Page 21 of Cyborg's Tether
She hesitated, then nodded reluctantly. “Fine but be careful out there.”
As she input her access code, he detected movement behind them. He spun, raising his arm as it transformed into a plasma cannon. “Get down.” he shouted.
Amaya ducked as he fired, the searing bolt of energy streaking past her head. It struck a shadowy figure that had been approaching silently, sending it crashing to the floor in a shower of sparks.
“What was that?” she asked, eyes wide.
He cautiously approached the smoking heap. “Some kind of stealth drone. Definitely not one of ours.”
More explosions rocked the facility, closer this time. The lights flickered again, plunging them into darkness for a moment before emergency power kicked in.
“We’re under attack,” said Xavier grimly. “I need to join the defense. You stay here and lock the door.”
She grabbed his arm. “What if they breach this section? I should come with you where it’s safer.”
He shook his head. “No. Your quarters have additional security measures. You’ll be safer here than in the middle of a firefight.”
He gently but firmly pushed her into the room. “Stay here. Rest. I’ll come back for you when it’s safe.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but he had already turned away. As he strode down the corridor, weapons primed, he heard the satisfying click of Amaya’s door locking behind him.
Xavier tapped his communications implant. “This is Xavier. What’s our situation?”
Static crackled for a moment before a voice responded. “Multiple breaches in sectors seven and nine. Unknown hostiles, possibly linked to earlier sabotage attempts.”
“Understood. I’men routeto sector seven now.” He jogged toward the sounds of battle, mind spinning. Who were these attackers? How had they breached their defenses so easily? And most importantly, how were they linked to the saboteur they’d been tracking?
He pushed aside the questions, focusing on the immediate threat. Whatever was happening, he had a job to do. Protect the facility. Protect their work.
Protect Amaya.
With that thought driving him forward, he charged into the fray, compelled to end this attack swiftly and decisively. The mysteries could wait. For now, there was a battle to be won. The facility shook with another explosion, and he quickened his pace. As he rounded a corner, he encountered a group of hostiles.
“Halt.” Xavier’s voice boomed.
The intruders turned, their faces obscured by helmets. Without hesitation, they opened fire. Xavier’s reflexes kicked in, his body moving faster than he thought possible. He dodged the incoming fire, rolling behind a nearby console for cover.
The air filled with the acrid odor of ozone as energy weapons discharged. He returned fire, his plasma bolts striking two of the attackers. They crumpled to the ground, armor smoking.
As he engaged the remaining hostiles, his combat subroutines processed information at lightning speed, but something was off. These weren’t the mindless drones they’d encountered before. These attackers moved with purpose, adapting to his tactics.
A stray shot grazed his shoulder, leaving a scorched mark on his synthetic skin. He grunted, more from surprise than pain.His body was already repairing the damage, nanites swarming to close the wound. “Who sent you?” he demanded as he took down another attacker.
The last hostile standing paused but didn’t reply. Before Xavier could reach him, the attacker activated some kind of device. A blinding flash filled the corridor, overloading Xavier’s optical sensors. By the time his vision cleared, the intruder was gone.
He stood, his circuits buzzing with adrenaline and confusion. Who were they, and why had they attacked a cyber-conversion facility?
He tapped his comm link. “Security team to my location. We have hostiles down and one escaped. I need a full sweep of the facility.”
As he waited for backup to arrive, his thoughts drifted to Amaya. Was she safe? The urge to check on her was strong, but he pushed it aside. He had a duty to protect the entire facility, not just one person.
Yet even as he tried to focus on the task at hand, images of Amaya’s face kept intruding. When had she become so important to him?
He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He was a warrior, a protector. He couldn’t afford distractions, especially not now.
The security team arrived, and Xavier briefed them on the situation. As they secured the area and began their investigation, he returned to the command center.
Inside, chaos reigned. Alarms blared as technicians scrambled to contain the damage from the attack. Dr. Vex stood at the main console, her usually calm demeanor replaced by tense concentration.