"New formula shows eighty percent mortality in preliminary tests." The man in white's voice carried through crystal-warped air. "But survivors demonstrate significant power increase. Proceed with mass trial."
Rhys watched through cell bars as guards dragged test subjects toward the lab. His Gem Sense mapped the scene - medical team prepping injectors, enhanced security posted at key points, Hayes supervising with hungry eyes.
Someone had arranged for all the 'broken' fighters to be tested at once. Maximum data collection efficiency, the man in white had said. But Rhys's Gem Sense showed him Hayes's real purpose. Crystal enhancers in the guard captain's system had been increased. He needed results to impress his buyers.
Mari went first, enhancement scars already glowing as they strapped her down. No screaming this time. Her eyes met Rhys's with cold purpose.
"Begin administration." The man in white started his recordings. "Subject 4115, receiving Formula K-7."
Wei worked at a maintenance panel nearby, tools moving with careful precision. Jin watched from his cell, fusion scars pulsing with controlled energy. The resistance network waited, each piece positioned exactly.
Then everything went wrong.
Mari's enhancement scars flared with impossible brightness. Crystal arrays throughout the cell block fluctuated. Guards rushed forward as alarms blared.
"Power surge in Section C!" Security channels erupted with chaos. "Crystal network showing unauthorized resonance!"
Rhys let Shadow Step carry him through suddenly unlocked cell doors. His Gem Sense tracked guard positions as the facility's crystal matrix went haywire. Not random malfunction - precise sabotage hiding beneath chaos.
"Contain them!" Hayes's voice cracked with desperation. "The merchandise can't escape!"
But the 'broken' fighters moved with coordinated purpose. Each taking positions they'd planned during whispered night conversations. Wei's maintenance work had ensured certain doors would fail, certain cameras would blind.
Jin burst from his cell as enhancement scars blazed. Former A-Tier power flowing through carefully preserved channels. "Remember what real fusion feels like?"
The man in white backed away as his test subjects turned on their captors. Mari led three others toward the lab's crystal storage. Five more engaged security drones. Each movement precise beneath apparent desperation.
Rhys Shadow Stepped through the chaos. Blood from earlier fights had painted patterns that now disrupted scanner coverage. His Gem Sense guided each step through surveillance gaps while Resonant Strike disabled key systems.
"Lock down all levels!" Hayes's enhanced eyes blazed with fury. "Initiate emergency protocols!"
But the protocols failed. Crystal arrays pulsed with frequencies that shouldn't have been possible. Security systems showed phantom alerts across multiple sectors.
And in the private observation booth, Maya's hidden presence began its work.
"You don't understand what you're ruining!" Hayes launched himself at Rhys, crystal enhancers pushing his system past limits. "Do you know what they promised me?"
The guard captain's attacks came enhanced by desperate power. Each strike carrying force that should have shattered normal fusion channels. But Rhys's Gem Sense showed the cost - Hayes's system burning out with each technique.
Around them, the resistance network executed its true purpose. Mari's team securing evidence from the lab. Jin leading enhanced fighters in coordinated patterns. Wei ensuring certain systems stayed offline while others recorded everything.
"The crystals remember," Rhys whispered as he moved through Hayes's guard. Not the voice of a madman now. Cold. Precise. "Even when you cage them in numbers and rules."
His Resonant Strike caught Hayes perfectly - not with power, but with exact timing. The guard captain's overtaxed enhancement system collapsed. Fusion channels burst from artificial strain.
"Facility security compromised." Automated warnings filled every channel. "Emergency containment initiated."
The man in white tried to run. Jin caught him with casual efficiency, enhancement scars glowing with controlled power. "Going somewhere? We haven't finished your testing protocols."
Mari emerged from the lab, crystal storage cores clutched tight. "Evidence secured. Wei's team has the research data."
Rhys's Gem Sense tracked approaching reinforcements. Heavy security moving through upper levels. Guild investigators responding to multiple alerts.
But the real work was already done. Maya's hidden cameras had captured everything. Evidence planted in careful patterns. The resistance network's true purpose achieved.
Hayes lay broken, enhancement system burned out. The man in white stood captured, research exposed. And throughout the facility, crystal arrays pulsed with frequencies that would lead investigators to very specific conclusions.
"All test subjects, return to cells." The announcement carried forced calm. "Guild inspection teams en route. This facility is now under emergency protocols."
---
Later, in his cell, Rhys reviewed what the operation had revealed:
- Complete research documentation
- Enhancement production details
- Buyer network identification
- Hayes's operation exposed
- Higher authority connections
- Guild investigation incoming
- Next phase opportunities
---
Jin's voice carried through crystal-warped air. "They'll shut down the enhancement program. Too much evidence to hide. But the Guild investigators will ask questions. About how we coordinated. About you."
"Let them ask." Mari's whisper held cold satisfaction. "Sometimes broken things become weapons."
The Wolf's presence acknowledged their victory. More pieces moving on the board. More patterns shifting into place.