(Arthur's group – St. Peter's Hospital)
The black SUV sped through the Hamilton streets, weaving through the early evening traffic towards St. Peter's Hospital.
Jaxon: St. Peter's is just a few blocks away, (Jaxon announced, his calm voice breaking the silence as he monitored their GPS.)
Arthur: Alright. We can make it on foot. Let's go.
Now, Arthur and Maya began making their way towards the hospital on foot in casual attires. The entrance was surprisingly subdued, but Arthur's keen eyes immediately spotted a small, disciplined unit of figures in grey overalls standing guard near the main doors. Their posture was rigid, their faces impassive, and a subtle insignia on their shoulders – a stylized scales – made Arthur's blood run cold.
Arthur: Hold up. Pull over around this corner. (He pointed to the main entrance.) See those guys by the ambulance bay? Grey overalls?
Maya: Yeah? What about them?
Arthur: Those are the inhumans part of an organization known as... uh... known as...
Maya: Known as?
Arthur: Uuhh... Don't remember. But we should keep our distance from them.
Maya: Don't remember? Seriously, Arthur? You're telling me we're facing potentially dangerous inhumans and you 'don't remember' who they are?
Maya She glares at him, then looks back towards the entrance before being pulled back by Arthur.
Arthur: Careful dumbass. They are inhuman which means... (He whispers close to her) they could have heard us from this distance, hell, they could have sensed your beautiful gaze.
Maya: Tch... The only dumbass here is you, telling me that 'they inhumans' while aslo not remembering the name of the organization they from... I swear, you're like a walking encyclopedia of useless secrets.
Arthur: Hey, try listening to one retarded instructor for 5 hours talk about random crap that you gotta remember, okay? And you gotta admit, my 'beautiful gaze' line was pretty smooth right (He smirked.)
Maya: (She rolled her eyes) Oh, Real smooth, Arthur. Real smooth. Just tell me something, if they could sense my 'beautiful gaze,' they're probably already laughing at your terrible pickup lines, right?
She started moving towards a less conspicuous entrance on the side of the building.
Arthur: (His smirk fades as he watched her) they not that terrible... (he protested under his breath before hearing Jaxon reach out to him through their comms.)
Jaxon: They are...
Arthur: Oh, Oh, thank you for your wise feedback, Jaxs. (He said, his voice laced with a hint of annoyance before regaining his composure.)
Arthur: Shit... (He took a step towards the side entrance, his eyes fixed on where Maya had disappeared.) Maya, wait up. We need to stick together.
The side entrance was dimly lit, a stark contrast to the brightly lit main lobby. Maya, with her quick and agile movements, had already slipped inside. Arthur followed, his senses heightened, scanning the surroundings. The air was thick with the sterile scent of antiseptic and a faint, almost metallic tang that made his nose twitch.
Arthur: Maya, stay close. We don't know what we're walking into.
Maya: (Her voice was a low whisper) I'm not a child, Arthur. And I'm not here to hold your hand.
She moved with a quiet confidence, her eyes darting from one corridor to the next. They found themselves in a service area, a maze of utility closets and maintenance tunnels. A flickering fluorescent light cast long, distorted shadows, creating an eerie ambiance.
Arthur: Urgh... This place is giving me the creeps. (He checked his forearm screen, confirming Kyle's pinpoint was inside at the lower levels of the building.) Kyle's inside. And so is the unknown.
As they navigated the labyrinthine corridors, going down the route that led towards one of the dots. They passed a door slightly ajar. A low murmur of voices drifted from within. Arthur signaled Maya to stop. He carefully peered through the crack.
Inside, a group of inhumans were gathered around a holographic display with one of the works of the hospital, their faces illuminated by the blue light. The display showed a complex network of nodes and lines, pulsating with energy.
Arthur: (Whispering) They're monitoring something. Some kind of network.
Maya: What are they saying? Can you hear anything?
Arthur strained his ears, focusing on the low, almost mechanical voices.
Arthur: Something about... "containment protocols"... and "energy signatures"...
Suddenly, one of the inhumans turned, his eyes glowing with an unnatural intensity. Arthur quickly pulled back, his heart pounding before suddenly hearing...
Inhuman 1: We know you there... You got Five Seconds!
Arthur: (His heart immediately dropped after hearing that, a chill ran down his spine. He quickly turns to Maya.) RUN...
They sprinted down the corridor, the sound of their footsteps echoing through the empty space. Behind them, the inhumans burst out of the room, their footsteps heavy and relentless. The chase was on.
The corridors became a blur of sterile white walls and flickering lights. Arthur and Maya sprinted, their footsteps echoing off the tiled floors. The inhumans were close, their voices a low, menacing growl.
Maya: Where are we going?
Arthur: To jack's signal! We need to get to him!
Maya: Jack? You sure it's him?
Arthur: I'm... I'm positive.
Maya: Don't sound very positive.
They rounded a corner, nearly colliding with a service cart. Arthur shoved it into the path of their pursuers, creating a momentary obstacle. They used the brief respite to duck into a side passage.
The passage led to a stairwell, and they descended rapidly, taking the stairs two at a time. They burst through a door at the bottom, finding themselves in a dimly lit hallway lined with patient rooms.
Arthur: The signal is... in one of these rooms.
They moved quickly, checking the room numbers against the tracker on Arthur's forearm. One of the dots pulsed brightly.
Arthur: This one!
He kicked the door open, drawing his weapon. The room was dark, the only light coming from the hallway. Arthur's eyes adjusted, and he saw a figure on the bed.
Arthur: Jack?
He moved closer, his weapon still raised. But as he reached the bedside, he realized it wasn't Jack Drake. It was a young elf girl, her blonde hair spread across the pillow, her face pale and unconscious.
Arthur: What the…?
Maya: An... An elf? Here?
Arthur's eyes widened, and he reached out, his fingers brushing against the girl's skin. He felt a faint, warm energy emanating from her.
Arthur: Not just any elf... She's a light elf. (He chuckled in disbelief) What is a light elf doing in Hamilton? A-And what were Kyle, Michael, and Ender even doing with her?
Before Maya could answer, a voice cut through the silence.
"Ah, Arthur Dusk. Always finding trouble, aren't you?"
They spun around, weapons raised to see an Elderly man standing in the corner of the room, his grey suit immaculate, his salt-and-pepper beard neatly trimmed.
Arthur: Wait a second... I've seen you before.
?: And I have seen you both, during your lockups. But to refresh your mind, I am Martin Shaw.
Arthur: "Martin Shaw" (he repeated) You're supposed to be dead.
Martin: Yes... (A faint smile played on his lips.) But I was given a... second chance.
Arthur: How?
Martin: Ah. That's a secret that only I must keep. All you have to know is that I... have something that Viktor wishes to have.
Arthur: And that Is?
Martin: Power.
Maya: (She scoffs) Typical. It's always power that always brings out the worst in people that would want more. Especially people like you.
Martin: No... I'm different.
Maya: Oh yeah? What makes you any different?
Martin: I'm not power hungry. I want the same thing that you want... a better world for all to live in.
Maya: (She scoffed) Suuure.
Arthur: We're leaving this building... WITH the elf and Kyle.
Martin: Ah... I'm afraid I can't let you do that Arthur.
With a speed that belied his age, Martin lunged forward, his shoulder slamming into Arthur. The impact sent Arthur flying, crashing into the wall with a sickening thud.
Maya: Arthur!
Maya rushed to Arthur's side and Martin walked to the elf's bedside.
Arthur: OOoh, my back... (He whined as he turned the upper part of his body before his eyes widen.) Shit... I think I heard a crack.
Martin: Oh, you gonna be feeling alot more than that, Dusk.
Maya and Arthur both stare intensely at Martin in silence.
Meanwhile...
(Rex's Group - Warehouse District)
Several miles north, Rex, Selena, and Idris arrived at the dilapidated warehouse district near the old docks. The air was damp and smelled of salt and decay. The warehouse that pinged on their tracker was a massive, windowless structure, its corrugated iron walls rusted and scarred.
Rex: Alright, keep your eyes peeled. Ender's in here somewhere, and I've got a bad feeling about this place. Selena, Idris, weapons hot.
They moved cautiously towards a gaping hole in the side of the warehouse, slipping inside into the oppressive darkness. As they walked deeper into the cavernous space, their footsteps echoing eerily, sudden flashes of bright light flickered on ahead of them, illuminating their path for mere seconds before plunging them back into shadow. The flashes seemed almost… deliberate.
Then, with a series of sharp clicks, floodlights blazed to life, revealing them surrounded by a small, well-organized unit of people in sleek, black tactical suits. Each held a high-powered rifle trained directly on Rex, Selena, and Idris.
At the front stood a tanned woman with an hourglass figure, long white hair cascading down her back, and piercing light blue eyes. She wore a prussian blue form-fitting tactical suit with stark white shoulder pads. To her right was a blonde woman with duck green eyes, clad in a black form-fitting suit with a white exoskeleton and a headgear that framed her long hair. Next to her, a young medic with brown braided hair and periwinkle eyes wore a black tactical suit with white padding. On the other side of the white-haired woman stood a figure with white spiky red-tipped hair, a blue and black suit clinging to her form, and a purple visor obscuring her eyes. Beside her was Jasper Braddock, appearing more physically imposing in simple black tactical pants and a jacket, his golden-brown eyes fixed intently on Rex. Bringing up the rear was a red-haired woman with striking red eyes, wearing a worn brown leather jacket over blue jeans, and a female with a brunette braided ponytail, brown eyes, and fair skin in grey overalls with military protection gear.
"Drop your weapons. Now," the red-tipped haired woman commanded, her voice cold and authoritative.
Rex: (He scoffed, his hand tightening on his pistol.) Like hell we will. Who the hell are you people?
He scanned their faces, a flicker of recognition in his eyes as he focused on Jasper.
Rex: Wait a sec...
Before Rex could fully say anything else, the white-haired woman moved with lightning speed, a faint blue electrical discharge crackling around her hands as she disarmed Rex, Selena and Idris in the blink of an eye. Their weapons clattered to the concrete floor. Rex remained tense, ready to fight hand-to-hand.
Idris: Tch! O-our weapons!
Rex: There just had to be someone as fast as Drake... Great... (He said under his breath in annoyance before a familiar voice echoed through the warehouse.)
"Cease fire!"
Rex's head snapped towards the sound. Standing amongst the tactical unit, completely unharmed, was Ender Sinclair. Rex stared, dumbfounded.
Rex: Ender… what the hell is going on here?