Into The Abyss

Kanagawa hydropower plant complex, Gunma Prefecture, Japan.
February 19
8:10 

When I was little and watched TV, I remember loving a show about cars racing down a mountain pass. I also remember imagining that one day, when I grew up, I would have my own car and practice driving like that as a hobby. Well, it seems that day has come, because driving a powerful gasoline-powered Ford Mustang at full speed down a Japanese mountain pass in winter, trying not to get myself killed, requires using all those hours I wasted imagining myself driving a car. I had to be precise with speed, direction, and knowing the limits of where the car had grip or started to lose traction so I could use it to my advantage. I had to drive fast, there were people to save, and I had to get to the generator complex at the dam.

The mission plan wasn't good at all, but there was no other option. I had no way of knowing what to expect inside, but there was going to be a fight. Due to the nature of an underground tunnel, any communication with the outside world is impossible. In addition, in such a closed and isolated space, the sound of weapons will be heard much farther and louder, making it easy to alert the other terrorists. So the plan will be to go in and try to be as stealthy as possible, try not to be seen, minimize any noise, and reserve any shots until the last moment, because this place reminds me a lot of the Shadow Moses complex, only without the nuclear weapons. And just like that incident, I have a group of terrorists, hostages, and bombs ready to blow everything up, plus the pressure of the police arriving in about 40 minutes, bringing even more chaos.

As I approach at full speed, I can see the entrance to the tunnel that leads to the complex. Two armed men dressed in black stand guard, protecting the entrance. When they see the car coming at them at full speed, they raise their guns to fire. But I don't slow down and swerve to hit one of them. I don't brake until I see the man's body fall back in the mirror. Then I stick my hand out the window and shoot the other guard. Once the area is secure, I put the car back in gear and continued into the darkness of the tunnel.

Although the situation is not as extreme this time, I still can't shake the feeling of nervousness and unease. It's easy to draw parallels with the horrible experience of being trapped in the Moscow metro tunnels or the helplessness in Atlantis. Even though this place is better maintained and well-lit, I can still feel my own pulse, my hands shaking, the feeling that everything I'm doing is wrong or misguided. My breathing feels heavy, as if each breath is an effort. My mind keeps thinking that everything that's happening is just a lie, as if it's not really happening to me, as if I'm watching a movie, but the possibility of dying is real. I have to concentrate, everything will be fine. This is not the place to lose control and unleash the real evil.

After driving two kilometers through the tunnel, I turned off the engine of the car and drove on with the momentum I had, finally stopping the car in a small parking lot where the school bus that the terrorists had hijacked was also parked. The vehicle was now empty, clearly indicating that its passengers had been taken inside. Fortunately, there were no enemies in the area; it seemed the terrorists hadn't expected anyone to arrive so early to attack them. They were probably still preparing and fortifying their position. I must strike quickly before they have a chance to set up an effective defense. I quickly glanced at the map on my phone and took the service door to the right, a narrow and poorly lit passage, but perfect for moving around unseen before the party started.

On today's menu, I have an old but reliable MP5 with a 40-round magazine. It's capable of doing some damage, but I'll be in trouble if they're wearing body armor; it's best to aim for the head whenever possible. I also have a bulletproof vest with pouches to carry the magazines, the pistol I stole from Vienna, my survival knife, and lastly, my smartphone with the map, which I taped over my parka with some metal tape for easy and quick access. I have my fox ears uncovered to better hear what is going on around me and try to find my enemies before they find me. But when the gunfire starts, they're going to be a real pain in the ears, even though there's nothing I can do about it. I turn left at the next intersection and have to go 100 meters, then right, then straight on.

Shit!

A terrorist at the end of the hallway saw me and raised his weapon, so to prevent him from firing and setting off the alarm, I threw my submachine gun at him to distract him long enough to get close and stab him in the neck with my knife. I covered his mouth so his companions wouldn't hear the sound of his misery. The blood started to gush out like a fountain that wouldn't stop, so after the man stopped moving and fighting for his life, I moved his body behind some large machines where it would be hard to notice at first glance and where he could die in privacy. Checking his equipment, I noticed it was of high quality, with his weapon full of accessories, a military-grade bulletproof vest, and a shortwave radio that might work, but would only communicate with people inside the tunnel. He also had a military-style helmet and balaclava. Everything but the radio was hard to get in Japan, especially things like weapons, which were practically NATO standard.

Leaving the dead man behind, I returned to my path and followed a corridor filled with machines that led to what seemed to be a warehouse. According to what the android twins had seen through the security cameras, this was the place where Haru and Tamamo were. That also meant that there had to be a camera here, and they were watching me right now. However, I tried not to be distracted and concentrated on my task: finding more terrorists, killing them, securing the passage, and getting Haru out of here safely. But no matter how much I searched, there was no one around, which seemed rather strange since there should have been at least one guard with the most important hostage, right?

But as I walked further into the warehouse, I noticed a strange smell, one that was terrifying, one that was hard to forget. The stench came from behind a partially open door. In a panic, I walked through it and looked inside. Two bodies lay on the floor, brutally charred. There was little left of what the fire victims once were, just the skeletons of adults. A few pieces of melted metal were scattered among the remains, probably the armor plates from bulletproof vests. Everything else was so destroyed that it was impossible to tell what was what. Judging by the height of the bodies, it was clear that neither of them could have been a student. This was probably Tamamo's work; I don't think anyone else has a flamethrower that can melt metal like she can with her magic. The question now was: where was she? If Kazumi and Charlotte saw Haru locked up here, it means that Tamamo was with her and helped her to escape on her own. But I didn't meet them on my way here. Could it be that they got lost, or are they hiding somewhere else where the terrorists can't find them? Either way, there's no point in staying here. I have to keep moving.

If the hostages were divided into smaller groups to prevent them from escaping all at once, the terrorists would probably try to keep them closer to themselves so they could watch them closely. This also means that they would be close to their main target, which appears to be the generator room where they are placing the explosives. Consequently, I must go there to rescue her, with time running out by the minute.

Leaving the room, the route marked on the map of the place only showed the exit from here, but nothing else, there was no other instruction. Now I was completely on my own, so I followed the easiest solution. Read the signs that showed the names of the rooms. I went into a rather long corridor, then into a rather narrow one, and then came to an intersection with several tunnels. I did not know where to go now, I scratched my head for half a second trying to figure out what to do, but suddenly one of the lights in one of the tunnels seemed to be malfunctioning, turning on and off at intervals. It seemed strange to me that out of so many tunnels, only one would begin to fail at that very moment, trying to find an explanation for the mysterious I trusted that it was the work of my daughters. I decided to follow this tunnel. As I began to walk along it, I noticed that the lights near me began to have the same erratic behavior, but from those that I was moving away. I think they are trying to guide me to the right place, so I follow them.

In one of the corridors, I find two men guarding a door, surely there are hostages behind it. They were alert because of the flickering lights. But taking advantage of a more or less long moment of darkness, I managed to get behind one of them and twist his neck, albeit with difficulty. When the lights came back on, the other one, just a few feet from me, was terrified to see me and his partner dead in my hands. I immediately jumped and killed him in the same way, although he grunted in his most horrible voice as he drowned, I quickly went through his pockets and found the key they used and opened the door.

Inside was another guard and Haru on the floor with her eyes closed. With no time to do much, I threw myself against him again and we both fell to the ground. I pulled out the knife again to kill him, but suddenly he hit me in the stomach and managed to throw me back a few meters, he pulled out a spear from nowhere, but he did not attack me with it. I knew that spear, it was one of the goddess's sacred weapons my wife used.

"Wait a moment, please, Goshujin-sama!"
"It's me! Tamamo!"
"The cute kitsune! I'm only in disguise!"

Right after she spoke, the room filled with smoke that dissipated in a second, revealing the original form she used every day, including her fox ears and nine tails.

"Damn, try to warn me before you scare me like that."
"I almost did something stupid because you were dressed like the enemy," I replied.

"I was planning to escape with Haru after taking out two more guards, but then a second group showed up and I had to trick them a bit to hide with her here."
"My idea now was to wait for the right moment to escape, but those two guards didn't want to leave."
"I guess it was my fault for trying to play the hero, knowing that you would come to rescue me no matter what."

"Don't worry, you handled the situation pretty well, considering it's your first time."
"You did a good job of protecting Haru."
"By the way, how is she?" I asked my wife, looking down the hall in case more armed men came.

"She's sleeping well."
"I put a sleep curse on her so she won't be a problem during the rescue."
"That talisman there is the curse; if you remove it, she'll wake up a few minutes later."

"Excellent, good idea."
"The last thing I want is a panicked girl in the middle of a gunfight."
"Try to get her to the parking lot in the tunnel; the route should be clear for now."
"Here, these are the keys to Xian's car. It's next to the bus; take it and get Haru out of here."
"I know you don't know how to drive, but make an effort. The tunnel is just a straight road, so you can't get lost."
"Just insert the key and turn it, the car will start, lower the handbrake lever, it's next to the driver's seat, and press the lever behind the steering wheel with the plus symbol. Then just press the big pedal to go forward."
"The steering wheel turns the car left or right, just try not to hit the walls.
"When you're outside, use the other two pedals you didn't use, lift the first lever you touched, remove the key and take it out, the car will be off."
"Simple, right? You got all that, right?"

"......."
"Yes... yes... I got it..." Tamamo said timidly.

"Perfect, that's why they call you the wise one, right?"
"Now for the second part."
"Do you know where the others are? I still need to find 16 more students and a teacher."

"The leader of the terrorists ordered them all to be put in the other corridor on the other side of the main generator room."
"I think they're near a staircase, but I don't know where it leads."
"They're close to the main group and the leader, so it will be much harder to get them out without being detected," Tamamo tried to warn me.

I carefully checked the time on my watch and the stifling passage of time; there wasn't much left.

"There's not much time to be careful."
"The terrorists are placing explosives in some tunnels; I think they'll use them when the police arrive, who must be close by now."
"I'm going to try something stupid and take them out as fast as I can before everything collapses and buries us alive."
"As if that's not enough, there's no signal for phones inside the caves, so there's no way to communicate with the outside or know what's going on."
"By any chance, do you have anything that can transmit messages?"
"You're a goddess, surely you have something that doesn't need radio towers."

"Well, I can create some illusions to communicate with you during a dream."
"Something like a divine vision."

"Tamamo, do you really think sleeping here is a good idea?"

"You're right..."
"But if I do something too conspicuous without a good reason, THE BOSS won't be too happy."
"....."
"Oh! What about these talismans here? They can send messages, but they have some limitations."
""They only work for receiving messages, though. If you talk, I won't be able to hear you, and they get used up every time they're used... and I only have two left."

"I've seen you at home; you like to make magic talismans all the time. Why do you only have two?"

"Well, since everyone has smartphones these days and it's easy to call anyone, I thought it was a waste to make them."
"Why waste time making disposable magic talismans when I can even send pictures with a device that everyone has?"

"You have a point. I should thank you for making two in the first place."
"All right, give them to me. It's better than nothing."
"Use one to update me after you talk to my mother."
"Keep the other one and only use it when Adelis tells you to, probably when the police are about to enter the tunnels or something." I said, looking at my watch again.
"....."
"Damn, I hate to rush you, but there are bombs around here. We'd better wrap this up as soon as possible."
"All set?" I asked as I released the safety on my submachine gun, ready for battle.

"Wait! Hold on!"
"Before you go, I... I'd like to know if maybe you have something to talk about."
"I don't know, something you might have kept to yourself for a long time."
"Is everything okay with you?"
"Remember, I'm here for you, Goshujin-sama."

"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I don't understand, is something wrong?"

"Well... I think it's more surprising that you didn't notice."
"....."
"Your eyes have completely changed color."
"Your eyes are now scarlet red, and they glow in the dark; it's scary."

"Oh, is that all..."
"Don't worry, it's normal, it happens from time to time and sometimes I can't control it."
"I think it happens when I'm nervous or something."
"I don't know if you've heard this before, but being in tunnels is not my idea of a good time."
"Don't pay too much attention to it; it's still me, after all."
"When I'm outside and this is all over and I've had something to eat, they'll return to their normal pale color."
"There's nothing to worry about."

"Okay... if you say so."
"But remember, if you need to talk, I'm here."

"Yes, yes, I understand."
"But time is running out!"
"I don't want to rush you, but get those legs moving."
"Seeing you here is causing me more stress than I already have!"

"All right, see you later, dear."
"I'll be waiting outside. Good luck." Said Tamamo kissed me goodbye.

After the two of us left the room, Tamamo headed for the exit with Haru on her shoulders and her spear in her hand, while I followed the directions she gave me to try to find the other hostages. I was able to cross the central generator room by crawling through an overpass so they wouldn't see me, when I got to the other side I could see the hallway Tamamo mentioned and how there were more than 4 floors to the lower floor, but I didn't have to go down any stairs because near there I could see another door defended by more guards. To create a distraction I took my pistol and threw it across the floor, making them look down while I jumped on one of them to plunge my knife into his throat, then it was just a matter of doing the same to the other. After looking for the keys, I opened the door and went inside with the two dead bodies of the terrorists, in the same room I could see only one person lying on the floor. It was Xian, whose plastic restraints I quickly removed with my knife to talk to her.

"In the parking lot at exit two, there is still the school bus, we can use it to get the others out of here," I told her as I handed her the gun of one of the dead terrorists.

"We can't leave the others behind, Haru was separated from the others, I think I saw Tamamo go after her," Xian replied as she checked the condition of her weapon like the true professional assassin she was.

"Don't worry, I already met them on the way here, they should be on their way out by now."
"Any idea who these people are? What are they doing in a power dam that has more in common with a bunker than producing electricity?" I asked.

"I'm sorry, but I have no idea what they're up to."
"Although there is one of them, the boss, who seems to be wearing an Arksuit."
"Something completely out of the reach of any terrorist group right now.
"Her own companions mention that she looks ridiculous in the armor, suggesting that they don't know what she's capable of."
"This is all very strange, it makes no sense to attack a power plant in a neutral country."
"Besides, even though the power plant is important, it's not like it's the only one, no matter what they do here, they won't put Japan in a compromising position."
"There's nothing to be gained here."
"Kidnapping a group of students has no meaning or purpose other than to ensure that the government will hunt you down until the end of the world," Xian tried to reason.

"That doesn't matter to us, that's the job of the police, they'll take care of it when we get out of here."
"Do you know where the others are? Where are the students?"

"They were taken to a room near here, it's about 50 meters down the corridor to the right."
"I think they separated me from the others to scare somebody else from doing something stupid like a rescue."

"Okay, all right."
"Let's get them and get the group out of here in the bus."
"We have to move fast, the cops will be here in ten minutes more or less."
"Try to get them out and keep them from having a panic attack."
"Are you ready? There's no going back once the shooting starts."

"Yeah, sure, I'm ready."
"It's time to finally use my experience to save something instead of taking it."

"Perfect."

Following Xian's lead, we both went to the place where she had seen the students being held. It was another door guarded by more soldiers, but with the help of someone as experienced as her, it was no problem. After finding the keys, I tossed them to Xian so she could unlock the cell where the other students were tied up and blindfolded. The teacher ran in with my knife to cut their bonds one by one, preparing them for the escape, while I stayed outside in the hallway, keeping watch in case enemy reinforcements arrived. The Teacher knocked on the door, signaling that we were ready to leave and complete our mission.

Chaos erupted in less than a second as I saw six armed men emerge from a hallway, walk directly toward our position, and look me straight in the face. They raised their guns and I raised mine. We started shooting at each other. The students in the room started screaming in panic at the sound of the gunfire. Xian quickly used the door as cover and started shooting to help me. The fight was not only fast, but also violent. With two already dead, I called Avalon to take cover in the unprotected hallway. But tragedy struck immediately and without warning when some students, driven by fear, thought of nothing better than to flee, even though there was a fight going on. I fired my submachine gun until it ran out of bullets, trying to cover the morons. In a panic, I reloaded my weapon as quickly as possible to continue shooting and put an end to this. Knowing where my enemies were, I took aim at their positions before peeking out from behind my cover and firing preemptively with the intention of killing them and saving more lives. But as soon as I poked my head out of cover and pulled the trigger, the damage was done; fate was unstoppable. I saw one of my comrades, for some stupid reason I still don't understand, run in front of me and my weapon. There was nothing I could do; a burst of bullets hit her head, making it explode instantly in a cruel way, but without making her suffer.

Oh my God...

I had killed her. I had killed one of my classmates. I had killed Utagawa, someone who, although I did not really know her beyond her last name, was still someone innocent of all this. But I couldn't just stand there and do nothing; there were still enemies and more lives to save. More students were in danger. I took cover again and began to reload my weapon for another round of bullets. Xian, in an act of bravery, stepped out of the door she was using as cover to take out the remaining terrorists herself.

I ran to Utagawa's body to check on her and try to take care of her, but there was really nothing to do, what was left of her lay on the ground bleeding from all sides. I was sad and angry, it had happened again, another time I had made a mistake and someone else had to pay the consequences. Xian was also angry with me and I think she was scolding me. But I couldn't listen to anything she said, I couldn't take my eyes off what I had just done. Xian grabbed my shirt and lifted me up, but I didn't have time for this shit. Tired of the situation I decided to end this myself, I hit her arm and managed to free myself, I told her to continue and get out of here. She was so scared when she saw me that she started running for her life, following the path the other students had taken.

I wasn't thinking clearly, I just wanted revenge at any cost. I just wanted to pay for the death of that girl with a lot more death, I would make coming here the mistake that ended their low lives, and I had a plan for that.

I went to the second exit tunnel, I found a man who had the detonators, I killed him by banging his head against the ground several times until he exploded. I activated the explosives and went straight to the other exit tunnel, the only exit tunnel left. So if they wanted to get out of here alive, they'd have to go through me, and I wasn't going to let any of those bastards get out of here alive.

One of the talismans began to burn in a blue flame, but even though there was noise coming from it, I didn't hear anything. It distracted me from my goal, surely it was the arrival of the police, but that did not matter to me now. I'm not going to let anyone pass by here, I was waiting for them to show up, slowly towards their death. It was time to show them who was the real monster in these tunnels and who was the prey.