Things went from zero to one hundred in seconds.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKYyOBfBLSG
Adan stumbled, foot catching on a power cable snaking across the cold basement floor. He spun, off-balance, and flung a hand out—right into the edge of a metal table cluttered with glowing jars and sleek equipment.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlbHZm9Dg9y
“NO—!” Davis shouted.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLACbDbOccT
Crash.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy3rYpk6pul
Jars shattered. Glass flew. Strange liquids hissed as they splashed onto the floor, reacting instantly with the air in sparks and smoke.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkCZbREc0y9
Adan yelped and hit the ground hard. One jar tumbled after him—its contents, a thick, oily black goo, sloshing violently. It slipped free and splattered across Adan’s arm with a wet hiss.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRu6PY4pBGI
“AAAHHHH—DUDE!” he shrieked, clutching his arm as smoke rose from the skin. The goo pulsed, sinking into his flesh like ink into water. He screamed as it seemed to burn for a moment.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTwk7K3bNs2
Davis stood frozen. That wasn’t just any substance—it was one of his father’s volatile, illegal prototypes.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZeyYYStAQV
The chaos didn’t stop.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjP5G0dEIW
Julian, already halfway to another table, looked over his shoulder. “Yo, what the hell just—?”681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLGpC7Uxdy
Then Adan’s flailing foot smacked the edge of the second table.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg8rYjSPJXX
TINK—CRASH!681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡciMJt7miFT
The jar with the cybernetic scorpion tilted, wobbled... and fell. It shattered on the floor beside Julian, who barely had time to flinch.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJbx1YbDoe0
The creature bolted from the shards like lightning.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnpuVrsfKGC
“Julian, MOVE—!”681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVz2LpHKBhF
Too late.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjrNyAohIGT
The scorpion launched at his wrist, tail stinger jabbing deep. Julian howled, twisting, trying to shake it loose. The scorpion didn't budge—its legs latched on like clamps.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhAZywJ46OD
“GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF ME!”681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6I7gz3dQfP
He slammed his hand into the wall, but the thing held firm. Its body started glowing faintly. Julian gritted his teeth, fury and fear battling in his eyes.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBMGlyzGdUa
Then came Cassedy’s scream.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3hC8J8elAg
Davis whipped his head around. She’d collapsed near a toppled tray of needles—long, metallic, and filled with softly glowing liquids.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwSfdYXBqO
The tray had spilled. The needles had struck.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjaIgVud6oV
Half a dozen were embedded in her shoulder and arm, humming faintly. Her body twitched as if something inside her was rewiring.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxWodtiydf
Davis ran to her, dropping to his knees.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5SiSTiKp8p
“Cassedy—! Don’t move—hold still—”681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABP1ucrAk5
He grabbed the first needle, yanked. She whimpered.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzv3a8EnQFF
These weren’t medical. These were Berithman’s DNA fusion needles. His “liquid grafting” tech—stuff he used on birds, on metals, on... God knows what else.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGGzPMWD2j3
The room smelled like chemicals, sweat, and burnt plastic.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCAk1oEIbVs
Giselle and Brielle stood by the far wall, motionless. Giselle’s fists were clenched, ready to run. Brielle just trembled.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡphlldlktft
Giselle snapped out of it first, darting toward Adan and Julian. “Hey—hey! You okay?”681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6mkRQYjBwG
Adan nodded, holding his darkening arm. “It’s not that bad.”681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZDpNR8QqOw
Julian was panting, his wrist raw, the scorpion still fused to it like armor. “It’s stuck. It’s just—freaking STUCK!”681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElpmcj1oEb
Cassedy groaned. “Davis… the needles…”681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYYJ56pThWz
“I got it, I got it!” he said, yanking another free. She bit down on her sleeve to keep from screaming.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDHvl0FRX6K
Davis’s mind raced. His dad was going to kill him. Or worse. These weren’t toys. These were secrets—dangerous, illegal secrets.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlSXx3dUxmN
If this got out…681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWeRTzkrbYa
“We clean this up. Now. Before he finds out.”681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvoQiM6etmq
“What?” Cassedy croaked. “We need a hospital—”681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG43iOr3dCH
“No!” Davis snapped. “We can’t. They’ll ask too many questions. These aren’t injuries—they’re experiments. Illegal ones. If they figure it out, my dad’s gone. You get that? Gone. Forever.”681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvAtfRnQcIP
“So we’re just supposed to—what—deal with it?” Julian growled, holding his stung wrist like it might fall off.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBs18un7RBq
“If we go to the hospital, they won’t know how to treat you anyway. They’ll just poke and cut until someone dies or mutates. You want that?”681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgtcWu3qzK
Julian glared. “No.”681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlcXq8zaY7A
Adan raised a brow. “So… if we don’t die from this… do we get powers?”681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbxOg9dNM9M
“Maybe,” Davis muttered. “My dad didn’t finish any of these tests. They weren’t meant for people.”681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUU1ZkNyAJW
Adan grinned. “Well, I’ve always wanted laser fists or something.”681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9AaPIESyhb
Cassedy struggled to sit up. “Or we die. Horribly.”681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6ao2sGCQ58
Julian rolled his eyes. “Please. Death’s for the weak.”681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1BZ2Eow0aF
He glanced toward the twins, voice lowering to a cold murmur. “If it was them? They’d be toast by now.”681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVToV0hQASt
Giselle narrowed her eyes. Brielle looked like she’d just swallowed a scream.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd1XUabZQn6
Davis ignored the tension. He stood up, brushing glass from his hands. “We need to reset the lab. Put the tables back. Hide the mess. Now.”681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi1JylwLzoT
He started barking orders.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ727nHri4Ze
“Giselle, Brielle—stack the broken gear on the shelves. Be gentle. Julian, try not to bleed on anything. Adan, I don’t know, start mopping or something.”681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ5elotlQ6y
Everyone moved—shakily, but with urgency. The basement buzzed with clinks, clangs, and whispered cursing.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhD32amozMq
Davis helped Cassedy up once the worst of the needles were out. Her arm looked bruised under the skin.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGNmVCC2Hw7
“We go to your house,” Davis told them. “All of us. We need time.”681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4EaY9AGJ18
As they reached the top of the basement stairs, Davis spotted something on the kitchen table.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpN5GQ7zfMH
A folded note.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVmrfktd1U
“Gone for two days. Working with a colleague. DO NOT enter the basement. – Dr. F. Berithman”681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1X89tGiVtW
Davis stared at it for a long second, then turned it over. Nothing else.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFZhmOKAdSd
Too late.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJlogvHvAhd
As the front door closed behind them, no one looked up at the roof eave.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwvYcKg6D46
A small black orb blinked red.681Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ5K3EJU2z0
It had seen everything.
ns216.73.216.250da2
and then Add to home screen.