The safehouse's quiet pressed down like a weight, its concrete walls slick with damp, the stink of Skraith blood and human sweat so thick I could taste it—sour, metallic, sticking to my tongue like ash. I slumped by the shattered door, the alien weapon heavy in my lap, its green pulse syncing with the kinetic energy buzzing in my tougher, stronger skin, three hours left on this fresh mimicry.
Mimicry Active: Tier 1 Kinetic Energy Manipulation. Output Optimized. Physical Enhancement: 25% Durability, 15% Strength Increase Stable. Energy Weapon Analysis: 58% Complete, my system chimed, cold and steady, cutting through the silence like a whisper I couldn't shake.
Liv patched Jace, her hands glowing faint, a soft blue light that flickered against his bruised ribs, the air smelling faintly of ozone. Tucker sat cross-legged, cleaning his machete with a rag, the scrape of steel on stone grating my nerves, each stroke sharp enough to make my teeth ache. Rylan rested on the cot, pale and still, bandages soaked red, his breathing shallow but steady, the faint tang of blood mixing with the dust. The radio crackled, spitting static—Sector 9, still a graveyard, its silence heavier than the ash drifting through the cracks outside, settling on my skin like grit.
"You're still jumpy," Liv said, voice low, cutting through the hum, her eyes sharp, pistol resting on her knee. "What's eating you now, Kai?"
"Nothing," I lied, sharper than I meant, my voice 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 everywhere—the Skraith's blood on the floor, black and wrong, pooling like oil, whispering to the system in my head. Biological Integration Optimized. Recommend Additional Skraith Samples for Enhanced Durability and Strength. Human Samples for Kinetic Optimization. Potential for Permanent Modification Increasing.
I swallowed hard, my throat dry, stomach twisting into a knot. More Skraith blood? Permanent power from that? 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. I stared at the pool on the concrete, its black sheen catching the green light, daring me to touch it. Three hours 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?
"Kai, talk," Liv pressed, leaning forward, her sparks crackling faint, a warning in her eyes. "You're hiding something, 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 blood, human blood—whatever it takes."
Her eyes widened, then narrowed, her grip tightening on the pistol. "You're pushing too far, Kai. That stuff could kill you—or worse."
"Maybe," I muttered, wiping sweat from my forehead, the damp cloth of the tank top clinging to my chest, muscles straining under the fabric. "But I'm not losing this. Not now."
She shook her head, a faint smirk tugging at her lips, but her eyes stayed cold. "If it fries you, don't expect me to scrape you off the floor. I've got enough bodies to bury."
"Fair." I crouched, the weapon humming, its pulse syncing with my heartbeat, and pressed my fingers to the 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 30%. Strength Increased by 20%. 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. My system buzzed.
Analysis Ongoing. Recommend Further Samples for Optimization. Potential Government Interest Detected: Enhanced Energy Signatures Noted.
I froze, heart kicking hard. Government interest? From this? My breath hitched, the weapon humming, the hum buzzing on. Three hours left—and I was still changing, steel and sparks both, but now someone else was watching.
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: 30 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 I wasn't alone in this fight anymore.
The safehouse's silence pressed in, 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, two hours left on this fresh mimicry. Mimicry Active: Tier 1 Kinetic Energy Manipulation. Output Optimized. Physical Enhancement: 30% Durability, 20% Strength Increase Stable. Energy Weapon Analysis: 62% Complete. Potential Government Surveillance Detected, my system chimed, cold and steady, cutting through the quiet like a blade I couldn't dodge.
Liv patched Rylan, hands glowing faint, a soft blue light flickering against his pale face, 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. Jace muttered curses, ribs wrapped tight, while the radio crackled static—Sector 9, still a graveyard, its silence heavier than the ash settling on my skin, gritty and cold.
"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 Interest Escalating: Enhanced Energy Signatures Tracked.
I swallowed hard, throat dry, stomach twisting into a knot. Government interest? Tracking me? 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. I stared at the blood pools—black Skraith, red human—daring me to touch them, to push further. Two hours 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?
"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 someone's watching. Government, maybe."
Her eyes widened, then narrowed, her grip tightening on the pistol. "Government? You're sure?"