Jason’s fist crashed into an officer’s face, sending the man stumbling backward with a pained grunt. He didn’t stop. Spinning on his heel, he drove his elbow into another officer’s gut before ducking under a wild swing.

All around him, chaos raged.

The narrow hallway was packed with bodies—both inmates and officers locked in brutal combat. Fists flew, boots stomped, and weapons discharged in every direction. The air was thick with shouts, the crackle of gunfire, and the sound of metal striking flesh.

Not far from him, Grace and Hannah fought their way forward.

Grace grabbed an officer by the collar, yanking him forward before slamming her knee into his ribs. Without missing a beat, she spun and punched another in the jaw, sending him crumpling to the ground.

Hannah, just a few feet away, was equally relentless. She weaved through attackers, ducking under swings before countering with sharp, precise blows.

Through the dense crowds, droids zipped and weaved, their sleek metallic bodies glinting under the dim lighting. They were Isaac’s droids.

They darted through the battlefield, guiding the inmates forward, their programmed directives clear—get everyone to the hangar bay.

But the officers weren’t making it easy.

More were pouring in, trying to block their advance. Gunfire erupted, forcing some inmates to take cover while others rushed forward with raw desperation.

Jason let out a thunderous roar, his voice booming over the chaos.

With a powerful leap, he launched himself into the air, his massive frame soaring above the battlefield. Officers turned, eyes widening as they instinctively aimed their weapons at him.

Bullets tore through the air, pelting his body—but they bounced off harmlessly, deflecting off his enhanced skin like pebbles against steel.

Then he came crashing down. His impact sent a shockwave through the floor, knocking back nearby officers. Without hesitation, he threw himself into the fray, his fists swinging like wrecking balls. Every punch sent bodies flying, breaking through the defensive line the officers had formed.

Grace and Hannah quickly rushed to his side, striking down officers that tried to close in on him. And they weren’t alone. More and more inmates, seeing the breakthrough, surged forward behind them.

Jason was like a battering ram, smashing through whatever stood in his path, making space for the others to escape.

The officers were starting to lose ground.

***

Katherine’s boots touched down on the hangar floor. Without hesitation, she strode forward, closing the distance between herself and Barbara.

slightly as she met Katherine’s cold gaze.

"Do you really want to do this?" Barbara asked, her voice carrying a hint of amusement.

Katherine’s eyes narrowed. "I can’t forgive what you’ve done to my family."

Barbara smirked. "Once word gets out that the inmates tried to escape, your families will suffer even worse."

Essence flared around Katherine, wind swirling violently at her feet. Her expression darkened.

"Then I’ll kill every officer in this facility before they get the chance to do that."

Barbara lunged, but before she could reach her, a sudden blast of powerful wind struck her like a hammer, sending her skidding backward across the hangar.

From Katherine’s side, a voice spoke.

"You don’t need to worry about them sending out a message."

She turned her head slightly, her piercing gaze falling on Isaac, who was dusting himself off.

"I’ve taken over the system," he continued. "No messages are getting out."

Katherine studied him for a moment before speaking coldly. "Who are you?"

"Isaac," he said. "Part of Owen’s crew."

At the mention of Owen, Katherine scowled. Her eyes turned back towards where she had sent Barbara crashing. "I want a rematch with him. I have unfinished business."

Isaac, ignoring her irritation, spoke again. "I hope we can work together. I need to get all the inmates into the hover vehicles and out to the landing deck. I need you to hold Barbara off."

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Katherine didn’t look at him, her attention still on Barbara as she began to rise. "I’ll do whatever I want."

She took a step forward, moving with the grace of a predator, the wind still swirling around her.

In the distance, Barbara was back on her feet.

Her body shifted, muscles swelling as her skin hardened to stone. Her wings expanded, her fingers elongating into thick, jagged claws. Her transformation completed in seconds, leaving behind a monstrous, humanoid gargoyle.

Katherine murmured to herself, her voice low. "She’ll be tough to crack open."

Then, essence pulsed around her, wind gathering with immense force.

"I am the sky, Embodiment."

A blinding flash of light erupted from Katherine’s body. When it faded, she had transformed. Her clothes billowed like clouds, swirling around her in fluid motions. Her hair had turned silver, shining almost ethereally in the light.

Barbara, with a roar, shot forward, her wings creating a sonic boom as she closed the gap between them in a blur. Her eyes locked on Katherine, and she slashed down with her claws.

Barbara’s strike met no resistance, as if she had attacked nothing but mist. Her momentum carried her forward, and by the time she stopped to turn, Katherine had already rematerialized behind her, floating effortlessly in the air.

Katherine raised a hand and a sudden, violent blast of wind exploded downward, slamming Barbara into the ground with crushing force. The impact sent shockwaves across the floor, leaving a deep dent in the metal plating.

Barbara quickly pushed herself back up, stone wings unfurling as she twisted her body, her glowing red eyes locking onto Katherine’s floating form. With an inhuman snarl, she lunged upward, claws outstretched.

Katherine watched calmly. Then, just as Barbara reached her—she turned into mist again.

Barbara passed through, grasping nothing but air.

Reappearing a short distance away, Katherine observed her with a calculating gaze. Her embodiment was powerful, but costly. The way it consumed essence every second meant she had to end this fight quickly. She couldn’t afford to drag this out.

While Katherine and Barbara clashed in the center of the hangar, Isaac was focused on a different task.

His eyes flicked between the growing chaos and the swarm of droids he had summoned. He was sending them out in every direction, and issuing commands to them.

With each passing second, more and more inmates were aided by the droids. As Isaac watched, he just hoped that Owen and the rest of the inmates would hurry and get here.

***

Owen’s breath came in quick, sharp gasps as he sprinted down the narrow hallway, his feet pounding against the floor. Behind him, Mayers was relentless, his footsteps echoing ever closer.

Owen rounded a corner and, in one fluid motion, thrust his hands out, releasing a billowing wave of flame behind him. The fire roared to life, engulfing the space. But Mayers didn’t hesitate. He charged right through the flames.

In front, officers ahead saw and then tried to block Owen, but he shoved past them. Then at the end of the hallway were a set of stairs. He barrelled up them, and at the top, he skidded into a giant open area. It looked like he had entered a cafeteria.

Across it, the upper floor inmates sat cross-legged on the floor, with some of them near him flicking their eyes curiously towards him. Rows of officers also stood between the rows.

Suddenly something moved forward aiming directly from behind at Owen’s head. He tilted his head just in time, dodging the attack as a wooden pillar soared past him into the air.

Owen kept moving. With a burst of strength, he leapt across into the air, startling both officers and inmates alike.

But as he sailed through the air, a wooden tendril shot up from the ground, coiling around his ankle and pulling him to the floor with brutal force.

Before he could react, the officers closest to him were already closing in on him, their hands reaching out to seize him.

Owen felt a rough grip on his shoulder.

Without thinking, he snapped his elbow back, slamming it into the officer’s face. The man staggered away with a grunt, clutching his nose.

Before Owen could move again, two more officers lunged at him from the front. He met them with a pair of brutal punches, his fists crashing into their faces. They dropped instantly, but more were already swarming him.

The wooden tendril around his leg tightened, winding higher, constricting like a snake. It was crawling up his body, wrapping around his torso, binding him even more.

Still, Owen fought.

His punches sent officers sprawling, some knocked out cold in a single blow. But no matter how many he struck down, more flooded in. They grabbed at his arms, his shoulders, his legs, trying to pin him.

His movements became wilder—like a cornered animal thrashing to break free.

Then the tendril coiled around one of his fists. Before he could react, it twisted his arm behind his back, locking it in place.

A sudden fist struck his ribs. Then another hit his jaw.

Officers were slipping in their own beatings now. Blows rained down as they fought to subdue him. His knees buckled as the tendril dragged him lower, forcing him towards the floor.

Through the chaos, Owen’s eyes landed on Mayers.

The old man stood calmly at a distance, watching. Unbothered. Detached.

Something inside Owen snapped.

His teeth clenched, rage bubbling up inside him.

"Get off me!" he roared.

A violent blast of kinetic energy exploded outward.

The force sent everything flying—officers, tables, chairs, even the inmates closest to him. Bodies were hurled through the air, crashing down and skidding across the floor.

For a brief moment, silence followed.

Owen slowly lifted his head, his breath ragged, his eyes burning with fury.

"Are you tired of running yet?" Mayers asked. "Ready to fight seriously now?"

Owen ripped at the wooden tendril still coiled around his arm with a snarl, his essence flaring around him in a storm of yellow light.

"I don’t care about conserving essence anymore," Owen growled, his voice thick with frustration. "I just want to beat you."

Mayers’ eyes sparkled with amusement. He raised his cane and tapped it on the ground, a loud crack reverberating through the cafeteria.

"Anyone who helps in the capture of Owen will be favorably looked upon by the corporation." he announced, his voice amplified by essence.

Owen’s essence surged out like a torrent, swirling around him in a violent explosion of energy. Without a moment’s hesitation, he launched himself forward, charging straight for Mayers.

But the sub-warden was prepared.

As Owen closed the distance, a solid wooden wall erupted from the floor, rising between them like a barrier. Owen’s fist collided with it, the force sending out a shockwave that rippled throughout—but the wall didn’t budge.

From the sides, chaos erupted.

A mix of inmates and officers descended upon him at once, their shouts blending into a frenzy. In the middle of it all, Owen braced for impact.