The rain was a relentless curtain as Adrian and Mei Lin sprinted toward the nearest Lupus site, an abandoned warehouse on the city's edge. The hum thrummed in their veins, a relentless rhythm that matched the storm's fury. Mei Lin's knife gleamed in her hand, rain-slicked and steady, while Adrian's gun was a cold weight at his side. The comms in their ears crackled with static, Vivian's voice cutting through intermittently.
"Signal's strongest at the warehouse's core," Vivian said. "Be careful. We're picking up multiple signatures."
Mei Lin shot Adrian a look, her wet hair plastered to her face. "Multiple? They brought friends."
"Lucky us," Adrian muttered, his voice dry despite the downpour. He pushed open the warehouse's rusted door, the creak swallowed by thunder.
Inside, the air was thick with the scent of oil and decay. The hum grew louder, vibrating through the concrete floor. Dim lights flickered, revealing a labyrinth of crates and machinery. At the center, a Lupus machine loomed—identical to the one in the lab, its core pulsing with a sickly green glow.
Mei Lin's breath caught. "It's awake."
Before Adrian could respond, shadows moved—three figures in sleek, black tactical gear, their faces hidden behind visors. The hum spiked, sharp and painful, and Mei Lin clutched her chest, staggering.
Adrian grabbed her arm, his touch grounding her. "Stay with me," he whispered, his voice fierce.
She nodded, forcing herself upright. "I'm good. Let's dance."
The figures attacked without warning, moving with unnatural speed. Adrian fired, his shots precise but deflected by some invisible field. Mei Lin ducked a swinging blade, her knife flashing as she countered, slicing through a visor. The figure stumbled, revealing a glimpse of a human face—blank, almost lifeless.
"shit they are Puppets," Mei Lin hissed, dodging another attack. "They're not fully here."
Adrian tackled one to the ground, pinning them. "language didn't know you could say that, and they Controlled by the Spark?"
Before she could answer, the machine's glow intensified, and the hum became a scream. Mei Lin's vision blurred, flashes of memories not her own flooding her mind—labs, screams, a woman's voice whispering about freedom. She gasped, dropping to one knee.
Adrian was at her side in an instant, his hand on her shoulder. "Mei Lin, look at me."
Her eyes met his, and the hum softened, their connection anchoring her. "It's trying to pull me in," she said, her voice shaking. "It wants something."
"Then we shut it down," he said, pulling her to her feet. Together, they sprinted toward the machine, dodging the remaining figures. Mei Lin's knife slashed through a control panel, sparks flying, while Adrian fired at the core. The glow flickered, then died, and the figures collapsed like cut marionettes.
The hum faded to a whisper, but the air still crackled with tension. Mei Lin leaned against a crate, catching her breath. "That was too easy."
Adrian's eyes narrowed. "Or they wanted us to think it was."
His comm buzzed, and Vivian's voice came through, urgent. "Adrian, get back to the tower. We've intercepted a message—from your mother."
Mei Lin raised an eyebrow. "Your mom's picking now to check in?"
Adrian's expression tightened, a mix of exasperation and dread. "She's not the 'check-in' type."