The agony of losing Blade, the love of his life, became unbearable, shattering his silence. His cries echoed through the night, raw and piercing, carrying the heavy burden of his grief. He clung to him, unwilling to let go.
~~~
"Derek," called Cyrus, still standing firm while cradling the limp body of the girl. "Take care of her." He handed her over to his right-hand man.
"Right, boss," Derek responded, taking the girl's body into his arms carefully.
"Let's clean this place up before Atlas and his crew show up," Cyrus commanded, scanning the area with a critical eye.
He knew they had to move quickly to erase any evidence of what had occurred and to avoid any potential confrontation with Atlas's people.
As Cyrus and his team entered the sanatorium, the scene that unfolded before them was gruesome and chaotic. The floors were stained with blood, and bodies were scattered throughout the hallways.
A quick examination revealed that these were indeed Atlas's men, clearly tasked with ensuring that Beatrice Hawk remained confined within these walls.
Cyrus's eyes narrowed as he pieced together the scene. "This was no ordinary fight; it was a massacre."
As they moved deeper into the building, the air was thick with the smell of blood and fear.
In a large room, they found the hospital staff and nurses huddled against the walls, their faces pale and eyes wide with terror.
As Cyrus and his crew advanced, weapons drawn for precaution, the staff flinched, expecting the worst.
"Nobody move," Cyrus commanded, his voice echoing sharply against the stark walls. The hospital staff froze, some with tears streaming down their faces, others silently praying.
Derek stepped forward, lowering his weapon slightly to appear less threatening.
"We're not here to hurt you," he reassured them, scanning the room for any further threats. "We're looking for someone. Beatrice Hawk. Where is she?"
The staff exchanged nervous glances, uncertainty and fears written all over their faces.
*
Upon hearing the report, Cyrus halted, turning sharply to face his subordinate. The revelation struck him like a bolt of lightning, recalibrating everything he thought he understood about the situation.
"What did you say?" Cyrus demanded, his voice tense with a mix of confusion and urgency.
"It was her, sir, the girl we just brought out. She's not 'Blade.' She's Beatrice Hawk," the crew member repeated, his expression serious as he relayed the shocking details.
Cyrus's mind raced.
The pieces of the puzzle were starting to fall into place, but the picture they formed was unlike anything he had anticipated. He glanced back towards Beatrice, who was being led away by another part of his team.
She looked fragile and weak.
"Are you sure?" Cyrus questioned, his skepticism peaking. It was crucial to confirm the identity and actions without any doubt.
"Yes, sir. We checked with one of the staff members who was conscious. She confirmed that Beatrice Hawk took down those men. She… she defended herself. They were here to ensure she didn't escape, likely under Atlas's orders," the crew member explained, citing a testimony from a traumatized nurse they had briefly interrogated.
Cyrus processed this information. This changed everything.
"It seemed she possessed skills—or a part of her did—that were far beyond what anyone could have assumed."
"Keep her safe and make sure she's comfortable. I need to speak with her personally as soon as we're out of here," Cyrus ordered, already thinking ahead to the implications of this revelation.
"Let's clean this place up before Atlas and his crew show up," Cyrus commanded, scanning the area with a critical eye. "Make it quick, and make sure nothing's left behind,"
Derek nodded and began issuing orders to the rest of the team, who moved efficiently to follow Cyrus's instructions.
They moved quickly to erase any evidence of what had occurred and to avoid any potential confrontation with Atlas's people.
They worked to clear the area, removing any traces of the incident.
Cyrus watched for a moment, ensuring that everything was being handled properly, then turned his attention back to securing their exit.
As the team finished their swift cleanup, Derek approached Cyrus.
"We're set to go, Sir, everything's taken care of. The girl's safe in the vehicle, and we can move out on your call."
Cyrus gave one last look around, satisfied that they had done everything possible to cover their tracks.
"Good. Let's get out of here," he said decisively, leading the way to their vehicles.
*
As tension thickened in the air, Beatrice faced off against Atlas's armed henchmen, armed only with a simple scalpel.
"You're outnumbered, Mrs. Hawk," one of the henchmen sneered, his gun trained on her.
Beatrice remained calm, her grip tightening around the scalpel.
"I may be outnumbered, but I'm not outmatched," she retorted, her eyes darting between her adversaries.
It was actually Blade taking control Beatrice's body.
With a sudden surge of adrenaline, she lunged forward, dodging a hail of bullets with expert precision.
"You'll have to do better than that," she taunted.
Beatrice's heart raced as she looked around, her mind racing with careful plans. She quickly jumped into action, moving fast and silently.
Bullets flew past her, but Blade moved her body swiftly, dodging them with skill. She rolled and ducked, avoiding the danger.
Blade got closer to her enemies, moving smoothly and gracefully despite the danger. She watched them closely, thinking about their next move.
She moved quickly toward one of the henchmen, her scapel flashing in the dim light. She disarmed him with skill, leaving him surprised on the ground.
But more enemies came, their guns pointed at her. Blade stayed determined, facing them bravely as she fought against them.
As Beatrice pressed forward, her mind raced with thoughts of escape and survival. She knew she had to reach the control room to regain control of the situation.
"Keep moving, Beatrice. We're almost there," Blade's voice echoed in her mind, a mix of encouragement and sarcasm.
"Easy for you to say," Beatrice muttered under her breath, her steps quickening as she dodged another wave of gunfire.