Things went from zero to one hundred in seconds.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaiCiXNuzpW
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.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0snSV2bZwK
“NO—!” Davis shouted.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQfAySPn3HS
Crash.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1IKeJIdUf9
Jars shattered. Glass flew. Strange liquids hissed as they splashed onto the floor, reacting instantly with the air in sparks and smoke.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9aYQUt08df
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.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRSab5SsD3x
“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.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGMyMBLRZad
Davis stood frozen. That wasn’t just any substance—it was one of his father’s volatile, illegal prototypes.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4fKhhbUBd4
The chaos didn’t stop.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHeHqbmXdTi
Julian, already halfway to another table, looked over his shoulder. “Yo, what the hell just—?”385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPE6RL8wP0u
Then Adan’s flailing foot smacked the edge of the second table.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJTBeB0ov3c
TINK—CRASH!385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdpH5cohrtR
The jar with the cybernetic scorpion tilted, wobbled... and fell. It shattered on the floor beside Julian, who barely had time to flinch.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcBMgxNMLmN
The creature bolted from the shards like lightning.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFWEqRmoL7f
“Julian, MOVE—!”385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJjn32nOx0d
Too late.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ6nJISHMWV
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.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQeZWJDnz4g
“GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF ME!”385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXmvoHhCMYY
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.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBgvxmxTjAL
Then came Cassedy’s scream.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDSEFiRKqzQ
Davis whipped his head around. She’d collapsed near a toppled tray of needles—long, metallic, and filled with softly glowing liquids.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAxHPUkSIYv
The tray had spilled. The needles had struck.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJhiNhG0wzt
Half a dozen were embedded in her shoulder and arm, humming faintly. Her body twitched as if something inside her was rewiring.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxnhOeWOcYu
Davis ran to her, dropping to his knees.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrK7q4u6a9y
“Cassedy—! Don’t move—hold still—”385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl3GuSsKmGO
He grabbed the first needle, yanked. She whimpered.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrZqQeWz2CB
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.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmr0Si0Ybqb
The room smelled like chemicals, sweat, and burnt plastic.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHdNj17CNeS
Giselle and Brielle stood by the far wall, motionless. Giselle’s fists were clenched, ready to run. Brielle just trembled.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwOjGbJd4f6
Giselle snapped out of it first, darting toward Adan and Julian. “Hey—hey! You okay?”385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuQxtRvC5Vt
Adan nodded, holding his darkening arm. “It’s not that bad.”385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjuAVSjtuAd
Julian was panting, his wrist raw, the scorpion still fused to it like armor. “It’s stuck. It’s just—freaking STUCK!”385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA0yHwwblxR
Cassedy groaned. “Davis… the needles…”385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhW6bMR8Is8
“I got it, I got it!” he said, yanking another free. She bit down on her sleeve to keep from screaming.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQsdOluOoeT
Davis’s mind raced. His dad was going to kill him. Or worse. These weren’t toys. These were secrets—dangerous, illegal secrets.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKs6vxFK4GF
If this got out…385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKdekFYijJ
“We clean this up. Now. Before he finds out.”385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyFTKz6fhjj
“What?” Cassedy croaked. “We need a hospital—”385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSta6gSgmNz
“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.”385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH8ruFZ0oBF
“So we’re just supposed to—what—deal with it?” Julian growled, holding his stung wrist like it might fall off.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBPUJAkpGA
“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?”385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡepDitmCMpD
Julian glared. “No.”385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYLj5Emicym
Adan raised a brow. “So… if we don’t die from this… do we get powers?”385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF48gVnxxAl
“Maybe,” Davis muttered. “My dad didn’t finish any of these tests. They weren’t meant for people.”385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmEfpWcXg1r
Adan grinned. “Well, I’ve always wanted laser fists or something.”385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9MgNZSdnML
Cassedy struggled to sit up. “Or we die. Horribly.”385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAiywUpMfjj
Julian rolled his eyes. “Please. Death’s for the weak.”385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDqbxeZejRj
He glanced toward the twins, voice lowering to a cold murmur. “If it was them? They’d be toast by now.”385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3DU5EsYLy6
Giselle narrowed her eyes. Brielle looked like she’d just swallowed a scream.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgqWJN99CZ0
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.”385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXfaggyqAj9
He started barking orders.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkeLSvBZWc3
“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.”385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZricJSFmDX
Everyone moved—shakily, but with urgency. The basement buzzed with clinks, clangs, and whispered cursing.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4XFpTjPHIz
Davis helped Cassedy up once the worst of the needles were out. Her arm looked bruised under the skin.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhpjqQfGTxX
“We go to your house,” Davis told them. “All of us. We need time.”385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHKvWupPnd2
As they reached the top of the basement stairs, Davis spotted something on the kitchen table.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHG2jAODop6
A folded note.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs2uwzOMHK9
“Gone for two days. Working with a colleague. DO NOT enter the basement. – Dr. F. Berithman”385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfFfXM5OHXi
Davis stared at it for a long second, then turned it over. Nothing else.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9UTtfTOr9l
Too late.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWrgvwQD0AA
As the front door closed behind them, no one looked up at the roof eave.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnbtR9uY8iR
A small black orb blinked red.385Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡczzNhDDvuf
It had seen everything.
ns216.73.216.82da2
