As the fight's last sounds faded away, the facility's alarms blared. The dust of the defeated Gemini covered the floor, leaving dirty smudges across Dr Thorne's laboratory.
Jonah and Vanessa stood by each other, breathing hard, their bodies tired but their spirits unbroken. They had faced Dr Thorne's ultimate weapon and they had broken it with the one thing it possibly could not understand: the bond between them.
They turned their attention to the last man in the room.
Dr. Aris Thorne stood calmly behind his glowing, transparent energy shield. He slowly lowered his datapad, and he looked at them with a curious expression.
"I must say, that was interesting to see," Thorne said, his voice loud and clear over the blaring alarms. "An emotional variable. So inefficient. But..." He put one of his finger against his chin. "I must admit, it was surprisingly effective."
