Elara didn’t waste a second. She knew this fight was far from over.
With her free hand, she pressed the ergency distress beacon on her wrist communicator and sent a direct signal to Lawrence.
"Zerg... level unknown... high regeneration... human mimicry. Possible mutation. Need imdiate extraction."
The transmission barely sent before the creature lurched back up, its spine cracking as it twisted unnaturally.
Its hollow black eyes locked onto her, a cruel, almost amused expression spreading across its distorted face.
"You’re quick," it hissed, rolling its neck as if testing its movent. The deep gash from her energy chain was still visible, but it was healing.
Too fast.
Elara clenched her fists. She was a skilled fighter, but this thing wasn’t just any zerg. It adapted.
Plasma weapons were useless, and even breaking its neck didn’t stop it. If she had more powerful explosives, she could incinerate it completely, but she wasn’t carrying any.
She needed to hold out until Lawrence arrived.
The creature lunged, but this ti, Elara anticipated its speed. She threw herself to the side, rolling as its claws slashed through the concrete wall behind her.
The impact sent debris flying. She barely had ti to regain her stance before it charged again.
Elara ran.
Not out of fear, but to reposition. She needed to get to higher ground, sowhere defensible.
She sprinted through the darkened streets, vaulting over a broken fence and scaling a tal fire escape.
But the creature was relentless. It climbed the walls effortlessly, its elongated fingers digging into the concrete as it pursued her.
Elara reached the rooftop and spun around, using the montum to swing her energy chain at full force. The glowing links slashed across the creature’s face, sending it staggering back.
For the first ti, it snarled in frustration.
So it can feel pain.
Elara didn’t stop. She reinforced her grip on the chain and struck again, aiming for its joints, disabling its movent was her only chance.
The creature dodged, but slower this ti. Its body was still adjusting.
That’s its weakness. It needs ti to regenerate.
She had seconds to exploit it. But before she could land another strike, the night sky lit up. A blinding white flare streaked across the city, a high-speed drop pod.
Lawrence.
Within monts, the drop pod crashed into the street below, sending shockwaves through the ground.
The hatch burst open, and Lawrence erged, his reinforced military exosuit humming with power.
His eyes locked onto her first, checking if she was injured, before he shifted to the enemy.
"Elara," he called, his voice sharp but calm. "Status."
She wiped blood from her brow. "Adaptive zerg. Level unknown. Can mimic human behavior. High regeneration. Plasma weapons useless."
Lawrence didn’t hesitate. He analyzed the creature within seconds. "Weakness?"
"I’m still figuring it out," she admitted.
The creature turned its head toward Lawrence, its grin widening.
"Another one."
Lawrence’s exosuit powered up. Energy blades extended from both arms, crackling with raw electricity.
"Good," he said. "I needed a warm-up."
Then, he charged.
The battle erupted.
Lawrence’s first strike was blindingly fast, his energy blades slicing through the air.
The creature dodged, but barely. Sparks flew as Lawrence’s attacks clashed against its hardened skin.
Elara didn’t stand idle. She used the distraction to strike from behind, wrapping her chain around the creature’s arm and pulling hard.
For a mont, they had it restrained. But then, it laughed.
"Not enough."
Its form shifted. Before their eyes, its arms extended, twisting into sothing sharper.
With a burst of unnatural strength, it tore free from Elara’s grip and sent Lawrence flying back with a single strike.
His exosuit absorbed most of the impact, but the force cracked the pavent beneath him.
Elara cursed. "We need to end this now!"
Lawrence wiped blood from his lip and stood. "Then we bring out the heavy artillery."
He pressed a command on his wrist. From the sky, a massive railgun drone deployed.
Elara smirked. "Took you long enough."
The creature screeched. It knew the tide was turning.
Lawrence didn’t waste a mont. The drone locked onto the zerg and began charging a shot, one powerful enough to vaporize a tank.
But the creature, it did sothing unexpected. It spoke. "You think you’ve won?"
Elara’s stomach twisted.
Before the railgun could fire, the creature split apart. Its entire body liquefied. And then, it vanished.
The energy pulse from the railgun fired, obliterating the space where it had stood. But the enemy was gone.
Elara’s breath ca fast. She scanned the surroundings, her instincts screaming at her. "It’s not dead."
Lawrence exhaled sharply. "No. But we forced it to retreat."
Elara gritted her teeth. "It was testing us. Learning how we fight."
Lawrence nodded, his expression grim. "And it just confird sothing."
She turned to him. "What?"
He t her gaze. "Zergs shouldn’t be able to do that."
The realization hit them both. This wasn’t just an advanced zerg. This was sothing else. Sothing worse. And it was still out there.
Elara’s pulse still pounded in her ears as she surveyed the destruction left behind.
The streets were scarred with deep gashes, so from Lawrence’s energy blades, others from the unnatural claws of that thing.
But the most unnerving part was the absence, not a single trace of the creature remained. No blood, no tissue. It had erased itself.
Lawrence remained still, his eyes scanning the area through his visor’s advanced tracking system. "No movent. No residual energy signatures."
Elara clenched her fists. "It wasn’t a normal zerg."
"No," Lawrence agreed. "It’s sothing new."
The thought made her skin crawl. She turned to him. "We need to warn Mors."
Lawrence sighed. "Yeah. But first, you’re coming with ."
She raised a brow. "Excuse ?"
"You’re injured." His voice was firm, leaving no room for argunt. "And I don’t trust that thing won’t try to co back for you."
Elara wanted to argue, but the ache in her body reminded her she wasn’t in top condition. And truthfully, she didn’t want to be alone right now.
With a reluctant nod, she exhaled. "Fine. But next ti, I get the railgun."
Lawrence smirked. "We’ll see about that."
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