The Executioner

“P5-EU, you are marked for execution for aiding an enemy. But don’t worry—Unit 5 will remain full, thanks to S5-RU, who will be joining as a full-time member.”

Pine’s expression shattered into one of utter defeat. His body sagged against the wall as despair consumed him and his breathing started to become faster.

“And now its time to meet you’re executioner”

SF barely had time to process what was happening before a sharp pain erupted in his chest. He gasped, stumbling forward as his hand instinctively clutched at his torso. The Kill Dose have been activated? Why Now. SF eyes moved around as his body started to convulse eventually landing on Pine

“Hey, you okay?” Pine scrambled to his feet forgetting his own despair and rushed to SF’s side, shaking him as his body convulsed. “i am sorry” SF managed to say thru his pain as his vision darkened. His eyes turned pitch-black. His hair followed, shifting into an abyssal shade as his transformation took hold.

“Hey, come on, don’t do this—don’t leave me alone in here—” Pine’s voice cracked as he desperately shook him.

But then—

A hand shot out, wrapping around Pine’s throat.

He gasped, choking as Sear rose to his feet, gripping him tightly. With effortless strength, Sear hoisted Pine into the air and slammed him against the wall, his breath heavy, his gaze empty and unrelenting.

He began walking, dragging Pine along the wall as he struggled. Then, without warning, he hurled the small boy across the room like a rag doll.

Pine hit the wall hard, coughing violently.

“Cough—cough—what the hell are you doing?!”

Sear hunched forward slightly, his breath ragged, his stance predatory.

“You’ve been marked for death,” he growled. “You’re prey.”

With a near-deafening roar, he lunged forward, slamming his fist into the spot where Pine had just been sitting.

Pine barely dodged in time. Heart pounding, he scrambled to his feet, keeping his distance as he panted heavily.

“I see… So you’re the executioner,” he muttered, his voice steady despite the fear in his eyes. “I’d suggest you don’t take me lightly.”

Suddenly, through the numerous puncture holes in his tattered uniform, sharp spikes shot out from Pine’s arms—long, gleaming, and deadly. They resembled the quills of a porcupine but were far larger and undoubtedly sharper.

Sear chuckled darkly.

“Oh, how terrifying. You know, I’ve always been scared of cacti.”

Pine snarled and lunged forward, throwing a punch.

Sear caught it Even as one of Pine’s spikes pierced straight through his palm, Sear showed no pain. Instead, he grinned—a slow, wicked smile—as he tightened his grip and yanked Pine closer.

“I wonder… do these hurt you, too?”

Without hesitation, he ripped several spikes straight from Pine’s arm.

The agonizing scream that followed echoed through the room.

“AHHHH—P-PLEASE STOP!” Pine writhed in pain, his voice breaking from sheer agony.

But Sear didn’t stop.

“You ready?” he taunted.

Then, without mercy, he drove the torn spikes into Pine’s own body.

Pine’s screams reverberated through the chamber as Sear grinned in satisfaction.

He then spun, using the momentum to hurl Pine across the room, sending him crashing headfirst into the corner. His body collapsed to the floor.

Sear tilted his head.

“Don’t tell me you’re already dead?”

As he slowly approached, still gripping one of Pine’s spikes like a knife, Pine groaned weakly from the corner.

“D-Don’t… count me out yet…”

His voice was barely above a whisper, but he managed to raise his left arm.

With a flick of his wrist, five spikes shot toward Sear.

Sear dodged with inhuman reflexes, the spikes embedding themselves in the wall behind him.

In an instant, he closed the distance again.

Pine barely had time to react before Sear seized him by the throat once more, pinning him against the wall.

Blood dripped from Sear’s wounded hand, staining the floor between them.

“P-Please…” Pine choked out, his voice hoarse. “I just… I didn’t want that kid to die…”

Sear’s grip tightened.

“It was just a kid…”

Sear slammed Pine against the wall.

Once.

Twice.

Three times.

Pine’s dazed eyes fluttered, his consciousness slipping.

Then, Carol’s voice rang out once more.

“Sear, I order you to finish it. we are running out of time.”

Pine’s eyes widened at the name she used “wait Sear? its yo-.

he never got the chance to finish his sentence.

With one final motion—CRACK—Sear snapped Pine’s neck.

His body crumpled to the floor, a broken shell of a broken soul.

“i never even counted you in the first place” Sear said to the now corpse laying at his feet

Before Sear could even register his next thought, a cable launched from the ceiling, striking him in the back.

A surge of electricity coursed through his body.

With a strangled gasp, Sear collapsed into unconsciousness.

SF’s eyes blinked as they slowly opened, a bright lamp shining directly into them. The harsh light sent a sharp ache through his skull, forcing him to squint. His body felt heavy, his limbs unresponsive, the sensation of cold metal beneath him grounding him in reality.

“Good, you are awake.”

The voice echoed in SF’s mind, familiar yet distant, as if he were hearing it through water. His breath was shallow as he tried to move, only to feel the tight grip of restraints locking him in place. His vision adjusted, focusing on the figure standing beside him.

“Doctor… is that you?”

The man stepped forward, his sharp features coming into view. He was the same middle-aged man with his coat crisp and pristine despite the sterile, impersonal atmosphere of the lab, The same man who’d operated on Rey just days ago.

“I’m impressed you recognized me. You took a massive electric strike.”

the doctor took a slow sip from a glass of water, his expression unreadable. He set it down with a quiet clink before continuing.

“Anyway, Carol has cleared you of any suspected activities. She also said you’re allowed to continue with them, so good job.”

SF didn’t respond immediately. His mind was elsewhere, replaying the image of Pine—the innocent he had slaughtered in cold blood. His fingers curled slightly, nails digging into his palms. He hadn’t wanted to kill Pine, but he had.

He exhaled slowly before forcing himself to speak.

“Thank you, Doctor.”

“Please, we know each other—sort of. But I feel like we’ll keep running into each other, so call me Salvator.”

A small, almost amused smile appeared on Salvator’s face as he undid the restraints. The cold metal loosened from SF’s wrists and ankles, allowing him to move again. He sat up slowly, his muscles stiff from inactivity, staring straight ahead as he adjusted to the sensation of freedom.

“Thank you, Salvator.”

Before leaving, SF shook the doctor’s hand. As he stepped into the long, white corridor, Salvator’s voice trailed after him, a quiet, almost knowing farewell.

“Good luck.”