GONE BAD

"We need to move. Now." Razor's voice was low but urgent.

Myst was still wavering, her pulse irregular from the vision. The memory of the cold restraints, the voices, the pain—it clung to her like static in the air.

Nyx kept a steady grip on her arm, trying to keep her upright.

Then came the sound—metal scraping, the whir of mechanized limbs.

"Incoming," Cipher muttered, his Xen-Link flickering with interference. "Fuck, they were waiting for us."

The Ascended moved with eerily fluid precision, enhanced limbs pulsing with blue-lit veins.

"Hand her over, and we'll spare the rest of you."

Blaze scoffed, already gripping his weapon. "Like hell!"

Then a new type of drones appeared—spindly, spider-like machines dropping from the wreckage above, red optics pulsing as they scanned for targets. The air filled with the hum of charging energy cells.

"Scatter!" Razor yelled.

Blaze and Echo went loud, their gunfire lighting up the ruins. Echo fired controlled bursts, knocking drones from the air, while Blaze's grenades sent debris crashing down, creating barriers.

Cipher's fingers flew over his Xen-Link, hacking into the ruined facility's old security systems. "Give me ten seconds!"

Myst stumbled as a sharp pain spiked in her skull. Her abilities—whatever they were—remained out of reach, her mind a static haze.

"Keep her moving!" Razor ordered, shielding them as Nyx pulled Myst forward.

Cipher triggered an EMP burst—a wave of interference scrambled the enemy drones, causing several to collapse mid-air. But the pulse also severed The Clan's own communications.

"Damn it!" Cipher cursed. "Links are down."

The Ascended leader snarled. "Enough. Engage override."

A sudden whine filled the air. Myst's body tensed as something within her tried to respond—some programmed instinct buried deep. Her vision blurred.

"Initiating Subject Synchronization—"

"Not today," Nyx growled, yanking her forward before the sensation could take hold.

Flux, almost instinctively, slid his fingers over her arm. Myst's breath hitched as their eyes met, the overwhelming static in her head briefly clearing.

Razor spotted a half-collapsed tram tunnel ahead. "There! We take that route!"

Blaze fell back, priming an explosive charge. "Cover your ears!"

The detonation roared through the ruins, sending rubble cascading down behind them. The tunnel entrance groaned but held.

They didn't stop running.

The Clan huddled in a broken-down maintenance bay deep underground. Myst sat against the wall, her breath coming in uneven gasps. The weight of the memory, the pain still echoing through her nerves, crashed down on her all at once.

She buried her face in her hands. A quiet sob escaped before she could stop it.

Echo and Nyx quickly knelt beside her, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Myst..."

Razor's tone was grim. "They won't stop."

Cipher ran a hand through his hair, frustrated. "And we barely made it out. That was too close."

Myst sniffed, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. "They called me a key." Her voice was raw. "They... You guys... I'm sorry."

Silence settled over the group.

Flux stood off to the side, arms crossed, his expression unreadable. His gaze flickered to Myst before he turned away, but something in his stance betrayed unease.

He wasn't sure what disturbed him more—the way The Ascended had spoken about her, or the way she had broken down in front of them.

He just wasn't used to seeing her like this. A shadow of uncertainty crossed his face as her tears shimmered in the dim light.

Shade finally exhaled, shaking his head. "Whatever it is they want... we can't let them have it."

Razor nodded, his expression hard. "We find out what they're after—before they find us again."