Juni and Mills were able to stop the Runners swarming them from either side of the door for now. But they had to keep moving. Juni decided to honor Van's sacrifice by completing the job, and quickly got to work on a plan. If she couldn't stop the turrets from firing then she would make them fire.

First Juni roped up the turrets to face each other. Then Mills forced his way through, smashing the door until an alarm went off. The turrets fired simultaneously, destroying each other in the process. 

Once inside they were met with another turret but Mills used his steam power to expand his armor and took the hits while Juni swung around the room and destroyed the final turret.

Further inside was a back staircase leading to the generator room. Once they got past a second door they finally laid eyes on their objective. A 3 story tall machine. With 3 levels of suspended platforms for maintenance. One below and one above. 

Suddenly a Brawler comes rushing towards them. Mills boosts Juni to the level above and tanks the hit from the Brawler. Juni lands safely but is cornered by 2 Runners on either side. A loud crash from below interrupts their fight.

Van comes rolling onto the bottom platform after a Brawler collapses on the ground, its head completely smashed in.

"Van!" Juni cheered

"Juni! Mills!"Van called out.

"Van!" Mills shouted back.

Their brief reunion was interrupted when a pair of Brawlers squeezed through the hole Van had just made.

3 battles unfolded simultaneously on separate levels.

Up top, Juni reached into her pockets and tossed two knives into the air, instead of handles that knives had rings where her vine fit perfectly into. Twirling the bladed vines she sliced and flayed at the Runners.

In the middle, Mills erupted in steam, causing his armor to expand to full capacity. He resembled a certain angry green superhero to Van who watched from below.

At the lowest level, Van was leaping over the first charging Brawler and placing knee into the face of the second one.

Just above him, Mills had interlocked grips with the Brawler like two pro wrestlers. With a quick twist, Mills gained the upper hand and performed a takedown. Slamming the heavy Brawler into the platform. The metal creaked under the impact.

Juni spun and twisted her bladed vines in each hand. The flowed Ina perfect circle, nearly wrapping around Juni but in the last second she ducked below the loop and kicked at the blades. One landed ded center inside a Runner's forehead. The other was stuck in the palm of the second Runner.

Junie pulled both vines. The head of the Runner was yanked towards her as the other knife was pulled free. The second vine whipped around the neck of the stuck Runner as Juni leapt behind it. Her next pull ripped the head off one of her opponents. The other stood ready to pounce.

Mills was delivering strikes on the downed Brawler. The platform slowly giving way from the weight and impacts.

Van had just finished one Brawler with a charged striked to the neck, an effective technique as proven by his earlier battle. The second Brawler charged like a rhino but was slammed to the ground after losing balance. Looking down, it notices that it was growing a new leg as the old leg was a few feet away. Van took aim for another shot. 

This time he struck both arms, crippling it. The final blow was delivered in a charge chop from above. Just then, a nail fell from above.

The Mills and his Brawler came crashing through the creaking platform. The fall finished the fight. Mills got to his feet as he returned to his normal size. Or rather the size he started off as.

They both looked up to see Juni decapitate her Runner. With swift swings she rappelled down and joined her team.

Van quickly explained his run in with Golem and the Kro was an imposter. Despite being down to 3, the squad pressed on and dismantled the specific parts needed from the generator.

Van verified that the parts were correct by referencing his Quest window. As they worked loud sounds of metal crunching echoed from inside the prison. They attributed it to the sudden loss of power. Oce the parts were removed emergency power kicked on, dyeing everything in a reddish orange light.

The 2 larger parts were tied onto Mills back. The smaller 2 were carried by Van and Juni.

Following the shortcut created by Van they entered the cafeteria area in no time. 

Juni and Mills paused for a moment when they realized where they stood. The former sea of prisoners was now completely clear.

Van walked around searching for a way out. But the only way back was through the roof where they came in. However, it was now impossible to reach, because all the rickety platforms had either fallen or been retracted into the walls lined with cells.

If only the elevator on the far side of the room worked.

Van felt a body shaking tremor down his spine.

*ding*

The elevator doors slid open. Red lights spilled from the slit as the doors widened. A familiar voice called out.

" Return the parts you stole. The prison won't last long on reserve power. If you do, I promise to kill you as painlessly as possible. "

Before Van could react, the parts strapped to Mills fell to the ground. In the spot where the parts were tied down was a massive wound gushing with blood. Mills hit the ground face first.

Standing behind Mills' lifeless body was the infamous Hunter who had been watching them this whole time.

A Hunter class zombie was at least a 6☆ threat. Possibly a 7☆ threat judging from his intelligence. In becoming a Hunter the former bulky Brawler frame had compressed into a more human form. He wore an orange jumpsuit. The pants were rolled above the knee and the top was tied around his waist. Faded tattoos could be made out on his pale green tinted skin, they even covered his bald head.

"I recognize you, your the one who shot my cameras."

*Tsk tsk*

The Hunter waved a finger and stepped over Mills to approach Van.

Juni rushed to Mills the second it was clear. She bound his wounds with her vines, otherwise his guts may have spilled on the floor. 

"Grab the parts and run." Mills spat out blood.

Juni ignored him and continued to tend to his wounds.

"That's not an option." The Hunter spun a key on a string around his finger before swallowing it.

*gulp*

"The only way to use that elevator is with the warden's key." The undead inmate chuckled.

*Guh!*

The Hunter keeled over from the sudden impact to his stomach. Van removed his fist slowly and watched as the key and other contents came spilling out the Hunter's mouth.

I had a feeling this guy loved the sound of his own voice. Good thing too, it gave me just enough time to spend some of my stat points.

Van stepped on the key and kicked it over to Juni. The Hunter wiped his mouth and launched an uppercut from his kneeling position. Van blocked, but was forced several feet back just from the impact.

The Hunter raced over to the sliding key. Juni sent a vine in the air to catch it. 

She got it!

"I got you." The Hunter grasped the vines connected to the key.

Juni tried to pull but lost the tug of war and was sent flying toward the Hunter's deadly grip.

Van appeared between them. Cutting the vine and catching Juni.

The Hunter took the key in his teeth and retreated back to the center of the cafeteria. While standing on a table he swallowed the key.

"Now, where were we?" He mocked while patting his stomach.

Van held Juni and walked over to the unconscious Mills.

"You two need to escape." Van whispered.

"Not without you. Not without the parts." Juni grunted, cradling her arm. 

The sudden force from being pulled had dislocated her shoulder, elbow and wrist.

"I'll distract it, and get you the key again." Van continued to reason. He placed Juni down gently beside Mills. "Sneak onto the elevator and pull Mills and the parts inside, while I fight."

Juni couldn't argue, Van's eyes glowed with determination. "Ok, but I won't turn the key until your on that elevator too." Juni sternly replied.

Van stood and walked back towards the Hunter. Stopping for a moment he looked back and smiled. "Deal."

Juni blinked and Van's smile was just a blur. The Hunter and Van clashed in mid air. Exchanging blows as they slowly fell back to the ground. 

This guy is anticipating my moves better than my Shadow.

Van was in disbelief, he had more than doubled his level before facing this foe but still he was struggling. One less level up would have been disastrous.

As soon as their feet touched the ground the fighters separated and moved laterally tracing a circle around where they landed.

The Hunter favored throwing elbows and knees and close range. His goal was to clinch and deal as much damage as quickly as possible.

Van countered by using long strikes to keep his distance. A roundhouse for every knee, and a jab or straight punch for ever elbow.

But drawn out fights are always in favor of the undead. They regenerate all damage and never feel fatigue. Zombie ls had a natural advantage against any strategy.

But the Unturned also had their advantages. The power of a Variant in creative hands was a weapon that was effective against immortality.

Van formed a Charge imbued knife hand and fist then unleashed several combinations. 

The Hunter retreated into a defensive stance, sensing his end at the edge of Van's hand. 

*swish*

*slash*

Van had literally disarmed his opponent. Before the Hunter's nubs could regenerate, Van went in for the final blow.

Suddenly the Hunter slammed his head into the ground and swung his leg like a whip.

Van's focus on hand strikes meant that he had planted his feet. When the kick made contact a bone crunching hit sent Van to the ground.

Next the Hunter spun his body, using his head like then point on a spinning top and whipped his broken legs down towards Van.

Van was able to roll away at the last second but could only take a knee as he caught his breath.

The Hunter sat there, his foot planted in the dent he made in the floor meant for Van's head.

"That's the problem with you humans. So sensitive. One broken bone and your out of the fight. Being an inferior species must be so har-"

Van stood up. Most likely thanks to his regeneration skill, his dislocated knee reset itself and began healing as the long winded zombie talked.

"Well that was unexpected." The Tattooed zombie stood in amazement as his arms returned to their original form.

"If you're done talking, can we get back to fight?" Van mocked.

The Zombie shrugged as Van dashed forward.

A split second before impact, Van felt cold dead fingers wrap around his neck, stopping him mid-air. Van struggled but the icy grip did not budge. The Zombie leaned in to whisper.

“This isn't a fight, it's an execution.”