wip!
[c]
#2000 looked around, her eyes darting from one shadowy corner to another. She found herself in a dimly lit room, its walls covered in peeling paint and the air heavy with a strange, metallic scent. It was a place that resonated with an eerie silence, broken only by the faint sound of machinery humming in the distance.
And it was also the perfect place for an ambush.
The entire situation was a blatant trap. But it was her only choice, as far as she knew. She couldn't turn back now, even though every fiber of her being screamed at her to get as far away from this place as possible.
With that in mind, #2000 approached one of the doors, and opened it slightly, peering through the small gap to look out into a wide hallway. As expected, it was deserted, and the walls were lined with thick metal panels.
If this place was a part of a secret research base, the door leading to the facility's entrance might be locked, leaving her with no way to escape. There was also a chance that the enemy could be waiting in the hall. It was likely that the enemy would be using this place as a base for the time being.
In fact, that was exactly what #2000 expected.
There was a reason why she had chosen to come here, and that was the presence of a certain object that could serve as both a threat and a weapon. That object was sitting behind one of the doors that lined the hallway. It had been hidden in an unmarked box, buried deep within the facility.
But she had to find it first.
Her eyes flicked over the walls. She knew where the object was. Its position had been noted down by the top officials during the overview of the facility's layout, and she could perfectly recall the room's position, down to the exact square feet it occupied.
However, there was also the possibility that someone could have moved the object, which was why she couldn't just barge in and start opening doors. She had no idea where the enemy was, and they were almost certainly looking for her as well. She had to move stealthily, if she wanted to find the object first.
She closed her eyes, her breathing slowing down. It was time for her to take a look around.
And so she began.
She took her time. She started from the walls, moving inch by inch toward the door leading to the hallway. She checked for hidden traps and traps of the other sort, taking extra caution not to touch the door in the process. Her movements were so smooth that they seemed like the gentle caress of the wind, or the faint breath of the ocean.
After what felt like an eternity, she finally reached the door, and silently peeked out into the hallway.
No one was there.
She waited there for a while.
There was still no sign of anyone coming her way.
She took a deep breath, then moved on.
It wasn't long before she found the room.
There was no lock on the door. It wasn't even locked at all.
She pushed it open, and saw that it was dark. She snapper her head up and peered into the darkness. This was too easy. There had to be a trap somewhere.
After waiting for a few minutes, nothing happened.
She glanced at her wrist. She still had a little more than half her battery left, and it wasn't enough to use her flashlight.
And so she stepped into the darkness, squinting as she walked forward, carefully examining every square inch of the room.
She took her time, moving slowly and carefully, not wanting to set off any traps. She kept on moving deeper and deeper into the room, but nothing happened. She reached the center of the room and stopped.
The object was right there.
It was in a small case. A single, small metal box, about the size of a elongated tissue box, lying on the floor.
She crouched down, staring at it, her heart racing.
"Found it..."
A triumphant smile appeared on her lips. She had made it.
But her celebration didn't last long.
A dull thud rang out through the room, and the case shuddered, then a piercing pain shot through her left calf, causing her to let out a muffled scream and clutch at her leg, before toppling onto her side.
She tried to get back up, but a jolt of pain shot through her again, causing her to collapse back onto the ground. She held her left leg, but the pain only got worse. She was in so much agony that she couldn't even breathe properly.
She crawled towards the door, dragging her injured leg behind her, and reached it. Her hand found the doorknob. Her other hand tightly grasped the box.
But the pain wouldn't stop. Her body wouldn't stop shaking. She tried to stand up, but the pain shot through her leg once more. She collapsed onto the ground again, gasping for air.
The pain was so intense that she couldn't even cry. Her vision was going hazy, and she could barely keep herself awake.
Her hand had finally reached the doorknob, but it took all of her strength to twist it. The pain had already started to dull, but it still felt like someone had set her leg on fire.
She collapsed onto her back and held the box up. It was still there, lying on top of her chest when they found her.
[c]
