CHAPTER 9
The Fall Of The Damned
...
The explosion came again.
BOOM!
The walls trembled.
Dust drifted from the ceiling.
Jon stared through the walls of the hallway.
The guards were no longer pretending to be calm.
One shouted into his communicator.
"Seal the western sector!"
Another looked toward the corridor.
"Where is Command?"
"I said seal it!"
A distant metallic shriek followed.
Then another explosion.
BOOM!
The lights flickered.
Jon slowly stood.
His restraints rattled against the chair.
Whatever was happening outside—
It was big.
And judging from the expressions on the guards' faces…
It wasn't supposed to happen.
....
SOMEWHERE BENEATH MERIDIAN
Hope walked through the darkness.
Stellar followed several steps behind.
Their footsteps echoed through the underground tunnels.
The miniature drones above them moved silently, scanning every intersection.
Devis' holographic projection hovered between them.
"Vale's people moved north approximately eleven minutes ago."
Hope didn't slow.
"Destination?"
"Unknown."
Stellar glanced at him.
"You mean you lost them?"
"I mean," Devis replied dryly, "they intentionally disabled three of the tracking nodes."
A pause.
"Which means they're either smarter than we thought…"
His expression changed.
"…or somebody helped them."
Hope stopped.
A small red mark appeared on the holographic map.
Devis enlarged it.
"Found something."
A secondary route appeared.
"An unregistered transport entered Meridian's industrial perimeter shortly after Vale completed his transaction."
Stellar's eyes narrowed.
"Where did it go?"
Devis zoomed out.
The route disappeared beneath the city.
Then continued far beyond it.
Hope looked at him.
"Facility?"
"Most likely."
Stellar's expression hardened.
"Then that's where they probably took him."
Hope nodded.
"Let's find Vale first."
….
THE HUNT
Vale's convoy moved through an abandoned industrial district.
Three vehicles.
No markings.
No lights.
They passed beneath a ruined transit bridge before disappearing into a service tunnel.
Inside the lead vehicle, Vale leaned back.
He looked satisfied.
"Best night we've had in months."
One of his men laughed.
"Five thousand credits and all that tech?"
Vale smiled.
"Five thousand minus expenses."
The laughter stopped.
Vale looked at him.
"What?"
"You said you'd split it evenly."
"I said I'd make sure everyone got paid."
"That isn't the same thing."
Vale's smile disappeared.
"Do you want your share or not?"
Silence.
The vehicle continued deeper.
Then—
A small red light appeared on the dashboard.
Vale frowned.
"What is that?"
The driver looked down.
"I don't know."
The light turned green.
Then blue.
Then black.
The vehicle suddenly stopped.
Everyone lurched forward.
"What the hell?"
The rear doors opened.
Nothing.
Only darkness.
A man stepped out.
He looked around.
"Stay inside."
Too late.
A figure dropped from the ceiling.
THUD.
The guard collapsed.
Another raised his weapon.
A streak of white flashed through the darkness.
The weapon split in half.
Stellar stood behind him.
"Vale."
The man froze.
Hope emerged from the shadows.
Vale's face went pale.
"No…"
Hope tilted her head.
"You sold him."
Vale backed away.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Stellar smiled.
"You really aren't good at this."
Vale reached for a concealed weapon.
Hope's hand moved.
A thin ribbon of blood slipped from beneath her sleeve.
It curled around his wrist.
Vale froze.
"Wait!"
Hope stepped closer.
"Where did you take him?"
Vale swallowed.
"I can explain."
"I wasn't asking for an explanation."
....
THE LOCATION
Vale finally spilt everything he knew of.
Not because he wanted to.
Because he understood the difference between negotiating and surviving.
And it was either life or the ego of his mercenary code.
Devis listened through the communication channel.
When Vale finished, the coordinates appeared.
Devis stared at them.
"That's not a laboratory."
Hope looked at him.
"What is it?"
Devis hesitated.
"A research complex."
Stellar frowned.
"That's the polite version, I assume."
Devis enlarged the satellite image.
"It's privately owned, heavily fortified and buried beneath an old industrial zone."
Hope stared at the structure.
"Who owns it?"
Devis' expression became unusually serious.
"That's the interesting part."
A symbol appeared.
Not the full emblem.
Just part of it.
Hope's eyes narrowed.
"Ten Fingers?"
"Not officially, indirectly yes."
Stellar looked toward Vale.
"Who buys people and doesn't want their name attached?"
Vale remained silent.
Hope looked at him.
"You're coming with us."
Vale blinked.
"What? Why?"
"You know the entrance."
"No."
Hope's blood tightened around his wrists and the twirling mass inched closer to his eye sockets.
"Yes, you now do."
....
BACK AT THE FACILITY
The facility was already in chaos.
Red emergency lights flashed across the corridors.
….////WARNING./
/CONTAINMENT BREACH./
/ALL SECURITY PERSONNEL REPORT TO SECTOR NINE.\\...
Jon watched the guards disappear around the corner.
He looked at his restraints.
Then at the door.
Then back at the restraints.
"Okay. Let's do this."
He pulled.
CLANK.
Nothing happened.
He then pulled harder.
The metal groaned.
Jon stopped.
His eyes widened slightly.
"…I really need to figure out what's wrong with these powers."
BAM.
A gunshot echoed somewhere nearby.
Then the screaming came.
Jon looked toward the corridor.
A shadow moved past where he stood.
He stepped backward.
Something slammed into the wall outside.
BOOM!
A guard flew across the corridor.
He hit the ground unconscious.
Jon stared.
A second guard appeared.
Then something grabbed him from behind.
Jon didn't think.
His body just moved.
He twisted.
Caught the attacker's arm.
Pulled.
The larger hulking man stumbled forward.
Jon drove his shoulder into him.
CRACK!
The man fell.
Jon stared at his own hands.
He hadn't thought through that.
He simply…
known how.
A security door opened.
Electric arks spraying off the ragged edges.
Jon ran.
The clock was ticking
…..
THE REBELS ARRIVE
The outer wall exploded inward.
Not from a bomb.
From pure force.
Hope stepped through the smoke.
Stellar landed beside her.
Behind them, Devis appeared through a floating holographic projection.
"Security response incoming."
Hope looked forward.
"How many?"
"Too many."
Stellar smiled.
"Good."
The first wave arrived.
Armored soldiers.
Drones.
Two cybernetic hounds.
Hope stepped forward.
Blood gathered around her.
It flowed from her fingers.
Then hardened.
A long blade formed in her hand.
The first soldier fired.
Hope moved.
The bullet missed.
She crossed the distance between them almost instantly.
THUD.
The soldier hit the wall.
Stellar raised her hand.
White particles gathered around her.
They formed a massive shield.
TATATATATAT!
Gunfire hammered against it.
Stellar didn't move.
"Hope."
"Yeah?"
"Three seconds."
Hope smiled.
"That's enough."
The shield vanished.
Stellar's stored weapons erupted from behind her.
Appearing out of thin air.
Not one.
Several.
They launched simultaneously.
The corridor became filled with controlled fire.
Hope moved through it with impossible agility.
Blood streamed behind her like a crimson cloak.
She struck.
Dodged.
Turned.
Soldiers fell like dominoes.
A drone descended.
Hope looked up.
A blood spear shot out from her hand.
CRACK!
The drone exploded into electric arcs.
Stellar walked through the debris like a stroll in a park.
"Clear."
Devis looked at the camera feed.
"Correction."
A much larger signature appeared.
"Not clear."
The corridor doors opened.
Something stepped through.
A massive armored subject walked through the gate.
Its body was covered in reinforced plating.
Its arms had been modified into weapons.
It looked less like a soldier and more like something manufactured for war.
Stellar's smile disappeared.
"Oh. This is getting interesting"
Hope looked at it.
"That's new."
The creature charged forward.
....
Stellar raised her hand.
An armor formed around her body.
White plates locked into place.
The creature struck.
BOOM!
Stellar blocked the hit with her body.
The impact sending her sliding backward.
Her boots carved lines across the floor.
"This one is strong. Just to my liking "
Hope appeared above the creature. Blood following her like a cloak.
The blood condensed into a massive hammer.
WHAM!
The creature crashed into the floor.
It stood back up like that hit was nothing.
Hope's eyes narrowed.
"Very strong. I see."
It swung.
She ducked effortlessly avoiding the blow.
Stellar attacked it from the side.
The two moved together in sync.
Hope distracted it.
Then Stellar struck.
Stellar blocked.
And Hope countered.
A coordinated rhythm developing between them.
The creature suddenly grabbed Stellar.
Hope's expression changed.
"Stellar!"
Blood wrapped around the creature's arm coiling like a boa.
It could no longer move an inch.
Stellar twisted free from its grasp.
Then she drove her knee into its chest.
The armor it wore cracked.
Hope's blood spear flew and pierced through the opening.
The creature staggered backwards.
Stellar raised her hand and a weapon formed.
"Move."
Hope did.
BOOM!
The blast sent the creature through the wall.
Silence descended leaving an eerie pause on the battlefield.
Stellar looked at Hope.
"Still alive?"
Hope looked through the hole.
"Unfortunately."
They heard something approaching.
Hope smiled.
"Let's keep moving while it's still down."
....
JON
Jon ran through the lower corridors.
He had no idea where he was going.
But somehow—
His body did.
Left.
Right.
Down the stairs.
Avoid the camera.
Wait.
Move.
He suddenly stopped.
"How do I know this? It all feels familiar somehow."
He looked behind him.
Nothing but blaring alarms.
Then—
A door opened.
A man stepped out.
Jon froze.
The man was enormous.
His body was covered in scars.
Metal ran beneath his skin.
His eyes glowed red.
"Another one?"
Jon backed away.
The man smiled.
"You're new."
Jon looked around.
"I'm just trying to leave."
The man laughed.
"Everyone says that. Until."
He charged.
Jon barely moved in time.
The fist struck the wall opposite where he had been.
BOOM!
Concrete exploded.
Jon stared.
"Okay. That's very intimidating"
The man swung again.
Jon immediately ducked.
The punch passed over his head by an inch.
He moved.
Fist connecting with the man's jaw.
CRACK.
The man barely reacted to it.
Jon's eyes widened.
"Oh, come on."
The man grabbed him.
Jon struggled to get out of his grip.
The man's grip slowly tightened.
Jon's heartbeat accelerated.
Something inside his chest pulsed.
A tiny blue spark crawled beneath his skin.
The man suddenly screamed.
"AAARGH!"
He released Jon.
Jon stared at his hand.
A faint electrical arc disappeared between his fingers.
"What…"
The man charged again.
Jon instinctively raised his arm.
Lightning flashed.
KRAK!
The Cyborg like creature staggered backward.
Jon stared.
The man collapsed. No longer moving.
Jon looked at his hand.
Then at the unconscious body.
"…Did I just do that?"
A distant alarm interrupted him.
Jon resumed running, trying to get of this place before the opportunity closes.
…..
DEEP WITHIN THE FACILITY
Hope and Stellar reached the containment wing.
Rows of cells stretched into the darkness.
People watched them.
Some were children.
Some were adults.
Some were no longer completely human.
Hope stopped.
Stellar looked around.
"We're not leaving them."
Hope nodded.
"Devis."
"I've already started opening the locks."
One cell opened.
Then another.
Then another.
The prisoners hesitated.
They didn't trust freedom.
They had learned not to.
Hope looked at them.
"Move."
Nobody moved.
A terrified prisoner whispered:
"Is this another test?"
Hope's expression softened.
"No."
The doors opened.
One by one.
People stepped out.
Some cried.
Some simply stared.
Others ran.
Then the alarms changed.
..//ALERT!/ALERT!/CONTAINMENT FAILURE./
/THERE HAS BEEN A BREACH.|||…
Devis' voice became urgent.
"Hope."
"What?"
"You need to leave."
"How many?"
"All of them."
A pause.
"I'm serious."
The facility had begun waking up.
....
THE FACILITY FIGHTS BACK
Every corridor opened.
Soldiers poured through like a flood.
Drones filled the ceiling covering it in a chain of metal.
Automated turrets emerged from the walls.
Mechanical creatures crawled from containment chambers.
Stellar looked at Hope. "Now that's more like it."
Hope grinned.
"Try not to get killed."
"You first."
They charged.
Hope's blood erupted outward like a torrent.
A wave of crimson constructs smashed through the first line of attackers.
Stellar's arsenal appeared behind her.
Weapons fired in sequence.
Devis remained behind the network.
He closed his eyes.
"Left corridor."
Hope moved left.
"Three seconds."
She ducked.
A missile flew over her head.
Stellar caught it with her shield.
Devis opened his eyes.
"Now."
Stellar released the shield.
The missile shot backward.
BOOM!
A section of the corridor collapsed.
"Nice."
Devis smiled.
"I do have my moments."
…..
THE CORE
Jon stumbled into a massive chamber.
He stopped.
Hundreds of transparent cylinders surrounded him.
Inside them—
People.
Some unconscious.
Some suspended in fluid.
Some changed.
Some barely recognizable.
Jon's face hardened.
"What the hell…"
A voice spoke behind him.
"You weren't supposed to see this."
Jon turned.
A scientist stood there.
Behind him were two heavily armed guards.
The scientist smiled.
"Subject X."
Jon froze.
That name again.
"Who are you?"
The scientist adjusted his glasses.
"That's what we're trying to determine."
Jon stepped backward.
"Then we're both confused."
The scientist smiled.
"No."
He looked at the scanner.
"I'm not confused."
The scanner beeped.
The scientist's smile disappeared.
The screen flashed.
C.65
Then:
MATCH PROBABILITY: 98.7%
The scientist stared.
"What…?"
Jon didn't see the screen.
"What?"
The scientist slowly backed away.
"Impossible."
The lights flickered.
A faint blue glow appeared beneath Jon's shirt.
The scientist whispered:
"Cardiac…"
Jon looked at him.
"What did you call me?"
The scientist reached for his communicator.
"Command…"
The facility suddenly shook. Lights went out, and_
BOOOOOOM!
The scientist fell.
The screen shattered.
Jon stared at the broken display.
Something about those letters felt—
Familiar.
But nothing came to mind.
Only a dull pain.
....
THE END OF THE FACILITY
The Rebels reached the central reactor.
Hope looked at Devis.
"Can we shut it down?"
Devis looked at the readings.
"No."
Hope frowned.
"Why?"
"Because somebody already damaged it."
Stellar looked around.
"Who?"
Another explosion.
The floor shook.
Devis stared at the readings.
"…I think the prisoners did."
Hope smiled.
"Then let's help them finish this."
Stellar placed a hand against the reactor wall.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Hope."
"What?"
"We have company."
Thousands of lights appeared in the darkness.
Drones.
Soldiers.
Machines.
The facility's entire remaining security force.
Hope stepped forward.
Blood began flowing around her.
Stellar's armor locked into place.
Devis' hologram flickered.
"Guys…"
Hope smiled.
"Yeah?"
"You might want to hurry."
The reactor began to overload.
.../// WARNING.\\\...
…//CRITICAL FAILURE. DETECTED\
/CORE OVERLOADING.\\\...
Hope looked at Stellar.
Stellar looked back.
"Five minutes?"
"Three."
"Two."
Hope smiled.
"Then let's make it count."
They charged.
...
THE FALL
The battle became chaos.
Hope moved through the soldiers like a crimson storm.
Stellar became a walking arsenal.
Devis manipulated the battlefield from afar controlling different electronics.
Doors opened.
Turrets turned on their own operators.
Security drones collided.
Containment cells opened.
Prisoners escaped.
And throughout the facility—
Jon ran.
Not knowing where he was going.
Not knowing what he was.
Not knowing why, the word C.65 felt like a memory buried behind a locked door.
He reached an emergency exit.
The door opened.
Cold night air struck his face.
He stopped.
Behind him—
The facility began collapsing.
He looked back.
For a moment, he saw the people escaping.
Then he heard a familiar voice.
"CASE X!"
Jon turned.
Hope stood in the smoke.
Stellar beside her.
Hope's eyes met his.
"You."
Jon stared.
"You found me."
Hope walked toward him.
"You have a habit of getting kidnapped."
Jon looked behind her at the burning facility.
"I was actually trying to stop that."
Stellar laughed.
"Come on."
Jon didn't move.
Hope extended her hand.
"Let's go."
He looked at her hand.
Then at the people behind her.
Then back toward the collapsing facility.
Something about the scene felt strangely familiar.
Not the place.
Not the people.
Something deeper.
A memory trying to surface.
A flash—
A white room.
Machines.
A voice.
"C.65…"
Jon's head suddenly throbbed.
He grabbed it.
"Ah—!"
Hope immediately noticed.
"Jon?"
The name slipped out before she could think.
Jon looked at her.
Hope froze.
Stellar looked at her.
Jon's eyes narrowed.
"How do you know my name?"
Silence.
Hope's expression changed.
She hadn't meant to say it.
And Jon—
For the first time—
had something that belonged to his past.
A name.
Jon.
Behind them, the facility finally collapsed.
BOOOOOOOOM!
Fire erupted into the night.
The Rebels and the rescued survivors disappeared into the darkness.
But beneath the ruins—
one surviving terminal flickered.
The screen slowly reconstructed itself.
A single designation appeared.
…///C.65 — CARDIAC 65/
Then another line.
/STATUS: ACTIVE\\...
And beneath it:
…///NEW SUBJECT ENTRY: X/
/LOCATION: UNKNOWN|||…
The screen went black.