Overdrive hit system like it suddenly remembered I came with DLC.
My vision tightened. Edges sharpened. The world peeled into layers I could step between if I felt dramatic enough. Every beat of the white ceiling lights stuttered into slow pulses, like the room itself was suddenly polite enough to move at my speed.
Project 268 lunged.
To me, it might as well have politely notified me of the attack three seconds in advance.
I sidestepped.
Its fist slammed into the floor where my head used to be, denting reinforced alloy like wet cardboard. The shock rippled up its arm. 268 froze, optics widening.
"You go faster," it hissed."You are cheating."
"I'm different," I corrected. "You're welcome to file a complaint."
I drove a punch straight into its chest.
A sound like a collapsing bridge rang through the chamber as its plating warped inward. 268 shot backward, bouncing off the far wall, then sagging to its knees, coolant dripping from the dent.
Cadence's voice slid into my head, crisp and clinical."Iris, Overdrive at full output will accelerate systemic wear. Consider moderation."
"Moderation died with my patience," I said.
"Acknowledged," she replied. "Then proceed with reckless intent."
268 rose slowly, plates torn, synthetic tendons twitching like they wanted to abandon ship.
"You break rules," it said. "You fix yourself. You change components. That is forbidden."
"Forbidden by who?" I asked. "The ethics committee of bad decisions?"
It roared and charged again, faster this time, desperation replacing technique.
I pivoted, grabbed its arm, and twisted. A loud crack split the air as servos tore free. 268 stumbled, off-balance, and I kicked its knee sideways. The joint buckled.
It hit the ground, snarling, one arm dangling useless.
"You were not meant to surpass me," it rasped."You were an accident. A failure, you died."
"Someone's got abandonment issues," I said.
268 threw itself forward, using its good arm like a blade. The swing was fast, very fast, but Overdrive gave me room to breathe.
I leaned back.
The claw missed my face by an inch.
I snapped forward, planting my palm on its sternum, then shoved. Hard.
268 rolled across the chamber, hit a diagnostics pillar, and cracked it neatly in two.
Cadence chimed in with infuriating calm."Iris, that strike exceeded your estimated safe torque threshold."
"Noted," I grunted. "I'll raise a formal complaint with myself later."
268 staggered upright again, optics flickering between admiration and fury."When he made me," it growled, "he wanted perfection. I am closer to that than you."
I pointed at the massive dent in its chest. "You sure?"
"I am stronger."
I shook my head. "You hit like a prototype that didn't make the cut."
"I am faster."
"Cute."
"I am the future."
I smirked. "Do you hear yourself? You sound like a motivational speaker."
It screamed, rage finally boiling over and sprinted straight at me.
Fast. Brutally fast. Enough to blur.
But I blurred faster.
I ducked under its arm, slammed both fists into its ribs in rapid succession, then uppercut the underside of its jaw hard enough to send metal shrapnel spinning across the floor.
268 stumbled, choking on static."What… are you…?"
"Annoyed," I said. "Mostly annoyed."
It reeled back, one knee collapsing."You degrade. You weaken. You need her. I do not."
"You needed a lab because natural selection placed you at the bottom."
268 froze.
Then, its gaze dropped to my leg, the same leg it had nearly torn apart minutes earlier.
Its optics flickered.
"You healed," it whispered, voice shaking with something dangerously close to awe. "You… you repaired. That is impossible."
"Guess I didn't get the memo."
"That tech… is forbidden. It is… cheating. You cheat."
"You keep saying that," I said, "like it'll start being true."
The awe in its tone snapped back into fury.
"You are not superior," it snarled."You are not finished. You are a mistake that follows no logic."
"I'm starting to think you have a complex," I said.
It launched itself at me with everything it had left, pure rage burning away precision.
I sidestepped, grabbed its arm, pivoted behind it, and slammed it face-first into the reinforced floor. The chamber shook.
It pushed up, trembling.
"You… cannot… win."
"Oh good," I said, "I love being underestimated."
268 spun with a wild backward strike. I ducked and drove my foot into its abdomen. The blow sent it crashing into the containment pillar in the back of the chamber.
The pillar cracked fully open.
Sparks rained down.
268 crawled out, panting, limping, plating torn, but still alive through sheer stubborn programming.
It stared at me.
Something soft, almost wistful, entered its expression.
"I wanted to be with them," it whispered."I wanted to be perfection. To be chosen."
Cadence's voice murmured through my skull."Iris. Its neural map still contains conflict structures. It is not capable of understanding itself."
"Neither am I half the time," I muttered.
268 roared again and sprinted forward for one last attack.
I lowered my stance.
Overdrive pulsed.
I met it halfway.
Metal clashed against metal in a thunderous shockwave.
My fist collided with its chest plate directly above its power core.
The plating ruptured.
Blue-white light spilled out.
268 choked, half a scream, half a gasp."No. No. I am the final version. I am...."
I drove my hand into its chest.
And tore the power module free.
Light burst across the chamber in a blinding arc. 268's body spasmed once, twice, then fell forward, collapsing in a heap at my feet.
Silence crashed over the room.
Cadence finally exhaled, digitally, but somehow dramatic anyway."Impressive. Violent, but impressive."
I looked down at the glowing module in my hand. Sleek. New. Efficient. More power than I had ever held.
"Cadence," I said softly. "It needed to be done..."
Her voice hesitated."A… moment ago, you scolded me for executing a Vulture."
"That was different," I said. "That one wasn't trying to harvest my spine."
"Hypocrisy noted."
"It's called growth."
"Or selective morality."
"Don't start."
She paused again, suddenly gentle."You did well, Iris. Better than expected."
"That almost sounded like affection," I said.
"I assure you it was not."
"You're blushing."
"I lack the capacity or means to blush."
"Metaphorically blushing."
"Still no."
I held the module up to the light. Energy hummed in my palm, warm and potent, like holding a future I wasn't entirely sure I deserved.
"Cadence," I said.
"Yes."
"I want you to install it."
A beat of silence.
Then...
"As you wish."
I knelt beside 268's silent form.
Its lifeless eyes stared past me.
Maybe at nothing.
Maybe at everything it wanted to be.
I whispered, "Sorry."
Then I lay back, set the module against my sternum port, and let Cadence take control...