David told them to submit to Stal's wishes, because it was impossible for Stal to kill all of them even if he wanted to. For Stal, negotiation was the best solution.
Everyone threw their guns outside the hangar, but the snipers outside noticed this. However, they were informed that everything was under control to avoid complicating the situation and give Stal a reason to shoot David. Afterward, the team returned inside, locked the door, and tossed the key at Stal's feet.
David then talked to Stal and said,
"We've done exactly what you asked, so now it's your turn."
Stal, still pointing the gun at David's head, responded,
"I want to know one thing, but if you lie, I'll make sure to kill you. Who else did you tell about this? This hangar is soundproof, isn't it? No one overheard our conversation, right?"
David raised his voice and said,
"As I've already told you, everyone in here does know, no one else know—not even the snipers outside. And yes, the hangar is soundproofed. I'm sure you already know that."
Stal pulled his hands off David and released him. He then unloaded the bullets onto the floor, just as he had promised. Afterward, he picked up the key from the floor and kept it in his hand. He said,
"Great, now there's no reason for us to fight. Sorry for my behavior earlier, but I had to check on with the people who know."
Everyone gathered around David to form a human shield between him and Stal. So, David addressed them, saying,
"Thank you, but there's no need for that."
He fixed his gaze on Stal and approached him, demanding,
"Hand me the key, Stal!"
Stal burst out laughing while asking David , "Do you still have the controler for the lights above?"
David looked at Stal, puzzled, and checked his pocket, but couldn't find the controller. He then noticed Stal pulling it out of his pocket and turning off all the lights before stepping back quickly.
"I plan to kill all of you here; there is no escape. If you want to survive, you'll have to kill me. It's a perfect opportunity to have all the people I intend to kill in one place where they can't flee! I won't miss this lovely chance."
The situation was terrible for them; It was pitch black, and they had no idea where Stal was. They couldn't kill each other because they were reckless , and couldn't kill anyone on their way. Meanwhile, the conditions were ideal for Stal. He was alone, able to kill anyone who got in his way, and armed with a sharp weapon—which was the key.
They were all lost and felt a chill in the darkness, and their heartbeat started racing. The sudden blackout and Stal's threat made them feel like rabbits being chased by a wolf. David needed to call out so his team could hear him and come to his aid, but doing so would also alert Stal to his location. To avoid this, David took off his shoes and tried to move as far as he could, ready to attack anyone who got in his way, even if they were an ally, unless they spoke so he could recognize their voice.
'This feeling, how can I ever forget it? It's the exact same feeling. What's happening here?!'
One of them spoke loudly, breaking through the anxiety and fear that David hadn't experienced in a long time. David's heartbeat was steady, yet it felt as if it were increasing rapidly.
"Everyone, split up! No one should move. The only sound of movement should come from Stal. If you hear a fight, do not intervene or you might end up killing each other. If he fights us one by one, he'll tire out quickly. By the fourth or fifth person, at most , he'll be easy to take down, if not sooner. I doubt he can even withstand the first person. He's completely unstable, so there's no point in trying to capture a madman like him."
They all moved chaotically in different directions, with David at the center of the group. Stal would have to kill half of all of them before he could reach David, but he didn't care about that—his goal was to kill them all, and it didn't matter who he started with.
Stal had a gun but chose not to use it, knowing that if he missed and a bullet hit one of the hangar walls, the snipers outside might notice. Instead, he decided to kill them with the key in his hand.
Stal began by taking off his shoes and quietly changing his position, taking full advantage of the chaos and noise around him. The others would hardly notice the subtle sounds he made in that darkness . He waited for about 30 minutes, allowing his eyes to adjust, and trained his hearing to sharpen to figure out when someone was close to him by only hearing his breath.
He started moving quietly and tossed a single shoe far away to draw their attention in that direction, allowing him to react more quickly when someone approached. This was because it would make the others focus on the distant sound, while Stal could concentrate on the person nearby.
As Stal slowly approached, he heard a person swallowing. He got closer to the direction of that sound and then began to hear the person's breathing. When he was within a meter of the person, they noticed him, but it was too late. Stal swung the key forward, driving it into the person's eye. The person cried out and began to flail wildly in all directions; their anxiety surged as the imminent danger made them feel as though death was near. They wanted to run, but Stal was already on his knees.
Stal grabbed the person's foot, causing them to fall onto their head. This helped Stal determine where the person's head was, so he moved quickly to stab their neck.
He missed, and his fist, holding the key, ended up in the person's mouth. Stal quickly pulled his hand back and then stabbed the person in the neck. The person screamed, but it was useless; blood poured from their neck like a chicken being slaughtered, but much worse. The key was not sharp enough, and the stabbing, combined with the pain in their mouth, made the situation even worse.
"Aghh… gghhh… aghghghhh… hhhhghhhh…!"
Four people from the team heard the moan and knew that someone was dying. They were able to determine that it was not Stal because if one of them had managed to kill him, they would have cried out that they had killed Stal. Additionally, they could recognize the voice of the person who had screamed earlier; it was one of their own, and now the moan belonged to that same person.
Everyone heard the sound, but only those four moved because they felt they were closer to Stal and had a chance to kill him. They took off their shoes and threw them far away to distract Stal, which made them realize that others were moving as well. Consequently, two of them decided to stop, while the other two continued to move stealthily. Meanwhile, Stal was lying on his back, hoping to hear better with his ears closer to the ground.