing in my tougher, stronger skin, seven hours left on this fresh mimicry. Mimicry Active: Tier 1 Kinetic Energy Manipulation. Output Optimized. Physical Enhancement: 15% Durability, 5% Strength Increase Stable. Energy Weapon Analysis: 45% Complete, my system chimed, cold and steady, cutting through the chaos.
Tucker stood by the shattered door, machete raised, muscles straining as the shadow loomed outside—tall, jagged, armor glinting wet under the blood-red sky. Liv's hands crackled blue, sparks dancing, while Jace clutched his stun baton, ribs bruised but stubborn. Rylan groaned on the cot, bandages tighter, pale but breathing.
"Hold it," Liv hissed, pistol aimed at the doorframe, her voice tight. "Wait for it to come in."
I nodded, the kinetic energy itching in my palms, a heavy pulse begging to burst. Force Projection Available. Recommend Target Acquisition, the system whispered, syncing with the weapon's hum. I pointed the rod, heart slamming, ready to fire if that thing smashed through again.
The doorframe buckled—claws raking, armor smashing through, green weapon flaring. I fired—a jagged beam laced with kinetic force, cracking its shell, sending it staggering back. Liv blasted, blue sparks searing its arm, and Tucker lunged, machete biting deep into its leg. It roared, claw swinging, knocking Jace into a crate with a sick crunch, wood splintering.
"Down!" Rylan shouted, weak but firm, firing a faint kinetic burst from the cot. It clipped the Skraith's head, buying seconds.
I lunged, kinetic energy flaring, and slammed a shockwave into its chest—raw force, heavy and wild, shoving it against the wall. My enhanced skin held, tougher now, muscles straining under the tight tank top, as I fired again—a beam laced with force, cracking its armor, dropping it hard. Black blood pooled, stinking sour, as it twitched once, then stilled.
"Clear," Liv panted, lowering her pistol, sparks fading.
Jace groaned, pulling himself up, ribs likely cracked worse. "Damn, Kai. You're a beast."
"Lucky," I muttered, wiping sweat from my forehead, the kinetic energy buzzing on. Seven hours left—and my skin felt like steel, muscles denser, syncing with the weapon's pulse.
"Luck's bullshit," Rylan rasped, struggling up. "You're a force now."
I didn't argue, just stared at the weapon, the hum syncing tighter. My system pinged. Biological Integration Optimized. Recommend Human Samples for Enhanced Kinetic Output. Skraith Samples for Further Durability and Strength Increase.
I froze, glancing at Rylan's blood on the cot—red, human, superhuman—and the Skraith's black pool on the floor. More blood? Permanent power from that? My stomach twisted, but the hum pushed—eager, insistent. Seven hours left, and I couldn't lose this edge, not with Skraiths crawling the city.
"Kai, help me patch Jace," Liv said, sharp, hands glowing as she pressed them to his wounds.
I nodded, crouching, the kinetic energy pulsing. My fingers brushed Jace's blood—red, sticky, superhuman—and the sting hit, sharp and hot, syncing with the hum. Temporary Mimicry Refreshed: Tier 1 Kinetic Energy Manipulation. Duration: 24 Hours.
I stood, shaky, the durability and strength holding, the force stronger. Six hours left on the old mimicry, but this was fresh, raw, and mine.
"Keep it quiet," Liv muttered, eyeing me. "We've got enough trouble."
I nodded, the weapon humming, the hum buzzing on. Seven hours—and I was still changing, steel and sparks both.