The first replica moved like lightning. Justin barely had time to duck before its fist smashed into a steel beam, warping the metal. Sparks rained down.“April, get behind me!” he shouted.Lydia fired twice, two clean headshots, but the bullets flattened against the replica’s skull like it was rubber.April yelled, “They’re reinforced!”“No,” Justin said, breathing hard. “They’re learning.”The replica mirrored his stance, its eyes flashing the same faint gold. It spoke in his exact tone. “Unit 001 resistance logged. Adapting.”Another figure stepped from the mist, identical down to the scar under his jaw. Lydia cursed. “Two of you. Great.”Justin dodged a punch, countered, and watched the second replica mimic the same move half a second later, perfectly. April called out, “They copy your muscle memory!”“They copy everything.” He twisted, slammed his elbow into the first replica’s chest, and felt a shockwave explode up his arm. Pain. Feedback. The replica grinned, his grin.“Shared

The storm had quieted, but the air around Dock 47 felt colder, like the world held its breath after something unimaginable passed through.April stood in the wrecked monitoring station, staring at the faint glowing mark on her arm. It pulsed lightly, like a heartbeat that wasn’t hers.Lydia checked the broken door. “Whatever Justin turned into… it didn’t want us dead. That’s something, right?” April didn’t answer.“April?” Lydia repeated.April exhaled shakily. “He was running.”“From us?”April shook her head. “From something stronger.”Lydia froze. “Define ‘stronger.’ The guy literally walked through a wall.”April looked up, eyes distant. “Something his… entity was afraid of.”Before Lydia could respond, a low hum vibrated through the air, subtle at first, barely audible. But it grew… deep, resonant, unnatural.Like a frequency that didn’t belong on Earth.Lydia raised her gun automatically. “What is that?”April swallowed. “It’s… not Justin. It’s bigger.”The hum intensified. Scre