Conrad's eyes slowly opened, groggy and tired. Ethan was already awake, looking scared and nervous. Duncan was still fast asleep, snoring loudly.
"Oh, look who's finally up. Did ya sleep well, mate?" Benjamin said mockingly.
Conrad immediately tried to sit up, but he was bound by specially designed cuffs that disrupted and severely weakened the power cells inside his body.
"You guys are dead, you know that?" Conrad growled threateningly.
Benjamin scoffed. "Look at you. And look at us."
"And we also know exactly how your ability works, thanks to this buddy right here," Milo added, patting Ethan's back. "Without you, no one can find our base."
Conrad gritted his teeth and stared straight at Ethan, his eyes bold and hard.
"Look, I'm sorry, man… They were gonna kill me…" Ethan apologized quietly.
Conrad let out a low chuckle. "You truly are a fucking idiot… You think they're gonna let us go, dumbass?!"
"You should've died with those two idiots…" Conrad said cruelly.
"So you do see me as useful?" Duncan suddenly chimed in, startling Conrad.
"Don't say anything, idiots…" Conrad ordered.
"Alright, lads," Benjamin said, his voice playful yet mocking. "You must all be wondering, 'What do these guys want?' Well, it's simple, really. We just want you lot to tell us everything you know about HEX."
Conrad didn't say a word. Ethan looked like he was about to speak but quickly remembered Conrad's order and stayed silent.
Benjamin scoffed. "Alright then. Boys, do these cunts in."
Milo, Diego, and Mitch began striking them with the neuro-disruptive electric batons. Duncan and Ethan screamed in agony. Conrad felt the searing pain but didn't show a single expression. He simply stared Benjamin down, his face cold and defiant.
"Okay, okay! I'll tell you!" Duncan begged as the baton kept hitting him. "Fucking stop!!"
Duncan panted heavily. "I don't know what the hell to tell you guys… Just… just ask me and I'll answer…"
"Why the hell aren't you asking John or Hannah?!" Ethan cried out.
"Because we know there's new information about HEX, mate," Benjamin replied.
John walked over. "During the heist, I read a document about plans to make Composite V deadly for the poor. That seems impossible. So tell me — how is it supposed to work?"
"I'm not a damn scientist! You guys killed them all!" Duncan exclaimed.
"That—" John shut his eyes, a wave of sadness and frustration washing over him as he remembered his actions. "That was… an accident."
Mitch continued hitting Duncan with the baton, forcing answers out of him.
"OKAY!" Duncan shouted, coughing up blood. "I have some fucking information!" "Please! No more…" Duncan begged, coughing out more blood.
John silently pushed Mitch's arm down, signaling him to stop.
"Tell us," John said quietly.
"Okay… They're not actually making Composite V lethal to the poor. You're right, it is impossible," Duncan panted. "They're developing a virus designed to wipe out every single non-superpowered human. What you read was just the first illustration of the virus — that's why it was worded as making Composite V deadly to the poor."
Conrad clenched his fists in pure rage, biting down on his lip until it nearly bled. The anger surging through him was unlike anything he had ever felt. Duncan had just leaked the most critical secret HEX possessed.
John leaned in closer. "And how much progress have they made?"
"Little to none. Even before y'all killed the scientists, there was barely any progress. They said it was extremely difficult because superpowered and non-superpowered humans still share the exact same anatomy and biological functions. Besides, they were still focused on improving Obedrex at the time," Duncan explained, his breathing finally stabilizing.
"Well, ain't we fucking geniuses?" Benjamin said with a smug smile. "Thanks to us killing them, the creation of that virus is now on a long-ass pause — or maybe it'll never get made at all."
"Anything else you want to tell us?" John asked.
"They're working on another variation of Composite V — one even more powerful and enhanced than what the executives currently take," Duncan added.
John's eyes narrowed as he stepped back. "What…? What for?"
Then realization hit him. "Sovereign…"
"There are plenty of answers," Mitch said. "It could be for a new hierarchy of power, or to make the executives stronger. But it can't be for Sovereign. What's the point of climbing higher when you're already at the top of a mountain as tall as the universe?"
"Ah, you're saying Sovereign is so much stronger that he operates on a completely different level from the rest of us?" Diego asked, sounding confused.
Emma groaned. "Yeah, dude. Diego, why do you always have to explain every metaphor? It ruins it!"
"Lo siento, amigo. Metaphors are always so hard to understand," Diego replied. "It's like trying to solve a math equation."
Emma chuckled. "It's nothing like that!"
"You're right… that does seem illogical," John said, then turned back to Duncan.
"No. I have no idea why they're making it," Duncan answered before the question was even fully asked.
"Were you sent here to kill us? Or to kill me?" John asked.
"We weren't sent to kill anyone. Our only job was to retrieve the stolen items," Duncan said.
"Do you have any information about Sovereign?" John pressed.
"No one ever does. You know that. Everyone knows that! The dude has no records whatsoever," Duncan exclaimed.
"I guess that's true. But what is Sovereign like? Is he pissed about this? Or maybe sad?" John asked.
"No, nothing like that. Instead, he seems… amused. Excited, even, by the things you're doing, John. Realistically, he could've just followed Conrad here and killed you himself. But he wants to keep you alive for his own entertainment." Duncan explained.
"That's somehow unsurprising," John muttered. "The way he treated me was like training a dog to learn new tricks."
"He wants you to do all of this — to try, to threaten, to damage him," Duncan added.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Duncan," John said, patting his shoulder.
"Can I get a glass of water? I can taste my own damn blood!" Duncan said, his coughs dry and raspy.
John nodded, "Sure."
Duncan glanced over at Conrad. The man's eyes were filled with deep, murderous intent. Duncan quickly looked away, swallowing hard in fear.
"Anything else you gotta tell us?" Benjamin asked, handing Duncan a glass of water.
Duncan shook his head as he chugged it down. "Can I please get more?"
Benjamin exhaled, then grabbed the laser cannon and pointed it straight at Duncan's head.
"Woah woah woah!! What the fuck are you doing?! Chill out, dude!!" Duncan screamed in terror as Benjamin stepped closer.
Before he could fire, John grabbed the cannon and yanked it out of his hands. "What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
"We got what we wanted from these cunts. What more do we need?" Benjamin reached for the weapon again, but John pulled it away.
"Fuckin' hell…" Benjamin groaned.
"John… If we let them go, they're obviously going to tell on us…" Emma said softly.
"We can make them join us! Everyone has room for redemption, okay?!" John argued, leaning closer. "We can talk them through this. Show them that what they're doing is wrong — evil! We don't need to kill them!"
"I told you lot not to trust this prick," Benjamin muttered.
"Hey, this isn't a matter of trust," Hannah said. "John hasn't purposefully killed anyone before."
"'Intelligent' my ass," Benjamin shot back. "John, do you really think they'll join us?"
"I don't know. And we also don't know if they'll reject us or betray us. Nobody can see the future. Nobody can predict the outcome," John replied.
"Mate, it's the most logical decision," Benjamin insisted.
"Just because it's logical doesn't mean it's right," John protested.
"John, it's the best choice we have right now," Hannah said gently.
"No. The best choice is to add three more superpowered people to our group and make ourselves stronger," John countered.
"Yeah, well the next thing you know, you'll wake up to find all of us chopped into pieces while you're left unscathed," Benjamin said.
Silence.
John shook his head. "I just can't… You can't do that. A life is still a human life, you guys. They only act this way because they were taught the wrong things. The most precious and valuable thing in the world is life itself."
"The thought of killing someone has always haunted me," John continued, his voice breaking. "Once someone is killed… that's it. Their life is finished. No more future. Nothing left to discover."
A long, heavy silence filled the room.
"When a parasite infects something," Hannah said calmly, "you don't reason with it. You don't give it a second chance. You kill it before it spreads."
She held his gaze. "Because if you don't… it finds something else to feed on."
John exhaled. "People aren't parasites."
"No," Hannah replied softly. "But the damage they cause is the same."
She stepped closer. "You've seen what happens when they're spared. They don't change, John. They just move on to the next victim."
A pause.
"Killing is evil," she admitted. "But letting that kind of evil keep spreading? That's a choice too."
"We can change them if we try hard enough!" John still protested.
Hannah's expression softened. "And how many people are you willing to sacrifice while you try to prove that?"
She held his gaze steadily.
"Because while you're trying… they're still hurting others."
"You're not just giving them a second chance, John." Her voice dropped. "You're gambling with everyone else's."
John exhaled deeply, then nodded slowly. "Just this once…"
"Finally…" Benjamin muttered under his breath.
He started with Ethan, raising the laser cannon and pointing it directly at his head.
John sniffled, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry… but it must be done."