Ch: 38 & 39 [Sarah and Travis]

[A few hours earlier before Travis entered her apartment]

[Sarah's POV]

Sarah had been going about her work in the logistics department of LexCorps, just like any other day. The bustling office had a sense of controlled chaos, with employees bustling about, coordinating shipments, and managing inventory.

She glanced at the clock on her desk. It was almost time for her lunch break, and she looked forward to her usual routine of grabbing a sandwich from the cafeteria and spending some time in the small courtyard on the building's ground floor. It was a peaceful escape from the office hubbub.

Everything was going as usual until the departure time.

It was 7:30 PM.

The LexCorps building went on a complete lockdown, trapping everyone inside. Panic quickly spread among the employees as the automated announcement system blared through the speakers, instructing them to stay in their offices and await further instructions.

Sarah, along with her coworkers, huddled together in the open area of the logistics department, their expressions a mix of fear and confusion. The office, once bustling with activity, had now turned into a tense and uncertain environment.

As they anxiously awaited updates on the situation, the lights flickered momentarily, causing more distress among the employees. The automated announcement continued to repeat, providing little information about what was happening.

Then, the building's emergency alarms blared, sending an eerie wail echoing through the corridors. It was a signal that something was gravely wrong.

Sarah's heart raced as she exchanged worried glances with her coworkers. The situation had escalated far beyond a normal lockdown. It felt like a nightmare.

Just as fear settled in, a loud crashing sound echoed from a nearby corridor. It was followed by terrified screams from employees who had been caught in the chaos.

Her heart pounded in her chest as the chaos intensified. The crashing sound had sent shockwaves of terror through the employees, but it was what came next that turned the situation into a nightmarish reality.

A worker from a nearby office, panting and wide-eyed, stumbled into their department, yelling frantically, "They're here! They crawled out of the old drainage system behind the building!"

Sarah's blood ran cold as she processed the words. "They?" she whispered to herself, her mind racing to comprehend the situation.

Her coworkers exchanged terrified glances, and the emergency alarms continued to wail, drowning out the panicked voices. In the midst of the chaos, the overhead lights flickered again, casting eerie shadows across the room.

Then, from the darkened corridor, emerged a nightmare come to life. It was a black alien [Xenomorph], its sleek and deadly form glistening with a slimy, otherworldly sheen. Its elongated head and razor-sharp tail were unmistakable.

The employees in the logistics department, already paralyzed by fear, watched in horror as the Xenomorph advanced with deadly grace. Its hissing breath cut through the air, a chilling sound that seemed to freeze their very souls.

The one who was screaming fell dead on the floor as the alien's tail pierced through his chest.

Everyone screamed in fear and tried to run away. But Sarah's eyes fell on the alien's head. She saw that there were no eyes on its head which meant it could not see, but how did it just kill the man before her eyes?

'Sound!? Smell!?' A thought crossed her mind. 'Or does it really have eyes under its glossy black armor?'

The Xenomorph continued its relentless advance, its deadly tail retracting as it hissed and moved with unnatural speed. Panic and chaos reigned in the office as employees scattered, trying to escape the nightmarish creature.

Sarah's mind raced as she observed the unknown alien. It was clear that this creature had a heightened sense of hearing. The sudden and loud screams of the terrified employees had attracted its attention, leading to the brutal demise of the unfortunate worker and those who screamed and tried to run away.

As the alien approached her. She held her mouth tightly with her hands, trembling in fear and horror. Before her, lay the ten dead bodies of her co-workers.

Sarah's heart pounded in her chest as she watched the Xenomorph move closer, leaving a trail of death in its wake. She realized that she had to stay absolutely silent to avoid drawing its attention, but her fear threatened to overwhelm her.

The Xenomorph's hissing breath grew louder as it drew near, and Sarah focused all her willpower on maintaining her silence. She took shallow breaths, trying to calm herself and remain as still as possible.

It stopped before her and opened its hissing mouth, revealing another mouth inside, dripping with fluids.

It passed by her, its sleek, deadly form inches away, and she couldn't help but shudder at the proximity of the creature. It was a harrowing experience, knowing that any noise, any movement, could lead to her own demise.

Then another scream from outside the department caught its attention.

It dashed outside with a blinding speed, leaving behind a bloody room.

Sarah's mind raced as the Xenomorph departed in pursuit of the new noise. She was left in the blood-spattered office, surrounded by the lifeless bodies of her coworkers. The echoes of their screams and the horrific encounter still resonated in her mind.

She knew that she couldn't stay in the logistics department. The alien could return at any moment, and she had to find a way to escape the building. Her heart was heavy with grief for her fallen colleagues, but survival instincts compelled her to act.

This isn't the time to moan the dead. She must survive at any cost. but with the building in lockdown, there was only one way...

'The garbage disposal tube!' She thought.

She knew her best chance of escape was through the garbage disposal tube, a narrow chute that led from the upper floors of the building to the ground floor. It was used for disposing of waste and recyclables, and while it wasn't meant for human travel, it was her only option.

With a trembling body, she made her way to the nearest disposal chute access point. The hallways were eerily quiet, and she kept her footsteps as soft as possible, mindful of the Xenomorph's presence somewhere in the building.

Sarah's heart pounded in her chest as she navigated the silent hallways of the LexCorps building. The stench of death and blood hung heavy in the air, a sickening reminder of the nightmare she had just witnessed. The walls were stained with splatters of crimson, and the eerie quiet was broken only by the occasional distant scream.

The sight of her fallen coworkers, their lifeless bodies sprawled across the office, weighed heavily on her mind. She couldn't afford to dwell on their deaths, not now. Survival was her top priority.

As she reached the access point for the garbage disposal chute, the ventilation tube broke and two aliens fell down. She quickly crutched down on the floor with her lips shut tight.

Sarah's heart raced as the two Xenomorphs dropped from the ventilation tube above her. She crouched down on the floor, her body trembling with fear. Her lips remained tightly sealed as she tried to control her breathing, desperately hoping that the aliens wouldn't sense her presence.

The aliens landed on the floor with a thud, their sleek, black forms towering over her. Their elongated heads and hissing breath sent shivers down her spine. She could feel their predatory instincts, their hunger for blood, emanating from them.

The aliens hissed and sniffed the air, their elongated jaws opening and closing.

[Bang!] [Bang!] The sudden sound of gunshots echoed in the building, catching the alien's attention. Their hissing breath grew louder.

From the corridor, a group of heavily armed security personnel emerged, opening fire on the approaching Xenomorphs. The shots were deafening, and the echoes reverberated through the hallway.

The Xenomorphs, while strong, were not invulnerable to bullets. The rounds tore into their glossy black exoskeletons, causing green, acidic blood to spurt from their wounds.

In the chaos that followed, Sarah seized the opportunity to crawl into the access point for the garbage disposal chute. She knew that this was her only chance to escape the building.

As she descended into the narrow chute, the sounds of gunfire and the hissing of the Xenomorphs faded into the distance. She descended further and further, her heart filled with a mixture of relief and dread.

The garbage disposal chute was a cramped and filthy passage, not designed for human travel. It was dark, and the only light came from the occasional grating above that allowed a sliver of moonlight to filter through.

Sarah's journey through the chute was anything but pleasant. She had to contort her body to fit through the narrow space, and the filth and stench were overwhelming.

Time seemed to stretch as she descended further, her mind a whirlwind of fear and anxiety. She had to reach the ground floor.

At long last, she reached the lower levels of the building and tumbled out of the garbage disposal chute onto the back of the building. Without wasting time, she dashed to the parking lot, toward her car. Luckily, she has managed to hold on to her handbag through all these troubles.

She fumbled for her car keys, her hands trembling as she tried to unlock the vehicle. The events that had unfolded inside the building were still fresh in her mind, and she couldn't shake the feeling of dread that the aliens could be lurking nearby.

Finally, the car door clicked open, and she wasted no time in getting inside. Her trembling fingers struggled to insert the key into the ignition, but she managed to start the engine. With a screech of tires, she sped out of the parking lot and onto the darkened streets of Gotham.

While driving, she searched her bag for her phone, but it turned out that she might have dropped it somewhere in her office. Right now, there is no way for her to contact the police. And due to the recent rise in murders, the city almost looked devoid of life at night. Her only choice is to go to her apartment building which falls on the way.

Upon reaching her apartment, she rushed in, only to find the door was open.

Sarah's hands trembled as she approached her apartment. The door, which should have been securely locked, stood slightly ajar. Panic surged within her as she pushed the door open cautiously, her heart pounding with anxiety.

She saw a woman lying on the floor.

"Wha..." As soon as she walked inside to take a look, a pain surged through the back of her head. She touched her head and felt something wet and sticky. She turned back to see a man holding a baseball bat.

The world turned dark before her eyes as she fell to the floor.

[Present time]

Travis continued to search Sarah's apartment, his heart heavy with concern. There were no immediate signs of a struggle or theft, which only added to the mystery of her disappearance. The apartment appeared undisturbed, aside from the open door.

He carefully examined the living room, kitchen, and bedroom, hoping to find some clue about what had happened. Everything seemed perfectly normal, with no indication of a break-in or a struggle.

As he made his way to the bathroom, he noticed something unusual. The window was slightly ajar, and a soft breeze wafted in. Travis approached the window and looked outside. It was a long drop to the ground, but there were no signs of forced entry from the outside.

His mind raced as he considered the possibilities.

"Nothing is stolen, the cash and jewelry are in their place..." He said to himself, "Kidnapping? Who? Why? They hurt her?" His eyes were on the blood-stained carpet. "I am gonna rip their limbs apart and give them the most painful death beyond their wildest imagination that even death will run away from the sight..."

As Travis prepared himself to use his super speed to check every corner of the city...

[System upgrade completed]

[New functions available]

[Do you wish to check?]

[Y/N]

"New functions... Yes. Show me," He said, hoping to get a skill or anything to help him figure out her location.

[System function: 1) Overdrive mode- Remove all skill's cooldown for 10 hours. Skill Lock Penalty: 78 hrs]

[2) System scanner- Scan and find info on anything and everything as long as it is within the System's capability.]

[3) System's Inventory- Store 20 items. Living organisms can not be stored.]

"Use the System scanner," He stood up. Finally, he found a little hope.

A small ball of light emerged from his palm which looked like a small flying bot.  It began to process the apartment's environment. Beams of light scanned the area, collecting data and reconstructing a holographic presentation of recent events.

The holographic presentation materialized before Travis, displaying a detailed reenactment of what had occurred in the apartment. It started with Sarah entering her apartment, and he watched as she walked towards the woman lying on the floor.

When she bent down to take a look, the holographic image showed a man approaching her from behind, wielding a baseball bat. He struck her on the back of the head. Then he took out a syringe and injected paralysis drugs into her.

The image froze.

"Can you track them down?" Travis asked, trying his very best to keep his emotions in check. He has seen enough deaths in the other world and has learned to adapt to the situation. But Sarah... She was different.

[Follow Me]

The orb of light flew out of the apartment while scanning.

Travis followed the orb of light as it led him through the city streets. The holographic projection continued to provide a visual representation of the events leading up to Sarah's disappearance. It showed the man carrying Sarah's unconscious body out of her apartment and into a waiting vehicle.

[Tracking tire prints]

"Follow it," He ordered as he prepared to use his super speed.

He activated his super speed, his body becoming a blur as he followed the holographic projection and the tire prints left by the vehicle. The city streets flashed by in a blur of lights and colors as he pursued the trail.

The holographic projection provided a real-time display of the vehicle's path, allowing Travis to stay on its trail. He knew that time was of the essence, and he had to find Sarah before it was too late.

As he raced through the city, his mind raced with bad thoughts. He couldn't fathom why someone would target Sarah, and the thought of her in danger weighed heavily on his heart.

The trail eventually led him to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. The holographic projection indicated that the vehicle had entered the warehouse. Travis slowed down as he approached the dark and foreboding building.

[30 armed human- Detected]