With speed only parallel by the beat of his heart, Troy ran back into the elevator, his feet thundering in his wake. There was no time for hesitance, no time to even think where he moved. He just needed to get to the back and get something that would help. It was as simple as that, no way that he could ever screw it up.

“Oh, no you don't!” Dr Fidelis shouted from behind, while also showing just how wrong and cruel fate could be when it wanted to.

While Troy might not have been able to screw anything up himself, the sharp feeling of something hitting the centre of his back was more than enough to stop him in his steps. In fact, it caused more than that, the near-full escape of all the air in his lungs putting him down for the count. While there might not have been anything lodged inside of him, their power behind the doctor’s throw had been more than enough to cause some kind of damage. Even after impact, after what turned out to be one of the pieces of the former weapon had fallen to the floor, the man could still feel the damage increasing in his back. If he survived a few hours more, that area of his body would surely turn purple for quite some time. First, however, he had to fill the prerequisite of having blood flow for that long.

With how things were going, that might have been something of a discussion to take up. What were their chances? That question was something that Troy had no idea on how to answer, not able to see much from his own view. While spending a few seconds down on the floor, in what could only be called an area air-quality, his head had been turned towards the ongoing fight. A table had stopped him from seeing most of what was going on, yet the first part had been clear to see from where he had landed.

Charlie had tackled Dr Fidelis to the floor in what could have only been called a perfect movement, with the hands pressing on the knees. The doctor had provided no resistance to the move, only doing as much as putting his hands on the muscular man’s neck, smiling widely while he was at it. The man had clearly enjoyed it.

That certainly did not speak well for anything. People feared fights, as they knew that one result of it could be their own death. To not fear a fight would mean that the person had already predicted how it would end. Troy might never have seen the man fight for himself, yet a general idea had already begun to fester.

Dr Fidelis was quick, he was strong, and the man knew more about himself than anybody else. If he was confident to break his own weapon, then he had to be sure about the victory that would follow. Honestly, how good of a throw had it been when he had chucked a piece of it at Troy’s back? That piece had ended at the perfect place, hitting cleanly with enough force to force him down on his stomach. One who could do that was somebody that was to be feared.

The laughter that followed spoke of his theory being right. It sounded full-hearted as if some obscure reference had been made. Yet Charlie was not mirroring it, Troy able to likewise hear the deep grunts of efforts, as the two men continued their fight on the ground.

He needed to get up quickly. Troy just knew that he needed to help in the only way possible, lest he would be the next target. Charlie was big, strong, and more formidable than the young man would ever be. Yet, even he could not hold the doctor at bay for long, and most surely not while also being in the state of mind that he was.

Getting up, he could feel some part of his back protesting at him. Nothing was broken, however, as there was no way Troy would have gotten up if that was their reality. So, he could continue, as there were no real excuses to put up. He just needed to get to that bag. It was so close. If he fell forwards, his finger would have been able to reach it.

“I never thought wrestling would be so exciting!” Dr Fidelis exclaimed, making Troy look back for but a second. Not that that stopped him from moving forward, of course, the young man only moved his head to the side to make sure nothing was flying towards him again. Yet… that sight in front of him was more than enough to give him some small level of pause. And he doubted anybody would blame him.

The two men had gotten back into sight, Dr Fidelis being the only one on his feet. Charlie… Charlie was in the other man’s grasp, held over Dr Fidelis’ head. There was clearly a struggle to get over to his own footing again, yet those struggles were in vain. The doctor only laughed at the attempts, going so far as to even turn around a few times, as if just parading the fact that he had restrained his enemy.

Then, with what amounted to a full-on curve, Charlie was thrown a good three meters forward, hitting the glass that protected the people from falling down into the rebuilt storage facility. Troy winced at first, afraid that the glass wall would break, filling the man with shards on the skin, and a free-fall capable of killing anybody who got close enough.

Luckily for nearly anybody involved, the glass was able to withstand the impact from the man, doing nothing more than make a hard thud as the body hit on. If anything, the was the man who made the most noise, something of a click emanating from the flesh. That couldn't have been good.

Troy reached the bag. It felt like an eternity had passed since he began the run over to it, but that did not matter in the slightest now. He just had to get something that would help, yet what would that be? Most of the things inside were out of his mental capacity, filled with lights, switches, and all kinds of other things that made no sense to him.

What had he expected, when he thought of his plan? That he would suddenly gain an intricate understanding of everything usable, the moment that he looked upon them? What kind of stupid, fiscal idea was that? Who was he kidding with such conceptions?

“A shame,” Troy could hear Dr Fidelis say outside of the elevator. For once, that tone of his was dampened a small bit, if only to show off some kind of negative emotion. “I had hoped it would break. It would certainly have been quite the finisher move, to throw you all the way done there. A memory for the ages indeed.”

“As if you would be allowed to throw me around the bender so easily,” Charlie said back, in what was an entirely unexpected act of back-and-forth. Even the doctor was not able to respond that quickly to it. Troy could not see either of the two’s faces, as he was neck-deep in the bag, trying to figure out exactly what was what, so he could only imagine how both were reacting to it. “Troy! How is it hanging in there? Did he get you too?”

“No, I am fine, Charlie!” Troy shouted back, not able to understand why the muscular man was so talkative all of a sudden. Was it all a ploy to let himself heal from the throw a little? If so, it was peculiar that Dr Fidelis was letting it happen… then again, maybe the doctor just wanted his twisted fun to last for a little longer. “Just continue to survive. We can't do this without you!”

“And we can't do it without you either. Just… focus on all my words, and we should be able to get the twink down on the floor,” Charlie shouted, sounding so much different than the usual one. His words were forced, his tone was serious, and the timing was just all off.

Troy could have taken it as the man just shook up about the ongoing fight, but the young man just could shake off the idea that it was something else entirely. His desperate mind wouldn't let him.

“You're getting awfully into this, aren't you, mister Freeman?” Dr Fidelis questioned, his tone as happy as it always was. “Nothing against that, even if that little throwback was of yours was a tad of the peculiar side? ‘Around the bender?’ Certainly unique?”

Charlie did not answer the doctor, which only seemed to further cause the doctor more laughter, those deep tones echoing off the walls in just the right way to cause Troy’s skin to pop up. Nothing felt worse than primal fear, and that was exactly what was happening. The laughing was followed by another bout of grunts, the two have seemingly closed the distance on each other without ever making any footsteps. It was not questioned, the young man doing his best to actually understand one of the more promising machinations. It had a warning about being a type six laser, so he knew that it should have been able to do some manner of damage. If only he could find the button for it. There was really nothing on it, except for a small dot at one of the ends, and there were real doubts that that was the one thing that was supposed to be pressed. Troy could only be irritated, before moving on from it. While the promise was there, if he couldn't figure out how it worked, then it would be wasted time no matter what.

A loud came from outside the elevator, but the young man just worked through it all, not bothering to even look back. From the grunts, he could only guess somebody had been hit somewhere. Not the most surprising thing in the world, though there was a minor question about nobody having been thrown or put down on the floor after it. Had no advantage been pressed. Was the doctor just continuing to play with his food?

“Just when did you learn to hit so quickly? That strength of your wasn't there ten seconds ago,” Dr Fidelis stated, two other, lighter claps sounding out after his statement. “According to your file, there shouldn't be any biological enhancements in that body of yours, but I am beginning to doubt that information as well.”

Enhancements, people thrown on glass barriers, and discourse as people fought. What had Charlie been thinking, when he thought that anything he did would be able to calm Troy down? Here he was, hearing that the man was hitting harder, with the doctor’s voice beginning to harden. If anything, that just sounded like more serious actions were beginning to be made, more drastic measures to ensure that victory would be there. If it had been a street fight, a modified knife would have already been brought out. It was only a miracle that the tables had been free of any potential clutter.

Even if he wasn't involved directly, his heart was still beating faster than anything should have been possible. He felt like his vessels would pop any second, as his eyes and hands tried to coordinate on what to choose. Charlie might have been calm in some sense, but even Dr Fidelid has needed to point out the peculiarity of his-

The young man’s widened, as he realised just how stupid he had been, not able to take a hint when there was one. Thrown around the bend! That bloody throwing, never hitting, never able to do anything! Immobilisation of anything threatening! How could he not have thought of it before! God, that man was a gift to the world.

Another jab was heard impacting, this time clearly being from the wrong side. And it hit hard, the air was forced to the sides singing of the force exerted. That coughing after that was brief if only stopped by a man who had to not get distracted. Troy had to do something similar, continuing to not blink as he shuffled through everything in the bag, searching desperately for the one device that he knew was needed now. It had to be here somewhere!

“Don't feel all so mighty now, Charlie? That smile not feeling so well-placed?” Dr Fidelis goaded, Charlie not verbally responding. The young man only felt happy that a brief moment was spent on nobody beating each other. “You might have strength, but there is no finesse to it all. You are weak, even if you think otherwise.”

There! At the bottom of the bag, situated between the heaviest of all the machinations, was what Troy needed. Bending down to grab it firmly, he pulled it out of the bag with a sharp movement. The weight imbalanced him slightly, but did nothing in the long run. He was only happy with finally having it.

Running out of the elevator, tool in hand, Troy found the two men going at each other. Dr Fidelis had an arm around Charlie’s throat, the other making sure it was reinforced. Charlie himself looked to losing colour rapidly, the man’s desperately pulling on the other’s arms to make some air get through. It looked unsuccessful entirely, as the doctor only continued being more happier.

That did change wait at some level when the doctor noticed Troy coming into frame. What had the man expected? That he would stay in the elevator to hide?

“Wait your turn, please! I’ll get around to you shortly. Just have to deal with this one first,” Dr Fidelis stated as if he was going on about his personal schedule. This was done while sounding as casual as one could when it came to strict scheduling. Not the greatest of things to see or hear.

Charlie, seemingly awoken from the almost complete lack of air, held out one air towards Troy, in what seemed to be a desperate attempt to get him closer. Yet, the young man could see the glint in the muscular man’s eyes and was this time quick to understand what was needed.

It was perhaps Troy throwing the ‘Bender’ ahead that egged on the doctor to believe something was wrong. Not that it would have done anything, as the moment Dr Fidelis spent distracted by the oncoming projectile allowed Charlie to hit the doctor in the ear, getting out of his grasp while he was at it. The device was caught, hardly even touched, before being thrown again towards the doctor.

No reaction had been made to catch it. Not anything that would have stopped it, the hand on the way to deflect only getting so far, before the ‘Bender’ whizzed past any defence, landing on the stomach with enough force to cause spittle to fly out of the man’s mouth.

“I will likely never see you again,” Charlie said in the direction of the doctor. Enough air had finally passed through the right tubes. “Please go and stab yourself repeatedly.”

Those were the final words said, as the doctor was swallowed up by a barrier meant to protect that inside from everything outside. Even Troy would have not guessed it could work in the opposite direction.

Yet it did. And wasn't that just dandy?