The Ambush!

Walking calmly behind the stranger in front of him, Kai took a moment to gather his thoughts.

The dimly lit corridor was filled with soldiers all wearing gas masks, making it challenging to distinguish one from another. However, upon closer inspection, Kai noticed that each of them had a nametag pinned to their left chest.

Kai himself was wearing a gas mask, which likely led the man in front of him, John or whatever his name was, to mistake him for someone else, possibly due to the nametag he bore.

"I mean, where did you disappear to? The captain is in full-on killing mode. You'd better have a good excuse to calm her down."

"Is it that serious?" Kai asked, his fear evident. He couldn't shake the thought of being shot down due to a mistaken identity. "She won't kill me, will she?"

'Well, it was partially my fault that Matthew couldn't make it. But I didn't kill him; I just knocked him out in the toilet,' Kai thought. 'They still haven't found him?'

John glanced back and scoffed before continuing, "Well, you know, the usual. She might have a short fuse, but she's not someone who wouldn't listen to reason." interrupting Kai's thoughts.

Kai was about to breathe a sigh of relief, but he stopped himself when he noticed something unusual. The corridor had become eerily empty, with only the two of them walking. Just moments ago, soldiers had been running around in panic, trying to contact their superiors for further orders.

The chaos Kai had caused in the control room was now nowhere to be seen. It was as if a magical transformation had taken place, restoring order throughout the base.

As they continued walking, Kai couldn't help but notice the earpiece John had on him. It raised questions in Kai's mind. Was someone relaying orders to everyone?

As he pondered this, a crackling sound emitted from his pocket.

Crackle. Crackle.

It was Matthew's communicator.

The crackling sounds drowned out the sounds of their heartbeats.

Kai abruptly stopped, and John rushed forward in a hurry.

"John!" Kai called out loudly.

John flinched, frozen as if time had stopped, holding him in place like a statue.

"What happened? The captain is waiting for you! Come on, we need to hurry!" John said, urging Kai to follow him.

Badump!

'... It happened again,' Kai thought.

John's heartbeats were loud and clear, spiking every time Kai tried to talk to him. He walked hurriedly while other soldiers remained calm, heading to their respective stations. Oddly, John maintained a two-meter distance, as if he were afraid of Kai's presence.

No matter what John's relationship was with Matthew, it didn't make sense that he was so apprehensive about Kai.

They soon arrived at a closed door. John's hand trembled before opening it.

The room had no windows, just a single entrance exit, a barren metal corner dimly lit, making it hard to discern its size.

In the center stood a woman in military uniform. Angelina, of average height with a lean and athletic build, locked her intense green eyes onto Kai. Her gaze was unsettling, hinting at a smoldering anger beneath the surface. Her dark, unruly hair matched her spirited personality.

Kai couldn't help but notice the tailored military uniform she wore, crisp and no-nonsense in design, much like her practical demeanor. It was as if she embodied an unyielding resolve that mirrored her attire.

"So it's you," she said, taking out her leather gloves. "I pegged you for a smarter type, actually; and clearly, I overestimated you."

After her unexpected remark, John abandoned the façade he had maintained until now and ran backward, slamming the door behind him, and closing off all exits.

"Okay, so it's a trap," said Kai, taking a step backward.

[Yeah, no shit, Sherlock. Ready to switch yet? I can still get us out.]

Kai didn't know what to say to that.

["She wasn't kidding when she said she overestimated you."]

***

Ten minutes earlier, in Squad 5 Barracks, Sunny urgently reported through his earpiece about what he had found in the bathroom.

"So, in short, we have a rogue soldier with a free pass to Area 4."

And that's not good, as long as he has that name tag [Sq 5. Div 13. Matthew Slup.], he has all the access he needs to roam around Area 4. Most of the civilians were in Area 4, making it a perilous situation.

If he gets inside, who knows what he'll do? He might even take people hostage to achieve his unknown goals.

Angelina tapped her communicator, recalling her plan after Matthew's discovery and her conversation with her brother.

"I have a plan to trap the target, sir. How do you expect us to proceed?"

Bucky's voice came through, "What do you think, Ann? It's Code Zero! Deal with him accordingly, sis. And remember to always prioritize your safety above all else. He's dangerous."

Angelina wanted to argue with her brother about using 'Ann' or 'sis' at work, but she held her tongue. Bucky continued, obviously concerned for her safety.

"I've been looking at some files, based on the descriptions given to me by the doctor about him. Bam! He's not an ordinary guy. Prison records at ADX say his identity is Zephyr, Class 5 Criminal. And his motives are unknown. Whatever your plans are, make sure to keep him in his place, dead or alive. He's dangerous just the way he is."

The revelation about the infiltrator, or Zephyr, surprised Angelina. She had been prepared for a challenging situation, but a Class 5 Criminal was a whole different level of threat.

"Yes, sir," was all she managed to say.

As she entered the room, her mind cleared, and she knew what she had to do. Everything was in place, and she was prepared for an ambush.

When John and another soldier entered the room, she breathed a sigh of relief. So far, her plan was working.

Thankfully, Zeff hadn't realized yet, but that didn't mean she could delay. She had to act, now.

***

Zeff knew it was an ambush just before they entered the room. He could've stopped him, but he didn't warn Kai. He had his reasons.

Firstly, he wanted to provoke Kai to the point where he would take control of the body. Zeff knew Kai wouldn't willingly hand over control, so he needed to push him over the edge.

Secondly, Zeff was confident in his ability to navigate any situation. He had plans to escape, and he believed he could find answers no matter how dire the circumstances.

There was also a third reason. Zeff just enjoyed seeing Kai troubled by his presence. He wanted payback for how Kai had treated him like he does with pests in his house.

["Ready to switch yet?"] Zeff asked in Kai's mind again.

***

"Rraaak!" roared the giant werewolf atop the destroyed statue as he made a leap and an enormous leap toward the humans he sensed.

The ground trembled as the tremors traveled throughout the land when Shrektha landed with his titanic weight.

"A-aaah!" Gyrs was enraged at the sudden turn of events.

His anger was directed towards the wolf-like humanoid figure who had just arrived.

And he wasn't alone. The soldiers took their positions and opened fire.

Sands wasn't giving them orders, but he wasn't stopping them either. The enemy they were facing was unlike anything they had encountered before.

When Shrektha stood up after his crash landing, he noticed the humans were shooting mana-imbued metallic projectiles hurling at him.

He sneered, "... Do they think these puny things could hurt me? The humans have grown quite arrogant with their toys, I see."

To him, those lightning-fast bullets appeared in slow motion. He could've easily dodged them, avoiding them grazing him at the last second.

But he didn't go with the easy approach. He wanted the humans to feel fear. He wanted them to know their place, the difference in power, and how great he was.

His arrogance inflated as Shrektha thought about how he was going to play with some human meat. If they died, it was their fault for being weak; that was his motto.

"I was dying of boredom since I've run out of playthings for a while. Now then, let's see how long you lot will last," he said, smiling.

And when the bullets almost reached him, it stopped from moving any further. Like the time was stopped, the bullet was hanging in space.

"Keke," the monster started laughing, as Gyrs face grew pale with each passing moment.

===