CHAPTER 23 (Survival Of The Fittest)

As Gunner ran, he was greeted by moist, hot air, and his breathing continued to struggle. "The ceiling," he exhaled as he examined each of the walls where he had his entrance.

He was certain it was still there, and if it was, it would be able to escape. He was certain that it would be a difficult escape plan for them, but it was the only way out, so why hadn't that priest considered climbing the wall?

Gunner ran slow errands for him in order to conserve energy. He takes out his phone, taps the flashlight icon, and enters video recording mode. It was a shame he didn't even keep a record of everything he had gone through earlier.

He began recording and then noticed that his wrist was badly hurt. It was still bleeding, but not as much as before. He hadn't felt much until then, but he was certain that if he didn't get a bandage and something to eat, he'd faint, which meant he'd be weak.

Gunner was looking at the ceiling to find the entrance he had used when he abruptly came to a halt when a pang of pain began to run through his head. It was unbearable, not a normal headache, and his vision was becoming blurry. And an indescribable noise that hurts the ear suddenly enters Gunner, but only he can hear it.

Due to the noise in his head, Gunner covers his ears, causing him to kneel on the floor and his eyes to widen, but no scream escapes him. He had to remain silent and make no noise; in other words, he had to bear the pain alone. For the second time, he recognized the logo from what he had seen on television. It was making him weak, which could be a side effect.

"This is bad," he muttered under his breath, knowing he couldn't keep up any longer and would faint in a matter of seconds. He needed to find a safe place to hide and rest for a while.

He took a stance; despite the fact that it was difficult for him and that he was shaking. His legs are trembling, and his hands are icy. He should persist.

Gunner walked gently and at a leisurely speed. It wasn't as quick as it used to be, but it was better than nothing at all. He had just been going for a minute when he discovered at least five rooms, if his dizzy eyesight was correct. He chooses the final room to enter, but before he enters, he checks to make sure there is nothing inside. He took his light inside the room, which was similarly in a state of disarray.

He heard a shrinking noise and then decided to enter the room quickly. Maybe it was Ibiza who was still looking for him and he didn't have the energy to cope with him now. He can't even fight that kind of guy; all he can do is run, but Gunner knows that he can't simply keep running and running; he has to fight, but first he has to condition himself.

The room he entered had a bed and a television, just like the others. This room appears to be occupied by the people who are now a part of that sick experiment. He sat on the edge of the bed, resting his hand on the mattress. He was trembling uncontrollably, most likely as a result of his running. He was parched, but he had to put up with it all. He'll get what he needs soon, but for now, he needs to rest.

A tear escaped from the corner of his eye, which he simply let go of. Yes, he was exhausted and terrified. He had to admit to himself that he was afraid of what would come up next, and soon, of the next thing, he would come out of that room. What will he find when he goes back? He had no one but himself to rely on. He paused the video recording and saved it. Gunner checked his phone's signal bar, but there was still nothing. There was still no reception of the signal, and he had only eighty-three percent of his battery life left. He had to save his battery because he didn't know if the nun was an Ibiza spy.

When Gunner looked at the time, it was already quarter to eleven o'clock in the evening.

"What's the point of having a nun and a priest?" What exactly are they doing in here? " Gunner grumbled as he slumped his tired body into the hard metal bed. He doesn't mind if he hits hard.

"I don't care at all... for now," he says softly as he closes his eyes. His eyes are closing, and now that he is in a safe place, perhaps he can sleep soundly. The room stinks of alcohol and blood, but Gunner isn't sick from it, and perhaps he's grown particularly prone to it.

Even though his eyes were closed, his head was trying to give him a hallucinatory feeling, as if he was spinning and spinning. Gunner massages his temples, which helps to alleviate the pain and dizziness he is starting to experience.

"Lie down... sleep... please sleep," he murmured, and then he opened his eyes slowly and ended up finding himself in a library.

"Library? " Gunner murmured, his gaze darting around his surroundings. Gunner found himself sleeping at the library's corner table. He was all alone until he noticed someone looking at the bookshelves. Since his back was facing into him, he couldn't tell who it was. But just by looking at him, he could tell who he was. He had a strong suspicion it was his twin.

"You've woken up now, sleepy head."

"Slasher," he muttered, and immediately gets up from his seat and embraced his brother, making Slasher laugh a little.

"What's the matter with you, all of a sudden? Have you had a nightmare? " Slasher said as Gunner yanked away from Slasher's embrace. Gunner couldn't believe Slasher was standing right in front of him.

He looks real. Is he having a nightmare all along? But that even looks real. Gunner's forehead creased as he looked at his brother.

"Get up," Slasher said in a low tone of voice which made Gunner look at him questioningly.

"Get up," Slasher said again, and Gunner was taken aback by his brother's weird action.

Slasher puffed and took a deep breath. "Get up!" Slasher shouted and the veins in his neck were showing up. And his neck is going red and also his face.

Gunner took a step back away from his brother who was now like melting like a candle. "Get up, Gunner! Get up!" And with that Gunner instantly opened his eyes and gasped for breath like he had drowned in water.

Gunner sat slowly and held his chest. His breathing was toiled, and he was drenched in beads of sweat. He turned on his phone for a light and looked at the time, which said it was already at twelve midnight, implying he had slept for an hour. He looked at his wrist and it wasn't bleeding anymore, but it had dried blood all over his wrist.

And then after that he heard a noise of someone opening the door. It was kind of a ransack opening of the door. It was harsh and then it hit him. Gunner abruptly looks for a spot to hide. Gunner was sure that it was Ibiza who was outside.

"Come out you rat!" A loud voice shouted and there Gunner confirmed that it was indeed Ibiza. Gunner found a carpet and later found that the bed had this small sliding metal cabinet underneath. It was not spacious but he could fit himself there for a meantime of hiding. He took the carpet to cover himself there to look like trash.

He calmed himself and hid. He should not move a single bit because if he does he will be caught. He calmed himself and his breathing for him to be safe and Ibiza wouldn't suspect. He sniffs himself to smell his scent and, as the same, he reeks at used oil that he applied when hiding from the generator.

As soon as he properly placed himself there, he probably heard the next door beside where he was harshly opened. Gunner closes his eyes hoping that Ibiza won't see him.

A harsh push opening the door made a loud noise which nearly made the door break.

"Where are you," a cold, crisp voice snarled as Ibiza opened the door. His saliva was dripping onto the floor and his breathing was ragged like an animal.

Gunner heard Ibiza's footsteps walking and sniffing around the room. Gunner could not see what was going on outside because he was covered by a carpet but he could hear. Ibiza was almost near to where he was hiding. Gunner holds his breath and closes his eyes and does not move a single bit.

Ibiza halted from his position when he heard a noise coming outside. Ibiza abruptly sprinted out of the room and snarled.

Gunner rested there for a minute, making sure that everything there was clear before he went out from where he was hiding.

Gunner took a deep breath after a minute of staying in his hidden place. The post was clear and he decided that he was not safe there already. He had to keep moving.

He was already near the door when his phone rang a notification of his memo notes plan. A ring that echoes the whole room. Gunner swallowed a thick lump in his throat and instantly turned off his phone due to nervousness. And without a hesitation he sprinted out of the room and ran as fast as he could. He looked back and there was nothing that was chasing him. But he shouldn't be complacent because Ibiza might pop out later at any second.

"There should be a left route here. I am sure of it," Gunner muttered, and there he was right, there was a left route and he took a run for it.

He should be there for any minute into Dr. Vega's office. Gunner's eyes were fixed on the hallway until he saw the room.

Gunner slowed his running and looked at the door. He hoped that there was no one there. But how could he make sure?

He saw an edge on which he could hide himself. Gunner was also thankful that he could easily find a spot to hide despite the fact that he was still struggling. What he needs to do right now is to find a way to get his brother. How will he shut off that machine? If he just clicked or anything in there, maybe he was sure that it would cause an alarm and he would be caught, so it was not a good idea for him to go.

But maybe he can see some things inside of Dr. Vega's office. But it would be dangerous for him. Gunner had no choice if he wanted to progress. He just got to make sure that everything was fine and safe.

Gunner was about to go out from where he was hiding when Dr. Vega's door opened.

It was Dr. Vega who seemed to be in a bad temper. Dr. Vega shut the door harshly and sprinted for a walk. Gunner stayed a little while at where he was hiding until he could make sure that Dr. Vega was nowhere in sight anymore.

Gunner grips the door knob hoping that it wasn't locked and to his luck it was not. The door made not too much noise and he immediately shut off the door. It was all clear and he immediately first searched for food. He was hungry and he was sure that there was some food there hidden because he had seen it in the first place.

Gunner looked at every cabinet, searching for food and water. Luckily, he found some bread. There was a sum of them and he took at least five big buns. He tucked his shirt into his pants and put the buns inside and placed them on his stomach. Then he drank water from the faucet. He needed a water for himself so he search again for a plastic bottle or anything that he could use to take some water with him. He was feeling lucky because he found at least one liter of plastic bottle, which he immediately took and filled with water inside of it.

After that, he saw a string and thought of a way to tie the water bottle and make it a sling bag like he had learned from camping or scouting. So, if he had an abrupt run, he would not have difficulty doing it.

From there he checked his mission of what to do.

"Food and drink check," he said as he checked up on himself.

He took a deep breath and blinked his eyes. He looked at his wrist and there he remembered that he should take a bandage. "Right, bandage," he muttered get searching for one. He made sure the things inside were still in order and he didn't scatter even if he was looking for something so that no one would suspect him that he was there.

And then it hit him because maybe there was CCTV inside the room. That is why Gunner roamed his eyes around to search for CCTV but there was none.

"Nothing," he breathed, and started searching again.

He saw a roll of gauze bandage and immediately took it. He wrapped his wrist with it, not bothering to put on alcohol or betadine to prevent infections. Gunner was thinking that he must move fast. After he had gotten his wound into a bandage, he saw the vials which he believed were the thing that were injected into Ibiza.

He looked at it and wanted to get one, but it may seem that it was already counted, since it was perfectly organized in a line. He must think of a way.

And then he remembered the empty vial bottle that had been injected into Ibiza. If he was right, it was still in the bin. Gunner searched for the bin and he found it in no time. He immediately took a look at it and there he was right.

"It is still here," he muttered and smiled in hope. He was sure lucky at that time. He can feel the buns in his stomach as he walks. He can't wait until he gets back to his brother's room. He was starving to death and he was shaking.

He took the empty vial out of the bin and walked to where the faucet was and also took an injection to use to fill a water inside of the bottle.

As soon as he finished it he pampered it with his shirt to take away the droplets and took a real vial and put the fake one into the line and he was good to go. He had a scanner on his phone to tell what the vial was. A scanner that he and his twin brother purchased off of the black market. It is the only way that they can have one because of their profession. It was risky and it was also expensive as hell, but they still got it. The application was accurate and real because it was made by Dr. Barbosa and the formula were stolen by a hacker and sold it on the black market for a large sum of money and some went into bidding.

Gunner secured the vial inside the pocket of his jeans and decided to leave right away before someone would catch him. But before he could head out of the door, he saw the cabinet that he used to hide. The cabinet got a secret passage towards to that station area. But as to what he remembers, there was a two-way tunnel, but what tunnel could that be? Where does it go?

Gunner wanted to go inside and headed to that station, but now is not the time and maybe next time. He had to eat and make himself strong first before he got into the battle. With that kind of condition as he is now, he can't fight, meaning he can't win.

Being inside of the WIC Company seems like draining all of your energy. The building was full of negative vibes. It was full of horror and devils.

Gunner decided to walk out of the room before it was too late. He took a peak if everything was clear before he went out.

"Okay clear," he said as he checked that no one was there.

He slowly walked out and sprinted a run to his brother's room.

Gunner was familiar with the routes now, so it was easy for him to run. He just wished that the nun had not been there guarding him off.

He took his phone out and turned it on. He was sure that he had it silent, but why did it ring a notification of his notes?

"That was weird," he uttered under his breath as he kept on running.

Gunner took the left route and was near his twin brother's room now. He could almost see it and the buns that were inside of his shirt also kept on bouncing and the water that he had sliding it on his shoulder was swinging. He had the fit of being a survival mode.

At every step that he took he saw every room was open and he opened it was all because of Ibiza. He was the one who wrecked some of those old doors to search for him.

Gunner looked at his back to make sure that no one was following him because, even though he was used to running, he was still scared of someone chasing him, especially the face of the nun.

He saw the room and quickly got in. After he had shut it, he tapped the flashlight icon of his phone and lighted up the room.