Chapter 24 · The Original Wakes Up

The pod cracked open with a hiss that filled the whole room.

M-0 jerked upright, cables ripping free from his neck and wrists. His eyes snapped open. Same face as mine. Same scar through the left eyebrow. But his pupils were blown wide, almost black, and he wasn't looking at anything.

"Mark—" Lea started.

I grabbed her arm. "Don't. He's not awake yet."

M-0 swung his legs over the edge of the pod. His movements were too smooth. Too controlled. Like someone else was holding the strings.

Ava stepped back, hand going to the pistol on her hip. "What the hell did they do to him?"

"Conditioning," I said. My wrist burned. The counter hadn't moved, but I could feel it crawling under my skin. "Viktor's been running him through the same loop we are. Except he didn't get to keep his memory. They just kept resetting him and writing over the top."

M-0's head turned. Slow. Mechanical. His gaze locked onto Lea.

"Shit," I breathed.

Lea saw it too. She froze.

"He's got a target," Ava said quietly. "Mark, he's got a target and it's her."

I moved without thinking.