The girl woke up sharply as if she had been torn out of a nightmare. There was no air.

Her chest tightened until pain shot through her temples. Images flared before her eyes a shattered sky radiating with radianite light and the cities of Omega Earth disappearing one after another. That world was dying and she had seen its end too many times even in her sleep.

Her hand moved on instinct.

Her fingers clamped onto the oxygen mask. Cold plastic. A click. The first breath was sharp almost painful the second deeper the third already controlled. The gas filled her lungs but her body remained tense still braced for impact.

She sat on the bed hunched forward knees drawn to her chest shoulders tight like before a fight. One hand pressed the mask to her face the other braced against her knee fingers digging in until they hurt.

And only then did she feel warmth.

Chamber was behind her. He sat close pressed against her back mirroring her posture as if adjusting himself entirely to her. His arms wrapped around her crossed over her body one hand resting on her chest just below her collarbones the other holding her shoulder. He did not squeeze yet he did not let go holding her as if he knew that if he loosened his grip she would slip back into the nightmare.

His chin hovered close to her head his breathing steady calm almost defiant against everything happening to the world.

Beyond the base chaos reigned.

Omega Earth was collapsing. Space itself was tearing apart portals slipping out of control radianite warping reality distress signals cutting off one by one.

Viper tightened her grip on the mask.

Chamber slowly pulled her closer without asking. His body became an anchor. Viper felt every steady breath behind her and it gradually evened out her own. The panic faded not because the threat was gone but because she was no longer alone.

She did not turn. She did not say a word. She simply allowed herself to lean into him with her full weight for the first time in a long while.