ABANDONED RESEARCH FACILITY – 6:12 AM.

The bio-android’s eyes snapped open, glowing a sharp golden hue in the dim light. Her armored chest rose slowly, deliberately, as if every breath was part of a calculated decision. The glass of her containment pod lay shattered around her, smoke hissing from broken cables and sparking panels.

“…Finally.” Her voice was soft, almost calm, but carried a dangerous edge. She stepped forward, taloned feet crunching the glass beneath her, her movements precise and unnervingly graceful.

Outside, the wail of sirens cut through the quiet morning air. A police car screeched to a halt just outside the crumbling building. Two officers jumped out, shouting, but she didn’t flinch.

She tilted her head, watching them carefully — almost curiously — before raising a single hand. Her fingers gleamed in the morning sun.

In a flash, a green pulse of raw energy shot from her palm, striking the car and flipping it through the air. It landed upside-down in a shower of sparks and shattered glass.

The android didn’t smile, didn’t gloat. She simply turned away from the wreckage, her long armor tail whipping behind her.

“Annoying.” She muttered under her breath, walking toward the city skyline in the distance. “There are bigger things to destroy today.”