Undercover (Phan)

Chapter 10 (Trigger Warning)

A/N: If you can't handle violence, be careful in this chapter. When Dan gets called to the execution room is when things will get a little violent. It's not too extreme but still pretty bad.

Dan's POV

The adrenaline pumps through my veins and my heart pounds through my ears and chest like a drum. I run to the ledge that leads to the stairway then begin to run down the stairs. Halfway down though, I leap over the railing and soar ten feet until my feet hit the ground. The shock from jumping from high heights used to hurt my feet and legs so badly, but I've grown used to it over the years and have learned to perfect my landings. Once it sets in that I've landed safely, I take off again, headed toward the rectangular brick column that extends from the floor to the ceiling. 

I press my back to the bricks and take a couple of breaths, but remain silent as I know they can detect sound. My target is near. I inch my hand behind me and grab one of the throwing knifes I have in the fannie-pack-like pouch I've got wrapped around my waist. I take one last breath, then turn around the brick column and throw my knife straight at my target.

The knife goes right through, cleanly.

The robot falls to the ground. 

I then race over to the far wall as fast as my legs will carry me and once I'm there, I head up the ladder that will take me to the next part of the course. I climb up the ladder quickly, my legs and arms and chest burning. When I reach the top of the ladder, I'm able to see the other side of the wall. The only way to go though, is by way of the net four meters below me.

I don't stop to take a breath, I just leap down and hit the net. It absorbs me so I don't get my breath knocked out of me. I turn into a crawling position and crawl across the net. I have to be careful though because there are large spikes just underneath the net and so if I lean the wrong way on this net, they'll cut me or possibly even impale me. I actually kind of have to go slowly across the net so that won't happen because if I leave a trail of blood behind me, I'm finished. The ropes of the net dry and blister my hands, but I keep going. Ahead of me will be another robot that will try to shoot me, and I will have to shoot it and dodge the bullets it shoots at me before it can kill me. The catch? I've got people watching me, and this is supposed to mock a "surprise attack" so even though I know the robot is coming, I have to act like I don't, so I can't pull my gun out until I see the drone. Any sooner, and my superiors watching me will punish me. I'm not allowed to have an advantage, you see, because this is supposed to seem "real".

I reach the edge of the net and set my arms on the platform, setting off the sensors for the next robot - the sixth one I've encountered so far, and there are two more after this one. The metal figure rises from a lower platform farther away in half a second later. I jump up onto my platform from the net and dig for my gun. The platform with the drone on it moves from side to side for "realism" and loud bangs fill the air as bullets fly by me. I dodge them, yank my gun out of its holster and aim it at the robot. I shoot four times, each time causing the robot to jolt back until it goes limp. I set my gun back in its holster quickly and run off once again.

I leap off the platform an easy two meters to the ground and take off to where the bright yellow arrows on the floor are leading me, even though I pretty much have this course memorized. This next part is almost always a surprise though, so I have to be as prepared for it as possible. I have to be one hundred percent alert at all times. As I run along the gray, concrete floors, I see the familiar red sign that in big, bold letters says SLOW DOWN. I'm supposed to walk for this part of the course, which is actually a bit refreshing. I'm able to catch my breath, or at least attempt to, but I don't relax or even think about anything else other than what I need to be doing.