A deafening explosion shattered Alex's hopes.
The entire door and the arching wall erupted in a violent blast, sending shards of debris flying. The force of the explosion hurled Alex backwards, slamming him against the opposite wall with a bone-jarring impact. He crumpled to the floor on all fours, his breath knocked out of him.
Pain radiated throughout his body, a sharp, burning sensation that left him gasping for air. His vision swam the world around him, a blur of smoke and chaos. His enhanced senses were overwhelmed, a cacophony of sounds and sensations battering his mind.
Alex kneeled on the cold, hard ground, desperately trying to breathe. Each inhale was a struggle, and his lungs felt like an invisible vice was squeezing them. He forced himself to focus, to push through the fog of confusion and pain.
Slowly, his surroundings began to come into focus. The hallway was a scene of utter devastation, with chunks of concrete and twisted metal scattered everywhere. Flames licked at the edges of the wreckage, casting eerie, flickering shadows on the walls.
As his senses gradually recalibrated, Alex struggled to grasp the situation. Who had set off the explosion? Was it an attempt to stop him, or was something sinister at play? His mind raced with questions, but he had no answers.
He forced himself to his feet, each movement a battle against the pain coursing through his body. His vision cleared enough to see figures moving through the smoke, approaching with purposeful strides. Panic surged within him—he had to get out to escape before they reached him.
But his body betrayed him, weakened and unsteady from the blast. He staggered, leaning heavily against the wall for support. Every instinct screamed at him to run, fight, or do something, but he could barely keep himself upright.
As the figures drew closer, their faces obscured by the smoke, Alex steeled himself. He might be outmatched and out of options, but he wouldn't go down without a fight. Summoning every ounce of strength and determination, he prepared to face whatever came next.
But even the most unfazed of genetically enhanced men was not ready for what was before him. As the smoke cleared, the figures approaching him became startlingly familiar. Alex's breath caught in his throat as recognition dawned.
Standing before him were his classmates—the very people whose fates he had often wondered about, whose well-being had haunted his thoughts during his captivity. In disbelief, Alex's eyes darted from one face to another, each etched with determination and wariness. His heart pounded as he took in the sight of them, his mind struggling to process the bizarre and unexpected reunion.
A familiar voice rang out, sweet but cool. "HQ, this is C-Squad Alpha-One—visuals on possible prototype of New Flawed. Subject appears to be disoriented. Please advise." As Alex refocused in the direction of the voice, recognition immediately came.
Sarah stood there, a striking figure in the dimly lit and ruined corridor, exuding cold, calculated authority. Clad in high-tech combat gear, her suit was a sleek combination of matte black and gunmetal grey, reinforced with armoured plating on the shoulders, chest, and thighs. The suit integrated cybernetic enhancements that glowed faintly with an eerie blue light, with micro-circuitry visible through translucent strips embedded in the fabric.
Her right arm was entirely cybernetic from the shoulder down, a masterpiece of mechanical design that moved with fluidity and lethal potential. Her tactical visor revealed cold, calculating eyes and provided real-time tactical readouts, and there was grace in her movements, a blend of human dexterity and machine precision.
"Sarah?" Alex called out, his voice filled with hope and confusion.
Sarah's eyes widened as she lowered her hand from the headset, her gaze locking onto Alex.
"Alex." Sarah's voice cut through the haze, a mix of sadness and simmering anger.
"Yes...yes, it's me, Alex. Please... please help me."
Sarah's eyes narrowed with exasperation as if she were sorely disappointed at a child who was clearly lying.
"HQ, please be advised. Subject identified as Target Prime."
Desperation clawed at Alex's heart as he reached out, hoping for a lifeline. "Sarah, please..."
But Sarah recoiled, her expression twisting into one of disgust.
"Don't," she snapped, her eyes hardening.
Before the full weight of her reaction could hit him, a sudden, brutal force slammed into Alex's face. His head cracked against the ground, stars exploding in his vision. Another familiar voice, laced with fury, pierced the air. "Stay down, Alex. Don't make this more painful than it has to be."
Through the pain, Alex managed to focus on the figure above him.
James stood above Alex, a formidable presence in his own right, his appearance equally enhanced by advanced cybernetic modifications. His combat suit was a darker, more ominous shade of black, interwoven with deep red highlights that pulsed subtly, hinting at the power coursing through his enhancements. The suit was heavily armoured, with reinforced plates on his chest, back, and limbs, providing maximum protection while maintaining flexibility.
His cybernetic right leg, sleek and powerful, bore intricate mechanical joints that allowed for both brute strength and agile manoeuvres. His left arm was augmented with a high-tech gauntlet, bristling with integrated weaponry and tools. Small, blinking LEDs ran along his arm's length, indicating various active systems. His tactical helmet, fitted with an advanced HUD, covered most of his face, but through the visor, his eyes glowed with a fierce intensity, reflecting both anger and the cold efficiency of his enhancements.
"James?" he croaked, disbelief mingling with agony. "What are you doing?"
James pressed his foot hard into Alex's head, his face a mask of rage. "Following orders and delivering retribution, what else?!" he spat. "You think you can suddenly show up in front of us, act meek and innocent, pretending nothing ever happened and not face the consequences of what you've done?! What you've become?!"
"James… please, what…what are you talking about?" Alex begged, his voice cracking. "I don't even know what I've become. They did this to me. We're on the same side."
"Same side?" James' laugh was cold and bitter. "Ha…hahaha… You…you've truly become an incorrigible monster, haven't you? Maybe I should just put you down here right…"
"Enough, James." Sarah's voice was stern, though her eyes betrayed a flicker of sorrow. "We need to bring him in, not kill him."
James glared at Sarah with irritation and frustration, his foot still pressing on Alex.
The tension grew between them, with Alex still beneath James' foot, visibly and emotionally confused.
"I feel your anger and frustration, James. But we don't have time for this," Sarah said, her voice taut with urgency. "We've been given orders and must follow them. It's crucial to end this threat once and for all."
"…Arghhh...ahhhh FINE!" he growled and shouted, stepping back with a look of disdain. "But the instant he tries something, I'm shooting him."
Pain radiated through Alex's body as he slowly got to his feet. He looked at Sarah, trying to understand. "Sarah, I don't get it. Why are you guys here? Why are you treating me like this?"
"..."
Sarah stayed silent, looking down, eyes softened for a fleeting moment with a tinge of sadness and hurt, before turning and walking away from him.
A wave of despair threatened to engulf Alex. The faces he'd worried about and wondered about were now the ones turning against him. "Please, Sarah. Help me understand."
Sarah paused and said coldly, "You say my name one more time, and I'll make sure your death will be a million times more excruciating than the things you did to me."
Alex's eyes widened with terror as he grasped the implications of those words.
What did I do to Sarah?
Did I do something to James as well?
What memories am I missing?
Just…what the hell happened after that injection?
His mind raced as he stared at Sarah's back, her cold demeanour exuding a reluctance to listen to anything Alex might say or ask.
Before Alex could start gathering his thoughts and any sense of composure back, he was shoved on his back and felt something metallic pressed onto his back.
James, with the same, perhaps even colder tone, "Move. Before I melt a hole through you."