Chapter 12 Something in the Dark

The security room door stood at the end of the hallway. Emergency strips flickered along the walls, casting long shadows.

Leo stopped in front of the door and knocked.

"It's Leo and Chen! We're back! Let us in!"

Deadbolt slid back with a heavy clunk, door opened.

Ben-san stood there, his face pale. He looked past Leo and Chen, scanning the hallway behind them, before ushering them inside.

"Get in. Get in, now. Where's Jeff?"

Leo and Chen stepped through the doorway. Ben slammed the door and threw the deadbolt.

Aris was standing by the monitors, her arms crossed, her white hair glowing in the dim light. Sarah was pressed against the far wall, her knees pulled to her chest. Maka was sitting on the edge of the desk, her hands folded in her lap.

They all looked at Leo.

At the blood on his uniform. At the dark fluid splattered across his face. At the heavy monkey wrench in his hand, still dripping blood.

"Where's Jeff?" Maka asked.

"He's gone."

Maka's hands unclasped. Her fingers pressed against her mouth.

"What do you mean, gone?" Ben asked. "Gone where?"

Leo looked at him. 

"He is dead. The vents. We tried to escape through the ventilation shaft. The freaks..."

He stopped.

Chen picked up where he couldn't.

"The freaks got him. Jeff was... he was ahead of us. These mutants... caught him."

She didn't describe what happened next. She didn't need to.

Maka made a sound. Small. Broken. Like a wounded animal.

"No... No, no, no. Jeff..."

She turned away. Her shoulders shook. Her hands covered her face.

Aris looked at the monitors. The feeds showed empty corridors, flickering lights, shadows that seemed to move. But no monsters.

"Communications are down," Aris said, turning to face the group. "We can't call for help. We can't initiate a lockdown from here. The main power grid is dead, which means the automated security systems are offline. So, we have only one option left."

She walked to the wall where a facility map was pinned. Yellowed, faded, but still legible. Her finger traced a path.

"We need to reach the lobby. The main vault doors leading down to the lower levels are manual override. Heavy. Reinforced. If we can lock them from the surface side, nothing from below gets out. We seal the lower levels. Contain whatever Finch created. Then we escape through the main entrance and lock the doors behind us."

Sarah asked, "What about everyone else? Other survivors?"

Aris was quiet for a moment.

"If there are any left, they'll be on the upper levels. Close to the surface. We can help them once we're out."

"And if they're not on the upper levels?" Maka asked.

"Then these creatures got them by now."

Leo stepped closer to the map, studying the route. "We need to reach the main elevator. Through the cafeteria, past the admin offices, then the main stairwell."

"The cafeteria is where we saw the most of them. What if it's crawling with them in there. The camera is dead, I can't look." Ben-san said.

"I know. But it's the only path. It's the only plan we have. Communications are dead. Power is dead. We can't wait for help that isn't coming. We can't fight an army of those things with wrenches and axes."

Leo pointed at the map.

"But we can lock a door. We can seal them in. And we can walk out of this nightmare alive."

Maka hefted a fire axe.

"I'm in."

Chen nodded. "Me too."

Sarah looked at Aris. "I'm not staying here alone."

Ben-san raised his hand. "I'm coming too. No point in staying. Camera feed is mostly dead. Even if I stayed, I would be of no help."

Leo looked at each of them in turn.

"Then let's move. Stay close. Stay quiet. And don't stop for anything."

Leo pulled the deadbolt.

The door swung open.

The hallway was dark.

Somewhere in the distance, a distorted giggled echoed across the hallway.

--------------------

They had been sneaking for what felt like hours.

In reality, it had been twenty minutes at most. Twenty minutes of dark corridors, flickering lights, and shadows that moved when you weren't looking. Twenty minutes of holding their breath every time they turned a corner. Twenty minutes of surviving.

Leo held up his fist.

Everyone stopped.

They were outside Lab 64. The door was open. Interior was dark, but emergency strips inside were still glowing. Tables. Chairs. Equipment. No bodies. No blood. No movement.

"We rest here," Leo said. "Two minutes. Catch your breath. Check your weapons."

They filed inside.

Chen dropped on the chair, placing her gun on the table. Ben-san slumped against a counter, his chest heaving. Sarah sat on the floor, her back against a cabinet, her knees pulled to her chest. Aris leaned against a lab table.

Maka stood by the window and looked into the corridor. A small, reinforced glass panel in the door.

She was staring at something that no one noticed.

"Chen," Leo said quietly. "How much ammo left?"

Chen patted her vest. "Two magazines. That's all we had back in the security room."

"Well shit. Not enough. Seems like someone forgot to restock."

"Then we don't miss. How about that."

Ben-san laughed. It was a hollow, broken sound. "Don't miss, she says. Sure. Against an army of monster rabbits. Great plan."

"You got a better one? Huh, Ben-san? NO?! Yeah, that's what I though! You forgot to restock! It's your fault we low on ammo, you fuck!"

Ben-san argued back, "Maybe if you weren't such a slut who locks herself with Sandra in the utility room to fuck! Maybe if you stopped shaking your big, round ass on the camera for five minutes, you could have reminded me to restock! I forgot! Okay!"

Chen walked to Ben-san and got into his face, her arms grabbed his uniform and pulled close, face to face. "You god damn creep! No one knows about that. Sandra told no one. How do you know? Wait... don't tell me. You sick creep, did you look at us through the camera? Did you turn on the utility room camera when Sandra turned them off? You bastard, just how long have you been watching us!"

Ben-san pushed her away and shouted, "Oh, you fucking bet I did, for past two fucking years! You always been a bitch with me! Dropping your work on me to film your crap videos! And when you're not, you go fuck with Sandra! Dropping more work on me! Oh! Oh! And I know you been bitch talking about me behind my back! To everyone! To our boss! Telling how much of a shit job I do! I got demoted because of you! But guess what, bitch! I have recorded every last one of your fun times with Sandra! Oh yeah! And I had a blast with it. And when we get out of this damn rabbit hole! I will post them online!"

Chen's face did not know what reaction to display; she was in shock. "I will murder you; you damn creep! What kind of sick animal are you! How dare you! Delete all of the videos you took! Right now! Now!"

Ben-san laughed in her face, "HA! You wish! But wait! I thought you like to shake your ass on the video, for millions to see! Think of it as me doing you a favor! Hahahah!"

Leo walked to the center of the room, his monkey wrench hanging at his side. 

"Enough is enough! I had enough of your bullshit! We have much more important things to worry about right now! Keep this crap under till we are out and safe!"

Maka was still at the door.

Her hand pressed against the glass. Her eyes were fixed on something in the corridor. Something in the dark.

The others were still talking. Still arguing.

Maka didn't care about it.

She was watching a small head peek around the corner.

A child.

A little girl, maybe seven or eight. Dark hair. Pale skin. Wide eyes. She was wearing a torn dress. One of her shoes was missing. She looked terrified.

"Madonna santissima," Maka whispered.

She looked at the others. They were still talking. Still distracted.

She looked back at the girl.

The head disappeared around the corner.

Then it peeked again.

Maka's feet moved before her brain caught up.

She walked toward the door. Slowly. Quietly. Her fire axe hung at her side, but she didn't raise it. She didn't need to. It was just a child.

A lost, scared, alone child.

She pushed the door open. No one noticed. She stepped into the hallway.

The girl was still there. Standing at the corner now, not just peeking. Her hands were clasped in front of her. Her bare foot was pale against the concrete.

Maka walked toward her. Slow. Careful.

"Ciao, piccola. Ciao. It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."

The girl didn't respond. Didn't move. 

Maka stopped a few feet away. She crouched down, bringing herself to the girl's eye level.

"Where are your parents? Your mamma? Papà? Are you lost? Can you tell me your name? Povera piccola. Poor little one. Come here. Come with me. I'll keep you safe."

She reached out her hand.

Inside the lab, Leo was still talking.

"...forget your bullshit! Rest time is over. We have to move before these mutants show up. We need to reach the main elevator as soon as possible. From there—"

Chen interrupted him.

"Where's Maka?"

Leo turned.

The door was open. Maka was gone.

"What the—"

He saw her standing in the hallway. Crouched down. Reaching toward—

"Oh, God! You got to be kidding me!"

Leo was moving before he finished the thought.

He burst through the door, monkey wrench raised.

"MAKA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING? GET AWAY FROM THAT CREATURE!"