"Relax lad," Paul said as he approached Marcus with a calm smile. "You're in a safe place."
Marcus raised an eyebrow. Suddenly memories began flooding into his mind. He remembered previously being in the car, the conversation with Paul, and taking the sleeping pill."
"R-right," Marcus said with a stammer, rubbing his temple. He then studied the room once more. He noticed it was small, and illuminated by harsh white lights. The room itself was cluttered with various equipment, some belonging to the organization, others from unknown origins.
He then noticed Marisa, who looked at him with an indifferent expression. A few mercenaries, two guarding the exit, and one guarding the entrance to the lab.
Finally, he noticed that same woman dressed in tactical gear from the airstrip. She hadn't changed much appearance-wise, but it was still strange to see her.
Marcus instinctively reached for the area of his chest where the woman had stabbed him. A faint phantom pain emerged, then quickly faded. "What are you doing here?" Marcus asked curiously.
"I came to watch the show, orders from command." She said with a grin, revealing her pearly whites.
Marcus didn't know how to feel about CJ. He didn't hate her, but he couldn't just play friendly with her either. Marcus sighed as he looked over at Paul. "So where's the possessed lady?" Marcus asked.
Paul gestured towards the camera feed. "Just on the other side of this security door." He commented.
Marcus hesitantly stepped down from his cot and approached the screen with slow steps. Upon getting close enough to see the woman, he was taken aback.
"Cowards, cowards, COWARDS!!!" The woman screamed as she kicked over an already broken support beam, sending it crashing into a wall.
The crash was loud and rocked the laboratory, shaking everyone except Paul, Marcus, and CJ.
Marcus inadvertently began to smirk. He could already feel his adrenaline pumping, flowing through his veins. His excitement began running wild. Something told him this would be a fight he'd enjoy. "Can I go in now?" He asked. Gesturing his thumb towards the steel door that separated them from Susan.
Paul looked over at CJ and Marisa, who had confused looks on their faces.
Paul then turned his attention to Marcus. "I don't see why not, but do you have anything you need to do first?"
Marcus thought about it for a moment, then quickly began to remove his tracksuit. Though he was ready to enjoy this fight, he was not looking forward to one with Kinsley about his appearance.
Marcus stripped down to his boxers and T-shirt. "Alright, I'm ready." He said, handing his tracksuit to Paul.
Paul accepted the suit with a grin. "You're an insane lad, but it's your funeral." He then looked over the the mercenary guarding the door to the laboratory. "Take him in," Paul ordered.
The mercenary nodded, turning to press a series of buttons on a control panel beside the door. The door slid open with a soft hiss, revealing a short corridor with another door at the end of it.
"Follow me." The mercenary said emotionlessly.
"Got it," Marcus replied, popping his knuckles as he followed behind the mercenary. His growing excitement was almost boundless, the thrill of the upcoming fight was intoxicating.
The door closed behind Marcus as he followed the mercenary. The duo then stopped before the second door, which led directly into the laboratory."
The mercenary raised his gun at the door as he used the other hand to input a code. Shortly thereafter, the door slid open revealing a broken and dimly lit room. With Susan standing in the middle of the chaos, her red eyes like shining jewels in the darkness.
Marcus stepped into the laboratory. Embracing the stale and unpleasant air.
The mercenary quickly closed the door behind Marcus. It was sealed, and locked with a click.
"So, the humans bring fresh meat to my table," Susan said with an unnerving laugh. Slowly approaching Marcus with short steps. "I guess I don't mind the entertainment."
Marcus smirked as he cracked his neck. Its popping echoed loudly. The old Marcus would've panicked at the sight of Susan, but now, Marcus thrived on what scared him in the past. "Then let's get started." Marcus taunted as he began cycling ether, charging his abilities.
Susan laughed. "I think I like this human already." She said in a creepy and hoarse voice.
Without warning she immediately blitzed Marcus, her speed matching that of his own, if not a little faster. She launched a fist toward him. The wind behind it could blow away a small animal.
Marcus barely dodged the hit. His instincts dragged him toward the left. "You're fast!" Marcus said with a smirk, but can you dogged just as quick?" He asked, swinging around for a right foot kick.
Susan laughed as she ducked under Marcus's leg. She struck Marcus's left leg with a sweeping kick, which sent him crashing into the ground.
The impact was hard, but not unlike anything Marcus had faced before. "That was a good one," Marcus said as he pushed himself off the ground, raising to one knee.
Susan laughed, blitzing Marcus once more with a kick to the back of his head.
Marcus, sensing the incoming attack, swiftly lowered himself under Susan's leg. He then popped up immediately afterward and pushed her in the abdomen.
The impact was so intense that he broke through the skin, sending Susan flying from the punch. She crashed into a nearby support pillar, sending debris and shooting out in a dust cloud.
Marcus chuckled as he rose from his knee. He looked over at Susan. The steel that made the pillar, deformed around her. Almost as if she was sitting in a chair.
"You're done already?" Marcus taunted. "Are you just resting your eyes?"
Susan laughed as her red eyes widened with joy. She tightly gripped the edges of the steel pillar and pushed herself out. Sunan landed on the ground with a soft thud. "This is just the beginning human!" She exclaimed before blitzing Marcus once more.
Marcus smirked as he raised his fist. "Then let's get this party started!"
As soon as she closed the distance, she began to strike at Marcus with a flurry of swift punches.
Marcus dodged and blocked as fast as he could, but unfortunately for him, several punches got through. His healing power quickly took care of the wounds she inflicted.
But Marcus knew he could rely solely upon it.
As the fight continued, it was obvious that Susan held the advantage in close-quarters combat.
Marcus's defenses were being overwhelmed, leaving his healing to pick up the slack. The more he healed, the more ether he used, leaving him increasingly vulnerable and exhausted.
Waiting for the perfect opportunity, Marcus quickly broke free from CQB.
He then jumped back as far as he could, which was about twenty feet.
Susan watched him with an amused expression. "What happened, human?" She asked with a sadistic smile. "I thought you could keep up." She teased, licking her lips.
Her tongue was covered in black veins.
Marcus chuckled as he caught his breath. "I'll admit, I got cocky and underestimated you," Marcus said honestly. "But now playtime's over." He said with a grin, aiming his hand at Susan. He quickly fired off a silver blast of ether.
There was an explosion of silver light where Susan once was. Marcus smirked as the light faded, yet his grin was quickly wiped from his lips.
He expected to Susan's body, or at least see her wounded. However, she wasn't there, in any capacity.
"What the–" before Marcus could process the disappearance of Susan. He felt a soft hand gripping the back of his head.
It was Susan.
She forcefully pushed on his head with the strength of a hundred elephants. Marcus watched in confusion as his face rapidly approached the jagged and cracked floor.
As his face collided with the floor, sharp shards of debris and tile plunged into Marcus's face. His blood gushed out like the floor of water from a river.
"Gah!!!" Marcus screamed in agony as one of the shards plunged deep into his right eye. His began twitching and shaking as he tried to escape from Susan's grasp.
The pain was unbearable.
Marcus had been stabbed nearly everywhere, but this was like a white-hot pain scorching through his skull, and searing his brain.
Susan laughed maniacally as she picked Marcus's head from the ground. Long stretches of blood rose with his face. She then slammed it against the ground once more. Breaking Marcus's nose and smashing his front teeth.
The pain grew so intense that Marcus couldn't understand it.
All he knew was that it felt like his face was burning off.
Outside the laboratory, watching through the camera. Paul and the other watched with conflicted expressions. Paul seemed a little disappointed.
Marisa was indifferent.
But CJ, she was horrified. "Paul we need to get him out of there." She demanded as she grabbed her rifle.
Paul shook his head, continuing to watch as Marcus' head was bashed against the ground. "If he can't handle her, what makes you think we can?"
"You're talking like you wanna keep Susan alive," CJ said angrily as she approached the door. "I'm going to kill her."
Paul frowned as he quickly pulled a pistol from his pocket. "You open that door and I'll blow your brain out, love," Paul said coldly, his pistol aimed at her head.
CJ frowned, her grip tightening on her rifle. "Paul, what the fuck do you think you're doing."
The air grew thick with tension. Marisa's eyes darted between Paul and CJ, her expression perplexed. "Paul, are we seriously letting the kid die?" She asked.
Paul narrowed his eyes. "That kid knew the risks, I warned him repeatedly," Paul said with an unyielding tone. "He knew the risks, and he accepted."
"But what's the point of letting the kid die?" CJ asked angrily. Gesturing towards the door.
"We win either way, either that kid subdues Susan, or another organization dog dies," Paul stated.
Meanwhile, back inside the laboratory Marcus's vision grew blurred and his fatigue and exhaustion grew high. After each slam against the ground, Marcus's face would heal, drawing more ether from his increasingly depleting reserves.
Something had to change quickly.
"Die, die, die!" Susan said repeatedly, he laughed echoing through the dimly lit laboratory.
Marcus drew from his remaining strength, understanding that if he didn't escape Susan's grasp, this could quickly become his gravesite.
As she pulled his head up for another slam. Marcus pushed himself backward with all his might. Forcing all of his weight down on Susan, who had been sitting on his back.
As he landed on his back, Susan fell head first. Her neck cracked and popped under Marcus's weight slamming her into the ground.
Susan screeched out in pain as Marcus landed atop her.
Marcus then quickly lifted himself off the ground and grabbed as much distance as possible. He took a brief moment to catch his ragged breath. His voice had cleared but it was clear to Marcus that he had to play it safe.
Susan groaned as her body healed itself. Loud cracking popped like popcorn as the spin was readjusted. "It seems I got too excited." Susan said with a chuckle, "You can still fight, human…"
Marcus straightened himself out as he raised his fists. This was going to be a long battle. "Can't we just call it a draw?" Marcus joked as he stumbled backward. "I'll make it–" Marcus groaned, cutting himself off mid-sentence as he spat up blood.
Susan's grin widened. "Your core fails you human, you do not have time for jokes."
Marcus knew Susan was right. He was running on fumes. "Maybe so, but I can still kick your ass."
Susan laughed as she blitzed Marcus once more.
Marcus dogged her first swing, yet he missed the second, which was an uppercut. Marcus went flying backward as Susan's fist connected with his jaw.
Marcus crashed into the ground, groaning as the wind was knocked out of him. "Shit…" he mumbled to himself as he rose up.
He wasn't expecting to be hit so hard. He thought that he dodged it, but his body wouldn't move for some reason.
Susan blitzed him again. Kicking his head as hard as she could. Sending him crashing into a pile of debris.
Marcus tried to find the strength to pull himself out of the debris pile, it was a struggle but he eventually succeeded. Crashing onto the ground on his hands and knees.
"What's wrong with me?" Marcus stammered as he struggled to stand. "Why can't I fight?" He asked.
Marcus knew he still had strength left, and he still had ether reserves. So why couldn't he fight back?
"You're scared," Susan answered with a satisfied smile. Slowly approaching Marcus. "You are… afraid." She explained.
"That's impossible!" Marcus called out as he rose to his feet. He didn't feel fear anymore. He wasn't supposed to.
"Look how you shake, and tremble in fear of my wrath," Susan said, smirking as she prepared to punch Marcus again.
Marcus looked down.
He saw his hands trembling, his legs wobbling and struggling to hold his weight. Marcus's heart was racing, not with excitement, but with dread.
For the first time, Marcus again felt true fear.