Time of Liberation (2)

'Can we get out of here faster?'

Thirteen didn't say it out loud, but he hated being confined in the metal box that brought them down.

The feeling of being closed off, unable to escape until the box reached its destination, was suffocating.

He was breathing audibly.

Jin looked at him with concern, but he was nothing short of terrifying to the five Liberation Front soldiers.

His breathing, distorted by the mask, frightened them.

"Do you think he's angry?" one soldier muttered to the one next to him, trying his best to remain silent.

The five of them had been told by Anna and Natalie to treat Jin and Thirteen respectfully.

They continued to descend in the elevator, which Thirteen thought of as nothing more than a metal coffin.

The suffocating feeling ate at him inside, yet he couldn't express his misery.

Both knew they couldn't show weakness.

Thirteen glanced at his watch through the stag skull mask, waiting for the moment to get out.

The soldiers felt the same way; being locked together with Jin and Thirteen was unnerving.

Two soldiers stood in front of the door, two behind Jin and Thirteen, and the last one was between them.

Jin's massive frame only added to the soldiers' fear.

His imposing stature combined with the stag mask made him even more intimidating.

Luckily for Thirteen and the soldiers, the lift finally landed and the doors opened.

They were back underground, welcomed by an empty tunnel illuminated by the lighting system.

"Follow us, sirs," instructed one of the soldiers, breathing a sigh of relief as they exited the elevator, leaving the two monsters behind.

Walking through the tunnels, Thirteen still felt confined but not as suffocated as in the metal box.

Jin tapped his shoulder and gazed at him for a long time.

Neither spoke, but they understood each other.

Thirteen nodded, and Jin nodded back, a satisfied expression hidden behind his mask.

"Hey… tell me one thing." 

Jin called out one of the soldiers who yelped in surprise the moment Jin called out to him.

Jin's demonically distorted voice scared him beyond belief.

"… Yes, sir?" the soldier asked, his voice shaking.

"What did you do before joining the Liberation Front?"

The soldier was still fearful of Jin, especially after witnessing his battlefield prowess, slaughtering enemies left and right.

Not just a perfect sniper, Jin was an even better close-range fighter, his speed and strength unmatched.

What could a man of his caliber do to the likes of him?

The very thought terrified him even further.

He gulped once, then answered Jin.

"I was a factory worker for Solstice, working on guns in a factory line... just mindlessly assembling weapons day after day."

The soldier's voice was still shaking, but now it was more from anger than fear.

"Why did you join the Liberation Front? Were you mistreated?" Jin asked with genuine curiosity. His voice was still distorted, but the soldier sensed a lack of the anger he had feared.

"Mistreated, sir?" 

The soldier felt tears welling in his eyes. 

"Because of them, my daughter is dead. I begged them to pay me at least a normal wage so I could get medicine for her. I was desperate... they even cut my pay that month."

Tears began to trickle down his cheeks, hidden by a bandana, his grief was immense, and even his voice began to break down.

"We barely got minimum wage, and even that small amount was something they begrudged us... they took my daughter from me. I sincerely hope they are the next ones we take down."

Jin did not say anything for a couple of moments while they were walking through the narrow tunnels.

Jin sighed, feeling the frustration of the man before him.

"I understand... they are going to pay. I hope you live to see it."

Still, in tears, the soldier walked ahead, and Jin nodded in acknowledgment.

"And what about the others?"

Jin asked the rest of the soldiers. Their expressions turned to a mixture of rage and anger.

"It was the same with my wife... she was sick and couldn't be treated..."

The soldier's voice was full of grief as he shared his story with Jin.

As they walked together, the other soldiers opened up to Jin as well, sharing their grief and frustrations.

Jin listened attentively, offering his support. He understood their rage against the Corporations all too well.

Thirteen said nothing, observing his partner's interactions with the soldiers.

After speaking with Jin, none of the soldiers seemed to fear the tall Cypher anymore.

Despite his large stature and terrifying voice, they couldn't.

Then, they emerged from the seemingly endless tunnels into the bustling underground headquarters, where vehicles were scattered and mechanics inspected them.

One thing caught both Jin and Thirteen's attention simultaneously.

"What is that?" Jin asked, pointing at a large machine resembling a mechanical human—a giant weaponized contraption.

"That's a steel walker... I've heard of them," Thirteen answered before one of the soldiers could.

"You're right, sir. Anna was able to build one, but it's still far from complete."

As Jin observed the machine more closely, he understood why—it resembled a human, but its inner circuits were exposed, lacking armor plating like a human with exposed flesh.

"Fascinating," murmured Thirteen, lost in thought as he massaged his chin, concealed by his mask.

"This way, Sir Jim. Leader Natalie wants to speak with you," one of the soldiers led him, while another guided Thirteen to a different room.

"Sir, Anna wanted to talk to you about something else. She's trying to break into Genesis's database," explained another soldier.

"Interesting. Lead me to her," Thirteen replied. He had already breached numerous databases but was curious to see how the other hacker from the Liberation Front worked.

Only two soldiers escorted Jin and Thirteen to the leaders of the Liberation Front, while the rest of the soldiers dispersed, grateful to Jin and spreading kind words about them to the others.

Walking on the metal floor, Jin's footsteps echoed through the corridors, leading to a metal door with the soldier standing in front of it.

"They are inside, sir," said the soldier, causing Jin to furrow his brow in confusion.

"They?" Jin questioned, but the soldier had already departed.

Then, the door swung open before him.

inside the room, two people were deep in a heated conversation. One of them was the leader of the Liberation Front, Natalia.

While Jin couldn't recognize the other person, he was a tall man barely shorter than Jin, with neck-length raven-black hair.

"That's a death trap! Are you stupid?" Natalie shouted at the man before her in anger.

"You're absolutely right, rotting away in this hole is obviously the best option we have. Don't be such a coward, Nat!" the man spat back angrily.

Their conversation was escalating.

"Am I bothering you guys?"