The second Magnus gives the order, Squad Bastards moves out. At the back-right side of the fortress, a Norway soldier fumbles nervously through his pockets at a secret door.
"Come on! Come on! Where's that damn key?!" the soldier mutters frantically as he digs through his pockets.
Behind him, Victor leans casually against the wall, his lips curled into a devious smile.
"Chop chop now," Victor says smoothly, his tone almost playful. "I don't know how long it'll take before the poison burns up all the blood in your system."
The soldier freezes, panic flashing across his face. "I—I'm moving as fast as I can! Please, just get the antidote ready! I can't die today!" Tears start to form in his eyes as his hands shake violently.
Victor's cold gaze falls on the small bleeding hole at the back of the soldier's neck where he had injected the syringe minutes earlier.
"Oh, don't worry, young man," Victor says, his voice soft but chilling. "Once you open the back door to the base, I'll make sure you're moving around with young, burning passion again."
The soldier finally pulls out the keycard, his voice cracking with relief. "Got it!"
He scans it on the door's reader, and the lock clicks open.
"Ah, magnificent," Victor murmurs, stepping forward. "Such a good little helper."
Victor strolls past him, snatching the keycard as he enters the base.
"Wait—the antidote!" the soldier shouts desperately.
Victor pauses, pretending to think. "Ah, yes. How could I forget? I can't leave you in such a sickly state, now can I?" He digs into his coat and pulls out another syringe before tossing it lazily toward the soldier.
"Be careful with that," Victor says, his tone strangely calm. "It's your only hope. Right arm. Inject it quickly. You helped me… so I suggest you help yourself."
"Yes, sir! I'm finally saved!" the soldier cries, stabbing the syringe into his arm without hesitation.
"Feeling any different, boy?" Victor asks, tilting his head curiously.
The soldier exhales shakily. "Not really… I feel the sa—"
A single drop of blood slides from his nose, hitting the ground. He touches his nostrils and sees crimson covering his fingers.
"Hu—wait, what—ahhhh!"
He collapses to his knees, screaming in agony as blood begins pouring from his ears, eyes, and mouth. His veins bulge unnaturally, writhing beneath his skin like boiling worms.
"My body! It burns! What the hell did you do to me?!" he screams, voice breaking from pain.
Victor crouches down, watching him with twisted fascination.
"What did I do?" he says casually. "All I did was inject hydrogen peroxide into your bloodstream. Then you went and mixed it with potassium permanganate." He clicks his tongue mockingly. "What you needed was a chaser, boy. Instead, you drowned yourself in a stronger beverage. Now, you've bitten off more than you can chew."
The soldier's screams intensify as every vein in his body surges violently.
"You were safer with just the peroxide," Victor continues coldly. "But now… your blood's boiling away into nothing."
"Y-you son of a—!" the soldier spits out before another surge of pain chokes his voice.
"Shhh," Victor whispers. "Your organs should be failing soon."
Moments later, the soldier collapses face-first into a pool of his own blood. His body twitches once… and then goes still.
Victor sighs and wipes his gloves clean. As he closes the back door behind him, he mutters, "These young men… always the same. Fools."
***
Victor moves deeper into the base, his boots silent against the metal flooring. He adjusts his earpiece and speaks calmly.
"Hello, Madam Raven. I've entered the base."
Static.
"…Madam Raven?"
Silence.
Victor frowns.
***
On the other side of the fortress, near the back end, Leon emerges from the bushes, crouched low. He stares up at the towering walls.
"So… we're really supposed to climb these tall-ass walls?" he mutters, tilting his head back. "We're screwed."
"Stop stressing, kid. We practiced this back at base."
Leon looks over his shoulder and sees Axel, armed to the teeth: two straps across his torso, a belt loaded with grenades, a submachine gun on each hip, six warheads strapped to his chest, and two rocket launchers slung across his back.
Leon blinks. "That's… a walking catastrophe waiting to happen."
"Shut up, kid," Axel says proudly. "I've been doing this longer than you think. This setup? The ultimate setup."
"How do you even move with all that crap? One stray bullet and you're toast."
Axel grins. "Well, at least I'd go out with a boom!"
Leon groans, shaking his head.
Axel pulls out a grappling rope from the bushes, handing Leon one as well. "Kind of annoying I gotta babysit you… but I already trained you for this part."
Leon sighs. "Yeah, yeah. I was paying attention."
"Good. Now follow my lead."
Axel spins the grappling hook above his head, then hurls it skyward. Leon mirrors him clumsily.
"You sure these ropes are long enough?" Leon asks nervously, watching the line disappear into the night.
"Relax," Axel says confidently. "These are the longest ones we've got. If they're not… well, we're cooked."
"Wow. Very reassuring," Leon mutters under his breath.
The hooks latch onto the top of the wall with a sharp clink.
"Boom!" Axel shouts. "Not cooked after all!"
Leon swallows hard. Oh god… I was hoping we wouldn't actually have to go in.
***
Three grueling minutes later, they're halfway up the wall. Sweat drips down Leon's forehead as his arms tremble.
"Ugh… my arms are screaming right now," he pants.
"You've been doing the upper-body workouts like I told you, right?" Axel asks with a chuckle.
"Yes! I did all that!"
"Then suck it up, kid. You'll live."
Leon glares up at him. Easy for you to say, freak.
Just as Axel nears the top, he freezes, spotting two mounted turrets pivoting toward his position. A group of soldiers rushes in from the left.
Axel smirks. He pulls his hood over his head and slides on his goggles.
"Hey, kid—hang tight!" he shouts.
"Hang tight?! I'm barely holding on as it is!" Leon yells back.
Axel launches himself up and over the edge, landing on the platform as the turrets whir toward him. Without hesitation, he whips out both rocket launchers.
"Boom, baby!"
He fires. Two explosions light up the night, shredding both turrets in seconds. Axel lands, smoke curling off his launchers, and slings them back over his shoulders.
"Intruder on the wall!" a soldier shouts.
Axel grins wildly, pulls three grenades from his belt, yanks the pins with his teeth, and hurls them before anyone can fire.
BOOM
Bodies and debris scatter off the wall.
"Hahaha! Too easy!" Axel laughs. "Hey, kid! Coast's clear!"
Leon drags himself over the edge, arms shaking violently. "I was already climbing, dumbass! I didn't have a choice!"
They pull up their ropes and rappel down the other side, landing quietly inside the base.
***
"Alright, kid," Axel says, lowering his voice. "Four buildings here. Tony's family is in one of them. Everyone's got their assigned sectors, yeah?"
"Yeah, I remember mine," Leon nods.
"Good. Check yours, then sweep the fourth building afterward. I'll handle mine."
"Got it. I'll call Raven to guide me through." Leon taps his earpiece. "Hey, Raven. Can you help me navigate like usual?"
Silence.
"…Raven?"
Leon frowns and taps it again.
"Raven, do you copy?"
Axel freezes, his face going pale.
"Wait… Raven's not answering?" He clenches his jaw. "…Oh, shit. We might be fucked."