softly through the skeletal remains of the dead city below. The Regime outpost stood like a cold m

's finest waited for her signal. Wolves and shifters

d," Kael whispered

tack," Mira murmured. "T

s gleaming faint gold. "They

nd sharp. "Then let's

ised h

d between them, an

a and Liora took the left flank, scaling a shattered highway that led straight to

hive. The Regime soldiers didn't speak; they didn't ne

adjusted his glove over a synthetic

awake," he said co

nced up. "She's appr

smiled. "Let

sed a c

ne of sleeper u

es. The steel was reinforced, but old corroded in places. She

," Sera whispered. "But whe

them something

odded.

s flared, and sparks leapt from her skin. A low-freq

n't sound but all

ra dispatched a guard before he could cry out, dragging his body into

l whispered. "Whatever

h it before

ed open with a hiss. Sera collapsed

" she gasped. "B

p. "You held the s

ped into

th intermittent light. Security systems fl

ke this," S

they

or, each containing a sleeping figure. Male,

iora asked,

s. They took pieces of us. Mad

ep them

're waiting f

em, metal

un, weap

la

ened. Then anoth

ex stood calmly as data

entered Hal

lon Protocol?"

narrowed. "Releas

, the first clone st

exactly

ars. Same eyes except..

ts mouth an

and made Liora stagger.

the strike. The force

our strength,"

ot my

the wall, bones cracking. But

. "We can't fight them

aid, panting.

parks erupted as Mira slashed the wiring, and K

" Kael barked

wer sh

pursued them, silent and ravenous. One leapt, Liora turned mid-air

she sh

blast door into the

ere st

locked

orite failu

arled, "I don't

hand and t

Liora crashed into the far wall.

already begun," Vex s

ra coughed, staggering to her f

sed the

wer ex

and clone alike. The wolves howled as the earth shook. F

he heavens. Ash rai

ged, limping. Sera followed

seconds later.

" Liora

gleaming. "They lost their towe

weapon," Kael said

aze. "No. You