Page 25 of Cyborgs' Origins

With a feral roar, Vorn lashed out, his cybernetic claw slicing through the air like a whip. Tiberius twisted, narrowly avoiding the strike, and countered with a vicious uppercut from his cyborg arm that struck the Sventian leader.

Vorn stumbled back, his blaster arm swinging wildly, unleashing a torrent of plasma fire that scorched the lab’s walls. Simone flinched, ducking behind a console as shrapnel and sparks rained down around her.

Through the haze of smoke and debris, she glimpsed Tiberius closing in, his movements fluid and relentless. He battered Vorn’s defenses, each blow landing with bone-jarring force.

Vorn’s laughter echoed through the chaos, a deep, mocking rumble. “Is that all you’ve got, human? I expected more from the great Tiberius Peña.”

Tiberius didn’t rise to the taunt. He feinted left, then struck with blinding speed, his cybernetic fist slamming into Vorn’s midsection with the force of a small artillery shell.

The impact lifted Vorn off his feet, sending him crashing through a bank of computers in a shower of sparks and twisted metal. Simone ducked instinctively as more debris rained down around her.

Vorn emerged from the wreckage, his armor rent and scorched, but his eyes burned with a maniacal gleam. “Not bad, human. I look forward to having your enhancements, but I’ll be able to fully use them. You’re too weak to have such a gift.” With a flick of his wrist, a wicked-looking blade extended from his remaining cybernetic limb. He twirled the blade, his movements almost casual, as if taunting Tiberius to make the next move.

Simone’s grip tightened on the laser scalpel. She knew better than to intervene. Tiberius’s enhanced reflexes and combat prowess far outstripped her own, but every fiber of her being yearned to stand at his side, to face this threat together as partners.

As if sensing her thoughts, Tiberius glanced over his shoulder, his cybernetic eye locking with gaze. Tiberius gave her the slightest nod, a wordless reassurance, before turning his attention back to Vorn. His stance shifted, his body coiling as he prepared to engage once more.

Vorn charged, his blade a blur of lethal steel as he unleashed a whirlwind of strikes. Tiberius parried and deflected each blow, his movements a seamless fusion of raw power and calculated precision.

The two clashed in a whirlwind of violence, their enhanced forms striking with the force of colliding asteroids. Simonecould only watch as the battle raged around her, having trouble keeping track of how fast they moved.

Tiberius seized an opening, his cybernetic fist slamming into Vorn’s jaw with a sickening crunch. The Sventian leader staggered, his blade clattering to the floor as he fought to maintain his footing.

Seizing the advantage, Tiberius pressed his assault, raining down a relentless barrage of blows that battered Vorn’s defenses. Each strike landed with bone-jarring force, the sound of rending metal echoing through the lab.

Vorn snarled, his remaining hand lashing out in a desperate bid to gain some respite. His cybernetic claw raked across Tiberius’s chest, scoring deep furrows in his armor and drawing a thin line of blue fluid.

Tiberius grunted, his expression tightening with pain, but he refused to relent. With a feral roar, he unleashed a devastating uppercut that lifted Vorn off his feet, sending him crashing to the floor in a heap of twisted metal and sparking circuitry.

Silence descended over the lab, punctuated only by the crackle of exposed wiring and the ragged sound of Vorn’s labored breathing. Simone emerged from her cover, her heart pounding in her ears as she approached Tiberius.

He turned to face her, his cybernetic enhancements still glowing with power, his expression a mix of triumph and concern. Without a word, he pulled her into a fierce embrace, his arms enveloping her in a protective cocoon.

Simone melted into Tiberius’s embrace, drawing strength from the solidity of his form, the reassuring thrum of his cybernetic enhancements. His arms enveloped her, a protective cocoon shielding her from the chaos that raged around them.

For a fleeting moment, the sounds of battle faded into the background, replaced by the steady beat of his heart, and the rhythmic whir of his synthetic components. Simone reveled inhis presence and the certainty he would always stand at her side, no matter the odds.

All too soon, the respite shattered as a thunderous explosion rocked the colony, jolting them back to the grim reality they faced. Tiberius’s grip tightened, his body tensing as he scanned the smoke-filled lab for any lingering threats.

“We need to regroup,” he said, his voice a low rumble that reverberated through her bones. “The others will be converging on our position.”

Simone nodded, reluctantly extricating herself from his embrace. Her fingers trailed along the scorched furrows in his armor.

As if sensing her thoughts, Tiberius caught her hand, his cybernetic eye locking with her gaze. “We’ll be okay.”

His conviction bolstered her resolve, and she squared her shoulders, pushing aside the lingering tendrils of fear. “I know,” she said, her voice steadier than she had anticipated.

The sound of approaching footsteps drew their attention, and Simone turned to see Lance and the others emerging from the smoke-filled corridors. Their armor bore the scars of battle, but their eyes burned with a fierce determination that mirrored Tiberius’s own.

“Status report,” said Tiberius, his tone all business as he slipped seamlessly into his role as commander.

Lancer stepped forward, his expression grim. “The outer defenses have been breached, but we’ve managed to contain the Sventian forces within the secondary perimeter. For now.”

His gaze flicked toward the twisted heap of metal and sparking circuitry that had once been Vorn. “Their leader is down, but they’re regrouping under a new command structure.”

Tiberius’s jaw tightened, his cybernetic eye flickering as he processed the information. “We need to press our advantage while we still can. Hawk, what’s our aerial situation?”

The lithe sniper stepped forward. “The skies are clear for now, but they’ve got heavy artillery inbound. We’ll need to neutralize those cannons before they can bring them to bear.”

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