The Evergrace limousine hummed quietly as it slipped through the iron gates of Blackthorn Academy. Nano-ceramic armor melted seamlessly into sleek, innocuous trim, transforming the vehicle from fortress to elegant carriage. Inside, Ren adjusted his tie—a deceptively simple strip of smart-fabric that could harden into a garrote wire with a single thought—while Yui's fingers danced over her neural lace interface.
SCHOOL SECURITY SYSTEMS: COMPROMISEDDR. VOGT'S LAB: ACTIVELINA VOGT: EN ROUTE TO CHEMISTRY LAB
Yui's serene smile was edged with something sharper today. "Let's see what secrets the good doctor is hiding."
Section 1: The Trap
The chemistry lab smelled faintly of bleach and ozone. Dr. Vogt's hands trembled as he handed out petri dishes, each containing a translucent, pulsating organism.
"Today, we examine cellular regeneration," he announced, avoiding direct eye contact with the twins.
Ren's ocular implants zoomed in automatically.
BIOMATERIAL MATCH: EVERGRACE PROPRIETARY STRAIN E-217SECURITY BREACH LEVEL: CRITICAL
Yui tapped her fingernail against the edge of the desk, sending a rhythmic code only Ren could read.
[Danger. Stolen tech. How to proceed?]
Ren blinked thrice.
[Observe first.]
Section 2: The Revelation
Later, in the bustling cafeteria, Lina Vogt nearly dropped her tray. Yui caught it with effortless grace, her symbiote-enhanced reflexes making the move look natural.
"Clumsy today," Yui remarked, returning the tray. Her neural lace scanned Lina's eyes—pupil dilation spiked.
Ren observed silently, monitoring the school's security feeds remotely.
DR. VOGT'S OFFICE: UNAUTHORIZED DATA TRANSFER DETECTEDDESTINATION: BIODYNE CORPORATION SERVER
Lina twisted a delicate necklace nervously. "My father's passionate about his work."
Yui's smile sharpened to a razor's edge. "Funny. So are we."
Section 3: The Interception
Rain hammered the biology lab's windows as Ren disabled the surveillance cameras with a subtle thought. Inside, Dr. Vogt hurriedly uploaded files to a secure external server.
Yui stepped from the shadows, her voice honeyed and dangerous. "Stealing from us is... unwise."
The man whipped around, syringe raised. "You don't understand what's at stake—"
Ren's neural lace analyzed the needle's contents instantly.
NEUROTOXIN: DERIVED FROM EVERGRACE WEAPONS DIVISIONANTIDOTE: SYNTHESIZING
Yui did not flinch when the syringe pierced her skin. Her synthetic symbiote neutralized the toxin moments before it reached her bloodstream.
Vogt retreated as Yui's jewelry morphed into a glinting monofilament wire.
Section 4: The Choice
Lina burst through the lab door, breathless. "Stop! He's doing this for me!"
Ren's predictive algorithms raced through possible outcomes:
Eliminate both: clean but wasteful. (Lina: 89% recruitable)
Recruit: risky but high-reward (Vogt's expertise: exceptional)
Memory wipe: temporary solution
Yui's fingers twitched toward the bracelet containing neural-scrambling nanites, but Ren caught her wrist.
To Vogt, Ren said evenly, "Your daughter has six months to live. The genetic degradation in her cells? We can fix it."
Yui's gaze narrowed but she withdrew the wire.
Lina paled. "What degradation?"
Vogt crumpled. "How did you—"
VOGT'S PRIVATE MEDICAL FILES: ACCESSEDLINA'S CONDITION: TELOMERE COLLAPSE SYNDROME
Ren tapped his temple, displaying the holographic diagnosis. "Our labs can cure her. For a price."
Section 5: The Aftermath
Dawn found the twins in their estate's subterranean lab, watching through wall-sized screens as Vogt signed the employment contracts.
Yui swirled a glass of synthesized blood substitute. "You're sentimental. She'll betray us."
Ren monitored Lina's first treatment session via drone feed. "Maybe. But now we own her father's genius... and her loyalty."
Yui's laugh was a blade being sharpened. "Loyalty bought isn't loyalty earned."
Outside, the first birds began to sing. Somewhere in the city, Lina Vogt woke with perfectly healthy cells—and no idea what she'd just become.