𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍|
— Abandoned Warehouse, L.A., California.
— January 1, 2015.

𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐁𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇 was heavy as he quickly walked down the street. He kept his head down and shades on, but made sure to check his shoulder at least once per minute. He couldn't be too cautious with an operation like this. Get in. Get out. Those were his orders and he planned on following them to the end. He always did, but this time felt different. Perhaps since he hadn't been in California since the accident...

No! He couldn't think of that now. It would only be a distraction and he couldn't be distracted at a time like this. He shook his head quickly and paused just outside the old warehouse. He placed a hand to the door and pushed without a sound. When it didn't budge, he either assumed that it was locked or the door itself was blocked off.

"Looks like I'm headed to the roof," he spoke to no one in particular, but his voice was quiet despite that fact.

He walked around the brick walls and quickly found a pipe which he could scale. Once he reached the top, he brushed his hands off and peered in through the glass roof. Why anyone thought a glass roof was a good idea was beyond him, but at times it was helpful, especially when breaking into a place. He opened up a pocket of his utility belt and pulled out a pen-like tool.

He clicked the pen, but rather than ink a small laser emerged. After drawing a small circle in the glass, he clicked the pen off. He then stomped down on the circle he had outlined and the shape, now separated from the rest of the roof, fell and shattered at the base of the warehouse. After checking his surroundings to see if the large noise had drawn any unwanted attention, he approached the closest air conditioning unit and set up his grappling hook. Ensuring that the hook was secured, he tossed the excess rope toward the floor below. While keeping a steady momentum, he then slid down the rope and entered the warehouse. He looked around and noticed that nothing had been touched or moved in years. Although the set-up was different than he remembered, he made his way to the back of the building and slid behind the final pair of shelves that were nearly pressed up against the wall. He crouched to his knees and felt the lining of the floor. As his fingers brushed an uneven edge, he backtracked and lifted to reveal a hidden section of the warehouse. Again, he checked his shoulder and his surroundings before dropping down into the darkness below.

He once again pulled out the pen from his utility belt and twisted it to turn on the flashlight function of the tool. As the light flashed on, dust particles floated through the air down the long corridor. He proceeded forward and stopped at the end of the hallway before the final door. His hesitation only lasted a moment. He winced as the rusted, soot-coated hinges screamed as they moved for the first time in ages. Stepping foot into the room, he looked around and noted the burned desks, piles of ash, and broken electronics. In other words, nothing that he hadn't come to expect. The scorch marks located on all the walls told some of the story as to what had happened. It was one that only a few knew, including himself. He paused and allowed his fingers to hover over a desk; however, he quickly withdrew them to avoid the flashes of his memory that would accompany it. He focused his mind on the priorities of his mission, understanding that completing his objective was the only way he could leave as soon as possible. He made his way to the back of the room where he remembered the laboratory would be located. He kicked down the remains of what could have once been a door while his hands rested on the gun snug in its holster. Seeing nothing of immediate threat, he lifted a hand to his earpiece.

"The area is clear."

There was a brief moment of silence before a voice replied on the other end, "Roger that, Agent Davis, the package is located at a latitude of—"

"Williams," Agent Davis interjected, "Just give me simple directions."

"Fine... If you want to be boring."

"This is not a trip to an amusement park," Davis stated with a frown, "We aren't here to have fun. Now guide me to the serum."

"Right away, sir."

Agent Williams quickly gave the field operative directions around the lab which eventually led Davis to a metal safe. Davis frowned momentarily at the obstacle that would add an unnecessary amount of time to his stay. He removed a few round disks from his utility belt and placed them on the corners of the safe. He stepped out of the room and allowed the demolition disks to do their worst. A loud metallic clang crashed against the floor. Davis waited a second longer before determining it was safe to once again enter the room. Even though it took only a few seconds, it was still a few seconds longer than he wanted to be in the warehouse. Cold mist escaped from the safe and mixed with the warm air of the safe's exterior. Davis reached a gloved hand inside and carefully pulled out five small vials which each contained a bright green liquid.

After placing all but one in the safety of his utility belt, Davis rolled the last between his fingers and asked, "What are these things again, Williams?"

"We've come to speculate that these formulas possess some sort of healing factor," Agent Williams informed, "They're sure to make a major breakthrough in curing cancer and other diseases... perhaps it may even prevent the process of death itself and—"

"Death isn't something that's curable," Davis interrupted before the agent could continue his tangent, "I've got the package and I'm on my way to the rendezvous point."

Before Agent Williams could reply, Davis turned off his commlink and proceeded back toward the path from which he had come. He remained cautious despite the silent atmosphere. It was a rare occasion whenever he was sent on a simple retrieval assignment; however, things usually grew complicated along the way, so he expected nothing to change in this situation. He turned his flashlight off and hoisted himself out of the secret tunnels back into the warehouse where it was at least bright enough to see his surroundings. As he approached the rope that allowed him to enter the building, he slipped his gun back into its holster and prepared to climb.

However, as he was about midway to the roof, the air conditioning unit that anchored his ascent gave way. Both him and the heavy appliance crashed back toward the warehouse floor. Davis groaned, but possessed just enough adrenaline to roll aside as the a/c unit landed in the exact spot he'd been in moments ago. The effects of his adrenaline wore off and his head grew heavy. He moved to sit up but quickly decided against such movement as a sharp pain radiated from his chest. He lifted a hand to his ear to turn back on his commlink; however, the device must have fallen out after he had tumbled back to the warehouse floor. Another groan escaped his lips as his head began to pound. His vision blurred and as he lost consciousness, he realized that he may have made a mistake turning the device off in the first place.