13 phased through the locked doors. Guards shouted from down the hallway, heavy boots thudding in his direction. 13 sprinted, phasing through walls and doors. He had to find 11 and 12 before the guards recaptured him.
Skidding around a corner, he smacked straight into a tall guard. Before the man could react, 13 drove a fist into his gut then hooked his feet out from under him. The guard crashed to the floor with a wheeze. 13 leapt over his prone form and kept running.
13 raced down the sterile white hallway, his footsteps lacking the distinct echo that they usually made on the tile floors. Two more guards emerged from around the corner. 13 clenched his fists, preparing to fight, but hesitated. He was wasting too much time battling every single guard. He needed to find 11 and 12 before the entire facility went into lockdown.
He ducked into an empty room as the guards ran past. Panting, he tried to gather his scrambled thoughts. He had to take a stealthier approach from here on out.
As he leaned against the wall to catch his breath, a strange tingling sensation rippled through his body. Glancing down, he realized his hands were starting to fade from view. His eyes widened. Was he turning invisible?
He stared as his hands and forearms completely disappeared before his eyes. The rest of his body soon followed suit.
"Whoa," he whispered. His voice sounded muffled, as if coming through a filter. He raised his invisible hands before his eyes, flexing his fingers. With this new ability, he could sneak right past the guards undetected.
After taking a moment to get used to the bizarre out-of-body sensation, 13 slipped out of the room and ran down the hallway.
Two guards marched toward him, assault rifles slung over their shoulders. 13 froze, holding his breath. But the guards strode by without a glance in his direction, their boots pounding the floor mere inches from where he stood pressed against the wall.
Once they passed, 13 let out a quiet sigh of relief. This invisibility thing was going to come in handy.
He hurried on, phasing through locked doors when necessary. The labyrinth of corridors all looked the same, but he had a rough idea where 11's room was located. He just hoped he could find it before he tired himself out.
Rounding a corner, he spotted two more guards standing outside a nondescript door. Jackpot. That had to be 11's room. 13 crept forward, moving as silently as a shadow.
13 materialized through the wall of 11's room, his molecules slipping effortlessly through the solid barrier. Inside, he found 11 sitting on her cot, knees hugged to her chest. She glanced up, eyes widening in surprise.
"What are you doing here?" she whispered harshly.
"I escaped the lab. We have to go, now," 13 replied, grabbing her wrist and pulling her to her feet. She winced as his hand bumped against the metal bracelet clasped around it, the device designed to dampen her powers.
13 focused, deciding to test the limits of his newfound strength. He gripped the bracelet, crushing it in his grasp. Sparks shot out and it clattered to the floor.
11 stared at her freed wrist in wonder. "How did you..."
"No time to explain. We have to get your sister."
13 yanked open the door. The hallway was empty but it was only a matter of time before the guards came searching. They raced down the sterile corridor, their soft shoes slapping against the tiles. Skidding around a corner, they almost collided into a burly guard.
"Hey! Stop right there!" he shouted, fumbling for his radio.
11 flung out her arm, shadows streaking from her palm. They swirled around the guard, coalescing into writhing tendrils that lashed his limbs to his body. With a grunt, he toppled over.
She grabbed his hand she pulled him forward. "Let's go!"
They sprinted on, the halls a maze of endless white. 13 focused on the route, picturing the path to 12's room. His mental map guided them through the turns until they arrived at her door.
13 watched as 11 flung out her arm again, shadows streaking from her palm to wrap around the door handle. The inky tendrils squeezed, the metal crunching in their grip. With a sharp twist, the locked door groaned open.
They rushed inside, finding 12 sitting calmly on her cot. She blinked at their sudden entrance, then broke into a grin.
"You did it!" she cried, jumping up and throwing her arms around 13 in a quick hug. He stiffened, unaccustomed to such open affection.
"Yeah, but we have to go," he muttered, gently detaching himself.
12 nodded, her smile fading. "Right. Escape now, hug later."
Grabbing her wrist with the power-dampening bracelet. Once again, 13 crushed it. 12 rubbed her freed wrist, beaming. "Now we can get out of here for real."
The faint thunder of footsteps echoed down the hall, along with shouts. The guards had discovered their absence.
13's heart pounded as he turned to 11 and 12. "Let's go!"
They raced out of 12's room and down the stark white hallway. Alarms blared deafeningly, the flashing lights painting the sterile walls red. The thunder of boots on tile echoed from around the corner - the guards were closing in.
"This way!" 13 yelled, phasing through a set of double doors. 11 and 12 followed close behind.
They sprinted through a cafeteria, tables and chairs a blur. Bursting into the kitchen, they skidded to a stop. Ahead, two guards blocked the exit, rifles raised.
"Stop right there!" one shouted.
11 thrust out her palm, shadows streaking forth to swallow the guards in darkness. They shouted in alarm as they were yanked off their feet, rifles clattering uselessly to the floor. With a swipe of her hand, 11 slammed the shadow-bound guards against the wall, their heads cracking against the tile. They slumped down, unconscious.
"Let's go!" 12 cried, vaulting over their prone forms towards the exit. 13 and 11 followed on her heels out into a dim service hallway.
They raced on, guided by 13's mental map. He led them up a flight of stairs and through a maze of corridors. As they rounded a corner, they found their way blocked by three armed guards.
One of the guards raised his rifle. "Surrender, now!"
12 reacted instantly, throwing up a hand. A shimmering shield of light materialized, deflecting the staccato bursts of gunfire. The bullets ricocheted wildly, forcing the guards to dive for cover.
Seizing the opening, as 12 dropped the shield 13 blasted forward, phasing through the guards in a spectral blur. He spun, delivering a sweeping kick that sent them crashing to the floor in a tangle of limbs.
"Go, go!" he yelled to the girls, sprinting off down the corridor. They followed quickly, leaving the groaning guards behind.
More shouting echoed from adjacent hallways - reinforcements were closing in. They had to get topside fast. Freedom was so close. Just a little further...
...
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