gun before leaving his room. X6 stands frozen where they had been, listening to X5’s quiet but brisk footfalls moving to their door. He opens their door with one of the keycards. X6 looks to him. “You killed them.” X5 shoves the spare gun and card into their hands. “We don’t have a choice,” he grits his teeth, turning to leave their room. Heart pumping in their throat, they follow closely behind. The two make their way through the winding hallways, doing their best to avoid any more guards. The gun in X6’s hand feels heavy and clunky while X5 holds his effortlessly with a dangerous grace. They take the stairs, deciding the elevator isn’t the smartest choice. When they start heading up the flight of stairs, the two hear the door to the above level burst open and sets of feet start to stomp down the stairs towards them. X6 grabs X5 and pulls them through the door next to them that bleeds into the second floor. They drag him down the hallway and through a new, thick set of doors, ignoring the warning painted in red on the front of them. As the doors close behind them, they stop, waiting for the herd of feet to run past them. They both exhale a sigh of relief. X5 reaches out for one of the doors to leave, but X6 grabs his wrist to stop him. He turns to them, brows furrowed in confusion, but X6’s attention is straight ahead. Letting his arm fall to the side, he lets his hand hang in theirs and follows their gaze to the row of cells in front of them. They were designed opposite to their own; the walls connecting each room were solid, while thick bars stand in front of the cell. Like cages, X6 thinks, for animals. They step closer, X5 right behind them, peering inside the first one on their left. What greets them is not human. The creature remains crouched with its long limbs, its claws as big as X6’s own index finger. It’s more lizard-like than man; a gray reptilian tail swishes back and forth behind it. The creature has no
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