"Still this suffocating operation?!" Oliver muttered, his jaw tightening as he read the message on his phone.
The text was cryptic but alarming: "They're robbing the prison."
"What the hell does it mean to rob a prison?" Oliver thought, his mind racing. A bank or jewelry store made sense, but this?
However, he quickly dismissed the confusion. If someone with enhanced strength was targeting Iron Heights, it wasn't random or meaningless. There was something in that prison worth taking.
His thoughts sharpened. Could it be… a prisoner? A chill ran down his spine as the pieces began to fit. They're not after gold or money. They're expanding their army… strengthening it.
"Thea," Oliver said, snapping out of his thoughts, "I need to go."
Thea, standing in front of him, crossed her arms impatiently. "What's wrong with you and Mom lately? Do you have something you're hiding from me?"
"I'm sorry, Thea," Oliver said, forcing a smile. "Something urgent came up at the company."
Thea narrowed her eyes. "Don't lie to me, Oliver. I'm not a kid anymore. What's going on?"
But Oliver's mind was elsewhere. The mention of Mirakuru — the substance that created super-soldiers — had triggered his protective instincts.
"I really have to go," he repeated, already unbuttoning his suit jacket. He strode toward the door, where Diggle was waiting, understanding without a word.
As Oliver stepped out, Roy and Kaius were already by the car, looking prepared for action. It was clear they'd also received the message from Felicity.
Roy shot Thea a reassuring glance as they passed. "Don't worry, Thea. I'll keep an eye on your brother."
Before Thea could respond, the trio had left, leaving her standing there, frustrated and confused.
The car sped toward the outskirts of the city. Inside, Oliver changed into his Arrow suit, his mind racing with strategies. Kaius, always impatient, couldn't resist his enhanced speed and flew out of the car, lifting it briefly to accelerate their arrival.
"Felicity," Oliver called through his communicator. "Can you hack into Iron Heights surveillance? I need eyes on the situation."
"Two minutes," Felicity replied, her fingers already flying across her keyboard.
Kaius turned to Oliver. "They've already taken control of the prison. Guards are down, and most of the prisoners are either fleeing or joining them. It's chaos in there."
Oliver glanced at his, momentarily forgetting her abilities. "You can see that?"
"Through walls and at a distance, yes," Kaius replied smugly.
Felicity's voice chimed in again, tinged with annoyance. "Kaius, stop stealing my job. Anyway, Diana and Sara are on their way. Are you waiting for backup, or going in now?"
Oliver tightened his grip on his bow. "We're not waiting. Diggle, secure the gates and prevent any more escapes. Roy, Kaius, and I will head inside and neutralize the enhanced prisoners. Let's move."
The team split up seamlessly. Diggle reached the gate, gun drawn, scanning for any threats. Meanwhile, Oliver, Roy, and Kaius pushed their way into the prison, the chaos inside greeting them like a storm.
Kaius didn't hesitate. Using his strength, she ripped the front door off its hinges, tossing it aside like paper. Inside, guards lay scattered, unconscious or worse, as prisoners ran amok.
"Let's finish this quickly," Oliver said, nocking an arrow.
Roy smirked, readying his weapons. "Always the optimist."
Kaius cracked his knuckles, stepping forward. "Let's show them what a real team looks like."
A rapid cacophony of footsteps echoed through the prison. Kaius's sharp gaze darted up as he assessed the situation. "Six prisoners have broken out from the staircase on the left, and thirteen more are advancing through the right-hand corridor," he reported with calm precision. "They're using the chaos to escape."
Without hesitation, Oliver Queen and Roy Harper armed their bows, pointing in the indicated directions.
Moments later, a mob of inmates surged forward, clad in tattered prison uniforms, their faces alight with the desperate hope of freedom. Their shouts and cries filled the air as they stormed toward the main exit.
"Back down! Return to your cells!" Oliver bellowed, his bowstring drawn taut, the arrow poised to strike. But his warning fell on deaf ears.
"Get out of here, freaks!" a burly inmate snarled. He was leading the charge—a strong, desperate man whose determination for freedom rendered him reckless.
Oliver and Roy acted in perfect synchronization. A volley of arrows whistled through the air with lethal precision. Several prisoners collapsed, clutching their wounds, but the tide of bodies rushing forward remained unbroken.
Kaius let out a low, disdainful snort. Slowly, he rose into the air, hovering above the chaos. His eyes began to glow with an ominous red light. Suddenly, two beams of searing heat burst forth, carving a deep, smoldering line across the corridor floor.
"Anyone who crosses this line will die without mercy," Kaius declared, his voice resonating with an otherworldly authority.
The prisoners came to an abrupt halt, fear replacing their desperation. Just moments ago, they had watched their fellow inmates display superhuman feats, bending steel bars with their bare hands. But now, faced with someone who could fly and shoot destructive beams from his eyes, their bravado crumbled.
"Is he... a god?" one prisoner murmured, voicing the collective dread that silenced the mob.
Still, not everyone was cowed. A middle-aged man stepped forward, defiance etched into his expression. "You're heroes!" he shouted, his voice ringing out. "Heroes don't kill! What are you gonna do, Avenger? Arrest me? Brothers, if we all rush at once, they can't stop everyone! Someone will get out!"
Spurred on by his words, several prisoners began to stir. The middle-aged man boldly crossed the scorched line Kaius had drawn.
Oliver and Roy tensed, drawing their bows once more, but Kaius merely smirked and shook his head. "Fools," he muttered. "Do you really think rules protect you? Let me show you the price of ignorance."
His eyes flared red once again, and a sweeping beam of heat lashed out. The legs of the prisoners who had crossed the line disintegrated into ash. Screams filled the air as they collapsed in agony, clutching at the stumps where their legs had been. The wounds were cauterized instantly, preventing excessive blood loss, but the pain was unimaginable.
The remaining prisoners froze in abject terror. Some fainted outright, while others scrambled back to their cells, slamming the doors behind them and cowering in the shadows.
"Go back, or die," Kaius said coldly, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. The room fell silent, save for the groans of the wounded.
Oliver turned to Kaius, his expression a mix of anger and disapproval. "We don't kill," he said firmly.
Kaius gestured dismissively at the fallen prisoners. "I didn't kill anyone," he replied, his tone nonchalant. "Their wounds are cauterized, no excessive bleeding. They'll live... probably. And if they don't, well, that's on them."
Oliver's jaw tightened, but he said nothing. The grim scene before them had already seared itself into the prisoners' memories. For those who survived, this day would forever remain a nightmare—a brutal reminder of what happens when you challenge forces far beyond your comprehension.
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