"Alright, Stevens, now that you've recovered…"
"Let's talk. How is it possible that a single punk left you guys half-dead?"
"Sir…"
"RATATATA, TRATRATRATRA, RATATATA, TRATRATRATRA!" A barrage of gunfire
shattered the silence, echoing from the adjacent room.
"ALISHA, DROP THE WEAPONS ALREADY!" the Commander barked, his patience wearing thin.
"Sorry, sir! Just testing my reaction speed," Alisha called out, lowering her firearms in tandem.
"You do this every single morning," he sighed, his voice escalating in irritation.
"Yep!" she chirped, grinning and sticking her tongue out. She walked over to her commander, pulled up a chair, and slid in right next to him.
This girl is a hopeless case.
"Now, Stevens, it's time to explain your failure," the Commander said, his voice dropping as he stared directly into the man's eyes.
Alisha twirled a small combat knife between her fingers."Well, sir…"
"First, we swept the hospital quickly. Upon entering, we discovered the corpse of an Arachne. Its head and skull were covered in deep claw marks."
"Oho… now that is interesting," Alisha murmured, her playful demeanor instantly vanishing into dead seriousness. She kept spinning the knife.
"Continue… Stevens."
"Yes, sir… then Walter headed to the ER wing to look for Sofia." "Did you find her body?"
"No, sir. No trace of her… she must be alive somewhere."
"Thank you for the update," the Commander muttered. "What happened next?"
"We picked up a life sign moving underground away from the hospital, so I told Walter to pursue," Stevens explained, dropping his gaze for a moment, looking troubled.
"Meanwhile, I went into Sofia's research lab looking for the 'RHX-32.' But it was nowhere to be found. And as usual, her monster dissections were absolutely horrific and sickening," he grumbled, looking thoroughly unnerved.
"What happened when you caught up to the thief?" Alisha interjected, her voice sharp and menacing as she pointed her knife directly at Stevens.
"Hey. I'm the one asking the questions here, Alisha… and put that knife away, please. We're not killing anyone today," the Commander rebuked her, his expression tightening.
"My bad, ha-ha. Got a little ahead of myself, sir," she whispered, sliding the blade into a sheath strapped to her left thigh, her eyes remaining fixed on the Commander.
"With your permission, I'll continue."
"Go ahead, Stevens."
"Walter waited, and upon scanning the target, Horus flagged him as a Level 2 Augmenter-type threat."
"Naturally, I didn't believe it at first, so I personally scanned him twice to be absolutely sure… and yeah, the reading was accurate."
Alisha raised an eyebrow slightly but said nothing. Stevens pressed on.
"We breached the building he had ducked into and secured his belongings. But we didn't find any sign of the 'RHX-32.' Then the kid bust back into the building carrying exactly what we were looking for; that's when the engagement began."
The Commander and Alisha remained silent, listening with rapt attention.
"He was incredibly skilled for someone so young. Even so, we managed to pin him down and retrieve the asset."
"But then the building started shaking. Horus pinged both Walter and me with a second warning—reclassifying the kid as a Level 3 threat…"
"He unleashed a terrifying ranged ability. These black spikes erupted from inside Walter's body, taking him out of commission instantly."
…
Alisha: What a fascinating kid.
Commander: Hmm… I need to meet him.
…
"Finally, I tried to defend myself… but his speed was monstrous. He managed to shatter my armor with a single blow and rip the 'RHX-32' right out of my hands… throwing me out of the building effortlessly."
"That's everything, sir," Stevens concluded, his shoulders slumping.
"Acknowledged, Stevens," the Commander said quietly, standing up and walking over to him.
"Get some rest, Stevens. You're dismissed for the day," he whispered, placing a reassuring hand on the man's left shoulder.
"Thank you, sir," Stevens replied, looking relieved but weary.
"Gear up, Alisha… we're going hunting," the Commander ordered, his voice dropping into a dark register. As he spoke, Stevens felt a chilling wave of kinetic vibrations
radiating from the Commander's fingers. The man went completely rigid.
"Orders received, sir," Alisha replied, her face suddenly turning into a cold, blank mask.
…
These two are absolute monsters… I'll never get used to this.
…
…..
"Valentine… wait up, please. You're moving way too fast!" Alicia panted, sprinting to keep pace.
…
You'd think she was the one with the broken leg, not me.
…
"I'm sorry, but now that the tremors have calm—"
The silence shattered as the floor suddenly caved in around them. Valentine tumbled sideways, striking her head hard against the floor.
"Valentine… are you okay… hey, wake up!" Alicia shrieked in a panic, cradling Valentine's head to staunch the bleeding.
She quickly ripped off her jacket and wrapped it tightly around Valentine's head, doing everything she could to stabilize her, tears of pure desperation spilling over her cheeks.
Ugh. What happened?... I can't move.
All I can hear is her crying…
…..
Everything was pitch black.
Jack couldn't feel his body, couldn't open his eyes, and certainly couldn't move.
Where is Valentine?... I have to get up and find her.
After what felt like an eternity, Jack's eyes snapped open—completely hollow. His body lay on the ground, structurally broken.
An agonizing, deep-seated heat began to cook him from the inside out… His veins ruptured completely, only to slowly knit back together, glowing a sickly, dark green.
Jack lay stranded on the stone floor, his mouth agape, desperately trying to draw a breath… but his vocal cords were shredded.
First, his right arm regenerated from the bone up, weaving muscle fibers and sealing over with fresh skin. Then his left arm followed, then his left leg, and finally his right leg—each extremity duplicating the exact, excruciating agony of the first.
Jack dragged himself up to his knees, frantically clawing at his own neck, tearing at his flesh only for it to regenerate instantly beneath his fingernails.
"AHHHHHH! AH! AH! AH!" he screamed with what little energy he had left, his eyes completely unfocused.
He collapsed back onto the floor, his nails coated in his own blood and flesh.
…..
"Are you sure you're okay, Valentine?" Alicia asked, her voice tight with lingering worry.
She was holding Valentine in a tight, protective embrace.
"Yes, don't worry, I'm fine," Valentine replied, sitting up with a soft smile, gently stroking Alicia's hair as the girl rested on her lap.
….
A few minutes prior:
"Valentine… are you okay… hey, wake up!" Alicia had screamed frantically, holding her head to stop the bleeding.
She had wrapped her jacket around her head, weeping openly in terror.
Ugh. What happened?... I can't move.
All I can hear is her crying…
Seconds later… Valentine's head began to burn from the inside out. Dark green veins surged against her temples as the head wound closed up through a slow, painful process.
Alicia could only watch in absolute shock.
Valentine fell to her knees, staring blankly at the ceiling in dead silence. Moments later:
"AHHHHHHH! AH! AH! AH!" A bloodcurdling scream tore from her lungs, piercing the quiet space and forcing Alicia to clap her hands over her ears.
Then, Valentine doubled over, clutching her own ears.
…
Valentine… Valentine.
Valentine. I miss you.
Come play with me, please.
A voice echoed relentlessly inside her mind.
…
"Leave me alone, please," she whimpered, her gaze vacant, her body trembling uncontrollably.
Not now. I have to find Jack…
….
"Are you absolutely sure you're alright?" Alicia pressed, finally calming down.
"Yes… stop worrying. I'm just a little tired," Valentine smiled gently.
"Alright, Alicia. It's time to find Jack… hand me my crutch, please."
"On it, I'll grab it right now," Alicia said, putting on a brave smile as she stood up to retrieve it.
Suddenly, a foul, sickening stench permeated the entire corridor as more structures groaned and buckled around them.
"What is that awful smell?... What could it be?" Alicia choked out, covering her nose.
"It's the smell of decomposing bodies," Valentine stated, her face hardening into an expression of grim fury.
Alicia went cold. Without another word, both girls began descending toward Jack's last known location as fast as their feet could carry them.
…..
"Damn it!... Everything hurts, and my left leg is completely useless," Jack wheezed, dragging himself along the floor toward the exit ahead.
A foul odor hit his nostrils.
"Disgusting… I need to get out of here fast," he groaned, pinching his nose, fighting back the urge to throw up…
Great, now my stomach is killing me. I've already thrown up four times.
The foundation began to cave in faster, the ground shaking violently.
Jack was scrambling up a flight of stairs as fast as he could manage, but his lungs gave out on the final step, and he collapsed once again.
You've got to be kidding me… why now?
…..
"Keep moving, Alicia. Don't fall behind!" Valentine urged, picking up the pace.
"If she's this fast with a leg and a half… what is she going to be like with both?" Alicia muttered under her breath, panting heavily as she tried to match her stride.
"Did you say something, Alicia?"
"No… just keep walking, please," she replied, trying to look serious.
"Alright then. Let's pick up the pace!" Valentine called out with a smile, accelerating even further.
…
Wow… the girl is an absolute tank.
…
Alicia was simultaneously awestruck and utterly exhausted.
The structural shaking intensified. Massive support beams sheared off, obliterating several storefronts and plunging them into the deep drainage chasm below.
"Run, Alicia!... We have to find Jack and get out of here right now, or we're going down with this place!" Valentine yelled, her face pale.
…
Gee… it's not like this is her fault in the first place.
…
Between two miraculously intact shops, they spotted a door with a sign: "Drainage Maintenance."
I'm coming, Jack… please hold on.
Valentine yanked the handle open and burst inside. Before they could even start down the stairs, they found Jack collapsed on the floor, unconscious, his breathing dangerously shallow.
The facility began to tear itself apart at an even faster rate.
The two girls looked at each other, smiled through their exhaustion, and let a few tears fall.
…..
"Axcel, report. Have you located the 'RHX-32' yet?"
"Negative… Leader. Alisha and I are closing in on the thief right now," Axcel responded, his left hand wrapped tightly around a Minion's throat near an abandoned building.
With a quick twist of his wrist, he snapped the creature's neck—neutralizing it in seconds.
A few feet away, Alisha stood surrounded by five bodies, all completely severed of limbs and heads.
"Find whoever did this and make them talk."
"And if they refuse to speak?..."
"Consume their blood. I'll find where the device was hidden myself. Once that's done, eliminate the target."
"Understood, Leader."
The pair entered the building and headed straight for the top floor. "How is this building even standing, Axcel?"
"No clue. Looks like even this piece of junk is clinging to life with everything it's got."
Reaching the top floor of the dilapidated structure, they were greeted by heavy blood splatters covering the walls and floor.
"Alisha… track the kid," Axcel ordered, his voice echoing.
"On it, Axcel," she replied, stepping up to a large pool of blood that branched off in several directions. Within seconds, her irises shifted from vibrant blue to a piercing yellow, small conduits along the arms of her suit illuminated with a soft blue glow.
"This blood here… it all belongs to Walter. The splatters on the left side and the hole in the ceiling belong to Stevens…"
She turned her head to examine a smaller puddle to the right. "That one over there belongs to our target."
"Good work… Did you lock onto his position?"
"No… sorry. I lost the trail the second he dropped into the sewer system," she sighed, her expression dropping.
"We'll have to call Katiuska then… we don't have a choice."
Damn it, I really don't want to owe that girl any favors.
Suddenly, a localized tremor and a violent gust of wind swept through the ruined building.
Alisha immediately grinned, pulling out an ice pop and opening it. "I've got him, Axcel," she stated, holding the pop near her lips. "Excellent. Where is he?"
Lucky break, Alisha… now I don't have to deal with that woman.
"He's right near the epicenter of that tremor," she said quietly, holding the treat in her right hand. "But his electrical current is completely haywire."
Axcel turned to look at her, bewildered.
"When exactly did you grab an ice pop?" he muttered, a hint of surprise in his voice.
"While you were talking to the Leader, ha-ha," she giggled proudly.
"Whatever, let's move… the location is pretty far out. It'll take us about an hour to get there."
"But we can make it in twenty minutes, can't we?"
"Yeah… but let's give the kid some time to recover first."
…
I know you want to tear him apart at his absolute best, Alisha, but that's not going to happen. You and I both know a hybrid doesn't bounce back that fast.
…