The thing moved like a shadow breaking free of gravity, a blur of pale limbs and glowing veins. Glass shattered under its claws as it lunged, its scream sharp enough to rattle the runes along the walls.
Theron barely got his blade up in time. The impact sent him skidding back, boots scraping against the mirrored floor. The creature's strike dented the steel plating where he'd been standing, shards of glass raining down like ice.
"Move!" Hale's voice cracked like a gunshot. His pistol barked twice, rounds sparking against the creature's hide but failing to slow it down. The thing twisted unnaturally, bending at angles that made Theron's stomach turn, then launched itself up the wall and clung to it like a spider.
"Runes aren't holding it!" Seris shouted, drawing her weapon.
Nine's voice coiled through Theron's skull, smooth and unhurried. "It's not meant to be contained. Neither are you."
Theron gritted his teeth and charged. The prototype dropped from the wall mid-lunge, claws slicing through the air. He ducked under its swipe, pivoting with a slash aimed for its ribs. His blade met flesh—and stopped, stuck in hardened muscle.
The creature's head whipped around, jaws splitting open wider than any human's. It screeched, grabbing the blade with a clawed hand and yanking Theron forward.
"You're slow," Nine whispered. "Let me help."
Theron felt something stir inside him, a pressure crawling down his spine. His vision flickered, reality glitching at the edges.
[ERROR: Override Detected.]
[Notice: █████ Watching.]
The prototype swung him like a ragdoll, slamming him into the mirrored floor hard enough to crack it. He gasped, blood filling his mouth.
"Theron!" Seris fired three precise shots into the creature's back. It shrieked, spinning toward her, its body twisting so violently that its bones popped audibly.
"Keep it busy!" Hale barked, pulling a collapsible rifle from his coat.
Theron's blade pulsed in his hand, faint light rippling down the edge. His body moved—too fast, too fluid. He wasn't controlling it.
"Strike now," Nine purred. "Slice its tendons. Left knee."
His body obeyed before he could argue, ducking low, blade cutting clean through the creature's leg. The prototype howled, collapsing onto one knee.
Seris froze mid-step, her violet eyes wide. "Theron…" she whispered, fear threading her voice.
He ignored her—or maybe he couldn't. Nine was in his head, in his muscles, guiding him like a puppet. Each movement felt precise, surgical, terrifyingly efficient.
"Shoot him," Hale growled.
Seris whipped around. "What?"
"He's compromised. Nine's piloting him."
"Shut up!" Theron snarled through gritted teeth. He spun, plunging his blade into the creature's neck. The strike was brutal, perfect. The prototype convulsed, its scream shaking the glass walls until they fractured.
The mist surged forward, swirling around Theron's body like armor. The creature dropped, twitching as glowing veins dimmed one by one.
Then the room shuddered.
[Warning: Containment Breach Detected.]
[Security Override Failing.]
Pod after pod along the walls flickered to life, their runes stuttering. Frost cracked. One of the pods hissed, steam spilling out like breath. Another followed.
"They're waking up," Seris said, her voice shaking.
Nine's chuckle filled Theron's mind, low and amused. "You think I was their only mistake?"
The alarms died. The silence was worse.
"Theron," Hale said, stepping forward, his gun steady. "Drop the sword."
Theron looked at him, breath ragged, his vision flickering between reality and static. He saw Hale through Nine's eyes—a threat, a hunter, prey.
"He'll shoot you," Nine murmured. "I can stop him. Just say yes."
Theron tightened his grip on his blade. The mist coiled tighter, protective, suffocating.
"Don't," Seris warned, stepping between them.
The sound of cracking glass filled the chamber. Another pod burst open. Then another.
Hale's eyes narrowed. "We kill him now, or this place goes under."
Theron felt Nine's grin curl in his skull. "Too late."
The largest pod in the back shattered like a bomb going off, shards of glass flying outward in a glittering storm. A shape climbed out, massive and silent, its silhouette twisting in the flickering light.
Theron's blade trembled in his hand—not from fear, but from the surge of power thrumming through it.
The figure raised its head. Its glowing eyes fixed on him.
Nine's whisper was calm, almost reverent. "Brother."