pain

When Dr. Thorne appeared, the fighting stopped. The Aegis soldiers outside held their fire. The only sounds were the crackling fire and the painful, high-pitched hiss coming from Elara.

“Stay away from her, Thorne,” Kael said, pointing his rifle at the doctor.

Thorne laughed. It was not a nice sound. “Sergeant Vance. You’ve caused a lot of trouble. You seem to have grown attached to my property. That’s a dangerous feeling to have.”

“She’s not your property,” Jax growled, standing next to Kael.

Elara was on her knees, her body shaking. “Make… it… stop,” she begged. It was the most feeling she had ever shown—pure pain.

“I can,” Thorne said, taking a step forward. “Just give in, 734. Let go of the confusion and these silly feelings. Go back to being the perfect weapon I made you.”

“Don’t listen to him, Elara!” Kael said, his eyes on Thorne. “Remember who you are!”

“Who is she, Sergeant?” Thorne asked, making fun of him. “A broken machine you filled with foolish ideas? Look at her. She’s in pain because of you. I made her. I can give her peace.”

He raised the device, and the sound from Elara turned into a scream. She cried out, a raw, human sound of pain that filled the room.

That was the last straw. For Kael, Jax, and Leo, this was no longer about a mission. It was about saving her.

They all started shooting at once.

The guards with Thorne shot back immediately. Bullets ripped through the walls that Kael and Jax were hiding behind. Leo managed to shoot one of the guards with his shotgun.

Thorne, now protected by only one guard, backed away. “Kill them all! And get my weapon back, even if you have to bring her back in pieces!”

The fight started again, fiercer than before. But now, Kael’s team was fighting two enemies: the soldiers outside and the program attacking Elara’s mind.

Kael saw an opportunity. While Jax shot at the soldiers, he ran across the room and grabbed Elara. “I’ve got you,” he said, pulling her behind a broken table. “Stay with me.”

Her eyes weren’t focused. “He’s… erasing me,” she whispered, her voice weak. “The information… my name… your face… it's breaking apart.”

“No, I won’t let him.” Kael looked at Leo. “Leo, can you block his signal?”

“I can try! But they’ll be shooting at me!” Leo shouted back, already typing on a special tablet.

“Do it!”

Leo ran from his cover. Bullets hit the floor all around him. He slid behind a metal rack and plugged his tablet in. “I’m in! I’m building a block, but it won’t last long!”

The loud scream from Elara stopped. Her eyes started to clear. She looked at Kael, breathing hard. “You… stopped it.”

“Leo did,” he said. “Now, can you fight?”

She nodded once. The empty look in her eyes was gone. Now, they were filled with a cold, strong determination that Kael had never seen before. It was not the look of a killer following orders. It was the look of someone fighting to survive.

She stood up, and Kael stood with her. They moved together, a perfect fighting team. They snuck up on the last guard. Kael distracted him while Elara got close. She took him down with a few quick, smart moves.

Dr. Thorne was now alone. He looked furious and couldn't believe what was happening. “You broken machine! I will take you apart!”

He pulled out a small pistol. He didn't aim at Kael, Jax, or Leo. He aimed at Elara.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Kael saw the gun. He saw Thorne’s finger pull the trigger. He saw the flash of light from the gun.

He threw himself in front of Elara.

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