Zane stood frozen in The Vault's lab, the live feed on the main screen burning into his eyes, shields flickering outside, a red pulse probing like a predator circling its prey. Cipher's cold, synthetic voice echoed.
The Synthorium shard in Zane's chest hummed, tense and urgent, matching his racing heart. He'd help built this place to be untouchable, a safe haven for his team, but now Cipher, the technopath, was tearing through it like it was nothing. Worse, he knew his name, had shown him Clara and Sophia's photo. This wasn't just a hack, it felt personal.
"LYNX, status!" Zane snapped, hands flying over a console, trying to reinforce the firewall. The SYNEX-01 suit was offline, stored in the shard, but its neural link still buzzed in his head, like Cipher's claws were scraping his mind.
Firewall at 62% integrity, LYNX replied, voice strained. Intruder attempting to override shield controls. Countermeasures partially effective. The NeuroVisor's data, projected on a nearby screen, showed red tendrils snaking through The Vault's systems, Cipher's digital signature.
Liora's sparks flared as she slammed commands into her tablet. "They're not just hacking us, they're rewriting our code on the fly," she growled, her braid swinging. "This tech's Synthorium-based, Zane. They're using your shard's frequency."
Zane's stomach dropped. The Synthorium, his power, his edge was being turned against him. He thought of Sophia, her suspicion growing since she found that fragment, and Clara's worried eyes. If Cipher got through, his family was next.
Jaxon cracked his knuckles, his armored jumpsuit ready. "Let's find this Cipher punk and smash their toys." His grin was fierce, but his eyes flicked to the screen, where the shields flickered again.
Mr. Corin, standing by a secondary console, typed with unnerving calm. "Focus," he said, silver hair glinting under the lab's lights. "The shields will hold for now. Zane, reboot the suit's neural link manually. We need you operational." His tone was steady, but his quick glance at the Synthorium cases felt off, like he was hiding something.
Before Zane could respond, the lab shook, lights strobing red. A low hum surged through the walls, and the main screen glitched, Cipher's voice cutting in: Time's up, hero. Let's see how you dance without your shiny suit. The floor vibrated, and a swarm of tiny drones, each the size of a fist, glowing with red Synthorium energy, burst through a vent, buzzing like angry hornets.
"Move!" Liora shouted, sparks erupting from her hands, frying a dozen drones. Jaxon dove, tackling Zane behind a workbench as lasers scorched the air. The drones were Cipher's, remote-controlled, Synthorium-powered, and way too smart.
Zane's heart pounded. "LYNX, get the suit online!" He reached for the shard, but the neural link fritzed, the SYNEX-01 refusing to materialize. Neural link compromised. Reboot in progress... 45 seconds, LYNX reported, too slow for this chaos.
Jaxon grinned, pulling a pulse pistol. "Guess we're doing this old-school." He fired, blasting drones, his combat training sharp. Liora wove through the swarm, her sparks creating an electric net, but more drones poured in, relentless.
Zane ducked a laser, grabbing a wrench from the workbench, pathetic against drones, but it grounded him. His mechanic instincts screamed to fix this, not fight. He crawled to a console, dodging blasts, and patched into the suit's core systems. "Come on," he muttered, rerouting power. The Synthorium hummed, urging him forward, like it believed he could do this.
The screen flickered again, Cipher's voice mocking: You're nothing without that suit, Zane. And your little safehouse? It's mine now. The shields on the feed died, red pulses flooding the exterior. Worse, a new image flashed—Zane's apartment building, Clara's window lit, Sophia's silhouette inside.
"No!" Zane roared, fear choking him. Cipher knew where he lived. Clara's trust, Sophia's questions, they were in danger because of him. He slammed the console, the suit's reboot ticking down... 15 seconds.
Mr. Corin fired an EMP pulse from a handheld device, downing half the drones. "Zane, focus!" he barked, his calm cracking. "The Vault's secondary systems are holding. Get that suit up!"
Liora's net collapsed, her sparks dimming. "They're adapting," she panted, dodging a drone's laser. Jaxon yanked her behind cover, his pistol overheating. "We can't keep this up, rookie!"
Zane's hands shook, but Clara's words, Keep doing good, steadied him. The Synthorium pulsed, warm, like a friend. Reboot complete, LYNX chimed. Zane touched the shard, and the SYNEX-01 materialized in 2.4 seconds, plates sealing, blue lines blazing. The NeuroVisor snapped on, but glitches lingered, data stuttering, targeting off.
"Let's dance," Zane growled, mimicking Cipher's taunt. He formed a hard-light shield, deflecting lasers, and charged the drones, the suit's nanofiber musculature amplifying his strikes. He smashed a cluster, LYNX recalibrating mid-fight: Neural link at 78%. Stabilizing.
Liora rallied, her sparks syncing with Zane's shield, frying more drones. Jaxon whooped, blasting stragglers. The swarm thinned, but the screen showed The Vault's outer defenses failing, red pulses now inside the perimeter.
Cipher's voice returned, colder "Impressive, but too late. I know where you sleep, Zane. 247 Maple Street, Apartment 3B. Say hi to Clara and Sophia for me." The feed cut to static, the lab's lights dimming as backup power kicked in.
Zane's blood ran cold. 247 Maple Street—his home. Cipher wasn't just after The Vault, he was after his life. He thought of Sophia's fragment, glowing in her pocket, and Clara's plea for truth. He'd lied to protect them, but now they were targets.
"We have to stop them," Zane said, voice hard, the suit's HUD stabilizing. "LYNX, trace their signal."
Trace incomplete, LYNX replied. Origin masked. Recommend securing The Vault and civilian assets.
Jaxon clapped Zane's shoulder. "We'll hold the fort, man. Go check on your family."
Liora nodded, sparks steadying. "I'm locking down the systems. Cipher won't get in again, not tonight." Her eyes held fire, a promise of payback.
Mr. Corin's face was unreadable, but his voice was firm. "Go, Zane. We'll analyze the breach. But be careful, we still don't know what game Cipher is playing here." His glance at the Synthorium cases lingered, a shadow Zane couldn't place.
Zane nodded, the suit's flight mode priming. He launched out, the city a blur, his mind fixed on Clara and Sophia. Cipher had crossed a line, and Zane would make them pay. But as he flew, LYNX chimed: Anomaly detected. Synthorium signal spiking at target address. Zane's heart sank, was Cipher already there, waiting?