A Disaster || Fallout

The construction site's skeletal framework loomed around them, its unfinished floors stretching into the night sky. Despite its incomplete state, the basic infrastructure was operational - elevators hummed, temporary lighting flickered, and makeshift seating areas had been arranged for workers.

Lucas led the way into the elevator, his cybernetic fingers tapping impatiently against his thigh. The doors closed with a metallic clang, sealing them in with their captives. Kael struggled against Ethan's grip while Mira fought desperately against Leonardo's hold, her muffled screams echoing in the confined space.

The elevator ascended smoothly to the 69th floor, its glass walls offering a panoramic view of the city's neon lights. When the doors opened, they stepped out onto a vast, empty floor. The concrete was still fresh in places, the scent of wet cement mixing with the metallic tang of blood from Kael's split lip.

Leonardo shoved Mira onto a pile of construction materials, quickly binding her wrists with zip ties. She struggled against the restraints, her eyes wide with terror.

"Please," she begged, her voice trembling. "Stop this. We didn't do anything to you!"

Ethan ignored her, turning to Kael with a cruel smile. "You thought you could beat me? In front of everyone?"

Kael tried to stand tall despite his injuries. "It was a fair race. You lost."

The first punch landed before he finished speaking. Lucas's cybernetic fist connected with Kael's stomach, doubling him over. The beating began in earnest - fists, kicks, brutal strikes from enhanced limbs. Kael crumpled to the floor, his body curling protectively around his injuries.

Mira's screams filled the empty space as she watched the assault. "Stop it! Please, just stop!"

Ethan backhanded her across the face, the impact snapping her head to the side. "Shut up, bitch."

When they finally tired of beating Kael, they turned their attention to Mira. Kael tried to crawl toward her, but Leonardo planted a boot in his chest, pinning him to the ground.

"Don't you fucking touch her!" Kael snarled, his voice raw with pain.

Leonardo smirked, pressing down harder. "Watch closely, lover boy. This is what happens when you mess with us."

Ethan and Maximilian moved toward Mira, their eyes raking over her trembling form. Ethan's hands went to her shirt, ripping the fabric with a sharp tug. Buttons scattered across the concrete as he exposed her bra.

Mira screamed, thrashing against her restraints. "No! Please, don't do this!"

Ethan's breath came faster as he took in her half-naked form. His fingers traced along her collarbone before moving to her waistband. "Fuck, she's hot," he muttered.

Maximilian adjusted himself, his gaze dark with lust. "My turn first?"

Lucas shook his head. "Ethan goes first. He's the one who got beat by this piece of shit."

Ethan hesitated, looking at Mira's terrified face. "Nah, man. You always go first. You're the leader."

Lucas's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Fine. But you're next."

He moved toward Mira, his cybernetic fingers tracing along her exposed skin. She recoiled, her body trembling as he loomed over her.

Kael's voice was raw with desperation. "Please... I'll do anything. Just don't hurt her."

Leonardo pressed his boot harder into Kael's chest. "Watch, fucker. Watch every second."

The assault began in earnest, the sounds of struggle and pain echoing through the empty floor. Kael's screams joined Mira's as Leonardo forced him to witness everything. Kael tried to look away and closed his eyes, but Leonardo gave him a dose that kept Kael wide awake.

Hours passed in a blur of violence and degradation. The construction site's temporary lighting cast harsh shadows as the assault continued. They recorded everything on their neural-linked devices, the footage automatically uploading to their private cloud storage.

The city's neon lights flickered through the unfinished windows as midnight came and went. The group showed no signs of stopping, their laughter growing more manic with each passing hour. Kael's pleas had long since turned to broken sobs, while Mira's resistance had faded into numb submission.

Then, suddenly, all four of their neural devices chimed simultaneously with incoming priority messages. The holographic displays flickered to life, showing urgent notifications from their guardians.

Lucas frowned at the intrusion, his cybernetic fingers swiping through the air to open the message. "What the fuck?"

The others followed suit, their expressions turning from confusion to shock as they processed the contents. The message contained a single hyperlink, which when activated, redirected them to various social media platforms.

Every screen showed the same thing - the footage of them beating Xavier in the space training room, now spreading like wildfire across the academy's networks. The video had already amassed millions of views, with comments flooding in by the thousands.

Leonardo's voice was high-pitched with panic. "What the hell? How is this happening? We were careful!"

Lucas's face darkened as he scrolled through the comments. The video had been edited with timestamps and multi-angle footage, making it impossible to dismiss as fake. Worse, it showed them clearly crossing the line from bullying to attempted murder.

He activated his neural comm, connecting directly to the academy's security chief. "What the fuck is going on? Why hasn't this been taken down?"

The chief's voice came through, strained with tension. "We're trying, but it's spreading too fast. The hacker who posted it has encrypted the files across multiple platforms. We can't trace the source."

Lucas terminated the connection, his cybernetic eyes glowing with rage. He turned to his friends, forcing calm into his voice. "We need to go. Now."

Ethan's face was pale. "What about them?" He gestured toward Kael and Mira's broken forms.

"Leave them," Lucas snapped. "We can't risk being connected to this any longer."

Maximilian helped Leonardo to his feet, the two of them looking shaken. "This is bad. Really bad."

Lucas led the way to the elevator, his mind racing. They needed to disappear before this escalated further. As the doors closed, he caught one last glimpse of Kael cradling Mira's battered form, their faces streaked with tears and blood.

The elevator descended smoothly, but the weight of what they'd done pressed down on them like the city's skyline. When they reached the ground floor, they moved quickly to their waiting vehicle, the hovercar's engines humming to life.

As they pulled away from the construction site, none of them spoke. The city's lights blurred past the windows, but the silence in the car was deafening. Each of them knew - this wasn't just another incident they could sweep under the rug. The video had changed everything.

Lucas's neural device chimed again, this time with a news alert. The academy had issued an emergency statement condemning the violence. His grandfather's name was mentioned prominently in the response.

For the first time, Lucas felt a flicker of real fear. This wasn't just about getting in trouble - this was about consequences they couldn't control. As the hovercar merged onto the main thoroughfare, he stared out at the city's skyline, wondering how far the fallout would spread.