"Survival, Doc. It's all that matters. This is the real world. It's kill or be killed."

~ ?????

Chapter XV

(7 years ago)

Year 2047

Yoki hadn't slept. The night was an unending trial of anticipation, each moment heavy with the weight of impending action. He meticulously reviewed the plan, forcing himself to resist the urge to dream of freedom beyond the prison walls. It was now or never.

The predawn darkness enveloped the prison, a fortress of concrete and steel. Inside, Yoki and his roomates stirred, their breaths shallow, hearts pounding with a mix of fear. Of determination. They had chosen the early morning for their escape, banking on the diminished presence of the staff with the notion that the prisoners couldn’t escape the locked cells—they were wrong.

“Hey, Doc, wake up,” Yoki whispered, his voice a low rumble in the silence.

Doc stirred, waking Fruitcake and Clancy. They exchanged solemn nods, their resolve solidifying. This plan had to work—it was their only shot at freedom.

Yoki peered out of the cell, ensuring the coast was clear. "Let's do this," he said.

Doc approached the steel bars with a makeshift tool—a long, thin wire they had fashioned into a lockpick. He inserted it into the lock, his hands deftly manipulating the tumblers inside.

“Keep a lookout,” Doc murmured, his focus intense.

Yoki’s heart pounded as he watched the corridor. The seconds stretched into an eternity before he heard the satisfying click of the lock. Doc pushed the door open, grinning like a child on Christmas morning. “Once we’re out, the alarm will blare. Move swiftly and let your instincts guide you. Doc, you’re with me. Fruitcake, Clancy, see you soon,” Yoki instructed.

They sprinted from the cell, and within seconds, the alarm blared, a deafening neeewwwwww, neeewwwwww sound. Yoki and Doc dashed ahead while Fruitcake and Clancy took a different route. Dashing to the cells, Yoki and Doc opened all they could before the guards were upon them.

Chaos envelopment them. The prisoners, now freed from their cells, began brawling amongst themselves instantly, settling old scores and igniting new feuds. The sound of fists hitting flesh and shouts of rage filled the air. Yoki felt his annoyance boiling over, hope bubbling away with the thought they would help out too. Doc grabbed his shoulder, answering his thought as if reading his mind.

"Yoki, listen," Doc said urgently. "In all this confusion, we might still have a chance to get out. The guards are going to be busy with the riot."

Yoki took a deep breath, trying to calm his fury. He knew Doc was right. They had to stay focused on their goal. With a nod, he signaled for his pack of lower commanders to follow. They moved through the chaos, avoiding the worst of the fighting.

As they made their way through the throng of brawling prisoners, they encountered Gavin and Wolf. Gavin's lips curled into a sneer. "Well, if it isn't little Yoki. Maybe I'll finish what I started," Gavin taunted, his eyes gleaming with malice. "Always wondered what you'd look like completely broken. Say, how does your back feel?”

Wolf, standing beside him, remained silent, his eyes filled with a predatory hunger. He wanted blood.

Gavin stepped forward, his muscles rippling with the power.

Yoki tightened his grip on his weapons, his muscles coiled and ready. "Stay sharp," he murmured to Doc.

The fight began with a blur of motion. Gavin's fists slammed into the ground, sending tremors through the floor that knocked several prisoners off their feet. Doc countered by raising a protective wall of earth, blocking the shockwaves and giving Yoki a chance to charge at Wolf.

Gavin and Wolf was a spectacle of raw power and strategy. Gavin was one of the four Tearings—an Earthworker. He began to manipulate the ground to his advantage. He sent shockwaves through the floor, causing the ground to crack and heave. Yoki had to constantly adjust his footing, dodging the sudden spikes of rock that erupted from the floor.

Doc, confirming Yoki’s supcisions as an Earthworker, created barriers and fissures to counter Gavin’s attacks. The ground between them was a battlefield, constantly shifting and changing as their powers clashed. Every move was a calculated response, a dance of destruction, then defense. Doc’s barriers rose and fell, meeting Gavin’s offensive with an unyielding resistance.

Wolf, on the other hand, was pure brutality. He lunged at Yoki with animalistic ferocity, his attacks wild but powerful. Yoki had to use all his training to avoid the savage blows. Wolf’s eyes were filled with a primal rage, his teeth bared in a feral grin. The sound of their clashing reverberated through the corridor, a symphony of violence that underscored the deadly stakes of their encounter.

Yoki managed to land a solid punch, sending Wolf staggering back. "You’re just a beast, Wolf. Nothing more," Yoki taunted, trying to keep his own fear at bay. He could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins, sharpening his senses and fueling his determination.

Wolf growled, wiping blood from his mouth. "A beast that’s going to tear you apart." He charged at Yoki again, his movements a blur of aggression. Yoki narrowly avoided a swipe aimed at his head, feeling the rush of air as Wolf’s claws sliced through the space where he had just stood.

The battle continued, with Doc and Gavin locked in a deadly dance of earth and stone, while Yoki faced off against Wolf. Gavin’s taunts echoed through the corridor. "You think you can protect him, Doc? You can’t even protect yourself!" His voice was filled with venom, his confidence unwavering.

Doc’s response was a silent, determined focus. He knew Gavin’s arrogance was his weakness. With a sudden, unexpected move, Doc sent a wave of earth that knocked Gavin off balance, then followed it up with a barrage of stone shards that left Gavin bleeding and dazed. Gavin staggered, his control over the ground momentarily faltering.

Wolf, seeing Gavin’s fall, attacked with renewed fury, but Yoki was ready. He dodged Wolf’s frenzied strikes, waiting for the right moment. When it came, he struck with all his might, his inhuman strength sending Wolf crashing to the ground, unconscious. Yoki stood over Wolf’s prone form, breathing heavily, his fists still clenched.

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With both opponents down, Yoki and Doc took a moment to catch their breaths. Yoki looked back and saw only a small chunk of his lower commanders left. The cost of the battle was high, but they had no time to mourn. They had to move forward.

But the respite was brief. Gavin, though injured, was not defeated. With a snarl of rage, he summoned the last of his strength, causing the ground to quake violently. Yoki and Doc barely managed to keep their footing as the floor heaved beneath them. Gavin’s eyes burned with a fierce determination, a testament to his unwillingness to concede defeat.

Doc responded with a calm precision, erecting a barrier of stone to shield them from Gavin’s desperate assault. The ground bucked and groaned, but Doc’s barrier held firm. Yoki, seeing an opening, sprinted towards Gavin, his movements a blur of speed and agility. He knew they had to end this quickly before Gavin could gather more power.

Yoki leaped into the air, bringing his fist down in a powerful arc. Gavin, still reeling from Doc’s earlier attack, could only raise a feeble defense. Yoki’s punch connected with a bone-crunching impact, sending Gavin sprawling to the ground. Gavin lay there, his breath ragged and his body trembling with pain.

“Stay down, Gavin,” Yoki warned, his voice cold.

Gavin’s response was a bitter laugh, his face twisted in a grimace of pain and defiance. “This isn’t over,” he spat, his voice filled with venom. “You’ll pay for this.”

Doc moved to Yoki’s side, his expression one of weary determination. “Let’s go,” he said quietly. “We can’t stay here.”

As they turned to leave, a low growl stopped them in their tracks. Wolf was stirring, his eyes fluttering open. The feral gleam in his gaze sent a shiver down Yoki’s spine. Wolf’s recovery was astonishingly quick, a testament to his sheer resilience.

“Doc, go on ahead,” Yoki instructed, his voice tense. “I’ll deal with him.”

Doc hesitated but nodded, knowing that Yoki could handle himself. He turned and began to make his way down the corridor, leaving Yoki to face Wolf alone.

Wolf rose to his feet, his movements slow and deliberate. “You think you’ve won?” he sneered, his voice a low growl. “You’ve only made me angrier.”

Yoki didn’t respond, his focus entirely on the threat before him. He knew that underestimating Wolf would be a fatal mistake. As Wolf lunged at him once more, Yoki braced himself, his muscles coiled and ready. The two clashed with a force that shook the very walls of the corridor, their battle a brutal testament to their unyielding wills.

The fight was fierce and unrelenting, each blow exchanged with a savage intensity. Yoki could feel the strain in his muscles, the burning fatigue creeping into his limbs. But he couldn’t afford to slow down. Not now. He ducked under a wild swing from Wolf, countering with a swift kick that sent Wolf staggering back.

Wolf roared in frustration, his eyes ablaze in fury. He charged at Yoki with reckless abandon, his attacks growing more desperate and erratic. Yoki seized the opportunity, slipping past Wolf’s defenses to deliver a series of rapid punches to his midsection. Wolf doubled over in pain, gasping for breath.

Taking advantage of Wolf’s momentary weakness, Yoki landed a powerful uppercut that sent Wolf sprawling to the ground once more. This time, he didn’t get up. Yoki stood over him, his breath coming in ragged gasps, his body trembling with exhaustion.

He glanced down the corridor, where Doc had disappeared. The echoes of the recent battle still lingered in the air. Yoki's body ached from his fight with Wolf, his muscles burning with fatigue, but he knew there was no time to rest. He had to find Doc and complete their mission.

Yoki moved swiftly down the dimly lit corridor, his footsteps echoing softly against the cold, concrete walls. His mind was focused, pushing aside the pain and exhaustion. They had a job to do, and failure was not an option. He rounded a corner and saw Doc up ahead, inside the control room, dead guards surrounding him. He was working frantically at the electrical panel within the room.

"Doc," Yoki called out, his voice mixed with relief and urgency. "We need to turn off the power grid before we head back to the entry point."

Doc looked up, his face etched with concentration and worry. "I know, Yoki. But this panel is. . . it’s not fucking cooperating." He wiped a bead of sweat from his brow and continued to fiddle with the wires and switches.

Yoki approached, glancing at the tangle of wires and the flickering lights on the panel. "Let me try.”

Doc nodded, stepping aside to give Yoki some space. "We need to disable the security systems and cut the power to the main grid. It’s the only way to ensure our escape route is safe, and that the door is back to manual rather than electric.”

Yoki took a deep breath, his fingers working quickly to untangle the mess of wires. It seemed as if he and Doc had been through countless battles together, as if their teamwork had always been their greatest strength. He could feel the familiar rhythm of their partnership falling into place as they worked side by side, their movements synchronized and efficient, trying to disable the electricty holding the prison together.

The panel sparked, a small explosion of light and sound that made them both flinch. "Careful," Doc warned, voice tense. "This thing could blow at any moment."

Yoki nodded, his focus unwavering. "I’ve got it. Just keep an eye out for any guards."

Doc positioned himself at the end of the corridor, his eyes scanning the shadows for any signs of movement. The prison was still in chaos, the sounds of fighting and shouting echoing through the halls. They had to move quickly, before reinforcements arrived.

Yoki’s fingers worked with practiced precision, pulling wires and flipping switches. He could feel the panel’s resistance, the stubbornness of the machinery fighting against him. But he pushed through, his determination fueled by the memory of the fallen and the urgency of their mission.

"There," Yoki said finally, a note of triumph in his voice. "I’ve disconnected the security systems. Now to cut the power."

Doc glanced over his shoulder. "Hurry, Yoki. We’re running out of time!”

Yoki reached for the main power switch, his heart pounding in his chest. He could hear the distant sound of boots pounding on the concrete floor, the guards closing in on their position. He gritted his teeth and pulled the switch, the panel shuddering as the power was cut.

The lights flickered once, then went out completely, plunging the corridor into darkness. "We did it," Yoki whispered, feeling an immediate sense of relief.

Doc nodded, silhouette barely visible in the dim emergency lighting. "Let’s get back to the entry point. We need to regroup with Fruitcake and Clancy’s team and make our escape."

The journey from the power grid to the entry point was fraught with tension. Yoki and Doc led the remnants of their gang, a measly three out of there orginial eight left—for the other lower commanders were in Fruitcake and Clancy’s group—through the maze-like corridors of the prison. The sound of fighting echoed all around them, a constant reminder of the chaos they were trying to escape. Every step was a test of their resolve, each turn a gamble with fate.

As they began to near the entry point, Yoki’s heart increased its pounding in his chest. This was supposed to be their way out, their ticket to freedom. But the sight that greeted them was a nightmare. Bodies littered the floor, their fallen comrades a stark reminder of the harsh reality they faced. The air was thick with the scent of blood and smoke, an acrid testament to the violence that had erupted.

What awaited them made Yoki seem like such a fool.

Clancy and Fruitcake’s group lay massacred, their bodies a gruesome testament to the violence that had erupted. Yoki’s eyes were drawn to Fruitcake, who was thrusting—

“No. No! NOOO!”

Clancy’s corpse. Rage warred within him, the sight fueling a fire that burned deep within Yoki’s soul.

"Fruitcake, what the hell have you done?" Yoki shouted, voice shaking with rage. The sheer horror of the scene was almost too much to bear, but he forced himself to confront it.

Fruitcake looked up, a twisted smile on his face. "Clancy was a fool. They all were. But me? I'm looking out for myself. The head guard made me an offer I couldn't refuse. My life sentence reduced to twenty years in exchange for some information." His voice was a sneer, dripping with contempt and self-satisfaction.

Doc’s face twisted in horror and betrayal. "You sold us out, Fruitcake. You betrayed us all." His voice was filled with a pain that matched Yoki’s rage, a shared sense of loss that cut deep.

Fruitcake stood, his expression unrepentant. "Survival, Doc. It’s all that matters." He spread his arms, as if to encompass the carnage around them. "This is the real world. It's kill or be killed."

Yoki clenched his fists, stepping forward. "You’re going to pay for this." His voice was low, a promise of retribution that hung heavy in the air.

Fruitcake laughed, a harsh, mocking sound. "You can try, Yoki. But you won't win."