Dave stood in the dimly lit corridor of the -2 floor, his heart pounding with a singular determination. He had only one mission in mind: to find his sisters. A burning resolve flared within him as he swore an oath to himself—anyone who was a part of this evil, anyone who contributed to the suffering of innocents, would face his wrath. There would be no hesitation, no mercy. He would cleanse this place of its filth, one life at a time.
"From this moment on," Dave muttered under his breath, the weight of his promise settling over him like a shroud, "I will kill every evil person I encounter. No matter who they are, no matter what."
His eyes flicked to the first door on his left. Without a second thought, he extended his hand and ripped the heavy steel door off its hinges with a single pull, tossing it aside like a piece of paper. The room inside was empty, save for a few shattered glass vials and a desk covered in medical equipment. No sign of anyone.
He moved on to the next door and did the same. This room was much the same—devoid of life, yet brimming with traces of the horrors that had been inflicted here. Bloodstains marked the walls and floors, and strange surgical instruments lay discarded across metal tables.
Room after room, door after door, Dave tore through the facility with a relentless fury. Each space revealed new atrocities—blood-soaked slabs, vials of human fluids, and containment chambers filled with the remains of failed experiments. The deeper he went, the darker the truth of Helios's operation became. But he found no sign of his sisters. The despair clawed at him, but he refused to let it break his focus.
He kicked open another door, stepping into a vast chamber lined with pods. Inside each pod was a human—no, something that once was human. Their bodies twitched and convulsed, eyes rolled back, and limbs disfigured beyond recognition. Some were grotesquely deformed, while others were infused with machinery and weapons. They were Helios's puppets—mindless, broken beings, stripped of their humanity and turned into mindless soldiers.
"These were once people," Dave murmured, his voice filled with sorrow. His fists clenched. "But now… they're gone."
He knew what he had to do. With a cold expression, he lifted his hand, his power thrumming to life as he used his matter control ability to twist the metal restraints around the pod-bound creatures. The energy crackled and hummed as he crushed the containment chambers, destroying them instantly. Each puppet let out a short, pitiful whimper before they fell silent forever.
The room shuddered as alarms blared, signaling intruders. But Dave didn't care. He moved like a whirlwind, tearing through each pod, dismantling every lifeless puppet that Helios had turned against humanity. One after another, they crumbled, until the room was filled with the silence of death.
The ground rumbled beneath his feet, and Dave felt a shift in the air. He spun around just in time to see a group of humanoid figures emerge from a hidden doorway at the far end of the chamber. There were a dozen of them, each bristling with power and radiating a sinister energy. They were Helios's superhuman soldiers—perhaps once innocent men and women, but now mere shells of their former selves, corrupted by the dark experiments conducted within these walls.
"More of your puppets, Helios?" Dave growled as he took a step forward, cracking his knuckles.
The puppets moved in unison, their movements eerily synchronized. Each one possessed a unique ability—flames erupted from one's hands, electricity crackled around another, and a third seemed to be encased in a shimmering shield of hardened energy. Their eyes were vacant, devoid of any hint of emotion or consciousness.
Dave shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry, but I can't let any of you live like this."
With that, he vanished, teleporting right into the midst of the group. Before they could react, Dave drove his fist into the nearest puppet's chest, shattering its ribcage and sending it flying across the room. In the same breath, he spun around and unleashed a wave of matter control, ripping apart the metal and concrete around them, turning it into deadly shrapnel that tore through the puppets like paper.
Several of them lunged at him, powers flaring to life as they attempted to overwhelm him. A puppet encased in flames swung a fiery fist at his face, but Dave teleported behind it, delivering a devastating kick that sent the flaming figure crashing into another puppet, both of them crumpling like ragdolls.
Another puppet, cloaked in electricity, tried to strike Dave with bolts of lightning. But with a flick of his wrist, Dave manipulated the energy, redirecting it back toward its source. The puppet convulsed violently as the electricity coursed through its body, leaving it charred and lifeless.
One by one, the puppets fell. Dave's movements were a blur of speed and power, his teleportation making him appear and disappear like a ghost. In the span of a few minutes, the battle was over. The last puppet, a heavily armored figure with the strength of a dozen men, let out a final, guttural roar before Dave's hand plunged through its chest, shattering its core with a pulse of raw energy.
He stood amidst the wreckage of bodies, breathing heavily. These beings, once people, were gone. He had ended their suffering, but it didn't feel like a victory.
"Bella," Dave called out, his voice strained. "Any news on Emily or Sarah?"
"Nothing yet," Bella replied softly. "But I'm still searching. We'll find them."
Dave nodded, his heart heavy. He moved on, clearing room after room. More guards appeared, but they were no match for him. He dispatched them with ruthless efficiency—bullets and blades were useless against his abilities. He crushed bones, shattered skulls, and tore through the facility like a vengeful storm, leaving only destruction in his wake.
He didn't discriminate—scientists, guards, doctors. If they were involved in this operation, if they contributed to this hell, they died. There was no escape, no pleading, no mercy. Blood stained the walls and floors, a testament to Dave's fury. This place would burn.
Finally, after what felt like hours of relentless fighting, Dave came to a reinforced door with a small window. He glanced inside and froze.
There, huddled in a corner, was Sarah. She was alive, but barely. Her clothes were torn, and her body was covered in bruises and cuts. Her eyes, though open, looked distant and unfocused.
"Sarah," Dave whispered, his voice breaking. He reached out, pressing his hand against the glass. She didn't react, just stared blankly ahead.
"Don't worry, Sarah," Dave murmured, his eyes hardening with resolve. "I'm going to get you out of here. I'm going to make Helios pay for everything he's done."
With a deep breath, Dave summoned his strength and tore the door off its hinges. He stepped inside, his heart aching as he approached his sister.
"It's okay, Sarah. I'm here. It's over."
But he knew it wasn't. Not yet. There was still one more person to find—Emily. And he wouldn't stop until they were both safe.