"We're making our way to the center of the zone where the research facility is situated. Do you know the quickest route?" Yoshi inquired of Von, whose face brightened with delight.
"You're in luck; I worked with building analysis and learned about the structure of the zone. That's how I was able to know about the existence of this place." Von responded with enthusiasm, aware that he had the opportunity to return the favor that Yoshi had offered him.
"Are you aware of the quickest route to reach that destination or not?" Henry stepped forward and inquired with impatience.
"There's a way to reach the facility quickly. While inspecting this underground sewer passage, I noticed a section on the blueprint that functions as a service tunnel. It provides a direct route to the facility. When everything fell apart, I sent our scout, the only one with cloaking ability, to investigate. Tom returned with news that it was infested with Reapers and 'them'. We abandoned that plan and settled here instead. If you can navigate that path, you could reach the base in half a day, as there's a building with vehicles that could expedite your journey, though it is likely overrun," Von elaborated, retrieving a blueprint from his pocket and presenting it to Yoshi.
"Thank you for the information; we truly appreciate it. I recommend that you all head out right away to ensure you leave on time." Yoshi beamed and extended his hand to Von for a handshake.
"We appreciate it as well, but how about you guys? Are you going to be alright?" Von accepted the handshake with a grin after retrieving the scanned blueprint, expressing his relief that everything had worked out without bloodshed, from one leader to another.
"Rest assured, we will manage just fine." Racheal replied, prompting Von to nod and turn around, guiding his team, who had already finished packing their belongings, to the other side of the tunnel. Just before he stepped through, he turned back to offer one final wave to Yoshi and the group before departing.
"Did you all notice that when he spoke about the infestation in the tunnel, he referred to a certain 'them'? It seems like it could be significant." Henry abruptly halted and expressed his reflections, prompting the others to enter a state of contemplation as well.
"It's likely nothing to worry about; besides we'll discover the truth once we arrive." Bai shrugged it off, prompting the others to do the same, aware that they didn't have time to waste.
"Now we can focus on what's next" Yoshi said, turning to face the others.
"What's next is that Micheal isn't back yet, that's what's next" Racheal replied, her expression filled with concern.
"It has been far too long; something must have happened after the explosion. He said he was right behind us," Henry took a deep breath, trying to imagine what could have possibly befallen Michael.
"RAWR!" While their attention was fixed on Micheal, none of them realized that a Reaper had stealthily approached from behind, poised to pounce.
"BANG" A gunshot echoed, followed by a dull thud as the headless Reaper collapsed to the ground. Behind it stood Michael, panting, his right hand gripping his left arm while still clutching his handgun. He approached the body and fired two shots at the worm attempting to escape from the Reaper's neck.
"Micheal!" The team hurriedly rushed over to Michael, who coughed up some blood before wiping his
mouth and looking at his teammates.
"Are you alright?" Racheal asked with concern, her gaze fixed on him; he appeared as though he had just emerged from an intense battle.
"I'm okay, I just got caught in the explosion. Henry, could you please assist me?" Micheal gestured for Henry to approach, then indicated his arm with a pained look.
"How exactly did you get caught in the explosion?" Yoshi continued to seek more details, observing as Henry took hold of Micheal's arm and carefully twisted it, eliciting a suppressed groan of pain from Micheal, who shut his eyes tightly, absorbing the discomfort before exhaling deeply.
"After fixing the C4, I was about to move away, but as I did, I suddenly blanked out. When I came to, the Reapers were nearly out of range, so I had to detonate it immediately. This led to me being caught in the explosion. Once I got up, I had to fight off a group of Reapers," Michael recounted, drawing astonished looks from the others.
"You are one tough man, Mike," Henry praised, observing as Michael recovered almost immediately. He watched as Michael grabbed his gun and took a deep breath.
"We need to get going; we're significantly behind schedule. Where are Tom and his team?" Micheal expressed his readiness to move, only to recall Tom moments later.
"He left with his people; they showed us a faster way through these tunnels. But first, you should rest. You aren't even supposed to be moving right now—you literally got hit by an explosion," Yoshi replied, attempting to persuade Michael to take a break. He was fully aware of Michael's poor condition and was even astonished to see him able to move at all.
"I'm okay, let's go." Micheal insisted on taking the lead, prompting the others to exchange glances before trailing behind him. Bai looked at his brother, making a twirling gesture near his head to suggest that Micheal was losing his mind.
'I must leave, I must…' Micheal contemplated quietly, sipping water before proceeding through the tunnel that Von had indicated on the map. As he walked, he endeavored to maintain his focus, yet the same images repeatedly surfaced in his mind. He attempted to push them away, but they stubbornly lingered. With a sigh, he reflected on the moments prior, recalling the events surrounding the explosion that had been triggered.
*********************************************
"Go on, I'll be right behind you," Michael said to the others, who nodded and followed Tom as he led them toward the base. After watching them leave, Michael quickly continued installing the C4s to catch up with the others.
"BANG BANG BANG" The three Reapers approaching were swiftly gunned down as Micheal proceeded to install the C4s. Once he had finished, he stood up and grabbed his gun, realizing the Reapers were already near. He turned and began to run, intending to reach a safe distance before detonating the explosives. However, after just a few steps, an unexpected event caused him to halt.
"Hello Mike" A voice emerged from the large gathering of Reapers approaching Michael, causing him to halt. The voice resonated with a familiarity that tugged at his memory, yet it seemed impossible, for the owner of that voice was deceased. Lost in thought, he attempted to move again, only to be halted once more by the same voice.
"Mikey, you little rascal, didn't you hear me calling you?" The voice resonated once more with an aggressive tone, prompting Micheal to halt in shock as he slowly turned to find the Reapers just a few feet away. However, his focus was not on them; instead, his gaze was locked onto the figure shrouded in darkness on the other side of the C4s.
"RAWWWRR" Several Reapers rushed toward Michael, who stood frozen in shock at the figure before him. He couldn't believe his eyes; at first, he thought the figure was fake, but after seeing it and hearing the voice, he was completely certain that this was him.
Who? You may ask
This was his brother, who was thought to be dead. He had supposedly perished after his prison facility was overrun, or so his father claimed, but that had been several years ago. How could it be that he was here? As he pondered this, he failed to notice that the Reapers had passed the C4s and were already beside him. It was only when it was too late that he realized their presence.
'Darn' This was meant to be his final thought as he resolved to unleash the lightning within him, but an unexpected occurrence left him even more stunned. The Reapers surged past him, one after another, as if he were invisible to them. This bewildering reaction rendered him motionless once more, unable to comprehend the unfolding events.
Micheal turned back to the figure, still in shock at the chaos surrounding him. He remained in this state when a sudden wave of pain struck him, sending a jolt of agony through his mind. The pain was so intense that it brought him to the ground, screaming. He recalled hearing that the brain couldn't feel pain, yet he was certain he was experiencing it directly from his mind. The torment lasted only a moment before vanishing, leaving him gasping for breath as he realized that the figure of his brother had vanished like it had never been there.
"What was that?" Micheal pondered, his gaze fixed on the detonator lying on the ground. He swiftly picked it up, recalling his true mission. His mind assessed the distance to the C4 explosives, fully aware that he would be engulfed in the blast. However, the thought of the survivors who would perish if the horde reached them solidified his resolve.
Taking a deep breath and uttering his final prayers, he pressed the button without hesitation.
BOOM
The C4s detonated, unleashing a powerful wave of destructive energy that reverberated through the entire tunnel. Michael, positioned some distance away, observed as the roof caved in upon the Reapers beneath it. At that moment, he pivoted and surged forward.
He understood that he had to eliminate the Reapers that had moved beyond him. His gaze was fixed on the first Reaper, and his hands swiftly moved to pull the trigger, releasing five bullets—three striking the zombie's head and two piercing its neck.
WHOOSH
In that precise moment, the shockwave from the explosion reached him, and within seconds, he was hit and propelled forward, crashing into the wall.
Within an instant, pain surged through his entire body, nearly pushing him into unconsciousness. Yet, his determination triumphed, providing him with the strength to endure the agony and rise to his feet.
With some difficulty, he managed to rise to his feet, taking a moment to assess his condition. His left arm hung awkwardly, dislocated from the impact. His vision was hazy, his stomach ached, and a deep gash on his head oozed blood. His breathing was labored, indicating a possible issue with his lungs.
Despite everything, he reassured himself that he had endured far worse. He then concentrated on the Reapers, who were also rising after the explosion. With a shaky hand, he aimed his gun at the nearest zombie and fired four shots. He considered using his ability to speed things up, but his current state made that impossible.
"Bring it on, you monsters!" Micheal yelled, coughing up blood as he did so. He glanced up, expecting the Reapers to rush to him in attack, but instead, they simply ignored him and moved forward toward the group's location. He came to the understanding that, for some reason, he was not a target.
With that thought, he suppressed the pain he was feeling and surged ahead to eliminate them, a swirl of confusion in his mind as he pondered, 'What's going on?' He was determined to end the lives of the Reapers who had completely overlooked him.