Peter's pulse was like a drumbeat in his ears as he sprinted toward the exit. The walls shook again, the relentless hum of the machine now joined by a rising, monstrous sound, like a distant roar.
This is it, Peter thought. We don't have much time.
He didn't look back, not yet. He couldn't afford to. But he could feel Henry's presence beside him, steady and sure, even though the world around them was crumbling.
Behind them, the blast doors to the facility's main hall were still wide open, but Peter knew they wouldn't stay that way for long. There was a force field — a failsafe — that would seal them in once the countdown hit zero. It was their last chance.
Henry glanced over at Peter, his face taut with focus, his eyes flickering to the time on his wrist display. "Peter, we need to move faster."
Peter's legs burned, but he pushed himself harder. Henry had been nothing but calm and collected throughout the madness, his every action precise, calculated. Just like always, Peter thought with a wry smile. There was no one he'd rather have at his side right now.
They turned the corner, racing through the empty hallway toward the central courtyard. The doors ahead loomed, a faint glow pulsing from beneath them as the machinery's pulse intensified.
Isaac's voice crackled through their comms. "I've almost got it. Just a few more seconds."
"Not good enough!" Peter shouted back. "It's going to explode before that!"
Henry moved ahead, swiftly clearing the space between them and the exit. His movements were fluid, instinctive. The way he ducked behind cover as gunfire suddenly erupted in the hallway.
Peter's heart skipped a beat as a familiar face emerged from the shadows: Barrett.
He was standing in the middle of the corridor, flanked by several of his guards, all armed and prepared to finish what they'd started. A smirk played on Barrett's lips as he raised his hand.
"You didn't think you could simply walk out of here, did you?" Barrett's voice was a mixture of amusement and venom. "This is where it ends."
Peter's hand went to the gun at his side, but Henry was already ahead of him, stepping into the line of fire.
"I told you it wasn't over," Henry said coolly, his voice carrying the authority of someone who had faced this moment too many times. He stepped forward, his movements deliberate, calculating. "But you're right about one thing, Barrett. It ends here. But not the way you think."
The first shot rang out, but Henry was already moving. He twisted to the side, the bullet whizzing past him, and in the same fluid motion, he threw a knife straight into the nearest guard's throat. The man crumpled to the ground without a sound.
"Go," Henry ordered, barely sparing a glance at Peter. His eyes remained locked on Barrett, unwavering, like a predator sizing up its prey.
Peter didn't hesitate. He sprinted past, moving with urgency toward the exit. His heart raced, adrenaline flooding his system as he heard Henry's voice again, sharp and commanding.
"Cover the exit. I'll handle this."
Peter risked a glance over his shoulder. Henry was moving with lethal precision, taking out Barrett's men one by one, his every movement calculated, smooth. His combat skills were unmatched—there was no question about that.
The air crackled with tension, but Peter couldn't afford to slow down. He had to trust that Henry would get the job done.
Barrett's face twisted with rage. "You think you can stop me? You're just as weak as the rest of them."
Henry's expression remained impassive. He wasn't listening to Barrett anymore. With a swift move, Henry ducked under a volley of gunfire, launching himself toward Barrett in a blur of motion.
Peter, now at the doors, heard the sound of a brutal struggle behind him. He didn't look back—he couldn't. But he knew Henry wouldn't let him down.
Isaac... Peter thought, urging him on silently.
The countdown was nearing its final seconds, and Peter knew the situation was critical. If Isaac didn't disable the system now, everything would be lost. They had one shot.
A loud explosion echoed behind him, followed by the sound of multiple bodies hitting the ground. Peter didn't dare look. He trusted Henry—he always had.
"Almost there..." Isaac's voice crackled again.
Then, everything stopped.
The countdown. The machines. The energy in the air that had been so thick it felt like it would choke them.
Silence.
Peter's hand hovered over the control panel in front of the exit. He pressed the final command, and the heavy doors began to slowly open.
It was done.
But Peter didn't feel relief. Not yet. They weren't out of danger, and Barrett wouldn't stop until he had what he wanted.
With a final glance, Peter stepped into the open air. Henry followed closely behind, blood staining his clothes, but his face showed no sign of weakness.
Barrett's men had been wiped out. But Barrett himself was nowhere to be seen.
Peter's eyes narrowed. "He's still here."
Henry wiped the blood from his hands, his face hardening. "He's gone. He won't stop, but he won't win."
The tension was far from over, but for now, they had escaped the worst of it.
"Let's go," Henry said simply, turning away from the facility.
Peter followed without a word, feeling the weight of the mission's success and the danger still lurking on the horizon. The sun was rising behind them as they made their way toward the exit of the compound, leaving the ruins of Barrett's twisted machine behind.
For now, they had survived.
But the war wasn't over.