Break-In 2 (Story)

SECRET EVIL VILLAIN BASE

On the television screen, bold letters glowed ominously, spelling out a message that sent a collective chill down their spines: "Secret Evil Villain Base."

Lucas, Liam, Nolan, Cecil and Cyrus exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions mirroring a mixture of shock and disbelief.

"Is this some kind of sick joke?" Liam muttered, his hand inching closer to his trusty baseball bat.

"I hope so," Lucas replied, his voice laced with doubt as he cast a wary glance around the dimly lit room. "But it doesn't look like one."

Cecil, the recently expelled hacker, looked particularly uneasy. "I didn't sign up for this... Are we in some kind of danger?"

Cyrus, who had been trying to comfort Scarlett, now found himself grappling with his own concerns. "I don't know, but this is definitely not what I had in mind when we embarked on this camping trip."

Scarlett, who had been momentarily distracted from her fear of the dark, finally noticed the message on the television screen. Her reaction was anything but comforting. She burst into tears, her sobs echoing through the eerie silence.

"Aw come on! Of course, this is all a joke!" Cecil tried to reassure the group. "I mean, look at the television! Who writes it like that? Does it really seem like a villain base?"

Cyrus, still trying to calm Scarlett, nodded in agreement. "Well, now that I think of it... 'Secret Evil Villain Base'? Really? It's so childish to be actual!"

But Scarlett, her eyes red from crying, remained unconvinced. "What do you mean? It really seems evil!"

Cecil and the others exchanged doubtful glances, but Liam, ever the protector, took it upon himself to soothe Scarlett.

"There, there," Liam began, gently patting Scarlett's back. "If it really is a villain base, then don't worry. We'll all protect you."

"What? I didn't sign up for this!"

Liam shot an irritated glance at Cecil, who quickly backtracked. "Oh! Yes, yes! I mean, of course, we will protect you... only if it were an actual villain base!"

Scarlett sighed, her sobs subsiding, albeit reluctantly. "Whatever, we should maybe explore this place for a while... as we'll be staying here till the storm ends," suggested Lucas.

Scarlett, now the most enthusiastic of the group, perked up at the idea. She clutched her giant lollipop and started to explore the mysterious building, her fear momentarily forgotten.

Most of the doors they encountered were closed with heavy shutters, adding to the eerie atmosphere. Two grand staircases beckoned them from either side of the Hall, one on the left and the other on the right side of the television.

Scarlett chose to ascend the left staircase first, only to discover a peculiar sight. Silver crowbars were scattered haphazardly along the stairs, leaving the group puzzled.

When she was completely upstairs, she found a small gym, with eight weightlifting setups and eight treadmills.

"Hey, Nolan! Look what I've found! There's a mini-gym here!" Scarlett excitedly called out.

Nolan, still grappling with his frustration and the recent car crash, found solace in the idea of a gym. "Huh? Oh great! Now I can at least do something to pass the time."

Without hesitation, he hopped on one of the treadmills and started running. It seemed he had found a way to channel his pent-up energy.

Meanwhile, Scarlett ventured up the right staircase, where an unexpected discovery awaited her. At the top of the stairs, she stumbled upon a small cage containing an old man inside. He had a long, white beard and wore purple sunglasses, an eccentric sight that left her utterly perplexed.