Zane scanned the maintenance area, the metallic scent clinging to the air. After a tense few minutes, he spotted a lone guard patrolling near a junction of pipes, his back turned. Perfect. He moved silently, his footsteps muffled by the grating underfoot, the heavy wrench a reassuring weight in his blood-stained hand.
Just as he was about to strike, another guard shouted from a nearby doorway, "Hey! Over there!" alerting the first guard to his presence.
"I knew it wouldn't be that easy," Zane muttered through gritted teeth, adrenaline surging.
The guard spun around, his eyes widening as he saw Zane, wrench raised. He raised his taser, the prongs crackling with electricity. Behind him, the other guard rushed forward, also wielding a taser.
The first guard lunged, aiming the taser at Zane's chest. He sidestepped, the prongs whistling past his ear. He brought the wrench down in a wide arc, connecting with the guard's shoulder with a sickening crunch. Bone snapped, and the guard cried out, dropping the taser.
The second guard arrived, aiming his taser at Zane's back. He spun, using the momentum to swing the wrench again, this time connecting with the side of his head. The impact was brutal. The guard's skull cracked, and he crumpled to the floor, twitching violently.
The first guard, clutching his shattered shoulder, tried to crawl away. Zane grabbed him by the collar, hauling him to his feet. He whimpered, begging for mercy. Zane brought the wrench down on his knee, the bone shattering with another sickening crack.
Zane searched the guards' bodies, finding a keycard. He wiped the blood from the card, a grim satisfaction settling in his stomach.
He looked at Elias, her eyes wide with horror. "Let's go," he said, his voice cold. He scanned the keycard at the service elevator panel, the doors sliding open.
Inside the cramped elevator, Elias asked, her voice trembling, "...How...How did you get the keycard?"
"I broke the skulls of two guards," Zane replied nonchalantly. "You what?" she asked.
"I killed them. You got a problem with that?" He fixed her with a cold stare. "Why are you even shocked? Did you forget the pile of bodies back in my cell? Two more don't make a difference."
The elevator doors opened to a dimly lit corridor. "Now come on," he said, pulling her out.
As they rounded a corner, six armed guards blocked their path, their weapons trained on them.
"Listen kid, we are in no mood for games," one guard said. "Get back to your cell."
"No," Zane replied, a cold smile spreading across his face. "I'm leaving this place. And I'm not gonna let you get in my way." He starts sprinting towards the guards at superhuman speed.
"Open fire!" the guard barked.
Zane lunged forward, grabbing the first guard's wrist, breaking it. He seized his rifle, swinging it into the face of the next guard. The corridor erupted in gunfire.
He ducked and weaved, using fallen guards as cover. A bullet grazed his arm, but he ignored it. He fired the rifle, hitting a guard in the chest.
He threw the rifle aside and charged, grabbing a guard by the helmet, smashing his head against the wall. He ripped the taser wires from another guard, wrapping them around his neck, choking him. The two remaining guards were quickly dispatched.
The corridor was a scene of carnage. He looked at Elias, huddled against the wall, her eyes wide with horror.
"We need to keep moving," he said, extending a hand. "Come on."
She didn't move. "Fine," he said, turning away. She scrambled after him.
He reached a rusted metal door. He kicked it repeatedly until the hinges gave way, and it burst open.
"Move!" he barked, pushing her through. He followed, entering a storage room.
He moved a heavy crate, revealing another door. He heard approaching footsteps. They were coming.
"Hide behind these boxes, now," Zane commanded, his voice low and urgent.
"What, why?" Elias asked, confusion and fear lacing her voice.
Zane stared into her eyes, his gaze intense. "You are my only way out of this hellhole. I can't have them take you away. I need you alive. So, stop your whining and get your ass behind those boxes. Now."
Elias, understanding the gravity of the situation, scrambled to obey, disappearing behind a stack of large cardboard boxes. Zane quickly surveyed the storage room, positioning himself near the damaged door for cover. He gripped a piece of broken metal piping, his breath steadying as the guards approached.
The guards burst through the doorway, their weapons raised. Zane moved with deadly precision, jamming the metal piping into the throat of the closest guard. He muffled the gurgling sound, lowering the body silently. He repeated the maneuver with the second guard, a silent and brutal efficiency taking hold.
The room grew thick with the coppery smell of blood. Zane emerged, scanning the room. His gaze landed on a katana mounted on the wall, along with a belt of kunai. He approached, intrigued.
The katana felt well-balanced in his hand. He sheathed it, strapping it to his back, and clipped the kunai belt to his waist. He turned to the boxes where Elias was hiding.
"Let's keep moving," he said, his voice firm. "You need to stop being weak. You're just setting yourself up for failure. Being a coward isn't going to do you any good. Now get off your ass and start moving."
He headed towards the far door, Elias following hesitantly. The door was locked.
"Any ideas?" he asked, gesturing towards the door. "Or are you just going to stand there and look useless?"
Elias flinched, pointing to a keypad on the wall. "There's... there's a keypad," she stammered. "It controls the lock. But... it requires a code."
Zane sighed, irritation building. "Of course it does. Why would it not?" He ran a hand through his hair. "This place is designed like a damn maze." He turned to Elias. "Just... stay close."
He stepped into the hallway, his senses on high alert. He reached a junction, stopping to assess the situation.
"Which way?" he asked. "Do you know where we're going?"
Suddenly, the intercom crackled to life, a distorted voice echoing through the hallway. "Well, well," the voice drawled. "I must say I'm impressed. You've managed to make it this far."
Zane froze, recognizing the voice of the lead scientist. Elias gasped, her eyes widening in terror.
"Who... who is that?" she whispered.
Zane ignored her, his attention fixed on the intercom. "I should have known you wouldn't let me leave without a final goodbye," he muttered.
The scientist chuckled. "Oh, I wouldn't dream of it. After all, you're my greatest creation. I simply had to see you one last time before... well, before you inevitably fail."
"I'm not going back," Zane growled. "I'm getting out of here, and there's nothing you can do to stop me."
The scientist laughed. "We'll see about that." The intercom clicked off.
Zane exchanged a tense look with Elias. "We need to keep moving," he said, his voice low and steady. "He's just trying to scare us."
He knew it was a lie. The scientist's words were a challenge, a prelude to something more. He placed a hand on the hilt of his katana.
"Come on," he said to Elias, his voice firm. "Let's keep moving." He started walking down the hallway, ready for whatever awaited them.