As soon as the twins stepped unto the ninth-floor, a man in a Grey-colored Rank 5 HTB suit sighted them at the entrance and directly approached them with great strides and momentum in his steps.
"So soon?" They were startled and were about to draw their weapons.
Right as they were about to attack him with all they had, the man in the Rank 5 HTB suit stopped and said "According to your previous estimate, there is still about an hour left for the process to be finished. So, why are you here and where are the guards?"
Hearing his words, Lei Shi and Leng Shi were first stunned, but after giving this man's words some thought, they understood what he was talking about. They then calmed down, released their weapons, and Lei Shi who was disguised as the first scientist said "Sorry sir, there were some complications with the purification. We left the guards at the Research room since this is a critical time and the vial must be given absolute protection. However, we need to see the Research Rector. Please lead the way".
Upon hearing his words, the man was taken aback and visibly stunned. His shock didn't come from the news of the sudden complication in the purification process, rather, it came from the fact that the scientist who usually ignored him and treated him without the slightest respect actually replied to not one but both of his questions. Secondly, this usually rude scientist who felt like he was the king of this world actually said the words "Sorry sir" and "Please". Thirdly, and most surprising to him, the scientist actually asked him to lead the way. This was the first time he treated him like a guard, and not curse at him and tell him that he knew the way to the Research Rector's Office.
"O-Okay, No problem" the man replied, pretending not to notice for fear of breaking the jinx.
As the man in the Rank 5 HTB suit began leading the way, the twins sighed. That was close.
After passing some curious looking shut research rooms on that floor, they stopped in front of a room whose door had the Acme Company logo on it.
"Thank you" said Lei Shi before knocking and stepping into the office.
The man in the Rank 5 HTB suit was once more stunned. This was the first time that he had heard this scientist say thank you. What was even more surprising was that it was to him.
The interior of the office was rather ordinary. It had a desk, swivel chair, fridge, coffee table, TV, transparent computer monitor screen, and a door at the side which was probably a toilet. The only thing that made it luxurious was the bird's eye view of the city that the office's window (which was the entire wall) provided.
There was a woman sitting on the swivel chair. She looked out at the city through the window behind her desk.
"Speak" she spitted out this single word, with a French accent revealing itself.
Taking the cue, Lei Shi explained "Yes, Madame. You see, the purification process is having complications and we would like the other vial with you to use it as a model so that we can correct it"
"Is that all?" she asked flatly.
"Yes" Lei Shi answered.
"Okay, as you wish" said the woman before she spun on her swivel chair and turned to face them.
The Research Rector was a beautiful middle-aged woman with a mature air around her. She tied her blond hair in a bun, wore black-rimmed glasses and wore a black and white corporate wear with black stockings. She had her legs crossed as she leaned back in her chair.
She leaned forward and placed her palm on her desk, which caused the desk to project a hologram screen which she extended her hand to. After scrolling and selecting a few times, she withdrew her hand then a horizontal line of light was projected from the desk and it scanned her from her head to mid-section.
*Clank* *Brrrr*
After the light was done scanning her, a sound of something unlocking was heard, then her desk suddenly started moving to the side and it revealed a vault that was under it.
*Brrrr* the vault elevated itself tills its height matched that of the desk.
She uncrossed her legs, stood up, and placed her palm on the glass screen on the vault. It scanned her hand and then opened on its own. A series of sounds echoed out as the vault was unlocking. The vault pushed up its lid and slid it to the slid towards the twins in a way that it blocked their view and prevented them from being able to see what was inside.
*Grip*
As the twins were cursing themselves for not having longer necks as they were struggling, trying to see what was inside, they suddenly felt hands like a vices clamp unto one of their wrists and arms wrap around their necks. The hands were so powerful that they couldn't resist. It twisted their arms and pushed it against their backs. They couldn't move.
Unbeknown to them, the man in the Grey Rank 5 HTB suit together with a new arrival who donned a Silver-colored Rank 5 HTB suit had crept up to their backs while they were carried away, leading to their current predicament.
"There's no need for you worry, I put that bug in the machine during the early days of the project. That way you will come to me when the process was almost done. You two have been the overseers throughout the entire project and know too much, we can't have that. So, now that you're here, leave your life behind" before the Research Rector was done talking, she pulled out a gun from the vault and shot the both of them in their chests as she finished speaking.
*Bang* *Bang*
Lei Shi and Leng Shi fell to the ground after being released by the Rank 5 HTB suit wielders after they were shot. They were both flabbergasted. It turned out being a scientist wasn't safe either as they were also pawns on the chessboard.
Turned out the Research Rector wanted to silence the two scientists that they were impersonating probably because she didn't want them telling others about how the purification and condensation process was carried out or because she didn't want anyone other than her, and maybe the President of Acme Company, to know about the vial and its effects. Maybe that was why no one came to the research room that the vial was located, she must've made that area off limits. And maybe what the scientists that they were impersonating were trying to explain to the three guards who they killed was that there was a problem with the purification process. It was funny, they had just ended up saving the lives of those two scientists and what was even funnier was that they still got caught and shot even without their real identities being exposed. They didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
*Thud* *Thud* their bodies fell to the ground.
After they fell to the ground, motionless, the Research Rector in an emotionless voice said "Take care of the bodies and retrieve the vial, then prepare the jet, I'm heading to the main Headquarters". She returned the gun to the vault and sat back down in her chair.
Hearing her orders, the two men squatted and reached out to carry the bodies on the floor.
*Slash* *Slash*
Suddenly, the bodies that were considered dead both attacked the men using sabers. One was like a streak of lightening as it caused electricity to crackle in the air around it. It swiftly and cleanly beheaded the head of the Grey-colored Rank 5 HTB suit wielder who was trying to pick up the body of its wielder. The other saber was just a tad slower but not the slightest bit less deadly and it cut towards the head of the other Rank 5 HTB suit wielder, but unfortunately, his HTB suit's helmet began to wrap over his head from his neck, but that didn't stop the saber, rather, it caused it to speed up and slightly deviate upwards. The result was the saber cutting off half of the head of the man with the Silver-colored Rank 5 HTB suit. The scene was ghastly. Surprisingly, the parts that were cut actually froze, making it look like it was a watermelon that was cut and not a head.
*Bang* *Bang*
Lei Shi and Leng Shi both shot at the Research Rector who after getting a hold of herself began reaching into the vault once more. However, one can't outrun a bullet.
*Bzzzz*
*Baamm-Crackle*
She was struck. Lei Shi's electricity bullet struck first and stunned her, followed by Leng Shi's blue bullet which slammed into her and froze her in a crystal.
"Not so fast big girl!" said Lei Shi. Without delay, he and Leng Shi dashed towards the vault, with their Rank 4 HTB suits already fully donned.
Earlier, when they fell to the ground, they had already triggered their HTB suits to be donned. That was what gave them the speed and power to behead the Rank 5 HTB suit wielders.