𝗜𝗧𝗖𝗛 ✔

𝟔𝟎. 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐆𝐍𝐈𝐙𝐄

"Where do you think that son of a bitch went?" one of the men gruffed as he cocked his gun. "I'mma kill him!"

"Hold it," the man called Scorpion held up his hand as they neared the trapdoor to the dungeon. "Anger will get us nowhere."

"Yeah, and your addiction to them drugs can?" another man spoke up as he treaded in the dungeon.

"Shut it!" Scorpion hissed. "My drugs are the reason Taelyn Scott even talked back in that dungeon."

"Yeah, well, she escaped. They all did." The man pointed to the empty cells.

"What?" He rushed into the prison site.

"They escaped, sir."

"That's- that's impossible!" yelled Scorpion, pounding his fist on the wall. "They couldn't have-"

"That- that new recruit must have set us up on purpose, sir."

"The boss is going to kill me. You!" Scorpion turned on his heel to face one of the soldiers. "Call on the walki talki, we need more soldiers for backup. We're going to storm this place and rip apart every single wall until we find those intruders."

"Y-yes, sir," the soldier trembled, his hand moving to the walki talki on his holster.

"Soldiers! Get moving!"

_*_

The tunnel that Sugu led them through was completely silent, the only sounds being their shoes tapping against the sloshy mud. Faint sounds were heard from outside of the walls, but they paid no attention to it as it seemed far away.

BAM!

A shot rang out in the air. It was not at them nor did it penetrate the walls around them, but it was alarming enough.

"That was close," said Sugu in a hushed voice, looking around for where the noise had come from.

"How close?" Taelyn asked.

"Too close," he muttered. "Much too-"

BAM!

"Duck!"

Taelyn's ears felt like they were on fire as she dropped to the ground. A flaming hot bullet soared through the air, barely grazing the top of her hair before hitting the wall behind her. A sizzling hole gaped through the walling in front of them, the only remainder of the gunshot that had just evaded her.

"Everyone!" Sugu commanded. "Move forward, get to that trapdoor! Those who can shoot, stay in the front. All else, move back!"

The wall was soon kicked down and splatters of earth and dirt sprayed everywhere. A rush of soldiers - Taelyn counted five, ten, fifteen, twenty - trampled through the mud, and the harsh noise of bullets laced the air.

"Taelyn, Aiden, get back! Take Cara with you and make sure to keep her safe!"

Scorpion walked calmly throughout the commotion, watching his soldiers rage through the tunnel, shooting recklessly at the prisoners, who were quickly escaping....

He scanned his eyes across the batch of intruders, looking through the hazy smoke....it looked like a girl and boy in their teens, another girl...he couldn't see her clearly. A man, in his thirties, maybe? That man looked so familiar...who was he?

He held up his gloved hand. "All men, cease fire."

The sharp gunshots slowed to a stop, and the ringing in the air broke off. The smoke cleared slightly as Scorpion walked towards the prisoners.

"You all. Go, I'll deal with this," Sugu said quietly to the prisoners that were fighting, along with Aiden, Taelyn, and Cara, who had stopped walking.

"We can't just leave him!" Taelyn exclaimed.

"Do you want to die?" said Aiden, pulling her arm. "We've got to find the trapdoor or else we'll all be captured again."

Scorpion ignored this chatter as he cocked his gun and put it harshly against the side of Sugu's head. "Who are you? You're so familiar...When did you defect, traitor?"

"So you know I defected," drawled Sugu lazily. "Looks like you're smart for once. You were never the ripest apple in the basket...other than with your drugs, of course."

"Shut your mouth," Scorpion slapped him across the face with the cold, hard metal of the gun.

"Now, now, there's no reason to be violent. I've been tortured and hurt enough, Scorpion, by your people, it's not like silly slaps would hurt."

"Mint hair...mint....it's so familiar...Kell...? Kellor." The name spat out of his lips with such a distaste that even Satan could shudder. "Sugu Kellor, isn't it? No wonder you look so pale. You defected, and you're worried that you might be tortured again."

"Don't take words out of my mouth, Mamba filth."

"You may call me filth," Scorpion brought a hand to the smaller man's cheek, squeezing it slightly, "but at least I have honor."

"Yes, but unlike me, you have honor to the ones that kill," Sugu spat.

Scorpion's ashy brown eyes darkened. "We have a reason to kill."

"Ah, yes, a grudge made by Mamba years ago? That's your reason to attack harmless innocents without a second thought? That's your reason to torture prisoners until they can't walk? That's your reason to blindly follow your boss to literal war?"

"Shut your little mouth," growled the taller, raising his gun again, "Or you die."

"You'll kill me either way."

"You insolent little-" Just as he was about to fire, Scorpion caught something in the corner of his eye. His eyes flitted to behind Sugu to the girl he had seen earlier...red hair.

Red! It's the girl. She's escaping!

Sugu followed his gazed. Shit. He's seen her, he thought before, oh a whim, dropping to the floor. He grabbed his gun and shot Scorpion's leg.

The latter yelped in pain, falling to the ground. Blood stained the muddy earth and the metallic stench quickly filled the air, causing the much-needed distraction. Sugu rolled back to his feet, and in a flash, took down three of the soldiers around him.

"Dammit!" Scorpion groaned. "Men! Forget it! Proceed with Plan B!" he yelled.