The Confrontation

Chapter 4 (Woods' POV)

"Woah dude, c'mon, you're gonna get yourself killed." Quinn wrapped my arm around his shoulders, supporting me as I stammered backwards. Pain swelled around the slash point, thick dark red blood oozing out, soaking my shirt. I winced at the sharp pain, every movement causing discomfort.

"No, I...I'm fine!" I quickly respond to Quinn, shaking.

"We have to get you out of here, Matt too."

"No, I'll be fine. Get Matt out, I'm finishing this."

"Dude, no, you're not in any shape to be fighting that."

"I don't care! This is for the team! If I get beat up, so what? If you all are safe, that's all that matters."

Quinn just stared at me in utter shock mixed with concern. My attention snapped back to the scene as I heard a loud thump. Tanner collapsed to the ground, seemingly tripping over his feet. Ben stood over him, looking ready to strike the finishing blow. N-Crap. No!

Ben suddenly turned around, facing the spot where Matt lay, surrounded by Sam and Bailey protectively. He stood there staring menacingly at Matt, Matt returning the glare, pained but fierce. The cloak he wore was tattered, half draped around his shoulders, although he didn't care whatsoever.

He suddenly broke eye contact with Matt, whipping his head around towards Blue Base, staring intently at it. What is he doing? ...No...no, no, no. Suddenly, Ben bolted towards Blue Base with inhuman speed, grabbing his mask along the way, buckling it behind his head and strapping the goggles over his eyes. He slammed into the door, pushing it open with ease, and running inside. Crap...he's looking for the serum. Ugh, no! If he finds that, it'll put us back to square one!

Quinn seemed to catch onto what I was about to do. He looked at me, warning in his eyes. I avoided eye contact, instead staring at the entrance to Blue Base. That's it.

Rage flowed through me as I pushed Quinn away, sprinting towards Blue Base. I run past Tanner and then Matt, Sam, and Bailey, each one with a shocked expression. I pushed through the door, finding Blue Base in pitch black darkness, completely empty.

I glanced around, cautiously. An eerie silence hung over the building, each beat of my heart ringing out. I slowly shuffled towards the stairs, careful not to create a creak as the floorboards shifted under my weight. I stepped onto the first stair, an ear splitting creak ringing out throughout the building. Damn it! So much for stealth...

I start to run up the stairs, figuring the phantom already knows I'm here. I fly around the corner, greeted with more stairs, which I easily run over. As I get over the last step, I am met with a loud thud of the safe door closing. No! I dash over there, but the door closes just in time, leaving me in the darkness. No damn it!

I pound on the door, all of my previous anger flowing through me, powering my every move. The metal vault door doesn't give in, only leaving my knuckles bloodied. Would've been helpful to know the code! I pounded on the door again, the pain only worsening. I jiggled the handle; nothing. I slam myself into the door; nothing. No! C'mon!

The pain started to radiate from the cut again, my shirt nearly completely stained with thick red blood. Not now. I gazed down at the cut, a thin cut slicing diagonally across my chest, thick red blood lining it, the color getting increasingly darker as the cut goes deeper. I can't go to the hospital now...especially after what happened with Matt in that damn Syntec hospital. Just gotta hold out for now.

I glanced back up at the door, looking for another way to open it. I could always break down the drywall like Matt did way back during the break in. He'd probably kill me for that, though. As I glanced back down at the bottom of the vault door, I saw light seeping out along with something else, something cloudy and swirling. Smoke! Crap...

I grabbed the handle, yanking it and pushing it, trying to pry the door open. I started to smell the acrid, burning scent, thick and choking. I slammed myself into the door, trying to lodge it open, anything to get in. More and more smoke started to seep out the bottom of the door, filling the room with the toxic fumes. The light emitting from the bottom of the door resembles that of fire. C'mon you stupid lock!

I eventually give up, instead running downstairs and grabbing the fire extinguisher, hoping that the fire hasn't spread too far. I ran back upstairs, quickly shoving the nozzle under the door, spraying the foam into the room. The fire did not let up, the light still shining from underneath the door. I jiggled the handle again, trying to bust down the door once more; nothing happening.

Well, only one more option now. I backed up, kicking in the wall. The wall crumbled, drywall spraying everywhere, revealing a hole in the wall. Through the hole, flames shot up, smoke enveloping the room. I carefully crawled through the hole, careful to steer clear of the flames. I carried the fire extinguisher through the hole, aiming it at the fire.

Right before I was able to put out the fire, a rogue flame shot up, torching my hand. I promptly dropped the extinguisher, holding my hand. The burning sensation, boiling, shot through my hand, up my arm, radiating from the back of my hand. Ugh not right now! The flames started to spread, swirling around my legs, enveloping the fire extinguisher. I quickly reached for the fire extinguisher, burning my arm in the process.

I swore in pain, but I turned on the fire extinguisher aiming the nozzle at the center of the flames, putting them out. However, the surrounding flames spread to where the others were extinguished, revealing no improvement. I tried to stay as close to the hole in the wall as possible, that being the only escape route. The flames started to creep towards the escape route.

I tried to spray the glowing heat as much as possible, hoping to finally extinguish the fire. The flames spread up the walls, covering the 863 logo, burning the racks containing all of the documents we ever found, every piece of paper connecting us to the project. I glanced back at the hole, flames surrounding the bottom, making it difficult to escape. I coughed, the smoke filling my lungs, choking me.

The flames reached higher and higher into the room, setting fire to the ceiling tiles, causing some of them to fall. I turned towards the hole, ready to escape, but to my horror, the hole was blocked off by the flames. I couldn't escape, I was trapped in the flames. I whipped my head back around to the increasingly growing flames, hot air blowing in my face, smoke rising into the air.

I coughed again, my lungs struggling to expel the smoke. I glanced back at the vault door behind me, the only area not shrouded with flames. My vision began to blur, the smoke irritating my eyes. C'mon... I coughed once again, struggling to breathe. I sank to the floor in exhaustion, the smoke filling my lungs. I covered my mouth and nose, trying to keep out the smoke as much as possible.

I attempted to find an exit once again, but nothing was revealed. As my eyelids started to droop, I heard a click. The last thing I heard before darkness surrounded me was the voice of Matt, terrified.