The rooftop was quiet.
The skyline shimmered with warm yellow-orange light as the sun dipped below the edge of Queens. A light breeze stirred the edge of Ash's hoodie, but the weight in his chest made the air feel heavier than usual.
He stood still, hands by his sides, eyes focused ahead as Falcon hovered silently in front of him. The drone's wings folded slightly, optics glowing a soft cobalt—waiting.
Ash swallowed.
> "Echo," he said quietly. "Initiate neural tethering. Starborn Protocol, first sync attempt."
> "Confirmed. Warning: Neural sync requires full focus. Mental instability may result in—"
"I know," Ash cut in.
He'd been preparing for this all day.
The hidden Vault beneath May's closet had changed something inside him. He could feel it humming—like a language finally being spoken through him. The drone tech was no longer just hardware. It was alive. And it was calling to him.
Falcon pulsed softly in response.
> "Begin First Sync."
---
In an instant, Ash felt the shift.
His vision darkened for a fraction of a second—then lit up again, expanded. His perspective doubled, then tripled. He wasn't just seeing Falcon anymore—he was Falcon.
Flight parameters flickered across his mind like instinct.
Wind speed: 8.3 mph.
Thermal updraft: Negative.
Aerial range extension: 34%.
Combat visibility: Enhanced.
And deeper than the data, he felt something more primal—like Falcon's curiosity, its loyalty, and its innate desire to protect him.
> "You're not just a drone," Ash whispered aloud. "You're me… and I'm you."
Their minds locked.
And the sync completed.
---
From the rooftop, Ash leapt—no hesitation.
And Falcon caught him.
Wings unfurled, shimmering in twilight, and the pair soared into the sky together in perfect unity. Ash didn't need to steer. He just thought it—and Falcon flew.
Fast.
Free.
Alive.
The wind roared in his ears, but it wasn't loud—it was harmonious. His vision moved with the drone's scope, mapping every rooftop, every flicker of heat and energy across a dozen blocks. His heartbeat slowed, synched to the drone's pulse.
He could feel electricity in the air. He could sense static fields. Even low-grade sonic vibrations from nearby devices lit up like golden thread across his HUD.
He was no longer human.
He was Corp-born.
And for the first time…
It felt right.
---
But even perfection has consequences.
And they were watching.
---
In a high-rise a few miles away, three figures stood around a silver monolith that shimmered with fractal data. Their faces were cloaked in shadow, but their presence bent the light around them.
> "He has synced," one said. A tall woman with a jagged scar running down her neck.
> "The Vault awakened him," another whispered—this one masked, voice like static on glass. "He's on the path now."
> "Should we make contact?" the third asked. He was the quietest, but his presence felt the heaviest.
The woman nodded. "Yes. But only once he touches the next fragment."
She stepped toward the monolith and placed her hand on it. The screen pulsed once, revealing Ash mid-flight, eyes glowing faintly, neural links alight across his entire body.
> "He doesn't even know what he is yet," she murmured. "But the Corp remembers him."
> "Then the Inheritors will, too."
---
Back above Queens, Ash and Falcon landed back on the rooftop in a fluid motion—wings retracting mid-descent.
Ash stumbled slightly as his mind slipped back fully into his body.
His breath came out ragged.
"Echo," he said between gasps. "Status?"
> "Neural tether stable. Sync duration: 1 minute, 14 seconds."
> "Efficiency rating: 92%."
> "Emotional feedback loop: High. Warning: Further syncs may deepen psychological merging."
Ash sat down on the roof and pulled his hoodie back, sweat trailing along his temple. "Yeah… I felt it. I wasn't just piloting. I was Falcon."
He looked at the drone.
Falcon hovered closer, tilting slightly, as if concerned.
"You were scared too, weren't you?" Ash said quietly.
Falcon pulsed a faint shade of green—acknowledgment.
Ash reached out and touched the side of its wing. "We're not just a team now. We're linked."
Falcon beeped once in agreement.
---
Echo's voice returned, quieter now.
> "Starborn Phase One complete."
> "Next evolution awaits: Sync with Node 02."
Ash raised an eyebrow. "Node 02? What's that?"
> "Drone core pending activation. Located: Brooklyn scrapyard."
Ash smirked.
"Guess I know where I'm going next."
---
As he stood, the stars above shimmered faintly—brighter than usual.
And for a brief moment, Ash saw them again—three distant silhouettes watching from a building's edge, unmoving.
He didn't wave.
Didn't run.
He just looked back.
Because something in him already knew:
This wasn't just a sync between man and machine.
This was a convergence.
And it was only just beginning.