Ouroboros

Blood Dawn

Tegan staggered down the hall on a damaged prosthesis. The Wet Floor sign she used as a makeshift walking aid didn't help much, but it was better than nothing.

Roman spoke up behind her. "Where are we going?"

"Security room. Then we can use the cameras to find Dr. Sullman," she said. "You okay?"

Roman didn't say anything. Tegan couldn't imagine what was going through his head. There was a strong possibility his father wouldn't be coming back at the end of all this. She didn't even know if he understood fully what was happening. Hell, she didn't understand fully what was happening.

"I think it's that room." She pointed out a door on the left side of the hallway. Roman ran ahead to open the door for her. "Thanks," she said. "Now let's find her."

A large computer screen loomed in front of them, displaying footage from all over the facility. Roman spoke up. "I remember seeing Fiver chase her down the stairs. We should start on the ground floor."

"Good idea." Tegan scanned the ground floor cameras. "Wait, who's that?"

They both squinted at the video in the bottom right corner. A man with a crossbow disappeared into a room marked as C10: MECHANICAL.

"That looks like..." Roman stared at her and shivered. "Officer Matthew."

"What would he be doing in the mechanical room?" she asked. "Damn it, there's no camera in there. You think he's hiding?"

"Is there anyone else in there?" Roman asked. "Can you rewind the camera?"

Tegan fumbled with the buttons and eventually succeeded at rewinding the camera by a few minutes. What they saw made them stare at each other in simultaneous horror. "Fiver."

Without saying another word, Roman grabbed Tegan to keep her from falling down, and they ran out of the room. Tegan struggled to keep her balance, but Roman didn't even seem to be exerting. She wondered if it was all adrenaline, or if he was really that strong. They half-ran, half-tumbled down the stairs. She pointed to a hallway marked with the letter C. "That way!"

They made their way to the mechanical room as fast as they could and stood on either side of the door. "Jump him when he comes out?" Roman whispered.

Tegan nodded and picked up the Wet Floor sign. For a moment, she reflected on how ridiculous the caricature of a person slipping and falling looked. She snapped back into focus as soon as the door opened. Matthew stepped out with Dr. Sullman beside him. Amelia locked the door behind them, then froze solid when she saw Tegan glaring at her.

Tegan smacked Amelia with the Wet Floor sign so hard it sent her careening into the opposite wall. "Where's Fiver?" she demanded.

Matthew laughed coldly, but his laugh turned to a scream of agony when Roman kneed him in the groin. He punched Roman, but the boy didn't even seem to feel it. "You little cocksucker!" Matthew growled. "You still owe me!"

Roman grabbed Matthew and glared him in the eyes. "This is my favor, sir. Get out. You let me go, I let you go. Fair is fair. We're done." He let go of the officer and shoved him away. "Now!"

As Matthew fled, Tegan yelled at Roman. "How could you?"

Amelia cleared her throat. They both turned to glower at her. She tried to smile. "You really believe what you're doing is right, don't you?"

"Fiver would have blasted your head off by now," said Tegan. "Or stabbed you. Or shot you full of opioids. We're not doing any of that. But you are going to answer for your crimes, one way or another. Roman, take her."