As the wall slid open, the horrifying contents of the darkroom were revealed to David and Lucy.
The darkroom was vast, divided into three distinct zones, each illuminated by eerie lighting: dark red, pale white, and sickly yellow. The room exuded a suffocating, sinister aura.
The dark red area was dominated by a large bed covered with blood-stained white sheets. Surrounding the bed were cameras and other filming equipment. The sheer amount of blood on the sheets made one wonder if it could all come from a single human being. Clearly, this was the set for filming the brutal Black bd videos.
The pale white area housed a diagnostic bed, eerily similar to those found in dental clinics. Beside it were half-used blood bags, an array of surgical tools, and ECG monitors. It didn't take much to deduce the purpose of this area—victims on the verge of death were rushed here for emergency blood transfusions and crude medical intervention, just enough to keep them alive for more torture.
Finally, the sickly yellow area resembled a slaughterhouse. A cold, blood-stained iron table stood at its center, surrounded by sawing tools. A nearby crate was filled with discarded cybernetic implants, prosthetic limbs, and other mechanical parts ripped from the bodies of the victims.
The grim sequence became apparent: victims were abducted and tortured for the Black bd videos, enduring beatings, mutilation, and worse. If they survived the ordeal, they were patched up just enough to continue the torment. If they died, their bodies were stripped for anything of value—organs, cyberware, even prosthetic limbs—before being discarded.
Nothing was wasted. The victims were drained of every ounce of usefulness, their lives extinguished in the most horrific way imaginable.
David and Lucy stood frozen, their faces pale with shock and disgust. The scene before them was nothing less than a hell on Earth.
"He's the scum of all scum," Lucy whispered, her voice trembling with rage. Her chest heaved as she tried to contain her anger, but the close quarters of the cupboard only heightened the tension.
David, pressed tightly against her, couldn't help but notice the proximity. The faint scent of Lucy's perfume filled his senses, and despite the dire situation, his heart began to race.
Lucy's sharp eyes caught his reaction. "David, are you nervous?" she asked in a low voice.
"No," he replied quickly.
"Then why is your heart beating so fast?"
"…It's just stuffy in here."
Lucy raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "Really? Then why does it feel like there's something… pressing against me?"
David froze, his face heating up. Lucy glanced down, her eyes widening in realization.
"Wait… is that—"
Before she could finish, David turned to face her, inadvertently bringing their faces mere inches apart. Their lips brushed for a split second, and both froze in shock.
The tension in the cupboard shifted dramatically. The sound of their rapid heartbeats filled the silence as they stared at each other, unsure of what to do next.
Lucy's pale face flushed a deep red. She quickly turned away, her breath shaky. David swallowed hard, trying to focus on the mission, but the moment lingered in the small, cramped space.
Outside, Shohō Jotaro finished inspecting the darkroom and muttered to himself, "Strange… There's no sign of anyone here."
He glanced around the office, his sharp eyes scanning every corner. As his gaze passed over the cupboard, he paused. A small piece of fabric was caught in the door—a corner of David's shirt.
Jotaro's expression remained calm, but his body language betrayed him. His fingers twitched slightly, and his breathing quickened.
Inside the cupboard, David's senses went on high alert. He activated his electromagnetic perception, detecting the subtle changes in Jotaro's movements.
"He knows we're here," David whispered to Lucy.
Lucy's eyes widened. "What do we do?"
"Hack into their nervous systems. Even a few seconds will be enough," David instructed.
"Got it," Lucy said, already connecting her neural interface.
Jotaro turned to his bodyguard, his expression unreadable. "Go check the perimeter again," he ordered.
As the bodyguard moved to comply, Jotaro suddenly reached for the pistol on the man's belt. Without hesitation, he spun around and aimed directly at the cupboard.
But before he could pull the trigger, Lucy's hack took effect. Both Jotaro and his bodyguard froze, their bodies convulsing slightly as their nervous systems were overwhelmed.
"You've got two, maybe three seconds," Lucy warned.
That was all David needed.
The magnetic field surrounding David intensified as he activated his powers. He reached out, focusing on the metallic spikes embedded in the bodyguard's head.
With a sharp motion, the spikes twisted inward, piercing the man's skull and killing him instantly.
David didn't stop. He turned his attention to Jotaro, extending his palm toward the cybernetic implant on the back of the man's neck. By polarizing the magnetic fields between himself and Jotaro, David pulled himself across the room in an instant.
Before Jotaro could recover, David's hand closed around his throat. The gang leader struggled, but the sheer force of David's grip left him powerless.
It had all happened in less than three seconds.
Jotaro gasped for air, his eyes wide with shock. "Who… are you?" he croaked.
David's expression was cold and unyielding. "Your worst nightmare."
With a flick of his wrist, David tightened his grip, applying just enough pressure to render Jotaro unconscious.
Lucy emerged from the cupboard, her face pale but determined. "Is it over?"
David nodded, dropping Jotaro's limp body to the floor. "For now. But we're not done. Not until this place is destroyed."
-----------–-------------------------
Extra chapters available in patreon
patreon.com/Dragonscribe31