Mia stumbled from the edges of the hillside when she set foot on the road that spiralled down. Catching her breath, she trailed her eyes after the road where she saw lights coming from a nearby village. She began walking down the road, keeping to the shadows in case she saw anymore of either Orabella or Danika's men lurking around.
Her head was pounding, and the cuts and bruises scattered around her body all wept and cried out for immediate medical attention, but Mia knew there wasn't any time for a pit stop. The longer she took, the more time she lost.
Ten minutes of light jogging passed, and Mia reached the edges of the small Italian village; it was quiet and still. The muffled sounds of TV's playing from each other were the only other sound in the air next to the breezy wind. Mia slipped through the streets, keeping her head low and her ears open. The thought of the village being infiltrated was kicking around at the back of her head, making her uneasy.
As she turned a corner to go onto another street, she spied out a dark alley that had a car parked within. Looking around, Mia made sure the area was clear. She then moved quickly into the alley, sticking to the walls. The years of infiltrating foreign government buildings had made Mia become quite the undetected person she is, and she was using it to her complete advantage.
The car was blue, the paint seemed to be faded and there was rust that was beginning to foam across the edges of the vehicle. She took the knife that she had burrowed against the waist of her pants and she used the handle to shatter the window. Luckily, there was no alarm that blared and so Mia made quick work of dusting away the glass before climbing inside.
She took a moment to search the car; there were a few old and stale food wrappers which was probably causing the funky smell, old cassette tapes and a bag on the back seat that contained some old clothes. Mia didn't even think twice as she quickly changed out of the stained, dirty and bloody clothes she had on and sliding into the shirt and black jeans the bag had.
After getting changed, Mia ripped open the side of the wheel where she grabbed the wires and quickly moved them together. After a hot second, the engine fired up, choking and spluttering as it did so. Mia stepped down on the gas pedal and sped out of the alley.
There was unquenchable fire in her eyes, fury written across her face and determination writhing through her body. She drove in the direction of the base, with the intentions of stopping everything, no matter what the cost. She had nothing left to lose.
*
About twenty minutes later, Mia had reached the outskirts of Craco. The ghost town was as silent as ever, with the only other sounds being the occasional murmuring of military personnel that were doing their hourly patrols.
She ditched the elderly car in some of the nearby shrubs and started making her way into the town, using the ruins of the buildings to help conceal herself. She continued sneaking through the old ruins until she reached the building opposite to the entrance of the base. Standing from the roof, she kept low as she scanned the area.
Two men guarded the entrance, holding large guns and donned in specialised looking outfits that reflected the bright moonlight. Protective gear. There was a third man that walked back and forth, wielding the same gun.
An idea was beginning to pull itself together in Mia's head and so she moved back from where she was spying and made her way to the ground floor.
A whistle caught the paroling guard's attention. He stopped his movements, head darting in the direction of the whistle. He glanced back to the other two, one of which nodded for him to go forward.
The guard pulled up his gun, cocking it as he walked, his movements stealthy and slow. He neared the same building Mia had been watching them from like a falcon. He stepped into the shadows, flicking on the torch at the end of his gun, waving it around.
As he furthered into the building, Mia dropped down from the beam she clung herself to, her knee landing right on the guard's face. A wet crack broke into the air as a muffled cry escaped the guard's mouth.
Both fell to the ground, but Mia was quick, spinning around and landing another kick directly into his throat. The guard gagged, falling back onto his back as he clutched his throat that began tightening.
Mia grabbed the knife she had been hiding on her and climbed atop of the man. His face was red and puffy as he continued to choke. He stared into Mia's eyes and all she saw was an urge to kill. She drove the knife into his chest, hard and fast. The blade sliced through the flesh.
He instantly stilled, his hands going limp as his eyes rolled to the back of his head. Mia lifted herself off him and started scouring the body when she came across a handgun. Arming herself with it, Mia hastily stripped the guard of his uniform before getting into it herself. She tucked her hair back into the collar and made a makeshift balaclava that she used to cover her mouth, disguising herself.
She exited the building, ignoring the sharp stinging in her knee. The two other guards gave her a quick look before nodding and resuming their duties. She walked straight past them, going right for the entrance. She took one last glance back and saw that no one had figured out what was going on.
The floor opened and revealed the elevator which Mia quickly dropped down into. As the floor closed, she felt the air change from cool and chilly into warm and inviting. The elevator made its descent into the base and Mia took a minute to check the ammo of the gun.
Full. Mia let out a relieving sigh before loading up the gun and placing it in its holster, retaking her stance. After a moment, the elevator came to a shuddering stop, almost making her lose her stance but she quickly composed herself as the elevator doors screeched open, the horrible sound of metal grinding against each other scratching at Mia's ears.
She hastily exited the elevator and wasted no time in walking down the corridor directly in front of her. She kept an eye out on each of the door signs, looking for a room that could lead her to where Piotro was being kept. She passed various amounts of doctors and guards, none of them giving her a second glance. Mia took notice that the security had been drastically improved upon after her first trip to the base.
After several minutes of walking, a sign on one door caught Mia's attention. Making a sharp turn directly for the door, Mia slipped inside, closing it quietly behind her. She pulled the balaclava down from her face, allowing her to take a few deep breaths after having breathed low and shallow for some time.
She searched the office-like room, pulling apart drawers and cabinets as she rummaged through files and other pieces of paper that were being carelessly thrown on the floor after Mia scanned through them.
As she hunted through one of the cabinets, she came across a file that seemed interesting. Pulling it from its place, Mia flipped it open and saw a sight that truly throw her mind into chaos.
A picture of her mother, Italia, was one the first page. Right next to it were her details: her name, past addresses, her stats, everything about her. Mia could feel her hands starting to shake as rage and confusion began ripping through her body.
Turning the pages, Mia discovered that Orabella had inducted her mother into the Potential Program. After many years of believing she was dead, Italia had been alive and well, undergoing a program that was changing her into a ruthless weapon.
Mia threw the file on the floor, a stray tear running down her cheek. She winced as it dripped into one of her cuts, but she couldn't focus on the pain that much anyways. Not only had Orabella been torturing and retooling people into living weapons, she had taken in her mother. And Mia knew that the Potential Program would've made her way ten times as bad than what she already was.
That really was her mother she saw just days before. Her mother was alive and well and working for someone Mia thought she trusted for so many years. As she dug further into the conspiracy and web of deception, she uncovered more and more lies.
A clutter and a pained scream brought Mia out of her thoughts. She spun around and listened, not bothering to wipe away the second tear that dripped down her face. A collection of feet tapping against the linoleum floor soon followed as silhouettes raced past the door.
Sliding up her balaclava, Mia placed her hand on the gun and readied herself for the worst. She went for the door and opened it up, but once she stepped out of the office, she saw a small group of doctors and a streak of blood running across the floor.
"He got me," one of the doctors groaned, "son of a bitch got me."
Another doctor quickly barked an order and Mia only made out the word 'quarantine'.
Mia looked down to the blood, her eyes following where it had dripped. She saw the blood begin outside of one of the large doors and she knew almost instantly what was behind it – one of Orabella's subjects.
She glanced back over to the doctors and saw that they were already half way down the corridor, one of them speaking quickly into their radio. It was the perfect chance to get away unnoticed. She made a break for it, dashing over to the door that the blood had emanated from.
She skidded to a halt outside of it, slightly breathless. Hoping for the best, Mia looked over to the sign and felt a wave of relief and comfort when she read the name.
RICCI, P.
It was Piotro's holding cell. Mia went to go inside when she thought back to the blood leaking all over beneath her feet. He was the reason that the doctor had been heavily injured. If Mia went in, there was a chance she might not leave.
But she knew that not going in and freeing him wasn't an option. Taking a deep breath, she managed to crack open the door and slide inside, shutting it behind her. When she laid eyes on Piotro, her stomach churned; he was strapped to a bed, wires coming out of his chest and head, his body shuddering as groans and whimpers tumbled out of his quivering mouth.
"Oh, mio Dio," Mia said, horrified at the scene. "Piotro."
She raced over to his side, not knowing where to start. Her eyes scanned the enormous collection of machines by his 'bed', but she had no idea what to do to get it to stop torturing him.
"M-Mia," Piotro spluttered out as he cracked open his eyes. Mia turned back to Piotro, a weak smile growing on her face.
"Hey, amico," Mia said, "I'm going to get you out of here, OK? Hang on."
Mia shifted back to the machines and started searching frantically. As she grew more frustrated, Piotro's shaky hand appeared out of the corner of her eye. She looked over and saw him pointing at something.
She followed his finger and saw what he was pointing at: a screen that read EMERGENCY EJECTION. Not giving it a second thought, Mia slammed her thumb on the screen and was overjoyed to see Piotro let out an actual breath, his chest easing up as his body came down from the tense state it was in. His bulging veins had started returning to their normal size, the color rushing back to him.
"Piotro," Mia said, grabbing him as he shook from his restraints, yanking at the straps holding him in place, "calm down!"
Mia pulled the knife out from her boot, before slicing through the leather bounds. Piotro pulled his hands free, rubbing his wrists. Mia caught a glimpse of bruising and she pulled her stare away, feeling as though she was intruding. But the sight made her sick to her stomach.
"We don't have much time, Piotro," Mia said.
Piotro coughed, spluttering up bodily fluids as he did so. Once again, Mia turned away, cringing at the noises. "Where's... My fratello?" Piotro then asked.
Mia's stomach dropped. She closed her eyes, the vivid flashes of her last moments with Lorenzo playing through her head, like some cruel prank by her own brain. This was a moment she had been dreading.
"We'll have time for that later," was all Mia said before she started for the door, "but right now, we've got other things to deal with."
Mia barely even made it two feet before Piotro flung himself off the table and placing himself right in front of her, the blue in his eyes darkening. "Where is Enzo, Mia?"
Mia's head dropped to the floor. "He's gone."
"Cosa?" Piotro asked, his voice laced with disbelief and denial.
"He was killed. I don't know if it were by Orabella's men or the Russians, but—"
Piotro gritted his teeth, throwing his fist into the tiled wall. The sounds of crunching and cracking bounced around the room as Piotro cried out angrily, pummelling his fist into the wall repeatedly. Pieces of concrete began dropping onto the floor and so Mia pulled him away, only for him to face her with rage and hatred that she'd never seen in a person.
Piotro's chest moved frantically, as low breaths emanated from his mouth; his veins were yet again bulging, looking as though they burst and explode at any moment. Mia knew this was all because of the Potential Program; he was stronger, deadlier. And she dreads to think what else he'd be capable of if he had finished the program.
"Get away from me, Mia," Piotro panted, his lips quivering as he spoke.
Mia shook her head, "No, Piotro, I'm not leaving. A Russian unit is on their way here, Orabella is planning an attack on the country and I can't sit by and watch."
"I'm dangerous, Mia," Piotro gritted, "and I can't control myself."
"Maybe you don't need to," Mia then said, stepping closer towards him. Piotro stared at her, trying to work out what she meant. "I can only do so much, but with your help, we can stop this whole program, destroy it."
"We can both get revenge for Lorenzo," Mia said, saying his name even hurting her. "We have to do this for him."
Piotro stayed silent for a moment, taking in Mia's words. If he refused to help, then he'd most likely be fully transformed into a living weapon. After a minute, Piotro sighed and nodded.
"Enzo would appreciate this," Mia said, trying to smile. But it just didn't feel right. "We have to find the main room of operations and wipe every trace of this program, so no one can find it or recreate it."
She then moved past Piotro, readying her hand on the gun.
"What about those Russians you mentioned?" Piotro asked, turning around.
"They've been sent to retrieve an asset," Mia put it bluntly, "no matter what the cost."
Mia placed her hand on the door handle, taking a breath. "Pronto?"
Piotro gave her the nod and so Mia pulled open the door and, in a breeze, Piotro dashed past her, out into the hallway. As Mia followed, a few lurking guards opened fire. Bullets flew past the pair of them.
Piotro growled, speeding for two guards on his side. Mia pulled out the gun and returned fire as she flew for cover behind the steel door. Bullets pinged off the metal, but the solid steel made for a protective barrier. Mia leaned over and took another few shots, managing to get one of two guard's in the leg.
Piotro threw himself up onto the shoulders of one of the men before mercilessly snapping his neck, his body dropping to the floor with a thud. The other guard went for his own handgun, shooting Piotro in the arm. He let out a yelp before spinning around and landing a kick in the guard's jaw, the crunching sounds of bones snapping echoing into the bullet-riddled hallway.
The two guards on Mia's end were closing in, one of them limping as he held his finger down on the trigger. Mia checked her magazine, finding only two more bullets within.
"Fuck," she muttered to herself, slamming the magazine back into the gun before cocking it. Sighing, she leaned back out and fired twice more, not telling if the bullets made impact or not.
She could make out the sound of their footsteps nearing her. Her eyes landed on Piotro who was busy kicking seven bags of shit out of the remaining guard, his bloodcurdling cries and screams piercing into her ears.
Just as she expected the two men to reach her, she spied out another unit of men led by someone else, passing Piotro. The person leading slid onto the ground, narrowly dodging the bullets before kicking out one of the shooter's legs.
The men the person was leading opened fire on them, the two guard's bodies hitting the floor with metallic, wet thuds. Mia didn't know where to look, her ears ringing after the explosive sound of bullets erupting from their guns.
She glanced over to Piotro who seemed to be on his feet, remaining wary of the men but not making a move. Mia leaned forward, trying to crawl over to him when she felt herself getting pulled to her feet by someone behind her.
When she was stood up, the ringing finally faded, and she felt herself returning back to normal. She took a few deep breaths, with still no clue as to who just saved her ass.
She saw the men were now holding their weapons in Piotro's direction. She went forward to warn him when her saviour stopped her, revealing who they were. And Mia felt the exact same rage and hatred she saw within Piotro.
It was Danika. Donned in some Russian armour with her agency and country's logo on. Mia didn't think twice when she punched her in the face, drawing blood from her lip. She then grabbed her by the throat and slammed her into the wall opposite of them, as hard as she could. Danika cried out, trying to clutch her now pounding head but Mia prevented it, landing another blow into her gut.
"You betrayed me! Lorenzo!" Mia screamed angrily, tightening her grip around Danika's throat.
"I..." Danika tried to say, but Mia's grip was blocking her from forming any sentences. Mia screamed again, yanking her hidden knife free and holding it in the air, the urge to kill flooding her entire face.
"I needed... To find my friend," Danika finally managed to spit out, gasping for breath.
Mia's lips quaked with anger, holding the knife high in the air. She screamed again, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to kill Danika. The knife remained in the air as her hand shook.
"Who?" Mia asked through her teeth.
"Nikolina," Danika revealed as she gagged, "the Crimson Shadow."