Chapter 25

It had been three hours since Gabriel had been lying in wait near the spot where Naomi had said would be the entrance to the Doctor's hideout. When he first heard the name, he thought it was some kind of joke from his companion. After all, it seemed like he had no luck in encountering ordinary criminals lately, but the seriousness in her voice made him realize it was real.

He was lying next to a trash bin, pretending to be a beggar. He grabbed an empty bottle and filled it with water, simulating being drunk as he asked passersby for some coins, which turned out to be quite profitable for him, receiving two coins. He was supposed to meet the others an hour after sunset. Naomi was bringing his equipment. He had been sent alone so the others could help Gygy and Cecília with their injuries. The Corva brute's fingers were in a worrying state.

Gabriel, along with Mateus, had been waiting for the trio who entered the sewers, sitting on the beach. In less than two hours, they returned with broken bones, torn clothes, and cracked ribs. They didn't say what had happened inside, only the information they had gathered. The young man hadn't pressed them at the time, but now he regretted that choice, and curiosity was growing inside him.

The night passed with no new developments concerning the door the Raven was watching. The most interesting moment was when two men, walking with their girlfriends, accidentally bumped shoulders, and to avoid looking weak in front of their girlfriends, they nearly got into a fight.

Placing the empty bottle against the wall, Gabriel stood up, stretching his body which had been tense from sitting for so long. The streetlights were already illuminating the area, accompanied by the sounds of a big city. He headed toward the meeting place, walking a block and stopping just beneath where they had agreed. An old-fashioned traffic light was flashing its lights frantically and disorganized. As he approached, he realized he was the last one to arrive.

Cecília was inspecting the tips of her fingers. She had wrapped gauze around her broken nails to protect the sensitive skin beneath. When Gygy saw him, she brought a new painkiller to her mouth. The woman refused to stay behind, even with her fingers bandaged and feverish; the Corva was determined to go.

The five of them sat on a bench near the traffic light. When Naomi saw him, she got up, carrying a long bundle on her back where she hid her katana. In her arms, she carried a bundle of clothes, which she passed to Gabriel.

"So?" Naomi asked.

"Nothing happened," the young man revealed, feeling his Magnum and short sword inside the bundle. "It looks like just a door to some abandoned basement."

"Did you notice any guards?" Martha, who looked extremely pale, asked.

"Nothing unusual," the young man replied. "I walked the entire street and passed close to the entrance using nearby alleys. There was no one watching."

"Strange," commented Cecília, still focused on her work with the gauze.

"Well, if we think about it," Gygy said, swallowing another white pill to ease the pain, "they don't need a guard. If that creature is at the location, she's more than enough security."

Gabriel found himself forced to agree. The memory of Nahara, completely transformed, wouldn't leave his mind easily. He could see from Martha's face that she felt the same way.

"This is too easy," pointed out Mateus, who had once again pulled his hood over his face.

"Yes," Cecília agreed. "But we don't have any other leads to follow, so it's better if this leads to something, or things will get even worse."

Gabriel found himself agreeing once more. Since the incident on the beach, the Ravine was on the verge of erupting into anarchy and despair. The citizens were clinging to the Ravens as their last breath of hope.

Naomi shifted, making everyone's attention focus on her. She loosened the bundle on her back a little, in case she needed to draw her weapon. She noticed that Gabriel had already strapped his hidden weapon under his shirt and kept one hand inside the bundle, holding the hilt of the short sword.

"It's time to end this," she murmured, looking seriously at the others.

No comments were made, and everyone simply gathered and headed toward the location. The tension within the group was evident in the details. Gabriel chewed a leaf he had found on the ground, Cecília stroked her short, still-dyed hair, Martha's expression was completely closed off as she walked behind, Mateus was muttering to himself again, and Gygy took another painkiller.

People moved aside for the group, who walked close to the walls of patched-up buildings. Gabriel walked ahead, caressing the hilt of his sword. His hands were sweating, but at the same time, a sense of excitement stirred his stomach. Discovering who was responsible for the acts of brutality and understanding why Nahara was in such a state motivated him.

They arrived at the side of the trash bin where Gabriel had been sitting earlier. The bottle was still leaning against the wall. Few people passed by on the street, and above the door, a yellow streetlight swayed in the sea breeze.

"Macabre," murmured Mateus to himself.

They passed through the street, entering the parking lot behind the Figo Hotel. The place exuded a heavy energy, Naomi thought, as she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Without needing to exchange information, the Ravens quickly formed their invasion formation.

Naomi and Gygy positioned themselves on either side of the door, Gabriel and Cecília stood facing the door in case anything or anyone emerged, while Mateus and Martha covered the left and right sides. This formation was based on the Circles of the Ravens. Naomi and Gygy were from the Point of the Spear circle, specialists in close combat, so they would be able to contain any enemy as the closest members.

On the other hand, Gabriel and Cecília were Infiltrators, specialists in ranged combat, capable of immediately targeting someone if necessary. Finally, Martha and Mateus, part of the Circle of Shadows, were silent assassins responsible for the flanks as the last line of defense.

Drawing her weapon, Naomi extended her free hand toward the doorknob, which turned without issue, hoping it was locked. Slowly, she pushed the wooden door open, the entrance revealing more pale light as it creaked wider. She looked to Gabriel and Cecília, but both stood motionless, their expressions calm, with no one waiting for them.

Gygy raised both arms, placing the gauntlets in front of her face, and suddenly turned toward the entrance. Long seconds passed without anything happening.

"This place," said Gygy, slowly lowering her fists as she looked at the descending staircase. "Smells like formaldehyde."

Naomi positioned herself next to her partner, immediately hit by the strong chemical odor. Shoulder to shoulder, the two began descending the stairs, illuminated by white lights along the sides.

"Shit," muttered Cecília as she stepped on the stairs, grimacing.

The last step ended in front of a thick plastic door, the material black and appearing durable. An iron ring was in place of a doorknob. Naomi grabbed the cold iron, pulling, but the door didn't budge—it seemed stuck, pressed firmly against the wall. Gritting her teeth, Naomi pulled again, and with a sound resembling a sink unclogging, the path opened.

Naomi felt her stomach turn as the smell of formaldehyde intensified a dozen times, mingling with the odor of iron. She knew that smell all too well—the place reeked of blood.

"They used this door," Gygy said, tapping the plastic with her gauntlet. "To seal in the smell."

"With a carcass like that," Cecília grimaced again. "This place would have been discovered quickly."

Behind the door, a plastic curtain hung just above the entrance. Stepping through it, Naomi entered, immediately struck by how white everything was. The floor, walls, and ceiling were all painted white, and the lights only made the environment appear even cleaner with their pale glow. The Ravens seemed out of place, dirty compared to everything else.

Gabriel heard the sound of his own footsteps echoing on the floor. They walked for about five meters, turning right. On the wall immediately after the corner, pipes ran along each side, extending to the end of the hallway. Hung on spikes were human organs and limbs.

The pain in Gygy's broken fingers faded as she saw the scene. It wasn't just human pieces—they were all modified with pipes, metal plates, and tubes. The flesh merged with steel in a raw, crude way, resembling the patches used on the city's buildings. Tendons soldered to iron rods, veins sewn into pipes, they were everywhere.

One part of the macabre display was filled with hearts, where yellow plastic tubes replaced the arteries. In other pieces of metal, they were placed to try to protect the organs. Some of the hearts were very small, likely from children.

"23," murmured Mateus.

"What?" asked Cecília, who was observing a lung with tubes protruding from several parts.

"23 human hearts," Mateus repeated. "At least that many people died in this hallway."

The organs were all very clean and preserved, making the scene slightly less macabre. After all, if they were covered in blood, it would have been impossible to endure staying in the environment, but this was strange, the Ravens thought, especially since the place reeked of blood. A depression in the wall caught their attention halfway down the corridor, impossible to see because of the corridor's blinding whiteness. A cabinet with five shelves was hidden in this part, and on each shelf, glass jars were lined up, with the heads of men, women, and children floating inside them in a yellowish liquid.

"There are more than 23," said Gabriel, seeing the heads.

Various heads had the tops of their skulls removed, and long needles were driven directly into their brains. Naomi realized with disgust that the so-called Doctor was conducting experiments on his victims.

Martha walked straight along the shelf to the end of the corridor, which connected to a new one that descended. But the Corva stopped as soon as she saw it, becoming even paler. The others, noticing their companion's reaction, joined her and shared the same shock.

Hanging from the ceiling as if in a butcher's warehouse, were several human torsos, all opened without any organs inside, and with their heads removed. The smell of blood began to intensify in the corridor, which led to a new plastic curtain.

Mateus made an effort to look away from a torso whose ribs had been replaced by iron bars, and its spine swapped for an iron structure with several hinges.

"This son of a bitch is sick," Cecília said, disgusted.

They moved past the modified bodies, forced to crouch to get through small torsos of children whose skin had been removed and replaced with plastic, presumably to create some sort of thermal insulation.

The floor behind the curtain no longer had the white color of the previous area. They entered a large space with several side exits. Cages were piled along the side walls, and the floor was covered with various patches of both fresh and dried blood, along with pieces of meat beginning to rot. A metal table stood at the center of the room, with shackles for binding arms and legs hanging beside it.

A counter with medical instruments was positioned next to the bed, and a few meters further along, a table with numerous papers and a blackboard. Gabriel drew his Magnum while walking, keeping an eye on each location, awaiting the Doctor. He noticed that the cages contained human waste and hair. People were kept trapped inside them.

"Did you notice?" Gygy broke the silence.

"I noticed a lot of things," Gabriel commented morbidly.

"This place…" the woman continued, ignoring Gabriel's remark. "It's extremely well-equipped. One person alone could never keep things this organized."

"What are you insinuating?" Naomi asked, fearing the answer.

"Someone with financial power is investing in this," the Corva replied.

"Like all the evils of humanity," Cecília said wearily. "Someone with power fucking up other people's lives for selfish reasons. It was like this in the time of the Ancients, and it's like this now."

Gabriel continued exploring the place while the others conversed. He passed by the table, noticing that the places where the hands were bound had scratches from people who had been agonizing on the bloodied counter. He continued until he reached the desk and began analyzing the papers. A cold shiver ran up his neck as he spoke.

"I believe Gygy is right about someone investing in this," he said, noticing that everyone was now looking at him. The young man picked up an open book from the table. "This is an Ancient medical book. Everything on this table is from the Ancients. Ancient knowledge!"

"This is insane," Naomi said, walking over to him. "Ancient knowledge is extremely rare and expensive, especially when it comes to medicine," but she stopped when she saw it with her own eyes. "These things should be in the Bunker."

"What's going on?" Gygy asked as she leaned against one of the iron bars of the cage next to her.

"Crows are so exhausting," said a voice echoing through the corridors.

Everyone immediately became alert, preparing their weapons as the sound of footsteps echoed through the halls. The Doctor was there.

"Doctor?" Naomi asked.

"Some call me that," the voice replied, not revealing where it was coming from. "But I see myself more as an explorer of possibilities."

"Kidnapping and dismembering people?" Gygy roared, her voice choked with hatred.

"Small sacrifices, so that our fragile species may have a future," the footsteps seemed to grow distant. "After the Ancients stagnated the evolution of our species with their medicine, I just want to see the possibilities the human body can achieve."

"Swapping bones for iron pipes?" Cecília said, looking in all directions. "You're just another sick son of a bitch."

"That's why Crows are exhausting," the man retorted, his voice tired. "Always so primitive, and afraid to evolve. Tell me something, why do you use so many drugs?" He didn't wait for an answer. "So that your imperfect bodies can do things they otherwise cannot."

"Where are you?" Mateus asked. "Why don't you show yourself and give us a lecture on your precious evolution?"

"And take a bullet to the face right away?" the Doctor laughed. "Things were going at a good pace, but because of your interference, I'll have to speed up the process. Crows are really exhausting." Another pause. "Kill them all."

The sound of footsteps echoed from all directions, along with the noise of metal and sharp screams. Gabriel looked from side to side, searching for the source of the noise, his hand trembling as he kept his weapon raised. From one of the hallways, a man with a modified body jumped, using legs made of metal and springs, charging toward the Ravens.

Gabriel turned in time, firing twice, blasting the man's chest and head. The man was thrown back like a ragdoll. Gabriel felt a tug on his shirt collar, throwing him to the ground as something passed where he had just been. He realized Gygy had saved his life from another of the flesh-and-metal abominations when he felt a sharp pain in his arm that was holding the Magnum. He looked down to see the limb drenched in blood, with ten deep cuts. His weapon had been thrown far away. Still confused, he paid attention to the attacker, seeing that multiple razors were welded to the man's hand. If it hadn't been for Gygy pulling him away, Gabriel would have been bleeding out.

Gygy positioned herself in front of the injured partner, raising both hands in a fighting stance. When the opponent charged, swinging one of his razor-filled hands toward her face, Gygy dodged by stepping sideways, then twisted her body toward the outstretched arm, landing a punch that shattered the man's bone with a loud crack. The man only saw his arm bend into an impossible position before another blow struck his ribs.

When the gauntlet hit his ribs, Gygy felt the arm vibrate. She managed to spot iron plates sewn all over the man's torso in time. She raised her arms, preparing for a slicing attack from the other side, when the man faltered.

A throwing knife buried itself deep into his knee. Gygy glanced back to see Cecília had thrown it, and Mateus stepped forward, driving his own knife into the man's back. The man emitted an unintelligible sound of pain. Gygy seized the opportunity, clenched both fists, and struck each side of the man's head as if trying to kill an insect.

The man's skull cracked, and his body convulsed several times before falling lifeless. Gygy had unconsciously copied the blow Naomi had used earlier to stop Rafael's shield. Remembering her teammate, the woman looked around, spotting Naomi facing the same abomination that had attacked her before.

Naomi gripped the hilt of her katava with both hands, holding it firmly enough to turn her fingers white. The person before her was indeed Nahara, and the hatred Naomi felt for the Doctor filled her chest. Releasing one hand from the weapon, she pulled the iron hood over her head, securing the velcro.

She wasn't going to let her teammate suffer any further, so she advanced. Nahara slashed the air with the blades on her arm, forcing Naomi to strike upwards in a semicircular motion with her katana. The blades collided, and Nahara's arm was forced upward by the strength of Naomi's block.

Naomi slid her feet, getting closer to her opponent, and with only one hand on the weapon, she thrust the blade beneath Nahara's raised arm. The katana pierced effortlessly, destroying the woman's heart and killing her instantly.

Nahara's body went limp, collapsing in place, and Naomi effortlessly released her katana. Shaking the blood off the blade, she turned to Gabriel, who was being attacked by the others.

"That must hurt like hell," Cecília commented.

"You think?" Gabriel replied, starting to look pale.

"Pass this," Mateus said, handing Gabriel a small jar filled with white cream.

Without wasting any time, Gabriel poured the entire contents of the jar onto his arm, rubbing it into the cuts that burned. The result was impressive. The strange ointment immediately stopped the bleeding, turning a red shade that covered the cuts, resembling strawberry jelly, but the pain remained.

"What is this stuff made of?" Gabriel asked, pointing to the jar with his chin.

"They use venom from giant spiders," Mateus replied. "The toxin is extremely deadly, but it's possible to remove the anticoagulant from it."

Gabriel shuddered unpleasantly; he knew those spiders all too well, but he wouldn't complain. Razor cuts always bled too much. He searched for his weapon, finding it a few meters away from where he lay.

"Shall we go after him?" the young man asked as he stood to retrieve his weapon.

"It's pointless," Naomi answered, examining her partner's wound. "The Doctor must have fled."

"Quick rat," complained Cecília, who was looking at the man with his skull crushed by Gygy's blow. "He seemed to be in charge of these things."

"Probably some drug," Naomi said. "In the S.L incident, there was a person using drugs to control others."

Gabriel remembered the last words of Big Brother: "They were about to step into a bucket of shit." He tried to shake the thought out of his head, but everything felt too strange to be a coincidence.

"We've taken out the experiment point," said Martha, who had disappeared during the attack. "This should calm things down for a while. We can catch him now."

"I don't know," replied Mateus. "He said he would need to accelerate his plans. That didn't sound good."

"Let's just get out of here," Martha spoke again, nervously. "We'll call the other Ravens to help now."

Naomi agreed with the thought. There was no reason to keep hiding now that they knew about the Doctor. The group retraced their steps, passing by the bodies scattered throughout the place, heading toward the door. Everyone wanted to get out of the place.

Gabriel looked at his arm, which was covered in long cuts. More scars, he thought, feeling disheartened.

"What's that face?" Gygy commented from behind him, as Gabriel led the group.

"It'll leave a scar," he replied, showing his arm to his teammate.

"But that's good!" Gygy said, smiling brightly, walking ahead of him just before the corner that led to the street. She continued talking as she walked backward. "Scars make us look more threatening, and you seriously need to look threatening with that baby face of yours!"

Gabriel looked at the woman, who was smiling excitedly. They had finally made progress in the investigation, and things were about to get better once more Ravens got involved. Gygy was walking backward as they entered the street, and Gabriel noticed she looked satisfied when hot droplets splashed onto his face. His eyes widened.

Gygy's jaw had vanished, leaving only the top of her mouth, and the remnants of her destroyed tongue swayed weakly. She was still smiling, unaware that she had just been killed, and then came the sound of the gunshot.

"No!!" Martha screamed desperately.

Gabriel collapsed onto the ground, shocked, watching his teammate's lifeless body. Hands grabbed him by the chest and pulled him to the shelter of the parking lot. He understood Mateus shouting.

"Sniper!!"

"How?" replied Cecília, crouching down. "There's only one of those in the city!"

"From the Nest by the entrance," Mateus replied, looking toward Gygy's dead body, with Martha sobbing violently while holding her friend's body close.

The young man managed to think clearly again after the shock. He needed to get Martha off the street; she would be an easy target when he heard her shout.

"It wasn't supposed to be her!" the woman screamed toward some point on the street. "You should have killed the others!!"

Naomi started pulling Gabriel, who had frozen at the scene. Jonas had warned them about the Ravens being involved, and now it had proven true. They began running with the others, looking back and seeing many Ravens joining Martha.

"She shouldn't have gone out before them!" shouted a man holding a precision rifle.

"You killed the wrong person!" Martha yelled, pointing at the others who were running. "It was supposed to be one of them!!"

They ran until they were exhausted, not paying attention to where they were going, just needing to get as far away as possible. Cecília leaned against a wall, breathing heavily, extremely pale, speaking.

"Mateus, those weren't just Ravens from the Nest by the entrance."

"I noticed," replied the young man, lowering his hood to show his sweaty face.

"What do you mean?" Gabriel asked, already anticipating the answer.

"There were Ravens from the Factory Nest."

"Two Nests have joined," Naomi commented, her head lowered. "Two Nests are behind everything."