Light & Shadow

Chapter 16

Which makes me wonder if having Peter here is for the best. If I'm cautious, there's a better chance of actually making it through this alive.

I chance one last look back at him before he disappears around the corner. "Please, be careful." I whisper another reminder, "Trust me. These guys will shoot first and barely ask questions later."

"Same goes for you." He retorts. "Just get what you need, and then we'll get as many people possible out."

"I know." The halls are silent aside from my footsteps, which are already barely audible. I would have expected to hear something—any sign of other people or an active lab.

But there's nothing. No machine hum, distant voices; just silence.

"Pete? Tell me what you're seeing."

"Not much. It looks like the labs in this section aren't in use right now. Lights are on, but other than that, not much."

"That's what's worrying me." I round the corner, the map on my heads up shifting with me to highlight my target. "This is—it's too easy. We should have run into or at least heard someone by now."

"Agreed. Maybe we shouldn't be split up."

"No, this is our best chance. We just need to work quickly. I'll grab the data and help you with anyone still left."

"Lia, I don't—" the comma crackle for a second before going completely dead.

I drop into a fighting stance a split second before they practically appear from the walls. "Surround them. Don't let her escape."

"All this for little old me?" I mock. "You boys really know how to treat a lady."

No one says anything. Their only response comes in the chorus of safeties clicking off. "And here I thought you were gonna roll out the red carpet."

"Hold positions." One of the few in full gear calls before his attention is fully on me. "Let's make this easy on everyone. Just surrender and come with us peacefully. You've got no where to run, and let's be honest, we know too much for you to stand a chance."

"You guys are mostly scientists, right?" Silence and a few scattered shared looks and hesitant nods. "Good. Then let's test that theory."

ARTI catches on and starts up my fighting playlist. It rings in my ears as I let out a powerful blast of shadows to knock a bunch of them flat on their butts and another few without helmets out cold. It becomes an almost fluid exchange of dodges, punches, and kicks.

I stop pulling punches, forcing all my anger, pain, and frustration into whoever happens to be the momentary target. There's only the blur of split second pain from the blows I land and the ones I take before it's just one last man before me, on his knees, nose broken, eyes and lips already swelling. "You're just as bad as they said." His broken lips warping the wards. "All we wanna do is help people."

"You're killing them."

"No, we're saving millions more." His eyes turn soft. "We just wanted to help."

"Then tell me the override code. Let me help those people right here and now." My voice and resolve trembles as that small glimmer of hope appears.

It's shot.

The man drops from my hand, blood pooling on the floor around him. A hole just between his brows, and everything else just a haze of things I can't even let myself begin to process right now.

"Nice try." A feminine voice calls with pride. "But you won't get off that easy."

Everything goes bright. The lights humming with the sudden strain. A flash of pain hits before my lenses are able to adjust to the new surroundings, and before I can even take my next breath, someone's trying to secure my arms behind my back.

Instinct kicks in, and I rear my head back until it's met with a nasty crunch breaking bone, but the hit is returned in kind. Whoever lands it has training and strength judging by the crack that responds from my mask and slight pang in my nose.

My head is jerked back from the hood by a claw like hand as they lean down to whisper. "The Power Broker sent me with their regards and a message." Their voice whispers with a sickly sweet tune. "They said you're worth more for bargaining than any errands you can run."

A memory comes back at the painful sensation of hair being pulled alongside the hood. Nat had me in the training room shortly after I moved into the compound, and I was getting my ass handed to me in ways I never expected. Her hand was locked into my hair, fingers pressing into my skull and her head level with mine. "Stop thinking. You know how to do this—powers or not."

"I just need a break." I tell her through labored breaths as I grip her wrist to alleviate a little of the pressure. She would never intentionally hurt me, but she always made sure I would understand the lesson and usually apologize with goodies after.

"No one will give you a break in a fight. You can have to find an opening and hit hard." She directs. "So if you wanna break, you can have one. Once you get out of this."

It all happens in one smooth motion, the hand I had on their wrist tightens as the other grabs the back of their neck and pulls them forward. A loud huff escapes them as they hit the floor so hard it nearly cracks, and it's only recovered in a quick breath as I press a shadow blade to their throat.

"Nice try, but the Broker should've known better. So you can tell them that we had a deal, but if they wanna use me for a power play, they'll have to take me down themselves." I whisper in their ear, my voice sounding dark and warbled due to the crack in the mask. "And I'd love to see them try."

The hilt of the knife hits their temple, likely giving them a concussion and knocking them out, but it's kind in comparison to what they were ready and happy to do to me.

I press a finger to my ear, trying to hear anything under the static as I continue sneaking and occasionally fighting my way to the nerve center. "Spidey? Can you hear me?" Nothing but static in reply, "Watch your back. I don't know if this is getting through but if it is, please, watch your back, it's more than just Oscorps people. Be careful, and I'll finish my part soon."

"I'll keep trying until the message gets through, but it seems they're blocking all communication signals." ARTI informs me as I check the next hallway.

"Good. Then they're not able to talk to each other either." Footsteps echo though the hallway as their scientists and soldiers try to shout over each other in the chaos. "And they can't pull any surprise triggers like last time."

It's a comfort, but it feels small in the grander scope of the situation. There's still a hundred million ways this could go wrong. Peter may not be able to get everyone out. They could trigger detonations manually. Someone could've already purged all the data stored here.

This could all be a trap.

I press my eyes closed, feeling the continuous ache in my nose, the warmth of the mass amount of light at my fingertips, the rushing of footsteps, and scrambling shouts and chaos.

Wait. Lights, confusion, and no communication. One of these things is not like the others.

My fingers trail over the walls, feeling for the small thrum to grow until it's an earthquake rumbling beneath my touch.

"Lights out." I whisper and plunge the facility into darkness.