The hum of machinery echoed down a narrow corridor lined with cold steel walls, its silence broken only by the occasional hiss of a valve or mechanical clink of tools being reset. A sterile glow bathed the hallway in pale light. Shadows flickered as a group of masked figures moved swiftly through, pushing a metal stretcher.
Strapped tightly onto it was Soren, motionless—his armor gone, replaced with a thin grey robe. Electrodes were fixed to his temple and chest, blinking steadily like a countdown.
He was unconscious.
Voice 1 (muffled behind a mask): "Vitals stable. Brain activity consistent with phase-zero sedation."
Voice 2: "Proceed. Transfer him to containment. Initiate prep for Type IV infusion."
As the gurney rolled into a large cylindrical chamber, Soren's head tilted slightly. The room was a wide surgical vault, surrounded by high glass panels and dormant machinery. At its center stood a pod, shaped like a sarcophagus, reinforced with silver tubes that glowed faintly.
They unstrapped him and secured him inside the pod. His arms fell limp against the cold clamps locking in place.
The chamber door sealed shut.
A faint hiss filled the space.
Soren's fingers twitched.
Then—his eyes shot open.
He gasped for air, chest heaving, vision blurred by the harsh ceiling lights. Disoriented, he tried moving, but the restraints clamped tighter.
Soren: "Wh—where am I…?!"
No answer.
Monitors beeped in rhythm.
Soren winced and jerked against the bindings.
Soren: "Hey! What the hell is this?! Let me out!"
From behind a frosted window, one figure glanced up from a console.
Scientist 1 (calmly): "Subject is conscious. Neural suppressor's effect wearing off faster than projected."
Scientist 2(adjusting settings): "Infusion cocktail prepped. Initiate sequence. He wants results."
A nearby machine hissed to life. A vial—thick with glowing blue and red liquid—slid into place above Soren's head. Tubes coiled like serpents around the frame.
Soren stared at it.
Soren (voice rising): "Wait… what is that?! What are you doing to me?!"
No response.
A sudden jab in his arm. He screamed. The liquid began flowing.
Pain struck like lightning—veins bulging, his body convulsing.
Soren (gritting teeth): "AARGH—STOP!"
The lights flickered. Monitors spiked.
His eyes flashed—momentarily golden—then returned. His skin rippled unnaturally.
Lead Scientist (over comms): "Subject S01: Transformation Phase beginning. Monitor spinal response and ocular shift. Administer secondary stabilizer if rejection occurs."
Soren (between gasps): "You're turning me into something… what are you… doing… to me…?"
Scientist 2 (quietly, to himself): "Let's hope you survive long enough to tell us."
Soren's head arched back. Muscles contracted violently. A scream rose in his throat—but the pod hissed shut, silencing him.
A mechanical voice echoed from above:
Facility AI: "Genetic Overwrite Sequence: Engaged. Phase One in progress."
Darkness engulfed the chamber as red lights pulsed from the sealed pod.
Black.
---
A dim red bulb flickered above Cassius's cell. The silence was heavy—thick with tension and dampness. The cold stone walls echoed the sound of pacing boots from far above. Inside the cell, Cassius, Varcen, and Ronan sat close to each other in the murky dark, their breaths faint mist in the underground chill.
Cassius(pressing his hand to the wall):
"Solid. Nothing hollow here either…"
He moved to the bars again, gripping them with both hands and trying to wrench them loose. Metal groaned but didn't budge. He gritted his teeth.
Cassius:
"No use. They're reinforced."
Varcen (already testing the floor):
"The stones aren't loose either. It's sealed like a tomb."
Ronan (sitting back, exhausted):
"They built this place to hold people like us. Or worse."
They fell into silence. Dust drifted from the ceiling, disturbed by unseen machinery overhead.
Cassius (sitting down):
"We need to find Elric. Jorvan. Soren. They could be anywhere…"
Varcen (firm):
"We can't do anything from in here."
Ronan rubbed his hands together nervously.
Ronan (hesitating):
"There's one thing. Every day—just once—a guard comes down that corridor. Brings food. Says nothing."
Cassius and Varcen looked at each other.
Varcen (eyes narrowing):
"What if I capture him?"
A beat of silence.
Cassius blinked. Ronan's jaw tightened.
Cassius (nods slowly):
"Could work…"
Ronan (voice low):
"We only get one shot."
They pressed back into the shadows. Time dragged—heartbeats loud in the silence.
Distant Footsteps.
Clank. Metal doors shifted. The corridor lit faintly as the guard descended, pushing a wheeled metal trolley with three steaming trays. His helmet covered his face. He stopped at the first cell. Slid a tray through the gap.
He moved on. Mechanical. Precise.
Closer.
Cell after cell.
Cassius's hands tightened into fists.
Varcen (muttering):
"Wait…"
The guard stepped in front of their cell. He reached for the control panel on the wall. Fingers tapped in a short code. A red light blinked.
Cell Door: Hiss—Clank.
It opened just an inch.
Cassius (sharply):
"Now!"
Varcen surged forward like a beast unleashed. His arm coiled around the guard's neck—one sharp twist—
CRACK.
The guard's body slumped. The tray clattered to the floor with a harsh metallic clang.
Ronan (wide-eyed):
"Mother of—"
Cassius (dragging the body inside):
"Quick. Before someone hears."
They yanked the guard into the shadows. Blood smeared on the stone. Varcen peeled off the armor with practiced speed, strapping it over his tunic. The helmet clicked into place.
Cassius (looking over the armor):
"You look convincing enough…"
Varcen (gruffly):
"Let's hope their vision's as dull as their hearts."
He turned to the trolley.
Varcen:
"You two—get in. Cover yourselves with the trays."
Ronan (blinking):
"What if they check—"
Cassius (interrupting):
"We don't have another plan. Get in."
They climbed inside. The metal was cramped, but the trays stacked well enough to conceal them. Varcen gave one last glance to the hallway, then pushed the trolley out of the cell.
The corridor swallowed them in silence once more, only the faint roll of wheels echoing as the infiltration began.
---
The stolen guard helmet clinked as Varcen led the disguised trio through the web of corridors. Cassius and Ronan moved in silence behind the trolley, their eyes scanning the darkened corners and humming lights above.
Metal doors. Grates. Surveillance orbs that sparked and fizzled—sabotaged. A body slumped by a side panel, blood trailing across the floor like a dragged brushstroke. Varcen wiped his blade on his stolen tunic.
Ronan (breathing heavily):
"They're experimenting down here… it's not just a prison."
Cassius (frowning):
"These aren't enemies… They're families. Elders. Children..."
Cell after cell, they moved quickly—busting locks, slicing surveillance lines, and neutralizing patrolling guards with silent strikes. The deeper they went, the more twisted the facility became.
Low groans echoed through iron vents. Pipes dripped thick fluid. Some cells were smeared in dried blood. Others had charts. Monitors. Even cages.
Varcen (pausing near a branching tunnel):
"How many wings does this place have?"
Cassius (grim):
"Too many."
Suddenly, a faint voice:
"Psst… here!"
They turned.
Inside one of the steel-barred cells stood Elric—shirt torn, eyes sharp—his body leaned against the wall. Jorvan was beside him, bruised but alive.
Cassius (grabbing the bars):
"Elric! Jorvan!"
Elric (half-smiling):
"Took you long enough."
Varcen (smashing the control panel):
"No time. Get out."
The cell opened with a hiss. Cassius rushed to them, hugging Elric, who winced from bruised ribs.
Cassius (urgent):
"Where's Soren? Is he with you?"
A silence. Jorvan looked down.
Jorvan (quietly):
"They… they took him. A few hours ago. One guard and some scientists. Said something about 'Phase Two.'"
Cassius's chest fell. The world narrowed.
He staggered back—his eyes vacant.
Cassius (barely audible):
"No… no, no, no…"
He fell to his knees, trembling. Shadows from overhead pipes curled like fingers around him.
Ronan (stepping forward):
"Cassius—"
Varcen (kneeling beside him):
"We will find him. But not if we break now."
Elric (calm but firm):
"He's alive. They took him for a reason, not to kill. He's strong. Like you."
Cassius nodded weakly. A tear rolled down.
---
Later —
They pushed forward, cutting through narrow pathways, past broken staircases and broken labs. A low hum grew louder. Faint green light shone from ahead.
They approached a massive lab door—nearly three stories high, made of translucent alloy and glowing glass. Inside, Cassius's heart nearly stopped.
Through the murky window, he saw it—
Soren.
Encased in a glass pod, glowing with sickly orange veins. His body slumped forward—barely conscious.
Cassius (stepping forward):
"Soren—"
Elric (grabbing his arm):
"Wait. That lab is swarming with guards. You charge in and they kill you. Or him."
Cassius stared at his little brother's form. The tubes. The mist. The wires in his skin.
Then—a jolt.
Inside the pod, Soren's body twitched violently. His skin turned deep red. His back arched unnaturally. Bones cracked.
Jorvan (horrified):
"What are they doing to him?!"
Soren's veins pulsed. His muscles swelled grotesquely. His mouth opened in a silent scream as claws began to form from his fingers.
Cassius (choking on breath):
"No—stop it—he's just a kid—"
A sharp pulse rang through the tunnel.
The relic at Cassius's neck began to hum.
Then—burst into light.
Waves of radiant gold surged outward, flooding the tunnel with blinding illumination—like sunlight underground. The air shimmered. Everyone shielded their eyes.
When the glow faded—
Cassius's arms were wrapped in new form.
Gauntlets. Dark steel laced with light. Energy pulsed across the knuckles. They shimmered like controlled storms.
Cassius (eyes burning):
"I won't let him die here."
He stepped back. Then charged—
BOOM!
His fist shattered the reinforced lab door, sending metal and glass flying inward. Sirens blared. Scientists screamed. Guards shouted into comms.
Inside the lab, chaos.
Cassius ran through, ignoring the alarms—his eyes only on Soren.
Soren looked up—
His face half-mutated, flesh steaming, red eyes confused—and scared.
Cassius's breath caught. Tears rolled.
Cassius (whisper):
"I'm here, Soren. I got you—"
But it was too late.
With a deafening roar, the pod shattered—glass erupting outward as Soren, now twice his size, snarled like a beast. His body fully transformed, rage in every sinew.
Cassius stood frozen.
Face-to-face with the monster his brother had become.
---
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