Willow: Damn you...
Rage surged through Willow, raw and untamed. Before Gary could even fully register his kill, Willow launched herself at him with blinding speed, a blur of motion aimed to take him down. But an unseen force slammed into her mid-air, throwing her back against the hallway wall with a painful thud. She gasped, her breath knocked out of her as she saw a young woman in grey overalls with focused eyes and has an outstretched hand standing beside Gary, telekinetic power radiating around her like a visible aura. Willow was held pinned against the wall, unable to move, the woman's gaze unwavering. Gary, seizing the opportunity, raised his pistol, aiming directly at Willow's head.
Gary: Bye bye, beautiful... (he said, a parallel to his earlier greetings just when his finger tightened on the trigger.)
A sharp crack echoed through the hallway as Gary's pistol exploded in his hand, sending fragments of metal and plastic flying.
Gary: Ah! Son of a... (He roared in pain and surprise, dropping the useless weapon.)
Ender stepped forward, his rifle raised, the barrel still smoking, his gaze fixed on both Gary and the telekinetic inhuman. He squeezed the trigger, firing six precise shots. The inhuman reacted instantly, her other hand snapping out, a shimmering barrier of telekinetic energy forming in front, stopping the bullet mid-air, inches from their faces.
Ender: Crap....
Rex: Stand back! (He roared, hefting one of his charged rods. With a grunt, he hurled it towards the inhuman and Gary.)
The rod struck the ground between them, detonating in a powerful explosion of force and energy. The blast sent both the inhuman and Gary sprawling. The telekinetic hold on Willow vanished, and the bullets that had been suspended in mid-air clattered to the floor. The inhuman lay unconscious amidst the debris, small burns visible on her exposed skin. Gary, however, was already scrambling to his feet, his face contorted in a snarl.
Gary: Urgh... That was... unexpected.
Before Gary could regain his footing, Willow, fueled by adrenaline and fury, moved with lightning speed. She launched herself forward, her shoulder hitting Gary with tremendous force, sending him flying backwards into the opposite wall with a sickening crunch. He slumped down, unconscious.
Rex: Alright, new plan! (He barked, his voice firm.) Speedy [Willow], medic [claire], you two take Jaxan, Idris and the elf outta here. (He looked at Ender and Selena.) Selena, Ender and I gonna go find Arthur. (He glanced at Aurora, Allison, Vanessa, Jasper.) The rest of you find Maya. We need to get everyone out of here.
Nods of grim determination rippled through the group. There was no time for argument, only the urgent need to escape.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the facility, Arthur hung suspended in a dimly lit room. His wrists were bound tightly above his head, his bare feet dangling inches above the cold concrete floor. His tattered clothing revealed the brutal bruises already forming across his midsection. A large, muscular inhuman with rough, stone-like skin stood before him, methodically delivering heavy blows to his exposed stomach and ribs. Each impact forced a strained grunt from Arthur, his head lolling with pain and exhaustion.
Seated in a metal chair in the corner of the room, observing the brutal interrogation with a detached air, was Martin Shaw. He watched Arthur's suffering with a calculating gaze, occasionally interjecting with a question.
Martin: Come on, Arthur... Just tell me what your friends were doing in Hamilton with an Elf and the beating will stop.
Arthur gasped for breath, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. He refused to meet Martin's gaze, his defiance the only thing he could still cling to. He remained silent, his body wracked with pain.
The inhuman delivered another brutal punch, the force of it sending a jolt of agony through Arthur's body. He coughed, a spray of blood staining his lips.
Martin sighed, a hint of impatience in his voice.
Martin: You're making this much harder than it needs to be, Arthur... Viktor... Ain't someone you should be trusting. And between you and me... (he looks at the inhuman) him too. You not working for the good guys. I had to learn that the hard way. But you don't have to... well you kinda are learning it the hard way i mean look at your current situation. By now you should be back in the archive, resting because of the forces Viktor should have already sent to rescue you.
Arthur finally lifted his head, his eyes filled with pain but also a flicker of stubborn resistance.
Arthur: Say whatever you want... I'm still not... telling you... shit...
The inhuman growled, raising a massive fist again. Arthur braced for the impact, gritting his teeth. The punch landed with a sickening thud, and Arthur's vision swam for a moment.
Martin: Would you relax for a second, Phil. Sheesh. We don't want to break him... yet. (He gestured for the inhuman to stop, and Phil reluctantly lowered his fist, though his eyes remained fixed on Arthur with a menacing glare.)
Martin leaned forward, his gaze intense.
Martin: Let me tell you a story, Arthur. Back when I led my team… the one that you are now part of... We were tasked to retrieve an artifact in Scotland. Ancient thing, supposedly held immense power. Of course, once we got to Scotland there were people trying to stop us because of these rumors swirling around it. We figured that... they were fanatics, brainwashed by the artifact's influence. So, we fought our way through them, killed a few here and there, secured the artifact, and brought it back to Viktor.
Martin paused, a shadow crossing his face.
Martin: Days later… reports started coming in. Children's like remains were found in the rivers. Fogs so thick they choked the life out towns. And then… the disappearances of women, MOTHERS snatched from their homes by a green creature the size of a bull, with a bark that could terrify you to death...
Martin: That artifact… it wasn't a source of power. It was a barrier. Keeping those things… other worldy things… at bay. And we, broke it. As for the artifact itself... we tried to put it back but... it became useless like some ordinary object.
Arthur, despite the pain, finally met Martin's gaze, a flicker of understanding in his eyes.
Martin leaned closer, his voice dropping to a near whisper.
Martin: For a long time, I've wondered why Viktor is who he is until i realized something... Something he kept hidden from us all...
Before Martin could continue, the door to the room hissed open, and a harried-looking inhuman in grey overalls rushed in.
Inhuman: Commander Shaw! We have intruders in the facility! Lower levels, heading this way!
Martin's eyes narrowed. He already had a good idea who those intruders were.
Martin: Sound the alarm. Turn on the dampers and kill them all... and if there are any that survive… bring them to me for questioning.
Martin turned back to Arthur, a grim look on his face.
Martin: You're fighting for the wrong people, Arthur... and it's a shame you won't be given a chance to fight for the right one.
Martin turned and strode out of the room, leaving Phil to resume the brutal interrogation.