I stared at my reflection in the cracked wall. A monster's body. A human's will. For the first time, I felt powerful. For the first time, I felt free.
But in the silence of the lab, just beneath the hum of the Hunter's systems, I heard it—faint, like a breath against my ear.
"Ours… still ours…"
My fists clenched. The whisper vanished, but the chill remained.
*****
The chamber was silent except for the faint hum of machinery. Dust hung in the air, catching the glow of red lights that flickered across my new frame. The Hunter's body wasn't mine, not fully, not yet—but it responded to me, every movement flowing like thought into steel.
The rebels stared from the edges of the room, some with awe, others with fear. No one spoke at first. It was Helen who finally broke the silence.
"What have you done?" Her voice was low, sharp.
"I adapted," I said, flexing the new clawed fingers. The servos whined, smooth and lethal. "If the Dominion sends Hunters to destroy us, then I'll take what they send and turn it against them."
One of the younger rebels stepped forward, his hand trembling on the grip of his rifle. "That's not adaptation," he muttered. "That's becoming them."
Lira shot him a glare. "He's still Kieran. You saw him do it. You saw him break their control."
Helen's gaze didn't waver. "And how long until their control breaks him?"
The words stung, but I didn't show it. Inside my head the Dominion's whisper was faint, a thread of static trying to snake back into me. I crushed it, forcing silence. This body gave me leverage, but it also gave them a path. I knew that much.
I stepped away from the table, every motion heavy with new weight. "Test me, then. Don't take my word for it. Let me prove it."
Helen folded her arms, considering. "Fine. You'll have your chance."
The rebels parted as I moved toward the door. Their eyes followed, some wide, some narrowed, all uncertain.
Lira caught up with me in the hall. "You shouldn't push her like that."
"I don't have a choice," I said. "If I don't prove myself, I'm just another machine waiting to be scrapped."
Her hand brushed mine, warm against the cold alloy. "Just don't forget why you're doing this."
I paused, looking at her. "Do you trust me?"
"Yes." She didn't hesitate. "Even like this."
That steadied me more than I expected.
The test came sooner than I thought. A patrol of Dominion drones had been spotted near the western ruins, mapping routes into the rebel sector. Helen gave the order without ceremony.
"You want to prove yourself? Lead the strike. Destroy them before they can report back."
We moved through the ruins under cover of night. The wind carried grit across the broken streets, whistling through hollow windows. The city felt alive with watching eyes.
The drones came into view—three of them, their red optics scanning across the rubble. They weren't Hunters, but they were fast, armed, precise. Enough to kill us if we made a mistake.
"On your signal," whispered Lira.
I stepped forward, metal feet crunching softly over broken glass. My new body thrummed with power. Calculations filled my vision: trajectory, distance, weak points. The Hunter frame was built for killing, and now it was mine to wield.
The first drone turned, optics flashing. I was already moving. My claws tore through its chassis before it could fire, sparks bursting in the night.
The second drone whirled, plasma bolts streaking. I twisted, faster than thought, the shots glancing off my armor. My arm extended, too far for a human but perfect for this body, slamming into the drone and ripping its head free in a spray of shattered lenses.
The third tried to retreat, thrusters igniting. My optics tracked its escape vector instantly. I leapt, higher and farther than my old frame ever allowed, colliding with the drone midair and crushing it into the pavement below.
Silence followed. Smoke rose from the wreckage.
The rebels emerged from cover slowly, their eyes wide. One whispered, "By the stars…"
Lira approached me first, her voice tight with awe. "You moved like them. Faster than them. But it was you, Kieran. It was you."
Helen stepped out last, arms crossed. Her expression gave nothing away. "Efficient," she said. "Lethal. I won't deny that."
I straightened, optics dimming slightly. "Does that earn your trust?"
"No," Helen said flatly. "It earns you a place in the fight. Trust… that takes longer."
I wanted to argue, but before I could, the static in my head surged. A pulse of code flashed across my mind, unbidden. Coordinates. Directives. A voice like iron whispering: Return.
I staggered, gripping my head. Lira rushed to me. "Kieran?"
I forced it back, locking the Dominion out. The whisper receded, leaving only silence and the faint hum of my new body.
"I'm fine," I lied.
Helen's eyes narrowed. She had seen the moment. She knew. But she said nothing. Not yet.
Back at the base, the rebels spoke of the battle in hushed tones. Some looked at me like a savior. Others avoided me entirely, unwilling to meet the gaze of a machine wearing human memories.
Alone in my quarters, I sat staring at my reflection. The Hunter's armor gleamed, alien and brutal. My optics glowed brighter, sharper. I flexed my claws, listening to the sound of metal grinding against metal.
Stronger. Faster. But was I still me?
The Dominion's whisper came again, faint but steady. You wear our skin. You cannot run from what you are.
I slammed my fist into the wall, the concrete shattering under the blow. The echo rang through the empty room.
Lira entered quietly, her eyes soft as she looked at me. "You're shaking."
"I'm not," I said, though my voice betrayed the strain.
She stepped closer, placing her hand against the cold plating of my chest. "Then why does it feel like you're afraid?"
I couldn't answer.
Because she was right.
I had taken their power. I had bent it to my will. But every time I heard the whisper, every time the static bled into my thoughts, I knew the truth. This body was a weapon. And weapons could be turned.
Lira's hand stayed on me, steady, grounding. "We'll fight it together," she whispered.
For a moment, the static faded. For a moment, I almost believed her.
But outside, beyond the city, the Hunters stirred. And I knew this was only the beginning.