As soon as Kai was done tearing through the twin monsters, his gaze snapped to Nyx. He launched forward like a bullet, a blur of motion so fast that Isaac could barely track him. Every step cracked the ground beneath him. Then...
Boom!
He slammed into Nyx's invisible barrier, fists coated in hardened blood spikes, pounding against the unseen forcefield with reckless abandon.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Each strike sent cracks spider-webbing through the air.
The same barrier that had deflected bullets was beginning to shatter under his relentless assault.
And yet, Nyx stood there, calm. Detached. The so-called 'children' he had created had just been ripped apart in front of him, but his expression barely shifted. If anything, there was a flicker of fascination in his cold, clinical gaze.
Kai's breath came in ragged bursts. His muscles trembled, but his strikes only grew more ferocious and unhinged.
Nyx exhaled, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
"…That's enough now."
Then came a blur of movement...
Before Kai could land another strike, something slammed into his side.
A brutal, rib-snapping force sent him flying across the lab.
Nyx's so-called wife.
Kai dug his blood blades into the floor, carving deep trenches into the steel as he skidded to a halt.
Kill. Kill. Kill.
Overcome with Bloodlust, he didn't hesitate and launched himself back toward Nyx, blood-forged weapons ready.
Nyx merely raised the left arm he had been tinkering with in response.
Kai barely had time to react before it began to shake, a blinding blue glow emanating from his palm.
An instant later.
BOOM!
A massive energy beam erupted from Nyx's metallic palm, splitting the air with a deafening roar.
There was no dodging it.
The blast tore through Kai's abdomen, the force behind it catapulting him across the lab.
He was airborne for a split second, before he collided with the far wall, embedding deep into the metal. His entire body screamed in agony, but he barely processed it. His mind was already fading, his body shutting down.
His limbs felt like lead.
His breathing slowed.
His red vision blurred.
And then everything went black.
-
Nyx's eyes were glued to Kai, who lay crumpled against the far edge of the lab. His energy beam had sent him flying, and Kai's impact with the metal wall shook the lab itself.
'That shouldn't have killed him… right?'
He took a deep breath, still reeling from the unexpected performance Kai had provided him.
'No. Subject 357 wouldn't die so easily, not when things are just starting to get interesting.'
'And after he lost his cool, he was quite impressive. What will he become if he doesn't experience any fatal side effects?' Nyx wondered.
A chuckle rumbled from his throat, growing into a light laugh. Then, after a moment of contemplation, he turned to Isaac, who stood frozen, his body stiff with helplessness. The Phaser hadn't moved an inch since the fight ended - probably too stunned to process what just happened.
Nyx smirked and, after taking one last glance at the timer on his arm, got straight to the point. "Why don't we make a deal?"
Isaac's breath hitched. 'A-A deal?'
His eyes narrowed in suspicion. Why would Nyx need to negotiate when he clearly had the upper hand? What was stopping him from killing him right now? And even if he agreed - who was to say Nyx would honour it?
"Why the hell would I trust you?" Isaac rasped.
Nyx laughed, thoroughly entertained by his hesitation. "Oh, come now, Phaser. If I wanted you dead, you'd already be dead."
His gaze flickered over to Kai. 'His body already seems to be healing. Incredible. I wonder what else that body of his is capable of.'
He then turned back to Isaac, who was dazed by all that had occurred.
"You can go," Nyx continued, his voice light. "But take Subject 357 with you."
Isaac's mind stalled.
'What? Not only is he letting me go… he's giving me his first successful artificial mutant?!'
He couldn't wrap his head around it.
Nyx had enjoyed watching Kai fight. Even in his current state, he could only imagine what the Bloodweaver would grow into. But right now? It wasn't time for Kai to shine just yet.
No, it would be far more interesting to let him develop. To let him stew in the world outside before coming back for him later.
'Besides, I need to keep Subject 357 hidden, especially from him...'
Isaac clenched his fists. His gut twisted with unease.
"What about my companions?"
Nyx chuckled, shaking his head. "You sure are shameless, aren't you?"
He stretched lazily, exhaling in faux exasperation. "Fine. I'm in a good mood. I'll let them go, too."
Isaac's breath caught.
"Think of it as my gift for today," Nyx mused. "I've had my fun, and I'm feeling rather benevolent."
Isaac wasn't stupid. There had to be something more to this. The mission had gone to hell, and from the start, they'd been playing right into Nyx's hands.
Kai was a huge variable - one that even Nyx hadn't completely controlled. But even then, what did it matter? In the end, he barely managed to scratch the surface of Nyx's defences.
He was nothing more than another toy for the crazy genius, whose intentions were unknown but surely weren't good.
And yet…
What choice did he have?
Isaac let out a shuddered breath. "Fine."
'I'll accept the deal with the devil. It's not like I have anything to lose.'
As if reading his thoughts, Nyx grinned. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot," he said, his voice casual. "There is one thing I need from you."
'What? What could he possibly-'
"I'll need that left arm of yours. It's only fair, right?"
Isaac barely had time to register what was said before...
Schlick!
A sharp, clean slice.
A flash of blinding pain.
His body jerked, a raw, inhuman scream tearing from his throat.
His arm, his left arm, was gone.
Nyx's 'wife' stood behind him, her expression blank as she held his severed limb.
Isaac staggered, eyes wide with shock.
"Fuck!" His body convulsed as agony seared through him. His vision blurred, but he forced himself to move, fumbling for his belt with his remaining arm. His fingers trembled as he bit down on the fabric and tied it around the stump, cutting off circulation, trying to limit his blood loss, especially after Kai had siphoned blood from him.
His heartbeat pounded in his ears, his breath coming out in ragged gasps.
Meanwhile, Nyx took his sweet time preparing a container, filling it with a deep blue liquid. The severed arm was carefully placed inside like it was nothing more than a sample for later study.
'This should preserve it enough to play with when I get to the other facility.'
Isaac's vision swam. His face was soaked with sweat, his throat raw from screaming. Tears streamed down his face - not just from the pain, but the sheer helplessness of it all.
Nyx, watching his pathetic state, barely concealed his disappointment.
Compared to Kai's unyielding fire, Isaac was... pathetic.
Still, he had his role to play.
Nyx flexed his left arm. It had been sparking ever since he fired the energy beam, but that didn't seem to faze him. He pressed a few buttons, the sleek metal adjusting with a soft hum.
"Bet you're jealous of this thing now," he taunted with a smirk.
Isaac could barely focus on his words, still gritting his teeth against the pain.
With a wave of his hand, Nyx disabled the reinforced walls of the lab. The sound of shifting metal rang out as the cages retracted. He then tinkered with his arm and Isaac felt it instantly.
His ability...
It was back.
"You can feel it, can't you?" Nyx mused. "I've undone my Anti-Phaser device. So take Subject 357 and get out of here."
He gave an exaggerated stretch before reassuring him, "I'll make sure your friends are released..."
"That's if they're still alive," Nyx added with a laugh.
Isaac couldn't even bring himself to respond. He was too drained - physically, mentally, everything.
He staggered over to Kai's limp body.
Dragging him up with his remaining arm, Isaac struggled to keep himself up let alone with Kai, each step a fight against exhaustion.
As he did, Nyx called out with a sing-song lilt.
"Oh, and I'd hurry up if I were you."
Isaac's breath stilled.
Nyx flashed a wicked smile.
"This place is going to blow up soon."