Kraven knew that to save Caitlin, the Lord had hired four skilled mercenaries at great expense. However, out of love for Caitlin and unable to rest easy, Kraven resolutely carried Bai Qi on his back and infiltrated District 13 alone to rescue her.
He hadn't expected to encounter Black Spider and his gang launching a fierce assault on District 13. But it was for the best; this way, all the agents' attention was drawn to Black Spider and Beetle, allowing Kraven to slip into the power room amidst the chaos. He then disabled the main and backup generators before taking advantage of the weakened guard presence to rescue Caitlin.
"I say, is this appropriate? There are others here, you know."
As Caitlin and Kraven were engrossed in their affections, an untimely voice interrupted their embrace.
Kraven followed the direction of the voice and saw that besides Caitlin, there was another woman in the cell.
Before Kraven could ask, the woman introduced herself.
"You can call me Scream. As you can see, I'm a mutant, and also Caitlin's cellmate."
Caitlin whispered to Kraven, "Lord is in need of personnel right now. Why not bring her in?"
Kraven sized up Scream and said, "Alright, let's get out of here first."
Not everyone in District 13 was a pushover. The sounds of fighting in the distance were growing fainter, suggesting the battle was nearing its end. Once they were free, the agents would surely turn their attention back to them.
"Aren't you going to remove these little trinkets from our necks first?"
Scream pointed to the collars around their necks. "With these on, no matter how far we run, we'll still be found."
Both Caitlin and Scream possessed extraordinary abilities. The primary reason they remained docile in their cells was the collars they wore.
Don't underestimate these small collars. They were high-tech devices developed by America specifically to capture mutants and criminals with special powers, generously sponsored by William Stryker.
Once fitted with these collars, super-powered criminals were rendered ordinary. Whether they could previously breathe fire or spew water, it all became useless with the collar. More importantly, the collars served as restraints. Any sign of rebellious behavior would result in an electric shock treatment, a truly humane system.
The chips embedded in the collars transmitted the wearer's real-time movements to satellites, which then relayed the information to the observers.
Seeing the red glowing collar around Caitlin's neck, Kraven pulled out a paperclip. He twisted it a few times and inserted it into the lock.
"Save yourself the trouble."
Seeing Kraven attempt to pick the collar's lock with a mere paperclip, Scream scoffed, "This is high-tech. If it can be opened by your paperclip, then I..."
Before Scream could finish, a distinct 'click' was heard. The lock sprung open, quite unexpectedly.
"Then you what?"
"I'll eat three bowls of rice to celebrate when we get out."
Kraven replied, "Whatever you say. Such a small thing is no match for an experienced hunter."
With that, he turned and led Caitlin away.
This made Scream anxious. She quickly exclaimed, "Wait, you're leaving just like that? Don't you think you've forgotten something? Like, me?"
Kraven turned back, feigning ignorance. "Forgotten something? No. You're not one of us, so why would I rescue you?"
Scream wanted to retort, but suddenly realized he had a point.
"No, didn't Caitlin just say she wanted to bring me in?"
Kraven stated, "That was Caitlin, I never said I wanted to bring you in."
Ugh...
Scream was rendered speechless again.
To escape this infernal place, Scream had to vigorously promote herself. "I'm very strong. My ability is to emit high-frequency sound waves that can flip a car. If you save me, I'll join you. Trust me, you won't regret it."
After much persuasion, Kraven finally agreed to let Scream join them, but only on a trial basis. If Scream's performance during this period didn't satisfy Kraven, he promised to package her up and send her back to District 13.
Scream, concerned only with escaping this place, readily agreed to Kraven's terms.
After receiving Scream's firm commitment, Kraven stepped forward to unlock her collar.
Just then, a sudden explosion occurred. Kraven's hand involuntarily twitched, and the paperclip turned in the wrong direction.
This was bad. Kraven quickly retreated, putting distance between himself and Scream. The next moment, a surge of electricity emanated from the collar, coursing through Scream's entire body.
After the current passed, Scream collapsed onto the ground, shivering uncontrollably. She shakily pointed a trembling finger at Kraven in the distance, "You tricked me."
Despite the minor hiccup, the overall escape was smooth. Kraven eventually managed to unlock Scream's collar, and the three of them successfully escaped District 13.
Incidentally, as the trio fled, the inhabitants of District 13 were still engaged in combat with Black Spider and Beetle.
"This is fantastic! I'm free!"
Stepping out of the grand gates of District 13, Scream, having regained her freedom, felt as though the very air she breathed was sweet.
Kraven, observing Scream's boisterous demeanor, felt a pang of unease. Had he just recruited another eccentric subordinate?
Kraven reminded her, "Don't forget what you promised me in the cell."
Scream gave Kraven a sideways glance, clearly finding his timing rather disheartening.
"I know. Although I, Scream, am not exactly a saint, I always keep my word. I've promised to join you, and I won't go back on it."
Scream continued, "So, what do we do now? Are we going to meet your boss?"
Kraven looked at Scream curiously. "How did you know we have a boss behind the scenes?"
He glanced at Caitlin beside him, as if asking if she had told Scream.
Caitlin shook her head, indicating she hadn't.
Scream gazed at Kraven with the look one reserves for the intellectually challenged. "Come on, do you really think I'm stupid? Looking at your clothes, made entirely of animal hides, it's obvious you're not wealthy. How could you possibly hire people to attack District 13? There must be a big boss funding you from the shadows."
Seeing that she had figured it out, Kraven no longer concealed the truth.
"Indeed, there is someone behind us. However, I don't yet trust your loyalty, so I won't take you to meet the Master."
"You even call him 'Master,' which shows how loyal you are to your boss. I really want to see what your Master looks like..."
Seeing the murderous glint in Kraven's eyes, Scream quickly changed the subject. "So, what do we do now? We can't just wander around on the streets, can we?"
"Follow me."
With that, Kraven started walking. Caitlin and Scream exchanged glances behind him and quickened their pace to keep up.