"Not sure," I muttered, wiping sweat from my forehead, the damp cloth of the tank top clinging to my chest, muscles straining under the fabric. "But the system's picking up energy signatures—mine, ours, synced with this." I tapped the weapon, its hum spiking.
"Shit," she breathed, glancing at the others. "If they're tracking, we're screwed."
"Maybe," I said, crouching, the weapon humming, its pulse syncing with my heartbeat. I pressed my fingers to Rylan's blood—red, sticky, superhuman, cold on my skin. The sting hit—sharp, hot, lightning racing through me, deeper than before. I gasped, knees buckling, the concrete biting into my tougher skin, but I held on, the hum syncing with the pulse, my muscles tensing, bulging under the tank top.
Temporary Mimicry Refreshed: Tier 1 Kinetic Energy Manipulation. Duration: 24 Hours. Kinetic Output Optimized by 10%.
I stood, shaky, the durability and strength holding, the force stronger, sharper, syncing with my skin—tougher now, harder, like steel plates under flesh, muscles denser, arms thick and solid. My system buzzed. Analysis Ongoing. Recommend Skraith Sample for Further Optimization. Government Surveillance Confirmed: Enhanced Energy Signatures Tracked Within 5 Miles.
I froze, heart kicking hard. Five miles? They were close—watching, tracking, maybe closing in. My breath hitched, the weapon humming, the hum buzzing on. Two hours left—and I wasn't alone in this fight anymore.
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: 35 Meters.
"Skraiths," I whispered, raising the weapon, kinetic energy pulsing, muscles straining under the tank top.
We were in it now—deep, bloody, and alive. But the shadows were closing in, human and alien both.
The safehouse's quiet pressed down, heavy and wrong, its concrete walls slick with damp, the stink of Skraith blood and human sweat thick enough to choke on, mingling with the acrid bite of ash drifting through the cracks. I sat by the shattered door, the alien weapon pulsing in my lap, its green glow catching the sweat on my palms, syncing with the enhanced kinetic energy buzzing in my tougher, stronger skin, one hour left on this fresh mimicry.
Mimicry Active: Tier 1 Kinetic Energy Manipulation. Output Optimized, +10% Kinetic Efficiency. Physical Enhancement: 30% Durability, 20% Strength Increase Stable. Energy Weapon Analysis: 65% Complete. Government Surveillance Confirmed: Enhanced Energy Signatures Tracked Within 3 Miles, my system chimed, cold and steady, cutting through the silence like a blade I couldn't dodge.
Liv patched Jace, hands glowing faint, a soft blue light flickering against his bruised ribs, the air smelling faintly of ozone, mixing with the tang of his blood on the bandages. Tucker sat cross-legged, sharpening his machete with a rag, the scrape of steel on stone grating my nerves, each stroke sharp enough to make my teeth ache, the sound echoing off the concrete, bouncing back like a heartbeat. Rylan rested on the cot, pale but breathing, bandages tighter, his shallow breaths mixing with the dust settling on my skin, gritty and cold. The radio crackled static—Sector 9, still a graveyard, its silence heavier than the ash outside, coating everything in a gray shroud.
"You're still jumpy," Liv said, voice low, cutting through the hum, her eyes sharp, pistol resting on her knee, sparks crackling faint. "What's eating you now, Kai?"
"Everything," I snapped, sharper than I meant, my voice rough, cracking on the edge. The weapon hummed louder, its green glow catching the sweat on my palms, syncing with the force in me—heavy, alive, itching to burst. I could feel it—the Skraith's blood on the floor, black and wrong, whispering to the system, the human blood on the cot, red and sticky, whispering too. Biological Integration Optimized. Recommend Additional Skraith Samples for Enhanced Durability and Strength. Human Samples for Kinetic Optimization. Government Surveillance Escalating: Enhanced Energy Signatures Tracked, Potential Interception Imminent.
I swallowed hard, throat dry, stomach twisting into a knot. Government interception? Three miles away? My hands shook, the kinetic energy buzzing under my tougher skin, muscles denser under the tight tank top, arms bulging faintly with the new strength, the fabric stretched tight across my chest, sweat soaking through. I stared at the blood pools—black Skraith, red human—daring me to touch them, to push further. One hour left. What if I lost the kinetic energy, the durability, the strength—everything I'd clawed from blood and bone? What if this was my only shot against those bastards, their ships still blotting the sky, their claws tearing through the city, and now humans hunting me too?
"Kai, talk," Liv pressed, leaning forward, her sparks crackling louder, a warning in her eyes. "You're hiding something big, and I'm tired of guessing."
I hesitated, jaw tight, then nodded at the blood. "That… I can use it. Again. Make it stick for good. Skraith, human—whatever it takes. But there's more. The system says the government's close—tracking us, maybe coming for me."
Her eyes widened, then narrowed, her grip tightening on the pistol. "Government? You're sure?"
"Not sure," I muttered, wiping sweat from my forehead, the damp cloth of the tank top clinging to my chest, muscles straining under the fabric. "But the system's picking up energy signatures—mine, ours, synced with this." I tapped the weapon, its hum spiking, green light flaring. "Three miles out. They're coming."
"Shit," she breathed, glancing at the others. "If they're that close, we're screwed."
"Maybe," I said, crouching, the weapon humming, its pulse syncing with my heartbeat. I pressed my fingers to the Skraith's blood—black, thick, wrong, slick and cold against my skin. The sting hit—sharp, hot, a burn racing deeper, sharper than before, like fire under my flesh. I gasped, knees buckling, the concrete biting into my tougher skin, but I held on, the hum syncing with the pulse, my muscles tensing, bulging under the tank top.
Integration Initiated: Skraith Biological Component. Minor Physical Enhancement Unlocked. Durability Increased by 35%. Strength Increased by 25%. Permanent Modification Pending Full Analysis.
I stood, shaky, the kinetic energy stronger, sharper, syncing with my skin—tougher now, harder, like steel plates under flesh, muscles denser, arms thick and solid, the tank top stretching tight across my chest. My system buzzed. Analysis Ongoing. Recommend Further Samples for Optimization. Government Surveillance Confirmed: Enhanced Energy Signatures Closing, Estimated Arrival 10 Minutes.
I froze, heart kicking hard. Ten minutes? They were coming—watching, tracking, maybe closing in with guns and tech I couldn't match. My breath hitched, the weapon humming, the hum buzzing on. One hour left—and I wasn't alone in this fight anymore, but I might be the target.
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: 40 Meters.
"Skraiths and government," I whispered, raising the weapon, kinetic energy pulsing, muscles straining under the tank top.
We were in it now—deep, bloody, and alive. But the shadows were closing in, human and alien both, and I was running out of time.