Day-1 02:34:30/2030

  Location: REDACTED

  Captain James Clock

  1st Cerberus Spearhead

  A small fleet of personal carrier helicopters slowly approached an island fully converted into a giant facility, with large concrete walls devoid of color, massive iron pipes coming from all sides, and a massive construct in the middle to hide from satellites.

  Helicopters active-camo pulsed under the rain.

  ["Five minutes till landing."] The Pilot's voice echoed, suppressing the engine's hum and rain.

  James Clock looked at his reflection on his helmet's visor. "I am getting too old for this."

  He put on his helmet and checked on his team, currently only six personnel, all equipped with the best armor UNDC can offer. "This is a simple briefing before the landing, so open your ears. We are here for a rescue mission. Our goal is to find and save kids here. But we are told to be careful since we don't know whatever technology this place hides."

  "He is talking to you." A tanned woman told a muscular man with fair skin and long blond hair, not wearing the upper part of his armor.

  "Don't worry, it's not like anything ever happens to me. Still." He put the helmet on. "I don't want these beautiful locks to get soaked under industrial dirt."

  The woman shook her head, "Same as ever." Ignoring her teammate, she grabbed a rifle from the rack before her. "Energy weapons only?" She charged the weapon, it released a soft buzz, as its barrel glew with energy. "Not that I complain."

  It was a new technology that only went into serial production five years ago. It offered massive firepower in short—and middle-range engagements, capable of blasting basketball-sized holes in armored tanks with supercharged close shots. It also had nearly infinite ammo but no effect on long-range targets.

  James Clock got up and grabbed one for himself. "UNAS says they will handle the battle at the surface. We will fight inside the facility, so prepare for close-quarter combat."

  "Well." The muscular man got up, grabbed the fire ax that stood oddly next to all the high-tech weapons, and placed it on the strap on his back. "Have fun with these toys. They are not my style."

  One of the other soldiers almost opened his mouth but shut when their captain ordered him with a gesture.

  "I don't know if I should be annoyed by your idiocy or how it works. Still." He grabbed a pistol from the rack and offered it to the man. "Take it, Baker, it's better than not having any."

  He knew Baker. He was tasked with hunting him and later recruited him to Cerberus. He was incredibly adept at combat, with a body surpassing the limits of regular humans and bordering on superhuman physical prowess, with a combat IQ surpassing anyone he knew.

  Baker grabbed the pistol and put on his belt. "Well, it won't hurt." He turned to the tan woman. "And before you ask, no, Morgan, I won't put the chest armor."

  Morgan rolled her eyes. "Wasn't gonna ask anyways."

  Suddenly, the yellow lights inside the passenger compartment turned red, and loud beeping came from all sides.

  ["Missiles locked in. I can avoid it, but they saw us be ready."

  James Clock moved towards one of the windows and watched as the helicopter deployed flares and avoided the incoming SAM missile.

  A moment later, something moved past them, leaving behind a shockwave as it reached supersonic speeds and crashed through the SAM site.

  A massive explosion and scattered molten scrap followed him.

  "That's UNAS. Idiots couldn't sit on their asses for five seconds." He turned to his squad. "Everyone, including you, Baker, prepare your armor. We are teleporting in."

  "Captain, was that a missile?"

  James shook his head. "No, a psychopath dived head into the SAM site. Pilot, move us close and get away as soon as possible. It will be too risky for you out there."

  ["Roger that. Reaching teleportation distance, 3,2,1."]

  "Hundred meters forward, forty meters down," James ordered.

  All Cerberus members pressed their chest and activated the teleportation device, leaving only an afterimage and blueish sparks in their place.

  James Clock opened his eyes to a grass patch, fire, and devastation in the surrounding area.

  Super individuals under UNAS were being deployed in masses and fighting against Eden's security units.

  "Destroyed guard posts, burning machinery, and an island collapsing on itself under the war. They are raising the hell here."

  But these were just the aftermaths.

  Mutants, Crimson beasts, flesh puppets created through illegal experiments, and war machines of all kinds were being released through hidden gates to outside, quickly taking position and clashing with forces of the UN.

  James Closed his eyes. "Entrance 300 meters south."

  Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  The first squad quickly dashed towards the south, where a door suddenly raised from the ground.

  Armed security poured out of the door. But before they did anything, plasma shots from the Cerberus squad took them down.

  Only one survived and managed to lock the door as it escaped.

  Unfazed by this, five members teleported past the door.

  But unlike the others, Baker came smashing through the door, and the last security guard who was trying to retreat.

  "I am sure your suit has the teleportation module." Morgan glanced at the Baker-shaped hole in the door.

  "Sorry, can't get used to this fancy stuff no matter what."

  Squad quickly took formation and began moving forward.

  "Left," James ordered as soon as they reached a corner.

  Morgan created a brownish sludge on her hand and threw it around the corner like a grenade. Substance homed to the enemy personnel and blinded them by sticking on their faces.

  The Cerberus squad quickly moved in and easily neutralized them.

  They kept pressing forward, avoiding ambushes and traps just before with James's warnings while taking whatever enemy tried to stop them.

  "Security inside is much weaker compared to outside." Baker looked around, his fire ax hanging on his shoulder. James raised his hand, stopping the team right before a closed door.

  "What do you see, captain?" Morgan raised her hand with the substance in her palm.

  "So much for no resistance. A square room, surrounded by about four floors, five including the bottom, all occupied by dozens of armed soldiers and turrets." He turned towards one of the Cerberus operators. "Alex, check the surrounding area for support."

  The soldier nodded, kneeled, and touched the floor, slightly shaking it.

  Alex got up. "It seems like they are alone."

  Cerberus squad took the position, and as soon as their captain opened the door, they all teleported inside, narrowly avoiding the rain of bullets from dozens of security personnel supported by automated turrets.

  "Cerberus!-" One of the facility guards shouted, his words cut in half as Baker, who teleported behind him, twisted his neck.

  He then turned towards the other guards before they reacted to him.

  With extreme speed and precision, he dashed from guard to guard, quickly taking them down with one swing of his ax.

  Other Cerberus members weren't short on the performance either. Alex and the last member used their teleportation to jump between guards, taking multiples of them down using the penetration setting of their plasma rifles.

  Morgan did not need it as she had already blinded the entire floor and hunted the scared guard like rabbits, one shot at a time.

  But the real show was on the bottom floor.

  James Clock was moving towards the wall of guards with slow steps.

  He avoided all incoming bullets with simple moves.

  He had even opened his helmet, lighting himself a cigarette.

  Soon, they eliminated the entire room, and more than a hundred facility guards lay dead, but the Cerberus squad was unscathed.

  "To where now?" Baker jumped from the third floor. His landing shook the floor a bit.

  James put out his cigarette and reached for a box of purple pills. "This will give me migraine pains for a week, so hopefully it works."

  He took three pills and closed his eyes.

  Other members of the Cerberus squad watched as he opened his eyes, now covered in blood.

  "Captain-"

  James raised his hand. "Somethings-" He took a deep breath, blood dripping from his mouth. "Or someone is interfering with my vision."

  All operators raised their weapons.

  "No, not an enemy." James pulled out a small syringe, placed it in a hidden compartment of his armor, and injected it into his neck. "Much better." He wiped his mouth and put the helmet back. "We keep pushing forward. Our path is clear."

  Trusting their captain, Cerberus's squad relaxed and followed him. Wherever they passed, facility guards and scientists seemingly went mad were around.

  They hit their heads on the walls and tried to take their skin off. Some even gauged their eyes off, while lucky ones were mumbling while crawling on the floor.

  "What the fuck." Baker strengthened their grip on his ax. "Are you sure this road is safe?"

  James nodded. "It seems so."

  They soon reached one of the labs, its door slightly open, with two guards lying dead outside.

  The last member of the squadron approached and checked the guards. "No physical damage, but what could have-" Soon as she raised her head and peeked inside the room, she clutched her fists, her eyes opened fully, and her body shaking with anger. "These sick fucks."

  "What-"

  All of the Cerberus squad had the same reaction.

  A mountain of corpses, all kids, the oldest seeing barely six years old, all in one piece dress embroidered with angel motifs.

  Their heads opened and their brains removed, now thrown on a floor covered in blood and brain fluid.

  "And what is this smell."

  The squad pushed inside, avoiding the kids, till they reached a surgeon's chair where two scientists lay dead.

  One of them died similarly to the guards outside, and the other crisped to death.

  "We have a survivor." James Clock approached the surgeon's chair and grabbed the kid there.

  "Poor soul." He gently removed the kid from the chair and lifted with both arms.

  The last member of the Cerberus squadron approached the kid. He put one hand on the child's chest and took a deep breath.

  He made a thumbs up. "Kid is alive, but." He reached for his pistol. "We should just give him a mercy kill."

  "And what makes you say this? Johnson?" James Clock stepped forward.

  "Blinded, all limbs trashed, half the inner organs destroyed, the kid lives off on whatever chemicals and stimulants they had forced on him, and won't last a day without medical care." He offered the pistol to his captain. "Even then, half of his brain is replaced with this weird machine thing."

  James took one look at the kid. He looked like barely four years old. Covered in scars and blood, he felt pity. "No, he will decide if he wants to live." He pushed Johnson away and moved out of the room. "Take pictures of everything and save documents. The world will know this barbarity."

  As soon as they moved outside, the facility began shaking more than ever. The sounds of metal floors shattering, pipes bursting, and blast doors forcefully being ripped off echoed through the maze-like corridors.

  Cerberus's squad prepared for combat, but their muscles locked as soon as they felt the approaching presence. James Clock, seemingly unfazed, moved forward and carefully put the kid he saved to the floor.

  A massive black cloud approached them at an ungodly speed, leaving destruction on its ave.

  "Captain, orders to fire!" Morgan lifted her rifle.

  James Clock turned around and put her gun down. "Don't, don't even reach for your weapons."

  The black cloud was about to leap at them, but it stopped when it saw the kid lying on the floor, changing its target from the Cerberus squad to him.

  It took the shape of a little girl, and she rushed to the kid lying on the floor, hugging him with all her might, shaking him, and calling his name in a weird language.

  She was covered in blood and scars, albeit the former was not hers. She glared at the Cerberus squad, her ruby eyes burning with such hatred that all except James stepped back in fear.

  James approached the girl. He kneeled to get at her eye level and removed his helmet. "You may not trust us, but we are here to save you."

  She did not answer.

  "Was it because of you we had such an easy time approaching here?"

  She, again, did not answer but approached James, her eyes locked with him.

  They stared at each other for a minute before she backed next to the kid and collapsed, snuggling into him.

  James moved forward and lifted them both. "Poor creatures." Gently carrying them to safety as the very facility collapsed on them.