Meanwhile, Hafen, Matteo, and Stark followed Dr. Plinius as he led them through the military base. They clutched their elemental weapons, and they moved with caution.
"Here we are," Dr. Plinius announced, and he gestured towards a large, nondescript building with a sign that read, "Recruit Processing". His expression was unreadable, but a hint of curiosity still lingered in his eyes.
Matteo glanced around, and his eyes were wide with a mix of fear and wonder. "This place is so... different from The Sacred Forest," he remarked with a stammer.
Stark eyed the soldiers marching in perfect, synchronized formation. He couldn't wait to challenge them to a sparring match.
Hafen felt a surge of unease. He had lived his whole life in the seclusion of the forest, and this new world was loud, chaotic, and full of potential threats.
"This way, recruits," Dr. Plinius directed with a serious tone. He swiped a keycard, and a door slid open with a hiss.
They entered a sterile, white room filled with rows of empty desks and monitors.
A few soldiers sat behind them, their fingers flying across keyboards.
Dr. Plinius grabbed a small, electronic tablet. "I'm going to fill these forms out. They are standard recruitment forms. Name, age, special abilities, that sort of thing. The information will help us place you in the appropriate unit. Stay here and wait for me." He motioned for them to sit. Then, he headed to a secure room.
Hafen, Matteo, and Stark sat next to each other and looked at their surroundings with confusion. They felt like fish out of water.
"What's wrong with this guy," Stark muttered, and he crossed his arms. "He looks at us like we're some kind of specimens," he pointed out.
"He's just curious," Matteo commented with a nervous smile.
"Curious," Hafen echoed with a frown. "Or maybe he's up to something." He scanned the room with a wary gaze.
Just then, the door to the secure room slid open.
Dr. Plinius emerged with a smirk. He held a syringe in his hand and had a smirk on his face. "Good news, recruits," he announced cheerfully. "Since you've agreed to join us, I need to run some tests on your abilities. It's just a formality to ensure you're fit for the good of Stribora, of course. This way, please," he added with a sly glance.
Hafen, Matteo, and Stark exchanged glances and nodded. They reluctantly stood up and followed Dr. Plinius into another room. They had come this far, and there was no turning back. They entered a laboratory with various machines and devices.
In the center, there were three metal tables with straps.
"Please lie down on these tables, and I will begin," Dr. Plinius instructed with a calm demeanor.
Stark stepped forward with a glare. "Why do you need us to lie down there? What are you going to do to us," he interrogated.
"Relax, Stark. It won't hurt a bit," Dr. Plinius lied with a hint of annoyance.
"Really? Because it looks like a trap to experiment on us," Hafen retorted and pointed to the vials of chemicals. His hand drifted to his katana.
"Oh, not at all. These are just for my other projects. They have nothing to do with you," Dr. Plinius reassured. He put the syringe on a tray and checked a monitor.
Matteo smiled innocently and decided to give Dr. Plinius the benefit of the doubt. "Okay, I'll go first. Dad mentioned that the military are the good guys," he asserted. He lay down on one of the tables. "What now," he inquired.
Dr. Plinius grinned and nodded. "Thank you, Matteo. You're a brave boy. Now, I need your older brothers to cooperate, as well." He turned to Hafen and Stark and tilted his head down. "Go on."
Stark and Hafen hesitated. They looked at Matteo on the table, who gave them a thumbs-up and an innocent smile. With a grumble under their breaths, they complied and lay down on the other tables.
"Good," Dr. Plinius praised, and his eyes lit up with excitement. He pressed a button on the monitor, and metal restraints locked around the boys' wrists and ankles. He walked over to Matteo's table and lifted a huge syringe. He removed the cap and revealed a long, sharp needle. "This will just be a little pinch. It won't kill you," he joked.
Matteo's eyes widened as he saw the needle. "Wait... What are you doing," he asked with a tremble. He struggled to break free.
"Hey! What the hell," Stark shouted. He thrashed around and tried to free himself.
"Let us go," Hafen demanded, and his eyes flashed with anger.
"Shh. We're just getting started," Dr. Plinius urged with a placating tone.
"You tricked us," Hafen accused.
"Indeed. I'm afraid you are far too valuable to let you wander around. You are going to be my special research subjects," Dr. Plinius revealed and grabbed Matteo's arm. "Stop moving," he commanded.
Matteo gasped and flailed around. "No, I don't want to do this anymore," he complained.
"Too late for that," Dr. Plinius retorted and stabbed the needle into Matteo's vein.
Matteo yelped in pain and squeezed his eyes shut.
A thick, green liquid slowly entered his system.
"What is that," Stark questioned with a growl.
"A special dye I developed to inspect your powers and abilities. I want to see what you're capable of," Dr. Plinius clarified. He watched the monitor closely.
"Let him go," Hafen shouted and pulled on his restraints.
"I can do whatever I want. You're my prisoners now," Dr. Plinius mocked. He approached Hafen and pointed a bright light. "Next," he remarked.
The bright light shined on Hafen's eyes.
Hafen squinted and turned his head away. "Stop it," he protested.
Dr. Plinius widened his eyes in disbelief. He stroked Hafen's cheek. "Your skin is so interesting. I should take a picture of these new discoveries with my camera," he divulged.
A slimy mucus clung to his gloved hand.
Hafen grimaced.
Dr. Plinius chuckled and walked to a nearby cabinet. He opened it and took out a camera. He pressed a button on the side, and a flash came out. He aimed it at Hafen and pressed the shutter. "Smile," he suggested with a sinister smirk.
A bright flash of light filled the room. It was so intense that it blinded everyone for a moment, except for one person.
Hafen groaned in intense pain. His vision blurred, and his eyes burned red. He blinked repeatedly, trying to clear his sight. "Ah! My eyes," he yelled.
"Hafen, are you alright?" Stark surveyed with a worried look.
Hafen turned to his brothers with bloodshot eyes. "I can't see," he revealed.
Matteo clenched his teeth and exclaimed, "Doctor! You've gone too far!"
Dr. Plinius lowered the camera and frowned. "That's odd. A camera flash is not that strong," he noted. He stepped closer to examine Hafen's eyes. "Let me take a look," he instructed.
Hafen jerked his head away. "Stay away from me," he hissed.
Stark gritted his teeth. "I'm going to kill you," he snarled and flexed his muscles.
The metal restraints started to bend.
Dr. Plinius turned and noticed. His eyes opened impossibly wide. He panicked and grasped a radio from his hip. "Soldiers! Come to the lab quick," he shouted into it.
Stark ripped the restraints off with a grunt. He lunged at Dr. Plinius and tackled him to the floor. He punched Dr. Plinius in the face.
Dr. Plinius gasped and fell unconscious. His broken glasses slid off his nose and landed on the floor.
"Stark!" Matteo yelled.
Stark stood up and freed Matteo and Hafen. "Let's go," he suggested.
Hafen, still partially blinded, nodded and followed him. He stumbled along with guidance.
The lab door abruptly burst open, and a group of soldiers rushed in. They pointed their tranquilizer guns and tazers at the boys and surrounded them. One of them shouted, "Stop! Don't move an inch!"
Stark, Matteo, and Hafen stood back-to-back, and their eyes darted around. They gripped their elemental swords tightly and braced themselves for another fight.
Stark took the first step towards them.
"Tazer! Tazer! Tazer," the soldiers shouted in unison. They fired multiple tazers at Stark.
The tazers hit Stark's chest and sent a powerful electric shock through his body.
Stark convulsed and fell to his knees. He clenched his teeth and endured the pain. He groaned and stood back up. "Is that all you got," he mocked. He ripped out the tazer pins from his chest and threw them back at the soldiers.
The soldiers dodged the projectiles and fired their tranquilizer guns instead.
Hafen's eyes returned to 'normal', hyper focusing on each individual dart.
The darts stopped midair and turned around. They flew back at the soldiers who fired them. They pierced their shoulders and arms.
The soldiers cried out in pain and dropped their weapons with their eyes widening in shock and realization. Their bodies went limp, and they collapsed unconscious on the floor.
Suddenly, the ground trembled. Before any of them could comprehend the earthquake, an urgent alarm blared through the base. It wasn't the familiar, contained alert for an escaped patient. It was a high-pitched, warbling shriek that spoke of something much larger, much worse. Red emergency lights flashed across everyone's faces. The metallic doors at the ends of corridors slammed shut with a deafening clang.
A stern, amplified voice echoed from hidden speakers, "Code Titan. Monsters have been sighted nearby. All non-essential personnel to designated shelters. All combat units to the western perimeter. Repeat, we have a Code Titan. Be ready for anything."
In the lab, a last soldier hesitated to fire.
Matteo crouched to a running position. He lunged forward and kicked a tranquilizer gun out of his hands. Then, he repeatedly punched him in the gut.
The soldier fell back and groaned in pain.
Stark checked on Hafen's eyes. "Are you alright," he asked with concern.
Hafen nodded and wiped a trickle of blood from his nose. "I'm fine. Let's get out of here," he assured.
Will Stark, Hafen, and Matteo escape the military base? What kind of monsters have invaded the base? How will they survive in the outside world? What sacrifices will they make?