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EP 12 (The Tension Continues)

  Stronghold — Blizzard Interior

  Strong wind howls through broken metal corridors.

  Snow blows in through shattered panels.

  Footsteps echo.

  Metal clinks under boots.

  The camera holds on an empty hallway.

  No one there.

  For a few seconds — nothing.

  Then—

  Jackson walks past the frame.

  We attach to his POV as he nearly exits.

  He keeps walking.

  Alone.

  To his left — distant battle sounds.

  To his right — wind screaming through open structure.

  He sees a hallway.

  Turns left.

  Continues forward.

  A frozen cadet lies on the ground.

  Jackson walks past—

  Then stops.

  Something caught his eye.

  He turns back.

  Looks down.

  Sagoya.

  Frozen mid-collapse.

  Jackson’s expression shifts slightly.

  “…Damn, Sagton,” he says quietly.

  “How did this happen, friend?”

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  Flashback — Childhood

  A lavish hall.

  Golden lighting.

  Marble floors.

  Sagton — 11 years old — stands beside his father, dressed in expensive formal clothes.

  His father kneels briefly.

  “Sagton, Stay here,” he says.

  Sagton nods.

  His father walks away.

  Sagton waits.

  Then—

  “Psst.”

  He ignores it.

  “Hey. Psst.”

  Still ignores.

  A pebble hits his head.

  He turns.

  A kid hides behind a corner.

  Sagton gets up and runs toward him.

  Mid-run—

  A string catches his foot.

  He trips.

  At the same moment,

  he slams onto the Ground a small table gets pulled.

  A vase falls.

  Smashes onto his head.

  Two kids laugh and run.

  Sagton scrambles up and chases them.

  Flashback End

  Jackson straightens.

  Disappointed.

  He walks away.

  Lardes — Lost

  Lardes walks through another corridor, arm partially frozen.

  “…Fucking hell,” he mutters.

  “This place is confusing.”

  He stops.

  “I should’ve kept a tracking device.”

  Pause.

  “…Tracking device. Right. Wristband.”

  He looks at his unfrozen arm.

  Then his frozen one.

  “…Fuck.”

  The band is on the frozen arm.

  He keeps moving.

  Gunfire gets louder.

  He peeks a corner—

  A massive group of Green cadets firing down a corridor.

  Lardes immediately pulls back.

  “Nope,” he mutters.

  “I'm not dealing with that shit.”

  He turns and heads another direction.

  Jeff & Vale — Control Room Chaos

  Jeff and Vale remain pinned under heavy fire.

  Jeff signals Jason.

  Jason opens suppressive fire.

  Jeff and Vale pop out to assist—

  BOOM.

  An explosion tears through the room.

  Both drop back behind cover instantly.

  Jeff shouts:

  “What the fuck was that?!”

  Vale peeks.

  There’s a hole blown through the wall.

  Vale:

  “…Blue.”

  “They were sandwiched. Made their own exit.”

  Jeff stares.

  “Since when are explosives allowed? We didn’t get any.”

  Vale just looks at him.

  Says nothing.

  Jeff exhales.

  “…Okay. Never mind that. This is perfect.”

  He sees the flag change.

  Blue → Red.

  Jason did it.

  Jeff grins slightly.

  “Good.”

  Jeff and Vale advance.

  Orange is now getting crushed between Red and Green.

  Vale drops two Orange cadets clean.

  Jeff lines up a shot on Louis—

  Suddenly—

  A Green cadet launches at him like a missile.

  Jeff jerks back into cover.

  “What the actual fuck is happening here?!” he mutters.

  Tobi Delgado

  Camera follows through the doorway.

  Tobi has Louis by the armor.

  He lifts him.

  Throws him into a wall.

  Takes Louis’ weapon.

  Headshot — freeze.

  Louis locks instantly.

  Tobi grabs the frozen body.

  Uses it as a shield.

  Shoots two remaining Orange cadets.

  Drops them.

  Then charges toward the flanking Red squad.

  Two Red cadets freeze instantly.

  Pure aggression.

  Lardes — Recovery

  Lardes moves through another hallway.

  He spots a frozen cadet with a heat pack.

  He grabs it.

  Checks surroundings.

  Applies it to his arm.

  The freeze begins reversing.

  Muscles twitch.

  Movement returns.

  Finally — full control.

  He exhales.

  Turns a corner—

  Jackson Walking in his direction.

  Lardes instantly gets back behind the wall.

  Grabs his AR.

  But—

  Jackson already saw him.

  Jackson moves into cover at the same time.

  Both armed.

  Distant gunfire echoes.

  Both aware.

  Neither moves.

  Silence.

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