The journey to the data vault was a grueling march through hostile territory. The once-vibrant forest was now marred by Jason's influence—drones buzzed in the distance, and the ground was littered with the remnants of Nexus experiments.
Marcus led them cautiously, glancing over his shoulder every few steps. Ava, still skeptical of his motives, kept her blade within reach. Ethan, though visibly exhausted, remained focused.
"We're close," Marcus said, his voice barely audible.
Ethan nodded, scanning their surroundings. "If this is a trap, Marcus—"
"It's not," Marcus interrupted, desperation in his tone. "I want him gone as much as you do."
Ava scoffed but said nothing, her eyes scanning the treeline for movement.
The Vault
The entrance to the data vault was hidden beneath an overgrown thicket. Marcus pushed aside the brush, revealing a reinforced steel door embedded in the earth.
"This is it," he said, stepping aside.
Ethan inspected the door, his fingers brushing over the keypad. "Code?"
Marcus hesitated. "I—I don't have it. But there's a manual override inside the panel."
Ava groaned. "Of course there is."
Ethan pried open the panel, exposing a tangle of wires. As he worked to bypass the lock, Ava kept her eyes on Marcus.
"You better hope this isn't some elaborate setup," she muttered.
"It's not," Marcus said, his voice trembling. "I want out. That's all."
The door hissed open, revealing a dark corridor lined with flickering lights. Ethan stepped inside first, his weapon drawn. Ava followed close behind, her unease growing with each step.
A Hidden Agenda
The vault was a labyrinth of servers, monitors, and wires. The hum of machinery filled the air, accompanied by the occasional flicker of a dying light.
"This is where Jason stored critical data," Marcus explained. "Blueprints, schematics, everything. If Project Echo is real, it'll be here."
Ethan approached a terminal, his fingers flying over the keyboard. Lines of code scrolled across the screen as he searched for anything connected to Project Echo.
Ava stood guard, her eyes darting between Marcus and the shadows. "This place doesn't feel abandoned," she said.
"It's not," Ethan muttered, his attention fixed on the screen. "Jason's encrypted everything. He knew we'd come here."
The monitors suddenly flickered, and Jason's face appeared on every screen.
"Hello, Ethan," his voice echoed through the vault.
Ava's blade was in her hand in an instant. "Of course he's watching."
Jason's expression was calm, almost smug. "Did you think I wouldn't prepare for this? You're predictable, Ethan. Always chasing ghosts."
Ethan ignored the taunts, continuing to work. "Keep talking, Jason. Every second you waste gives me more time."
Jason's smile faltered slightly. "You won't stop Project Echo. It's already in motion. And when it's complete, the world will finally evolve—without you in it."
A Desperate Move
The screens went dark, and the hum of machinery grew louder. Red lights bathed the room as an alarm blared.
"What's happening?" Ava demanded.
"Self-destruct sequence," Marcus said, his face pale. "He's wiping everything."
Ethan's fingers flew across the keyboard. "Not if I can help it."
"You have two minutes to evacuate," an automated voice announced.
Ava grabbed Marcus by the arm. "We're not dying here because of you."
Ethan worked frantically, transferring as much data as he could to a portable drive. Sweat dripped down his face as the timer on the screen counted down.
1:30.
"Ethan, we have to go!" Ava shouted.
"Not yet," Ethan said through gritted teeth.
1:00.
Ava's grip on Marcus tightened as she glanced between Ethan and the timer. "You're going to get yourself killed!"
"Then leave," Ethan shot back.
30 seconds.
Finally, the transfer completed, and Ethan ripped the drive from the terminal. "Got it. Let's move!"
The Escape
The trio sprinted through the corridor as the vault began to collapse around them. Sparks rained down from exposed wires, and the ground shook with each passing second.
Ethan pushed Ava and Marcus ahead of him, his focus solely on reaching the exit.
"Keep going!" he shouted.
They burst through the steel door just as the vault exploded, the force of the blast throwing them to the ground.
For a moment, all was silent except for the crackle of flames and the distant sound of falling debris.
Ethan rolled onto his back, clutching the drive tightly in his hand.
"You're insane," Ava said, coughing as she helped him to his feet.
"Maybe," Ethan said, a faint smile on his lips. "But now we have what we need."
A Glimpse of the Future
As they moved deeper into the forest, Ethan studied the drive in his hand.
"What did you get?" Ava asked.
"Coordinates," Ethan said. "To the fragments of Project Echo. Jason thinks he's untouchable, but we'll prove him wrong."
Marcus hesitated. "And what about me?"
Ethan looked at him, his expression unreadable. "That depends. How much do you want redemption?"
Marcus swallowed hard, nodding. "I'll do whatever it takes."
"Good," Ethan said, his voice cold. "Because this fight is far from over."
And as the sun dipped below the horizon, the trio pressed onward, their resolve steeled for the battles to come.
To be continued...