Chapter 62: The hybrid war

“Run!” Maya shouted as the ground cracked open beneath their feet.

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed through the street. Smoke and dust filled the air, and glowing red eyes appeared from the shadows. The Doctors had released more hybrids.

Damien grabbed Lyra’s hand, pulling her behind a car. “How many are there?” he asked, his voice tight.

“Too many,” she replied, breathing hard. “I count at least ten. Maybe more.”

Maya ducked beside them, clutching her tablet. “They released a whole wave of them. These are newer. Faster. Stronger. The city’s scanners are picking up readings everywhere.”

Jack peered over the hood. “They’re surrounding us.”

“Then we don’t stay still,” Damien said. He stood slowly, his golden eyes glowing faintly. “We end this here.”

The hybrids charged forward. Some looked half human, half wolf, while others had scales or sharp fins, like something pulled from the ocean. Their roars filled the street, echoing against the buildings.

Lyra drew her blades. “I’ll take the ones on the left.”

“No, we move together,” Damien said firmly. “Stay close. Don’t split up.”

Maya pulled a smoke grenade from her belt and tossed it ahead. It burst open, filling the air with a thick gray cloud. The hybrids hissed, confused by the smoke. Damien took the chance to strike.

He dashed forward, kicking one hybrid in the chest and slamming another into a wall. The creature screeched as Lyra sliced its shoulder clean open. Jack used a steel rod to hit another across the jaw.

“They’re everywhere!” Bryce shouted from behind. He and Cole had joined from the side, both covered in dirt and bruises. “More are coming from the alley!”

Maya tapped on her tablet. “We can’t hold this area. We need to fall back!”

“Fall back to where?” Lyra shouted. “They’re in every direction!”

Damien blocked a claw swipe aimed at Maya, shoving the creature back. “Then we make our own path!”

He looked around and saw a half-collapsed building ahead. “That way! Move!”

The group ran through the broken street, dodging falling debris as the hybrids chased them. One leapt over a car and landed behind Maya. Before she could react, Damien turned and slammed the creature to the ground, breaking its hold.

“Go!” he shouted, pushing her forward.

They reached the building and ran inside. The walls were cracked, and the air was thick with dust. Lyra locked the door behind them.

“Everyone okay?” Damien asked, his voice steady even though his chest was heaving.

Jack nodded. “Barely. Those things don’t stop.”

Cole rubbed his arm, his eyes dark. “This isn’t random. They’re being controlled. Someone’s watching us.”

Maya frowned, scrolling through her tablet. “He’s right. There’s a signal. A pulse of some kind. They’re being tracked by one central command.”

Damien looked at her sharply. “You mean the Doctors?”

“Yes,” she said. “They’re controlling the hybrids remotely. And if we cut off that signal, we can stop them all.”

Lyra raised a brow. “And how do we do that?”

Maya bit her lip. “The signal is coming from outside the city. Somewhere near the old factory area.”

“Then that’s where we go,” Damien said.

Jack frowned. “Are you serious? That place is crawling with hybrids.”

“Exactly,” Damien said. “Which means that’s where the Doctors are hiding.”

Lyra tightened her grip on her knives. “Then we go tonight. We end this before they make another hybrid.”

Maya glanced up from her screen. “Wait. There’s more. The readings say there’s a new creation there. Something bigger. A mix of multiple species. Vampire, wolf, and siren combined.”

Jack’s face went pale. “That sounds like a monster straight from nightmares.”

Damien didn’t blink. “Then we’ll face it.”

\---

Night fell.

The team moved quietly through the edge of the city, sticking to shadows. The air was cold, and the sound of distant roars filled the darkness.

The old factory stood tall in the middle of a deserted field. Lights flickered from the top floor, and strange machinery hummed inside.

Maya whispered, “That’s it. That’s where the signal’s coming from.”

Damien nodded. “Stay alert. Once we’re inside, there’s no turning back.”

They entered through a side door, moving carefully. The halls were lined with large metal tanks filled with dark liquid. Inside each one floated something half-formed. Some looked human, others didn’t.

Lyra’s stomach twisted. “They’re still making more.”

Maya nodded quietly. “Hybrids in progress. Hundreds of them.”

Suddenly, a loud voice came from the speakers. “You shouldn’t have come here,” the voice said coldly.

Everyone froze.

“Who are you?” Damien shouted.

The voice chuckled. “We are the future, Damien. You are the past. Our creations are stronger, smarter, and more loyal than any wolf could ever be.”

Lyra’s eyes darted around. “He’s watching us.”

“Leave now,” the voice continued, “and we’ll let you live. Stay, and you’ll face the Alpha Prime.”

Maya’s face drained of color. “Alpha Prime?”

The floor shook. One of the tanks burst open, spilling dark liquid across the floor. From the smoke rose a figure—taller than any of them, with silver eyes and claws like blades.

It growled low, voice deep and metallic. “You should have stayed away.”

Damien stood his ground. “We’ve faced monsters before. You’re just another one of their experiments.”

The creature’s lips curved into a strange smile. “I’m not their experiment. I’m their success.”

It lunged forward with terrifying speed. Damien blocked with his arm, grunting as the force threw him backward. Lyra darted to his side, slashing across its chest. The cut healed instantly.

“Great,” Jack muttered, picking up a metal pipe. “It heals fast. Just what we needed.”

Maya tried using a shock grenade. The creature stumbled for a moment, then roared even louder. The sound made the walls tremble.

Damien charged again, eyes glowing gold. He landed a hit to its jaw, but the creature barely flinched. It grabbed Damien by the throat and lifted him off the ground.

“Damien!” Lyra screamed.

He gasped for breath, clawing at its arm. Then he saw a loose wire hanging from one of the tanks. Using all his strength, he kicked the creature backward into it. The wire sparked, sending a burst of electricity through its body.

The hybrid Alpha Prime screamed and fell to its knees.

It was only the beginning of the hybrid war.