Julian's eyes slowly opened, the dim blue light of the regenerative pod casting soft shadows across the medical bay. His body felt heavy yet refreshed, the deep aches from the brutal fight against Darwin and Subject Zero now reduced to faint echoes. The pod hissed open with a gentle pneumatic sound, cool air brushing against his bare chest.
A familiar figure stood beside him, clipboard in hand, scanning the holographic readouts floating above his pod.
"Welcome back, Julian" Aris Thorne said with a small smirk, her messy blonde hair even more disheveled than usual. Dark circles still framed her sharp blue-gray eyes, but there was a spark of genuine relief in them.
Julian sat up slowly, muscles flexing under his scarred skin. "How long was I out?"
"Six days," Aris replied, stepping closer to check the neural interface ports on his neck. "You healed faster than expected. That new Regeneration skill from Beatrix really is something else."
