A brief pause.
"Why?" Jiece’s tone was firm, but there was a thread of curiosity behind it.
Kikaru adjusted in her seat, leaning forward. "If he’s been exposed to whatever turned those soldiers... he might still be under its influence. I might be able to pick up sothing using my Ikona."
Colby glanced at her, his brow furrowing. "Through comms?"
Kikaru nodded, her jaw tightening slightly. "It’s a theory, but if it works, we’ll have a way to detect influence remotely."
Jiece’s voice returned, hesitant but considering. "I don’t fully understand it, but fine. You’re linked in."
The Platoon Leader from Juliet moved forward, stepping directly beneath Dr. Anders’ limp form. He raised a cautious hand, reaching toward the doctor’s face.
Then—
A sudden screech ripped through the comms.
The noise was sharp, unnatural—a jarring frequency that rattled through every soldier’s headset.
Then ca the voice.
"HEYYYY! CAN YOU HEAR !?"
Dr. Anders’ head snapped up.
His right hand jerked unnaturally, a pistol snapping upward from so unseen holster. The movent was too fast—too fluid. The mont the trigger was pulled, a gunshot roared through the chamber.
The Platoon Leader from Juliet barely had ti to react.
A sudden shift of yellow light flashed before him, the bullet ricocheting off the light. He flinched, but the impact never reached him.
Kikaru’s breath hitched. It worked.
Before anyone could react further, the Platoon Leader from Juliet surged forward, striking Anders’ wrist. The pistol clattered to the ground, skidding across the bloodied floor.
Anders’ eyes flared—a deep purplish hue flickering for a brief instant. "I won’t let you hurt them he muttered."
Then, his body slumped again, the glow vanishing as quickly as it appeared.
Silence.
Kikaru’s hands trembled slightly as she removed her headset.
"Holy shit," Colby muttered.
Paul simply exhaled. "That just happened."
Jiece’s voice ca through again, low and thoughtful. "Kikaru... what exactly did you just do?"
Captain Jiece paused, his tone edged with confusion. "How did you know it would wor—"
Before he could finish, the comm line cut abruptly. The eyepieces worn by Kikaru, Paul, and Colby all shut down simultaneously, emitting a loud, jarring buzz. The sharp sound ripped through the air, causing Kikaru to yank the device off her face instinctively. Beside her, Paul and Colby did the sa, both grimacing at the sudden noise.
"What the hell was that?" Colby exclaid, rubbing at his ear as he tossed the eyepiece aside.
Before any of them could respond, sothing dark and fast shot toward them from the distance. It was barely visible against the surroundings, moving like a shadow given form. Kikaru barely had ti to process it—a blur of black with faint, jagged edges, darting straight for them.
Her body moved on instinct. Kikaru’s hand snapped up, and an unfamiliar energy surged through her. A faint yellow light burst forth from her palm, eting the incoming shadow mid-flight. The two forces collided, but instead of exploding or dissipating, the shadow seed to twist and fold into the light.
For a mont, the air around them seed to tremble. A strange shimr passed over their surroundings as the black mass disappeared into the light. In its place, a small figure erged—a lioness cub, floating in midair. Its fur shone faintly with a soft golden hue, and its black eyes glimred with an otherworldly depth.
The cub hovered there, completely still, its glowing form casting faint light around it.
Colby’s jaw slackened, his voice trembling slightly as he asked, "Is that... the sa thing we saw through the eyewear?"
Kikaru didn’t answer imdiately. Her eyes stayed locked on the creature as her mind churned, trying to make sense of what had just happened. Finally, she murmured, "I think so." Her hand was still outstretched, faintly tingling from the burst of energy she had unleashed. The sensation felt strangely familiar—like sothing she’d experienced before but couldn’t fully recall.
"It’s definitely connected," she added, her voice quiet but resolute.
For a few long monts, the three of them stood in silence, the lioness cub floating between them. Paul finally broke the quiet, his tone laced with unease. "Should we be worried about this?"
Before anyone could respond, a voice cut through the stillness.
"Well, well, what do we have here?"
The three of them turned sharply, their hands moving to their weapons. A wiry man with disheveled hair and a sharp grin stood a few feet away. Perched on his shoulder was a black butterfly, its wings faintly pulsing as it rested against him. His eyes darted between the trio and the glowing cub with an unsettling sense of calculation.
Beside him, a slender woman with long red hair stepped into view, her wristband catching the light as she adjusted it. Kikaru’s stomach tightened as recognition set in.
"Look what we have here, Rirana," Silas said with a sly grin. "Three helpless pups left to play guard duty on a ship."
The trio stood firm, watching as Silas and Rirana approached with unhurried confidence.
Kikaru’s voice cut through the tension, sharp and deliberate. "I wonder why you aren’t with Warden Dr. Anders? Get scared and tucked tail?"
Silas’s smirk didn’t falter. If anything, it deepened.
"For the granddaughter of such a strong man, you sure don’t know how to read the room, do you?" He chuckled, shaking his head in mock disappointnt. "I’ve already gotten what I wanted out of him. He was just a bargaining chip to see what the governnt would throw at . Nothing more." His tone grew colder. "But I never thought they’d bring their locked-up guinea pigs along for the ride."
Paul’s voice rang out, firm and defiant. "Well, I wouldn’t say that. Any reasonable group would want to corral and handle an outbreak of people suddenly developing superpowers."
Silas tilted his head back, laughing. "Superpowers? Really? I suppose so uneducated muscle brain might call it that."
Paul’s expression twisted into a mix of confusion and annoyance. "What the fuck do you call it then?" His frustration boiled over as he raised his hand, pointing directly at Silas. "Let’s give him a fun show. What do you say, Ripples?"
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