The air in the sealed lab grew heavier as Lucien stepped inside, his imposing presence filling the room with an eerie tension. His dark suit was immaculate, and the cruel smirk on his face sent chills down Nathan's spine. Behind him, a dozen armed guards fanned out, their weapons trained on Nathan, Sana, and Zara.
"Bravo," Lucien said mockingly, clapping his hands slowly. "I must admit, you've done well to make it this far. But did you really think you could outsmart me? In my own game?"
Nathan tightened his grip on his weapon, his mind racing for options. Beside him, Sana glared at Lucien, her hatred barely contained. Zara, however, remained oddly calm, her expression unreadable.
"We're not afraid of you, Lucien," Sana spat. "You can't win this."
Lucien chuckled, his voice as smooth as silk. "Oh, my dear, I've already won. You just haven't realized it yet."
He gestured toward the massive machine glowing in the center of the lab. "The Final Weapon. Impressive work, Zara. Truly. I always knew you had potential. Too bad you decided to use it against me."
Nathan's eyes darted toward Zara, who was still standing by the control panel. Something about her silence unsettled him. She wasn't panicking or arguing she was simply watching Lucien with an unreadable expression.
"Zara," Nathan said cautiously. "What's going on?"
Zara finally spoke, her voice low and steady. "He's bluffing. Lucien always thinks he's ten steps ahead, but he doesn't know everything."
Lucien raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Is that what you think? That I don't know about your little plan to disrupt my network? That I don't have contingencies in place for every move you make?"
Nathan narrowed his eyes. "Enough of the games, Lucien. If you know so much, why don't you just kill us now?"
Lucien's smirk widened. "Because, my dear Nathan, I enjoy watching people squirm. And because I want you to see the depth of Zara's betrayal before you die."
Nathan's heart skipped a beat. "What are you talking about?"
Lucien turned to Zara, his expression one of mock disappointment. "Oh, you didn't tell them? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. Deception has always been your strongest suit."
"Zara," Sana said sharply, stepping closer. "What is he talking about?"
Zara took a deep breath, her gaze shifting between Nathan and Sana. "He's trying to divide us. That's what he does. Don't fall for it."
"Don't lie to them, Zara," Lucien said smoothly. "Tell them the truth. Tell them how you've been feeding me information this entire time."
The words hit Nathan like a punch to the gut. "What?"
"It's not true," Zara said quickly, her voice rising. "He's twisting things. I've only ever tried to stop him."
Lucien let out a soft laugh. "Oh, please. Do you think they'll believe you now? After everything? Tell me, Nathan did you never wonder how I always seemed to be one step ahead? How I knew exactly where you'd be, what you were planning?"
Nathan's mind reeled. He thought back to every ambush, every time Lucien had seemed uncannily prepared. Could it all be because of Zara?
"Zara," Nathan said, his voice shaking. "Tell me he's lying."
Zara looked him in the eye, her expression torn. "Nathan, I... I had no choice. He forced me. If I didn't"
"Save it," Sana snapped, her voice cold. "You betrayed us. You betrayed all of us."
Lucien watched the exchange with evident delight. "Ah, the sweet sound of trust breaking. It's almost too perfect."
The room fell into tense silence, broken only by the hum of the machines and the muffled sounds of Lucien's guards shifting in place. Nathan's mind was a whirlwind of anger, confusion, and despair. He had trusted Zara, relied on her and now it seemed she had been playing both sides.
But there was no time to dwell on the betrayal. Lucien was here, and the Final Weapon was still operational. If they could just activate it, they could turn the tide.
Nathan tightened his grip on his weapon and met Zara's gaze. "You're going to fix this," he said firmly. "Whatever you've done, whatever information you gave him you're going to make it right. Now."
Zara hesitated, then nodded. "I can still activate the disruptor. But we'll need to hold them off long enough for me to do it."
Lucien's smile faded, replaced by a cold glare. "Do you think I'll let you do that? Guards, kill them."
The room erupted into chaos as Lucien's guards opened fire. Nathan and Sana dove for cover behind a nearby console, returning fire with precise shots. Zara scrambled to the control panel, her fingers flying over the keyboard as she worked to override the system.
"Nathan!" she shouted over the gunfire. "I need five minutes!"
"You've got two!" Nathan yelled back, firing at one of the guards.
Sana, crouched beside him, reloaded her weapon with practiced speed. "We can't hold them off forever," she said grimly.
"We don't have to," Nathan replied. "Just long enough."
As the battle raged, Lucien calmly stepped back, watching the chaos unfold with a calculating expression. He seemed almost bored, as if the entire scene was beneath him.
Then, with a slight smirk, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small device. It was sleek and black, with a single red button in the center.
"Enough of this nonsense," Lucien said, his voice cutting through the noise. "I think it's time to end the game."
He pressed the button.
The Final Weapon's lights flickered, and the hum of the machine grew louder—then suddenly stopped. Zara froze, staring at the control panel in horror.
"No," she whispered. "He's overridden the system. I can't—"
Lucien chuckled darkly. "Did you really think I'd let you use my own creation against me? You may have built it, Zara, but I own it."
Nathan's heart sank as he realized the truth. Lucien had planned for this. He had always been one step ahead.
"Fall back!" Nathan shouted, grabbing Zara by the arm. "We need to regroup."
But before they could retreat,