The neon-drenched skyline of Moreau City receded behind them as Rei gunned the engine of their Thunderbolt. Luna gripped the passenger seat, her blue cat ears flattened against her head as they raced towards Burny Island. The spaceport loomed in the distance, a towering monolith of steel and glass piercing the night sky.

"ETA five minutes," Rei announced, her pink hair whipping in the wind. She glanced at the rearview display, relieved to see Snow and Flake's sleek white vehicle close behind. "Hiro, any updates on the launch?"

Their comms crackled to life. "Not good, ladies. My sensors show increased activity at the spaceport. They're prepping for imminent takeoff."

Luna's tail lashed anxiously. "We're cutting it too close."

"We'll make it," Rei assured her, but doubt gnawed at her gut. The fate of Moreau City–hell, the entire world–rested on their shoulders.

A piercing shriek cut through the air. Rei's eyes widened as she caught sight of a winged monstrosity diving towards them. "Incoming!"

She veered hard to the right, narrowly avoiding razor-sharp talons. The creature–once human, now a nightmarish fusion of bird and man–wheeled around for another attack.

"I've got this," Luna growled. She leaned out the window, her pistol humming to life. A burst of crackling energy following the bullet erupted from the barrel, catching the hybrid in mid-dive. It plummeted towards the churning ocean below.

"Nice shot," Rei grinned, but her celebration was short-lived. More infected hybrids swarmed from the shadows, their mutations twisting them into grotesque parodies of humanity. "Looks like the Acolyte left us a welcoming committee."

Snow's voice cut through the comms. "We'll clear a path. You two focus on getting to that rocket."

Rei nodded, even though the tiger hybrid couldn't see her. "Roger that. Be careful out there."

As they neared the island, chaos erupted. Snow and Flake's vehicle peeled off, engaging the airborne threats. Blasts of energy lit up the night sky as the tiger twins fought with ruthless efficiency.

Rei pushed their air car to its limits, weaving through the carnage. Luna provided cover fire, her aim precise despite the breakneck speed. They skidded onto the landing pad in a shower of sparks, the spaceport's imposing structure looming before them.

"Go!" Rei shouted as they leapt from the vehicle. "I'll watch our six!"

They sprinted towards the main entrance, their enhanced reflexes allowing them to dodge the infected that lunged at them from the shadows. Luna's claws extended as she tore through the reinforced doors, leaving twisted metal in her wake.

Inside, alarms blared, and emergency lights bathed everything in an eerie red glow. Rei's ears twitched, picking up the telltale whine of charging weapon systems.

"Down!" she yelled, tackling Luna to the ground as a barrage of laser fire tore through the air above them. Security drones, their optics glowing an ominous crimson, converged on their position.

Luna rolled to her feet, her movements fluid and deadly. "I'll handle the tin cans. You shut down that launch!"

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Rei nodded, her heart pounding as she dashed towards a nearby computer terminal. Her fingers flew over the haptic interface, desperately searching for a way to abort the countdown.

"C'mon, c'mon," she muttered, acutely aware of the battle raging behind her. Luna's growls mingled with the sound of rending metal as she tore through the drones.

A chilling laugh echoed through the chamber, sending ice down Rei's spine. She whirled around, coming face to face with the Acolyte. His metal mask beneath his white hood and cybernetic enhancements glinted in the harsh light. His white hung down behind his full white armor suit.

"Ah, the famous k-pop stars," he sneered, his voice robotic in a cybernetic dark tone. "I was thinking you wouldn't make it to the party."

Rei's eyes narrowed. "This ends now, Acolyte. We won't let you destroy everything we've fought to protect."

He tsked, shaking his head. "You still don't understand, do you? This isn't destruction–it's salvation. Humanity has strayed too far from its natural path. The splicing, the mutations... it's an abomination. My virus will cleanse the world, returning us to our pure form."

"You're insane," Luna snarled, joining her sister. Green blood matted her suit, evidence of the fierce battle she'd just won. “Your virus will only leave the world populated with monsters you created, which are completely unnatural!”

“God’s flood can be unnatural, but after it washes away the filth, the world will be pure once more,” the Acolyte explained.

He is totally insane, Rei thought. “Are you also the one who placed the bounty on our heads?”

“Yes, because I knew you were the ones who slayed the creature I was hunting.”

“Creature?” Luna asked.

“The black goo monster–it was to be the harbinger of a new age. But you," he pointed an accusing finger, "you destroyed it, in which I am grateful for. You made it easy for me to collect the sample to begin the reckoning. However, my plague attracted too much attention across this city. As a thanks, I turned you both into my distractions.”

Rei narrowed her eyes. “All of that, just to change the world because you hate the world the way it is now? You sounded like an old coot who can’t accept any changes.”

The Acolyte groaned behind his mask. “God told me to cleanse this world for him, and I will obey him even if it means sacrificing my life.

He’s just a delusional psychopath, Rei thought. Nothing more than monster to hunt.

“In mere minutes, my rocket will launch, spreading the virus across the globe. Mankind will face the consequences of playing god, and you will die with them.”

Without warning, gleaming blades extended from the Acolyte's cybernetic arms. He lunged forward with inhuman speed, forcing Rei and Luna to dive in opposite directions.

Rei rolled to her feet, her own claws unsheathing. She parried a vicious slash; the impact jarring her bones. Luna darted in from the side, aiming a kick at the Acolyte's knee. He pivoted, narrowly avoiding the strike, and retaliated with a whirling series of slashes that forced Luna back.

The twins fought in perfect synchronization, years of training clear in every move. But the Acolyte was a nightmare of flesh and machinery, his cybernetic enhancements granting him terrifying strength and speed.

A lucky hit sent Rei sprawling. She tasted blood, her vision swimming as she struggled to stand. Luna roared in fury, redoubling her assault. Her claws raked across the Acolyte's face, leaving deep furrows on his mask.

He staggered back, momentarily stunned. It was the opening Rei needed. She sprang forward, driving her knee into his solar plexus. The Acolyte doubled over, gasping for air.

"Luna, now!" Rei shouted.

Her sister pounced, pinning the Acolyte to the ground. Rei scrambled for a nearby length of cable, quickly binding their enemy's arms behind his back.

"It's over," she panted, victory flooding her veins.

The Acolyte's laughter, low and menacing, wiped the smile from her face. "You think you've won? Look around you, fools. My rocket is moments from launch. You're too late to stop what's coming."

Rei's blood ran cold as she glanced at the countdown clock. Less than two minutes remained.

"Hiro!" she barked into her comm. "Tell me you've got something!"

Their tech wizard's voice crackled through, strained and urgent. "I'm trying to override the launch sequence, but this encryption is like nothing I've seen. I need more time!"

"We don't have more time," Luna growled, her tail lashing in agitation.

The Acolyte's eyes gleamed with fanatical triumph. "You see? It's futile. My vision will be realized, and there's nothing you can do to stop it."

Rei's mind raced, searching for a solution. They couldn't let the virus spread globally–the devastation would be unimaginable. But how could they stop a rocket already primed for launch?

A crazy idea took root. "Hiro," she said, her voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through her veins. "If you can't stop the launch, can you change its trajectory?"

There was a moment of silence, then Hiro's excited reply. "Yes! I think I can reprogram the flight path. Where do you want to send it?"

"Up," Rei said grimly. "Straight up, as far from Earth as possible."

It was their only beat shot, but they needed to hurry.

“I won't let you!” The Acolyte pulled out a syringe and stabbed it into his neck. When he dropped it, his body shook as his size expanded.

Rei's mouth dropped, knowing what the ninja was becoming.