Chapter 38: The Great Escape
Midnight settled over the desolate land, a suffocating silence surrounding the group as they prepared for their next move. Their spaceship lay in ruins, leaving them stranded. The only hope of returning to Earth was to retrieve the zombie cure from the secret laboratory. Violet, now fully aligned with them, took charge, his knowledge of Planet Z proving invaluable.
"We need to move fast," Violet whispered. "The laboratory is 20 kilometers from here. If we're spotted, we won't make it out alive."
With no other choice, they set out on foot, trekking through the dark, futuristic city. Neon lights flickered in the distance, and automated patrol drones zipped overhead. They stuck to the shadows, every step calculated, every breath held. The silence was occasionally broken by the distant hum of alien ships scanning for them.
After hours of walking, they arrived at a massive, towering building. The lab's entrance was guarded by security cameras, their red lights flashing ominously.
"This is going to be a problem," Hikaru muttered.
Aoi stepped forward, summoning his power. "I'll take care of it." With a loud Thunder Clap, he sent an electromagnetic shockwave through the air. But to their surprise, the cameras remained intact.
"Damn it," Aoi cursed.
Akito, despite his injuries, smirked. "Let me handle this." Activating his Invisibility, he vanished and swiftly navigated through the facility, plucking out each camera one by one.
With the security disabled, Violet led them through a maze of corridors. "The cure is stored in the central vault," he explained. "It's heavily protected, but if we're fast, we can grab what we need before anyone notices."
Finally, they arrived at the storage room—a massive hall lined with glowing blue containers. Rows upon rows of cublets, the miracle cure for the zombie virus, filled the room. Hikaru's eyes widened at the sheer amount. "There's enough here to cure millions of people," he said in awe.
Without hesitation, the team started grabbing as many cublets as they could. Pepo, their unexpected ally, revealed a hidden compartment in his stomach. "I can store them," he said, opening a mechanical hatch. Hikaru chuckled and patted his back. "Good thinking, Pepo."
As they continued gathering the cublets, Hikaru turned to Violet. "Is this the only storage facility?"
Violet hesitated. "Yes… this is the only one. If we lose these, there's no second chance."
The weight of those words pressed on them. They had to protect the cublets at all costs.
Just as they were about to leave, a deafening alarm blared through the facility. They had been detected.
"Shit! Move!" Akito yelled.
A flood of alien soldiers stormed in from every entrance. The team had no time to engage in a full-scale battle. They needed to escape. Aoi unleashed a Thunder Cloud, temporarily blinding their pursuers as they made a break for it. Hikaru and Fyodor covered the rear, striking down any alien that got too close.
"We have to hurry," Violet urged. "The entire planet knows we're here now!"
Akito quickly activated his Invisibility Field, cloaking the entire team as they navigated their way out. They slipped past the guards and sprinted through the city's outskirts. Just when they thought they had gained some distance, a squadron of alien warships began closing in on them.
"There's a spaceship nearby!" Violet shouted, pointing to a hangar. "If we can get to it, we might have a chance."
With no time to think, the team hijacked the alien spaceship, frantically pressing buttons to get it operational. The engines roared to life as they soared into the sky. But the aliens weren't going to let them leave so easily.
A barrage of energy blasts rained down upon them, shaking the ship violently.
"We're not going to make it!" Kenji shouted, gripping the controls.
"Like hell we aren't!" Hikaru roared. Fyodor stepped forward, charging a massive Thunder Strike. As an enemy ship approached, Fyodor released his attack, striking the ship with such force that it crashed into a nearby planet, exploding on impact.
The team dodged through the endless missions and warships, maneuvering through asteroid fields and debris. The tension was unbearable—one wrong move and they would be vaporized.
Somehow, against all odds, they broke through the blockade and escaped into the vastness of space.
A heavy silence filled the cockpit as they all gasped for breath. They had done it.
Hikaru turned to Violet. "Is anyone following us?"
Violet scanned the radar. "No… we're in the clear. But don't let your guard down."
Everyone slumped in their seats, exhausted but relieved. They had secured the cure, escaped Planet Z, and survived against impossible odds.
But as Violet stared into the dark expanse of space, his expression turned grim.
"This isn't over," he said. "The real battle is only just beginning."
Hikaru clenched his fists. He could feel it too. Something far worse was coming.