“KB42 really shouldn’t have told you that.” Suzie said as Henna and 24-42 sat in her office the next day.
“It wasn’t too hard to figure out. What I want to know is how would they do it?” 24-42 asked. “I destroyed the tanks on Exposure day.”
“Lethal injection and hope it works.” Suzie told them. “Have you told Alexis and Daniel?”
“Glob NO! Can you imagine the stink they’d raise?” 24-42 looked shocked. “Why do you think we asked for a closed-door discussion?”
“At least you have some sort of common sense.” Suzie sighed. “Look, I’m going to be brutally honest, it’s not looking good for Tytus. He just sits there and smirks at the psychology team when they try to work on him. He has zero fear.”
“Fully indoctrinated from birth.” Henna looked sadly at her feet. “We can’t save him, can we?”
“I don’t think so, and even if you could, can the Project really afford to waste time, money and resources? I know we want to save him, but the reality is he’s only seen as a tool now.”
24-42 leaned back on her chair and looked at the ceiling. “How close did they come to killing me?” She asked.
“No where near it.” Suzie said, shuffling some paperwork. “An anger problem is nothing compared to what Tytus is going through. Besides, you willingly and actively participated in your treatment. Tytus is being stubborn as all heck.”
“But they HAD to have known that he was a Trouper when they brought him in.” Henna cried.
“They did. It was why he was arrested.” Suzie told them. “Don’t ask me WHY they thought it was a good idea to bring a Trouper into this Project. Anyone could have told them it was a bad idea.”
“Understatement of the year.” 24-42 snorted.
Suddenly red lights and alarms started blaring. “EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY! EXPERIMENT HAS BREACHED CONTAINMENT! EMERGENCY!” They heard 1B-42 cry.
“Oh SHIT!” Suzie cried.
“That’d be Tytus!” Henna looked at 24-42, who looked pale.
“Tytus what have you done…” She groaned.
“TEAM 1A TO THE HELIPAD! TEAM 1A TO THE HELIPAD! EMERGENCY! EMERGENCY!” 1A-42 cried.
“Looks like we’ve gotta go get him back.” Suzie nodded to the two Experiments, who leapt out of the chairs and bolted to the Helipad.
A cargo helicopter was there waiting for them when they got there. M42 and C42 were in it already. “Move! We’ll brief you on the way, we can’t wait!” M42 pulled them both onto the helicopter.
“How’d he escape?!” Henna asked as they waited for Alexis and Daniel.
“Flew. Must’ve gotten the idea from you two.” C42 frowned at the Experiments, who looked sheepish. “He can’t go too far though, he’s not either of you.”
“About time, hurry up you two!” M42 yelled as Alexis and Daniel finally appeared. “We’re losing time!”
“What happened? What’s this about an Experiment escaping?” Daniel asked as the helicopter took off.
“Tytus has gotten out. He flew out.” Henna explained as the helicopter soared over the desert. “Wait…are we in the middle of the Propane Desert?”
“Only place to hide anything, no one wants to come out here.” C42 pointed out.
“This place is dangerous! There’s a reason it’s called the Propane Desert, what with all the natural gas seeping out through the sand! How have we not blown up yet?!” Alexis cried.
“How do you think we power the base?” C42 grinned.
“I suddenly don’t feel so good.” Suzie clutched her stomach.
“It’s the natural gas, it sucks out most of the oxygen closer to the ground.” M42 explained. “You’re still human, so it’ll affect you.”
“Not affecting YOU though.” Daniel raised an eye at C42.
“Oh it is, believe me.” C42 said, although it didn’t sound like she was affected in the slightest. “Besides, you need your briefing.”
“Right!” 24-42 and Henna turned their attention to C42. Alexis and Daniel looked at each other before listening to the brief.
“15-42 can only fly short distances before he has to land. This has made him much easier to track. However, because he’s walking in the natural gas, it’s harder for non-modified humans to capture him, even without his powers.” C42 told them. “You’re to try to capture him and if you can’t, terminate him.”
“NO!” The four Experiments cried.
“If you don’t, and he gets loose, you’ll all be destroyed as evidence.” C42 told them. “It’s you or him.”
24-42 felt her anger rising. How could Tytus do this? Weren’t they all friends? Had the last year and a bit meant nothing to him?! She resolved that if she had to let loose her temper, she would.
“So be it.” She said coldly. M42 looked at her worriedly. Henna looked sadly but determinedly at her feet. Daniel and Alexis looked at 24-42 in pure shock.
“You WOULDN’T.” Alexis gasped.
“If it keeps you guys alive, I’ll do whatever it takes. Tytus is the one making me choose, so he’s the one who will pay.” 24-42 was sounding colder and colder.
“You couldn’t, you’re not capable.” Daniel tried to call her bluff.
“You have no idea what I’m capable of.” A sneer entered 24-42’s voice. Daniel and Alexis backed off.
“EXPERIMENT SPOTTED! LOWERING THE HELICOPTER!” The spotter next to the pilot called out.
“Thank you SP90FG-42, we’ll take it from here.” C42 said. She looked out of the front window of the cockpit. “Looks like he’s taken to the air again. Pull up alongside him and you four can go from there.”
“Right!” The four Experiments nodded.
Tytus meanwhile was enjoying his newfound ability. He didn’t notice the helicopter until it was almost right on top of him.“Dammit!” He cried as the wind started getting in his eyes.
24-42 and Henna stood at the open cargo door ready to deploy. “TYTUS! COME BACK!” Henna cried.
“BITE ME!” Tytus cried. “I’M NOT GOING BACK TO THAT PRISON YOU CALL A HOME!”
“HOW ON EARTH IS OUR FACILITY A PRISON WHEN YOU CAN GO WHENEVER YOU LIKE?!” C42 called.
Tytus blinked.
“YOU CAN REQUISITION A DAY PASS YOU IDIOT!” Suzie called, before turning to throw up in her spew bag.
“We can do that?” The four Experiments in the helicopter looked at each other.
“IT DOESN’T MATTER, I’M NOT GOING BACK!” Tytus yelled, determined.
“YOU FOOL!” Henna cried. She jumped from the cargo door, 24-42 behind her.
“Jump on.” Daniel knelt in front of Alexis, who climbed on his back before he took off. “Man I hate flying.” He muttered to himself as he took off out of the cargo door.
Henna and 24-42 faced Tytus. 24-42’s eyes were the reddest they’d ever been, all trace of green or brown gone. They were also red-rimmed, and anyone could tell that she was close to crying.
“You’re our friend Tytus. How can you betray us?” 24-42 asked.
“Friend? Pah.” Tytus sneered. “You’re nothing to me compared to the Troupe.”
“A Troupe that left you to rot in prison.” Henna pointed out. “A Troupe that doesn’t even care that you’ve been taken in and experimented on.”
“Of course they don’t! The Troupe is more than the individual.” Tytus snapped, but M42 watching on could see that Henna had nicked him somewhat with her words.
“You two!” They heard Alexis yell, as Daniel flew her over. “Let him be!”
“What is wrong with you two?! We want to bring him back alive!” Henna cried.
“You’re just going to make him leave more! Attacking his religion like that!” Alexis snapped back.
24-42 couldn’t hold back anymore. “I am SICK of people betraying me!” She roared. “All my life people have been ditching me like I’m some sort of toy and I am DONE with it!”
Her body flared with red power. “If I’m not worth anything to you, then so be it.”
“NO!” Henna cried as 24-42 rushed at Tytus with red force. He couldn’t dodge, and took the blow hard. Suddenly Alexis jumped from Daniels back onto 24-42, about to Blast her with purple power when Henna grabbed her and threw her to the ground. Daniel then swooped in, Blasting Henna and following up with a punch to the stomach.
Henna was ready for the secondary blow, and blocked it with a yellow shield. Meanwhile Tytus and 24-42 were raining blows down on each other. This time however, 24-42 was not holding back. The only thing stopping Tytus from getting completely destroyed was Alexis firing blue Blasts at 24-42 that she had to dodge.
Furious, 24-42 formed a spear that she shot directly at Alexis, which went right through her. Alexis began to cough, hacking so hard she almost vomited. Tytus watched the attack in horror.
“Alexis!” He called out, before 24-42 punched him hard. Daniel looked horrified at Alexis, giving Henna an opening to Blast him out of the sky.
“This is horrific.” C42 looked sadly at the fighting Experiments.
“YOU are the one who signed off on letting a Haunted Maze Trouper in!” M42 snapped.
C42 said nothing.
Tytus meanwhile had upped to red power to match 24-42s blows.
“Give it up! Just give it up already, you’re only hurting yourself!” Tytus roared.
“YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE MY FRIEND!” 24-42 roared back.
The pair separated and fired powerful red Blasts at each other. The resulting explosion was so powerful the cargo helicopter went spinning out of control. It was only the skill of PL89-42, the pilot, who stopped them from crashing.
“I can’t take much more of this!” Suzie cried, throwing up again in a new sick bag.
“24-42! You need to stop this! Bring them in!” M42 tried. 24-42 heard his voice and looked towards him. Tears rolled down her face.
Tytus looked ready to attack again until he saw the tears. He then saw Daniel and Henna trying to help Alexis to her feet, all of them bruised and defeated. He slumped, slipping down towards the ground.
“I yield. Please, I yield.” Tytus looked defeated. “Stop hurting yourselves for me.”
“I thought you said you loved destruction.” Henna snapped.
Tytus said nothing. 24-42 grabbed him roughly and dragged him into the helicopter. Henna helped Daniel get Alexis back in too.
24-42 cried the entire way back, M42 with an arm around her. All Tytus could do was look guilty.