13 braced himself as the Warden barreled towards him. At the last second, he leapt out of the way, the Warden's fist just barely grazing his shoulder.
"You can't run forever!" the Warden bellowed. He pivoted and charged again.
13 darted left, then feinted right. The Warden followed his movements, trying to anticipate where he would go next. Thinking quickly, 13 activated his invisibility and circled around behind the Warden.
As the Warden looked around in confusion, 13 his legs out from under him. The Warden crashed to the ground with a grunt.
"Nice one!" 12 cheered from the sidelines.
The Warden was up again in an instant. A blast of darkness hit the Warden from behind, causing him to switch his focus.
The Warden rounded on 11, who was summoning more shadows. They wrapped around the Warden, immobilizing him. He strained against them, face turning red.
"I don't know how long I can hold him!" 11 shouted through gritted teeth. Already the shadows were starting to loosen.
Seeing an opening, 12 fired a beam of light directly into the Warden's eyes. He reeled back, blinded.
"Nice shot!" 13 said.
With the Warden temporarily incapacitated, the three regrouped. But they knew it wouldn't last. Already the Warden was shaking off the disorientation from 12's attack.
"We have to end this now, before he recovers," 13 said. The girls nodded grimly.
Together, they rushed the Warden. 13 went high, 11 went low. The Warden blocked 13's punch but got swept off his feet by 11. 12 followed up with a photokinetic blast to keep him down.
The Warden rolled and came up swinging. A brutal exchange followed, both sides giving and taking punishing blows. 13 could feel his energy starting to flag. They couldn't keep this up much longer.
13 ducked as the Warden's fist sailed over his head. He could feel his muscles burning with exertion as the battle raged on. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw 11 summon a writhing tendril of shadow, trying to restrain the Warden, but he easily shattered it with a sweep of his arm.
"You can't stop me," the Warden growled. He grabbed 11 by the throat and flung her aside. She hit the ground hard and lay still.
"No!" 12 cried. She unleashed two beams of light directly at the Warden's face. He recoiled then recovered swiftly, closing the distance and backhanding 12 across the face. She crumpled next to her sister.
Rage boiled up inside 13. His friends were down and he was all that stood between the Warden and their destruction. The anger and frustration that had been building within him for years now came bursting forth. He opened his mouth and let out an ear-splitting wail. Visible shockwaves of ghostly green energy erupted from his throat, slamming into the Warden with the force of a bomb blast.
The Warden flew backwards, carried by the sheer concussive force of 13's attack. He smashed through trees and stone outcroppings as he tumbled uncontrollably. With a final bone-jarring crash, he landed in a crumpled heap nearly a quarter mile away. For the first time since their battle began, the Warden did not immediately rise again.
13 stood there, chest heaving, as the last echoes of his wail faded. His throat was raw, and he could taste coppery blood on his lips. Around him, the landscape had been devastated by the unbridled release of his power. Trees were splintered and flattened. Boulders were pulverized. The ground was scarred by furrows dozens of feet long.
Warily, 13 approached his friends. 11 and 12 lay frighteningly still amidst the rubble. He crouched down and checked their pulses, weak with relief when he felt the steady beats beneath his fingertips. They were alive, though badly hurt.
13's muscles screamed in protest as he lifted 11 and 12, one in each arm, but he kept going through sheer force of will. The two girls were limp and unconscious, but thankfully still breathing. 13 winced at the sight of their injuries, knowing they had been hurt while he could do nothing to protect them. Guilt gnawed at his insides, but he pushed it down. There would be time for regrets later. Right now, he had to get them to safety.
With a grunt of effort, 13 took to the air, flying while gripping the two girls tightly to avoid them falling. The landscape passed by below them, showing the devastation his ghostly wail had caused. Trees were flattened in radial patterns surrounding the epicenter. Massive boulders had been reduced to rubble. It looked like a bomb had gone off.
Glancing over his shoulder, 13 saw no sign of the Warden stirring. That monstrous attack had clearly taken everything out of him. He hoped it would keep the Warden down long enough for them to get away.
13 scanned the horizon, not sure where to go. The facility was the only world he had ever known. Now the sky stretched endlessly before him. He aimlessly flew onward, willing his aching muscles to keep moving.
13 flew onward, the vast sky stretching endlessly before him. The weight of 11 and 12 in his exhausted arms was the only thing grounding him as his mind reeled. For the first time in his life, there were no walls constraining him, no cold clinical lights overhead. Just open air and the warmth of the sun on his face.
He glanced down at the two girls cradled against his chest, they both had cuts and bruises. 11 had a nasty cut above her eye that still seeped blood, the red a stark contrast against her pale skin. Rage simmered beneath 13's skin at the memory of the Warden's blows raining down on them. If only he had acted sooner.
Pushing the dark thoughts aside, 13 focused on getting them to safety. But where? The facility was the only world he had ever known. Now the sky stretched endlessly before him, the possibilities both exhilarating and terrifying. Then the realization hit him and for the first time in who knows how long he allowed a smile to grace his lips. He was finally free.
...
Hours later, The Warden blinked awake, his head pounding. Every muscle in his body screamed in protest as he slowly sat up, taking in the devastation around him. The clearing was littered with broken trees and deep craters, evidence of the tremendous power unleashed during the battle. He gingerly felt the back of his head, wincing as his fingers found a sizeable lump. That final blow from Subject 13 had sent him careening wildly through the forest. He was lucky to be alive.
Gritting his teeth against the pain, The Warden forced himself to stand. His body armor was cracked dented and scorched, but had spared him more serious injuries. Still, he knew he'd be feeling the bruises for weeks. Pushing aside thoughts of his own pain, The Warden's mind turned to the Facility. Had the subjects made it out? What was happening there now? He had to get back.
The Warden made his way slowly through the woods, limping on his injured leg. After what felt like an eternity, he emerged from the tree line near the hidden entrance to the Facility. Punching in his access code, he descended into the stark white corridors he knew so well. An eerie silence hung in the air. There were no sirens, no guards rushing about. Something was wrong.
The Warden quickened his pace, checking room after room, finding no one. Where was everyone? Turning a corner, he spotted a lone scientist exiting Lab 6A.
"What happened here?" The Warden demanded, causing the man to jump in surprise.
The scientist, an older man with rumpled hair and glasses, seemed flustered. "Oh, Commander Marshall, thank goodness you're back. It's the Doctor, he's been attacked!"
The Warden felt his stomach drop. Pushing past the scientist, he entered Lab 6A. A group of doctors and technicians were crowded around an operating table, engrossed in their work. The sharp scent of disinfectant hung in the air.
"Report!" ordered The Warden. "What is the status of the Doctor?"
A surgeon looked up, her eyes bloodshot above her mask. "He's sustained a stab wound to his right eye. We're doing all we can, but the damage is severe."
The Warden approached the table, looking down at the Doctor's unconscious form. His right eye was covered in blood-soaked bandages. The heart rate monitor beeped steadily but faintly.
"Will he live?" asked Warden grimly.
The surgeon hesitated. "It's too soon to say. We're worried about cranial swelling and infection. He's lost a lot of blood. But we're doing everything we can."
The Warden nodded, hiding his worry. The Doctor was the only one who truly understood this place and its mission. To lose him would be a catastrophic blow.
...
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