The safehouse was buried under a forgotten subway line.
Lia paced while Kairo ran a full scan on the child—biometrics, neural patterns, even genetic sequencing. The kid sat quietly on the floor, watching a floating holo-orb dance in the air. No fear. Just curiosity.
"She hasn't spoken," Lia muttered. "Not a word. But she… knows me. I can feel it."
Kairo nodded. "She's not just a clone. She's imprinted with memories. Someone built her from Subject 00's DNA—but infused her with something else. Something… yours."
Lia's breath caught. "Mine?"
"She recognizes your heartbeat. Your aura. Her body even mirrors your fighting posture—watch." Kairo tapped the console, and the child rose, mimicking Lia's stance with eerie precision.
Lia crouched in front of the girl. "Who are you?"
The child blinked once. Then slowly lifted her hand—and traced three glowing letters in the air:
E. C. O.
Kairo's blood ran cold. "She's the prototype. The first host."
Before Lia could respond, the lights in the safehouse flickered.
Then the door exploded inward.
A blur shot into the room—light warping, shadows twisting.
Nova.
She skidded across the floor, daggers in both hands, eyes glowing bright with refracted color. "Sorry to crash the reunion," she purred. "Boss says the kid comes home."
Kairo lunged, meeting her blades with his own. Sparks flew. The safehouse erupted into chaos.
Lia grabbed the child and dove behind cover. "Kairo—keep her busy!"
He nodded mid-swing. "Already on it!"
Nova was fast—too fast. Her body flickered in and out of light, like she was stitched between dimensions. But Kairo held her off, matching each strike with raw kinetic force.
Lia activated a pulse beacon—sending a message to the only people who could help.
You and Ada.
Then she turned to the child.
"You're not going with them."
The girl looked up at her… and for the first time—smiled.
As if she knew who would be coming.