The Hunter-Killers adapted. They deployed a Sonic Decoy — a drone that mirrored his own heartbeat, confusing LUPARA’s intent-prediction. For three seconds, the Tigole’s sight flickered. Kaelen missed. A round tore through his thigh.
Kaelen laughed — a wet, pained sound. “You ever think about what you’ll do after I’m gone?”
Kaelen limped toward the maintenance ladder, Tigole held against his chest like a sleeping wolf. “Thanks for the warning.”
He’d looted it from a dead Atlas Corps operative five years ago. Since then, the gun’s titanium-ceramic frame had saved his life forty-three times. The glowing red aperture sight didn’t need batteries; it fed on the shooter’s adrenaline, pulsing brighter as Kaelen’s heart rate spiked.
Captain Kaelen “Zero” Voss never trusted smartguns. But the QXR Tigole — serial #0007 — was different. It didn’t assist his aim. It growled when he was in danger.
“Granted.”
