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Hideout02: Laboratory
Selene opened her eyes, her gaze fixed on the camera monitoring the lab. Her body ached with the pangs of thirst; it had been a day since she had last tasted blood. She hadn't received any reply from the boy, and a growing sense of unease gnawed at her. She looked down at the restraints binding her wrists, the metal digging into her skin. A cold fury gripped her, and her eyes glowed with a fierce blue light.
Focusing on her hand, she pulled against the restraints, her strength fueled by desperation. The metal bit into her flesh, but she pushed on, determined to break her own bones to escape.
[Wait! Don't do it] Lucian's voice, cold and commanding, boomed through the lab. Selene stopped, her gaze meeting the camera's lens.
"So now you're talking?" she sneered, a flicker of defiance in her eyes. But she continued to wrench her hand, her fingers cracking ominously.
[You don't have to do that] Lucian said, his voice calm, yet laced with a hint of steel.
"Last time I checked," Selene spat, her voice a venomous hiss, "it was my hand that was about to break."
[I know] Lucian replied, his tone hardening.
[But you're going to drink my blood samples after you free yourself, aren't you? I'm working on a way to make you immune to the sun, but if you damage my research, I'll kill you.]
Selene frowned, her gaze shifting towards the blood bank. She was trapped, her options dwindling.
[You're important in some way] Lucian continued, his voice laced with a chilling threat.
[But you're not as important as my research. And you can't escape the base without authorization.]
Selene clicked her tongue in annoyance, her frustration mounting. She slumped back against the operating table, closing her eyes. The blood bank was just out of reach, taunting her with its promise of relief. But she knew she was outmatched, outmaneuvered. For now, she had to play Lucian's game.
•-----•-----•-----•-----•
Lucian leaned back in the backseat, his gaze fixed on his phone screen. He watched Selene, her face a mask of composure, and a wave of grudging respect washed over him. 'Looks like I underestimated her,' he thought, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. He hadn't imagined she would break her own hand to escape if she didn't receive a reply.
He opened a different app, the tracking device's location flashing on the screen: Pier 17.
"Pier 17," he muttered, his brow furrowed. The tracker pointed towards the Danube River. The pier, a familiar landmark, held a haunting significance. In the movies, Alexander's ship had been docked there. Lucian had already checked Pier 17 during his initial exploration of Budapest, but Sancta Helena had been nowhere to be found.
"How is it?" Raizo asked, glancing at Lucian in the rearview mirror.
"They're gone, off the pier," Lucian replied, closing his eyes, his body weary.
"Let's stick with the plan." He needed to rest, to regain his strength. The fight had taken its toll.
Raizo remained silent, focusing on the road.
Kim Yoo-ri, seated in the front, turned to Lucian, her eyes filled with concern. She noticed the blood staining his clothes. "Are you okay?" she asked softly.
"I'm fine," Lucian assured her, opening his eyes and offering a slight smile. "I've already healed. It's just blood."
Kim Yoo-ri frowned, then opened the glove box. She rummaged through it, pulling out a clean cloth. She handed it to Lucian.
"Clean yourself. You look horrible," she said, a playful grin on her face.
"Yeah, you look like you just killed someone," Raizo chimed in, his voice dripping with mock disgust. He couldn't help but let a hint of amusement creep into his tone.
"I did," Lucian whispered, taking the cloth and rolling his eyes at his companions. He began to clean the blood off his skin and clothes, revealing his pale skin beneath the torn fabric on his shoulder and waist.
"Are they already there?" Lucian asked, his voice laced with urgency.
"Yes," Kim Yoo-ri confirmed with a slight smile. "That's why be presentable at least. We already aren't showing our faces, remember?"
The car rolled into the airport, the familiar hum of engines and the bustle of travelers filling the air.
Raizo pulled the car to a stop in front of four UN-1H Huey helicopters, their blades whirring ominously.
"Let's not keep our help waiting," Lucian said, pulling on his mask. He stepped out of the car, his movements swift and purposeful. Kim Yoo-ri and Raizo exchanged a glance, their faces betraying a mixture of anticipation as they're close to their goals.
They shrugged and followed Lucian, the weight of the mission pressing down on them.
•-----•-----•-----•-----•
Yaz Khan, who had been lounging on the hood of the car, rose to his feet and walked towards Lucian, tossing the car keys in his direction.
"Here's your car," Yaz said with a grin. "You guys don't mind if I use it right?"
Nik, Yaz's sister, shoved him playfully on the shoulder as she stepped in front of Lucian.
"Can you explain the mission this time? I hate surprises, you see," she said, her gaze fixed on Lucian. She was referring to the mysterious corpse he had carried back from their last mission.
Lucian caught the keys, his gaze dropping to his hand. He was impressed. These two were competent. He had planned to let the car explode after the attack on the coven, but Nik's team had volunteered to recover it from the scene. He tossed the keys back to Yaz.
"It's yours," Lucian said, his voice a low rumble. He shifted his throat muscles, controlling his voice, then turned to Nik.
"If the mission is complete, the four helicopters are yours," he announced.
Nik's eyes widened, her jaw dropping.
"These helicopters?" Yaz exclaimed, pointing at the sleek UN-1H Huey helicopters.
"These four-and-a-half million dollar helicopters? And four of them?"
"Then let's go!" Yaz shouted, his excitement bubbling over. He was ready to jump into the helicopter and tackle the mission head-on.
Nik, however, wasn't as eager. Her eyes narrowed, her brother's enthusiasm replaced by a cautious assessment. She knew that the higher the pay, the greater the risk.
"What's the mission this time?" she asked, her gaze locked on the masked man before her. She wanted to see through the mask, to gauge the danger, to make sure her team was ready for what lay ahead.
"Blow up a ship," Lucian stated simply, turning towards the helicopters, followed by Raizo and Kim Yoo-ri.
"Are we going to hurt civilians?" Nik asked, her voice laced with shock. She was a mercenary, but she wouldn't kill innocents for money. She wasn't a terrorist.
Lucian paused, then turned back to Nik. "Since when do mercenaries worry about civilians?" he countered, his voice laced with amusement. "But for your conscience," he continued, "there will be no civilians involved. However, if people were to find out about your identities, they'd be after you." He continued his walk towards the helicopter, his hand reaching for the door handle.
"But there's always a risk in this kind of job, isn't it?" Lucian added, a slight smile playing on his lips.
Nik stared at their retreating backs, then a flash of determination lit up her eyes. She knew the risks of their profession, but the twenty million dollar payment was more than enough incentive to push those risks aside. She just needed to be careful.
She followed them to the helicopter, grabbing a mask from the bag inside. "If you take it off, I'll shoot you myself," she warned, her voice firm.
Yaz froze, his excitement momentarily overshadowed by the threat. He quickly took the mask from his sister and nodded.
Nik slammed the helicopter door shut, then spotted a phone on the pilot's seat, its screen displaying a tracking location. She looked up at the masked woman, who held the phone silently.
Nik took the phone and handed it to the pilot. "Follow this tracker," she instructed, then took her seat, her hands already moving to her weapons.
As she checked her equipment, a question popped into her mind. She looked back at the masked individuals, studying their arsenal. One wielded a pistol and a katana, another man had two pistols, and the woman held only a single pistol.
"Don't you guys have more guns?" she asked, her voice laced with confusion.
Lucian let out a soft chuckle. "Oh, believe me, Ms. Khan," he said, his voice a low growl. "We're more than enough. And I trust you packed well." He gestured towards the RPG case beside her, his eyes gleaming with a hint of mischief.
•-----•-----•-----•-----•
Sancta Helena
Alexander sat in his chair, his hands clasped tightly on the table. His gaze was fixed on his second in command, his eyes filled with concern.
"Are you sure you're fine, Samuel?" Alexander asked, his voice laced with scrutiny.
"I... yeah, I'm fine, sir," Samuel replied slowly, rubbing his neck. His mind ached, and a wave of confusion washed over him. He had woken up to find his men alive, a stark contrast to the events he had witnessed earlier. 'The masked man should have killed them,' Something wasn't right, and the thought gnawed at him.
"We left before the other organizations arrived, sir," Samuel reported, shaking his head. It wasn't the time to dwell on his unsettling suspicions.
"Is that so? And Marcus, any news on Marcus?" Alexander asked, his hands unclasping. His fingers tapped nervously against the table, his worry for his son palpable.
"No, sir. We haven't found any information about Marcus since he went down there," Samuel replied, his brow furrowing. His gaze met Alexander's, his eyes narrowed.
"Sir... if we found Marcus, what should we do?" He tried to keep his voice even, but his emotions were simmering beneath the surface.
Alexander's fingers stopped moving. He looked directly at Samuel, his eyes penetrating. He knew that Samuel's question wasn't simply an inquiry. It was a test.
Alexander sighed, a sense of defeat settling over him. He was wrong. No, his entire family was wrong, for simply existing.
"No," Alexander said, his voice weak, his head shaking.
"We aren't trying to find him. We need to hide. Our group is already in the spotlight, attracting unwanted attention." Alexander paused, his tone hardening. "As for Marcus, let them handle him."
"As you command, sir." Samuel frowned, but he bowed slightly before turning to leave.
Alexander watched Samuel's retreating back, another sigh escaping his lips. He knew his order was a lie, a desperate attempt to let his son go. His organization had been created to protect humans, to shield them from the horrors of vampires and Lycans, but he had twisted its purpose to safeguard his sons. He could have killed them both from the start, using his own immense power, his status as the first and strongest immortal of the Corvinus Strain. But he hadn't. He had failed, and now, the consequences were catching up with him.
As Samuel, Alexander's right hand, exited the office, he knew that Alexander was lying. But he said nothing. He opened the door, his hand instinctively reaching for his neck. His mind throbbed, a sharp pain piercing his skull. Forgotten memories, or perhaps altered memories, began to unravel, fragments of truth resurfacing from the depths of his subconscious.
"Ah!" Samuel gasped, his eyes closing tightly. He gripped the door frame, fighting back the intense pain.
As the commander of the Cleaners, he had a strong will, but this assault on his mind was different. He gritted his teeth, resisting the onslaught.
When Samuel opened his eyes, the truth was clear. His memory had been tampered with. He whirled around, his gaze fixed on Alexander, who had risen from his chair, his expression unreadable.
"My Mi—" Samuel began, but his words were cut short. The ceiling of Alexander's office exploded, shattering the glass window and sending metal debris raining down. Samuel ducked, seeking cover as Alexander calmly stared at the gaping hole in the ceiling, his brow furrowed.
"What's happening up there?!" Samuel shouted, pressing his earpiece against his ear.
Yet Samuel heard the Silence over the comms. Then, another rocket shot through from the outside, striking the floor.
Boom
The explosion knocked Samuel off his feet. He slammed against the wall, his body a blur of pain. He fell to the corridor, his eyelids heavy. He heard the sound of gunshots and more explosions, but then, darkness consumed him.
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END OF CHAPTER
Extra Chapter for 200 Power Stones
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UPCOMING CHAPTERS SPOILERS:
Chapter 88: Sancta Helena Part 2, Chapter 89: Sancta Helena Part 3, Chapter 90: Sancta Helena Part 4, Chapter 91: Sancta Helena Last Part, Chapter 92: Going Back, Chapter 93: Meeting Part 1, Chapter 94: Meeting Part 2, Chapter 95: Suspicion s, Chapter 96: The Deal, Chapter 97: Sexual Tension, Chapter 98: Resigning & Joining, Chapter 99: Arrivals, Chapter 100: Introduction, Chapter 101: Information, Chapter 102: Temptations, Chapter 103: A intense bath R18, Chapter 104: Wryness R18, Chapter 105: Mitsuki's Powers, Chapter 106: Getting Ready, Chapter 107: Getting Ready(2), Chapter 108: Corvinus Castle, Chapter 109: Corvinus Castle, Chapter 110: A Hybrids Fall, Chapter 111: I told you so, Chapter 112: It's You, Chapter 113: Continuation, Chapter 114: William's Prison, Chapter 115: William's Prison(2), Chapter 116: William's Prison(3), Chapter 117: Death of the Twins
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