[Location: Outside Xellene]
We were on our way back to the institute and I started having this growing worry about Hel. 'That's enough Celia', I shook my head, 'You're such a worry wart'. "Something wrong?", Max asked quietly after seeing my commotion, "Am I driving too quickly?". "No, it's not that", I replied half-heartedly, "it's just that I'm feeling this uneasiness about what's happening at work". Max suddenly started laughing at that, wiping his happy tears as he continued driving. "It's just in your head", he advised smiling, "Excessive stress is usually to blame". 'Whatever', I thought rolling my eyes, 'Let me just call Luke for an update on things'.
I dialled my colleague's number and waited patiently for him to answer but he wouldn't pick up. 'That's odd', I thought, 'He never misses phone calls'. 'Maybe he's just ignoring me', I concluded after several more failed attempts, 'I can be a bit too strict when it comes to Hel'. "Relax, we're almost there", Max spoke suddenly, "Just hang on for a few more minutes". 'That's what happens when you work with a psychotic perfectionist', I thought getting a slight migraine but I managed to pass on my thanks to Max. 'I hope things are okay, or else I'm definitely getting it from him today'.
[Location: Unit 4, Cell Room Of T.S No. 0604 ]
Earlier before...
"Let me guess", she said her voice cold and emotionless, "You're not from here". 'Shit', the man cursed internally, 'She knows'. "I don't know what you're talking about", he tried lying but obviously she wasn't having it. She started laughing as she stared straight into the camera, "Please, you managed to fool the others but you can't fool me". Cold beads of sweat started dripping from his forehead as I struggled to call for help, it was almost as if I was frozen. "How much did they say they were gonna pay you, hm?", she asked, her eyes still focused on the camera. "I knew something was wrong since the day I found that camera", she hissed, her voice booming through my body. 'There's a few more of them', Hel thought, sensing a group of people coming towards her cell, 'He came prepared'.
'Why isn't Blake coming?', she thought but later realised that they've blocked out all the connections to the other departments, 'Do they really expect to get away with this?'. Hel was experienced in dealing with outsiders like these, Xellene was a famous spot for competing labs to plant imposters like these. 'And somehow, they're always after me', she thought still staring at the monitor, waiting for the man's next move. Suddenly the intercom blared into life and the man said, "Okay, you got me but hear me out will ya? I'm not like the others you've dealt with, I'm here to save you Hel". 'Liar', Hel answered internally, 'This prison is better than where you're gonna take me'. "I know it's hard to believe", the man explained, "But, I'm here to get you back to where you truly belong".
"You know nothing about me", she replied, slightly agitated, "No one does". "Then, answer this question", the man asked, his tone serious, "Have you heard of the name Pam and Devan?". The two names made Hel freeze entirely, she was starting to believe that this man was not what she thought to be. "Do I have your attention now?", he asked confidently because he knew that he did, 'We don't have much time, I have to hurry'. There was a shift in the air and the imposter couldn't help but fear what his target what thinking, 'She's too quiet'. "You", she said finally her tone dangerously calm, "Who are you?". "I'll tell you everything you want to know Hel", the stranger offered, "But not here because of security reasons". "Just follow my instructions and I'll get you out of here, I promise".
He searched the monitor to see if he had convinced Hel but even he couldn't read what she was thinking. An uncertain silence crept between them until she finally spoke, "Keep your promise, or I'll kill you before they do". 'Her words are vile compared to her voice, polar opposites', the man thought but he wasn't complaining, "You have my word". 'Now, I just need them to come over', he thought, silently hoping that they get over here quicker than the security. While the stranger had grown quiet, Hel was slightly overwhelmed by the unexpected gift that she received. Although she had her suspicions on whether what the man claimed was true, the sole fact that he knew those two names secured her to believe him. 'I can just kill them off if things go wrong anyway', she thought plotting her escape in case things went wrong.
Throughout the silence, Hel could sense that there was a group of people rushing their way towards her cell, 'Well, that's not good'. "They're here", she informed the man, "But it's not your men". The metal door to Hel's cell opened to reveal several heavily armed men enter and block the entrance, prepared for a fight Hel knew was pointless. 'They seem new here', she thought staring at the men in heavy duty armour. "Don't move!", someone shouted, "Behave and there will be no harm brought to you". She knew that the imposter was still in the monitoring room which relieved her because that was where the button was. 'I'll be fine as long as that thing's not touched', she thought slowly walking towards the guards. "I said don't move!", the same man warned but she payed no attention as she moved closer.
'They can't kill me yet', she assured herself, 'Not without Blake's permission'. The closer she got to them, the more they moved further away from her until she was merely inches away from the closest guard. "Why are you doing anything?", someone asked, his voice uncontrollably shaky. 'I should be asking you the same', she thought staring at them through their helmets. In half a second, Hel grabbed one of the guards by the head and snapped his neck in half like it was nothing. Letting go, the limp body fell to the cold floor with a thumb and she walked closer. Crossing over the fresh corpse, she looked at the remaining victim counting slowly in her head, 'One, two, three, four...'. 'Six more to go', she thought as they all stood frozen solid until one of them was brave enough to fight back. 'I better hurry', Hel thought as she dodged the attack gracefully, 'More of them are coming' .
[Location: Unknown]
"Mercury can you hear me?", a faceless shadow shouted repeatedly at the earpiece only to receive no answer. "I repeat", she said her voice desperate, "Mercury are you there?". She waited patiently for the earpiece to blare into life, counting under her breath, 'One, two, three, four...'. Again she received nothing, this was already the fourth time her partner failed to answer her calls. 'God fucking dammit', she cursed internally both at herself and her partner, 'Nothing seems to be working today'. Mercury entrusted her to bring backup for their mission to succeed but a slight mishap had forced her to fail. 'They're almost done handling the bug', she thought as she spied on the calm security department. She had underestimated their capabilities but she was surprised at how well they were handling this unexpected error.
'We were so close', she thought her frustration obvious, 'They just had to cancel the plans'. Today was the scheduled date for Unit 4 to receive cleaning services. Shockingly, while she was researching about this 'big shot' institute, she found out that they had no janitors in place. Due to security reasons, they hired private cleaners instead, so that none of their secrets were collected as a whole. It was a smart idea she admitted but the woman was a talented hacker and easily created a whole agency within a few hours. Managing to convince several handlers that she was a legitimate online cleaning company with just her computer and quick thinking brain, they booked a team for this exact day.
A few hours earlier, while she was waiting for the clock to strike the appointed time, she received an unexpected call to cancel. Despite her countless persuasion within the nearly twenty minute phone call, it was pointless as they were adamant in cancelling. 'Now, I can't even inform him because his damn ear piece is blocked', she thought cursing under her breath. Suddenly, "Hello?", a familiar voice blared in the woman's left ear, "Can you guys hear me?". 'The signal's back!', the woman thought stumbling onto her feet as her fingers began working, "I can hear you loud and clear Mercury, what happened?", "Hel, I think she did it", he reported, "She cut of all signals to trap me in". "Are you okay?", she asked, "Did she hurt you?".
"No, no I'm fine", he corrected, "I'm outside Xellene right now. Approximately ten miles out the road". "What?!", she shouted, her fingers moving faster, "How? I didn't even tell you what happened yet". "Well I know now, she helped me get out", he said his voice clear and calm. 'Hel, helped him?', she thought frowning, 'Why?'. "Hey, I get that you're confused but I'll explain everything later", he assured, "But for now, could you hurry and pick me up? I'm tired". "Roger that", she said, "I've got your signal, we're coming right now". "Great, see you later", he replied and ended the call. "Finally, is he done?", a male's voice called suddenly from her earpiece, "Can we go in now?". "A change of plans gentlemen", her voice hardened with authority, "The mission's been delayed but luckily we're in the clear". She walked over to the driver's seat turning on the engine, "I'm picking up Mercury and heading back to base". "Roger that boss", the man replied groaning as if he was stretching, "The boys and I are heading back to base first". "Got it, and be safe. Don't let Andrew drive", she warned before driving off to find her brother.