Within the tranquil stillness of the facility at night, a shadowy figure entered the elevator that Jaiden once used.
The man, who resembled a professional hitman, waited patiently inside the tight, dimly lit space.
The elevator doors opened with a soft chime after a few tense moments.
Without hesitation, he raised his rifle and aimed at the door.
He carefully loaded a magical blue bullet into the chamber, co*cking back the piston and peering through the iron sights.
Just as he was about to pull the trigger, a radiant blue aura enveloped the gun, imbuing it with arcane power.
He fired the shot.
The magical bullet sped through the air with a high-pitched whine, striking the door with a burst of blue energy.
As it hit its target, the bullet ricocheted back, swiftly returning to its owner's hand.
The explosive impact shattered the facility’s quiet, jolting everyone awake.
Jaiden sprang up, instinctively grabbing Christmas by the waist.
"Everyone, we're under attack!" he commanded urgently.
With his weapon clutched tightly, Jaiden rushed to the door, his heart pounding.
The hitman stepped into the room, casually smoking a pipe.
He removed the pipe from his mouth and chuckled, the sound cold and mocking.
"Sorry about that," he said with a smirk, "I also hit your lamp. Hope that's not too inconvenient."
Jaiden stared at him, bewildered and enraged.
"You sausage roll! Why did you shoot our door?" he demanded, his voice a mix of confusion and anger.
The hitman’s grin widened as he relished the chaos he had caused, a dark glint in his eyes suggesting that this was only the beginning.
Josef and Rando exchanged bewildered glances, their minds reeling from the chaotic events that had just transpired.
The hitman, standing amidst the aftermath with an air of nonchalance, finally broke the silence.
"Well, I am here on a mission," he stated in a tone so casual it seemed almost out of place given the circ*mstances.
Confusion rippled through the room as everyone stared at the hitman, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief.
"What mission?" Jaiden demanded, his voice sharp with frustration.
The hitman raised an eyebrow, seemingly unfazed by Jaiden's agitation.
"Listen, it just turned 8 o'clock in the morning, and you're already worked up over this?" he retorted with a smirk, his demeanor annoyingly calm.
Jaiden groaned, rubbing his temples as if trying to ward off a headache.
"Okay, for how long are you planning to stay here?" he asked, his patience wearing thin.
The hitman merely shrugged, a noncommittal gesture that did little to ease the tension.
"Beats me," he replied, his tone indifferent.
The room fell silent, the weight of the situation settling heavily on everyone's shoulders.
The hitman's cryptic responses only added to the sense of unease, leaving Josef and Rando to wonder what other surprises the day might hold.
After the commotion settled, Jaiden, Josef, and Rando found themselves falling back into their usual routines, albeit with an air of lingering tension.
The hitman, casually puffing on his pipe, stood up from his wooden chair, exhaling a plume of smoke that curled lazily towards the ceiling.
"Since you're going to be staying down here with us, we might as well show you to your new room," Rando explained briefly, gesturing towards the door.
"Well, alright then," the hitman responded in a nonchalant tone.
He followed Rando as they exited the main room and entered the elevator.
The small chamber felt even tighter with the silence hanging between them, the hum of the elevator filling the void.
As they descended, Rando led the way to the doorway he had opened yesterday.
"So, this will be where you'll stay," Rando announced, pushing the door open with a slight creak.
"Sick, honestly," the hitman replied, his voice calm and composed as he stepped into the dimly lit room.
Rando moved around the room, searching for a light switch.
His hand brushed against the wall, and with a flick, the lights flickered on, illuminating the space in a sudden burst of brightness.
The room was small but functional, with a simple bed, a desk, and a chair.
The hitman surveyed his new quarters, nodding approvingly.
Rando, standing by the door, glanced back at the hitman.
"If you need anything, just let us know," he said, his tone more relaxed now that the immediate chaos had subsided.
The hitman, still puffing on his pipe, gave a curt nod.
"Appreciate it," he said, his voice carrying a hint of gratitude.
As Rando left the room, closing the door behind him, the hitman took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he took in his new surroundings.
The flickering light cast long shadows on the walls, giving the room an eerie, almost sinister feel.
He walked over to the bed, tossing his bag onto the mattress, and sat down, the springs creaking under his weight.
He took another drag from his pipe, the glowing ember casting a warm, orange hue in the dim light.
Alone in the room, the hitman allowed himself a moment of contemplation, his thoughts drifting back to the mission that had brought him here.
The quiet hum of the facility around him was a stark contrast to the chaos he had left behind, but he knew better than to let his guard down.
For now, this room would be his sanctuary, a place to regroup and plan his next move.
Marcos stood up, his eyes scanning the dimly lit room.
He walked towards the desk, noticing a pile of clipboards scattered across its surface.
He smirked, shaking his head slightly.
"Heh, kinda expected to do some work here," he muttered to himself.
Pulling a pen from the pocket of his blue and black trench coat, he scribbled his name on the top clipboard.
"Marcos, the hitman that'll take everyone out," he joked, a dark chuckle escaping his lips.
Satisfied, Marcos headed back to the main room, the elevator ride echoing with the soft hum of machinery.
As the doors slid open, he stepped out, his eyes darting around the space.
Jaiden was nowhere in sight.
"Where's that hothead with the grey hair?" he asked, his tone edged with impatience.
Josef, seated nearby, looked up and pointed down the hallway.
"Oh, you mean Jaiden? Check the medical department."
Marcos nodded, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"Do you mind bringing me there, kid?"
Josef stood up quickly.
"Sure, just have to be careful in case he isn't busy."
They walked briskly through the green-lit hallways, the tension palpable.
As they descended the stairs, the medical department came into view, its sterile lights casting an eerie glow.
Inside, Jaiden paced back and forth, his expression fraught with concern as he glanced at the battered body on the bed.
Marcos entered, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene.
"Did you kill that son of a bitch?" he asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.
Jaiden shook his head.
"No, I found him yesterday."
"Do you need help, Jaiden?" Josef asked, his voice breaking the silence.
Jaiden sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"I’ve checked his vitals. Everything’s fine, but he’s not waking up. That’s the issue."
Marcos moved closer to the unconscious figure, his eyes catching the distinctive mark on the man's neck.
A cold realization dawned on him.
"Oh yeah, that’s a color fixer mark. How the f*ck did you ever capture a fixer in this state?" His voice was low, almost accusatory.
Jaiden's frustration boiled over.
"You muppet, how am I supposed to know?" he snapped back.
The room fell silent, the air thick with tension.
Marcos continued to examine the body, his mind racing with possibilities.
The mark on the fixer’s neck pulsed faintly.
Marcos knew they were dealing with something far more dangerous than they had anticipated.
The thought of what lay ahead sent a shiver down his spine.
"Hold on a minute," Marcos objected, his voice cutting through the tense air like a blade.
Josef, attempting to diffuse the situation, glanced at Marcos with suspicion.
"I think I recognize this man based on the mark," he continued, his tone heavy with apprehension.
Silence descended upon the room like a suffocating shroud, each breath laden with uncertainty.
But before anyone could utter a word, the lights began to flicker, casting eerie shadows across the sterile walls.
"Looks like it's almost bedtime," Jaiden remarked hastily, his voice tinged with barely contained frustration.
With a surge of anger bubbling deep within his soul, he lashed out, his fist connecting with the cabinet before storming out of the medical department.
"Good first impression, cool guy," Josef remarked sarcastically, his words dripping with disdain.
Meanwhile, Marcos remained composed, taking another hit from his pipe.
As he exhaled a plume of smoke, the lights flickered once more before plunging the room into darkness.
"Well, my job is not done here," he declared resolutely, his resolve unwavering.
Retrieving a flashlight from his trench coat, he navigated through the facility with cautious steps, the beam of light cutting through the oppressive darkness.
Returning to his new room, Marcos meticulously scanned every corner, his senses alert for any sign of danger.
Determined to leave no stone unturned, he ventured back into the hallway that led to his quarters, his gaze drawn to a door ominously boarded up.
Frowning, he directed the beam of his flashlight towards the barricaded entrance.
"Why would they randomly board this up?" he mused aloud, his voice echoing faintly in the empty corridor.
With a sense of foreboding creeping over him, he stowed away the flashlight and retrieved his rifle, his movements deliberate and calculated.
Loading a magical blue bullet into the chamber, he braced himself as the bullet tore through the wooden boards, splintering them with explosive force.
With bated breath, he cautiously pushed open the door, the creaking hinges protesting against the weight of time and neglect.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Marcos spoke, his tone laced with nonchalance, though beneath the surface, his heart pounded with adrenaline-fueled anticipation.
His flashlight swept the dimly lit chamber, illuminating the shadowed corners with flickering beams.
Amidst the eerie silence, he detected the unmistakable sound of shivering breaths, sending a shiver down his spine.
With cautious steps, Marcos advanced further into the room, his senses on high alert.
Suddenly, his beam of light fell upon a grotesque sight—a towering humanoid figure, its form contorted within the confines of a straitjacket adorned with numerous restraining belts.
Without hesitation, the deranged creature lunged forward, its movements erratic and unpredictable.
Marcos, caught off guard, stumbled backward, his pulse quickening with each frantic heartbeat.
With adrenaline coursing through his veins, he instinctively reached for his rifle, his fingers closing around the familiar grip.
"I will not go down without a fight!" Marcos roared, his voice reverberating through the chamber as he steadied his aim.
With a steady hand, he fired off a shot, the deafening echo reverberating off the walls.
The room was momentarily bathed in a cerulean glow as the magical bullet pierced through the darkness, briefly illuminating the chaotic scene.
The creature recoiled in agony as the bullet found its mark, its unearthly wail echoing through the chamber.
But even as pain shot through Marcos's fractured leg, he refused to yield, his determination unwavering.
Summoning every ounce of strength, he swung his rifle with ferocious intensity, striking out at the looming threat.
"Get your filthy hands away from me!" Marcos bellowed, his voice filled with a potent mix of defiance and desperation.
With his fractured leg throbbing with agony and blood slowly trickling down his brow, he fought on, his resolve unyielding even in the face of overwhelming odds.
"Komm schon, du verrückter Psychopath!" he taunted in a blend of defiance and fury, his words echoing defiantly in the chamber's dimly lit confines.
The elevator door slid open with a soft chime, revealing Jaiden, Josef, and Rando with their weapons drawn.
Their eyes widened as they took in the scene before them: a deranged humanoid figure in a straitjacket, its body restrained by numerous belts, yet exuding a terrifying presence.
"Watch out!" Marcos shouted, his voice strained with urgency.
Josef and Rando reacted instantly, rolling to the sides to evade whatever horror awaited them.
Jaiden, however, was a split second slower, his eyes locking onto the humanoid creature in a moment of dreadful realization.
Time seemed to slow as the events unfolded.
Marcos, battered and bloodied, aimed his rifle, his face a mask of determination and pain.
With a sharp crack, the rifle discharged, the blue aura from the magical bullet illuminating the dark corridor for a fleeting moment.
The bullet tore through the air, its path unwavering.
It pierced the humanoid figure, a spray of dark, viscous blood erupting from the exit wound.
The creature's head snapped back, but the bullet didn't stop there.
It continued its deadly trajectory, finding its second target.
Jaiden barely had time to register what was happening before the bullet struck him.
His head jerked violently as the bullet passed through, his skull shattering with a gruesome, wet explosion.
Blood and fragments of bone splattered across the elevator's interior, painting a macabre scene of destruction.
Jaiden's body crumpled to the floor, lifeless, his expression frozen in a mix of shock and pain.
The humanoid figure, equally ravaged, collapsed in a heap, its deranged breathing silenced forever.
Josef and Rando, now covered in their comrade's blood, stared in horror and disbelief.
The elevator's once sterile environment was now a chaotic tableau of gore and violence, the echoes of the gunshot still ringing in their ears.
Marcos, leaning heavily against the wall, lowered his rifle with trembling hands.
His eyes, filled with a mixture of sorrow and grim satisfaction, surveyed the aftermath of the brief yet brutal encounter.
The once oppressive silence of the facility was now filled with the sounds of heavy breathing and the distant, eerie creaks of the old building settling.
"Verdammt," Marcos muttered under his breath, the German curse slipping out as he struggled to process the bloody scene before him.
T O B E C O N T I N U E D
