The icy water clung to their skin as Yuri spoke, his voice cutting through the crashing waves.
"Recon first. That base is a fortress, a steel and concrete tomb carved into the mountain. We need to know its secrets – the layout, the guard patterns, where they're holding our targets. A head-on assault without intel? That's just painting the walls with our blood."
Even as the words left his lips, a piercing siren wailed from the heart of the base, slicing through the air like a banshee's cry. Red lights erupted, painting the gray structures in a pulsating, ominous glow.
Bakari's head snapped toward the base, his eyes widening. "What in Christ's name is happening?"
Before Yuri could answer, the ground trembled beneath their feet. A deafening roar ripped through the air, followed by a series of earth-shattering explosions that turned the night sky into a chaotic canvas of fire and smoke. Chunks of concrete and twisted metal rained down around them, the air thick with the acrid smell of burning fuel.
Yuri's single eye narrowed, his usual cool demeanor replaced by a flicker of something darker, something uneasy. "Scratch that plan," he muttered, his voice barely audible above the din. "Looks like someone else decided to crash the party."
Bakari stared at the base, a grin spreading across his face. "Well, that certainly makes things easier, doesn't it? Let's go get our people back."
Yuri, never one to waste words, simply unbuttoned his jacket. Beneath, his chest was bare, and as he channeled his Authority, purple veins surged across his skin, pulsing with raw power.
In a blur of motion, they flashed toward the facility door. Bakari, fueled by newfound celestial energy, kicked it with explosive force. The entire chunk of the wall surrounding the door, along with the reinforced metal, ripped free, flying inward with a thunderous crash.
Dust and debris filled the air as the agents opened fire.
Yuri reacted instantly, his bone whip lashing out, striking down an agent before they could raise their weapon.
Bakari, fueled by celestial energy, blitzed through the remaining agents. He moved like a whirlwind, trying to minimize the harm he inflicted, but the sheer force of his speed sent bodies flying.
A masked agent with a metal leg grabbed the blonde-haired agent, yelling, "Go! Warn the Colonel! Tell him there's a breach! Go!" He shoved the young agent toward the elevator, then turned back, pulling out two brass knuckles from his pockets. The knuckles were sleek and high-tech, glowing with faint blue energy. "Okay, you fiends! Come at me!"
The bone whip continued its deadly dance, slashing through the air, taking down agent after agent.
Then, a blur kicked the masked agent, sending him hurtling across the room. He landed hard, his mask ripped off in the impact, revealing a grizzled face. Blood trickled from his mouth as he looked up, dazed, seeing Bakari standing over him, a crater in the wall behind him.
"Hey, easy there," Bakari said, his voice surprisingly gentle. "I really don't want to hurt you. Just tell us where they're keeping the others, and we'll be on our way." He paused, a sad smile twisting his lips. "You know, before things get worse."
The bald-headed agent, defiant even in defeat, spat on Bakari's shoe.
Bakari's face contorted in shock, a memory flashing through his mind, unbidden and unwelcome. Pluton. He was out shopping with his mother when an old female customer, sneering, spat in his face, calling him a "mutt."
Back in the present, Bakari sighed, the rage momentarily subsiding, replaced by a familiar weariness. He wiped his shoe with his hand, a flicker of sadness in his eyes.
Yuri approached, his single eye narrowed in inquiry. "He say anything yet?"
Bakari shook his head. "Just…being difficult."
Suddenly, the sounds of the building sealing shut echoed around them. The metallic clang of blast doors sliding into place reverberated through the corridor. The boys looked up, a shared sense of unease settling over them.
The agent, a triumphant smirk spreading across his bloodied face, chuckled. "You folks are going to die in here," he wheezed. "You're stuck in here now!" He erupted in a fit of hacking laughter.
Bakari's expression hardened, a predatory glint in his eyes, but a flicker of concern crossed his features. "No," he said, his voice dangerously low, but tinged with a hint of regret. "It's you who's stuck in here with us. And I really don't want this to get messy."
The smile instantly vanished from the agent's face, replaced by a dawning horror.
Yuri tapped Bakari's shoulder and said, "He's not going to talk. We just need to track their energy signatures."
Bakari nodded, "You're right. Let's go. This place is giving me bad vibes." They hurried up a winding staircase, only to stop short upon meeting two awakened agents.
As they turned the corner, the boys froze. One agent—a bald-headed figure—addressed them with a sneer, "Look what we have here."
As soon as Bakari faced them, he felt an unfamiliar energy emanating from the duo—a strange spiritual force he couldn't quite comprehend but was palpable, tingling in the air around them. He frowned, a hint of worry in his voice. "This isn't good. Yuri, be careful."
The red-eyed one unsheathed his katanas with a menacing grace, while the bald-headed agent thrust his palm forward, causing icy tendrils to snake out and freeze Bakari in place.
Meanwhile, Yuri quickly formed an angular bone shield, charging at the red-eyed agent and smashing him through a wall with immense force.
With a swift backhand, Yuri then sent the bald-headed one crashing down the hall.
Turning to Bakari, Yuri shouted, "Bakari!"
Just as the ice around Bakari shattered, freeing him. He rubbed his arms vigorously, muttering, "Blast, that's cold. I really hate the cold."
Yuri scanned the corridors. "Seems like these are not your run-of-the-mill humans."
Bakari nodded, a grim expression on his face. "No, they're not. We need to be careful. Something's different about them."