Location: Celine's Fortress – Biolab Sector 7
Alarms wailed across the facility. Red lights blinked in succession. Inside the glass tank, the Hybrid-X stirred—its body twitching unnaturally. Tubes detached on their own. The containment protocol had failed.
Lucas stepped back, whispering into his earpiece, "We have a problem. The weapon is waking up."
The tank shattered.
A figure, seven feet tall, stepped onto the lab floor. It wasn't just muscle—it was a fusion of biological experimentation and tactical engineering. Its skin shimmered like metal and regenerated instantly where it cracked. The face was partially masked, but two burning silver eyes stared straight at Lucas.
"Run," one of Damien's operatives muttered.
"No," Lucas growled. "We hold."
The Hybrid moved, vanishing from view in a flash. A shockwave knocked all three to the ground. Before Lucas could regain his footing, the Hybrid stood over him.
Suddenly—bang!—a high-caliber shot echoed.
From the shadows, a sniper emerged. "That's far enough," said Valerie, Damien's silent protector and ghost marksman. Her shot had pierced the Hybrid's shoulder, staggering it just enough.
---
Location: Fortress Armory – Moments Earlier
Damien, Kael, and Nora equipped the last of the combat gear.
Kael grunted, strapping on tactical plates. "You're trusting me after everything?"
"You're still my brother," Damien replied. "Don't make me regret it."
"I already do," Kael said, eyes heavy. "But I'll earn my place back. Even if it kills me."
They burst out into the hallway as Lucas's voice crackled through the comms:
"Hybrid-X is out. We need backup—now!"
Damien exchanged a glance with Nora. "This is it."
---
Location: Fortress Biolab Corridor
The battle was chaos. The Hybrid tore through metal like paper. But Valerie's bullets kept its regeneration unstable. Lucas, bruised and bleeding, created a distraction using plasma grenades.
Then Damien arrived.
He landed hard beside the team, dual weapons blazing. "Focus fire on the joints!" he shouted.
Nora slid into position, her tranquilizer rounds laced with custom nerve disruptors. "Let's see if this slows it down."
Kael joined last—charging forward with raw force, launching himself straight at the Hybrid.
Their combined assault pushed the weapon back—barely.
Suddenly, the Hybrid let out a mechanical growl and its body glowed red.
"Evolution protocol triggered," Valerie said grimly. "It's changing."
The Hybrid began to shift—more agile, more brutal.
Damien narrowed his eyes. "Then we change the game."