**Chapter 2: Belly of the Beast**

The train slowly came to a stop. The mercenaries cautiously moved out, one at a time. As soon as they were off the train, Murder Death Kill was the first to follow. While everyone hesitated, the girl with glasses glanced at Zheng and the rest. With a look as if she had made up her mind, she followed Murder Death Kill and the movie cast out. Seeing One move further away, the rest hurriedly followed.

When it was my turn to get off the train, I caught a glimpse of the circular port window in the train door. I saw the reflection of a Chinese kid in his early 20s. Hmm... I thought I was the last to get off. Hey! This kid looks like that actor Rain from the movie *Ninja Assassin* back in 2009. Wait! Wasn't Rain Korean or something? Trying to get a better look, I turned my head to face the kid—and saw no one.

I blinked and looked again. Shyte! Is that my face I'm seeing?! Slightly creeped out, I made a few facial expressions, trying to see if anything was off. But... nothing. The reflection was me. And yet, it wasn't.

A cold chill ran down my spine as it sank in. This wasn't my body, but here I was—wearing it. A heavy sigh escaped me. I tried to push the thought aside, willing myself to focus. I could figure out the whole body swap thing later. Right now, I had to stay sane enough to survive this mess.

I glanced around, trying to distract myself, and noticed a black backpack by the side of the train door, covered by a thick, black rope net. I remembered that this might be the pack the thief—*cough* Spence *cough*—used to hide the T-virus case. Without hesitation, I opened it up. And there it was—the motherload. My heart skipped a beat when I saw it wasn't locked. Lucky me. Or was it this body's previous owner who was just lucky?

I quickly scanned my surroundings, making sure no one was watching, and found some standard plastic tubes containing flares under the net, along with a U.S. Army knife. How did I know it was military-grade? It said so right on the blade. I took the knife and began cutting out the flares, hollowing out the plastic tubes. Then, I slid one vial of the cure and one of the virus inside. After securing everything tightly, I pocketed the loot, replaced the case, and returned it to its original spot.

I almost forgot to act like nothing happened. When I was done with my little heist, I stepped off the train, trying to blend in with the rest of the group who were already working on opening the entrance to the Hive. I was just in time to hear Alice ask, "I want to know who you people are and what's going on here."

One glanced at her, then waved to another mercenary nearby. That guy pulled out a device from his bag and started unlocking the door. When things seemed to be going as planned, One turned to Alice and said, "You and I have the same employer. The mansion above us is an emergency entrance to the Hive. You were placed there as a security operative to protect that entrance."

Alice looked a little lost in thought, digesting his words. She glanced down at her hand and rubbed her wedding ring, muttering, "What about this?"

Matt answered, "Your marriage is a fake. Just part of your cover to protect the Hive's secrecy."

"And what is the Hive?" asked the thief.

Man... this is like watching the movie while being a bystander on set. Weird. Terrifying. But somehow... kind of thrilling.

I had to keep it together. *Wait. Focus. Don't fangirl over this.* My heart was racing, but I forced my face to remain stoic.

One then turned to one of his men to explain the Hive to the rest of the group. I had already heard it all, so my mind started to wander, thinking of ways to survive this movie and earn points without drawing attention to myself.

Then, Alice pointed to Zheng and the rest of us. "And them?"

I froze. Crap. I hadn't thought of a name yet. What if they asked for identification? What if they wanted something official? Should I be the naive kid, the reliable guy, or the stoic type? Screw it! I'll go with goofy. Play the fool-out-of-his-league card. But—what about my name? I don't even know it! What if they ask for ID or something?!

Ah, shit, Kris Wu sounds Chinese enough to pass, right? But with a bit of a Western ring to it. Yeah, that'll work.

Before I could spiral further, One swooped in to save me. He said, "They're also security operatives. The company has their names registered. But I question if there's an error in corporate orders; aside from one person, everyone else just looks like ordinary civilians."

Wait! Don't lump me in with the cannon fodder. I need to pitch in—now or never!

"Ah! Sir, Boss Man, might I add that I may be an intern..." I said, trying to sound casual, though I could already feel the stares. "Judging by what you guys are wearing and the way I'm dressed, it's likely related. Although, I'm wearing sneakers... I might've been on break..." (Good thing this kid's in a white tank top and black coveralls. What a coincidence... Phew)

Everyone's eyes landed on me, some nodding, sizing me up. But Murder Death Kill wasn't buying it. His signature glare locked onto me, promising pain. I had to open my big mouth, didn't I?

I let out a nervous chuckle, and everyone stared. Shyte! Now nobody will take me seriously. But... maybe that could work in my favor.

Just as the room seemed ready to stone me, Spence spoke up, asking, "Why can't I remember anything?"

"The Hive has its own defense mechanisms, all computer-controlled," One explained. "A nerve gas was released into the house. The primary effect is complete unconsciousness lasting up to four hours. Secondary effects vary but can include acute memory loss."

"For how long?" Alice asked.

"Subjective. An hour, a day, a week," One responded.

While they were talking, Murder Death Kill pressed his hand on my shoulder, whispering in my ear, "If you have nothing useful to share, keep your trap shut, or next time, things won't go as well as them just ignoring you. Understood?"

I nodded reflexively, my muscles tensing under his touch. On the outside, I played it cool, but inside, I was cheering—*yes, I got this schmuck fooled!*

Satisfied, he let go of my slightly bruised shoulder and moved away, sticking with the mercenaries. I took this time to familiarize myself with the cast, mentally cataloging their names and roles.

He's Matt Addison, looking for his sister, who was a researcher inside the Hive. She found out the corporation was researching the T-virus and tried to contact the government. The person she contacted was... Alice. But before she could steal the virus, Spence stole it and leaked it. He's the cause of all this. I silently prayed for his soul to land in hell.

Just then, a voice came from the door, "Sir! We've breached the Hive."

One nodded, then looked at our group and sighed. Shaking his head, he turned around and led the mercenaries through the door. The door slid open, revealing the dark abyss within.

I craned my head over their shoulders to peek inside and saw... total darkness. It wasn't just darkness—it was the kind of black that seemed to reach out and swallow you whole.

The door had opened to the belly of the beast.

I took a deep breath, forcing my focus. I had to keep my mind sharp from here on out. There would be no second chances.

Then, like pinpricks, memories of a life not my own came surging in.

I must have blacked out for a second, because when I regained clarity, I heard a *DING* sound from somewhere.