The creature lunged, and the floor beneath Omega and Siara shook like it wanted to swallow them whole. Its blue eyes locked on them, burning through the dim red light that washed the room.
Omega grabbed Siara's wrist instinctively, yanking her to the side. The creature's claws slammed into the floor where they had just stood, sending shards of metal flying.
"Tell me you didn't just think that running would help," Siara hissed, crouching behind a fallen server rack.
Omega glared at her. "And tell me you had a better idea?"
The creature roared...a sound so guttural it rattled every bone in their bodies....and advanced. Sparks erupted from nearby panels, arcs of electricity lancing through the air. The cables across the floor writhed as if alive, reacting to its presence.
Omega's eyes darted to the open window at the far end. "We can't outrun it in here. But we can make it regret stepping in."
Siara raised an eyebrow. "Oh, this is your plan? Enlighten me."
He pointed to a tangled mass of wires feeding into a central server. "We overload that core. Give it a taste of Varex's own power. It won't destroy the thing, but it might… distract it long enough for us to get Tango out."
Siara smirked. "I like the way you think… reckless, but I like it."
They sprinted across the floor as the creature followed, each step cracking metal beneath its weight. Omega grabbed a bundle of exposed conduits, pulling them free while sparks danced across his gloves. Siara hit the console beside him, twisting dials and typing sequences at lightning speed.
The hum of the servers escalated into a deafening roar, lights flickering violently. The creature hesitated, sensing the surge, its glowing eyes narrowing.
"Almost… there!" Omega shouted, yanking the final wire.
A massive pulse of energy shot through the room. The creature howled as electricity arced across its body, blue light reflecting off its jagged scales. It staggered back, thrashing and snarling, but didn't retreat.
Siara grabbed Omega's arm. "Now! To Tango!"
They bolted toward the Subroot Passageway, sparks from failing servers raining around them. The creature regained its footing, claws scraping metal as it gave chase.
In the corridor, Tango was pinned against a wall, bruised and bleeding, but still alert. His visor flickered weakly.
"Tango!" Omega shouted.
Tango's eyes widened. "Finally… backup?" He smirked through bloodied teeth. "Took you long enough."
Siara shoved him aside as Omega extended a hand. "We've got you. Move!"
The three of them ran, the creature smashing behind them, ripping chunks of the facility apart. The hum of the servers grew chaotic, sparks flying, machinery exploding in showers of blue fire.
Varex's voice filled the air, cold and detached.
"PAIR 03. SURVIVAL UNLIKELY. PHASE 3… CONTINUES."
Omega clenched his jaw. "Yeah, well… we're great at defying odds."
They turned a corner and came face to face with a stairwell leading deeper. Smoke and sparks choked the air, but it was the only way forward.
Omega grabbed Tango's arm. "Go! Up or down....whatever. Just move!"
The creature's roar shook the stairwell as it lunged again, just missing them. Tango rolled his eyes. "So this is how I die. Not with a bang, but with a mutated murder machine charging me."
Siara smirked despite herself. "Oh, stop whining. Focus."
Together, the three of them plunged into the depths of the facility, the red glow of danger illuminating every step. The hunt had just become a desperate race.....and the creature wasn't going to let them escape alive.
Omega glanced at Siara, hand still gripping hers tightly. "We're not dying today. Not on my watch."
Her eyes met his, fierce and unflinching. "Then let's make sure of it."
Above them, cables snapped, lights flickered, and somewhere deep inside the shadows, Varex's hive pulsed like a heartbeat.
Phase 3 had begun.....but the humans were far from finished.
--
Pluto ducked under a falling beam, his gloves sizzling from the sparks dancing along the cracked console. The lab was barely holding together, metal groaning with every tremor.
"Emmanuel, reinforce the barricades!" Pluto shouted, wincing as another panel fell with a crash. "If one more cable sparks near me, I swear...."
"Save the threats, save yourself first!" Emmanuel snapped, yanking a twisted metal sheet into place. Sparks flew as he slammed it against the wall, forming a shaky barrier.
Tanya grabbed Asuka's arm, guiding her past a section of floor that had buckled dangerously. "This place… it's falling apart faster than I thought."
Asuka swallowed, eyes scanning the darkened corners. "And whatever's causing it isn't slowing down. I can hear it in the walls."
A deep groaning echoed through the lab, and the lights flickered violently. Dust rained from the ceiling, and loose cables wriggled like snakes. Pluto cursed under his breath. "Looks like the building itself is… rebelling."
Emmanuel pointed at the monitors, most of them cracked or flickering. "Pressure sensors! Something is hitting the walls from the outside. It's not random."
Tanya's eyes narrowed. "You're telling me… whatever this is, it's attacking the remains of the lab?"
"Exactly," Pluto said, ducking another falling panel. "Whatever it is… it's strong. And it's relentless."
Asuka tightened her grip on a bent steel beam. "So, we don't have an exit plan yet, do we?"
Pluto scanned the room, eyes flicking to a reinforced corner near the storage crates. "We'll have to make for the back chamber. It's the only part that might hold."
The group ran, dodging falling debris and sparks that cracked like miniature lightning strikes. A massive groan rattled the room, and a section of wall exploded inward, scattering metal shards everywhere.
Emmanuel caught Tanya as she tripped. "Heads up! Move!"
Asuka skidded beside Pluto, panting. "Do we even know what's doing this?"
Pluto shook his head. "No clue. Could be structural failure… or something else entirely. Either way, it's tearing through what's left like a storm."
Tanya glanced at the flickering monitors. "We're trapped in a half-destroyed lab, and it's actively attacking us. Fantastic."
Asuka ducked another falling beam. "Yeah… super fun. Sparks, collapsing walls, and something hitting the lab from the outside. What's not to love?"
A tremor ran through the floor. The reinforced chamber groaned. Pluto's hands flew over the console, trying to activate the emergency lockdown. Sparks shot across the panel.
"Lockdown… failing…" Pluto muttered.
Emmanuel growled. "Then we run. No arguments!"
They bolted into the chamber just as another wall section buckled, sending a cloud of dust and debris into the hallway. Inside, emergency lights flickered, casting long shadows across the ruined room.
Pluto collapsed against a console, panting. "If this lab completely collapses… we're going to have to survive without it."
Tanya rubbed her arms, trying to steady herself. "Then we stick together. No heroics. No experiments. Just survive."
Asuka nodded, gripping her makeshift weapon tightly. "Check. Survive first. Then maybe figure out what the hell just attacked the lab."
Outside, the remnants of the facility groaned under pressure. Sparks danced across broken walls, loose cables writhed like snakes, and the lab itself seemed to shudder under a force that none of them could see.
Pluto muttered under his breath, "Great… the lab isn't just ruined. It's alive."
....