"As always, the taste isn't the best"

After tearing off both their heads, Prime created small symbiotic rats that finished the job, devouring the bodies completely. From the start, Prime had no intention of letting them leave alive. If they were willing to kill several people in the building, they should also be prepared to die.

“Dad, are you done?”

Prime turned to hear Ema's voice. She was looking at him with a smile on her face. He had tried to do this away from her because he really didn’t want her to try to imitate him; the taste wasn't good. However, even though it was unpleasant, there was still something delicious about it—a feeling hard to explain to Prime.

It was like a thirsty person finding an oasis, only to discover in the end that it was saltwater. Yet, so thirsty, the man drank the saltwater as if it were sweet. The comparison wasn’t exactly perfect, but Prime thought it was pretty close.

Putting those thoughts aside, Prime focused on what he should do next. It was evident that the men had placed more explosives throughout the building, but since he intercepted them early with Ema's help, the number of explosives left was probably minimal.

“Ema, I need you to go to security and tell them to head down to the basement to look for explosives. Explain what happened and what you saw, and tell them to check every possible corner.”

“Got it!”

Ema ran toward the exit while Prime watched her. He calculated it would take about thirty seconds for her to reach the security team—enough time for them to search the basement for explosives. With that in mind, Prime turned his attention to one of the explosives stuck to a pillar. A discreet number indicated that there were only ten minutes left.

It quickly became clear what that number indicated: the time until the explosives detonated. At that moment, the countdown showed nine minutes and forty seconds, decreasing rapidly. Prime calculated that there was still more than enough time to remove the remaining explosives from the basement.

(... but the main point is: who the hell are these guys?)

Prime had no idea who had sent them, but from the man's words before he stabbed him, it was clear it was a large corporation. However, Prime thought it was excessive to resort to explosives; many innocent people could die. Their goal was undoubtedly to completely tarnish his reputation while trying to kill him.

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(It seems there are people who really don’t like you)

Suddenly, Sara's voice echoed in Prime's mind. He raised an eyebrow and looked around, but he didn’t see her anywhere. However, he could feel her presence in the hall, where she was sitting at a table, drinking juices.

(Did you see what happened here?)

(Yes, I’ve been following along since Ema informed us about something strange in the basement)

(...so why didn’t you come help me?)

(...Do you really need help?)

(...)

Prime didn’t know how to respond to Sara's question. Although, in theory, he didn’t need it, since those men were nothing more than insects, the fact that Sara hadn’t even thought of supporting him made him slightly sad.

(I miss the partnership we used to have)

(You’re strangely dramatic and sensitive sometimes, you know?)

Prime decided to simply ignore Sara’s words and resumed inspecting the stuck explosives. A thought crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. He imagined that whoever was behind this probably wouldn’t go that far.

(Alright, I’ll get there as fast as I can)

Prime raised an eyebrow in his mind upon hearing Sara’s words. He really didn’t want her to come, although her earlier words weren’t entirely false.

(Are you sure? You know I was just kidding, right?)

(Whatever. As you said, we really did more things together in the past. Anyway, I’ll be there in a few minutes. Let’s see if we can figure out what’s going on)

(If that’s the case, I’ll be waiting for you. You know how to find me)

After that brief conversation, Prime began inspecting the area again. During his search, he located more explosives stuck in places like cars and walls, as long as they were near the pillars. Prime was seriously impressed by the amount of explosives he found.

No matter how Prime looked at it, it was clear they wanted to completely bring down the building. This reminded him that there really are people willing to do anything to bring others down, just like Obadiah tried to do with Tony.

As he thought about Tony, Prime remembered that he could be a great help. Known for his intelligence, it was likely that Tony had some resource that could help locate the remaining explosives.

(Annie!)

(Yes, Dad? Do you need something?)

Prime noticed that Annie's voice was more serious than usual, almost as if she were waiting for him to call her at any moment. He had an idea why that was.

(Did Ema tell you what happened?)

(Yes, I got a message from her just a few seconds ago)

(Alright, I need you to find Tony and bring him to the basement. On the way, explain the basic situation to him)

(Got it)

After that, Prime waited patiently until everyone gathered. The first to arrive in the basement was Sara, and Prime noticed her from a distance. Anyway, his main body was inside hers, so generally, he always knew where she was. However, to make it easier to coexist, he turned off those senses, activating them only when necessary.

“Hey! Are these the explosives you mentioned?”

Prime didn’t respond, just nodded and handed one of the explosives to Sara, who examined it with a curious look. Then, Ema and the security team arrived, which Prime quickly instructed to look for the other explosives. He also informed them where he had found the ones with him.

Finally, Annie and Tony arrived in the basement. From Tony's expression, it was clear that he wasn’t liking the situation. But in the end, what could Prime do? He hated the current situation as much as Tony or anyone else.