If "rescue success" were a movie, then the part Ethan and Vic were playing now would be the deleted scenes—because it was bloody, and absurd.
The three of them staggered out of the lab while gunfire behind them sounded like the city's fireworks festival gone wrong. Bullets clattered on metal walls, sparks lighting the corridor brighter than Christmas.
"You know, Vic," Ethan panted, grinning, "I once dreamed of being a popcorn vendor. Looks like I made it. I am the popcorn."Vic nearly collapsed. "If you'd shut up for five seconds, maybe we'd live!"
They sprinted into an emergency passage, red alarms flashing like a death countdown. Ethan dragged his weakened friend, pale and fading.
"Funny," the friend whispered. "I was meant to be an assassin. Now I'm just dead weight.""No," Ethan said, grinning. "You're still an assassin. Just stabbing my conscience instead of someone else."
The friend managed a bloody smile.
But at the corner ahead, a squad of armed agents appeared, guns raised.Vic hissed, "We're screwed."
Ethan raised his hands, smirking. "Don't panic—we're just three lost sheep looking for the exit.""Fire," the leader barked.
The world ripped apart with gunfire. Vic hurled himself on Ethan and the friend, sparks and bullets shredding the walls.
"We can't hold them off!" Vic roared.Ethan laughed. "Good news! Their bullets will run out soon!""And the bad news?!""There's another squad right behind them."
Vic nearly turned his gun on Ethan's head.
Then the ground shook. The building itself seemed to split open. Black cracks spread on the walls, humming with nightmare energy.
"Shit," Vic gasped. "It's an energy breach!"Ethan's grin widened. "Perfect. Now we can all die together—that's real teamwork!"
From the far end, a researcher screamed as he was swallowed by shadow, twisting into a nightmare beast. The agents turned their fire, chaos erupting like a carnival in hell.
Ethan dragged the friend through the smoke. Vic covered them, cursing. "Your whole plan was waiting for disaster to bail us out?!""Exactly," Ethan shot back. "Even the universe has a sense of humor."
They burst into the stairwell, the friend slipping weakly. Ethan caught him, whispering, "Don't you dare die in my arms. This isn't a romance."The friend rasped, "You know… we might not get out…"Ethan smirked. "If anyone's dying, it'll be me. I'm the protagonist. Don't you dare steal my scene."
They shoved through the emergency door into the night—only to be blinded by floodlights. Dozens of soldiers surrounded them.
"Drop your weapons!" a loudspeaker boomed.
Vic's voice cracked. "We're finished."Ethan raised his hands, still grinning. "No, brother. We're not dead yet. That means the story's not over."
A black energy shell fell from the sky, detonating in the enemy ranks. The explosion tore the night apart, screams echoing.
A battered truck roared through the breach. A hooded driver leaned out, yelling: "Get in!"
Ethan froze a moment, then laughed wildly. "See? The universe's scriptwriter won't kill me off this early!"
They clambered inside. The doors slammed.The truck sped into the darkness, leaving behind burning ruins, nightmare beasts, and scattered enemies.
The friend slumped on Ethan's shoulder, barely breathing.Vic gasped, pale and furious. "This is your rescue?!"Ethan, panting, still grinned. "Exactly. That's the essence of rescue—dancing on the edge of death, and laughing through it."
The night swallowed them whole.They'd survived—but for how long, no one could say.