It had been a week since Neto had last fought a Beast.
He had been planning his escape every waking moment since then.
His biological age had surpassed 300 weeks. Considering 365 days made a year, in about a month, he'd officially be one year old. That milestone carried grave consequences, especially for someone like him—a defective subject. Termination would be inevitable.
Today's Beast was a gorilla-like creature, its height half that of the last one they had fought. Even so, it radiated raw power.
"This is it," Neto thought. "The perfect chance to escape."
"Let's do this," Danso said, breaking the silence.
---
Normally, the team would rush their opponent, but this time, the gorilla made the first move. Its massive fist connected with Danso's chest before anyone could react. The impact sent him hurtling into the air.
"It's too fast for a rank-3" Zuri worded, alarmed.
Over time, Neto and Neo had developed a natural synergy. Their movements on the battlefield were perfectly synchronized; they stayed close to each other without ever obstructing one another's attacks. Together, they were a force to be reckoned with—a perfect fighting duo.
They crisscrossed their swords with precision, aiming for vital points, but the gorilla's thick hide absorbed the blows with ease.
"This isn't working," Neo growled. "Second stage?"
"Yeah. Let's finish it up," Neto replied.
A blue energy began to coat Neto's hands and legs, while an ice carapace formed over Neo's arms and legs. Zuri's claws ignited with intense flames.
Even at their top speed, they couldn't match the creature's agility. Danso's merged axe failed to penetrate its defences.
Neto seized the opening. He darted toward the gorilla faster than before. Just as the beast swung a massive fist at him, he leapt into the air, spinning with his dual swords. The attack barely grazed the creature's skin.
Executing his plan mid-air, he activated his ability.
But the gorilla was faster. Its enormous hand swatted him out of the air like an insect. Neto flew kilometres away, disappearing into the distance.
"STEVE!" Zuri screamed.
Frustrated, she swung her claws in an x shape ,ripping through the beasts chest.
"Zuri! We aren't allowed to use that yet!" Neo yelled.
"It doesn't matter," Zuri replied, her face twisted in determination. Flames erupted from her body, coating her arms and legs.
Her speed now rivalled the gorilla's. In an instant, she reached its face, ripping the spear out and slashing across its snout. She leapt downward, dragging her claws through its body.
Landing gracefully, she infused her claws with flames, sharpening its edge further, before doing a more powerful x slash.
It ripped at the gorrila's head ,it was disintegrating at contact.
Zuri stood motionless, her body trembling from the strain. She collapsed moments later but was caught by Neo, who stared at her silently.
"That wasn't a rank-3…" Neo muttered. "It was a rank-4."
"The only way to beat it was by using the second.," Danso growled. "But we're not allowed."
"Why the hell did they send us a rank-4?"
The gorilla was dead. Steve's fate was unknown, and Zuri had passed out from exhaustion. Aniyah had already contacted the organization about the day's chaos.
---
"We have problems, people."
"What's wrong?"
"There's a situation with Team C."
"Team C? The one with the most important subject?"
"Yes, sir."
"What happened?"
"The subject… he was slapped away by the rank-4."
"Slapped away?! What the fuck does that mean?!"
"He's usually monitored, but there were no active personnel deployed to ensure his safety."
"WHO GIVES A FUCK ABOUT FREEDOM?! Why wasn't I informed?! Monitoring isn't enough! Personnel should've been there to protect him. HE NEEDS TO BE ALIVE! He's the only subject that really matters!"
"It was Dr. Hawkins' order."
"Hawkins, huh? Fuck. Get personnel there immediately. He needs to be found."
---
In a dimly lit laboratory, a sickly-looking man tapped away at a computer.
"If the main brain cell is interconnected with that technology, it might yield results…" he mumbled. "But it failed before. A human body can't handle the strain of enhanced blood, bones, and alien tech. The neural wipe was supposed to work—"
"Mr. Hawkins!"
The door slammed open, and a brown-haired man stormed in.
"Why wasn't I informed?!"
"Informed about what, exactly?" Hawkins asked without looking up.
"The removal of personnel supervision from the mechanical subject."
"Oh, that? Well, I thought it'd be funny. And it is."
Hawkins chuckled, his fingers continuing to dance across the keyboard.
"We've lost contact with him. He could be dead—or worse, he could've escaped!"
"William," Hawkins said with a grin. "I created a Frankenstein monster. Sometimes, it's good to let the monster escape. Helps it learn faster."
"What do we tell Head? That 'it's good to let the monster escape'?"
"Whatever floats your boat."
William clenched his fists, teeth grinding. After a tense silence, he stormed out.
---
AT A CONFRENCE
"It's been five years since you were given authority over this organization. Your experiments have led to more failures than successes. Why haven't you created a new mutant in over a year?"
"No excuses," Shawn said calmly. "I'm merely creating a mutant stronger than any before it. One that can grow beyond comprehension."
"I don't mean a god from religious texts. I mean a literal God—not just a deity or figure of worship, but an all-powerful being. For the survival of our race, an army of gods would be meaningless against an enemy with a galaxy of gods. What we need is something beyond that—a being that transcends even the concept of divinity itself."
------------
In a familiar room, six familiar individuals stood in tense silence
With a sharp ping, a man clad entirely in black appeared at the center of the room.
"Head." All said in unison.
"So, he escaped. Has the search team found him yet?"
"No, but judging by the distance from the beast's attack, he should be located soon-dead or alive."
"Hmm.. Stop the search. Inform his teammates that he's dead. We'll grant him three months of freedom before resuming our pursuit."
A heavy silence filled the room louder than any protest.
"What's wrong?"
"Head, if I may? Subject 257 is the most important of all mutants, and you're allowing him to escape? Even giving him a three-month grace period? That's.. unconventional."
"Odd? Yes, perhaps. But understand this: we have a Frankenstein monster in our hands-a broken concept, a god? No, no.. God.."
The man's voice hardened, his words resonating like a conviction.
"If he has no freedom, he won't evolve. Freedom is a catalyst for growth. He may even fix himself faster than we ever could."
"Yes, Head. I understand."
But send a search team nonetheless. Use an expendable group--not too strong, just enough to keep him on edge. Keep him sharp, on guard."
"Uh...o-okay, Head."
A few kilometers from the battle site, a battered body struggled to move. Curled on the ground, the figure clawed its way upright, groaning as injuries made their presence known.
The slap from the gorilla was one thing, but crashing through several buildings and tumbling violently to a stop had inflicted continuous damage.
"Shit ,I think I broke a few bones."
A soft ding interrupted the silence
[(-150 HP)>]
'That much?'
"Argh... this hurts really bad."
Wincing, he turned to look at his surroundings. The broken buildings nearby bore slashes that looked eerily deliberate, like the remnants of weapon strikes
"I think he's around here," an audible voice called out from somewhere nearby
'They found me? '
"Hold on, what the--?"
Glancing down, his hands seemed alien, almost like puppet hands .
The world around him distorted morphing into the grotesque imagery of a horror film
"He's over here!" another voice shouted, accompanied by the shadowy figure of a man stepping from the side of a ruined building.
And he was holding a gun.