Project Renegade: Genesis (Being Updated)

The Day Everything Changed PT.2

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Flames consumed every corner they tried to turn, canceling any means of escape. Ryan's heartbeat felt as if with every thump, his body shook. His chest heaved with every breath, the weight of the situation pressing down on him like a suffocating blanket.

"Watch out! " Emma cried, seeing a beam of light rush toward them.

BOOM!

The blast sent them careening through the glass of another lab. Heat rolled across his back in relentless waves, like a furnace breathing down on him. Through the haze of smoke, he saw Emma lying motionless, blood leaking from her head.

"No!" He could barely shout, as his gaze darted across the room.

Through the swirling smoke, he caught a glimpse of the silhouette, dark and foreboding. He scrambled to his feet, his lab coat burnt and tattered, falling off his shoulders. 

Quickly, he looked around the room for a weapon. He rushed behind the countless beakers filled with substances, opening a drawer to find a robotic arm.

THUMP!

The figure entered the room. Its eyes glowed with crimson malice as it swiped its hand. An energy sword materialized with a menacing hiss. Origin.

WHOOSH!

With his burning blade raised above his head, Origin stared into Ryan's soul with a cold glare.  Ryan swung the arm with a fierce yell. But he felt no response.

The blade came down before Ryan could process it. The metal arm he once held was split across the room. Every beaker had already shattered, the chemicals splashing into his body. That's when he noticed his chest was exposed.

A white-hot line split across his chest, and for a split second, he felt nothing—then everything.

The burning went bone-deep, radiating inward like his ribs were filling with molten steel. Blood burst from his nostrils as his back met the floor, and the last thing he saw before the darkness crowded in was Origin standing over him, blade still glowing, completely unmoved.

Origin raised his arm to finish it when-

SHOCK!

He cried out as a surge of electricity ripped through him, his body seizing under the shock. Emma pushed forward, forcing the moment open just enough for the cyborg to stumble to its knees.

Seizing this chance, she grabbed Ryan and hauled him into a nearby room. Her arms burned with effort as she dragged him into a storage closet and slammed the door shut behind them.

Ryan could barely make out her words, her blood, sweat, and tears dripping onto his face. His fingers twitched, feelings slowly returning. The pain was unbearable, but he didn't have the energy to scream. 

"Ryan...please...please don't die." She whimpered, her fingers rubbing against his thumbs.

Her voice slowly became muddier and muddier in his ears. His heartbeat drowned her cries, yet it also became faint. The toxic substances running through his wounds caused his muscles to convulse. echoed in his mind.

"I'm going to die... I'm actually gonna die here."

Amidst the haze of pain, he heard Origin's heavy footsteps slowly approaching, the sound of glass crunching beneath his feet.

"I'm not strong... enough...I was never...strong enough..." 

Ryan's thoughts trailed off, his mind consumed by despair. Then, in a sudden flashback, he remembered the test subjects using their super strength to break free. With trembling hands, Ryan reached into his pocket and pulled out the syringe full of glowing teal liquid.