Beneath the Rubble #19

The scene before Nathan jolted him back to reality, shattering the numb cocoon he had wrapped himself in through years of relentless violence and conflict.

The weight of his deeds pressed down on him with the force of a mountain, each memory surfacing with brutal clarity—the missions executed flawlessly, the orders followed without question, the lives taken in the name of duty.

The cold detachment that had once been his armor now felt like a suffocating shroud, and the enormity of what he had become threatened to break him.

Nathan knelt amidst the rubble, his gaze fixed on the lifeless forms of the children he had unwittingly condemned. His mind churned with a torrent of guilt and self-recrimination, the veneer of justification crumbling under the stark reality of their innocence.

Each face was a mirror reflecting his own failures, each life a testament to his moral decay.

He would have remained in that desolate state, lost in the abyss of his own making, if not for a faint, ragged sound that pulled him from the brink. His head snapped toward the source, his breath hitching as he realized one of the children was still alive.

The boy, barely clinging to consciousness, lay amidst the debris, his small frame battered but not yet broken. Nathan scrambled to his side, cradling the child with trembling hands.

"Hold on," Nathan murmured, his voice thick with a desperation he hadn't felt in years. "I'm here. You're going to be okay."

The boy's eyes fluttered open, glazed with pain but resolute. His breath came in shallow gasps, each word a struggle. "Please... save her... my friend... Lily..." His voice was barely a whisper, but the plea struck Nathan with the force of a hammer. "They... they took us from the streets... made us... like this. She was always there... she's special. They need her... to make more."

Nathan's heart twisted as the boy's words painted a grim picture. These children hadn't been born mutants—they were street orphans, plucked from the shadows of society, kidnapped, and subjected to horrific experiments. The girl the boy spoke of, his friend, was the key—a conduit through which their latent mutations had been awakened. And now, she was in the hands of those who sought to exploit her.

As the boy's final breath rattled from his lungs, Nathan closed the child's eyes with a trembling hand, a silent vow forming in his heart. This wasn't a tragic mistake or a failure of intelligence. This was a calculated atrocity, a cover-up orchestrated to erase evidence of crimes far darker than he had ever imagined.

Fueled by his guilt and a renewed sense of purpose, Nathan returned home, pretending nothing had happened. Yet, he dug desperately, sifting through the wreckage of official reports, following a trail of half-buried secrets and obfuscated truths.

What he uncovered sent a chill down his spine.

The children had been taken to a clandestine military base in America, a facility that had been conducting illegal experiments to create mutants from ordinary humans.

The girl, the one the boy had begged him to save, was the centerpiece of their research—the source of the genetic trigger that transformed the others.

And the mission that had led him here, the airstrike that had leveled the factory and silenced the children, wasn't about neutralizing a rogue mutant threat.

It was about cleaning up a mess. The children had been stolen by a criminal organization, one eager to profit from the dark fruits of these experiments. Nathan had been sent to ensure no one ever knew what had transpired, to erase the evidence and leave no survivors.

The realization left him reeling. He had been a pawn in a game far more sinister than he had ever imagined, a tool used to bury the truth under a mountain of lies and rubble. The anger that simmered within him now roared to life, a fire that burned away the last vestiges of his detachment.

Desperate to atone for the horror he had unwittingly unleashed, Nathan devised a plan to infiltrate the heavily fortified military base where the girl, Lily, was being held. The facility was a fortress, teeming with highly trained soldiers and advanced security systems. Yet, Nathan's resolve was unwavering. Years of military service had honed his skills to a razor's edge, and he intended to use every ounce of that expertise to bring her out.

Under the cover of night, Nathan orchestrated a chaotic diversion. He planted explosives at key locations, triggering a series of controlled detonations that sent the base into a frenzy. False reports flooded their communication channels, adding layers of confusion as soldiers scrambled to address the apparent attack.

Amidst the bedlam, Nathan slipped through the shadows, evading patrols and slipping past checkpoints with the precision of a seasoned operative.

Despite his meticulous planning, the operation didn't go off without a hitch. Alarms blared as the defenders regrouped, and in the ensuing firefight, Nathan took several bullets. Pain seared through him, but he pressed on, his determination outweighing the agony.

Blood dripped from his wounds, leaving a crimson trail as he finally reached the laboratory where Lily was confined.

She was a slight figure amidst a sea of sterile equipment, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and curiosity as Nathan staggered into the room. His vision blurred, and he collapsed to his knees before her, the strength ebbing from his body. It felt like the end, but then Lily stepped forward, placing a delicate hand on his head.

A warmth spread through Nathan, a sensation unlike anything he had ever felt. The searing pain in his body ebbed away, the bleeding ceased, and as he looked down, he saw that his wounds had vanished, as though they had never been there. His breath caught in his throat, marveling at the sheer power this young girl wielded.

"Thank you," he breathed, awe flickering in his eyes, but he didn't linger on the miracle. Time was short. "I'm here to get you out of here. We have to leave now."

Lily's expression softened with recognition, but she shook her head, her gaze resolute. "I can't leave," she said softly, her voice steady despite the circumstances. "Not without the others."

Nathan frowned, desperation coloring his tone. "Kid, if we get you out, they won't have any reason to keep the others. They'll be safe once you're gone."

The girl's eyes narrowed, her youthful face hardened by experiences no child should endure. "That's not true, and you know it," she replied, her voice unwavering. "They won't let them go. They'll either kill them or just keep them in prison in case they can get me back."

Her words struck Nathan like a blow, the weight of her insight far beyond her years. He opened his mouth to argue but found he couldn't. She was right. The people who had orchestrated these experiments wouldn't hesitate to eliminate any loose ends.

Lily stepped closer, her small hand reaching for his. "I won't leave without them," she stated firmly, her gaze locking onto his. "We have to help them too."

The purity in Lily's eyes, the unwavering hope and innocence, cut through Nathan like a blade, sharp and unforgiving. For a moment, he hesitated, feeling the full weight of her gaze as if she could see right through to the fractured pieces of his soul. "Alright," he said, but despite his words, he couldn't afford to falter. His decision, as agonizing as it was, had already been made.

With a swift, practiced motion, he delivered a precise strike to Lily's neck, catching her as she collapsed into unconsciousness. Her small body felt lighter than it should have, burdened by a life of suffering. Nathan's jaw tightened, his mind racing through the grim reality of their situation. Even escaping with just her would be a monumental challenge.

To attempt rescuing more would mean certain death for all of them. He hated himself for the choice, but pragmatism overrode his heartache.

As he cradled Lily and maneuvered through the chaos he had unleashed, every step felt heavier. The explosions and alarms echoed behind him, masking his retreat into the night. His training took over, each movement precise and calculated. He navigated the labyrinthine facility with an efficiency born from years of experience, slipping past patrols and circumventing locked gates.

The cold night air greeted him as he finally breached the perimeter, his breath visible in the moonlight. The sound of pursuing soldiers faded into the distance as Nathan made his way into the thick forest surrounding the base. His destination was a remote cabin he had scoped out during his preparations—isolated, discreet, and a world away from prying eyes.

Days later, he reached the cabin, his body weary but his mind racing. Inside, he laid Lily down gently on a worn couch, covering her with a blanket before collapsing into a chair.

His hands trembled as he stared at her peaceful face, a stark contrast to the turmoil within him.

He couldn't shake the image of the other children, their faces haunting him like ghosts. But what choice did he have? Saving her was the only manageable option, and perhaps, with her safe, the organization would cease their pursuit of other innocents. It was a fragile hope, but it was all he had.

When the sedatives wore off and Lily stirred, her eyes fluttering open, she immediately sat up, her expression shifting from confusion to fury. "How could you leave them?" she demanded, her voice trembling with emotion. "They needed us!"

Nathan didn't flinch at her accusation. He sat in silence, absorbing her words like the blows he knew he deserved. There was no defense he could offer, no justification that could undo the betrayal she felt. "I'm sorry," he finally whispered, his voice hollow.

Her eyes filled with tears, but she didn't cry. Instead, she clenched her fists, her small frame trembling with rage. "They'll die because of you, because of me!" she said, each word laced with bitterness.

Nathan nodded slowly, the weight of her statement pressing down on him. He didn't try to correct her or offer false assurances. He knew the reality all too well, and it was something he would carry with him for the rest of his life. Instead, he busied himself with ensuring her survival.

Over the next few days, he provided her with food, water, and anything she might need. He kept a respectful distance, the silence between them heavy with unspoken tension. Most of his time was spent outside, staring into the dense forest, his mind churning with plans and possibilities.

He needed to find a way to get her out of this mess, to take her away from here, to somewhere so remote and secure that she could live without fear of being hunted.

Lily's anger, like a storm slowly receding, eventually subsided into a sullen silence. The sharp edges of her resentment softened, though they never truly disappeared. She began to tentatively approach Nathan, her curiosity and need for connection breaking through the barriers of distrust. At times, she would sit beside him, asking questions or simply trying to engage him in conversation.

Nathan, however, was clumsy in these exchanges. His life had been one of missions, orders, and survival, not nurturing or gentle conversations. He would nod along to her words, offer half-hearted answers, and often find himself fumbling for the right thing to say.

He wasn't sure how to handle a child, especially one who had endured so much pain and hardship. His attempts to be accommodating felt stilted, his discomfort palpable.

One afternoon, while Nathan was out foraging for food, he returned to find a large bear sprawled unconscious in front of the cabin. His heart nearly stopped, the immediate fear for Lily's safety surging through him like a tidal wave.

He rushed to the cabin, panic driving his every step, only to find her sitting calmly by the window, a tattered book resting on her lap.

"Lily!" he called, his voice thick with relief. "What happened here?"

She looked up from her book, her expression serene. "The bear came while you were gone," she explained. "It looked really hungry, so I put it to sleep."

Nathan stared at her, his mind racing to comprehend the simplicity of her explanation against the gravity of the situation. "You... put it to sleep?" he repeated, his voice tinged with disbelief. "How?"

Lily hesitated, her fingers toying with the frayed edges of the book. "My powers," she began softly. "They're not just about healing. I can create mutations—genes in myself and in others." Her eyes flicked up to meet his, searching for a reaction. "At first, I couldn't control it. But in the lab, they made me study genetics. They forced me to learn how to use my powers... and now I can."

Nathan's mind whirred, the implications of her words settling over him like a heavy shroud. This wasn't just about protecting a girl with a unique ability; it was about shielding someone who could fundamentally alter the nature of life.

Whoever was behind this horrific project wouldn't stop at anything to reclaim her. She was far too valuable, far too dangerous, in their eyes. They would hunt her to the ends of the earth, sparing no expense, no life, to get her back.

As he absorbed the weight of this revelation, Lily seemed to read his thoughts. She leaned forward, her voice quiet but resolute. "I know they won't let me be," she said, her gaze unwavering. "But I can't let them use my power to hurt other children."

...

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