Arkan didn't blink. He raised his sapphire arm, the light humming with a violent, jagged energy. "Subjek 99. The backup."
The emerald-eyed man grinned, revealing teeth that were too white, too perfect. "Backup? That’s so cynical, Brother. I prefer to think of myself as the update. I’m the version that doesn't need to keep 'variables' around just to feel human."
Subjek 99 looked at Maya, his gaze lingering on her stomach with a predatory glint. "And you must be Maya. The Doctor. The Genetic Bridge. I’ve seen the scans, you know. Subjek Nol really put a lot of code into that seed. Too bad you won't live to see the Harvest."
"Step back," Riley growled, her arrow drawn to her cheek. "I don't care if you look like him. I’ve killed plenty of prototypes in the labs. One more won't haunt my sle
