The forest had been quiet except for the occasional rustle of leaves. Buck, Steven, Stefon, and Katherine crouched behind a bush, thirty yards from the lab's front entrance. Steven’s sharp eyes scanned the four guards patrolling outside the lab. With a subtle wave of his right hand, he signaled to Katherine.

Katherine nodded and silently slipped away, moving to the right as she circled around to the far side of the laboratory. She blended with the shadows, her footsteps barely making a sound on the forest floor, until she found a tree to hide behind, just out of sight from the guards.

Buck picked up a small rock and, with careful aim, threw it at a nearby tree. The rock hit with a faint thud, but the guards barely reacted, dismissing it as an animal. Buck frowned and picked up two more rocks, hurling them in quick succession. The louder impact drew the guards' attention. One of the guards in white motioned to the other to investigate. The hybrid guard in green obediently followed.

The two guards moved cautiously toward the source of the noise, their senses alert. The hybrid guard in green sniffed the air, his eyes narrowing as he turned—just in time to spot Stefon. But the hybrid guard wasn’t quick enough. Stefon’s powerful punch knocked him out cold before he could raise an alarm.

The noise caught the attention of the guard in white, who instinctively drew his gun and whirled around. Stefon reacted instantly, diving to the ground. But the guard wasn’t looking at him; his gaze was locked on Buck, who stood tall and unafraid. The guard fired his pistol, the bullet speeding towards Buck. It struck his shoulder with a metallic clang and ricocheted off, embedding itself harmlessly into a tree.

The guard’s eyes widened in disbelief as Buck smirked. With a swift motion, Buck disarmed him, sending the gun flying, and then followed up with a punch that sent the guard crumpling to the ground, unconscious. Buck turned to Steven, giving a brief nod. Together, they started moving toward the lab entrance, where the last two guards were stationed, now aware of the intruders.

Stefon stayed behind, pulling out some rope to tie up the unconscious guards. As Buck and Steven approached, Katherine sprang into action. She moved with the grace and speed of a panther, closing in on the guards from behind.

The last human guard raised his gun, aiming squarely at Buck’s imposing frame. Without hesitation, Steven ducked behind Buck, using him as a shield. The guard’s finger twitched on the trigger, but before he could fire, Katherine moved like a shadow, launching herself onto the hybrid guard’s back. Her arms locked around his throat, cutting off his breath as he thrashed in vain to shake her off.

The human guard, oblivious to Katherine’s assault on his ally, squeezed the trigger, but the shot went wide, ricocheting harmlessly into the distance. Frantic, he fumbled to reload, but Katherine was faster. She kicked the gun from his hand in one fluid motion, the weapon clattering to the ground. A heartbeat later, her boot connected with his jaw, sending him sprawling unconscious across the dirt.

The guard groaned, struggling to get up, but Steven reached him first. With a strong punch, Steven sent him back down, this time for good. The guard lay still, his chest barely moving.

Buck picked up the guard’s fallen gun, inspecting it briefly before taking it along. Katherine searched the downed guard, finding his security badge. She held it up to the terminal by the entrance. The red light on the terminal blinked to green, signaling that they were in.

Just as Katherine was about to push the door open, Buck stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. He shook his head, signaling for her to move to the side. Katherine stepped back, her heart pounding, as Stefon reappeared, having finished tying up the guards. He gave the group a thumbs-up, ready to proceed.

Buck gripped the door handle, twisted it sharply, and pushed the double doors wide open.

A hail of gunfire erupted from inside the lab. Four bullets hit Buck squarely, one bouncing off his right arm, two off his legs, and the fourth ricocheting straight back into the guard who fired it. The guard collapsed, dead before he hit the ground.

Unfazed, Buck calmly raised his gun and fired, taking down a second guard. The remaining two guards panicked and fired again. The bullets clinked harmlessly off Buck’s body, and the guards, realizing they were outmatched, screamed in fear and bolted for safety.

Buck watched them run, his eyes narrowing as he considered shooting them in the back. But after a moment, he lowered his weapon, letting them escape around the corner. With a nod, he motioned for the others to follow him inside.

Buck stepped into the lobby of the laboratory, closely followed by the others. The room was eerily quiet, an empty security desk sitting on the left side with a small door in the far left corner where the escaping guards had disappeared. To the right, a handful of chairs surrounded a coffee table, seemingly untouched. Directly in front of them loomed a large double door, their path forward.

Katherine quickly moved to the security terminal beside the door, swiping the badge she had taken from the unconscious guard. The light on the terminal remained red, and a buzzing noise echoed through the room.

“No access,” Katherine muttered, her voice strained with frustration.

“Sure there is,” Steven replied confidently. He strode up to the double doors and delivered a powerful kick. Both doors swung open with a loud crash, and the door on the right fell off its hinges entirely.

Without hesitation, the four of them stepped into a long, dimly lit hallway lined with numerous doors on either side. At the far end of the hall, another set of double doors awaited them. As they advanced, one of the fluorescent lights overhead flickered, casting a momentary shadow. Katherine wavered, her balance faltering, but Stefon quickly caught her before she could fall.

“You okay?” Stefon asked, concern lacing his tone.

“Sorry. I’m fine,” Katherine assured him, regaining her composure. She pointed to the end of the hallway. “That’s it. That’s where I was born.”

Katherine straightened herself, and the group continued down the hall, their footsteps echoing in the silence. When they reached the end, Steven didn’t hesitate, kicking the door open with the same force as before.

Inside, the laboratory was a cold, sterile environment. Four men in lab coats stood motionless at a table cluttered with instruments and test tubes. Among them was the head scientist, his expression cold and calculating. Along the right wall, countless cabinets and closets lined the space, while on the opposite side, cages held dozens of test subjects. Some lay still, but others stirred, reacting to the sudden intrusion.

Against the back wall were a couple of fire extinguishers and a door leading further into the lab. The unease in the room was obvious as the four intruders walked in.

“Welcome home, Katherine,” one of the assistant scientists sneered. “I didn’t think you would ever come back.”

Katherine’s eyes darkened, and without a word, she sprinted towards the scientist, her claws extending in a flash. In one swift motion, she slashed his throat, and blood gushed out as the man crumpled to the floor, lifeless.

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The sudden violence sent one of the remaining scientists into a panic. He bolted towards the back door, but Steven was faster. He caught up to the fleeing man and threw him to the ground with brutal force.

The other two scientists, seeing no other option, raised their hands in surrender. Buck motioned towards the broken double doors, and one of the junior scientists hesitantly walked towards them. But as soon as she reached the doors, she made a break for it, disappearing into the hallway.

The head scientist, his eyes full of defiance, glanced down at the lab table. His hand moved subtly, reaching under the table where he pushed a hidden button. A smirk spread across his face as he looked up at Buck.

The sound of cages opening filled the room, a mechanical hum that sent a chill down everyone’s spine.

“What the hell did you do?” Buck demanded, his voice sharp with anger.

The head scientist, undeterred, sneered at them. “You should have run when you had the chance, but now you’re going to die.”

As if on cue, the four largest cages unlocked, and the doors swung open. Steven quickly backed up to rejoin his allies, while the scientist he had thrown down struggled to his feet, only to meet a gruesome end. One of the newly released hybrid test subjects, a massive creature, grabbed the fleeing scientist and tore him in half, flinging the upper half of his body against the back door with a sickening thud.

The creature turned around, revealing its ape-like features—a large head, short legs, and massive, powerful arms. Three others emerged from their cages: a small female wolf hybrid with sharp, hungry eyes; a large female tiger hybrid with sleek, deadly grace; and an enormous male bear hybrid whose presence alone radiated power.

“My beautiful children,” the head scientist crooned, his voice dripping with twisted pride. “These intruders are here to kill you. Destroy them.”

But his words were met with betrayal. The tiger hybrid approached him with a demented gaze, wrapping her massive hands around his neck. She squeezed with lethal force, the sound of his neck snapping echoing through the room. The head scientist’s body crumpled to the floor, lifeless.

The four hybrids turned their attention to the intruders, their eyes locking onto their prey.

The tension in the room reached a breaking point, and Buck took a step backward, muttering under his breath, “Shit.”

But Steven, ever the fighter, stepped forward, a dangerous glint in his eye. “This better be a challenge.”

The laboratory was a cacophony of growls, heavy breathing, and the sound of flesh striking flesh. The wolf hybrid snarled, launching itself at Katherine with feral speed, but Katherine was ready. As the creature lunged, she grabbed it by the shoulders, using its own momentum to pivot and throw it hard against the wall. The impact echoed through the room, but the hybrid merely grinned, baring sharp teeth.

Across the room, the ape hybrid pounded its chest in a primal display of power before charging at Steven. The floor seemed to tremble under the weight of its massive frame. Steven stood his ground, bracing himself as the ape hybrid’s colossal forearms came crashing down. He absorbed the blows, each one sending shockwaves through his body, but he didn’t waver. With a burst of strength, Steven unleashed a powerful uppercut into the ape’s torso, forcing it to stumble back with a pained grunt.

Meanwhile, the bear hybrid advanced on Stefon, its hulking form quickly filling the space between them. Stefon’s fists were a blur as he threw quick jabs at the hybrid’s face, but the creature barely flinched. The bear pressed forward, swatting at Stefon with its massive paws, driving him back inch by inch until he was nearly pinned against the wall.

On the other side of the room, the tiger hybrid charged at Buck with a speed that belied its size. Buck responded with a series of quick punches, each one landing squarely on the hybrid’s face. The blows halted the tiger’s advance, but instead of retreating, the hybrid laughed—a deep, guttural sound that echoed through the lab. Buck swung again, but the hybrid caught his fist in mid-air, lifting him off the ground effortlessly and hurling him across the room into a cabinet. He hit the metal with a loud crash and slumped to the floor.

The wolf hybrid, meanwhile, had begun to circle Katherine, its yellow eyes locked on her, searching for a weakness. Katherine’s eyes tracked the hybrid’s movements, muscles coiled in readiness. The hybrid lunged, and Katherine dodged with feline grace, countering by driving her claws deep into the creature’s side. With a fluid motion, she flipped onto the hybrid’s back, her remaining hand gripping the hybrid’s forehead as she sank her teeth into its neck. The hybrid thrashed wildly, trying to dislodge her, but Katherine held on, her bite tightening until the creature finally went limp beneath her.

As Katherine finished off the wolf hybrid, the ape hybrid roared and charged at Steven once more. This time, Steven sidestepped at the last moment, driving his knee into the creature’s chest with a force that knocked the wind out of it. The ape staggered back, baring its teeth in a menacing growl, before launching into another furious assault. The two engaged in a brutal exchange of blows, each strike reverberating through the lab.

Buck struggled to his feet just as the tiger hybrid grabbed him from behind. With a grunt of exertion, the hybrid lifted Buck off the ground and slammed him into the cabinets again. The impact left a dent in the metal, but Buck’s laughter filled the room, a sound that seemed to infuriate the tiger even more. She pounced on him, raining down punches, but Buck’s shield absorbed each blow, his laughter never ceasing.

Nearby, Stefon was locked in a desperate struggle with the bear hybrid. The creature’s immense strength was overwhelming, and despite Stefon’s best efforts, he found himself pinned against the wall. The hybrid reared back for a finishing blow, but Stefon ducked under its massive arm and launched a flurry of punches into the hybrid’s stomach. The bear didn’t even flinch as it brought both fists down on Stefon’s back, sending him crashing to the floor.

Steven, trading fierce punches with the ape hybrid, glanced over in time to see Stefon fall. With a surge of adrenaline, he blocked the ape’s attack and delivered a bone-crushing uppercut to its chin. The ape hybrid collapsed, twitching violently before going still. Steven didn’t hesitate. He rushed to Stefon’s side and tackled the bear hybrid with all his strength, knocking it off Stefon. The bear rose, growling, and swung at Steven, who deftly dodged the blows.

Katherine, having finished off the wolf hybrid, saw Steven struggling with the bear and sprang into action. She leaped onto the hybrid’s back, her claws sinking into its thick hide, and bit down hard on its spine. The bear roared in pain, flailing wildly as it tried to shake her off.

Steven took the momentary distraction to catch his breath and kneel beside Stefon. Flipping his friend over, his heart sank at the sight of Stefon’s labored breathing and the pain etched across his face. He grabbed Stefon’s hand, his voice urgent.

“Come on, man. You gotta get up.”

Stefon’s hand tightened around Steven’s for a moment, then he shook his head, his voice barely a whisper. “Sorry, no can.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Steven urged, but Stefon’s grip slackened, his hand falling limply to the floor. Steven’s eyes filled with a mixture of grief and anger as he stared at his fallen comrade.

The tiger hybrid, still relentless, continued her assault on Buck. She raised a fist for a final, crushing blow, but before she could strike, Steven delivered a powerful dropkick that sent her crashing into the cabinets. She lay there, dazed, as Steven turned to Buck, extending a hand.

“Your hand is burning up,” Buck noted as he was helped to his feet. “Where’s Stefon?”

Buck’s gaze swept the room until it landed on Stefon’s still form. His expression darkened as he looked back at Steven.

“You and Katherine need to get out of here,” Steven said, his voice firm. “I’ll finish up.”

“Steven…” Buck began, but Steven cut him off.

“It’s okay. I knew this would happen eventually.”

“Should we take Stefon?” Buck asked, his voice tight with emotion.

“No. We rest together,” Steven replied, a finality in his tone.

Buck nodded, understanding. “Thank you, Steven.”

Steven nodded in return, then the two turned to Katherine, who was still clinging to the bear hybrid. They rushed over just as Katherine jumped off, her claws leaving deep gashes in the creature’s back. The bear lunged after her, but Steven was ready. With a mighty swing, he delivered a right cross that sent the hybrid flying into one of the cages, the metal bars bending under the impact.

Before Steven could recover, the tiger hybrid was back on her feet, charging at him with a feral snarl. Steven met her head-on, his roundhouse kick landing squarely on her face and sending her tumbling back into the cabinets. Without wasting a second, he turned to Buck and Katherine.

“Go,” Steven commanded.

Buck grabbed Katherine’s hand, pulling her toward the door. The two of them sprinted down the hall, their footsteps echoing in the empty space. As they reached the doorway, Buck glanced back one last time.

Inside the lab, the two remaining hybrids squared off against Steven, their eyes glowing with rage. Steven’s fists clenched, and his body began to glow faintly, a soft light emanating from his skin.

Buck and Katherine didn’t look back again. They bolted through the lab’s front entrance and out into the forest, the cool air hitting their faces as they ran. The dense trees closed in around them, but they didn’t slow down, driven by the urgency of their escape. As they disappeared into the shadows of the forest, the sound of the hybrids’ roars echoed behind them.