The darkness in the basement wasn't empty.
A blur of white shot from the shadows—silent, fast, impossibly precise. Before Leonte could react, a cold synthetic hand clamped around his throat and lifted him clean off the ground. His boots kicked against the air as the android's grip tightened, servos whining with mechanical strength.
Unit 104.
Its face was smooth and expressionless, a blank porcelain mask with no features except two faintly glowing points where eyes should've been. The android tilted its head, studying Leonte like a specimen rather than a threat.
Leonte clawed at its wrist, muscles straining, vision dimming.
Then—
A crackle of electricity split the air.
Kate charged in from the side, driving her electrified rod into the android's ribs. Sparks erupted across its torso. 104 spasmed, its grip faltering just enough for Leonte to drop to the floor, coughing hard as he rolled away.
"Leonte, move!" Kate shouted.
104 recovered instantly.
It pivoted with inhuman speed, sweeping its arm toward Kate. She ducked, the blow slicing through the air above her head. Leonte surged forward, tackling the android from behind. The impact barely shifted it, but it bought Kate a second to strike again—this time aiming for the joint at its neck.
The rod connected. A burst of blue light rippled across 104's frame.
The android staggered, but didn't fall.
Instead, it turned its head a full ninety degrees toward them, movements jerky but deliberate. Its voice—flat, synthetic—buzzed through the basement.
"Obstruction detected. Neutralization required."
Leonte wiped blood from his lip, eyes narrowing. "You're welcome to try."
104 lunged.
Kate swung her rod, but the android caught it mid‑strike, ripping it from her hands and tossing it across the room. Leonte intercepted, driving a shoulder into its chest. The android barely budged, but Leonte used the momentum to shove it into a support beam.
Metal groaned.
104 retaliated with a precise strike to Leonte's abdomen, sending him stumbling back. Kate grabbed a loose metal pipe from the floor and swung it like a bat. The blow connected with the android's arm, knocking its trajectory off just enough for Leonte to regain his footing.
"Go for the joints!" Leonte barked.
Kate nodded, circling.
104 advanced, calculating, adjusting its stance with eerie calm. Leonte feinted left, drawing its attention, while Kate darted behind it. She jammed the pipe into the back of its knee. The android buckled for a moment—just long enough for Leonte to leap forward and slam his forearm into the side of its head.
A crack formed across the smooth white surface.
104 froze.
Its systems whirred, recalibrating.
Then, with a sudden burst of force, it shoved both of them back and sprinted toward the stairwell—its movements glitching, unstable, but still dangerously fast.
Kate grabbed Leonte's arm. "It's retreating."
"No," Leonte said, catching his breath. "It's regrouping."
He stared up the dark stairwell, pulse still pounding.
"And it's not alone."
The basement vibrated with a low, mechanical hum—too steady, too deliberate to be the building settling. Kate tightened her grip on the metal pipe. Leonte steadied his stance, bruised but alert.
Then the darkness shifted.
Unit 104 stepped forward first, its cracked mask glinting faintly. Behind it, two more figures emerged—Unit 008 and Unit 103. All white. All silent. Their movements synchronized like a single mind split across three bodies.
They fanned out.
Kate whispered, "They're circling us."
Leonte's pulse quickened. "Stay behind me. Watch their hands."
The androids tightened the ring, heads tilting in eerie unison. Their footsteps were soft, almost gentle, but the intent behind them was unmistakable.
Then they struck.
008 lunged at Kate with blinding speed. She ducked, swinging the pipe upward and catching it across the shoulder. The impact barely slowed it. 103 came at Leonte from the side, forcing him to block with his forearm. The blow rattled his bones.
104 moved last—calculated, precise—aiming straight for Leonte's throat again.
Kate intercepted, jamming her shoulder into 104's torso. "Back off!"
The android barely shifted, but it bought Leonte a second to counter. He drove his elbow into 103's neck joint, forcing it to recalibrate. Sparks flickered.
But three against two was a losing equation.
Kate was knocked to the ground by 008, her pipe skittering across the floor. Leonte tried to reach her, but 103 grabbed him from behind, locking his arms. 104 stepped forward, its glowing eyes narrowing as it scanned him.
"Target acquired."
Leonte struggled, but his strength was fading. A sharp blow from 104 struck his temple. The world blurred. Sound warped. His knees buckled.
Kate screamed his name, but it sounded distant.
The last thing Leonte felt was cold synthetic arms lifting him off the ground.
Then darkness.
Leonte drifted in and out of consciousness as the android carried him out of the factory. The night air hit his face—cold, sharp. The android sprinted across an open field, its movements smooth and relentless.
A deep mechanical thrum cut through the sky.
A helicopter.
It descended fast, blades slicing the air. A spotlight locked onto the android, illuminating the white shell carrying Leonte.
Inside the chopper, Edward leaned out with a specialized rifle. His voice boomed over the rotor noise.
"Drop him!"
The android didn't react.
Edward fired.
The electric stun round struck the android square in the back. A burst of blue energy rippled across its frame. Its limbs seized. Its grip loosened. It collapsed mid‑stride, falling hard into the grass with Leonte rolling free.
The helicopter hovered just eight feet above the ground.
Edward didn't wait.
He jumped.
He hit the ground in a rough landing, stumbled, then sprinted to Leonte's side. Kneeling, he pressed two fingers to Leonte's neck.
A beat.
Another.
"Come on, kid…" Edward muttered.
There—faint, but steady.
He exhaled sharply. "You're still with me."
He lifted Leonte into his arms and signaled the helicopter to lower.
"We're taking him to Mercy Hospital in Creve Coeur," Edward barked into his comms. "Prep trauma. He's critical."
As the helicopter ascended, Edward held Leonte close, jaw clenched, eyes burning with a mix of fear and fury.
"This isn't over," he whispered.
"And whoever's behind those units… they're going to answer for this."
The steady beep of a heart monitor pulled Leonte back from the fog. His eyelids felt heavy, glued shut, but he forced them open. The room was bright—too bright—and the sterile scent of antiseptic filled his lungs.
Shapes came into focus.
Kate stood at the foot of the bed, arms crossed, eyes red but alert. Edward hovered near the doorway, tense and pacing. And closest of all—Hazel.
She leaned over him, her long dark brown curly hair cascading like a dark halo around her face. Soft chestnut skin glowing from the led lights in the room, Her black sweater dress hugged her frame, clear-framed glasses perched on her nose, lip gloss catching the light. Her heels clicked softly as she shifted closer, her doll-like face trembling with relief.
"Leonte…" she whispered, brushing her fingers against his cheek.
He swallowed, voice rough. "Hazel… you're here."
"Of course I'm here," she said, tears gathering. "You scared us."
Two small bodies rushed forward before she could finish.
"Dad!"
"Daddy!"
His twin boys—eight years old, identical except for the tiny scar on Jacob eyebrow—climbed onto the edge of the bed, careful but desperate to be close. His daughter, thirteen and tall for her age, stood beside them, trying to look composed but failing. Her eyes shimmered.
Leonte managed a weak smile. "Hey… my crew."
His daughter leaned down first, hugging him gently.
He kissed the top of her head.
The twins each grabbed one of his hands.
"Mom said you fought robots again," Noah said, wide-eyed.
His brother chimed in, "Did you win?"
Leonte chuckled softly, wincing at the pain in his ribs. "I'm still here, aren't I?"
Hazel exhaled shakily, smoothing his hair back. "You're here because Edward got to you in time."
Edward cleared his throat, trying to hide the emotion in his eyes. "He's tough. Always has been."
Kate stepped closer. "We're just glad you woke up."
For a moment, the room felt warm—safe. Leonte let himself sink into it, memorizing the faces of the people he fought to protect. Hazel's soft touch. His daughter's trembling smile. The twins' excitement. Kate's steady presence. Edward's silent vigilance.
But the moment didn't last.
Edward straightened, his expression shifting back to business. "Alright," he said gently but firmly, "I need a moment alone with Leonte."
Hazel hesitated. "Edward—"
"I promise," he said, "just a few minutes."
Hazel leaned down and kissed Leonte's forehead. "We'll be right outside."
The kids followed her out, each giving Leonte one last squeeze of his hand. Kate lingered a second longer, giving him a nod that said I've got your back, then stepped out as well.
The door clicked shut.
Edward pulled a chair beside the bed, his face hardening.
"We've got a problem," he said quietly. "A big one."
Leonte's eyes sharpened. "The androids."
"Not just them," Edward replied. "Someone reprogrammed those units with military‑grade overrides. Someone inside Refinement. And after what happened tonight… we can't afford another mistake."
Leonte shifted, ignoring the pain. "What's the plan?"
Edward leaned in, voice low.
"We're changing strategy. We're going on the offensive."
He paused.
"And I need you back in the field as soon as you can stand."