The crew pressed on, following Hannah's directions through the winding tunnels. Thirty-two minutes passed before they reached the spot—the exact spot she'd described. Above them, just beyond the ceiling, HEX HQ was waiting.
"You sure this is right?" Benjamin asked.
"I'm sure of it. Just bust the cover open and you're in the building." Hannah's voice came through the earpiece, confident.
Benjamin exhaled nervously. He'd always hated the rich, but walking straight into enemy territory was something he and his crew had never done before.
"Hey, it's gonna be alright. Trust me, nobody's in there. It's completely empty." Hannah said, reassuring.
Benjamin clenched his jaw and looked up at the cover. "Alright boys, let's get the cunt out of there."
BOOM!—The cover blasted open. Just like she said, HEX HQ was right above them.
They didn't immediately start moving. Instead, they stared in awe. For their entire lives, they'd lived underground in filthy sewers with the constant stench of rot. This was... beautiful. Everything was so clean and polished they could see their own reflections in the marble floors.
The smell was pure and fresh—like lavender, if they even knew what lavender smelled like.
"Guys! Don't waste time!" Hannah's voice cut through their thoughts.
They snapped out of it and started moving. Each second, their paranoia faded. There was quite literally no one in the building.
"Alright, just find an elevator. There's hundreds." Hannah said.
"What's an elevator?" Alfie Jr. asked.
Hannah muttered under her breath, "You poor souls..." Then louder: "Just find one. It has two sliding steel doors. If you still don't know what that looks like, just keep walking."
They continued, taking in everything around them. By now, their paranoia had completely faded.
Then Hannah's voice stopped them. "That one right in front of you. That's an elevator. Get inside."
Benjamin nodded. They all stood awkwardly in front of it.
After a long silence, Hannah grunted in frustration. "Press the button with the arrow going down, guys!"
"Oh, right." Benjamin pressed it. The doors slid open. They hesitated, then stepped inside.
"Alright, you see that button with the letter B? That's the basement floor. Where John is." Hannah said.
Benjamin pressed it.
"Here we go, guys..." Aya whispered. Happy to rescue John. Terrified of dying. This was really happening. Not a dream anymore. They were infiltrating the most powerful base in the entire world.
---
"Anything?" Aris asked.
"Nope. Still knocked out." Alexander said.
"Ugh, I don't think it's even gonna work on him!" Athena groaned.
Aris sighed. "Yeah, I expected that." He looked at John through the glass window. "He's truly one of a kind... can't die, won't die anytime soon."
Athena chuckled. "I'm calling it right now. He's probably gonna die in a few hours. I bet the serum caused some kind of infection—"
The elevator doors slid open.
The scientists turned. Eight people stood inside. All of them stared back in awkward silence.
The scientists were confused. The crew was terrified.
"Hannah... I thought you said it was empty..." Milo whispered.
"What?! It IS supposed to be empty! It always is!" Hannah's voice crackled with worry.
The crew slowly stepped out, moving menacingly toward the scientists.
"Who the fuck are you guys?" Aris demanded.
Benjamin narrowed his eyes. A pause. Then a cold smirk.
"The Maggots."
His fist connected with Aris's jaw before the scientist could react.
"You motherfuckers!" Athena pulled out a gun. Milo lunged, kicking her in the chest.
Alexander ignited a lightsaber and swung. Mitch dodged and bear-hugged him from behind. Emma grabbed the weapon, stabbed Alexander through the heart, and let his body drop.
"Oh fuck!" The scientists' anger turned to raw fear.
Aris reached for his gun. His hand got chopped off mid-reach.
"ATHENA, LET HIM OUT!!!" Aris screamed.
Athena ran to the control panel. "John, wake up! Wake the fuck up!"
John stirred. Slowly, he rose. His eyes were bloodshot red. Drool ran down his chin.
"Please... I hope to God the serum worked..." Athena whispered.
Emma's lightsaber swung. Aris's head hit the floor.
Smoke hissed from the isolation chamber door as it slowly creaked open.
"You see those eight people? Kill them all. Do it. Now." Athena's voice was commanding.
John twitched violently, then snapped into a rigid stance. He looked at the crew with murderous intent.
"YES! IT FUCKING WORKED!" Athena screamed. "YOU'RE ALL GONNA DIE!"
John turned to her slowly. "Who do you think you're ordering around...?"
"Huh..?"
His hand plunged through her chest. The sound of cracking bones and wet meat filled the room. The crew flinched. He pulled his hand out. Athena dropped dead.
John's ears rang. His vision was blood red. He tasted his own blood, his own emotions. Then he looked at the eight of them.
"John! We came to save you!" Aya smiled wide.
"Yeah." Benjamin nodded.
John said nothing. Just stared with murderous intent.
Benjamin cleared his throat. "Look, mate. I know what I did to you was fucked up. But look at the bright side. We're here now. I'm here." He stepped closer.
"People change. I'm one of them. I'm a different person now, lad. Trust me. I didn't come because they pushed me. I wanted to rescue you." Benjamin extended his hand. "Whaddaya say, mate? You forgive me?"
John stared at the hand. Then back at Benjamin.
"No. More. Chances."
He slammed Benjamin into the wall with one punch. Benjamin coughed blood.
"Cunt..." He grabbed the lightsaber from Emma and swung at John.
The blade sparked violently against John's skin. It didn't cut. Didn't penetrate. Didn't even leave a mark.
"You... you're no human..." Benjamin whispered.
John hurled him through a wall.
"Wait, WE CAN TALK THIS OUT!" Milo started—then John's hand sent him crashing through multiple walls.
Alfie Sr., Junior, Mitch, and Emma ran.
Aya stayed.
She looked at him—really looked. Like she could still find the man she loved somewhere inside.
"Look at me... you don't have to do this. I know this isn't you, John." She reached for his hand and held it. "I still think about our kiss every day. Every second, John. I couldn't go a single moment without you in my thoughts. I love you, John. You know that."
For a moment—one single moment—his eyes cleared. He looked at her. Not murderous. Not scary. Just... him.
WHACK.
His hand connected with her face. She hit the wall and crumpled. His foot pressed down on her head.
"One day..." Aya whispered, tears streaming. "You'll realize what you've done."
His foot pressed harder.
Then—John's head snapped sideways. Blood sprayed from his mouth.
Hannah stood there, fist raised.
"Stay back."
John's eyes locked onto her. "You'll regret being with them."
"You're misunderstanding the situation, John."
He punched her. She spat blood, turned her head back slowly, and clenched her fist.
"Wanna go?!"