GONNA GO WITH THIS

As the massive doors slid open with a mechanical groan, cold artificial light spilled out, illuminating the team's path forward. Razor led the charge, his rifle raised, signaling for the others to move in.

The interior of the facility was sterile—too clean, too controlled. The walls were lined with reinforced glass panels, revealing chambers filled with unfamiliar machinery and ominous-looking containment units.

The air carried the faint hum of energy, the distant whir of automated systems still running despite the chaos outside.

Cipher's fingers danced across his Xen-Link as he accessed the facility's internal schematics. "We're looking for the main control hub which should be... on the lower level."

"Then we move fast," Razor ordered.

The Clan fanned out, advancing deeper into the facility. Echo and Shade took the lead, scouting ahead while Blaze kept the rear secure. Myst's grip on her weapon tightened as she scanned their surroundings.

There was something wrong here—something that made her skin crawl.

Nyx must have sensed it too because he shifted slightly closer. "Feels off, doesn't it?"

She nodded but said nothing.

They moved down a dimly lit corridor, past rows of locked doors, each marked with a string of alphanumeric codes. Some had reinforced shutters over their observation windows, while others revealed glimpses of empty cells—or worse, cells that weren't empty at all.

Myst's breath hitched as she passed one of them. Inside, barely visible through the reinforced glass, was a figure restrained in a harness-like apparatus, wires and tubes running from their body to the walls. Their face was obscured by a breathing mask, but the sight was unmistakable.

This wasn't just a prison. It was a lab.

"We need to keep moving," Razor called back, but Myst remained frozen, staring at the figure.

Nyx noticed, stepping in beside her. "Myst—"

"I know." Her voice was quiet but firm. She tore her gaze away and pushed forward. Dwelling on this wouldn't change anything.

They reached the central corridor, where Cipher halted in front of a reinforced security door. "This is it."

Blaze cracked his knuckles. "Tell me we don't have to hack through another one of these."

Cipher smirked. "Already done."

With a quiet hiss, the heavy door slid open. The room beyond was dimly lit, but at its center stood a terminal pulsing with lines of encrypted data, its screen casting an eerie glow over the walls.

Dozens of files scrolled past, each tagged with classified government insignias. Cipher's eyes gleamed. "Jackpot."

Myst moved forward, scanning the screen as Cipher worked. The files contained reports, experimental logs—some labeled with Blue Rose.

Her pulse quickened. "This is it."

Razor nodded. "Download everything. We leave in five."

Nyx kept his eyes on Myst as she stared at the screen, the flickering light reflecting in her gaze. Whatever was in those files, it wasn't just information. It was the past she'd been trying to piece together.

And for the first time, the answers felt close enough to touch.

Back at the hideout, the weight of the mission still clung to them like smoke. The air was thick with the scent of old metal and engine oil, the low hum of machinery filling the space as the team settled in.

Cipher and Razor were already going through the decrypted files, Echo cracking jokes to lighten the mood as Blaze raided the supply stash for something edible.

Myst, however, found herself by the far side of the room, sinking into one of the worn-out couches. She barely reacted when Echo plopped down next to her, kicking his feet up on the table.

"Alright, brooding queen. What's going on in that head of yours?"

Myst huffed out a short breath. "You don't waste time, do you?"

"Not when it comes to you," Echo quipped, then nudged her shoulder lightly. "C'mon. Spill."

For a moment, she hesitated. But if there was anyone she could talk to—really talk to—it was Echo.

"I saw something back there," she admitted. "People locked up. Experimented on. And the files…" She shook her head, staring at her hands. "Some of them were about me."

Echo's expression lost its usual playfulness. "Shit."

Myst swallowed hard. "I thought I wanted to know the truth, but now that it's right in front of me… I don't know if I can handle it."

Echo leaned back, running a hand through his hair. "Look, I could give you some deep, meaningful speech about how strong you are, but let's be real. You already know that."

He turned his head toward her. "So instead, I'll just say this. Whatever's in those files, whatever answers you find, you don't have to face it alone. You have us. Hell, you even have me."

Myst glanced at him, the tension in her shoulders easing just a little.

"Thanks, Echo."

"Anytime," he said, then grinned. "Now, can we please get something to eat before Blaze starts eating our emergency rations?"

She smirked, tilting her head towards their hacker. "Only if we get to watch Cipher yell at him for it."

"Deal."