TW: Blood, Guns, Violence, Death, Suicide

TIME: 23:28
DATE: CLASSIFIED
LOCATION: TESTING SITE #3

“--llo?! Hello?! Is anyone there?!” Subject V asked, looking desperately into the camera. “My name is Virgil Storm, I’m 19 years old, and I need you to listen very carefully.”

He was outside, the night sky and dead grass serving as the scenery. An alarm was blaring loudly in the background, accompanying the sound of gunfire. He was crouched behind some sort of rock that served as his barricade.

“GET BACK HERE!” Dr. Berry could be heard screaming in the background.

“Virgil, we need to go!” Subject R-O barked. 

He could be seen behind Subject V, a gun in his hands, aiming at something in the distance. Subject R-O scowled, firing a couple bullets.

“Give me a second!” Subject V snapped back. He turned back to the camera. “We need help. Immediately. I don’t know where we are, I don’t know how you can--SHIT!” He screamed when a bullet went flying above his head. 

“Virgil--” Another voice could be heard, this one weak and strained. Subject V’s eyes flickered to someone off camera. 

“What is it, Pat?” 

“I can’t--It’s so hard to breathe.” Subject P murmured, the camera barely able to pick up what he said. “I don’t think I’m going to make it.”

“Don’t talk like that, okay?” Subject V reprimanded. 

The camera was taken out of Subject V’s hands, and placed on the ground, making it so that everyone could be seen by the camera. One person seemed more calm than the rest.

It was Dr. Picani, his expression steely and neutral. “This is Lieutenant Picani, reporting back to HQ, do you copy?” He said into his earpiece. A moment passed. “Yes sir, all four are present and accounted for.” He flinched a little when a bullet flew a little too close. “Target is hostile, sir. He’s shooting at us.” He growled. 

“He’s gonna kill us~! He’s gonna kill us~!” Subject R-E laughed in the background. 

“Shut up, Remus!” Subject R-O shouted. 

“How long until pickup?” Lieutenant Picani asked into his headset. The answer could not be picked up by the camera, but it wasn’t good, based on the way Lieutenant’s lips pursed. “10-4.” He mumbled.

“TRAITORS! TRAITORS, ALL OF YOU!” Dr. Berry screamed, gunfire growing more erratic. 

One shot was particularly lucky.

It hit Lieutenant Picani in the side of the head. 

Blood splattered everywhere, most of it landing on Subject R-O, with only a bit on the camera. 

All the subjects screamed as he fell on his side and didn’t move again.

“He’s dead! He’s dead!” Subject R-E laughed, clapping his hands in delight. 

“Remus, help me!” Subject R-O yelled, pointing to the gun that rested in Lieutenant Picani’s limp hand. 

Subject R-E, for once, listened to his brother and grabbed the gun. 

“Oh my god--oh my god--!” Subject V stammered wobbily.

“YOU’RE DEAD! ALL OF YOU ARE DEAD!” Dr. Berry roared. 

“He’s not holding back.” Subject R-O grit out. He shot at Dr. Berry, and released a loud cry when a bullet grazed his side. 

“Roman!” Subject V cried. “Are you alright?!” 

Subject R-O didn’t reply, pressing his hand on the wound as it began to bleed. He took a deep breath.

Subject R-O peeked his head up, firing at Dr. Berry.

A bullet hit him directly in the forehead. 

He fell backwards, hitting the ground with a dull thump.

“ROMAN!” Subject V screamed, rushing over to other subject. “Ro?! Roman?!” 

Subject R-E looked frozen, just staring at his brother’s corpse. “Roman?” He whispered, more to himself than to his brother. “...Ro?” His voice went smaller, then he crawled a little closer, hands reaching out shakily. He didn’t touch his brother, though, too afraid.

Subject V moved to grab Subject R-O’s gun, but Subject P’s hand shot out and grabbed Subject V’s. When the two of them locked eyes, Subject P just smiled and shook his head. 

Subject V’s composure crumpled, and he looked away from everyone as he collapsed into sobs.

Subject R-E gently grabbed Subject R-O by the shoulders, giving him a light shake. “Wake up.” He mumbled, brow furrowing. He shook a little harder. “Wake. Up.” He repeated, voice going a little weaker. 

The sound of rapid footsteps could be heard approaching, but none of them seemed to care. 

Dr. Berry came into view of the camera, gun in one hand, the other pressing down on the bloody wound in his side. 

All three of the subjects looked up at him, misery being the only emotion on their faces. Dr. Berry scowled. “You’ve ruined it.” He hissed. “You’ve ruined the project!” He yelled. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?! Do you have any idea what they’ll do to me?!” 

“We don’t care.” Subject V shrugged, looking away from the scientist. “It’s over. Just get it over with already.”

Rage lit up on Dr. Berry’s face, and he fired a bullet into Subject V’s face. 

Then he fired one into Subject R-E’s neck.

Then he fired another into Subject P’s heart.

Subject R-E had fallen directly on top of Subject R-O, blood spilling out onto his brother’s chest. 

Subject V was still holding Subject P’s hand, even as he had fallen on his back. 

Dr. Berry noticed the camera, picking it up with the bloody hand that had been pressed against his side. 

He had blood all over his face, his hair wild and unkept for once. “...Log 50,” he began, “I had begun to train Subject R-E for Branch 5-6. He refused to cooperate with me, but I had thought that I would be able to get him to listen with a little time.” 

He smiled at the camera. “However, that seems to not be necessary anymore. The project is a failure.” He blew a piece of hair out of his face, expression twisting back into a scowl. “Dr. Picani attacked me with a knife while I was writing my log. Turns out he was working for the enemy, I do not know how I could’ve been so blind.” 

He spat some blood out of his mouth. “The subjects are dead. I will soon join them.” He looked down, presumably at the corpses on the ground. “I killed them.” He stated. 

A few seconds passed, before Dr. Berry slowly moved so that he was holding his gun to his own head. “Everything I did was for the benefit of my country.” He said, completely calm. “I do not regret it one bit.” He closed his eyes, a small smile forming on his lips. “I dug my grave, and now I’ll rest in it.” He opened his eyes a bit. “I’ll see you all in Hell.”

Dr. Berry fired his gun.

The camera fell to the ground with the scientist, who had fallen on his side. 

Fifteen minutes passed, before the sound of helicopters could be heard in the background.