Captured by the Yandere Space Pirates

Bang!

A gunshot rang out, the sound deafening in the confined space, the muzzle flash briefly illuminating the room, casting stark shadows.

Ila dodged, rolling across the obsidian floor with feline grace, her own gun drawn in a heartbeat, firing back with deadly precision, the recoil barely shifting her stance.

The intruder—an eerily familiar figure in Ila's form, her black hair and teal eyes a perfect mirror—dodged with identical agility, rolling in sync, their movements a deadly dance, their silhouettes flickering in the screen's crimson glow.

Syn's breath caught, his mind racing. All he could see was Ila dodging, shooting and rolling in quick strides. Who was the other person?

Who is she fighting?

The two Ilas faced each other, their teal eyes locked for a heartbeat, a surreal moment of recognition, before they unleashed a storm of gunfire.

Plasma bullets made dents in the chamber's walls, sparks flying, the air thick with the acrid scent of gunpowder, the holo-screen's gore a chaotic backdrop.

Syn struggled against his cuffs, desperate to see, the throne's headboard blocking his view, but he caught glimpses—flashes of Ila's black hair, her gun blazing, rolling on the floor and moving swiftly from side to side.

The fake Ila's ammo ran dry, her gun clicking empty, and the real Ila smirked, her lips curling with sadistic confidence as she took her time to aim, savoring the moment, her teal eyes gleaming with triumph.

But the fake Ila was faster, hurling her empty gun at Ila's face with lethal force, the metal glinting as it spun through the air.

Ila dodged, her reflexes razor-sharp, her body twisting, but the distraction was enough—the fake Ila closed the distance, her fist slamming into Ila's jaw with a sickening crack that echoed like a thunderclap, blood spraying from Ila's lip.

Ila flew backward, slamming into the wall with a bone-rattling thud, her body crumpling for a moment, her gun skittering across the floor, its metal clattering against the floor.

Syn's head whipped to the side, his eyes catching the motion in the corner of his vision, his heart leaping with desperate hope.

Someone had come to save him—who could it be?

He felt his cuffs loosen, his right wrist suddenly free, and glanced down, realizing a stray bullet from the shootout had grazed the throne's armrest, damaging the cuff's lock, the metal warped and sparking.

With a surge of adrenaline, he summoned all his strength, wrenching his hand free, the metal scraping his skin raw, blood welling up.

His fingers found a release button on the throne's side, hidden in the serpentine carvings, and with a press, the remaining cuffs snapped open with a mechanical click, freeing his wrists and ankles.

He leapt to his feet, pulled up his pants, his legs shaky but fueled by desperation, his chest heaving, his eyes scanning the room.

The holo-screen flickered, the shapeshifters' prison a silent witness beyond the transparent wall.

There stood Mia, her white hair glinting in the screen's glow, her pale eyes fierce with determination.

She'd come for him, risked everything to breach this fortress, to save him from Ila's clutches.

Ila staggered to her feet, clutching her jaw, blood trickling from her lip, her teal eyes wide with shock and rage.

"Who are you?" she yelled again, her voice a mix of fury and disbelief, the fake Ila had turned into an alluring woman with white hair right in front of her.

Ila's gaze darted to Syn, now standing, his fists clenched, his hazel eyes burning with a mix of fear and vengeance.

"Syn, stay back!" she ordered, her voice a whip-crack, her authority fraying but still commanding.

Syn ignored her, his heart pounding, a raw yell tearing from his throat as he charged, his fist aimed at her face, his body fueled by hours of torment, and rage.

Ila's reflexes kicked in, her body a blur as she sidestepped Syn's punch, her teal eyes blazing with demonic fury.

She countered with a lightning-fast jab to his ribs, her knuckles connecting with a dull thud, the impact sending a jolt of pain through his side, his breath hitching as he stumbled.

Mia lunged, her shapeshifter agility a streak of white hair and pale skin, her elbow aiming for Ila's temple.

Ila ducked, her black hair whipping, and grabbed Mia's arm, twisting it with a savage jerk, forcing Mia to her knees with a gasp, her face contorted in pain.

Syn recovered, his rage overpowering his pain, and swung a wild haymaker at Ila's head.

Ila released Mia, leaning back just enough for Syn's fist to graze her cheek, a faint red mark blooming on her skin.

She snarled, her foot snapping up in a vicious kick, catching Syn's thigh, the impact buckling his leg, sending him staggering toward the throne.

Mia sprang to her feet, her pale eyes narrowed, and tackled Ila, her shoulder slamming into Ila's midsection, driving her back a step. Ila grunted, her hands grabbing Mia's shoulders, her nails digging in as she pivoted, using Mia's momentum to hurl her toward the transparent wall.

Mia twisted mid-air, her shapeshifter instincts sharp, and landed in a crouch, her boots skidding on the obsidian floor, her breath ragged.

Ila didn't pause, charging Syn, her fist rocketing toward his jaw.

Syn ducked, his heart pounding, and grabbed her wrist, yanking her forward, his knee aiming for her stomach.

Ila twisted, her abs flexing, and took the blow on her hip, her grunt barely audible as she spun, her elbow crashing into Syn's cheek, splitting the skin, blood trickling down his face.

He reeled, his vision swimming, but Mia was there, her foot sweeping low, aiming for Ila's ankle.

Ila leapt over the sweep, her agility terrifying, and landed a brutal backhand across Mia's face, the crack echoing, Mia's head snapping to the side, blood welling at her lip.

"I'm done showing you mercy, Syn!" Ila roared, her voice a guttural snarl, her teal eyes blazing with unhinged rage. "Once I put you both down, I'll break you, mercilessly, until you beg to be mine!"