Chapter 11: Betrayal and Brutality

As Vladimir held Link in his arms, he knew he had to act fast. The studio erupted into chaos, with Dr. Thornton-Fiennes's face reddening with rage. "You fool, Vladimir!" he spat. "You think you can just walk away? You're a part of this, a crucial part! You're not going to sabotage my work and get away with it!" Vladimir's eyes flashed with defiance as he glared at Dr. Thornton-Fiennes. "I'm not going to let you hurt him anymore," he said, his voice firm. Gristle, who had been watching the scene unfold, suddenly turned and made a run for it, abandoning his post and fleeing the studio. The sound of his footsteps echoed through the hallway as he disappeared from view. Dr. Thornton-Fiennes sneered at Vladimir. "You think you're a hero, don't you? But you're just a pawn in my game. And now, you're going to pay for your insolence." With a snarl, he lunged at Vladimir, who stood his ground. The two men clashed, their fists flying as they battled across the studio. Vladimir had had enough of Dr. Thornton-Fiennes's twisted experiments, and he was determined to put a stop to them. Link, still shaking and disoriented, was carefully lifted into Vladimir's arms, and he began to make his way out of the studio. As he stumbled through the door, he caught a glimpse of Ret, who was standing by, looking pale and shaken. "Ret, take Link to the hospital," Vladimir ordered, his voice firm. "He needs medical attention, now." Ret nodded, his eyes wide with fear, and carefully took Link from Vladimir's arms. Together, they made their way out of the studio, leaving Dr. Thornton-Fiennes and Vladimir to duke it out. The fight between Vladimir and Dr. Thornton-Fiennes was intense. Vladimir's training and experience gave him an edge, but Dr. Thornton-Fiennes was relentless and driven by a mad desire for revenge. The two men crashed into equipment, sending it crashing to the floor as they exchanged blows. Dr. Thornton-Fiennes snarled, his eyes blazing with fury. "You're going to pay for this, Vladimir. You're going to regret ever crossing me." Vladimir smiled grimly, his fists flying as he struck Dr. Thornton-Fiennes with a series of swift punches. The villain stumbled back, his eyes widening in surprise, but he refused to back down. The battle raged on, with neither man giving an inch. Vladimir's anger and frustration boiled over, and he struck Dr. Thornton-Fiennes with all his might, sending him crashing to the floor. As Vladimir stood over him, panting, he knew that he had to get out of there, and fast. He turned to see Ret helping Link into a wheelchair, and Gristle, who was still fleeing the scene, disappearing around the corner. "Let's get out of here," Vladimir muttered, as he watched Dr. Thornton-Fiennes struggle to get to his feet. Dr. Thornton-Fiennes glared up at Vladimir, his face twisted with rage. "This isn't over," he spat. "You'll pay for what you've done." Vladimir just smiled, a cold, hard smile. "I'm counting on it," he said, as he turned and walked away from the wreckage of the studio. The sound of sirens echoed through the hallway as Vladimir, Ret, and Link made their way to the hospital. Vladimir's eyes never left Link's face as he was wheeled away, his brain damaged by the experiments. The doctor's diagnosis was grim: Link's brain had been severely damaged by the experiments, and he would never be the same again. Vladimir's heart sank as he watched Link being wheeled away, his mind reeling with thoughts of revenge and retribution. Dr. Thornton-Fiennes was left to pick himself up from the floor, his eyes blazing with fury as he vowed to make Vladimir pay for his betrayal. The battle may have been lost, but the war was far from over.