The silence of the hideout felt heavier tonight. Dante sat on an old couch in the corner, staring blankly at the walls, his thoughts a whirlwind of everything he'd learned. Rico was hunched over his laptop at the small, beat-up desk by the window, clicking through the data they'd stolen from the warehouse.
It was hard for Dante to focus. The weight of what they had discovered gnawed at him, the realization that others—people enhanced with a serum more powerful than the one used on him—were already out there, carrying out orders from the organization. It made his skin crawl.
"I don't get it," Dante finally said, his voice cutting through the silence. "Why now? Why are they ramping things up all of a sudden?"
Rico didn't look up from the screen, but his fingers paused on the keyboard. "That's what we need to figure out. Something must've changed. It's not like these guys to move without a reason."
Dante stood, pacing the small room. "They've been working on this for years, right? So why push forward with the new serum now? What's different?"
Rico leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. "Could be a lot of things. Maybe they've perfected it, and they're ready to scale up. Or maybe they're feeling pressure—could be internal or external. We don't know."
Dante stopped pacing, his mind racing with possibilities. "What if it's not just about perfecting the serum? What if they've found something… or someone?"
Rico raised an eyebrow. "You think they've got a new target?"
Dante nodded slowly. "It makes sense, doesn't it? They've been experimenting for years, trying to create the perfect weapon. What if they've found someone who can handle the full potential of this new serum? Someone stronger, faster—more dangerous than the others?"
Rico's eyes darkened. "That's not a possibility I like thinking about."
Dante didn't either, but the idea wouldn't leave him. If the organization had found someone—some new experiment—that could handle the full power of the enhanced serum, it meant their fight was about to get a lot harder.
Rico stood, stretching his arms as he crossed the room to grab his jacket. "Whatever's going on, we don't have the luxury of sitting around waiting for answers. We need to move."
"Where?" Dante asked, his brow furrowing.
"There's another facility," Rico said, shrugging his jacket on. "One we've kept tabs on for a while. It's smaller, less fortified. But if they're planning something big, they might be moving some of their assets there."
Dante's heart skipped a beat. "And if we go there, we might find more info on this new serum?"
"Exactly," Rico nodded. "But it's risky. Security's tighter than the last place."
Dante's fists clenched at his sides. Every instinct told him to stay hidden, to keep a low profile. But that wasn't an option anymore. Not with what they were up against.
"I'm in," Dante said, his voice steady. "Let's go."
The facility wasn't far from the hideout—just a few miles outside the city limits. Rico and Dante drove in silence, the tension between them thick as they neared their destination. The road was long and winding, flanked by tall, skeletal trees that reached up toward the starless sky like twisted fingers.
Dante stared out the window, his thoughts racing. The more he thought about it, the more convinced he was that the organization had already begun testing the new serum on people. And if they had, that meant they were closer than ever to launching something big.
"You good?" Rico asked, glancing at Dante from the driver's seat.
Dante nodded, though his stomach churned with anxiety. "Yeah. Just thinking."
"Don't overthink it," Rico said, his tone serious. "We've got a plan. Stick to it, and we'll be in and out before they know what hit 'em."
Dante forced a small smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. He appreciated Rico's confidence, but something about this mission felt different. More dangerous.
The facility came into view as they rounded a bend in the road—a low, unassuming building nestled among the trees, its exterior camouflaged against the darkened landscape. If Dante hadn't known better, he would've thought it was just another warehouse. But he knew better.
Rico parked the car a good distance away, out of sight from any potential surveillance. They both exited the vehicle, their footsteps silent as they made their way toward the facility.
"We'll stick together this time," Rico whispered, pulling a small device from his pocket. "This jammer should take care of their cameras for a few minutes, but it won't last long. We need to move fast."
Dante nodded, his heart pounding in his chest. Every fiber of his being was on high alert, his senses attuned to the slightest sound, the faintest movement.
Rico activated the jammer, and they slipped into the shadows, moving quickly and quietly toward the facility's entrance. The door was unlocked, and they slipped inside without a sound.
The interior was cold and sterile, the harsh fluorescent lights casting long shadows over the rows of equipment and computer stations. Dante's eyes flicked to the surveillance cameras mounted in the corners of the room, but their red lights were off, indicating the jammer was working.
They moved swiftly through the facility, ducking into side rooms and hallways as they searched for any sign of the new serum or its subjects.
"This way," Rico whispered, motioning for Dante to follow him down a narrow corridor.
They reached a heavy metal door at the end of the hallway, its surface scratched and worn. Rico pulled out a small device from his jacket—a hacking tool—and began working on the door's lock.
Dante stood guard, his eyes scanning the hallway for any sign of movement. The silence was deafening, his heart pounding in his ears as he waited.
Finally, the lock clicked, and Rico pushed the door open.
What they saw inside made Dante's blood run cold.
Rows of glass containers lined the walls, each one filled with the same glowing liquid Dante had seen at the warehouse. But that wasn't what caught his attention. It was the people—the subjects—floating inside the containers, their bodies suspended in the strange liquid, their eyes closed.
"Dear God…" Dante whispered, stepping closer to one of the containers. The person inside was motionless, their body eerily still as the liquid pulsed around them.
"They're already testing the serum," Rico said, his voice low. "These people… they're the next generation of experiments."
Dante's stomach churned. The subjects inside the containers looked human—mostly—but there was something off about them. Their skin was pale, almost translucent, and their muscles seemed too defined, too perfect.
"These aren't just tests," Dante muttered, his voice barely audible. "These people… they're being prepped for something."
Rico's eyes narrowed as he scanned the room. "They're not prepped. They're being weaponized."
Dante's breath hitched in his throat. Weaponized. The word hung in the air, thick with dread. These people—they weren't just experiments. They were soldiers. Weapons, created by the organization to carry out their bidding.
"We need to get this information out," Rico said, turning toward the exit. "The world needs to know what's happening here."
But before they could move, the door slammed shut behind them, the sound echoing through the room like a gunshot.
Dante spun around, his heart racing as he faced the figure standing in the doorway. The man was tall, his features obscured by the shadows, but Dante recognized him immediately.
It was Knox—the man who had hunted him for years.
"You're too late," Knox said, his voice cold and calculating. "The serum is already in play. And soon, so will you be."
Dante's blood ran cold.