As Hffyl's consciousness faded in the sterile, dimly lit room, Colonel Adams withdrew the needle from his arm and nodded to the medical officer. The officer took a step back, letting the drugs do their work.
Hffyl's breathing grew shallower, his eyelids heavy. The straps on the chair held him firmly in place, rendering him powerless. Colonel Adams observed the boy's weakening state, his expression stoic.
Once Adams was satisfied that Hffyl was beyond the point of resistance, he turned and exited the room, leaving the medical officer to monitor the execution.
Meanwhile, outside the room, in the base's corridors, the atmosphere was tense. Soldiers went about their duties, oblivious to the drama unfolding behind closed doors. Liv, hidden in the shadows, watched as Colonel Adams walked away. Her mind raced with a mix of emotions—confusion, concern, and a growing sense of unease.
She took a deep breath, her determination unwavering. Whatever was happening behind those doors, she couldn't just stand by and let it go. Liv was determined to find out more and help if she could.
Her first step was to learn more about the situation. She discreetly approached a fellow soldier who had been stationed nearby and seemed to be in the know.
"Hey, what's going on in there?" Liv asked, feigning nonchalance.
The soldier, unaware of the gravity of the situation, responded casually, "Oh, they're just dealing with some troublemaker. Nothing to worry about."
Liv's heart sank. Troublemaker or not, it didn't sit right with her that something so significant was happening without the knowledge of the rest of the squad.
She nodded, trying to maintain her composure. "Got it. Thanks."
The officer barely had time to gasp before Hffyl was upon him, swiftly and silently incapacitating him. The only sounds in the room were the officer's gasping breaths and the soft, clinical hiss of a syringe being filled with the very drug that had been used on Hffyl.
In the corridor, a soldier, Jones, picked up the subtle sounds of struggle. "Everything alright, doc?" he called, knocking gently on the door, his grip on his rifle tightening.
No response.
Curious, Jones slowly opened the door, only to be met by the chilling sight of the medical officer's lifeless body and Hffyl, or at least the shadow of him, clutching the loaded syringe.
Hffyl didn't hesitate. Launching himself forward, he disarmed Jones, using the momentum to plunge the syringe into the soldier's neck. Jones slumped to the floor, eyes wide in shock and disbelief. He quickly stole the earmuffs from Jones neck.
Rapid footsteps echoed through the base. Liv, following the noise, rounded the corner and almost ran straight into Hffyl. Their eyes locked. Fear, and confusion swirled between them.
"Kid?" Liv whispered, hands raised defensively. She hadn't drawn her weapon yet; the connection they had, however fleeting, stopped her.
Hffyl didn't respond, but his glare was sharp. The kid she once knew seemed lost, replaced by something driven, cold, and vengeful.
The base alarm blared, jolting them both. Red emergency lights bathed the corridor, adding to the chaos.
As sirens wailed and soldiers scrambled to figure out the source of the disturbance, Hffyl slipped into an armory room, grabbing any weapon he could. Handguns, rifles, and grenades – anything that might aid his escape.
Liv, trying to gather her bearings, muttered to herself, "What on earth is going on?"
She then heard an overheard radio crackling with a message, "All units, be advised, target is armed and highly dangerous. Approach with caution."
Rapidly putting two and two together, Liv realized that if Hffyl was going to make an escape, it would be now or never. But would she help him, or would their past as enemies be too much to overcome?
Rapid footsteps echoed through the base. Liv, following the noise, rounded the corner and almost ran straight into Hffyl. Their eyes locked. A mixture of recognition, fear, and confusion swirled between them.
"Kid?" Liv whispered, hands raised defensively. She hadn't drawn her weapon yet; the connection they had, however fleeting, stopped her.
Hffyl didn't respond, but his glare was sharp. The kid she once knew seemed lost, replaced by something driven, cold, and vengeful.
Before Liv could react, Hffyl lunged at her with startling speed, the glint of a blade in his hand. Liv barely had time to draw her sidearm, and the two of them grappled in a fierce, life-and-death struggle.
Their combat was a chaotic ballet of kicks, punches, and desperate grabs for control. The base alarm blared on, a relentless reminder of the chaos around them. As they wrestled, Hffyl's initial assault showed no signs of stopping.
It was only when Liv managed to get a lucky hit in, disarming him momentarily, that Hffyl retreated with a snarl of frustration. He sprinted down the corridor, his footsteps echoing in the distance.
Gasping for breath, Liv could only watch as he disappeared from sight. The alarm still blared, and the base was in turmoil.
She glanced at her radio, hearing the urgent message, "All units, be advised, target is armed and highly dangerous. Approach with caution."
Liv's choice was clear. Hffyl might be dangerous, but whatever had driven him to this point was a mystery she needed to uncover. She couldn't let him be hunted down like an animal.
With grim determination, she radioed in, "This is Liv. I'm in pursuit of the target. Hold your fire. I repeat, hold your fire."
In the dimly lit armory, Hffyl moved like a shadow. He knew he couldn't escape without arming himself, and the base personnel inside the armory had become unexpected obstacles.
As he silently approached the entrance, he overheard the muffled voices of two soldiers conversing.
"Did you hear that alarm? What's going on?"
"I don't know, but it doesn't sound good. We should grab some gear just in case."
Hffyl, crouched behind a stack of crates filled with weapons, his hand gripped the hilt of a knife he'd taken from the medical officer earlier. His heart raced as he prepared to strike. The element of surprise was his only advantage.
With swift, calculated movements, he lunged forward, driving the blade into one soldier's back while clamping a hand over the other's mouth to stifle any cries. In mere moments, both soldiers lay unconscious on the armory floor.
Hffyl wasted no time. He quickly scanned the racks of weaponry, grabbing a sleek black pistol, an Uzi submachine gun, and a Steyr AUG assault rifle. He also pocketed a few grenades and extra magazines.
As he slung the weapons over his shoulder and adjusted his newfound firepower, he muttered to himself, "Better to be overprepared than underprepared."
With a final look at the incapacitated soldiers, he slipped out of the armory.