“But why didn’t he release us?” Julia asked. “Where did he go?”
“It’s better he doesn’t touch us in that state. You say how he made those heads explode. But don’t worry, he must have arrived early to rescue me through some impossible means. His agents must be on their way.”
In about fifteen minutes, a female unit of the NWO rushed into the dungeon hall. They unbound Haley and the others and covered them in blankets. Outside, a commercial-class jet plane waited to take them back to Springfield.
Victor headed towards the concert stadium with slow steps. He wanted to rescue Haley with his own hands, but it would have been dangerous. His current form was geared for battle, not fragile actions.
Victor’s body temperature was already past 300 degrees Fahrenheit, enough to boil and evaporate water. If it went past 500 degrees, he would transform, which was the last thing he wanted at the moment.
Victor’s clothes had burnt into him, making him look like wearing a dark costume. As the man walked, he left behind burn marks on the floor.
Suddenly, a phone in the adjacent room rang. Victor quickly went inside and picked up the receiver.
“Sir, are you alright?” Maverick asked. “After you destroyed their mainframe, I could hack into the communication system.”
“I am fine…” Victor replied, although he found it difficult to form words. All he wanted to do was fight, kill and destroy.
“The rescue team has landed and is making its way down to the dungeons. The hostages will be safe. Do you need the blue pill delivered?”
The blue pill was a deactivation formulation that would replace the limiter on his powers.
“Not right now,” Victor replied, flexing his arm. “I have to take care of a pest waiting for me downstairs.”
“A lieutenant of the Puppetmaster? I assumed they would send one. But… There is some disturbing news, sir.”
“Tell me, Mav.”
“Our radars have detected powerful signatures of Thanatos in Springfield. They’re coming from the Tuscan Hill region. It is of serious concern because the element Thanatos is-”
Victor inhaled sharply and cut him off. “I know what it is, Mav.”
Maverick paused for a moment before replying. “Sir, I have already dispatched a team of three-stars to the Tuscan Hill mines. They will reach the location within half an hour. But it is such a sprawling area it will take hours to track where Thanatos has been exposed to air.”
Victor’s mind had already processed the information. “Don’t worry. I already know where to find the element. Could you hack into this phone and connect me with Claire?”
“One moment, sir….” A series of beeps sounded, followed by a ringtone.
“Hello? Victor?” Claire’s familiar voice sounded. “I am already in Black Rock villa. Where are you?”
Victor’s crisp voice went straight to the point. “Claire. Listen to me carefully. Under no condition are you to tell anybody about the newly discovered element’s location.”
The beauty considered it for a moment. “Umm, sure. I won’t. But a big problem has come up. I tried calling you, but you were out of service.”
“Go ahead.”
Claire sounded emotional, on the verge of tears. “It’s about Carol. Courtney Blackwell abducted her family and asked her to return to Tuscan Hill. She threatened her to come alone, or she’d kill the hostages.”
Victor clenched his jaw. “And you let her go?”
“She wouldn’t listen to me, Victor! Carol broke down and spiraled into desperation. I can relate to her because I’d do the same for my family if they were still alive. But Val is on her way to the gas station near Tuscan Hill. That’s where they are holding her family.”
There was a brief silence before Victor spoke up. “Listen to me, Claire. I already shared how I am immune to bullets and other destructive weapons. Do you remember?”
“Yeah, I know. You are kind of invincible, right?”
“Not quite. The element Carol and you discovered is not new. The NWO has known about it for decades. It’s called Thanatos. Under no circumstances should the element get into the hands of Monolith or the Puppetmaster. They already have Nanite and Disintegra–incredibly potent substances. Thanatos is the last and most important ingredient to destroy humanity’s most powerful weapon.”
“Most powerful weapon?” Claire asked curiously. “Is it like a nuclear missile?”
“No, I am the weapon. And Thanatos is the only element on Earth that can kill me!”