"Open the door, or we will fire!"
There was no answer. The guard nodded to his companion at the side of the door. He was going to kick it open.
Due to the emergency from the mining accident, thirty guards were forced to go underground into the mines. Thirty more stayed on the surface to keep the workers in line. But after the sudden voice of a young man on the speaker, they soon had to divide among themselves.
They pushed a unit of ten men to secure the communication room.
As they counted down from three to one, they slammed against the door.
They expected Ekko to block the door with something, but as they slammed against the door, they were surprised to find it was easy to open.
As they opened it, they entered the main room—only to gasp in surprise.
"What in the damnation is this?" Inside the room, it was empty. There was nothing—no body, nothing speaking—but the speakers were still blasting Ekko's voice.
They soon noticed a small gadget beside the speaker, letting out the noise of Ekko.
They walked toward it, about to grab it, when DING—the gadget beside the microphone turned clockwise and made a weird sound.
But one of the guards behind them shouted, "It's a trap!"
But it was too late.
The gadget had completed its task, and instead of more of Ekko's voice, a loud flash of light erupted, followed by an intense wave of heat.
The room was caught in a loud explosion and quickly spread to fire.
The workers at their stations all felt the vibrations through the ground. They didn't know whether it was an earthquake or an attack, but whatever it was, they were scared.
A unit of four men quickly ran down the iron stairs to reach the main gates.
Their orders were to try and block the main gate in case the individual known as Ekko would try to escape. The four-man unit was supposed to group up with a unit of eight men once they reached the front gates. With them in place, there would be no escape.
As they jogged toward the gate, they didn't notice a guard hiding behind the stairs, ready to merge into their group without being detected.
As the first one leading the group the gerd felt something off, thou the sound of blasting sires, were lound, and blocked, most common sound around him, their seemed to be a difference,After a moment of reflection, he finally realized that the odd sensation he felt wasn't from the sudden explosion, the quick announcement from the speakers, the random young man speaking, or even the governor's daughter, Jinx, being near the underground mines.
The strangeness came from the fact that there were no rhythmic footsteps behind him.
Sweat trickled down his spine. "Don't tell me…" he thought. Before he could look behind him, he caught only a faint glimpse of a figure lunging at him. Arms wrapped around his neck, cutting off his oxygen.
There it was—the problem. He was part of a team of four, yet each member had been knocked out one after another until the assailant came for him. Then, everything faded to black.
"That was the last of them," a voice said.
The timing had been tight, but most of the men blocking the gates—or preparing to block them—had been dealt with. However, there were still many guards within the factories. Their main objective—clearing the path to the gate and opening it for the group—would soon be achieved.
Most guards probably thought they could outsmart him and secure the main gate, but planning ahead of the enemy was the key to victory, especially when striking first.
A few minutes later, within the workstations:
"What's happening? Is there an attack?" one of the workers asked.
Another responded, "Maybe. Or maybe they're here to bust us out."
"Do you remember that voice from a few minutes ago? The one talking about freedom? Do you think we'll finally be free?"
"I don't know. But whoever it is, they're a fool. What kind of idiot hijacks the communication hub just to make a statement? Sure, the words sounded inspiring, but if it's just one man against Silco's society, it's pointless.
Besides, was he even referring to us in his little freedom speech? Maybe it's just another one of those terrorist groups Vander controls for his own propaganda. I don't buy it."
"Then what was that noise? And why haven't most miners returned from the mines? Is there really going to be a riot?" the workers whispered.
They were still lined up as the guards had ordered, keeping them in place in case they had anything to do with the recent chaos. Though unlikely, it was still a possibility, so most workers and tinkerers whispered among themselves.
"It doesn't matter if it's an organized attack or a one-man situation. Tell me, where do we fit into all of this? What can we do? In truth, we can't do anything. What can one person do against an entire group of armed men under Silco's rule? Foolish or stupid—let me tell you this: by tomorrow, nothing will have changed. We'll be back to mining and working like we always do."
The mute girl with amber eyes, standing close to them, frowned. She was clearly unhappy with their conversation and seemed ready to intervene, but before she could act—
"Quiet!" one of the guards barked, spotting them talking. He aimed his rifle, showing his authority. The two workers immediately stopped whispering.
Everyone was on edge.
Then, a sudden blast of wind roared through the tunnels. It was rare for wind to blow through the mining factory, as most air vents produced thicker, denser air due to the underground pressure.
Feeling an updraft inside was surprising.
The sudden sight of a green flashing light zipping through the station was mesmerizing to watch.