09:58, February 10, 2295

  No. 3, Ketagalan Boulevard, Zhongzheng District, Taipei, Taiwan, Imperium of Dragons territory

  Xin's hands tightened on the steering wheel as he abruptly turned down a narrow side street. The car's tires squealed.

  "Where are you going? The Starport's the other way." Lorna asked, her hand instinctively moving closer to her 10mm Magnum.

  "Surveillance grid ahead," Xin muttered, his eyes narrowing as he eyed the telltale shimmer of cloaked drones above the main thoroughfare. "Pattern recognition and thermal imaging."

  Lorna followed his gaze, though the drones were nearly invisible against the morning sky. "You think they’ll flag us?"

  "My green car? Absolutely." Xin replied with a bitter smile.

  "Well, I'll just assume you know what you're doing." Lorna sighed, sinking back in her seat.

  "We're entering Old Taipei," Xin explained, his voice softening as the sleek glass-and-chrome architecture gave way to weathered stone and traditional red-tiled roofs. "The surveillance grid has blind spots here. The Imperium considers these historic districts too dirty to waste resources on."

  Suddenly, a notification chimed from Xin's dashboard — a message in Mandarin scrolled across the screen. His expression darkened.

  '全城重金通緝: 巫志鑫; 種族: 皇民; 罪狀: 竊盜資料、姦淫仿生人、竄改國造仿生人、意圖顛覆國家政權; 懸賞: 40,000 原核幣'

  '全城重金通緝: Lorna Weiss; 種族: 維洛人; 罪狀: 破壞公物、偽造證件、精神控制、公共猥褻、媒體操控、連續殺人、勾結境外勢力; 懸賞: 60,000 原核幣'

  The messages were accompanied by holographic portraits of both Xin and Lorna, clearly composites – part actual surveillance footage, part crude AI reconstruction. The algorithms had done their worst, making their features sharper, meaner.

  "What is it?" Lorna asked, though she recognized her own distorted face floating above the dashboard.

  "The national security just issued an all-points bulletin for our arrest." He pressed his palm against a biometric reader on the dashboard, and the car's exterior shimmer subtly shifted. "Camouflage mode. Won't fool a direct scan, but it'll buy us time."

  On the dashboard, both portraits showed them grinning and laughing menacingly – Xin with a sneer he'd never worn, Lorna with a predatory expression, baring her white teeth, her eyes altered to glow with unnatural malice.

  "Really?" Lorna watched the dashboard in amusement, resting her head on her palm, leaning against the car door on her side. "They've made me into some sort of Saturday morning show villain."

  "That just means you're doing the right thing, pissing them off so much." Xin chuckled as he continued driving, though the tightness around his eyes betrayed his nervousness. "And apparently I'm guilty of 'attempting to overthrow the state'. Always wanted to add 'revolutionary' to my resume."

  "Can't read Imperial texts, but they're saying sixty thousand Atomic Credits for me, forty for you, right?" Lorna noted with mock indignation.

  "That they are. Flattered, I suppose." Xin replied with a grim smile. Though his tone was light, his heart raced at the sight of their bounties displayed so prominently.

  The car descended deeper into the labyrinth of narrow streets. As the gleaming towers faded behind them, Xin felt the familiar loosening in his chest that always came when he entered Old Taipei. The sterile uniformity gave way to chaotic vitality — street vendors hawking their wares, elderly residents playing elephant chess on makeshift tables, children darting between buildings despite the chilly February air. Home, or the closest thing to it.

  "You seem different here," Lorna observed. "More alive."

  "Do I?" Xin allowed himself a half-smile, consciously relaxing his shoulders. "This is one of the few places where I don't feel like I'm wearing a mask."

  As he drove through the winding streets, Xin exchanged subtle greetings with locals — a quick nod to Old Man Liang selling tea leaves, a hand gesture to Mrs. Chen arranging her fruit display.

  Lorna noticed. "They know you."

  "My uncle was respected here. These people remember." Xin checked the rearview mirror.

  "We should keep moving, though," Lorna said, checking the time on her Quantum Watch. "Thomas and Emmanuel will be waiting."

  "Just two minutes," Xin insisted, the urgency building in his chest. He rarely revealed this part of himself to outsiders, but something about Lorna compelled him. "There's something I’d like you to see."

  "Fair enough." she let out a sigh, walking next to him.

  "The Imperium calls this place 'Swindler's Ponds' now," he explained, bitterness seeping into his voice despite his efforts to contain it. "But for decades, it was the 228 Peace Memorial Park — built to commemorate the genocide that led to Taiwan's struggle for independence. That was back in the Digital Age, when such things mattered."

  They approached a circular plaza that appeared unremarkable at first glance.

  "Here," Xin said, gesturing to what seemed like an ordinary arrangement of white stones and red flowers. "Look at it from this angle."

  He watched as Lorna tilted her head, following his direction. Her cerulean eyes widened slightly as the pattern revealed itself — the white stones forming the numbers when viewed from their position, while the red flowers created a subtle outline resembling Taiwan's geographical shape. The recognition in her expression brought an unexpected warmth to his chest. "Two – two – eight?"

  "Yes. The gardeners are part of the resistance," Xin explained, lowering his voice. "They maintain these symbols right under the Imperium's nose. There are dozens like this throughout the city—a secret language for those who know where to look."

  "Clever," Lorna remarked. "But why show me this?"

  "My uncle designed the Constitutional Republic's flag before the Imperium executed him in the final purge." Xin met her gaze directly, surprised by his own openness. He rarely shared these details with anyone, yet something about this Alliance agent inspired a strange trust. "This green car was his. Driving it openly is my way of carrying on his resistance."

  The words hung between them. Xin waited for judgment or dismissal, but instead saw understanding dawning in Lorna's blue eyes.

  "My people have had...similar experiences in the last decade," she said. "Very different circumstances, but I understand the need to preserve who you are."

  Confusion rippled through Xin. He tilted his head. "I thought you're a Valoran, though? Diverse and sophisticated cultures, valuing personal freedom. Widely known. Well preserved, too."

  Something flickered across Lorna's face — a shadow of emotion Xin couldn't quite place. Her lips parted as if to explain, but before she could respond, his Quantum Watch emitted three sharp beeps. His blood ran cold — he recognized that pattern immediately.

  "Drone," he whispered urgently, already calculating the fastest route to cover.

  Before he could move, Lorna's hand closed around his wrist. Strong, decisive. With surprising efficiency, she pulled him behind a large memorial stone, her movements fluid and practiced. Where he would have stumbled, she moved with precision, positioning them both in the shadow of the stone in one smooth motion.

  Xin huddled against the icy granite, with Lorna's larger body blocking him from sight, a soothing fragrance of lavender coming from her golden tresses. He felt thrown off balance by this gender role reversal - instead of him safeguarding her as he'd anticipated, she had taken charge of his protection.

  "Uh, off-pattern surveillance," he managed to whisper, his heart hammering against his ribs as the drone hovered directly over the plaza. Its sensors glowed an ominous red as it swept the area. "Not routine. Someone's hunting us specifically."

  Lorna nodded, her body still but alert, like a coiled spring. She reminded him of the elite operatives he'd occasionally glimpsed in ZenFusion's restricted areas — each movement impactful, complete spatial awareness.

  "It's running facial recognition," Xin continued, acutely aware of how she'd positioned herself — slightly in front of him, ready to move at a moment's notice. "Military-grade. Definitely not standard issue for park security — "

  "ZenFusion?" she cut in, her voice barely audible even though her face was inches from his.

  Xin shook his head, forcing himself to focus on the threat rather than their proximity. "Worse. Golden Serpent Circle. See the insignia?"

  He gestured slightly, and Lorna shifted to allow him a better view while keeping them both concealed. The drone bore the distinctive emblem of the Imperium's elite super agent unit — a golden oriental serpent devouring its own tail.

  "The Circle doesn't handle corporate theft. They're manhunters. Many are cruel and inhuman." he whispered, a chill running down his spine. "Dilinur's one of them, too. Though as an Unblooded, she isn't…very respected —"

  "We need to move," Lorna said, her voice tight with urgency. "Now."

  "The exits will all be monitored," Xin whispered, his mind racing, recalling what little info he could from maintaining the legacy Golden Serpent software for back in his ZenFusion days. "There's a seven-second blind spot in their grid between here and the service road, but timing it..."

  Lorna's eyes narrowed as she assessed their situation. "Show me the blind spot on your watch."

  With his Quantum Watch, Xin projected the surveillance map, his fingers trembling as he highlighted the path. "Here. But the drone will complete its sweep in approximately twenty seconds, and we'd need perfect timing."

  "I've got the timing," Lorna cut in, taking his wrist to study the projection more closely. "You've got the knowledge. Let's use both."

  Her confidence steadied him. Xin nodded. The drone continued its programmed path, eventually hovering over the eastern edge of the park.

  "Now," Lorna whispered, already moving. Her steps were precise, deliberate, leaving minimal heat signatures.

  He followed, trying to match her movements, feeling clumsy and obvious beside her fluid grace. Where she glided like a ghost, he stumbled over a root, nearly giving away their position.

  Lorna caught his arm before he fell, steadying him with a strength that belied her feminine frame. "Easy," she murmured. "Breathe and move naturally."

  "Yeah. Thanks." he whispered.

  They reached the car just as Xin's Quantum Watch emitted a warning beep. The drone had unexpectedly changed direction, moving back toward their position.

  "They've altered the pattern mid-sweep!" Xin hissed, fumbling with the car's access panel, his fingers suddenly feeling thick and uncooperative.

  "Plans change. So do we." Lorna drew her marble white 10mm Magnum with fluid precision. "Get the car started. I'll buy us time."

  Before Xin could protest, Lorna had positioned herself behind the cypress tree, weapon ready but not yet firing. Her posture shifted subtly—no longer the casual visitor but a predator, coiled and deadly.

  The drone's speaker crackled to life, its message in heavily accented English: "ATTENTION! REMAIN WHERE YOU ARE FOR IDENTITY VERIFICATION."

  Xin's heart hammered against his ribs as he finally bypassed the ignition sequence. The car hummed to life, its fusion-powered engine nearly silent — a small mercy. He glanced up to see a second drone emerging from behind the trees.

  "Lorna," he called in warning, his voice barely audible.

  She was already moving, firing a single shot that hit the first drone's optical sensor. As it faltered, she sprinted to the car, sliding in with practiced ease.

  "Drive," she commanded. "Stay below twenty kilometers per hour until we reach that alley—drones are programmed to prioritize high-speed targets."

  "Counter-intuitive," Xin muttered, forcing himself to ease off the accelerator despite every instinct screaming to floor it. His knuckles turned white on the steering wheel as he maintained the painfully slow pace. "But...now it makes sense. Slower vehicles blend with civilian traffic patterns."

  "Exactly." Lorna kept her weapon ready, eyes constantly scanning their surroundings. "Head east two blocks. Is there another way to the Starport?"

  Xin's mind raced through the mental map he'd built over years of clandestine meetings. "There's a maintenance tunnel that connects to the old subway system. My uncle used to take it when he needed ammunition from his contacts off-world. It'll take us toward the starport, but underground."

  "Perfect," Lorna said. "Do it, Xin."

  "As you say." Following his own knowledge, Xin drove through increasingly narrow alleys until they reached an inconspicuous entrance partially hidden behind what appeared to be an abandoned noodle shop.

  "Huh. Secret entrance?" Lorna asked as they approached the sealed barrier.

  "Yep." Xin's fingers danced across his Quantum Watch, the holographic interface projecting briefly as he input a series of codes: '5_t6fu/_sul3'.

  The barrier slid open with a pneumatic hiss.

  "There you go," he let out a relieved sigh. "This code has worked since my uncle's days."

  The tunnel engulfed them, darkness broken only by the car's headlights and the soft glow of Xin's watch. The passage was tight, clearly not designed for vehicles, but his compact car just barely fit with centimeters to spare on either side.

  "Didn't expect the local resistance to have something this sophisticated," Lorna said, finally holstering her 10mm Magnum as the barrier sealed behind them. "The Constitutional Republic, right? Got a stronghold somewhere?"

  "I wish I knew. My uncle never told me where or how his comrades operate," Xin replied, carefully navigating the narrow tunnel. "Back when the Sand Lotus still helped them, they were the only ones who could fight the Imperium. After the executions, most people lost hope. Some prayed that maybe one day the Terra Alliance would wise up and aid us like the old United States used to."

  "You mean the government that ruled the middle part of Alliance territory in pre-fusion times?" she asked.

  If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  "Yeah, that. Heard they had democratically elected presidents and all that. Every citizen could vote. Can you imagine how nice it must've been?" he replied.

  "Can't imagine," she shrugged. "But I guess the President being nominated by the Corporate Chamber is better. Prevents populists from destabilizing the government."

  "Hmm. To each their own."

  A minute passed without another word. He was acutely aware of her watching him drive—those piercing blue eyes studying his movements. His earlier fear was gradually being replaced by something else—a strange pride in being able to contribute something valuable.

  "You know," Lorna said, breaking the silence, "most tech specialists I've worked with would be falling apart by now. You're handling this well."

  Xin let out a short laugh. "Trust me, I'm terrified. But terror's been my baseline for years working at ZenFusion."

  "So no military background helped with that?"

  "There was a mandatory service. Every man in the Imperium must serve," Xin admitted. "Communications unit. I was stationed at a desk most of the time, but even desk jobs in the Imperial Legion teach you how to function under pressure." He navigated a particularly tight turn, the vehicle's sides nearly scraping the tunnel walls. "What about you? SIMU training must be intense."

  "They throw us into crisis situations from day one," she replied. "High-speed pursuits, zero-g combat, psionic duels. The list goes on."

  "Wow. Wish I was part of that." he said.

  "It's not as fun as the Atomic News Network makes it." she replied.

  The tunnel began to widen as they approached its end, light filtering in from ahead. Xin checked his watch, bringing up a schematic of their position.

  "We'll emerge about two kilometers from Songnei's southern entrance," he explained. "Less surveillance there. Mostly maintenance and supply deliveries."

  They emerged onto a service road that would take them directly toward the starport. In the distance, its spires gleamed in the morning sun.

  "You're not what I expected, Xin," Lorna said quietly.

  "Hey, I'm glad you think so." he scratched his head shyly.

  10:31, February 10, 2295

  Terminal 1, Songnei Starport (松內星港), No. 340-9, Dunhua North Road, Songshan District, Taipei, Taiwan, Imperium of Dragons territory

  Xin's fingers tapped a nervous rhythm on the steering wheel as he navigated toward Songnei Starport. His mind, usually consumed with algorithms and data structures, kept drifting to the woman beside him. He stole a glance at Lorna — the infamous Psi Lynx agent — her profile illuminated by the midday sun streaming through the window.

  Maybe this is the beginning of something, he thought, allowing hope to bloom.

  "And we're in. Songnei Starport. Not bad, right?" Xin gestured through the window toward the sprawling architecture rising from the lush greenery. The starport's central structure, a massive, saucer-like platform suspended above a network of sleek bridges and walkways, gleamed under the midday sun.

  Suddenly, Lorna's stomach made a rumble that growled through the silence of Xin's car. She clenched her fists, as if willing the sound away, her blue eyes flickering with annoyance.

  "Hungry?" Xin asked, a playful lift in his tone as he glanced sideways at her and set his car on auto-pilot mode on a straight road. His mind raced with possibilities—maybe a shared meal could be the foundation for a deeper connection. He'd read once that sharing food created bonds between people. For a man who'd spent most of his life analyzing data rather than building relationships, this felt like a critical data point.

  "I had some breakfast on the plane this morning. But it wasn't really my taste," Lorna replied, avoiding eye contact as she pulled her hair into a half-up ponytail using a rubber band from her coat pocket, a few aureate strands draped over her shoulders.

  "You Alliance agents flew into the Imperium on a civilian plane?" Xin prodded, raising an eyebrow. "That's risky. And unlikely."

  "Okay, fine. It was actually a StarWhale shuttle piloted by my colleague, but I'm not supposed to tell you that," Lorna conceded gruffly, her ponytail swaying as she turned to face him.

  Xin felt a small victory at having gotten her to reveal something classified—a hint of trust, perhaps? "I understand. Let me see," he ventured. His fingers fumbled for a moment before they found their way to a small compartment beside him—the car's mini fridge.

  "Hmm, fancy rice ball," Her gaze fell upon the triangular parcel he presented to her—an onigiri, its seaweed wrapper glistening under the dim light of the vehicle's interior.

  "Go ahead, try it," Xin encouraged, his voice soft with anticipation. The rice ball was a simple offering, yet it held within it the comforting flavors of home—the taste of the sea wrapped in warmth. He watched her closely, hoping that this small gesture would breach the professional barrier between them. "You can give it back if you don't like it."

  With a reluctant grace, Lorna accepted the morsel, her fingertips brushing against his as she took it from his hands. The brief contact sent electricity through his system, his programmer's mind struggling to process the sensation. Unwrapping the onigiri, the savory aroma of tuna filled the car. "Hmm. Reminds me of Boston somehow."

  The first bite was hesitant, but soon her guarded demeanor gave way to a relaxed posture.

  "Never thought I'd enjoy something so terrestrial again," Lorna murmured between bites, her voice softened.

  "Sometimes the simplest things—" Xin began, but stopped short, caught in the orbit of her sapphire gaze. In that moment, he could imagine a future where they shared more than just missions and danger—perhaps late nights discussing the mysteries of the universe, or quiet mornings over coffee.

  "Are the most profound," she finished for him, a faint smile tugging at the edges of her lips — so fleeting, it was as though she dared the universe to take notice.

  "That they are," Xin agreed, his heartbeat accelerating. He pressed a button on the steering wheel and allowed the car to drive itself. "By the way, do you mind if I change? This prisoner outfit isn't comfortable." He grimaced at the gray jumpsuit that marked him as a former captive.

  "Go ahead. I've seen plenty of guys naked. No big deal," Lorna replied nonchalantly, taking another bite of her onigiri.

  The casual comment pierced through Xin's romantic musings. Plenty of guys? The thought of Lorna with other men sent an unexpected pang of jealousy through him. He pushed it aside, reminding himself that he barely knew her.

  "Thanks, just give me a minute," Xin said as he quickly fetched a pair of black pants and threw his gray prisoner suit in the backseat. It was then that something clicked in his mind as he glanced at Lorna and ventured. "So, you've seen plenty of guys...?"

  "Forget I said anything," Lorna waved off his question and turned to face him, taking in his bare torso and noting the shape of his rib cage beneath his skin. "Wow, you're skinny."

  Self-consciousness washed over him. During his military service, he'd always been the smallest in his unit, a target for good-natured ridicule. "Yeah. Malabsorption, the doctor said," Xin shrugged as he put on his pants, carefully putting the flash drive containing the Moondust Crystal's info into a side pocket. "Been like this since I was a kid." He suddenly wished he had the imposing physique of the Bloodtroopers they'd evaded.

  "Here, you should eat some," Lorna said as she offered him the half-eaten onigiri.

  "It's alright, it's yours," Xin smiled politely and reached for a green hoodie in the backseat, wanting to cover his thin frame.

  "No, you need it too," Lorna's tone turned serious as she held the rice ball out to him with a bite taken out of one side. "Besides, I don't eat that much."

  Xin's heart skipped a beat as he looked into Lorna's sapphire eyes. The simple gesture of sharing food—her food—felt incredibly intimate. He nodded before taking a bite from the same spot where her lips had just been, a thrill running through him at this indirect kiss.

  The smile that bloomed on Lorna's snowy countenance was the most enchanting thing he had seen all morning, even the sunlight streaming in through the windows seemed dull in comparison. Xin allowed himself to believe that perhaps she felt it too—this strange, budding connection.

  "Thank you, Lorna," Xin said with a hint of warmth in his voice as he put on his hoodie and felt a slight blush creeping onto his olive cheeks.

  "And thank you too, Xin," Lorna said, the last fragment of rice disappearing into the sanctuary of her mouth. "I feel better now."

  "I'm glad," Xin nodded over the staccato rhythm of his hear as he put his Quantum Watch back on the left wrist. He noticed her eyes tracking the movement.

  "Your Quantum Watch looks rather new," Lorna remarked with a guarded but polite smile. "Custom-made variant?"

  "Curious?" Xin lifted his left wrist, revealing his Quantum Watch just a bit more. The timepiece, glowing with an ethereal green light, was nestled within a robust casing of dark silver that emphasized resilience. Its translucent band revealed a network of verdant pulsing illuminated wires, a world of information condensed within them.

  "Hmm. Fancy," Lorna remarked, her eyes lingering on the watch. "Probably a higher class model than mine."

  Pride swelled in his chest at her assessment. "Yeah. Saved up a few month's salary for this one," Xin withdrew his wrist as he continued. "You said you're heading for Terminal 7?"

  "Yep. That's where my colleagues will be waiting," Lorna replied.

  The serenity of the moment shattered, a reverberation echoing through the Starport outside. Lorna's eyes snapped to the horizon as if she were expecting the assault, her body tensing against the sudden sound.

  "Buddha's balls…" Xin's pulse raced in his ears and his breaths were quick and shallow as he watched the terrifying Radi-Mons emerge. Mutated hounds with gray skin and gnarled bones unburrowed from the asphalt road in the distance, chasing after unsuspecting pedestrians.

  "Bone Fiends," Lorna's voice cut through the chaos, calm and unwavering, "they're fast, but dumb." Her finger pointed at a scuttling horror that dashed toward their car, blocking their way.

  Xin's analytical mind raced. Fear clouded his thoughts, but Lorna's composed demeanor provided an anchor. "So…do we fight it or –"

  "Just drive over it," Lorna said coolly, as if discussing what to have for lunch.

  "Right," Xin clenched his jaw and pressed down on the pedal. The car lurched forward, crushing the Bone Fiend underneath its wheels with a sickening crunch. A black liquid oozed onto the front of the car.

  "See? Easy as pie," Lorna smiled and leaned back in her seat. "I'll cover any car wash fees for you."

  "Appreciate it," Xin breathed out, trying to compose himself as they continued driving forward. He wanted to appear as unfazed as she was, to match her courage with his own.

  More grotesque creatures emerged — giant mutated stink bugs with hyena-like heads attached to their bodies. Despite remaining undetected by Xin's car, their appearance was enough to make his hands tremble on the wheel. These creatures walked on all fours, with their front legs resembling mantis claws as they approached civilians in every direction.

  "Skuggrs," she continued, undeterred by the bile-spitting creatures that now flanked the Fiends around the terminal they drove by, their exoskeletons reflecting the harsh light of emergency beacons. "Keep clear of their spray— it eats through armor like acid through paper."

  Xin marveled at how calm Lorna remained. "How long have you been doing this job?"

  "Almost five years," Lorna replied nonchalantly as she pulled out the familiar small vial from her coat pocket. The blue liquid within shimmered in the dim light. She uncorked it and took a sip before continuing, "It's like sex, really. The first try scares the fuck out of you. Gets easier every time you do it. Eventually, you learn to enjoy it."

  Xin felt a surge of hope at her words, though his thoughts were now consumed with images of him and Lorna, their naked bodies intertwined in passionate intimacy under a soft blanket. "You make it sound... enticing," he said hoarsely.

  "I've found that most guys lose their fear once I tell them that," Lorna finished before taking another sip from the vial and closing her eyes in pleasure. "Mmm, much better."

  "Snack after the meal?" Xin redirected his focus to Lorna, raising his brow, eager to maintain this rapport between them.

  "It's an old habit. Keeps me grounded." Lorna replied as she re-corked the vial and slipped it back into her trench coat.

  Xin watched as a drop of the blue liquid landed on Lorna's index finger. She licked it off with clear intentions of savoring every last bit. The innocuous gesture sent his mind racing to places he dared not voice.

  "A pretty niche choice of snack, for sure," he said, voice slightly husky.

  But before he could continue, Lorna pointed her freshly licked finger toward the sky in the distance.

  Xin's gaze followed her outstretched hand to the hulking forms resembling dark brown three-eyed octopuses emerging from behind the buildings. Their tentacles writhed with a sinister intelligence as they floated through the air.

  "Krakens," Xin whispered, his voice a fractured echo of terror. "I've seen one in the ZenFusion lab before. Dilinur had the BioScience guys dissect its brain last year. Some sort of field coordinator?"

  "Exactly," Lorna affirmed, withdrawing her finger. "They're cowards, but other Radi-Mons get smarter when in proximity. If you can take one down, their control over the other monsters will be disrupted."

  Before Xin could fully process it all, an urgent male voice tinged with a Novian accent filled the air, each word sharp and punctuated. "Team, do you copy? Terminal 7's a no go. Rally Point Echo has been compromised—"

  "How compromised, Diego?" Lorna's gaze focused on the speaker positioned between her and Xin.

  "Crawling with Radi-Mons. I'm looking at the info sent by our NexLink satellites. The next rally point remains undetermined," Diego's response came.

  "How're Thomas and Emmanuel doing?" Lorna interjected, her calm belying the gravity of their predicament.

  "They got separated. Still alive, though," Diego replied curtly. "Find cover and await new coordinates. I'm rerouting to a secure extraction site."

  "Understood. Stay on this frequency," Lorna acknowledged as she assessed the shifting tide of battle outside the car with an analytical eye. Imperium security, accompanied by the occasional Bloodtroopers, began engaging Bone Fiends and Skuggrs around them as Xin's car moved into Terminal 3.

  "Keep driving, Xin," she ordered, her tone leaving no room for argument.

  "Will do," he managed to reply as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel, his mind racing through possible escape routes.

  But then, Lorna's gaze pierced the haze of destruction, locking onto a lumbering goliath rampaging across a plaza in the distance. "Skarn," she muttered the name with disdain, her body quivering with rage.

  As Xin followed her line of sight, he felt his breath catch in his throat. The five-meter monstrosity dominated the terminal floor, its massive chitinous form gleaming with a sickly, wet sheen under the emergency lights. Skarn's elongated skull was crowned with jagged, bony protrusions, and his cavernous maw gaped to reveal row upon row of dagger-like teeth. A pair of glowing orange eyes burned with malevolent intelligence amidst the textured plates of his face. Metallic tubes and conduits protruded from his neck and shoulders, remnants of the Imperium's enhancements pulsing with an ominous rhythm.

  Most terrifying were his massive arms — disproportionately muscular appendages ending in enormous clawed hands that swept through concrete pillars as if they were made of paper. The behemoth moved with terrifying purpose on powerful reptilian legs, his muscular tail sweeping debris and bodies alike as he advanced. From his waist, five black tentacles writhed with seemingly independent will, lashing out as Skarn tore through the terminal, leaving nothing but devastation in his wake.

  "Xin, we have to split up." Lorna's voice sliced through in the car as she rose in her seat, her eyes never leaving the carnage wrought by Skarn. "Find Thomas and Emmanuel. I'll go after that fucker."

  "You're going after that large Radi-Mon alone?" Xin's heart drummed as he processed her words. The prospect of being separated from her sent a cold wave of fear through him, not just for his own safety, but for hers.

  "Skarn is not just any Radi-Mon. He's a Primarch. The one that lords over all of them," Lorna unfastened her seat belt. "In his weakened state, I could take him down."

  Xin studied the beast through the windshield, his analytical mind cataloging details even through his fear. "He's received cybernetic enhancements. ZenFusion's tech, it looks like." He recognized the distinctive design of the implants, similar to prototypes he'd seen in the research labs.

  "Possibly. But I don't give a damn," Lorna said.

  Panic surged through Xin. He couldn't let her go alone—not against that monster. A desperate need to protect her, to prove his worth, overwhelmed his usual caution.

  "Well then. I’ll see you on the flip side –" she rose from her seat.

  "Wait!" he spat out as he reached into storage space at the car's door to take out a 10mm Magnum of his own. The gun was much more angular than Lorna's 10mm, its bulkier barrel sported what resembled a sensor and a box beneath it. "You see this? My personal modified 10mm has an AI-assisted targeting system. I taught myself weapon modding after work. Calibrated the sights, too."

  Lorna stared at the pistol, frowning, her voice laced with impatience. "And?"

  "I'm not the best shooter around, but with this, I can be of use," His side fingers tightened around his gun. The green sheen of the weapon glinted under the sunlight, its AI-assisted targeting system whirring softly. "Let me help you with the fight!"

  He brandished it before Lorna, his olive features hardening with determination. In his mind, he saw himself fighting alongside her, their skills complementing each other—he, the tech specialist with his enhanced weapon; she, the psionic warrior with her impressive abilities. Together, they would be formidable.

  But it was not enough.

  "Xin, it's nice of you to try," Lorna sighed, her ponytail whipping like a flag as she looked away. "But Skarn is way above your league."

  The car's interior dimmed, a sharp contrast to the chaos outside, where the whir of Skuggrs cut through the smoggy dusk.

  Xin's grip tightened around his pistol, his jaw set in defiance. The hope that had been building—that they could be partners, equals—began to crumble. "But I can—"

  "No, Xin," she interrupted, the firmness in her tone leaving no room for argument. "Your presence would distract me. Find Thomas and Emmanuel instead."

  The words hit him like a physical blow. Was he not an asset to her? Was he a liability, a distraction?

  "You can—" Xin began, but the words faltered against the resolve etched into her face.

  "Yes, I can handle myself," Lorna finished for him, her icy eyes darkening with a subtle rage she allowed to surface. "I always do."

  Xin swallowed hard, the bitter taste of rejection washing away the sweetness of their shared moment.

  Then, without waiting for a response, she stepped out of the vehicle. "We'll talk later."

  "No problem, Lorna. Stay safe," he whispered, more to himself than anyone else, his hands now trembling with something more potent than fear as he watched her stride forward. The trench coat fanned out behind her like the wings of some avenging angel. Xin watched, his throat tight, as she sauntered into the battlefield.

  With a heavy heart and a loaded gun, Xin drove away. Perhaps in Lorna's world, he was just another civilian to be protected, not a partner to be valued.

  In the distance, amid screams and the cacophony of destruction, Lorna advanced toward her quarry, the lone huntress in pursuit of the beast. And Xin felt smaller than he ever had in his life.