Chapter 16 · Neon Zero - Chapter 16: Level Up or Die

"If you can hear me, Knox, say my name." I pressed two fingers against the pulse point in his throat and felt it stumble under my touch. "Not the system's name. Mine."

His body jerked against the restraint cable.

The black lines under his skin lit up blue. His eyes stayed shut, but his hand snapped toward my wrist fast enough to bruise. I twisted away before his fingers closed.

"Mara," he said.

The voice was wrong.

Flat. Clean. Empty.

The same voice that had announced the purge three minutes ago. The same voice that had ordered the district doors sealed and tagged every living person inside as disposable.

I grabbed the shock baton from the floor and jammed it under his jaw.

"Try again."

His eyelids fluttered. "Mara Vey. Illegal core host. Linked target. Threat level—"

"That's not my name to you."

The baton sparked against his skin. His teeth clenched, but he didn't pull away.

"Say it like you mean it."

"Mara." His breath came rough this time. Human. "Move the damn baton."

I kept it there. "You told me to stop you if the code woke up."

"I also told you not to enjoy it.