The ultrasound wand moved slowly over Anya's abdomen, the grainy screen flickering to life. The doctor—a wiry man with nervous hands—adjusted the machine, his breath hitching as the image clarified.
"Twins," he announced.
Anya's fingers dug into the exam table. The dates didn't make sense. We'd only been together in this timeline for **three weeks**.
The **[System]** scanned the results before I could react:
**▶ Fetus A (Male): 47% genetic match to host**
**▶ Fetus B (Female): 53% match to [REDACTED]**
**▶ Anomaly: Epigenetic markers suggest accelerated development**
Anya's voice was steel. "Whose is it?"
The door burst open before I could answer.
Mu stood framed in the doorway, her tailored suit immaculate, her smile glacial. Flanking her were six MSS operatives, their rifles trained on us.
"Congratulations," Mu said. "Though I'd hoped for just *one* heir."
Anya's pistol was in her hand before the last word left Mu's lips. The first shot took an operative between the eyes. The second shattered the ultrasound screen.
Chaos erupted.
I dragged Anya behind the overturned exam table as bullets shredded the wall where her head had been. The doctor screamed, clutching his stomach where a stray round had punched through.
Mu didn't flinch. "The ledger was very clear, Chen. *One heir lives. One heir dies.*" She tossed a syringe onto the floor. "Or I terminate both."
The **[System]** identified the drug instantly: **Tetrodotoxin. Fast-acting. Lethal to fetuses.**
Anya's finger whitened on the trigger. "You'll die first."
Mu sighed. "I've already won."
Then the gas lines exploded.