They barreled for the shaft, but Vorr intercepted them mid-corridor. He moved like living metal—fast, fluid, and unstoppable. Julius lunged, Echelon's Predator Protocol activating with a jolt of pain and adrenaline. His reflexes sharpened, every sinew screaming with newfound power.
He blocked Vorr's first strike—an arc of shimmering energy—then countered, driving his blades into Vorr's forearm. Sparks exploded as living armor reknit around the wound. Vorr roared, billet-red light flooding the corridor as he summoned tendrils that wrapped around Julius's legs.
Julius slashed free, but the crash sent him sprawling against the bulkhead. Brinley fired a grenade round that blew away three mercs and staggered Vorr long enough for Julius to regain his footing.
"Now," Julius gasped. Echelon's voice surged: "Execution Burst—ready."
Vorr lunged again. Julius met him head-on, channeling every last joule of Echelon's core into a concentrated beam that cleaved through living armor. The blast threw Vorr into the vault's ribbed walls, shattering conduit and flesh alike.
He hit the ground, symbiote sputtering. Julius raised his blades for the final strike—
—and froze. Vorr's form convulsed as new growths erupted from his back—horned, wing-like membranes unfurling in a grotesque bloom of biomass.
"Ascension," Vorr hissed, voice doubled with centrifugal power. "There is no end."
The corridor shook. Ceiling panels collapsed in showers of sparks. Brinley grabbed Julius's arm. "We must go—before it collapses."
He nodded, every joint screaming. "Alternative exit—50 meters, starboard." Echelon directed. They stumbled toward a locked hatch stamped Service Bay. Brinley slammed the override. The door groaned open.
Behind them, Vorr's wings beat, sending shockwaves that cracked the deck. Hive mercs poured in, monstrous and relentless. Julius kicked Brinley through the hatch, then barred it as best he could.
"Get the pod ready!" he yelled.
She sprinted to the descending elevator shaft. Julius followed, Echelon fusing broken bone with living fiber, each step less painful than the last. The station's power chimed down all around them.
At the hangar's edge, the Wraith's escape pod hung like a promise. Brinley pried it open and hauled Julius inside. He collapsed on the floor as she sealed the hatch.
Outside, the vault's heart imploded in a ring of violet light. Hive tendrils lashed at the pod, but retro-thrusters flared and they shot free, ripping through the collapsing station.
Julius lay back, chest heaving. The HUD flickered: "Evolution Stage Three unlocked."
Brinley placed a hand on his shoulder. "Ready for whatever's next?"
He managed a grin despite broken ribs and a dawn of new power stirring in his veins. "Always."