Chapter 89: Chapter 16: The Crazy Doll The lights suddenly died, plunging them into absolute darkness for three heartbeats before emergency power kicked in, bathing everything in hellish red. In those three seconds of darkness, Eve moved—Scarlett heard it, felt the air displacement, smelled that cotton-candy scent intensify. When the lights returned, Eve was pressed against Jin’s back, arms wrapped around his waist, face buried against his spine. She was purring. Actually purring, like a cat made of genetic nightmares and weaponized pheromones. "Power went out so I grabbed you!" she explained without moving. "I’m supposed to hold onto my baby-daddy during emergencies." "The power’s back on," Jin pointed out, trying to pry her arms loose. It was like trying to bend steel wrapped in silk. "Emergency rules say I have to hold on for fifteen minutes to make sure the danger’s gone!" Eve’s voice was muffled against his back. "Also, you smell amazing. Like lightning and fighting and perfect genes." The Entity stirred, recognizing a kindred predator using him as a shield and anchor simultaneously. The wrongness of her pressed against him made his skin crawl even as his modified biology responded to her engineered pheromones. "I’m going to kill her," Shūmei said conversationally, like discussing the weather. "Slowly. In order from A to Z by body parts." "That’s good!" Eve called out cheerfully, still attached to Jin like a cheerful parasite. "Should we compete who’s stronger?!" The absolute insanity of the response actually made Shūmei pause, uncertain how to respond to someone who treated death threats like lunch dates. Sera rubbed her temples, looking utterly exhausted. "I need a drink. Preferably strong ones." "Can I have some too?" Eve asked hopefully. "Alcohol has protein, right?" Scarlett just stared at the ceiling as if praying for patience. "Clara. Get that room ready. Now. With extra locks." "On it!" Clara scrambled for her tablet, nearly dropping it again in her haste. As Clara rushed off, Eve called after her, "Make sure it has good air! And soft stuff! And maybe a corner for my nest!" Clara didn’t respond, just kept walking faster. Anna Volkov stepped forward, her mind already working. "If she can break through walls, we need to make her room stronger. Normal vault walls won’t be enough." "I can help with that!" Maya said eagerly. "I’ve been working on new wall reinforcements. We could test them on her room." "Great," Rosa said sarcastically. "Turn her room into a fortress. Just what we need." Luna was already doing math in her head. "The food she needs alone will stretch our supplies. At three times normal eating, and maybe four during... certain times..." She trailed off, looking uncomfortable. "Don’t worry!" Eve said cheerfully. "I can hunt! I’m really good at it. There are probably lots of tasty things crawling around in the lower levels." The way she said "tasty things" made everyone shudder. Amirah stepped forward, trying to take control. "Eve, while we’re getting your room ready, maybe you’d like a tour? We could show you around, explain how things work here." Eve’s eyes lit up. "A tour! Yes! I want to see everything! Especially the kitchen. And Jin’s room. And anywhere else babies might be made!" "We’ll start with the non-baby-making places first," Amirah said firmly. As the group began to move, Eve detached herself from Jin but stayed close, her crimson eyes taking in every detail of the vault. She was like a sponge, soaking up information at an alarming rate. "Interesting," she murmured, more to herself than to anyone else. "The walls are weak in several places. Air systems are working at 67%. Power is shaky. And there are at least seventeen spots where someone could break in nearby." The group froze, turning to stare at her. "What?" Eve asked innocently. "I’m good at noticing things. It’s part of my programming." "Your programming?" Scarlett asked carefully. Eve nodded. "Yep! I was made to be the perfect mate and protector. Part of that is being super observant. Also super strong. And super flexible. Want to see?" She started to bend in a way that human backs definitely shouldn’t bend. "No!" multiple voices yelled at once. Eve straightened, looking disappointed. "Fine. But I can show you my claws instead." She extended her fingernails, which grew into sharp, curved talons. "Those are... impressive," Scarlett said, her mind already assessing the threat level. "Thanks! They’re great for climbing. And for... well, you know." Eve made a cutting motion across her throat, then smiled brightly. The group exchanged worried looks. As they continued down the hall, Eve skipped ahead, examining every detail of the vault with childlike curiosity. She touched walls, tasted the air, and hummed a cheerful tune that sounded vaguely like a lullaby. "She’s going to be the death of us," Rosa muttered to Sera. "Or the salvation of humanity," Elena countered, her scientific mind already racing with ideas. "Either way," Scarlett said grimly, "we need to be ready. Eve isn’t just another survivor. She’s a game-changer. And I’m not sure if the game is one we can win." They moved through the vault halls, the emergency lights casting long shadows that danced with their movement. Eve’s presence seemed to warp the very air around them, her unnatural grace making the rest of them seem clumsy by comparison. She kept up a constant stream of observations, pointing out weak spots, air systems, and security cameras with scary accuracy. "This spot has a 78% chance of breaking during shaking," she noted, tapping a section of wall that looked perfectly solid to everyone else. "And that camera..." she pointed to a small dome in the ceiling, "has been broken for about 2.7 years. The power cord is rusty." Clara fumbled with her tablet, pulling up the maintenance logs. "She’s right. How did she...?" "I told you, I’m observant!" Eve said proudly. "It’s part of my programming. I was made to be the perfect mate and protector. That means noticing everything that could hurt my future babies!" Sera rubbed her temples, the headache growing stronger. "Please stop talking about babies." "But it’s my whole purpose!" Eve protested. "What else am I supposed to talk about? The weather? The weather’s terrible underground. It’s always the same temperature. Very boring." They rounded a corner, and Eve stopped abruptly, her head tilting like a predator catching a scent. "Oh! Someone’s been fighting recently!" She spun toward Scarlett, moving with that liquid grace that shouldn’t exist in human joints. "You’ve killed... seventeen? No, eighteen crawlers in the last six hours. The sweat smell is very specific."