KALEIDOSCOPE ━ WADE WILSON

CHAPTER EIGHT

PLAYLIST;
i. glory & gore - lorde
ii. vampire - olivia rodrigo
iii. seek & destroy - sza
iv. afraid - the neighbourhood
v. escapism - raye & 070 shake
vi. barefoot in the park - james blake & rosalia

–

The night air was thick with tension as Ainoa and Wade crouched behind a stack of shipping containers. The docks were eerily quiet, save for the gentle lapping of waves against the shore and the distant hum of the city.

Lucia had managed to trace Juan's new location through intercepted communications, leading them towards another secure facility near the docks.

"Remind me again why we couldn't do this during normal business hours?" Wade whispered, his mask slightly muffling his words.

Ainoa shot him a look, "Because normal people don't intercept illegal shipments of super-soldiers in broad daylight."

"Fair point. Though I've never claimed to be normal."

Their banter was interrupted by Lucia's voice in their earpieces. "Heads up. I'm picking up movement on the east side of the warehouse. Looks like our party's starting."

Ainoa nodded, her expression hardening. "Copy that. We're moving in."

As they made their way towards the warehouse, the sound of engines rumbling to life filled the air. A large truck emerged from the building, flanked by several SUVs.

"That's got to be it," Ainoa murmured. "Dead, you ready?"

He grinned beneath his mask. "Born ready, Katana. Let's crash these bitches."

What followed was a whirlwind of action. Ainoa and Wade moved in perfect sync, taking down guards and disabling vehicles with practiced ease.

As they fought their way closer to the truck, Ainoa caught a glimpse of a figure being loaded into the back – a person encased in what looked like a high-tech stasis pod.

"Wade, cover me!" Ainoa shouted, sprinting towards the truck. She dodged gunfire and leapt over fallen crates, her heart pounding in her ears.

Just as she reached the vehicle, Juan stepped out from behind it, a cruel smile playing on his lips. "Ah, niña. Always so predictable."

Ainoa froze, her eyes darting between Juan and the stasis pod. "What have you done?"

Juan's smile widened. "Why don't you see for yourself?" He pressed a button, and the pod's cover retracted with a hiss.

Ainoa's world stopped spinning as she stared at the face inside. It was a face she knew intimately, one she had traced with her fingers countless times in the past. A face she had believed she would never see again.

"Santiago?" she whispered, her voice breaking.

Juan laughed, a harsh, grating sound. "Surprise, querida. Your former lover has proven quite useful to us. Though I doubt he remembers you anymore."

Ainoa's mind reeled. Santiago, alive? But how? "This... this is impossible," Ainoa stammered, her eyes never leaving Santiago's face. He looked older, scarred, but unmistakably alive.

Juan circled around her, his voice dripping with mock sympathy. "Oh, Ainoa. Did you really think I'd waste such potential? Santiago owed me money, yes, but his body... now that was worth far more."

Ainoa's shock gave way to rage. She lunged at Juan, but he easily sidestepped her attack.

"Ah, ah," he tutted. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. You see, Santiago here is under my complete control now. Project Phoenix isn't just about creating super-soldiers. It's about rebirth, about taking broken things and making them... better."

"But how?" Ainoa demanded, her voice shaking. "You said you killed him. How could you possibly..."

Juan's eyes gleamed with malicious pride. "Cryogenics, my dear. We froze his body immediately after... well, you know. It's amazing what a little liquid nitrogen can do. We've been working on the reanimation process for years, perfecting it. Santiago here was our first success."

He ran a hand along the edge of the pod. "It took time, of course. Reattaching the head was just the beginning. We had to regrow nerve connections, enhance his body to withstand the trauma. But look at him now – a masterpiece of science and perseverance."

As if on cue, Santiago's eyes snapped open. They were vacant, devoid of any recognition or emotion. He sat up mechanically, turning to face Ainoa.

"Santiago..." Ainoa pleaded.

But Santiago's expression remained blank. Juan chuckled, "I'm afraid your Santiago is gone. This is Phoenix now. My perfect soldier."

Suddenly, a shot rang out. Ainoa felt a searing pain in her leg and stumbled, looking down to see blood seeping through her pants. One of Juan's men had managed to get a clear shot.

"Ainoa!" Wade's voice cut through the chaos. He was by her side in an instant. "Shit, shit, shit. Are you okay? Can you move?"

Ainoa gritted her teeth against the pain. "I'm fine. We need to stop them—"

But even as she spoke, she watched helplessly as Santiago climbed out of the pod and into the truck. Juan's voice echoed in her mind: "Until next time, Ainoa. Isn't it wonderful how love never truly dies?"

The world spun around her as Wade supported her weight, his voice urgent and tinged with worry. "Ainoa, we need to move, now! You're losing blood."

But Ainoa couldn't tear her eyes away from the disappearing truck. Santiago, alive. Santiago, Project Phoenix. The man she had loved, now a puppet in Juan's twisted game.

The mission had failed, but the stakes had risen beyond anything Ainoa could have imagined. As sirens wailed in the distance and Wade half-carried her away from the scene, a maelstrom of emotions threatened to overwhelm her. Shock, grief, anger, and a desperate, irrational hope all warred within her.

"Ainoa, please!" Wade's voice was strained with effort and emotion. "We can't help him if we're caught or killed! And I'm not letting you bleed out here, got it?"

His words sparked something in her. He was right. This wasn't the end. It was a beginning.

As they fled, narrowly escaping the approaching police, Ainoa's mind raced. Santiago was alive. Changed, controlled, but alive. And if he was alive, there was hope. Hope of saving him, of undoing whatever Juan had done.

But with that hope came a chilling realization. Juan now had the perfect weapon against her – the man she had once loved, turned into an unfeeling, unstoppable force.

This was far from over. In fact, it had only just begun.

Wade's arm tightened around her waist as they made their escape, his concern palpable. "Hang in there, baby. We're getting you patched up as soon as we're clear. And then we figure out how to save your zombie friend and kick Juan's ass. Sound good?"

"Sounds like a plan."