Earlier, as soon as the mutant guard squad suddenly withdrew, Takeshi disappeared from where he stood. In a split second, the blindfolded swordsman reappeared beside Nadya, steadying her just as she was about to collapse.
She was barely able to stand, her breathing ragged. Looking up at her companion, she understood his body language perfectly - even with that blank, unreadable expression of his.
"I'll live," she muttered, forcing herself upright with his help.
Takeshi tilted his head slightly.
"I don't know either, but he should be fine," Nadya answered his unspoken question. "He can always just phase his way out of there whenever he needs to and has always been the best at these kinds of missions. Let's just get out of here for now - we'll meet him at the rendezvous point."
Takeshi nodded, slinging her arm over his shoulder as they made their way toward the breach they had created in the facility's walls.
The bitter cold of the mountain bit at them the moment they emerged outside. Snow and ice stretched endlessly in all directions, the wind howling against the rugged peaks.
They trudged through the snow and reached where they had initially emerged from a rift in the air.
Then they waited...
'What's taking him so long?'
As time ticked by, they couldn't help but be worried for Isaac especially after...
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The ground shook. Explosions ripped through the facility below, deep within the mountain, sending tremors through the very earth.
Takeshi and Nadya turned to each other. With the facility collapsing and the series of explosions taking place, there was no way to go back and search for their companion. If he was even alive...
Suddenly, a figure emerged from beneath the snow a short distance away.
Isaac.
And with him a ragged figure.
Isaac managed to phase himself and Kai out of the collapsing facility despite his condition. He did so out of sheer desperation, but it came at a steep cost.
Takeshi moved before Nadya could even react.
In a flash, he was upon them, grabbing both Isaac and Kai by the back of their shirts - one in each hand - before flinging them forward, dropping them right in front of Nadya.
Kai fell into the cold with a grunt, cursing under his breath as he regained consciousness. His body screamed in agony, nausea twisting his gut after experiencing the Phaser's ability.
Isaac wasn't much better.
Both of them doubled over - gagging, choking - before vomiting profusely into the snow. The bile was mixed with blood, proof of their bodies being pushed to their limits.
Nadya and Takeshi simply watched.
They saw the state Isaac was in. The missing arm. The way his body trembled. But worst of all, the broken look in his eyes.
Takeshi's expression barely changed, but Nadya's sharp gaze softened.
She sighed.
There was no time for this.
They were still deep in the mountains, in the cold, and the remains of the facility were still collapsing beneath them. It was only a matter of time before the mountain caved in on itself.
And who knew what else they might come across in the freezing, remote mountain range.
Nadya reached into her coat, pulling out a small, jagged stone.
A Spatial Pulse.
An item that was given to her by their coordinator. He was a mysterious individual and not much was known about him besides his devout loyalty to their leader and how useful his ability was.
Nadya crushed the stone between her fingers.
Seconds later, the air in front of them shimmered, warping and twisting as space itself contorted.
A dark rift split open before them.
Kai, barely conscious, felt his breath hitch.
Even in his dazed state, the sight of a literal hole in space left him in awe.
Then - before he could even process it - Takeshi grabbed him and tossed him straight through.
Kai barely had time to let out a strangled curse before he hit the ground with a thud on the other side.
-
Kai groaned, pushing himself up onto his elbows.
They were no longer in the freezing mountains.
Instead, he found himself in what looked like a lounge.
Dim lighting. Comfy-looking furniture. The faint smell of alcohol and smoke lingered in the air.
Before he could take it all in, a sharp voice cut through his thoughts.
"Who's this guy?"
The woman with vivid orange hair and a toned, scantily clad muscular frame came out of the Spatial Rift, followed by Takeshi who was carrying Isaac.
She stared into Kai's blood-red eyes, and although appeared relaxed, was filled with suspicion.
"Does he work for them?" she asked, vaguely recognising him as the one in a guard's uniform who had been watching her fight.
Isaac, still reeling from exhaustion, shook his head weakly.
That was all the confirmation she needed for the time being.
She gave a curt nod. "Alright, nerd boy. We're safe."
Isaac barely managed a weak exhale before his body gave out.
His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed onto the couch, unconscious.
Kai, on the other hand, was still too wired to relax.
His mind was a mess.
'Who the fuck are these guys?'
He recognised the orange-haired woman - she had been fighting the ice mutant back at the facility. And the blindfolded swordsman? He was just as terrifying as he was elegant.
But aside from that?
He had no idea who they were. Or where they had taken him.
And worst of all, his memory of how his fight in Nyx's lab concluded was hazy.
'This damned head of mine.'
He still couldn't remember anything before Nyx's facility and the last thing he remembered was... his blood.
Then letting loose and being overcome by an extreme desire to kill.
Then... nothing.
A deep unease settled in his gut.
He pushed himself up, forcing his aching body into a defensive posture.
If these people were enemies, he'd fight.
Even if he had no chance of winning. Even if his body screamed at him.
Just thinking about using his blood ability made his skull throb in agony, and he was unsure if he had enough blood left to do much, but he mentally prepared himself.
Nadya, now lounging on a chair in the corner, glanced at him and grinned.
Grabbing a bottle of vodka from the table, she took a deep swig before sighing in satisfaction.
"Ahhh. There's nothing better," she mused.
Kai stared at her, his jaw clenched and clearly on edge.
Meanwhile, Takeshi stood silently beside him and tilted his head slightly - observing Kai with a neutral expression.
'Are all mutants crazy?' Kai couldn't help but think, observing the two characters in the lounge.
Nadya took another swig of alcohol without the slightest reaction. "Until Isaac wakes up, I'm not really sure what to do with him."
Takeshi looked at her, and she nodded her head.
"Wait-" Kai began, but without warning...
BAM!
The next thing he knew, Takeshi's sheathed blade struck the top of his head.
His vision blurred and his body gave out - darkness swallowed him whole.