Back at the station chaos still ensued. Phones ringing off the hook. Officers scurrying this way and that. So much noise. None of it took Adrian's attention. He was busy finishing up his report on the last encounter, hands still shaking a little. The memory of his wounds knitting together so fast was pulling his focus away. The overlay pulsed just out of view. The 2,182 free nanobots were enticing, practically begging to be utilized.
Before he could complete his report and indulge in his Nanobot Core upgrades the Captain yelled over the cacophony of noise. "Kane! My office!" Adrian sighed and pushed away from his desk slowly and slowly closed the gap between his desk and the Captain's office.
Shutting the door, Adrian sat, stiff in the hard-backed chair across from Captain Rollins' desk. The silence pressing down on him was heavier than the body armor he still wore. He could hear the wall clock ticking slow and rhythmic behind him. Each click a hammer on his nerves. Rollins had said almost nothing since Adrian walked in, just stared at a stack of incident reports while drumming his thick fingers against the desk.
Adrian shifted trying hard not to fidget, his leg bouncing slightly. He could feel the dried sweat at the base of his neck, a reminder of the chaos the last two shifts had brought. The fights, the strange feral men, the way their bodies crumpled beneath his blows. And always, afterward, the whisper of the system. The shimmer of nanobots flowing into him. The quiet rush of a power no one else knew existed.
Rollins finally looked up, his face carved into stone. His eyes, pale and bloodshot from years of sleepless nights, locked onto Adrian's. "Three dead citizens in two days," Rollins said flatly looking over the reports. "That's not normal police work." Adrian swallowed. His throat was dry. "Sir, with respect… none of them were normal citizens."
Rollins leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "I read your reports. Disturbance calls, subjects acting violently. But the way you describe them, like animals? Biting? Clawing? Doesn't sound like drugs. Doesn't sound like any kind of psychosis I've seen. And I've been doing this long enough to see it all."
Adrian nodded slowly, head down, eyes wide as if remembering their faces as they lay on the ground. He couldn't say more. He couldn't mention the system, the nanobots, the way the man's bite had healed almost instantly like nothing had happened. To tell Rollins would sound like lunacy, and that could cost him his badge. "They weren't themselves," Adrian said carefully. "One of them lunged at me. Teeth bared. I tried to restrain him, but…"
Rollins raised a hand. "Enough. I don't need the play-by-play. I need to know if you're all right." Adrian blinked. "Sir?" Rollins took an exasperated breath "I've had cops go through less and spiral out. You've killed three people Kane. Three in less than 24 hours. Doesn't matter if they were high, crazy, or foaming at the mouth like rabid dogs. That sticks with a man." Rollins leaned forward, his voice low. "So tell me. Are you all right?" showing genuine concern for his officer.
The question hit harder than Adrian expected. He wanted to say no. He wanted to tell Rollins about the nightmares that weren't nightmares at all. About the way his hands shook when he looked in their eyes, knowing what he ultimately had to do, what he'd have to take from them. But beneath the fear was something else. Something darker. Excitement? The bite wound on his forearm, now completely gone, was proof that what he was experiencing wasn't just PTSD. It was a transformation, and it was definitely real.
"I'm fine," Adrian said, trying to pretend like he wasn't buzzing with anticipation. The words sounded too quick, too sharp. Rollins' expression hardened. "You don't sound fine. Which is why I'm putting you on administrative leave. At least a week off. Standard procedure after multiple lethal incidents. Gives us time to review the cases. Gives you time to clear your head. You understand, right?"
Adrian's gut tightened. "Sir, I…"
"No arguments, Kane," Rollins cut him off. "It's not a punishment, it's your protection and our liabilities. We're stretched thin as it is and I don't want this anymore than you do, but I can't have one of my men snapping under pressure." Adrian's jaw clenched. He wanted to protest, to insist he was more capable now than he'd ever been in his life. But any pushback would only draw suspicion. He forced himself to nod. "Yes, Captain." He said solemnly.
Rollins studied him for a long moment, then sighed and rubbed his temples. "Look… you're one of our best officers, but off the record? We've had a rash of violent calls the last couple days. Not just your cases, the whole precinct is seeing it. People turning on each other, savage, unpredictable. Toxicology screens aren't showing anything conclusive. It's not meth, not bath salts, not PCP. Hell if I know what's causing it. But something's happening."
Adrian's pulse quickened. He kept his face neutral, but inside, a storm raged. So it wasn't just the few incidents he'd seen. This was spreading. The system's quiet warning, the concept of nanobots loose in the world, suddenly carried weight. Rollins gestured toward the reports. "Until we know what we're dealing with, I want you out of it. Go home, get some rest. Let us sort through the mess." Adrian forced a faint smile. "Understood, Sir." Rollins gave a satisfied nod, "You're dismissed."
But as he walked out of the office, his mind wasn't at rest. It was on the burning itch under his skin, the way the nanobots hummed in the back of his consciousness, eager for utilization. A week away from work meant a week free to explore this new and exhilarating sensation. Free to test, and maybe to hunt.
Adrian sat on the hard metal bench, the cold seeping through his uniform. Staring at his reflection in the mirror on his locker door. He touched his forearm where the bite had been, running his fingers over skin that was now unbroken, smooth, and stronger somehow. He whispered under his breath. "Healing?" The system stirred faintly at the word, a ripple of satisfied acknowledgment. The core wasn't speaking, not in words, but it was listening. Always listening.
Adrian opened his hand, curling it into a fist. He thought of the other upgrades, strength, speed. The way his nightstick had shattered bone with less effort than it should have. Could he really become stronger than this? The possibilities stretched before him like a horizon line, endless and terrifying. Rollins thought he needed rest. But Adrian knew that what he really needed was answers.
He needed to know how far the upgrades could go. How much faster, stronger, sharper he could become. Are there others out there like him?Feeding on these feral husks that were once human… he had to be ready for what was coming. And what makes him different from them? Is he going to turn feral?
He changed out of his uniform slowly, each movement deliberate, as if peeling off a skin that no longer fit. Civilian clothes always felt strange after his shift, like he was pretending. He wasn't just a cop anymore. He wasn't just officer Adrian Kane. He was something else now, something still being forged.
When he stepped outside, the late afternoon sun washed over him. The city hummed with its usual chaos. The sounds of traffic, voices, and sirens. Adrian heard it all a little differently now. Every sound carried layers. Every motion seemed slower, easier to track. His senses were sharpening, attuning.
He started walking. Not toward home, but into the city. Following an instinct he wasn't familiar with. His boots struck pavement in rhythm with his heartbeat, steady and searching. Somewhere out here, ferals were waiting. Another chance to feed his Nanobot Core. Another step deeper into whatever he was becoming.
The city breathed differently at night. Adrian had always noticed it during late patrols, how the daytime chatter of horns and vendors gave way to a vibe that is somehow rawer, stripped down to whispers and distant activities. But tonight it felt sharper instead, more alive, as though the nanobots inside him tuned every sound to higher clarity.
He walked aimlessly at first, telling himself it was just to clear his head. He thought of the captain's warning. How tired his eyes were when he spoke of unexplained violence across the precinct. Adrian should have been worried, but he wasn't. Beneath his calm demeanor was an electric undercurrent that no lecture from Captain Rollins could suppress. He needed to test himself.
Adrian leaned against a wall in a quiet alley. Addressing the Nanobot core, he said quietly, "Initiate strength and speed upgrades." The Nanobot core responded immediately, almost delighted. As it said, "Initiating upgrades!" The feeling was immediate, searing heat flowing through his nerves, muscles and veins. Ligaments, joints and bones improving ever so slightly. The sensation was nearly enough to take him to the ground; it was so overwhelming. Then it stopped, "Upgrades complete, Free nanobots: 182.
He squeezed his fists, feeling the small increase of power. He threw a punch into the brick wall beside him at a speed he wasn't expecting. Cracking the bricks with little effort. His fist was damaged but he watched the wounds heal in no time. He smirked at the rush this feeling gave him.
Adrian had been walking long enough for the city to grow dark. He cut through a side street, hands shoved deep into his jacket pockets. The sodium lights buzzed overhead, casting pools of amber across cracked concrete. A group of teenagers lingered at the far end, skateboards clacking against the pavement. Their laughter was shrill, but normal… still human. Adrian relaxed for a moment, trying not to let his paranoia get the better of him. Not every shadow hid monsters.
Still, he drifted deeper into quieter blocks, letting instinct guide his path. It wasn't long before he heard it, a wet, tearing sound carried faintly on the night air. His body froze, every muscle wired tight. He tilted his head to try and catch the direction better. It was subtle yet distinct. The rip tear of flesh and bone. He knew the sound too well from his years of fighting crime. Hearing it now made his stomach tighten.
Adrian quickened his pace. He rounded the corner into an alley shrouded in half-darkness. At first, he thought the shadow hunched over the ground was a stray dog, from the way it crouched on all fours. Then the figure shifted, and he caught the pale glimmer of a human hand.
The man, no, the thing, was crouched low, its back heaving with animal intensity. Its face was buried in the chest cavity of another body sprawled on the cold pavement. The corpse's shirt was torn open, blood slicking the cracked concrete. The feral ripped another strip of meat free with its teeth, chewing with grotesque enthusiasm.
Adrian's heart hammered. His training screamed at him to call it in. To draw his weapon and wait for backup. Another voice whispered, quiet and undeniable: Nanobots. Free nanobots. Feed the core. The feral turned its head slightly at the sound of Adrian's boot scraping against grit. Its face was painted in blood, eyes unfocused but burning with animal ferocity. It hissed, low and guttural, and then lunged forward.
Adrian moved almost without thought. His sidearm was in his hand, the weight steady, reassuring. He fired once. The shot resonated throughout the alley way, echoing off brick walls and garbage cans. The bullet struck the feral in the skull, dead center in its forehead, jerking its head backward. It collapsed against the ground in a crumpled pile, twitching a little before stillness claimed it.
Then… silence.
Adrian stood frozen, the gun still raised, smoke leaking from the barrel. The smell of gun powder mixing with blood in the chill air. He should have felt horror, guilt or shame for what he just did.. Instead all he felt was anticipation. The system pulsed awake…
Free Nanobots detected. Assimilate? [Y/N]
The words appeared in glowing letters; they pressed into his mind, undeniable, like thought but not his own. Adrian licked his lips, breathing hard he whispered, "Yes,"
The feral's body shimmered faintly, as a mist rose from its skin. Streams of silvery motes lifted, curling like smoke, then rushed toward Adrian as if conscious. He braced himself instinctively, spreading his arms with eagerness. Instead there was no real impact, only a flood of heat that surged through his veins, settling into his core like fuel poured onto fire.
His breath caught. The nanobots didn't just enter him; they joined him. He could feel them humming at the edges of his awareness. Awaiting his command. Free Nanobots Assimilated. Free nanobots available: 1,846
Excitement spiked up inside of him burning away hesitation he may have felt. He crouched near the fallen feral and studied its ruined face. It looked almost peaceful now, devoid of that wild hunger. Just a body. Another shell emptied of its will, leaving behind the treasure he alone could claim. It looked human enough. A pang of guilt for the poor souls' possible family and friends that would never see them again.
The corpse it had been feeding on was less fortunate. Adrian stifled a gag as he looked at the mangled torso. The half of the face that was still intact was slack with death. Whoever they had been, their life ended violently and senselessly. He knew he should feel sorrow. A part of him did, but another part whispered that this was proof. Proof that the threat was real, proof that his upgrades were necessary. His phone buzzed in his pocket. He jolted, snatching it out. A message from dispatch lit the screen:
All units: reports of multiple disturbances, East Sector. Suspects violent. Proceed with caution.
Adrian stared at the words, his pulse steadying into something cold. Multiple disturbances, more ferals means more nanobots. He slipped the phone back into his pocket, heart steady now, his decision already made. Rollins had told him to rest. To step back and let the department handle it. But Rollins didn't know what was happening, how could he. These weren't ordinary suspects, and now Adrian wasn't an ordinary cop… not anymore.
He holstered his weapon, wiped his hand across his mouth, and looked once more at the two bodies. He should call it in. He should mark the scene and wait for investigators. But instead he picked up his spent shell, with a knife he dug the bullet out of the skull, and stepped into the shadows of the alley, disappearing before the first patrol car could arrive.
The night was alive with the promise of more. And Adrian Kane was ready for it.