Their infiltration began by passing through the window and into a dark hallway.
They expected machine beeping or even some unused lights, but to their surprise, it was completely deserted… shrouded in a silence that prompted Rod to use hand signals.
They continued moving forward on high alert, passing through abandoned rooms—dusty offices, silent cafeterias, even deserted labs—each a testament to long-forgotten activity.
Strange… No guards, no scientists, not even cleaning staff. The emptiness was absolute, as if Oliver's information was untrue.
Before long, their footsteps echoed when entering a large warehouse room on the ground level. Scattered machine parts littered the floor and thick spider webs clung to every surface. Other than that, however, it seemed empty.
"You can hide your weapon now, Catra," Rod said.
The cheetah girl mirrored the way he returned his pistol to the interlink, only for her cheetah intuition to warn her… Something was off.
She quickly pressed a button on her earpiece.
"Oliver, there's no one here."
No response…
Rod's gaze swept the warehouse until it snagged on an open metal door in a far corner. He was intrigued by a faint light that emanated from the room it led to.
"What's going on?" he murmured, resting his hand on the interlink and slowly walking towards the door.
"Are you there, Oliver?" the cheetah girl asked once more, yet, no one answered, "Dad?"
Rod reached the door and found it led to a small white room, completely bare save for a single computer at its center. Its screen was glowing faintly and nothing more, though, what instantly froze him in place was the message it displayed.
Catra walked and noticed something the Gun Hero hadn't: Transparent windows were set into the concrete wall beside the metal door, offering a view into an adjacent room. The contents past it forced a gasp to escape her lips.
Bodies… Countless bodies of humans, beast-people, elves, even vampires, lay lifeless on metal tables. Their heads were cut open and their brain matter was exposed to the sterile air. What she didn't know was that those people were being experimented on…
"Oh my god," she choked out, clamping a hand over her mouth.
"I am taking evidentiary photos as we speak. This is unacceptable," Alf stated from her Telyglasses.
"DAD!"
Her words entered his ear and left through the other. He was completely transfixed by the computer screen… so fixated that he didn't even notice his own feet carrying him into the middle of the room.
Inside was the computer and two doors: one leading back to his only escape, and the other leading directly to where the dead bodies lay.
It didn't matter to him… The words on the screen burned into his mind, making him remember the crude note that had accompanied Elena's head.
Clenching his fists, he read those accusatory letters once more:
YOU KILLED HER.
Not getting a response from her father, Catra started running towards him. Then, her instincts screamed.
The girl's sensitive cheetah ears twitched and caught a sound of movement in the distance. Someone was there… watching her.
"CATRA!" Rod roared.
He spun around and sprinted to the exit. Unexpectedly though, the large metal door slammed shut and the white lights in the room turned red. In less than a second they were separated.
The situation called for an emergency, and that's where his powers came in. A torrent of golden lightning crackled from Rod's body and enveloped him in an aura of pure power.
He was about to kick the door wide open with his strength, but right before his foot could make contact, the lightning bolts around him disappeared.
His boot slammed into the metal with a dull thud and the door didn't flinch.
"What the hell?" he stammered.
No power was generated… no advantage… He could feel his mana being zapped away. Something was absorbing it.
Just when he figured out what was happening, a chorus of groans erupted from the other door and the very ground beneath him shook.
Then, a large fist broke the concrete wall beside him. It was a giant gorilla-like beast-man. It had red eyes, a half open skull and the impulse to attack.
Rod quickly jumped backward and fluidly avoided the giant's attacks. Even more figures emerged behind the gorilla—humans, vampires, elves… Their eyes glowed with the same red light and their faces were etched with a singular objective: killing him.
On the other side of the now-sealed metal door, Catra turned to the transparent windows and saw the resurrected people slowly getting up from their metal tables.
"DAD!" she shrieked and slammed her fists on the metal door.
WHIP!
Catra recoiled, athletically dodged the shot web with a backflip and landed lightly on her feet, poised for battle. Their situation was now exactly what she'd trained for…
A specific memory resurfaced from when she was just a little girl learning about cave infiltrations.
"Whatever you do, don't worry about me. Focus on yourself and try to hold on to your courage. I'll be there to help you in no time, okay kiddo?"
"Okay, daddy."
Back in the present, Catra focused on herself and drew a deep breath.
"A-4 Sniper Class Rifle!" she exclaimed.
The weapon was generated in an instant before her focus shifted around the room. She easily guessed who attacked her… After all, only one person used webs as a weapon.
"I know you're there… Aurora!"
"My, oh my," the beautiful, tall, black-haired woman's voice purred from the darkness, followed by an amused giggle.
Her elegant and dangerous form appeared a few meters in front.
"Your instincts have grown while I was away, haven't they?"
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Catra demanded.
Aurora laughed and smoothly shifted into a fighting position.
"Oh, that's easy… I'm here to kidnap you."