Don’s eyes snapped open.

He was breathing hard, chest rising and falling unevenly as air rushed back into his lungs. His vision blurred for a second before stabilizing, the world coming back into focus in pieces.

Something warm touched his lip.

He wiped at it.

Blood.

He hadn’t even noticed himself biting down.

"...What the hell..."

His voice came out low, strained.

"Don! Don!"

Elle again.

Clearer now.

"Are you okay? We’re picking up strange activity all across the city!"

Winter followed immediately after.

"The lab systems detected the same signal," she said, tone controlled. "However, it was significantly dampened here. The structure absorbed most of it. It appears the effect was directed primarily at external targets."

Don pushed himself up.

Slowly.

His body felt heavier for a second, like something hadn’t fully let go yet. He wiped the blood from his lip again, eyes scanning the area around him.

Everything had changed.

Even in those few seconds.

"...It felt like—"

He stopped.

Because something moved.

His head turned sharply toward the building where the woman had crashed.

There—

Movement.

Subtle.

But wrong.

His eyes narrowed.

The augmented reality tried to lock onto it—

Too slow.

Then—

It happened.

VOOOSHH—!!

Her hair exploded outward.

Not flowing—

Launching.

It stretched far beyond what it had any right to, strands elongating into long, hardened spikes that tore through the air with violent speed.

Straight toward the approaching team.

One of them reacted.

Barely.

He threw himself to the side, rolling across the ground just as the first spike tore past where his head had been—

THK—!

The others—

Didn’t.

The impact was immediate.

Brutal.

One man was caught through the chest, the spike punching clean through his torso and out his back in a spray of blood—

His body jerked violently as the force lifted him slightly off the ground.

Another took it through the shoulder and neck at the same time, two strands piercing in tandem, snapping his head sideways as bone cracked under the impact—

CRRKK—!

A third—

Didn’t even get the chance to react.

The spike drove straight through his skull from above, entering through the crown and exiting through his jaw—

Blood and fragments scattering outward as his body went limp instantly.

The cloaked operative—

Half turned.

Tried to jump back.

Too late.

One of the strands caught his leg mid-motion, punching straight through his thigh—

Bone.

Muscle.

Gone.

"AAAH—!!"

His scream tore out of him as his body dropped, the force pinning him in place as blood poured down around the embedded strand.

The one who had dodged—

Hit the ground hard.

Rolled.

Stopped.

He looked up—

Eyes wide.

Breathing ragged.

Alive.

Around him—

The others twitched.

Some for a second.

Some not at all.

The strands held them in place like grotesque anchors, embedded deep into the ground beneath them, cracks forming where they had struck—

CRRSH—~

Blood pooled fast.

Dark.

Spreading.

The hair retracted slightly—

Tightening.

Dragging.

And from within the broken structure—

She moved.

Still alive.

—

Back near the entrance—

Don’s expression hardened.

The ringing in his ears hadn’t faded.

But it didn’t matter anymore.

Don saw it happen.

Every part of it.

And moved.

His body shifted forward instantly, feet pushing off the fractured ground as he started running toward the team that had just been torn apart—

But not far from him—

Things broke again.

The two officers facing the stitched man staggered, still recovering from the aftermath of that scream. Their footing wasn’t steady, their reactions just a fraction slower than before—

Enough.

The creature didn’t hesitate.

It surged forward.

THOOM—! THOOM—!

Each step crushed into the ground as it closed the distance in a blink, its upper arms spreading wide while the pincers snapped forward—

CLK—!

One of the officers reacted.

Fast.

He grabbed his partner by the shoulder and shoved him sideways—

"Move—!"

The push saved him.

But not himself.

The pincers came down.

CRRSH—!

They punched straight through his torso, piercing through armor, flesh, and bone without resistance. The force lifted him slightly off the ground as blood burst from his mouth—

"—Khh—!"

It didn’t stop.

The creature pulled—

Then snapped.

CRAAK—!

His body split.

Torso tearing apart at the waist as the pincers closed fully, ripping him in two in a brutal, wet break. Blood and fragments spilled outward as what remained dropped in uneven halves to the ground—

THUD—THUD—!

The second officer barely had time to process it.

He staggered back, rifle snapping up as panic flashed across his face. He fired immediately—

THUD—THUD—THUD—!

Rounds struck toward the creature’s head, forcing it to bring all four arms up in defense, covering its face and upper frame—

But the pincers—

Remained free.

They lunged again.

Fast.

The officer’s eyes widened—

Too close.

Too fast—

Then—

WOOSH—~

Wind brushed across his face.

The pincers stopped.

Right in front of him.

Frozen.

He blinked.

Confused.

His head turned—

And he saw him.

Don stood several meters away, feet planted, one arm extended toward the stitched man, fingers curled slightly as invisible force locked the creature’s pincers in place mid-strike.

His other arm—

Stretched in the opposite direction.

Toward the ruined building.

The muscles along his neck stood out, veins visible as strain built under the effort, his jaw clenched tight.

"Keep shooting it!" Don shouted.

The officer snapped out of it immediately.

"—Argh!!"

He fired.

Again.

Relentless.

THUD—THUD—THUD—!

At the same time—

Don pulled.

Hard.

Debris exploded outward as her body was ripped free from where she stood—

Dragged.

Her form crossing the open space back toward Don at high speed, limbs twisting mid-air as she was forced forward—

But she adapted.

Her hair lashed out—

VOOSHH—!

Strands shot downward, embedding into the road below with violent force—

THK—! THK—! THK—!

They anchored her.

Her movement stopped mid-pull, her body jerking as the tension between forces held her suspended between Don and the ground.

That moment—

Was enough.

The cloaked operative, still pinned moments before, tore himself free as the pressure shifted. The strand lodged in his leg ripped out with a wet tear—

"AAAH—!!"

Blood spilled immediately as he collapsed to one knee, clutching at the wound, teeth clenched hard enough to crack.

Nearby—

The one who had dodged earlier moved.

Low.

Fast.

Knife in hand.

He sprinted toward her position, boots barely making sound against the broken ground as he closed the distance with intent.