Irene gently pushed Ravine back. "I'll handle this. In the meantime, you three should focus on finding as much information from this place as you can. I'll hold them down while you proceed."

  She lunged toward the amalgamation. Time to try out that skill from the wolves.

  A system message appeared: "ELECTRIFYING STRIKES ACTIVATED."

  With a loud crackling roar, her greatsword became engulfed in electricity. She smashed it into the creature, splattering its mass across the room. With unnatural quickness, the creature regrouped, emitting a distorted, high-pitched female scream.

  The amalgamation grew solid yet slimy arms and shoved them into its own mouth.

  What is it doing? I don't understand, Ravine thought, her eyes widening.

  Irene turned her head. "Ravine, this is my fight. Focus on your part. I'll be fine, I promise."

  Ravine nodded reluctantly and headed for the screens while Roan and Zhon followed.

  Irene pierced the creature's body and hurled it into another room. This room was where they used to conduct their tests. She spotted a red button next to the door and slammed it. As the door shut and locked, she thought, This should buy them enough time to find whatever they need to find.

  She turned back to see that the creature had already risen. With its arms, it pulled organs from its own body and shaped them into a blade.

  "Are you trying to copy me?" Irene asked. "Are you the people we saw on the screens?"

  In response, the amalgamation stabbed the ground with its blade. It erupted beneath Irene, piercing her left leg.

  "Damn it, you're a crafty bastard. I can't give it too much distance or it'll keep doing that."

  The abomination struck the ground repeatedly with its blade, each impact sending attacks chasing her across the room. She dodged by running across the walls, twirling between two strikes, then parrying the last one. Gripping the wall, she lunged at high speed toward the amalgamation to close the distance. As she tried to strike with her greatsword, it blocked exactly as she had done moments before.

  This thing is learning from me and using it against me. She chuckled. Fine, if you want to copy me, try this!

  She activated her electrifying strikes again, jumped into the air above it, and struck straight down. This time, the creature split itself in half to dodge her attack.

  This isn't working. None of my hits connect anymore.

  A horizontal strike caught her, sending her flying into the wall. Her vision glitched for a second before returning to normal. She fell to the ground, panting heavily.

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  I have to buy them as much time as possible, no matter what.

  She looked at her sword lying on the ground near the creature. "If my sword won't break you down, then my body will."

  She activated electrifying strikes through her entire body, watching as her hands crackled with energy. A system warning appeared: "WARNING! BODY FUNCTIONS OVERWORKED! PLEASE REFRAIN!"

  "Sorry, but as long as I live, this creature isn't going anywhere near my team."

  With godlike speed, she struck the amalgamation with electric claws, making it scream in pain with a deep male voice.

  "Oh, not so fun anymore, huh?"

  She grabbed it and dragged it across the walls, leaving a trail of blood. It struck with its organ blade, but she dodged sideways and kicked the creature to the ground. She charged her electricity further and dove straight down, overloading the pressure in the organism until it exploded.

  Another message appeared: "WARNING! ENERGY DEPLETED! MOBILITY REDUCED!"

  Irene sighed. "That was one tough bastard."

  But as she lay recovering, the creature broke through the ceiling and escaped, leaving rubble falling into the room.

  Meanwhile, Zhon was working with the computers, trying to access the hideout's database.

  "Guys, I finally found something useful."

  Ravine ran to his side. "What is it?"

  "These bodies we saw earlier... I think those were the few people from this hideout who survived whatever killed the other humans."

  Roan joined them at the screen. "What makes you think that?"

  Zhon typed on the holographic keyboard, and a video feed appeared. "This was recorded during the last war, and these were her words."

  A mature woman's voice filled the room. Her face appeared on screen—brown hair, fair skin, wearing a white lab coat and round glasses. Her voice trembled as she hugged her knees.

  "This wasn't supposed to happen. None of this was. These weapons were created to keep a balance among countries so that they wouldn't do this, but now they fully intend on using them. They all do. What have we done?"

  The video cut out.

  "What weapons is she talking about?" Ravine asked. "Is she talking about the androids?"

  "Shhh," Zhon said, playing another feed.

  This one showed a bald old man with lighter skin and a gray beard.

  "Crisis averted, yes! Somehow, some way, the orbital lasers have yet to be released upon Earth by our buyers. Perhaps this time, they've finally realized how stupid this war was. Things will be normal soon."

  "Orbital lasers?" Roan said. "This is what humans wanted to use to solve their differences? What were they thinking?"

  "This is the last one I found," Zhon said.

  The final feed showed multiple scientists running around, screaming in agony as their skin peeled away and their breathing became ragged. One woman screamed in pain.

  "Damn it, was this her plan all along? To wipe us out like this? I knew we couldn't trust her."

  As she faded, she whispered, "Mother Phoenix, you bastard. This isn't the last you'll hear of us."

  The feed cut out.

  A profound silence fell as the three looked at each other, their faces reflecting disbelief.

  Zhon swallowed hard. "So all this time... she knew?"

  "And she still made us come here?" Roan asked.

  Ravine slammed one of the screens. "But it doesn't make sense! Why the hell would she make us come here if she already knew? What about all the others who died before us because they thought they were making a difference?"

  "I can't believe it," Zhon said in a dumbfounded tone. "No, there must be a reason, right? I refuse to think she set us up."

  Roan, hearing something, pushed them down as he shouted, "Watch out!"

  A loud boom echoed as Irene's body flew across the room and crashed into the wall behind them.

  "Irene!" Ravine screamed.

  "Captain!" Roan added.

  As they looked through the rubble, they saw the amalgamation had transformed completely. It now inhabited an android body, still holding the same organ-like blade. The creature's mass had reformed into what resembled a head with hair that flowed unnaturally, as if made of living tissue. Purple light emanated from the android's eyes as a mechanical growl emerged from its throat. It crouched on all fours, ready to strike.