A Harsh Reality, Once Again
Peering into the corridor, Alex's heart sank. Once-static figures of scientists and guards were now a flurry of confusion and alarm, their movements starkly contrasting with the absolute stillness that had gripped them moments ago. The alarms, once silent, now blared with a renewed ferocity, their shrill cries piercing the air and reverberating through the halls. The time freeze was over, and with it, their safety.
Panic surged through him. Sarah, James, and the soldiers would have already noticed his absence and come after him. He tightened his grip on Dr. Shun, the unconscious weight reminding him of his responsibility. They had to move quickly, and now.
With Dr. Shun's limp form draped over his shoulder, Alex once again navigated the labyrinthine corridors, his every step a calculated risk. He deliberately chose a different route from before, a path that would hopefully confuse any potential pursuers. He was careful to erase any trace of their passage, his every move a silent gamble, each corner turned with a breath held in anticipation.
As he reached a long corridor, Alex suddenly heard the distant sound of shouts and gunfire, which stopped him in his tracks. His pulse quickened, and he started to panic but forced himself to stay calm and think. He quickly scanned the area for a place to hide, perhaps an open door to an empty room. Spotting one, he darted inside, closing the door quietly behind him and locking it. The echoes of chaos outside felt dangerously close.
Alex set Dr. Shun down gently against a wall, the scientist's body slumping slightly. Alex crouched beside him, straining to hear beyond the pounding of his own heart. As the sounds of shots and chaos outside got louder, he figured that lying down on the floor was probably a good idea. As every muscle in his body moved to lie down, it tensed; it was almost like each muscle had a sense of its own, telling Alex desperately not to move.
The room itself was dimly lit. The soft glow of the monitors provided a slightly calming feel, and the soundproofed walls seemed to help soften the sound of the chaos happening outside. However, Alex's heightened senses seemed to pick up on every detail—the crackle of burning equipment, the faint rustle of scattered paper, and the distant muffled sounds of pursuit. Fear began to seep into his heart, and he tried to focus on steadying his breath, willing his racing heart to calm.
Despite knowing that the time freeze was over, as Alex lay on the ground, time seemed to stretch endlessly; each second was comparable to the torture during experiments.
Alex knew that he couldn't stay hidden forever. He could still hear the blaring alarms and shouts outside, a dreadful constant reminder of danger. He peeked at Dr. Shun, hoping for a sign of consciousness, hoping that he may wake up and tell Alex that he knows a secret escape route, but alas, the scientist remained still.
Alex's brain was in overdrive, frantically strategising their next move to escape this nightmare. He thought they were so close to escaping, yet the path to freedom was more dangerous than ever.
Suddenly, Alex heard a shuffle of movement in the room, nearly causing his heart to jump out of his mouth. He turned quickly toward the sound. In the dim light, he saw another scientist, trapped by a fallen cabinet, beginning to stir. The scientist, who appeared to have only minor injuries, struggled to free himself from the debris. Each movement caused the cabinet to creak and groan, creating sounds that could potentially give away their position.
Panic surged through Alex; the noise was way too loud; they couldn't afford to be discovered, and at this rate, they'd be. With his heart pounding, Alex quickly crawled towards the trapped scientist, trying to make as little noise as possible. With a hurried but careful effort, he lifted the cabinet off the scientist, then quickly clamped a hand over the man's mouth to stifle the yelp of surprise.
"Stay quiet," Alex whispered urgently, his voice barely audible. "There's people out there killing the others. We need to stay down and stay silent if we want to survive."
The scientist's eyes widened with fear and recognition, mumbled through Alex's hand, "You…you're the…"
"Argh, now's not the time! People! Killing! Pew pew! Understand?!" Alex whispered with extreme frustration. The scientist nodded slightly with an expression of pure panic and fear. Alex slowly removed his hand, keeping a close watch on the man's reactions, expecting him to stay calm, only to have him frantically struggle, pushing Alex away and stumbling forward and falling all over the place, making a whole bunch of horrifying loud noises.
"Oh gosh darn it! Keep it down! I told you, there's…" Before Alex could finish his sentence, looking up, he found himself at gunpoint. The scientist had somehow found himself a gun and was now pointing it at him.
"Okay…calm down, please. There's…"
"SHUT UP! YOU'RE TRYING TO TRICK ME, AREN'T YOU?!"
"No! Argh, darn it, keep it down…"
"OH NO, NO, YOU AIN'T GONNA KILL ME…HAHAHAHA. I'VE COME THIS FAR, AND I AIN'T LETTING THIS END LIKE THIS…"
"Please…just LISTEN!"
"HAHAHA, YOU THINK I'M STUPID?! I'M NOT GOING TO. BECAUSE THE MOMENT I DO YOU'RE GONNA KILL ME! HEY! ANYONE THERE?! THE SUBJECT ESCAPED AND IS HERE! WE NEED THE GUARDS HERE NOW!"
An ominous and familiar voice rings out behind the scientist.
"Oh…no worries. We hear you."
"Oh good! Quickly! You guys need to…BLARGH!"
Before the scientist could finish his sentence, a sleek black katana with a glowing red blade pierced through his chest from behind, emerging like a nail driven through wood. The scientist screamed in agony almost instantly, his hands instinctively clutching the protruding blade as the gun fell from his grip. In an instant, the blade retracted, followed by a swift, deadly slash across his back. The scientist crumpled lifelessly to the floor, revealing the terrifying figure of James standing behind him.
Alex stood there in stunned silence, the sudden violence unfolding before him in an instant. James lunged forward before he could recompose himself or react, seizing Alex by the neck. With the immense power generated by his cybernetic right leg, James slammed Alex into the wall, creating a gaping hole on impact.
"Gotcha. Think you can run now? I don't know what trick you pulled a few minutes ago, but I am NOT letting you pull a fast one on me again." James snarled, tightening his grip on Alex's neck.
"Urghh…you ruthless…bastard…" Alex squeaked out.
"Huh?! Me? RUTHLESS? WHY YOU…"
"James," Sarah said exasperated, "You know he's just trying to rile you up. Stop falling for the same tricks."
James paused for a moment, still fuming with anger. Then, with frustration, he clicked his tongue and let go of Alex, letting him fall forward and gasp for air.
"Cuff him," Sarah commanded, signaling the soldiers behind her. They rushed forward with astonishing speed and efficiency, securing Alex with practiced movements. Once they were sure he was restrained, they pulled him to his feet, hooking their arms through his and gripping his head to face Sarah, who was communicating through her helmet.
"Roger that, HQ." Sarah glared at Alex with eyes, "Let's try it out and see how you like it."
As soon as she said that, she pulled out a sliver spherical device, and with a click of a button, it started to open up into a flower-like shape with a needle sticking out in the middle. And again, before Alex could react, Sarah stabbed the device into Alex's shoulder.
Surprisingly, Alex didn't feel any pain, either from getting desensitized to it or just the shock of the moment. He didn't know, but all he felt was some sort of liquid getting injected into him. He attempted to struggle, but the soldiers' grip and hold were so tight that he could barely hold.
Nothing happened for a few long moments. Alex took a few breaths of relief. Alex's mind relaxed. He closed his eyes as if ready to sleep.
Then, suddenly, a sharp pain shot right up into his brain, a massive headache; he felt like his body was combusting, burning his insides; his eyes felt like they were melting; his eardrums felt like something was piercing them, high-pitch sounds deafening him.
And as sudden as the pain came, the pain suddenly went away, and Alex struggled to keep his consciousness afloat.
"Let's see you try anything at all now…"
As Sarah's voice floated into Alex's ears, tears began to form in his eyes.
"Why…just…why?"