The return of Kael's power was a supernova bursting inside of him. The dulled world of the inhibitor cuffs broke down, swept away by a slide of senses so acutely piercing that it was painful. The frightened pounding of all the soldiers' hearts, the reek of their fear, the splintering groan of the mountain—all came flooding onto his senses, igniting to the fire of his rage.
He moved.
The Aegis soldier nearest to him had half a second to know the broken cuffs before Kael's forearm, upheld by a partial shift that bent muscle and bone, crashed into his helmet. The gear shattered on the impact, and the man went down quietly.
Chaos was no longer a flaw; chaos was Kael's haven.
"Finn! The samples!" Kael roared, his voice a raw command that cut through the chaos.
Finn, his own wrists disabled
