Chapter 68 - New Demands

Vicky followed Wyatt to the location of the intruder at the lab. The location was a warehouse, away from the city.

Vicky got off her bike, following Wyatt's orders, as they snuck into the warehouse through a window.

Once they were inside the warehouse, they heard a male voice speaking.

"We need to get things ready for tonight. Hurry up!" the voice said. It sounded urgent, and threatening.

Wyatt checked the room where the voice came from, he walked towards Vicky, and nodded his head. Vicky froze time and walked towards the room the man was in.

"About time you showed up," the man said. He was not frozen, and there was no one else with him.

The man turned invisible and appeared behind Vicky. Vicky ducked under his punch. She tried to get the collar on him, but he disappeared, and appeared near the staircase.

Vicky rushed to grab the unknown man, as Vicky got near to him, he vanished, and appeared halfway up the stairs. Vicky followed him all the way up to the rooftop.

"Come get me!" the man taunted. He was standing on the ledge. Vicky stared at the man and charged at him.

The man vanished once again, as Vicky neared him. Vicky was now close to the ledge. The man appeared behind her, and pushed her. She tripped over the ledge, and fell off, grabbing onto the ledge with one hand.

"Who are you?" Vicky asked. She kept her other hand on the ledge, and tried to pull herself up. The man stabbed Vicky hand, and kicked the other off the ledge. Vicky grabbed her hand in pain.

"You don't need to know who I am," the man said. He pulled the knife off Vicky's hand.

Despite this, Vicky was still grabbing onto the ledge, until the man kicked her hand off. Vicky grabbed the ledge with her other hand, and the man kicked her hand off again. Vicky panicked, reaching out to the ledge, but she was too late. She was already too far from the ledge to grab it. She fell onto the car below.

Vicky was unconscious on the car. Her attacker glanced at her from the rooftop, and walked away.

Vicky woke up, and saw the sky. For a minute it felt like she had no problems to worry about. The sky was such a calming view for her. She laid there until her vision cleared.

Vicky came back to her senses, and the situation started to make sense, as she remembered what happened. She rolled off the car, she got off the ground in pain. She was hunched, as her body hurt. She grabbed her shoulder, and stood up in pain.

Vicky walked towards the entrance of the warehouse. The gate to the warehouse was open, she rushed in, as she ignored the pain. Vicky arrived at the place she left Wyatt. There were pieces of shattered glass, and a drop of blood on the ground.

A phone rang inside the warehouse, Vicky searched frantically, finding it on the table near the entrance.

"You failed yet again," the man who attacked Vicky said, as she answered the phone.

"Who are you?" Vicky asked.

"Like I said earlier. Who I am doesn't matter… hehe… I thought you'd be more worried about your friend," the man said.

"What did you do to him?" Vicky asked.

"Nothing yet. I have a message for you to give your friend at Raina Corps. Tell her that she has twelve hours to bring me the technology she used to clone her sister's mind into the game," the man said.

"Or what?" Vicky asked.

"I'll make the whole city explode, with her father at the center of it. I'll make sure the media knows that he caused the explosion," the man said. Vicky inhaled deeply, the man heard this, and continued "There's a little something for you too. We know who you are, and where you are. We know who you care about too. That friend of yours who's having a tough time figuring out which side she's on… I'd watch myself around her."

"What are you…" Vicky said, and the man cut the line.

Vicky ran out of the warehouse, and got on her bike, she tried to reach Claire through her earpiece. Claire was not responding. Vicky rode off to the base.

"Where have you been?"Claire asked, rushing towards Vicky, as soon as she pulled up at the base.

"I've been trying to talk to you through comms," Vicky said, getting off her bike

"Where's my dad?" Claire asked.

"About that. The guy got him. He said we need to bring him the technology that you used on Clara. Or else he'll destroy the whole city, and blame it on Wyatt," Vicky replied.

"How was he captured? Where were you while he was being captured?" Claire asked.

"I got attacked," Vicky replied.

"Convenient isn't it," Claire said and continued "My dad gets kidnapped but you're here alive, plus I didn't get any call on my comms."

"Claire!" Vicky said, trying to explain.

"No! You're supposed to be one of the top players. You should have been able to protect him. You're just a weapon, in a world of masterminds," Claire said. She stared down at Vicky, and continued "I am not giving that man any of Raina Corps technology. You better find a way to rescue my father. Because if you don't, I'll make sure your worst nightmares come alive. I was in your head, remember?"

Vicky watched as Claire walked away from her in anger. At this point Vicky was annoyed at Claire too. She clenched her fists, got on her bike, and rode off.

"Crystal!" Vicky said, opening a private channel with Mia.

"I'm here, as always," Mia replied.

"We need to talk," Vicky said.

"Meet me around the alley at the club. I knew you'd call. We do need to have a chat," Mia said.

"Why not meet up at the safe house?" Vicky asked.

"We should have a private conversation. We don't need prying eyes. Not even those of your new friends," Mia replied.

"Are you okay?" Vicky asked.

"Never better," Mia replied, and closed the channel.