Rain had soaked Jack to the bone by the time the Chaos Crew limped into Zara Blade's underground den. Holoscreens blinked emergency red; liberated test subjects huddled on makeshift cots, their half‑healed sigil grafts flickering like faulty LEDs.
Jack collapsed onto a swivel chair. His new rubber‑coil muscles quivered, burning through calories like a furnace. He grabbed the nearest ramen cup—cold—and devoured it in three slurps.
Lyra arched a brow. "That makes twelve. You're going to implode."
"Or bounce," Jack mumbled around noodles. "Elastic stomach—very efficient."
Patch fluttered down, dropping a protein bar onto the desk. "Eat real food before you pass out, Stretch."
Jack tore the wrapper. Halfway through chewing, a stabbing migraine lanced behind his eyes; for a heartbeat, he couldn't remember why he'd started the relay mission at all. The memory snapped back, leaving a cold sweat.
Lyra noticed. "Side‑effects?"
"Just… low blood sugar." Jack forced a grin. Or maybe losing pieces of myself. He shoved that thought aside.
---
Debrief & Fallout
Zara's hologram expanded, displaying Guild network nodes—now dark. "Their comm lattice is toast for at least seventy‑two hours. Nice work, team."
Cheers rippled from the rescued captives. Jack caught one man's gaze—a teenager, arms still mottled with experimental scales. Gratitude shone in frightened eyes.
Jack's grin softened into something gentler. Worth it, he thought.
A crash of static cut through the den. Zara frowned. "Encrypted burst—origin unknown." She patched it through.
> …Project Excision activated. Asset Ω will neutralize the hybrid within forty‑eight hours.
Patch's feathers fluffed. "Asset Omega? That's Guild black‑ops lingo."
Lyra cursed. "They're sending a specialist."
Jack stretched an arm across the room, snagging a fresh hoodie from a hook, and whipped it back onto his torso. "Let them. We'll improvise—like always."
But fatigue pulled at him; his vision tunneled. Lyra steadied him. "Sleep first. You burned through more energy than a power plant."
Jack opened his mouth to protest—then slumped forward, out cold.
---
Dream Fragment
He floated in a violet sea. Runes drifted like jellyfish. A child's voice called, "Jack, where's my medal?"—a memory from a long‑forgotten foster brother.
The rune‑sea swallowed the voice. Jack reached, but his arm stretched endlessly, never closing the distance.
He woke with a jolt.
---
Two Hours Later
Jack's eyes fluttered open to find an unfamiliar face studying him—a woman with short jade hair, martial‑artist posture, and spirit marks glowing along her wrists.
Lyra introduced her. "Reina Takahashi—friend of Zara's. She can help train your new… limbs."
Reina bowed. "I witnessed your rooftop acrobatics on drone replay. Impressive, but sloppy. Elastic power requires rhythm."
Jack sat up, flexing. "You offering lessons?"
"Payment is simple," Reina said. "When the Guild falls, you help me reclaim my clan temple."
Jack's grin returned. "Deal. Trading chaos for choreography—my favorite currency."
---
Elsewhere: Asset Ω
Deep beneath Guild headquarters, Dr. Valerie Cross examined a shard of Jack's elastic tissue inside a stasis tube. Beside her stood a hulking figure sheathed in neutron‑steel armor—eyes hidden behind a visor etched with Ω.
"Hybrid sample shows exponential adaptability," Cross murmured, awe in her tone.
Asset Ω said nothing. It simply powered up twin sigil‑dampening blades, each hiss like a guillotine's promise.
Guild Master Marrick's voice echoed from an overhead speaker. "Deploy at dawn. Bring me Wilson—intact if possible, dissected if necessary."
Ω nodded once. The hunt resumed.