Kael had been leaping from one tall building to another for nine straight minutes without slowing down—until he landed on the handle of a massive billboard advertising a new set of chips designed by Kyler Voss also displaying his image.
He stared at Kyler's image with cold fury.
"I don't know you, and yet you killed me."
He might already be dead—or not human anymore—but that flicker of human emotion, no matter how artificial, still lingered.
Kael turned his gaze toward the building where Darius was located. It was massive, taking up nearly a quarter of Sector 9, with the bold word CAGE printed across its surface in giant letters.
He scanned the area.
> [SECURITY SCANNING INITIATED]
[THREE HIGH-TECH CLONES ARMED WITH TERROR ERROR DETECTED]
[WARNING: A SINGLE SHOT FROM TERROR ERROR CAUSES -30 HP]
Kael reacted instantly. He dropped from the billboard—seven stories down—landing safely and silently without so much as a crack on the pavement.
Flexing his fingers, he focused on the guard ahead.
> > > NEUROTOXIC REFLEXES: [Engaged]
Time slowed.
1. He crushed the guard's head—avoiding decapitation to prevent excess blood.
2. He stripped and wore the guard's suit and helmet.
Luckily, a dumpster was nearby. He dumped the body, then adjusted the suit and helmet, ensuring nothing would restrict his movements.
His eyes flicked to the Terror Error gun in the guard's possession—a bulky, intimidating weapon covered in erratic zigzag patterns and ending in a wide, circular muzzle.
He walked toward the glass entrance. Both sliding doors were sealed and could only be accessed via facial recognition.
"Shit," he cursed silently.
An idea sparked. He checked to make sure the second guard was patrolling away, then vaulted onto a nearby building. He aimed the Terror Error at the door.
> > > NEUROTOXIC REFLEXES: [Engaged]
Thankfully, the ability could be spammed—or so he thought.
He ran alongside the building just as a white plasma bolt blasted the door apart, triggering the alarms.
"What happened here, Luke?" one of the clone guards called out, rushing over with weapons drawn.
Kael, in disguise, pointed toward the rooftop. "There was an attacker," he said, injecting just enough urgency into his voice.
The guards seemed to believe him.
"Activate Security Protocol 78," one said into his watch.
Kael didn't wait. He moved quickly through the CAGE facility's passageways.
> > > TARGET: Darius Malkovish
LOCATION: 5th Floor
STATUS: Alone
Kael sprinted forward, shoulder-checking a man without even turning to look. Unbeknownst to him, the man was the Head of Security—a real human with citizenship.
His chip lit up:
> [NAME: KAEL NORMAL]
[STATUS: WANTED]
The man's eyes widened. Regaining his composure, he tapped his watch.
"Intruder identified as Kael. He's inside the building and disguised in a guard uniform. Be advised—he's armed with a Terror Error."
Kael heard the alert through his comms and cursed under his breath. He sprinted faster than any human should have, even the Head Guard couldn't keep up.
> > > NEUROTOXIC REFLEXES: [Engaged]
NEUROTOXIC REFLEXES: [Disengaged]
"Just my luck. Maybe this is karma. I'm not human anymore—guess luck isn't included. Damn chip should've shown a cooldown timer."
He reached the fifth floor, kicked the door open—and found himself staring down multiple Terror Error barrels.
Phew. Phew. Phew.
Silent, deadly plasma bolts fired at him. He slid across the floor, zigzagging to avoid the shots.
"How did they get here so fast? Fully armed, and waiting?"
The Head Guard appeared. Kael twisted, aiming a kick at his head—but missed. The Head Guard, more experienced, caught his leg mid-spin and slammed him against the wall. Kael's weapon clattered to the ground.
> > > HEALTH ANALYSIS
[-20 HP]
[CURRENT HP: 80/100]
Kael spat blood. The guard slammed him again—then again. Eventually, Kael stopped struggling.
Satisfied, the Head Guard lifted the Terror Error, aiming at Kael's head.
Kael's eyes snapped open.
> > > NEUROTOXIC REFLEXES: [Engaged]
He sprang to his feet, wrenched the gun from the man's grip, stepped back, and shot him in the face.
Gasping for air, his HP had dropped to 60.
"Guess I got too cocky with this ability."
Phew. Phew. Phew.
More plasma shots grazed him, one just inches from his head.
> [-5 HP]
[CURRENT HP: 45/100]
The clones, shocked by their boss's death, kept firing. Kael turned and ran.
> > > NEUROTOXIC REFLEXES: [Engaged]
"Only two uses... and then a 10-minute cooldown. Fantastic."
> > > DARIUS ESCAPING THE BUILDING VIA SPACE HAUL
"Shit!" Kael tore through the passageways, now feeling like a maze designed to keep him away from his goal.
He burst through the exit just in time to see Darius rising into the sky, looking down at him.
His expression was unreadable.
Kael stared back, face equally blank, watching his so-called brother disappear into the clouds.
Something hit him at the back
> > > DARIUS EXITING NEO-BABEL ATMOSPHERE IN: 5 MINUTES
[-30 HP]
[CURRENT HP: 15/100]
ADRENALINE SURGE: [Activated]
He jumped onto one building, then another, leaping rooftop to rooftop until he reached the small house he shared with his brother.
He stood outside for several minutes, unsure if he should go in.
Eventually, he turned away, going back into the city
"I can't drag my brother into this."
Inside, Miko glanced out the window, sensing a familiar gaze. He sighed and turned back toward the newsfeed.