The creature stepped forward, its movements unnervingly smooth despite its massive frame. Metal plates shifted over organic muscle, and its glowing red eyes locked onto Kade with something eerily close to recognition.
"Shadowborn," Nova muttered under her breath.
Kade had heard rumors—Syndicate experiments blending the strongest warriors with cybernetic enhancements and AI-driven instincts. The result? Living weapons.
The Shadowborn lunged. Kade barely got his blade up in time, the force of the impact sending him skidding back. Nova fired off several shots, but the creature twisted unnaturally, dodging with precision that no human could match.
"Headshots won't work!" Nova warned. "Go for the neural nodes!"
Kade adjusted his stance. The Shadowborn swung a bladed arm, forcing him to duck, but as he did, he spotted it—small pulsating energy nodes embedded in its joints.
"Got it."
He feinted left, drawing the creature's strike, then pivoted, driving his plasma blade into the node on its right shoulder. The impact sent a burst of sparks flying, and the Shadowborn recoiled, its movements suddenly more sluggish.
Nova didn't waste the opportunity. She sprinted forward, pressing her pistol against another node on its back and fired point-blank. The creature spasmed violently before collapsing to the ground, its mechanical growl fading into silence.
Kade exhaled. "That thing knew me."
Nova wiped sweat from her brow. "If the Syndicate is deploying Shadowborn now, we need to move fast. This was just a test."
Kade nodded. The Syndicate wasn't just after them anymore. They were preparing for something much bigger.