"Riot at the East Gate"

The blackout was still ongoing. The whole D.M. Cadre Research Facility was still in chaos, and a lot of employees in the night shift were panicking. Paul Azirean and his team were struggling to deactivate the virus that disabled the generator.

Back in room B4-L13, Lia was stoned and was surprised by Aesop's actions. "Ae? You okay?"

Aesop stayed behind her, his left arm around her shoulders, and his right arm around her waist. His hug was so tight, then he whispered to her, "I was afraid I'd lose you," and he buried his face beside her neck.

Lia could feel Aesop's breath. "I'm here, it's going to be alright," she assured him, while gently stroking his hair.

"Hmm… Yeah..." The vulture mutant stayed still. He closed his eyes while sniffing her natural scent, which was enough to make him calm down.

Lia was a little ticklish because of Aesop's nose and lips on her neck. She was thankful that the blackout was hiding her beet red cheeks. She was feeling a little hot, either there's no good ventilation inside the basement, or she felt something else.

Back to the security room…

"I turned on the manual mode of the generator," one of Paul's colleagues said, "Its energy's really full. You're right, Mr. Azirean, we've been hacked. And whoever that is, it's not an easy enemy."

"Yes," Paul said, and then he turned to the main computer. He clicked the POWER button, and it was turned on. Immediately after the desktop appeared, he double-clicked an icon, and the research facility's electricity had returned. "Don't slack off! Check all the CCTVs!"

They did as he had said. One by one, they checked the status of the basement doors, the gates, and the e-train. But two of the CCTVs showed crowds of people gathering in the gate near the East Wing building.

"There's a riot! It must be them who caused the blackout," One of them said. He attempted to contact the guards assigned to the East gate, but there was no answer. ��They're not picking up… Should we deploy our men?"

Paul had his doubts. He knew that the e-train was the only entrance and exit to the facility, so how did these people get in? They must have brought some weapons to get in successfully, or brought equipment to climb their high fences. If that's the case then they need to be ready for a bloody encounter! "Yes! Gather all of them to the East Wing," Paul told them. "They're too many. We need as many men as we need!"

Almost all armed men were told to gather at the East gate. They held guns like special tranquilizer guns, saline water guns, and guns that fire rope web traps. They were equipped with heavy-duty armor, and they had a wireless communication device to continue being updated with other security team members.

They first gathered at the front of the East Wing. Half of the group marched out of the South gate to surround the rioting group, while half of the group positioned themselves to the East gate.

Paul Azirean was confident because the armed men that he deployed towards the riot were three times more. These men were not only skilled in combat, but they're also the best in the police. He smirked, and thought, "These people thought we're not ready for things like riots? They're wrong then."

Suddenly, one of his men called. "Reporting, reporting!" The armed man said via the communicator. "I'm at the East gate!"

"Yes, we can hear you, what is it?" Paul replied.

"Sir!" He said, panicking, "There's no riot here!"

Meanwhile, at the airport, Sanno burst with laughter, "I can't believe it! They really fell for it!" He then told his hacker friends, "Good job, you're all really good."

"Thanks for the compliment, Sanno, but our talent fee is big, and you're in debt now" Emil told him jokingly. "Hey, should I stop the fake CCTV broadcast?"

"Yeah," Sanno said. "And bring the e-train back to the platform."

"Shit! They got us!" the angry Paul Azirean shouted. "Who are they?" He asked, punching the wall. It was still a mystery who hacked their system. Before the blackout happened, they didn't detect any incoming virus attack. He couldn't believe it. He made sure that after the data breach involving Dr. Brown, he had built a lot of 'walls' to protect their system.

"Sir, there's another problem," his colleague said, his eyebrows furrowed in disappointment.

Paul braced himself for another bad news. "What is it this time?"

"The e-train just got back…"

"What do you mean-"

Paul recalled everything that happened - the fake generator status, the blackout and the fake CCTV footage. And the riot in the East gate.

The e-train platform is located in the Western part of the facility.

Therefore, the fake footage of the riot… was a distraction, so that the train could be used!

"The CCTVs are back to their previous state, so go and check the basements, and everything surrounding the gates," Paul told his subordinates. He was trying to lead his falling army, but he didn't know how he would face their ruler when he came back. Besides, it was his second failure, and both failures had occurred in the same year.

"Sir! A mutant escaped!"

Paul widened his eyes, disappointed about how things had turned out that night. Yes, it was another problem, and it's a big one. "Who escaped?"

"In room B3-R10," the colleague said, "The chameleon mutant."

"What?!" For sure, the Head Scientist wouldn't be pleased. Paul knew how obedient the chameleon mutant was, lately. So it was just a facade?

Chrome wouldn't be placed in the third basement if he was an obedient mutant from the start. During his first months in the facility, he had been attempting to fool his caretaker, even his assigned scientist, Roy. He changed one day when he started to trust Roy. The assistant scientist didn't give up on Chrome, no matter what escape plans he did. He eventually asked what his likes and hobbies were, and putting these in the picture, his room was modified.

Paul believed that something might have triggered him to escape. After making his men deploy outside the facility and search the whole city, he was thinking of the people who might have encouraged him.

Perhaps, it was Roy, his assistant scientist.

Or it was his doctor or his veterinarian.

Paul organized the list in his mind, and there was one person, who might know something about it: the chameleon mutant's caretaker.