Project Insectoid: My Hybrid Ascension

"Argh!"

A young man's scream shattered the stillness of the night as he threw a punch at his sister, his raven-black hair glinting with a green sheen under the moonlight.

"Come on, I know you can do better than that, Liam," Ava teased, effortlessly dodging his strike.

With sharp focus, Liam observed her movements, predicting where she would move a few milliseconds before it happened. It was as if a faint outline surrounded her body.

He groaned and launched a follow-up attack, determined to land at least one solid hit and wipe that smirk off her face.

The way she carried herself during their sparring made the training far more frustrating than it needed to be.

Having fought Liam for some time now, Ava had adapted to his fighting style. His pesky movement prediction and ability to sense vibrations no longer posed much of a challenge.

She grabbed Liam's hand and pulled him closer, locking him in place. "Even a snail could hit faster, you know."

"Well, it's not my fault you got the good genetics," Liam retorted, glaring at his sister as he yanked his arm free in frustration.

"You have no right to say that, you know," Ava shot back, crossing her arms and turning her back to him.

"And you still owe me that ride..." she muttered under her breath, careful not to let their mother overhear. She wasn't ready for another hour-long lecture.

Their mother's concerns were understandable, but hearing the same speech repeatedly was exhausting.

"Kids, that's enough!" their mother commanded, her voice cold and authoritative as she stomped the ground with her foot. The air grew heavy, and an invisible force pressed down on Liam and Ava's shoulders.

"I did not give up my career so you two could bicker. Now, go again," Ella ordered sternly, crossing her arms and straightening her posture.

"Yes, ma'am!" Liam and Ava shouted in unison, turning toward their mother before resuming their training.

Every night was the same, regardless of whether they had a fever or a stomachache.

Ella sighed, leaning against the house wall and bending her knee as she exhaled deeply, her eyes never leaving the sparring match.

She wasn't worried about her biological daughter; after all, Ava had inherited all her skills and abilities. It was Liam who concerned her...

"You're worrying too much about them, Ella..." a gentle male voice said behind her. Kevin carried a tray with four glasses of water and a bowl of apples cut into tiny pieces—a rare treat in a world where humanity fought for survival against alien invaders.

Ella glanced at him before closing her eyes and taking a glass from the gray metal tray.

"Yeah, I know," she admitted, swirling the water in her cup before taking a sip.

Kevin set the tray on the rusty table and leaned beside her, watching as Ava threw a high kick at Liam, who blocked it with his forearm before countering.

"You know, when you first brought Liam home, I was kind of afraid of him," Kevin admitted, recalling the rainy night when his wife returned home from the mission, carrying a random three-year-old child wrapped in a red blanket, but the real shock came later.

When Ella placed the child on the table and removed the blanket, revealing his naked body, two features stood out: two pairs of insectoid wings and tiny antennae protruding from his hairline.

She explained how she had found him in one of the insectoids' nests, alongside other similar children. There were orders to kill them all, but Liam was already outside the chambers, and she couldn't bring herself to do it.

Kevin, like any normal adult, had wanted to get rid of the child the moment Ella revealed the truth. But now, he carried a heavy heart, regretting his words from back then.

"Wait, we'll continue this in a moment," Ella interrupted, sensing where the conversation was headed.

She stepped forward and clapped her hands to get the children's attention.

"Dad brought a treat for you! Go for three more rounds, and then you can wrap it up for the night," she announced. "Oh, and feel free to use your abilities," she added before returning to her husband.

"Finally!" Ava exclaimed, her lips forming a small smirk as she tied her long, lush brown hair into a high ponytail with a white elastic.

"Now we're talking!" Liam cracked his neck and stretched his arms, getting back into a battle stance. Whatever it took, he was determined to take her down tonight.

He clapped his hands together, and when he opened them, a light green orb of energy with golden swirls appeared.

Ava removed the top of her baby-pink tracksuit, revealing a black T-shirt with white letters that read, "Free Earth!" and a crossed-out image of an insectoid lying dead on its back.

She punched her palm with her fist before charging at Liam.

Liam hurled a few energy spheres at Ava, aiming for her legs to throw her off balance. But she didn't stop, her knuckles crackling with dark purple energy as she slammed the ground in front of Liam, who backed away to avoid the hit.

"Whoa! Watch it, you gorilla. One day, you're going to kill me!" He stared at the small crater Ava had made in the dirt, recalling how it felt to be on the receiving end of her punches.

"What did you call me?" Ava's body temperature rose, a gust of mist escaping her mouth as her face turned red with anger.

'Crap...' Liam regretted his words, but it was too late. His only option was to pray he wouldn't get beaten too badly.

"Stand still and let me punch you!" Ava growled, unleashing a flurry of punches at her rude brother.

Liam dodged her attacks. Luckily, avoiding her was easier than landing a hit.

'Whatever you do, don't let her hit you. Don't block; just move out of the way,' he continued to repeat this inside his head like a mantra. But then, something unexpected happened.

A splitting headache struck out of nowhere, forcing him to the ground.

"Not again!" he groaned, gritting his teeth as a red holographic screen flickered before his eyes.

[Sy$t@m Ree¶o©ting]

[System Rebooting]

[Error]

[Error]

[Error]

[System on Standby]

As the final message disappeared, the headache vanished as quickly as it had come.

"Ugh..." Liam rubbed his forehead and looked up, only to see Ava's fist hurtling toward his face.

"Liam!" Ella shouted in fear, dropping her glass. It shattered, spilling water everywhere.

The last thing she saw was something emerging from Liam's back before a cloud of dirt enveloped the two.