{ Mia }
A shrill alarm shattered the silence.
A vial hit the floor below — glass exploding, its glowing contents spreading like spilled venom across the lab tiles. One of the scientists cursed, scrambling to clean it, but it was too late.
The system lit up red.
"Containment breach detected," a sterile voice droned overhead. "Alert level two. Lockdown initiated."
Below, chaos snapped into motion. The scientists scattered, fingers flying over consoles, barking commands I couldn't make out — and in the middle of it all, he remained still. The boss. Watching. Thinking.
Calculating.
I clung to the ceiling panel, heart hammering against my ribs like it wanted out. But this wasn't panic — not anymore. It was focus. Sharp and cold.
I looked at him one last time.
He was alive.
And I was still me.
Ace tapped my ankle lightly, breaking the moment. I glanced over — he was already moving, muscles taut, eyes burning with urgency.
My twin mouthed, "Now."
We dropped as one.
Soundless.
Precise.
I hit the ground in a crouch behind one of the storage racks, breath tight, mind racing. The countdown had started the second that vial shattered. Now the only question was: how much information could we get before they noticed us?
Ace slipped into the shadows beside me, scanning the room with predator's calm.
My twin darted toward the central console, fingers flying. "If we're lucky, the breach gave me access to their core systems — I just need a minute."
We didn't have a minute.
Already, red lights strobed. A voice blared over the intercom: "Security teams to Sector 9. Immediate response required."
My twin turned to me. " Do you have a USB on you ? "
I nodded quickly closing my eyes imagining a golden magical USB.
A gust of wind blew in my face and I opened my eyes to find that exact same USB floating in mid air.
I caught my breath and flicked the USB toward him — quick, silent, precise. It landed in his palm without a sound.
He plugged it in instantly, fingers flying across the interface like he'd done this a hundred times.
Watching him work my head throbbed suddenly. I clutched my head like my life depended on it then I heard it. ~ Lex ~
The name hit me harder than I expected.
I blinked.
Lex?
I realized, in all the time since we reunited, he'd never said it. Not once. And somehow… I'd never asked.
My twin.
My brother.
But not once had I said his name.
Now I had it — short, fierce, sharp like him — and suddenly it felt like something sacred. Something real.
Like I was learning a piece of him I didn't even know was missing.
He didn't react, just kept working, jaw tight as lines of code scrolled like falling rain across the screen.
And for the first time, I whispered it under my breath, tasting it like a vow.
"Lex."
The seconds stretched like wire — taut, vibrating, ready to snap.
I crouched lower, ears tuned to every footstep beyond the walls. The pounding boots were getting closer. Closer.
"Lex," I whispered again, this time not just to feel it, but to ground myself.
He didn't look up, but I saw the slightest shift in his expression. A flicker. A tight breath drawn.
Maybe he heard me.
Maybe that was enough.
"I'm in," Lex muttered, voice low and focused. "They have files on all of us — experiments, surveillance logs, enhancement models—"
A crackle interrupted him — the intercom again.
"Security breach confirmed. Intruders are inside Sector 9. All units, lethal force authorized."
Damn it.
Ace swore under his breath, darting back toward us. "Time's up."
"Give me thirty more seconds," Lex snapped.
"You've got fifteen."
The screen in front of him glowed gold for a flash — the USB syncing, data flying into it like water through a funnel.
My chest squeezed tight. Come on, come on.
Then — a final ping.
"Done," Lex said, yanking the drive free. "Let's move—"
But before he could finish, a metal door slammed open across the room with a thunderous hiss, and black-armored guards stormed in, rifles up.
"Contact!" one of them shouted.
We bolted.
Ace flung a smoke capsule that hissed and burst into a blinding white fog. Shots rang out — wild, panicked. We zigzagged through the haze, barely a shadow in their vision.
My heart thundered. Lex stayed close to me, one hand curled around the USB like it was life itself.
Alarms screamed overhead.
"Stairs—left!" I shouted.
We veered, sprinting down a narrow side corridor lined with steel and glowing panels. The echo of boots chased us like a second heartbeat.
Just as we rounded a corner, Lex slammed his hand on a side panel. A hidden hatch hissed open — barely big enough for two.
"In here!" he barked.
Ace dove in first. I followed, Lex right behind.
The door sealed shut.
Darkness.
Silence.
Only the sound of our breathing remained.
Then a dim light flickered on — and in the low glow, I saw Lex's face for the first time up close. The same face as mine, reshaped by a hundred different choices, hardened by pain I hadn't seen.
He looked at me, really looked, and for a second, neither of us spoke.
Then:
"You remembered my name."
I blinked, breath caught in my throat.
"You never told me," I said softly.
A beat.
"I was afraid to," he murmured.
And somehow… I understood.