Level 10, High-security containment zone.
The entire zone was split into many small, isolated cells. Each cell housed a single supervillain and all the suppression mechanisms required.
The warden stood in front of a large metal door at the end of a long corridor. Cell Zero was right behind the door.
'Hope this works.' The warden thought as he gazed at the giant metal door.
Even though he could open the door with a biometric scan, he patiently waited. He was absolutely sure that the person on the other side would have no trouble opening the giant steel door on their own.
And just as he thought, the red liquid began to seep out through the bottom seam of the door.
At first, it was dripping out through the minuscule gap. But soon, the gap widened until it flowed out.
The door was supposed to be water and air-tight. And yet, it could not stop the blood from dripping through the surrounding concrete.
Suddenly, the pool of blood twisted and turned as if it had a mind of its own and latched onto the edges of the door.
"Crack."
"Swish…"
Before the warden could even think, the reinforced steel door, which was a meter thick, was snapped back into the wall.
The hydraulics supporting the door and keeping it shut seemed to have been destroyed from the inside.
"Splash…"
Red blood splashed and splattered across the area, finally revealing a man standing behind.
He was covered from head to toe in blood. He looked dishevelled with messy long hair, standing bare-chested with a flimsy piece of cloth covering his modesty.
And yet, a chill bore into the warden's heart as he met the cold, clear eyes turning towards him.
"Oliver." The warden called out.
Oliver ignored it and took a step forward, startling the warden. At a glance, you could see that he was in no mood to hold a conversation.
"Oliver, wait." The warden channelled mana through his body and activated his physique before calling out again.
This time, it felt more like a desperate attempt to capture his attention rather than an order.
Even then, Oliver ignored him and continued to walk past, not even pausing to give him a glance.
While walking away, he rapidly healed himself. His skinny body that looked like a dried raisin filled up with muscles and the puncture wounds on his body disappeared.
Watching that, the warden felt his heart tighten. His purpose for coming down to level 10 was to buy some time. If possible, he wanted to prevent Oliver from destroying the prison as he exited.
But looking at how things were going, it seemed like he was about to fail.
The desperate warden spoke quickly, "Oliver, I know what you want. I know where Indra is."
Indra is one of the most famous and strongest heroes alive. He was also the man Oliver was trying to kill before he was captured. He was the reason for all the tragedy that befell Oliver and his family.
Hearing that name, Oliver paused.
"Indra betrayed humanity and joined the demons. I know his exact location, and I will give it to you… If you promise to leave here peacefully." Knowing all too well about his inability to stop Oliver, the warden tried to make a deal.
Oliver was imprisoned for almost a decade. To a person like that, information must be important. The warden thought as he tried to make a deal. This piece of information was the reason for his confidence.
Indra was a hero who turned into a traitor. The warden had no qualms about giving his information to Oliver. If Oliver killed him, he would consider that a good thing.
However, the moment Oliver turned around, the warden knew he had made a mistake.
Oliver's sharp eyes collided with the warden's.
*Scoff*
"I knew it would turn out this way," Oliver said bleakly.
"You were trying so hard to save him from me. He was called the hope of humanity."
He snorted, remembering the past.
"And yet, now you are giving me his name and location. What do you expect me to do? Do you want me to become your hunting dog?" A menacing smile was forming on Oliver's face.
"No, but." The warden couldn't find words to speak. He felt his chest tighten when he saw the smile.
Although the information was classified and hidden from the public eye, the warden knew the partial truth about Oliver's situation and why he became a villain.
Unlike the rest, who were imprisoned in the containment zone, he was not a psychopath who killed without reason. He was selective and precise with whom he eliminated.
He only killed people who were related to his family's death. Although he went a little far on the number of related people, it was not without reason. After all, his goal was revenge.
Although the media portrayed him as a madman who wanted nothing more than death and destruction due to political pressure, people like the warden could see through the guise.
Oliver only went after the scum of society. Gradually, he began killing famous figures, politicians, entertainers, high-ranking officials and even heroes. That is when his notoriety spread.
The label of hero killer. And his feat of killing S-ranked heroes shook the world.
S-rankers were few in number on the entire planet. They were considered pillars that stabilized nations. So, their death completely drove the public opinion against him, forcing multiple S rankers to team up and catch him.
While that was happening, the people who should have investigated why Oliver was doing what he was doing quietly buried the evidence pointing to high and mighty figures like Indra, the so-called hope of humanity.
In the end, Oliver was imprisoned and left to rot in the Abyss like a half-corpse.
"Are you really willing to forgive?" Warden asked. "And forget what happened to your family." He was trying to gain the upper hand in the conversation.
*Ha ha* Oliver laughed.
His voice was barely audible, but the contempt was palpable.
"He is humanity's hope. He is the hero this world deserves." Oliver said, hiding his actual emotions.
The words drained the soul out of the warden. The raging mana in his body fizzled out into nothing. He didn't know what to do anymore.
Oliver had learned to resent humanity as a whole.
And who could blame him?
Considering what they had done to him, he had every right to hate them.
"You should have let me kill him a long time ago," Oliver said and turned to walk towards the elevator.
"Wait a minute!" Suddenly, the warden called out. A memory resurfaced in his mind causing him to take prompt action.
"Your friend, Root, has a son." Before the warden could complete his word, Oliver who was walking up to the elevator disappeared and appeared in front of him.
Oliver's eyes were spitting fire. Was this also a trick? If so, he was going to kill the warden then and there.
Root was one of the closest friends and supporters of his cause. He was a hacker and one of the last surviving members of his team of villains.
"Quickly answer me. Who did you say has a son?"
Tentacles of blood flowed and surrounded the warden. The tip of the blood tentacles was hardening as they closed in on the warden's neck.
"Root. He said to me that he had a kid. He asked me to inform you about it."
"Why?"
"I don't know. I just remembered it."
"How do you know Root?"
"He was captured four years ago and executed for his crime. His dying wish was to inform you about his son. He is buried where all your friends are buried."
"Where is the kid and the mother?"
"*Gulp* I don't know." The warden looked at the blood tentacles almost touching his neck.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, do you really think he would tell me about his family's whereabouts?"
The question cooled Oliver down.
"Did he say anything else?" Although the death of his friend saddened him, Oliver pulled together and asked.
He couldn't let his mind wander when it was something Root said.
The person he trusted the most in his life was this guy. And he had some message for him, there must be a reason behind it.
"No, he just said that."
Oliver scrutinized the warden's face. But he couldn't find anything odd.
What he said was true.
Oliver finally nodded and understood what his friend meant. He knew what the message meant.
Unlike Oliver who had given up on humanity, Root still saw a future where peace could be achieved.
Although Oliver couldn't verify if he really had a son or not, he knew what he meant by that.
'Imagine there is my son and wife out there and do what you can to ensure a good future for them.' Oliver could hear the voice of his friend in his head.
It was something Root would do.
Although Oliver was doubtful, he can't let chance determine the future anymore. Root already predicted what I would do with the information.
'I need to go and meet him for the last time. Even in death, he finds ways to test me.' Oliver thought and relinquished control over the blood tentacles.
*Gulp* the warden swallowed hard.
He almost saw death for a few seconds.
"I will not make it difficult for you. I can leave peacefully if you give me the name of the person who ordered the execution of my friend."
"Indra."
"That d*mned s*n of a beach."
The hatred in his heart grew. Cold wind blew across the passageway.
Still, Oliver kept his promise and left prison without destroying it.
Warden looked at the person growing blood wings out of his back and flying away in fear and admiration. Maybe his escape was not something that bad, he thought.
The nukes were disarmed ,and the Abyss continued to operate as usual even though one of the most notorious prisoners escaped.