Days bled into nights after the young ones departed, leaving Sharon to the quiet hum of the lab as she finalized the transfer of enemy intel onto the data stick. Her fingers danced across the holographic interface, a practiced ballet of security protocols and data verification. Just as she leaned back, a sigh of accomplishment escaping her lips, a jarring shriek tore through the silence – the lab's intruder alarm.
Her head snapped up, eyes instantly scanning the security feeds flickering across a nearby monitor. A figure was moving through the sterile white corridors, a silhouette both familiar and unwelcome. Null.
A cold resolve settled in Sharon's chest. No panic, only the precise calculations of a seasoned operative. Her fingers flew across another panel, activating the lab's defenses. Turrets whirred to life, their metallic snouts swiveling to track the intruder. Razor-sharp monofilament wires snaked across doorways, a deadly web designed to ensnare any unwelcome guest.
But Null moved with an unnerving ease, a glitch in the fabric of reality. The whirring of the turrets ended in abrupt bursts of sparks and twisted metal. The taut wires snapped like brittle thread. He was a force of nature, tearing through her carefully constructed defenses without a hint of effort.
He reached the main chamber, his presence a suffocating weight in the otherwise pristine space. Sharon stood on the elevated platform overlooking the lab floor, her voice cutting through the tense silence, "Welcome to my laboratory."
A disturbing ripple distorted the smooth surface of Null's face, forming the grotesque parody of a mouth. "Is that all the welcome I get?" His voice was a low, grating static. "If I'm here, it's because you dropped your protective screen. It took us long enough to find you, but thanks to those brats, you made it easy. Now, I'll have to eliminate you. You know too much."
A flicker of irritation crossed Sharon's features, but her composure remained a polished shield. A wry smile touched her lips. "I'm a former high-level admin. I'm not so weak, my dear glitch."
A chilling laugh echoed through the chamber, devoid of warmth or humor. "I know exactly who you are. Don't think for a moment I'll go easy on you just because you're a woman." Null shifted his stance, a predatory stillness about him.
Sharon didn't hesitate. With a fluid motion, she launched herself from the platform, landing silently before Null. In a flash of movement, two metallic nunchaku materialized in her hands. Instead of chains, a vibrant blue energy pulsed between the two segments of each weapon. They began to spin, the energy intensifying, crackling with barely contained power.
"This," Sharon announced, her voice laced with a hint of grim satisfaction, "is my innate ability. Power Line. It allows me to manipulate electricity in… versatile ways."
Null remained unimpressed, the unsettling grin fixed on his face. "Come at me then, lightning scientist!"
Sharon moved with a speed that blurred the lines of human capability. She lunged towards Null, the electrified nunchaku aimed for a swift strike. Her acceleration was almost supernatural, a testament to years of honed reflexes and augmented abilities. Yet, Null reacted instantly, his hand shooting out to intercept the first blow. He sidestepped her follow-up with an unnerving grace.
He retreated a step, the grotesque smile never faltering, and unleashed a rapid-fire barrage of dark, shadowy punches. But Sharon was a whirlwind of motion, a blue-tinged blur circling him at impossible speeds.
Null finally stilled, his single red eye tracking her movements. "Not bad. You possess a noteworthy speed, woman. How do you manage it?"
Sharon attempted another strike, but Null anticipated her, dodging with ease. He retaliated with a swift jab that grazed her cheek, leaving a thin red line. A manic grin stretched across Sharon's face. Her long, dark hair, framing her sharp features, seemed to amplify the unsettling delight in her eyes.
"Thanks to my electricity," she explained, a hint of breathlessness in her voice, "I can accelerate my cellular activity, boosting my mass and generating a continuous electrical current." A strange mix of triumph and exertion colored her tone.
Then, with a sudden spatial distortion, she teleported directly in front of Null, the electrified nunchaku connecting with a solid impact against his chest. Surprise flickered across Null's distorted features. He staggered back, a low growl escaping his synthesized voice.
"Interesting," he conceded, straightening up. "You weren't one of the two most intelligent scientists for nothing. Fine. I'll start getting serious."
A palpable shift in the atmosphere occurred as a dark, swirling aura erupted from Null's body. He lunged, a shadowy blur, but Sharon, relying on her enhanced speed, managed to evade the attack. They traded blows, a chaotic dance of speed and power. Null's physical strength was immense, his attacks relying on brute force, while Sharon utilized her agility and tactical acumen to keep him at bay.
Frustration flickered across Null's face. "Enough games. Singularity Suppressed!"
The entire laboratory shuddered violently. Walls groaned, and the very air seemed to thicken under an immense pressure. Cracks spiderwebbed across the reinforced ceiling. Sharon knew she couldn't withstand this. With a swift mental command, she teleported outside, the data stick clutched tightly in her hand.
The night air was heavy with the scent of damp earth and strange fungi. Rain began to fall, casting the bizarre mushroom forest in an eerie, spectral light. And then she saw him.
Standing amidst the grotesque flora, Null was a nightmare made manifest. His black body writhed with unnatural mutations. His right arm was a pulsating mass of sickly green energy. Countless horns, like jagged obsidian shards, jutted upwards from the sides of his head. And above the distorted mockery of a mouth, a single, malevolent red eye burned with an unholy light.
This was Null's singularity. The sheer pressure emanating from him was a physical force, making it difficult for Sharon to even stand.
A sound escaped Sharon's lips, a high-pitched, hysterical laugh that echoed through the silent forest. It startled Null, who likely expected fear, not madness.
"My dear," Sharon gasped, her laughter still bubbling beneath her words, "your singularity is magnificent. But I am a former admin. I still have my trump card. Admin Mode Instal!"
A brilliant azure energy erupted around Sharon, coalescing into a protective shell before solidifying into a sleek, form-fitting suit of light. The nunchaku vanished, replaced by two daggers of pure, crackling energy. Behind her, two wings of raw electricity shimmered into existence, casting an ethereal blue glow. An immense aura of azure electricity pulsed outwards, evaporating the falling rain in its immediate vicinity.
Sharon settled into a low, agile stance, her magnificent left thigh exposed by the energy construct.
Null's single red eye narrowed. "Sorry about your little laboratory. It couldn't handle my power. Let's see if you can handle it!"
Sharon launched herself forward with a speed that bordered on instantaneous. The twin energy blades flashed, aimed for a decisive strike. Null reacted with surprising speed for his monstrous form, dodging the brunt of the attack, but Sharon managed to slice through several of his jagged horns.
She became a blur of azure light, circling Null at impossible velocities, a relentless assault of energy blades that left shimmering trails in the rain-soaked air. Null struggled to track her movements, let alone retaliate.
With a roar, Null charged his green right arm, the energy within it swirling and intensifying. As Sharon darted in for another attack, managing to carve a deep gash into his side, Null lashed out with his charged arm, the blow connecting squarely with Sharon's chest.
She was thrown back, landing heavily on the damp earth, bruises blooming across her skin. The azure aura around her flickered, a testament to the immense energy she was expending.
"Not bad," Sharon grunted, pushing herself back to her feet. "You're a purely offensive glitch, just like Bruhsuperdoom then. Overloaded Power Line!"
The azure energy surrounding Sharon shifted, intensifying into a scorching crimson. Her Admin Mode Instal now pulsed with a violent red light, mirroring the color of her energy blades. The air crackled with raw power, the pure electricity evaporating the rain even further from her form.
She adopted her stance once more, then unleashed a series of blindingly fast dashes towards Null. He struggled to follow her movements, his massive form unable to keep pace with her enhanced speed. Sharon's crimson blades danced, leaving trails of superheated air as she struck Null repeatedly, carving deep wounds into his arms.
A grotesque smile stretched across Null's face despite the damage. He lunged, attempting to grab her, but Sharon, with another lightning-fast movement, severed his left arm completely, the limb dissolving into motes of dark energy.
Null simply chuckled, the sound chilling in the rain-swept forest. "The thing that differentiates us glitches from you humans is that we possess practically infinite regeneration. Even a scratch slows you down."
The words struck a nerve. Fury flashed in Sharon's eyes. She became a crimson whirlwind, circling Null at an even greater velocity. But Null slammed his remaining green arm into the ground, sending a shockwave that destabilized Sharon. He lunged, attempting to seize the opportunity.
But Sharon merely smirked. In the blink of an eye, she dematerialized, reappearing directly in front of Null. A torrent of crimson energy slashes ripped through his monstrous form. Surprise registered on his distorted features as he stumbled back, massive wounds tearing across his chest. Sharon was faster, far faster than he could have anticipated.
"Interesting," Null rasped, his voice laced with a hint of awe. "I didn't think a human would force me to reveal my true power. Singularity Oblivion."
An immense pressure slammed into Sharon, a crushing weight that stole her breath. A swirling vortex of dark blue energy enveloped Null, twisting his already grotesque form into something truly monstrous. He looked like a being ripped from the deepest nightmares.
Despite the overwhelming power radiating from him, Sharon didn't falter. She gathered the last vestiges of her energy, focusing it into her legs. With a final, desperate surge, she launched herself forward, a crimson streak against the oppressive darkness. Not even the crushing force of Null's Singularity Oblivion could completely halt her momentum.
The twin crimson blades struck true, carving a massive X across Null's chest, directly over where his core should have been. Sharon's energy reserves were depleted, her Admin Mode flickering precariously, but she had landed a devastating blow.
Null staggered back, his core exposed, yet… undamaged. A chilling smile stretched across his mutated face. With a casual flick of his remaining arm, he slashed across Sharon's chest, the blow tearing through her energy armor and flesh in a diagonal line.
She crumpled to the ground, her lifeblood staining the damp earth. Null stood over her, a triumphant, horrifying figure, and began to laugh, completely unaware of the small data stick clutched tightly in her dying hand. He turned, his laughter echoing through the rain-soaked mushroom forest, and disappeared into the grotesque foliage.