INT. DARK BASEMENT - NIGHT
SOUND of rustling fabric
A young woman with long, wavy blonde hair still clad in tattered pink robes, her face smudged with dirt and showing signs of recent distress, groaned as she slowly came to.
Her voice, groggy and filled with confusion, echoed in the darkness. "Ugh… Where…? Where am I?"
She tried to sit up, wincing as a sharp pain shot through her shoulder.
"Who…? Who's there…?" Her voice trembled, laced with fear. "Help!"
A faint whisper, tinged with an unsettling calmness, came from a shadowy corner.
A voice shrouded in darkness: So... You're finally awake.
Her eyes widened, fear gripping her as she frantically tried to locate the source of the voice in the oppressive gloom.
The voice from the shadows: No need to be afraid... I won't hurt you.
Just then, another person stirred nearby. A younger woman with short, neatly braided brunette hair, still wearing a rumpled pair of white pajamas, her face pale and etched with weariness, slowly awoke, her voice groggy and weary.
The young woman in white: Ugh... Wh– where am I...?
The woman in pink robes looked over to see the girl starting to stir.
The voice from the shadows: Ah, great. Another one... please try not to make any more noise.
From amongst the dark recesses of the basement, a muffled scream of a man pierced the silence. "Heeeelp!! I can't see!!"
Both the young woman in white and the woman in pink robes looked towards the direction of the scream, their hearts pounding rapidly as his terror amplified their own growing sense of fear and helplessness.
The man continued screaming, his voice bordering on hysteria, pleading for someone to help him. "LET ME OUT! PLEASE HELP ME! I'M GOING TO DIE HERE!!"
The voice from the shadows: Tch... He's gonna get us all killed... go shut him up.
The woman in pink robes hesitantly made her way towards the sound of the man's frantic cries, her trembling hands reaching out into the darkness. Her fingers brushed against something rough and fabric-like, startling both her and the man.
The screaming man: Ah! Who's there!?
The woman in pink robes: S-Shhhh! (She hushed the man, her voice shaking.) They'll hear you!
Her fingers fumbled for the obstruction on his head and pulled it free. The man blinked rapidly in the dim light filtering down the basement stairs. He appeared to be in his late twenties, with messy brown hair and a thin layer of stubble on his face. His eyes darted around frantically, still wide with panic.
The woman in pink robes: (She stepped back slightly.) It's alright, (she whispered, trying to reassure him.) Just try to be quiet.
The man: (he took a shaky breath, finally noticing her.) Who are you? (he asked, his voice still trembling.)
The woman in pink robes: My name is Emily, (she replied softly.)
He nodded, his gaze softening slightly. "I'm Harry. They... they put a bag over my head. I couldn't see anything."
Just then, the young woman in white cautiously approached. "I'm Abigail," she said quietly.
A cold, cynical voice echoed from the corner, where the figure remained unseen in the deep shadows. "Introductions, how quaint. Don't get too comfortable making friends. Makes the grievings less."
Emily, Harry, and Abigail all turned their attention to the corner, straining to see the speaker, but the darkness concealed them.
Emily: Who are you?
The voice from the darkness: Who I am doesn't matter.
Abigail: W-What's going on? (she asked, her voice still weak.) Where are we?
The voice paused, then continued with a chilling finality. "You in hell, Abby... we all in hell."
(Enforcer Facility)
A prisoner sat cross-legged on the edge of his narrow bed, a soft, tuneless hum escaping his lips. Lightly tanned skin stretched over a slender frame. His short, messy hair was a shade of dark-green, and his light brown iris eyes held a placid, almost bored expression as they stared at the opposite wall.
The piercing blare of the facility-wide alarm erupted, accompanied by a deep, guttural tremor that shook the very concrete of his cell. The disturbance didn't even cause his humming to waver. He remained still, seemingly unfazed by the chaos erupting around him.
Then, with a sudden whoosh of released pressure, the door to his cell sprang open. He stopped humming, his head tilting slightly as he looked up at the gaping entrance. A red, dim emergency light pulsed in the corridor outside, casting long, distorted shadows. The alarm continued its insistent shriek.
Slowly, the prisoner swung his legs off the bed, his bare feet landing softly on the cool floor. He could hear the rising clamor of other inmates escaping their cells – shouts, the clanging of metal, and a general sense of pandemonium. A slow, menacing smile stretched across his lips. His light brown irises began to swirl and shift, the color deepening to a vivid crimson. The pupils contracted to thin, vertical slits that then expanded into stark white against the now yellow sclera. His dark-green hair seemed to brighten, taking on a more vibrant, almost lime-green hue.
"Finally," he murmured, his voice a low, satisfied drawl. "Some excitement for a change."
He stepped out of his cell, stretching languidly, the sound of his joints cracking loudly in the echoing hallway. He sighed, a long, drawn-out exhalation of contentment. His gaze swept around the corridor, taking in the open cell doors and the fleeing figures in the distance. "Oh, what a delightful mess," he commented, a wide, predatory grin still plastered on his face. His eyes then flickered upwards, locking onto a security camera mounted in the corner. He widened his smile as he snaps his fingers causing every fleeing figure in the hallway to disperse instantly into fine grey dust, leaving the corridor eerily silent.
He reached down and grabbed the collar of his drab prison-issue overall, his fingers flickering across the fabric. In a blink, the orange material transformed into a sleek, red leather jacket that fit him perfectly. He glanced down at his remaining attire, his smile faltering slightly. His pants and shoes remained resolutely orange. He frowned, a hint of confusion creasing his brow. "Huh. Been a while, hasn't it?" he muttered to himself. "Guess the dampers are still having a bit of an… lingering effect." He shrugged, his menacing smile returning, and started skipping down the now quiet hallway, a cheerful, rhythmic whistle replacing his earlier tuneless hum.
A faint shimmer appeared in the hallway the whistling prisoner had skipped down moments before. Zoe, now translucent and ethereal, her eyes wide and filled with a lingering sadness, drifted silently, her gaze scanning the empty space. She turned her head slowly, a flicker of her spectral form momentarily passing through the solid wall of a side corridor. Then, with a barely perceptible shift, she found herself in another section of the facility, a scene of destruction. The air was heavy with dust and the smell of smoke, and flickering red emergency lights cast long, dancing shadows on the group of figures gathered there.
Zoe's unseen gaze settled on Rex, Selena, and Ender, who stood amongst a small group of bewildered-looking prisoners. She listened silently as their hushed discussion continued from where it had left off in the previous moment.
"Just… people looking for some people in this facility," Rex finished his sentence.
The green-skinned orc prisoner, his tusks glinting in the dim light, grunted. "Who you lookin' for?" he asked, his voice rough and deep.
Ender opened his mouth to reply, but Rex cut him off sharply.
Rex: None of your business, green skin. In fact, it's none of any of your business, (he declared, his gaze sweeping dismissively over all six prisoners.)
The orc scoffed, rolling his eyes before turning to lumber down the hallway in the opposite direction. The other prisoners, sensing the tension and the dismissive attitude, followed suit, their forms disappearing into the gloom.
Once they were alone, Selena turned on Rex, punching him hard in the shoulder.
Selena: What was that all about, Rex? You've been acting like a powder keg ever since the warehouse. I'm starting to get worried about you.
Rex shrugged, grabbing a discarded grey uniform from a dead inhuman and starting to pull it on.
Rex: Yeah? You shouldn't be. We now in enemy territory and based on every that just happened... they're extremely pissed. So, if you want to worry about something, worry about staying alive in this goddamn prisom, Selena! (He shot her a look, his hazel eyes flashing with a dim purple glow.) And if I hear another complaint about my behavior or my actions, you'll have something REAL to worry about.
Selena's eyes narrowed, and she instinctively tried to shape the metallic orb in her hand into a weapon, but nothing happened. Confusion flickered across her face as she concentrated, attempting to manipulate the metal, but it remained stubbornly inert.
Selena: What the… (she muttered, her brow furrowing.)
Rex and Ender watched her, a puzzled look on their faces.
Ender: What are you doing?
Selena: My powers… they're not working, (she said, frustration evident in her voice.)
Rex reached down for a loose rock, attempting to channel his kinetic energy into it, but the rock remained stubbornly still in his hand. He frowned, equally confused.
Rex: Mine not working too.
Just then, Ender's gaze drifted past them.
Ender: Hey, (he said quietly, nudging Rex.) Look. Isn't that just some random girl? (He pointed down the hallway.)
Zoe stood there, her spectral form clear but still unnoticed by the others, her sad eyes watching them.
Rex: Yeah...
Rex stepped forward, his tone gruff and dismissive.
Rex: Who the hell are you? (He demanded of the empty air before Zoe vanished as quickly as she had appeared, leaving only a faint chill in her wake.)
Ender: What the…?
Rex grunted angrily.
Rex: Nah. Fuck... that. Let's keep moving. (He started striding down the hallway, Ender and Selena following close behind, their own confusion lingering in the air.)
(Outside the Enforcer Facility)
"What the hell was that?" Hajime Tanaka's voice was tight with alarm as he looked towards the now-shuddering Enforcer facility.
Emily: An... Earthquake, (She stated simply, her eyes wide but her tone surprisingly calm amidst the chaos.)
Willow's gaze darted from the retreating Enforcer facility to Jaxan, who was still kneeling beside Idris.
Willow: Listen! We have an injured man who needs a medic, (she said urgently, her voice strained.) We all need to get out of here while we still can.
Kira: (Her sharp voice cut through the night.) Emily, Ben, Rufus! You three head inside. Find the rest of their team. (Emilyand Ben, along with another agent, immediately turned and sprinted towards the facility's damaged entrance.)
Claire leaned closer to Willow, her voice a desperate whisper.
Claire: Willow, do something.
Willow: (He jaw tightened.) I'm trying, (she hissed back, her frustration evident.)
Willow: (She clenched her fists, trying to will the familiar electric surge, but nothing happened. She looked at Kira and her remaining agents.) Did you hear anything I said?
Kira's gaze was cold.
Kira: We don't follow your orders, Lapiz. Only Viktor's.
Willow scoffed, annoyance etched on her face. 'How did D.E.I.S.T.R find us?' she wondered.
Willow: How did you even find us? (She asked Kira, her voice sharp.)
Kira: We were tracking Dusk once he started showing up on the map again, (Kira replied, her gaze unwavering.) You and your little… rescue squad weren't supposed to be here. Disobeying Viktor's orders... (she scoffs) Now look... look at the consequences of your stupidity. (Her eyes flickered pointedly towards Idris's still form.)
Willow's fists clenched tighter, her knuckles white. Jaxan, still kneeling, spoke, his voice thick with grief.
Jaxan: None of this would have happened if Viktor hadn't kept what happened in Hamilton a secret.
Kira: Viktor was going to brief you upon your return to base, (Kira stated coldly.) Now, where's Sinclair?
Willow: He's in there, (she said, gesturing towards the facility.)
Kira: And Drake? (Her eyes narrowed, a hint of disbelief in her gaze.)
Willow: We don't know, (she replied, her voice flat.)
Kira's eyes remained locked on Willow's, a silent challenge passing between them. Willow gave a small, tight smirk, about to say something sarcastic when Maria Millers abruptly raised her rifle, aiming it directly at Willow.
Maria: Don't even think about it, Lapiz, (her voice was hard.)
Willow: What the hell are you talking about? (She remanded, surprised by the sudden aggression.)
Maria: I can see the future, (she stated, her gaze unwavering.) I know exactly what you were about to do.
Willow's smirk widened into a genuine chuckle, albeit a nervous one.
From behind them, where Jaxan knelt with Claire tending to him, Ivy gasped, her eyes wide with fear. She pointed a trembling finger into the darkness beyond the facility's perimeter.
Ivy: There! I see him! The shadow… it's coming!
All eyes turned to the direction Ivy indicated. The D.E.I.S.T.R. agents immediately raised their weapons, their beams of light cutting through the darkness, revealing a dark, indistinct figure with two dim yellow points of light that could be eyes.
Kira: The hell... step out into the light! (She commanded, her voice firm.)
Slowly, the figure moved forward, stepping into the edge of the combined flashlight beams, revealing a young woman with a pale complexion and lank, dark hair. None of them recognized her.
Kira: Who the hell is that? (She asks, her weapon still trained on the unknown figure.) Tch... Willow, is she one of yours?
Willow: No, (she denied, her brow furrowed in confusion.)
Ivy's breath hitched, her eyes wide and unfocused as she stared at the woman.
Ivy: It's… it's like… Anna… (she whispered, her voice trembling.) The same… dead stare…
Kira: What's she babbling about? (Kira asked, her patience wearing thin. She gestured to one of her agents.) Restrain her. (The agent, his rifle still aimed cautiously at the unknown woman, moved forward.)
Ivy: No, wait! (Ivy cried, her voice rising in panic.) She's trying to warn us! He's coming! The shadow… like with my sister… she looked like that… before… before…
The agent ignored Ivy's frantic warnings, his attention solely on the pale woman. As he drew closer, an invisible force suddenly slammed into him, sending him flying backwards several feet. The woman, her gaze fixed on Willow's group, spoke, her voice eerily calm...
Zoe: He's coming… Run.
Just as the word left her lips, a streak of vibrant blue lightning flashed past them, tearing through the now-breached doors of the Enforcer facility.
Kira whirled around, her rifle pointing directly at Willow and her group.
Kira: What the hell is happening? (She asked, her voice sharp with suspicion.)
Ivy, in the background, began to sob, rocking back and forth, repeating the words, "We need to leave… before he appears…"
Claire looked at Ivy, her eyes filled with fear.
Claire: Before who comes?
Ivy, shaking uncontrollably, stuttered, her voice barely a whisper.
"DEATH..."