Things went from zero to one hundred in seconds.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ34U6QAPM0H
Adan stumbled, foot catching on a power cable snaking across the cold basement floor. He spun, off-balance, and flung a hand out—right into the edge of a metal table cluttered with glowing jars and sleek equipment.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhbsx8TlqWn
“NO—!” Davis shouted.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk0iavgWibV
Crash.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjCSr66spsO
Jars shattered. Glass flew. Strange liquids hissed as they splashed onto the floor, reacting instantly with the air in sparks and smoke.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3pIItUfgnV
Adan yelped and hit the ground hard. One jar tumbled after him—its contents, a thick, oily black goo, sloshing violently. It slipped free and splattered across Adan’s arm with a wet hiss.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD3tUgXTxFf
“AAAHHHH—DUDE!” he shrieked, clutching his arm as smoke rose from the skin. The goo pulsed, sinking into his flesh like ink into water. He screamed as it seemed to burn for a moment.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrPTbxsOqaY
Davis stood frozen. That wasn’t just any substance—it was one of his father’s volatile, illegal prototypes.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS3pOBMnMhd
The chaos didn’t stop.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFVwFaGKV0
Julian, already halfway to another table, looked over his shoulder. “Yo, what the hell just—?”384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvTRXByPtEf
Then Adan’s flailing foot smacked the edge of the second table.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS24h5U0bwJ
TINK—CRASH!384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRiQyzNuShA
The jar with the cybernetic scorpion tilted, wobbled... and fell. It shattered on the floor beside Julian, who barely had time to flinch.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlrs4AFznM9
The creature bolted from the shards like lightning.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8BCDJqDnLL
“Julian, MOVE—!”384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPkvPN5Ep2a
Too late.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfB0c2m147j
The scorpion launched at his wrist, tail stinger jabbing deep. Julian howled, twisting, trying to shake it loose. The scorpion didn't budge—its legs latched on like clamps.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZWiQlDkQaf
“GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF ME!”384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkxQu0sU5wK
He slammed his hand into the wall, but the thing held firm. Its body started glowing faintly. Julian gritted his teeth, fury and fear battling in his eyes.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡenSsJQAbce
Then came Cassedy’s scream.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwdRCDZpmh1
Davis whipped his head around. She’d collapsed near a toppled tray of needles—long, metallic, and filled with softly glowing liquids.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOWQHX9EyDI
The tray had spilled. The needles had struck.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ce2qJ0VAf
Half a dozen were embedded in her shoulder and arm, humming faintly. Her body twitched as if something inside her was rewiring.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBbZfJ64oEk
Davis ran to her, dropping to his knees.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbCzM1V94f
“Cassedy—! Don’t move—hold still—”384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx07GENdrU4
He grabbed the first needle, yanked. She whimpered.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCfeYYd3Ax
These weren’t medical. These were Berithman’s DNA fusion needles. His “liquid grafting” tech—stuff he used on birds, on metals, on... God knows what else.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1SL6IW3q9K
The room smelled like chemicals, sweat, and burnt plastic.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJ2V4QMDWy
Giselle and Brielle stood by the far wall, motionless. Giselle’s fists were clenched, ready to run. Brielle just trembled.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpAOMHvqjk9
Giselle snapped out of it first, darting toward Adan and Julian. “Hey—hey! You okay?”384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLqhycHUQbp
Adan nodded, holding his darkening arm. “It’s not that bad.”384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1PSxMwby2G
Julian was panting, his wrist raw, the scorpion still fused to it like armor. “It’s stuck. It’s just—freaking STUCK!”384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAIJqfWRxh4
Cassedy groaned. “Davis… the needles…”384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs9NijmUn2U
“I got it, I got it!” he said, yanking another free. She bit down on her sleeve to keep from screaming.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOUVQufh3ap
Davis’s mind raced. His dad was going to kill him. Or worse. These weren’t toys. These were secrets—dangerous, illegal secrets.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeWlBtv7mCg
If this got out…384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQjsNulXHFd
“We clean this up. Now. Before he finds out.”384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTHY2zw7ywT
“What?” Cassedy croaked. “We need a hospital—”384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEHJgCDqdpH
“No!” Davis snapped. “We can’t. They’ll ask too many questions. These aren’t injuries—they’re experiments. Illegal ones. If they figure it out, my dad’s gone. You get that? Gone. Forever.”384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZEqaTx0dF
“So we’re just supposed to—what—deal with it?” Julian growled, holding his stung wrist like it might fall off.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS4sS808xdd
“If we go to the hospital, they won’t know how to treat you anyway. They’ll just poke and cut until someone dies or mutates. You want that?”384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgNSG6fxWNY
Julian glared. “No.”384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5meFyWmLWF
Adan raised a brow. “So… if we don’t die from this… do we get powers?”384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWVNWols1yH
“Maybe,” Davis muttered. “My dad didn’t finish any of these tests. They weren’t meant for people.”384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhABzCBdEAr
Adan grinned. “Well, I’ve always wanted laser fists or something.”384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkjFDXqFOSa
Cassedy struggled to sit up. “Or we die. Horribly.”384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGfwROhhCx3
Julian rolled his eyes. “Please. Death’s for the weak.”384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSyvSc0XbAv
He glanced toward the twins, voice lowering to a cold murmur. “If it was them? They’d be toast by now.”384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ879OFsm3ck
Giselle narrowed her eyes. Brielle looked like she’d just swallowed a scream.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEl94NwthK
Davis ignored the tension. He stood up, brushing glass from his hands. “We need to reset the lab. Put the tables back. Hide the mess. Now.”384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡriVmZFmNYt
He started barking orders.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3oAWxdOWTp
“Giselle, Brielle—stack the broken gear on the shelves. Be gentle. Julian, try not to bleed on anything. Adan, I don’t know, start mopping or something.”384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVlWmPGuezd
Everyone moved—shakily, but with urgency. The basement buzzed with clinks, clangs, and whispered cursing.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0GmBF5GcCK
Davis helped Cassedy up once the worst of the needles were out. Her arm looked bruised under the skin.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUwQUNn78F2
“We go to your house,” Davis told them. “All of us. We need time.”384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9lWNd3g4Od
As they reached the top of the basement stairs, Davis spotted something on the kitchen table.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ypEhqV6W3
A folded note.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvGvNGPWnoo
“Gone for two days. Working with a colleague. DO NOT enter the basement. – Dr. F. Berithman”384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGVykqn95t4
Davis stared at it for a long second, then turned it over. Nothing else.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH1VqYevw6u
Too late.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvtpxoNcWxI
As the front door closed behind them, no one looked up at the roof eave.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmjw9AxB52X
A small black orb blinked red.384Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGgybld4xRC
It had seen everything.
ns216.73.216.82da2
