The cold metal tip of the syringe hovered a breath away from Brendon's arm. The green fluid within glowed, almost humming with Grimm's anticipation.
"Hold still," Grimm said, a twisted smile carved into his face.
Brendon's teeth gritted. His muscles tensed as if waiting for a cue, his wolf-side bristling in defiance. "Like hell I will."
Summoning every ounce of strength in his core, Brendon twisted violently—dragging the chair with him. The sudden momentum caught Grimm off guard. The ropes groaned under the force as the chair spun into a wide arc. The doctor stumbled back, trying to regain balance.
Clack!
The syringe slipped from Grimm's hand and clattered to the ground, the needle snapping off and spilling its contents harmlessly on the cold floor.
"You punk!" Grimm snarled.
Brendon didn't waste the opportunity.
"Sorry, Doc," he said with a smirk, his breathing heavy. "But I don't remember signing a consent form for this."
He flexed his legs and slammed the wooden chair against the stone floor, once, twice—crack!
Wood splinters exploded outward.
"Haah! Finally free." He stood, shaking the dust off, ropes falling away from his arms and legs. His amber eyes narrowed as he fixed them on Grimm. "Now… round two."
But before either of them could make a move, a deep thud echoed from above—followed by a crackling rumble.
Then—BOOM!
The ceiling cracked apart as a colossal ox-like hand burst through it, followed by a resounding shout.
"Jason was right! Hold on down there!"
A massive piece of the stone ceiling collapsed inward, sending a plume of dust and debris into the air. Through it dropped Chief Tyson, his massive figure slamming down with a controlled stomp, shaking the very walls. His grey fur bristled, and his heavy-duty uniform seemed almost made for war.
"Chief!" Brendon shouted, blinking through the dust.
Behind Tyson, Robert leapt down nimbly, his dog-like ears twitching, his tail flicking with tension. "Hey! Brendon!" he shouted, eyes scanning the room.
Brendon waved up toward them with a half-smile. "Never thought this many people would come for me. Gotta say, I'm touched."
His gaze lingered on Tyson for a second longer.
"Even you, Chief Bullhead," he teased.
Tyson's nose twitched. "Watch it, pup."
But that brief moment of levity cost them.
Dr. Grimm, eyes wild, took a swift step backward and slammed his palm on a metal plate behind him. A click echoed and a section of the wall behind him hissed open, revealing a narrow passageway bathed in an eerie red light.
Grimm turned.
"No, you don't," Brendon snapped, eyes sharpening.
Grimm took off in a blur of movement. Brendon growled and bolted after him, sprinting into the opening.
"Go!" Tyson barked.
Without hesitation, Robert followed, his powerful legs propelling him forward with ease. The ox chief wasn't far behind, every stride echoing like a drumbeat.
Above them, Judith Kay with her sharp eyes and even sharper instincts, peered down from the opening with concern.
"I'll stay above and secure this place," she said quickly. "He may have more exits. I'll block him if he tries to loop back."
"I'm coming too," Jason Ramirez said beside her, his koala features slightly pale but his voice firm.
Judith glanced at him. "You sure?"
Jason gulped. "Not really. But I want to help."
She nodded. "Then let's move. We'll hold the perimeter."
Back below, Brendon chased Grimm down a spiraling staircase carved out of cold steel. The deeper he went, the colder it became. Every step seemed to echo with whispers, the air saturated with Nightroot's foul, floral musk.
After several turns, Grimm finally slowed—only to stop entirely.
He stood still in the center of a vast subterranean chamber, circular in design, its ceiling lined with tangled vines and pipes. Strange green pods lined the walls like giant dew-covered cocoons. The scent of chemicals and something ancient lingered in the air.
Brendon stopped just a few paces away, staring warily.
Grimm turned slowly, smiling.
"I knew you'd follow."
"Didn't think I'd let you monologue again, did you?" Brendon said, fists clenched.
Chief Tyson and Robert dropped in seconds later, standing on either side of Brendon.
Robert whistled. "Okay. Creepy dungeon lair? Check. Mad scientist? Check. Giant pods? Definitely a check."
Chief Tyson surveyed the place with sharp eyes. "Whatever this is, it's been here for decades. This place isn't just built—it is resurrected."
"Impressed?" Grimm called out. "It's taken years to get this place running again. But I've finally succeeded in awakening what even the 1950s minds failed to control."
Tyson's brows furrowed. "What are you talking about?"
Then the wall behind Grimm rippled.
The floor quaked.
From behind the scientist, a deep guttural growl resonated through the chamber—wet, thunderous, animalistic.
A massive shadow detached from the wall, rising higher and higher. Brendon's breath caught as he took in the sight.
A hulking creature lumbered forward. Its arms were long and thick like a gorilla's, covered in coarse black fur. Its chest was wide, muscular, and pulsated unnaturally with shifting muscle fibers. Tentacles slid across the floor, emerging from its back, slimy and twitching like they had a mind of their own.
And its face—
The head was that of a lion, grotesquely fused with cephalopodic features. Two piercing golden eyes glowed from beneath a mane tangled with veins and seaweed-like strands. Its mouth split into rows of jagged teeth that curved in strange directions.
Brendon took a step back.
"What in the hell is that?"
Grimm's voice rang with triumph. "My masterpiece. Chimera X-Prime. An amalgamation of the fiercest evolutionary paths. Intelligence. Strength. Adaptability. Bound by my mind."
The creature let out a roar that shook the very bones in their bodies.
Chief Tyson rolled his neck with a grunt. "Okay, I take back what I said about being impressed. I'm just annoyed now."
Robert sighed. "We've got a kaiju in a basement. Just another Tuesday, huh?"
Brendon's hands flexed. "You two up for this?"
Tyson grinned. "Let's clip this freak's tentacles."
Grimm pointed forward. "Kill them."
The monster charged.
And the chamber descended into chaos.