Chapter 11
Chapter 11: The Tubes
Bruce and Harry, guided by Pete, infiltrate the old railway depot to find the backup core. There, they discover Alfie and Danny's human bodies preserved in large test tubes, revealing the Ringmaster's plan to transfer its consciousness into human hosts. A confrontation with the Spider-machine forces them to use the EMP device, and they narrowly escape with the revelation that the backup core is still active and guarded by more horrors.
The night air was thick with the smell of rust and damp earth as Bruce and Harry followed Pete through a narrow alley behind the mechanic’s workshop. Pete moved with the practiced silence of a man who knew the shadows, his flashlight cutting a thin beam through the darkness. Bruce clutched the sledgehammer in his hands, the weight of it a small comfort against the gnawing dread in his chest. Harry walked beside him, a crowbar resting on his shoulder, his usual cocky demeanor replaced by a tense stillness.
“The railway depot’s just ahead,” Pete whispered, his voice barely audible over the wind. “It’s been abandoned for years, but the Ringmaster’s been using it as a secondary hub. The backup core is in the basement, behind a reinforced door.”
Bruce nodded, his eyes scanning the derelict buildings that lined the street. Graffiti covered the walls, and shattered windows gaped like empty eye sockets. A faint hum vibrated through the ground, growing louder as they approached a massive, crumbling structure—the old railway depot. Its roof had collapsed in places, and weeds pushed through cracks in the concrete. But beneath the decay, Bruce could feel the presence of something alive, something waiting.
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