In a shadowy forest where the air felt thick with unspoken tension, Kira led the way, her sharp eyes scanning the environment for potential threats. Behind her, Elaria trailed with a noticeable scowl on her face, her steps heavy and deliberate. Fran moved quietly, her presence calm as she kept an eye on the group, while Emilia followed at the rear, her arms crossed and her brow furrowed.
“I still don’t get why we’re wasting time here,” Elaria grumbled, her voice cutting through the silence. “If it’s targets we’re after, why not go straight for the Archivist? Cut the snake’s head off.”
“Because this isn’t about recklessness,” Kira replied evenly, her tone firm but patient. “We’re dismantling his network. Every target we eliminate weakens his influence, slows his momentum. It’s the smart play.”
Elaria rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath, “Smart play is boring.”
Fran glanced at her, her soft voice breaking the brewing tension. “Boring keeps us alive, Elaria. And right now, that’s important.”
“Doesn’t feel important,” Elaria shot back, but her tone lacked bite. She glanced at Fran, whose calm demeanor seemed to temper her irritation. “Fine, whatever. Just tell me when I can smash something.”
Kira smirked slightly but said nothing, her focus still on the path ahead. Emilia, walking a step behind, broke her silence. “We’re not here to smash things,” she snapped. “We’re here to ensure Ravager doesn’t destroy everything. I’m not going to let her use my sister’s face to wreak havoc on this world.”
Fran hesitated, her eyes softening as she looked toward Emilia. “I know it’s hard,” she said gently. “Seeing her like that. But what we’re doing—it’s going to matter.”
Emilia didn’t respond immediately, her jaw tightening. Finally, she muttered, “It has to. Otherwise, what’s the point?”
Kira stopped suddenly, raising a hand to signal the group to halt. They froze, their instincts sharp, as she scanned the clearing ahead. After a tense moment, she relaxed slightly and motioned them forward. “We’re close,” she said. “The target’s supposed to be at the facility up ahead. Stay focused.”
As they approached the edge of the clearing, the group paused, crouching low. The facility loomed ahead—a rusted, sprawling structure surrounded by faint lights. It looked abandoned at first glance, but Kira’s sharp gaze caught the subtle signs of movement around the perimeter.
“Guards,” Kira said quietly. “At least four. Could be more inside.”
Elaria cracked her knuckles, a small smirk playing on her lips. “Finally, some action.”
Fran frowned, her voice steady. “Let’s keep it clean. No unnecessary risks.”
Kira nodded in agreement, her tone authoritative. “Fran’s right. We do this efficiently. Elaria, take the left flank. Emilia, cover her. Fran, you’re with me on the right.”
Elaria gave a mock salute. “Yes, boss.”
Emilia sighed but followed without protest, her determination clear. As the group split to execute their plan, Fran lingered for a moment, glancing at Kira. “You think they’ll ever stop arguing?”
Kira smirked. “They wouldn’t be themselves if they did.” With that, she moved forward, her steps silent and purposeful.
The group moved like shadows, each member blending into the surroundings with practiced ease. Their movements were fluid, a testament to their training and the trust they had in each other.
As they neared the facility, the guards came into clearer view. They were spread out, their movements predictable. Elaria, crouching low, sized them up, her eyes narrowing. She glanced at Emilia, who was watching intently. “Ready?”
Emilia nodded, her expression determined. “Let’s get this over with.”
Elaria grinned. “That’s the spirit.” Without hesitation, she lunged forward, closing the distance between herself and the nearest guard in a blur of movement.
The guard barely had time to react before Elaria was upon him. With swift, brutal efficiency, she struck, her fist connecting with the side of his head in a blow that sent him crumpling to the ground, unconscious.
Elaria's strike was silent but decisive, the guard collapsing with barely a sound. Emilia stepped forward, her weapon raised, covering Elaria as she scanned for any reaction from the other guards. The faint crackle of static from a nearby comm device suggested they’d have to work quickly.
“Clean,” Emilia muttered, nodding to Elaria. “Keep it that way.”
Elaria rolled her eyes but gave a thumbs-up before slipping into the shadows, her regenerative abilities giving her the confidence to take risks others wouldn’t dare.
Meanwhile, on the opposite flank, Kira and Fran moved in tandem. Kira signaled with a quick hand gesture, pointing out the next guard. Fran nodded, her demeanor calm as she prepared to strike. Kira watched her go, impressed as always by Fran’s quiet precision.
Fran approached the second guard with deliberate steps, her blade drawn. In a single fluid motion, she incapacitated him, catching his body before it hit the ground and dragging it into the shadows. “Two down,” Fran whispered into her comm.
“Good,” Kira replied, her voice steady. “Elaria, status?”
“Taking my time,” Elaria’s voice crackled back, laced with mischief. “Don’t worry, boss. I’ve got this.”
Kira sighed, shaking her head. “Emilia, keep her in line.”
“Trying,” Emilia replied, exasperation clear in her tone. “She’s like a stray dog chasing cars.”
As the group converged on the facility’s entrance, Kira signaled for a halt. The final guard was stationed at the door, his posture rigid. Kira motioned for Fran to take the lead, her trust in the younger woman’s discretion evident.
Fran hesitated for a brief moment, her kind nature making her reluctant to act. But she steeled herself, knowing what was at stake. With a flick of her wrist, she hurled a small dart toward the guard, its tip coated with a non-lethal sedative. The man staggered, then slumped to the ground.
“All clear,” Fran said softly.
The team regrouped at the entrance, Kira’s eyes scanning each of them. “Good work,” she said, her voice low but firm. “We go in quiet. We take out our target and get out. No unnecessary engagements. Understood?”
Elaria leaned casually against the doorframe, her smirk returning. “Understood, oh fearless leader.”
Emilia shot her a look but said nothing, her attention already focused on the task ahead.
Fran adjusted her grip on her weapon, her expression serious. “Ready when you are.”
Kira nodded, pushing the door open just enough for them to slip inside. The facility was eerily quiet, the faint hum of machinery the only sound. Kira’s instincts were on high alert as she led the group through the dimly lit corridors.
Elaria leaned lazily against the cold corridor wall, her long white hair brushing her shoulders as she twirled her sword idly in one hand. Her crimson eyes gleamed with mischief, locked onto Kira, who was crouched over her handheld scanner. The dim glow of the device reflected off Kira’s sharp blue eyes as she studied the readout intently, her black hair tucked neatly behind her ears.
“So, Shorty,” Elaria began, her voice dripping with mockery, “what’s the plan? Or are we just hanging around until Fran starts knitting sweaters for the guards?”
Kira didn’t look up, her calm demeanor unbroken. “Keep it up, Elaria,” she said flatly, her voice cold and authoritative. “And I’ll make you guard the exit point alone.”
Fran, kneeling nearby and checking her medical kit, gave a soft chuckle. “It’s impressive how you two manage to argue anywhere. You’d think we were on vacation.”
Emilia, standing with her rifle at the ready, let out a heavy sigh. Her grumpy tone was even sharper than usual. “If you two could stop bickering for five minutes, that’d be great. I’d rather not get ambushed because you’re too busy trading insults.”
Elaria grinned, undeterred. “I’m just saying, it’s hard to take orders from someone I could put in my pocket.”
That earned a reaction. Kira’s head snapped up, her blue eyes narrowing like ice shards. She stood up, her small frame tense with authority. “And yet, here you are, still following my orders. Funny how that works, isn’t it?”
Elaria raised her eyebrows, mock admiration in her tone. “Touché, boss. I guess big brains really do come in small packages.”
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Fran covered her mouth with one hand, a poorly stifled laugh escaping. Even Emilia’s perpetually grim expression cracked, though she quickly turned away to hide it.
Kira’s lips curled into a thin smile, her voice steady but laced with sarcasm. “And it’s amazing how you swing that sword around without falling over from the weight of your ego.”
Elaria barked out a laugh, shaking her head. “Alright, alright. You win this round.”
“Enough,” Emilia said sharply, stepping forward with her rifle held tight. Her intense gaze flickered between the two. “Can we focus? We’re not here to entertain ourselves. We’re in hostile territory.”
Kira gave a short nod, her professional demeanor snapping back into place. “Fran, scout the next corner. Emilia, cover her. Elaria…” She glanced at her teammate with a faint smirk. “Try not to get yourself sliced up. I’d hate to see you regenerate before we’re done here.”
Elaria gave her a mock salute, the grin never leaving her face. “Got it, boss. Wouldn’t want to mess up your brilliant plan.”
The group moved forward, slipping into their roles with seamless coordination. Kira led with her usual precision, Fran’s collected demeanor keeping the group grounded, Emilia’s quiet determination ready to cover them all, and Elaria’s fiery presence ensuring no one forgot she was there.
The room was vast and dimly lit, the air heavy with a mix of humidity and a faint, metallic odor that stung their noses. The center of the space was dominated by an array of cylindrical tanks, each filled with a translucent green liquid. Inside, shapes that resembled humanoid forms floated eerily, their features blurred by the liquid.
Elaria stepped closer to the nearest tank, her white hair contrasting sharply with the darkened room. She studied the figure inside, her crimson eyes narrowing as unease flickered across her face. The humanoid shapes suspended in the viscous green liquid were unsettlingly malformed, as though someone had attempted to create life and failed miserably. Limbs bent at unnatural angles, and their faces were disturbingly incomplete, their expressions frozen in grotesque half-forms of agony or confusion.
“What the hell is this?” Elaria muttered, her usual bravado replaced by a genuine note of discomfort.
Fran stepped up beside her, her blue eyes scanning the tanks with a mix of horror and curiosity. She placed a hand on Elaria’s arm, grounding her. “It’s some kind of biogenetic experiment,” she said softly, her voice tinged with sorrow. “They were trying to… create something—or someone.”
Emilia, standing a few paces behind with her rifle at the ready, frowned deeply. “This reeks of the Archivist’s work,” she grumbled. “He’s always trying to play god.”
Kira’s sharp voice cut through the tension as she approached, her blue eyes fixed on the control console near the tanks. “Focus. We’re here for a reason, and we don’t have time to gawk.” She began scanning the console, her fingers dancing over the interface with practiced precision.
Elaria smirked faintly, though the unease lingered in her gaze. “What’s the matter, Shorty? Creeped out by the science project?”
Kira didn’t look up. “Elaria, shut up and stay alert. If this is what I think it is, we’re in more danger than we thought.”
Fran touched the glass of one of the tanks, her expression pained. “They’re alive, in a way,” she whispered. “Barely. It’s cruel to leave them like this.”
Emilia’s grip on her rifle tightened, her jaw clenching. “We don’t have time for mercy. If these things wake up, we’re done for.”
Suddenly, the console in front of Kira emitted a low beep, and the room’s dim lights flickered ominously. A warning message scrawled itself across the screen in a language none of them recognized.
“What did you do, Kira?” Elaria asked, stepping back from the tanks, her sword at the ready.
“Nothing yet,” Kira replied, her voice tense. “But something—or someone—knows we’re here.”
The tanks began to vibrate, the green liquid inside bubbling as the malformed figures twitched and shifted.
“Fran, step back,” Kira ordered sharply, her hand moving to her sidearm. “Emilia, cover the room. Elaria, take point with me.”
The figures in the tanks suddenly convulsed, their bodies jerking violently against the liquid. Cracks began to form along the glass of the tanks, the sound sharp and grating.
“Tell me this is part of the plan,” Elaria growled, her sword ready as she positioned herself in front of Kira.
“It’s not,” Kira replied, her voice calm but firm. “Get ready. If these things wake up, we’re taking them down.”
Fran hesitated, her gaze flicking between the tanks and her team. “They didn’t ask for this. They’re victims.”
“They’re also threats,” Emilia snapped, her tone leaving no room for argument. “We deal with them now, or they’ll deal with us.”
The first tank shattered, spraying glass and green liquid across the room. The malformed figure inside collapsed to the floor, its movements jerky and unnatural as it struggled to rise. Its incomplete face turned toward the group, emitting a guttural, inhuman sound that sent chills through the air.
Elaria stepped forward without hesitation, her sword flashing as she brought it down in a powerful strike, severing the creature’s head in one clean motion. It crumpled to the ground, lifeless and still.
“Anyone else have a problem?” Elaria said, her voice a mixture of challenge and grim determination.
The second tank shattered, and another malformed creature lurched towards them. This one moved faster, its movements more coordinated. It reached for Elaria, its twisted fingers grasping at the air as it let out a disturbing, gurgling cry.
Kira, her weapon drawn, took aim and fired, hitting the creature in the chest. It staggered back but didn’t fall, its body jerking strangely as it tried to recover.
Kira didn’t hesitate. She adjusted her aim and fired again, this time striking the creature in what passed for its head. The malformed figure convulsed violently before collapsing into a twitching heap, green liquid pooling beneath it.
“Fran, any insights on what these things are before more show up?” Kira barked, her eyes darting to the remaining tanks, now cracking under the pressure of their writhing occupants.
Fran knelt beside one of the shattered tanks, her hands trembling as she examined the remnants of the green liquid. “They’re… incomplete. Experimental. Whoever made them didn’t finish the process—they’re unstable.”
“Unstable’s an understatement,” Elaria muttered, stepping over the corpse she’d just dispatched. “If we’re done analyzing their life stories, how about we focus on not getting mauled?”
Another tank exploded, showering the room with shards of glass and green fluid. This time, two figures emerged, their grotesque forms moving with alarming speed.
“On your left!” Emilia shouted, raising her rifle and opening fire. Her shots landed true, tearing into one of the creatures’ torsos and sending it sprawling to the floor. But the second one evaded her aim, lunging directly at Kira.
Kira dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding its grasp, and delivered a precise shot to its leg, slowing its advance. Before it could recover, Elaria was on it, her blade slicing clean through its neck in a single, brutal motion.
“Stay close,” Kira commanded, her voice sharp. “Fran, fall back to the console. See if you can shut down the rest of the tanks before they all break free.”
Fran hesitated, her gaze flicking between the console and the chaos around her. “But—”
“Do it!” Kira snapped, her tone leaving no room for argument.
Fran nodded, scrambling to the console and typing furiously. “The systems are encrypted—it’s going to take time!”
“We don’t have time,” Emilia growled, firing at another creature that had just emerged from a tank. “Work faster.”
The room was a blur of movement and noise as more creatures broke free, each one more coordinated than the last. Kira’s mind raced as she calculated their options.
“We’re not holding them off forever,” Kira said, her voice tight. “Emilia, Elaria, cover Fran. I’ll see if there’s a manual override for the containment systems.”
“Shorty, you’re not going alone,” Elaria called out, her blade flashing as she sliced through another advancing figure.
“I can handle myself,” Kira shot back, her blue eyes narrowing. “You just keep them off Fran.”
Elaria grinned, her crimson eyes gleaming with exhilaration. “You got it, boss. But don’t take too long—I’m not cleaning up if this gets messy.”
As Kira sprinted toward a control panel near the back of the room, she dodged falling debris and the occasional swipe of a malformed creature. Her black hair clung to her damp forehead as the air filled with the acrid stench of burning flesh and spilled chemicals. She skidded to a halt and began scanning the console, fingers flying across the interface.
“Fran!” Kira called out, glancing over her shoulder. “Anything on that encryption?”
“Almost!” Fran shouted back, her voice strained. Her blue eyes darted between screens as lines of code blurred in front of her. “I just need a few more seconds!”
“You don’t have them!” Emilia barked, firing another round into an advancing creature. The bullets struck true, but the beast roared, surging forward undeterred. She cursed under her breath and reloaded, her hands steady despite the chaos.
Elaria leapt into the fray, her sword flashing as it cleaved through another beast with ruthless efficiency. Her white hair whipped around her, stained with green ichor. “Fran, you’re the brains here. Work faster! These guys don’t seem to care how much we cut them up.”
“Funny how that works,” Fran muttered under her breath, but her fingers didn’t falter. “I’ve almost bypassed the main firewall. Just keep them off me a little longer.”
Kira activated the manual override system. A red light flashed, accompanied by a shrill alarm. “Containment protocols are fried,” she muttered. “We’re going to have to do this the hard way.”
From the corner of her eye, she saw a particularly large creature smash through another tank, its body rippling with muscle and unnaturally long limbs. Its eyes locked onto Kira with a predatory glint.
“Kira, behind you!” Fran shouted.
Kira spun just in time to dodge the creature’s lunge, her small frame darting out of reach. She drew her sidearm, unloading a clip into its torso. The bullets barely slowed it down.
Elaria was there in an instant, slicing at the creature’s exposed flank. “Shorty, next time, don’t let it get this close!” she quipped, though her tone was strained from exertion.
Kira didn’t rise to the bait. Instead, she shifted tactics, activating a nearby crane system. The massive metal arm swung down, slamming into the creature and pinning it against the floor. “That should hold it,” she said tersely, turning back to the console.
Fran let out a triumphant cry. “Got it! System reboot engaged. Tanks are stabilizing.”
The remaining tanks began to hum softly, the cracks on their surfaces halting as containment fields activated. The remaining creatures were subdued by electrical pulses emitted from the base of the tanks, their grotesque forms slumping into stillness.
The team took a moment to catch their breath. Elaria wiped her sword clean with a piece of torn fabric, her crimson eyes still scanning the room for movement. “That was too close,” she muttered.
Fran stepped back from the console, her expression conflicted. “They weren’t supposed to exist like this. Whoever did this to them… it’s monstrous.”
Emilia slung her rifle over her shoulder. “Monstrous or not, they were going to kill us. Don’t lose sleep over it.”
Kira stepped forward, her sharp gaze sweeping over the subdued tanks. “This wasn’t an accident. Someone wanted these experiments—these abominations. We need to find out who, and why.”
Fran hesitated. “I pulled a data file during the override. It’s incomplete, but it has a symbol. One I’ve seen before.”
Kira narrowed her eyes. “Show me.”
Fran activated her wrist pad, projecting the symbol into the air—a stylized emblem of interlocking lines, eerily reminiscent of a sigil they had seen in reports tied to the Archivist’s network.
“This just got a lot more complicated,” Kira muttered.
