Blair takes a few deep breaths.
Blair:
(Okay… you’re not the same as last year. This is scary, but you have to do something and not ball up and cry!)
Blair looks around at her classmates. Lilith is still having a breakdown, Alexis and Gus are crying, and Zach, Eve, and Karma are still in shock.
Blair:
It looks like I’m handling this better than others.
Saige:
I’ll say.
Blair:
Wh- huh?
Blair turns around and sees Saige’s camera ball floating in her toilet.
Blair:
AHHHHHH!
Saige:
Blair, calm down. You’re acting like this is the weirdest way you’ve encountered me.
Blair:
That’s sadly fair… How long have you been there?
Saige:
I decline to answer that.
Blair:
You were waiting to pull my pants down and then scare me, right?
Saige:
That’s neither here nor there.
Blair:
That’s… you know what fuck it. I don’t care anymore. What are you here for?
Saige:
We have to devise a plan, silly!
Blair:
A plan? Have you been watching these fights? We can’t damage him or the platform he’s standing on. He’s basically invincible! And we’re barely capable of helping each other. So what kind of plan can you and I come up with?
Saige:
An escape plan!
Blair:
Yeah… like that’s going to happen.
Saige:
Look, it’s either that or we sit here and wait to die. So, are you going to sit here and bitch or help me?
Blair stares at the camera.
Blair:
Fine, I’ll help.
Saige:
Yay!
Eve looks down at the pool of lava.
Eve:
(If I don’t start doing something to help myself now, I will end up just like Aaron, Kevin, and Jace.)
Eve turns to her toilet.
Eve:
(Hm…)
Eve taps her right hand against her glass wall. She then walks over and taps her left on the toilet. The toilet is slowly ripped from the ground.
Eve:
(Let’s see if this glass can handle a flying heap of porcelain.)
The toilet comes entirely off the ground and slams into the glass wall. It doesn’t even leave a scratch.
Eve:
Damn… not like I was expecting much…
Eve feels a weird sensation on her feet.
Eve:
Huh?
Eve looks down. The pipe that was connected to the toilet is spewing water.
Eve:
What? That’s not how that’s supposed to work! It’s a toilet, not a damn fire hydrant!
Eve gets a look of realization on her face.
Eve:
(I get it… it was a trap, and I fell for it! Look around this room, I went to the toilet first because it was the only thing I could use, and he knew that!)
The pipe continues spewing water.
Eve:
(At this rate, I’ll drown in a couple of hours, and my only way out of this room is…)
Eve turns to her button.
Eve:
(Damn!)
Isaiah watches as Eve’s cell fills with water.
Isaiah:
Note, do not rip the toilet out of the ground… I feel bad for Eve, she may be a bitch, but at least she’s trying… UNLIKE SOMEONE!
Demetri is lying on the bed behind Isaiah.
Demetri:
What! I want to relax before I die!
Isaiah:
Why the fuck are we the only ones who have to share a cell!
Demetri:
You know why…
Isaiah:
Yeah, I do, but I’m still gonna complain about it.
Demetri:
That’s fair.
Isaiah:
Hey… you know what’s weird?
Demetri:
Huh? What?
Isaiah:
We’re handling this surprisingly well.
Demetri:
Hey… yeah, you’re right.
Isaiah:
I mean, Lilith and Gus are both catatonic, and we aren’t, so that’s something!
Demetri:
That’s not exactly a high bar to clear…
Isaiah:
Yeah, well… we did! And that’s what matters!
Demetri:
Right…
Demetri sits up.
Demetri:
So, are you actually gonna try something, or were you just bitching to bitch?
Isaiah:
I have… nothing in mind…
Demetri:
Alright, then wake up when you do.
Demetri takes a nap.
Isaiah:
Jackass…
Silver starts walking back to his bed.
Silver:
Well, at least he confirmed my belief that we cannot defeat Fearmonger.
Silver lies down.
Silver:
(I usually am not the type to shy away from a challenge, but I’m also a realist.)
Silver flashes back to his fights against Darian and Jagger.
Silver:
(That night was the closest we’d been to actual villain combat before today. However, I never had the sense that my life was in danger. The girl with the mask was the only threat. The rest of her team struggled to take down Mr. Walker and resorted to cheap tricks to defeat him. Hell, after Eve and I wiped the floor with the bubble villain, their leader tucked his dick between his legs and ran. I’m aware of my limits, and while some naive fools believe you can push past your limit, I do not. By myself, Fearmonger will kill me easily. I… I’m going to die…)
Silver stares at the ceiling of his cell for a few moments, trembling.
Silver:
(Although… there is one thing that’s been sticking in my head.)
“
Fearmonger:
If I catch you trying to work with a member of another team, you and all of your teammates will swiftly be killed off. “
— Chapter 114
Silver looks around.
Silver:
(He said that, but there isn’t a single camera in this room. He’s also not monitoring us from the platform… So how would he know? I guess it’s not impossible he’s watching us some other way. After all, he has been returning to that room for whatever reason. Hm… that makes me wonder.)
Silver gets up and examines the other cells.
Silver:
(I don’t see her. She must be above me.)
Justus continues conversing with astral Ash.
Justus:
Have you considered trying to take over his body?
Justus’ hand motions to a thumbs up, then a thumbs down.
Justus:
I assume that means you did, and it didn’t work.
Thumbs up.
Justus:
I see… although Wes’ hypothesis that Fearmonger is using a hologram to fight was proven wrong, it’s obvious that something is off. Aaron’s boosted blast should have annihilated a metal platform like that, but it didn’t even leave a dent. I have no idea what-
Suddenly Justus’ finger starts pointing somewhere.
Justus:
Hm?
Justus looks to see he’s pointing at Silver, who is trying to get his attention.
Justus:
Silver?
Silver starts pointing upwards.
Justus:
Up?
Justus notices Ash’s cell is above Silver’s.
Justus:
I think he wants you.
Justus nods to Silver.
Silver:
Good, if Justus can relay my message to Ash, then I can-
Silver’s hand starts moving on its own.
Silver:
Huh?
Silver’s hand motions a thumbs up.
Silver:
I see. You’ve taken partial control of my body. That’s good. I need to ask you to do something. Have you looked inside the room Fearmonger has been going in and out of yet?
Thumbs down.
Silver:
Alright, I need you to do that for me and report your findings… somehow…
Hayze takes a deep breath.
Hayze:
(Calm down… Calm down… you’re not going to be able to help everyone if you’re letting your emotions get the better of you.)
Hayze stands up.
Hayze:
(Alright, I have a plan, I just need to talk to Lilith.)
Hayze turns to his toilet.
Hayze:
(And I think I have a way of doing that.)
Hayze looks out his glass and looks for Lilith’s cell.
Hayze:
(There it is.)
Hayze’s eyes change to blue.
Hayze:
(There are about 5 inches of concrete separating each cell. For these toilets to have proper plumbing, there’s likely an entire network of piping in the cement walls behind each cell. It wouldn’t make sense for each individual cell to lead straight into the septic tank. Instead, the piping has to lead to a central point beforehand. By that logic, the piping behind each toilet connects to one another, and I can take advantage of that.)
The water inside Hayze’s toilet starts to drain. It goes further and further down the piping as the water is redirected to other pipes creating an airflow down the tubes. Hayze continues doing this, following the piping network towards Lilith’s cell.
Hayze:
(I can transform these pipes into a funnel for sounds!)
Lilith is crying in the fetal position in her room.
Lilith:
Kevin… Aaron… Jace… they’re all dead. And- and- m- m- more of us will join them! I don’t want to die…)
Suddenly, the water inside Lilith’s toilet starts to drain.
Lilith:
*sniffles* Huh?
Hayze:
*echoing* Lilith? Can you hear me?
Lilith:
*sniffles* Wh- Hayze?
Lilith walks to her toilet.
Hayze:
Oh, thank god this was the correct cell. Are you alright?
Lilith:
I’ve been better…
Hayze:
It’s okay. Nothing’s going to happen to you. I’m going to try and get all of us out of here.
Lilith:
Y- y- you have a plan?
Hayze:
Yes, I do. Are you able to become a giant right now?
Lilith:
No, I don’t have my costume on me. In fact, I don’t think anyone has their equipment on them.
Hayze gets a look of realization.
Hayze:
(Wait a second…)
Hayze feels his gills.
Hayze:
(I was so caught up in the moment I forgot about my quirk’s breathing weakness… but… I’m perfectly fine without water. What the hell is that about?)
Lilith:
I’m sorry, but I can’t grow big without my costume.
Hayze:
It’s okay. I can come up with something else. How about, for now, you head over to my cell?
Lilith:
Wh- how?
Hayze:
I’m using my water quirk to redirect the water inside the plumbing of the toilets. If you shrunk down, you could follow the path straight to my cell.
Lilith:
You’re redirecting the water? Doesn’t that mean it has to be going somewhere else?
Hayze:
Yeah, but at worst, it would slightly overflow some of the other toilets. Nothing big.
Eve’s cell is already half full of water.
Eve:
WHY IS IT FILLING FASTER ALL OF THE SUDDEN!
Lilith extends her wings.
Lilith:
This seems a little gross.
Hayze:
Don’t worry, I’m sure nobody has used their toilet.
Hayze spots Gus projectile vomiting into his.
Hayze:
Yet…
Lilith:
Okay, I’m on my way.
40 seconds pass. Lilith flies out of the toilet in Hayze’s cell and reverts to standard size.
Hayze:
Sweet, that worked better than-
Lilith runs up and hugs Hayze tight, crying.
Lilith:
I was so afraid of dying alone!
Hayze:
It’s okay, it’s okay. We’re going to figure this out.
Lilith:
But… but… but what about Aaron, Jace, and Kevin?
Hayze looks away.
Hayze:
Let’s just focus on the people we can still save.
Lilith:
*sniffles* Okay…
Zach continuously tries clawing at his glass wall to no avail.
Zach:
Come on, goddammit! Break!
Wes wraps his wounded arm with his bedsheets.
Wes:
(It looks like Zach is having a blast up there…)
Wes sits up against the back wall of his cell.
Wes:
*sighs* (Aaron’s dead… and now I’m stuck with just Zach, Demetri, and Isaiah. So it’s safe to say I’ll be joining him in the next 48 or so hours.)
Wes’ eyes get a little watery.
Wes:
(He may have changed a lot over the summer… but he was still my best friend… and now he’s gone, forever.)
Wes flashes back to Jake teleporting away with X.
Wes:
(When Jake died, I promised myself I would be better. I always considered us to be on the same level, but then he just went and… saved hundreds of thousands of lives, all for the price of his own. I knew I was never capable of that, so… we weren’t on the same level. He was eons above me. I thought the summer would give me a chance to climb but look at me now. I jumped to a conclusion and got my best friend killed, and now I’m sitting here unceremoniously waiting for my own demise… this sucks…)
Alexis still hasn’t moved an inch since Aaron died. Angel and Karma are unable to do anything inside their cells. Blair is pacing back and forth in her cell.
Saige:
So, do you have any ideas?
Blair:
I thought you were supposed to be the strategic person here!
Saige:
Well, most of my plans involve you stripping or doing something you wouldn’t like, so…
Blair:
WE ARE LITERALLY IN A LIFE OR DEATH SITUATION! YOU CAN’T GET YOUR MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER NOW OF ALL TIMES?
Saige:
Blair, I’ll remind you that the plans would be very effective. The only reason I’m not voicing them is because of you.
Blair:
Don’t try to make me the bad guy here…
Saige:
Well, come up with a plan; otherwise, we’ll have to use one of mine.
Blair grimaces.
Blair:
Hey! How about I melt my way into one of the adjacent cells!
Saige:
Yeah… that… could work…
Blair:
Why did you say it like that?
Saige:
Let me put it to you this way. On your left is Isaiah and Demetri’s cell, on your right is Silver’s cell, and below you is Karma’s cell.
Blair thinks for a moment.
Blair:
Oh man… if I melt into any of their cells, it’ll be against Fearmonger’s rules, and we’ll all be killed…
Saige:
Bingo.
Blair falls to her knees.
Blair:
That means I’m utterly useless here…
Saige:
Well, we always have my plans.
Blair looks up at the clock: 2:15:42.
Blair:
You promise they’ll work?
Saige:
Like… 67% chance.
Blair:
*sighs* Give me a little while to work up the courage.
Saige:
Yay!
Blair looks down at Hayze’s cell.
Blair:
(Even after everything he put me through… I still can’t bear the idea of seeing him…)
Blair gulps.
Blair:
(I know he’s going to press his button. It’s not about if but when. I don’t care what it takes. I have to figure out a way to save us before he does. Because even though I believe in Hayze. I don’t know if his plans will work this time…)
Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
Silver stares at the door.
Silver:
We need to lure him out of there. Unfortunately, the only time he ever leaves that room is to fight one of us. This means we must wait until someone is dumb enough to press their button.
Silver looks up at the timer.
Silver:
Which I guess will be sooner rather than later. It looks like at least one more person will have to die before we can make any progress… Unfortunately.
Justus watches from his cell.
Justus:
(I hope Silver has a good plan in mind because I don’t, and I wish I did. My quirk is useless in this scenario. I’ve attempted punching the walls, and I didn’t even make a dent. This glass is also too durable for me. If I go down there and fight, I’ll die. There’s nothing I can do to help myself or my classmates. I’m completely powerless.)
Eve’s cell is nearly full of water.
Eve:
(Great… isn’t this wonderful.)
Eve looks up at the timer: 0:34:12.
Eve:
*sighs* Good enough.
Eve swims toward her button.
Eve:
(It’s either drowning slowly or burning to death in lava. Both suck, but I guess I’ll pick the one that keeps my friends alive a little longer.)
Hayze looks around the prison.
Hayze:
Alright, Lilith, you got the plan?
Lilith:
I think so…
Hayze:
What’s wrong?
Lilith:
Wh- what’s going to happen to you?
Hayze:
I’ll be fine, don’t worry about me. We’ve gotta save everyone, and I’ll do my part.
Lilith:
R- right, but-
The loud siren goes off.
Hayze:
Oh goddammit! Who did that!
Eve continuously presses her button.
Eve:
(OH FUCK ME!)
Fearmonger steps out.
Fearmonger:
Well, it’s about time!
Silver smiles.
Silver:
At least this gives us a chance to see what’s behind that door. Silver linings… I guess.
Wes teleports to the center.
Hayze:
Wes?
Justus:
(What’s he doing?)
Saige:
(Is Wes pulling a Jace?)
Eve:
(I’M GOING TO DROWN BECAUSE OF THIS ASSHOLE!)
Wes’ arm is visibly infected.
Fearmonger:
Wh- how the hell did that happen? You’ve only been in there for three hours!
Wes is breathing heavily.
Wes:
You should clean those cells…
Fearmonger:
They were clean! What did you do? Rub your arm against the toilet?
Wes flashes back to cutting his arm with a shattered piece of the toilet.
Wes:
No…
Fearmonger:
Jesus, I can’t believe I took you on as my intern… you ready to die or what?
Wes:
*sighs* Ready? No. But I understand that that’s inevitable at this point. If I wanted a chance at living, I would have had to sit on my ass and wait for someone else to save me, and usually, I would be okay with that. But…
Fearmonger:
Hm?
Wes:
I’m the only one here with an idea of what you can do and what you’re actually capable of. So, I’d be a real asshole to sit on the sidelines. Your quirk allows you to draw out the fears of others by ingesting their blood. Everything else you’ve done has been a trick.
Fearmonger:
That’s fair… but judging by your arm. I’d say you have no idea what my “trick” is.
Wes:
How about you give me a gun, and we find out?
Fearmonger thinks for a moment.
Fearmonger:
Eh… what the hell.
Fearmonger reaches for his pocket.
Silver:
Ash, go now.
Ash’s astral form emerges from Silver’s body and leaps towards the platform.
Ash:
(I’m on it!)
Fearmonger pulls out a revolver and loads a single bullet.
Fearmonger:
Here, kid, try this.
Fearmonger tosses Wes the revolver.
Wes:
Only one? That makes me think you’re afraid of what I can do if I had more.
Fearmonger:
The less you have, the more creative you have to be.
Wes:
Fine.
Wes crouches down and takes a deep breath.
Wes:
Ultimate Attack: House of Mirrors!
Wes places his hand against the platform and begins transforming the surface into a mirror. Slowly but surely, the entire platform, top, and bottom, becomes a mirror, continuing to the prison walls. Eventually, the whole prison becomes a mirror. This includes the glass walls and the door behind Fearmonger.
Hayze:
What the hell? What’s going on?
Lilith:
We can’t see a thing!
Fearmonger laughs.
Fearmonger:
This is your attack? You just made everything into a mirror!
Wes transforms his entire body into a mirror, including the revolver.
Wes:
Yeah, I did.
Wes aims the revolver at Fearmonger.
Fearmonger:
You really think that’s going to work?
Wes:
No.
Wes fires the bullet, and it phases right through Fearmonger.
Fearmonger:
Nice try.
The bullet begins reflecting off of all the mirrors Wes created.
Wes:
I have no plans on this bullet ever making contact with you.
Fearmonger:
Then why fire?
Wes:
When a projectile reflects off my mirrors, its speed and power are doubled. I usually only use this boost once because the return on each successive reflection diminishes. So it’s basically a waste of time to go out of my way to reflect on my shot any more than one time. However, if I make something reflect, say, 1000 times? That’s a different story.
Fearmonger watches the bullet continually reflect.
Fearmonger:
(What’s his plan? This bullet will never make contact with me… it doesn’t matter if its power and speed are being boosted.)
Wes starts walking towards the edge of the platform.
Wes:
How many times do you think this bullet has reflected, Fearmonger?
Fearmonger:
Huh?
Wes:
At this point, it’s well over 1,000. Hell, maybe even 2,000.
Fearmonger:
What are you getting at?
Wes:
You’ll see.
Wes jumps off the platform.
Fearmonger:
What!
Wes plummets towards the lava.
Wes:
(This is all I could come up with… I hope it will be enough.)
Wes falls into the lava and is incinerated.
Fearmonger:
(What the hell? He just killed himself without me prompting him at all.)
Fearmonger gets a look of realization.
Fearmonger:
(Wait a second! If he’s dead, then-)
Suddenly all of the surfaces revert to normal. The bullet careens towards one of the cells and collides with the glass. Shattering it.
Fearmonger:
(No way! Whose cell was that?)
Everyone looks at the shattered glass.
Justus:
(Wes was able to build up enough force to break through the glass!)
Silver:
(So, it is possible to break these things!)
Hayze:
(Dammit! Wes died just to open a cell?)
Fearmonger jumps up to the cell.
Silver:
(And he’s got superhuman jumping too?)
Fearmonger inspects the cell: Nobody is inside.
Fearmonger:
(Ah… this was Kevin’s cell. Good… I touched a bullet there, literally.)
Ash, in her astral form, reaches the door.
Ash:
Okay, let’s see what’s going on in-
Ash freezes in place.
Ash:
(Huh?)
Fearmonger laughs.
Fearmonger:
You really thought I wouldn’t notice?
Everyone except Silver looks confused.
Silver:
(Oh no…)
Fearmonger jumps back down to the platform and approaches Ash.
Ash:
How- how can you see me?
Fearmonger:
How else am I supposed to enforce the rules?
Fearmonger grabs Ash’s astral form and tosses her into the lava.
Fearmonger:
That’s six.
Ash’s astral form falls into the lava and is incinerated, thus killing her body.
Blair:
Wh- what just happened?
Saige:
I think… I think that was Ash!
Blair:
Wh- what?
Silver clenches his fists against the glass.
Silver:
(Dammit…)
Justus is in shock.
Hayze:
Alright, we’ve gotta go!
Lilith:
Uh- uh- okay, but-
The loud siren goes off again.
Hayze:
What! Who is it now?
Eve teleports to the center, soaking wet.
Eve:
*coughing* That blew.
Fearmonger:
I see you were the only one to fall for the toilet trap.
Eve:
Shut up.
Fearmonger:
You’re pretty brash for someone who is about to die.
Eve:
Oh, what, you want me to sit here and cry like a bitch? Will that get your rocks off?
Blair looks worried.
Blair:
(What’s Eve’s plan of attack? Kevin, Aaron, and Wes went all out, and the only thing they have to show for it is a broken sheet of glass in an empty cell!)
Eve crouches down.
Eve:
Look, I’m gonna be completely honest here. I only pressed that button to avoid drowning. I have literally no plan here.
Fearmonger:
So what? Do you want me to end this now?
Eve:
Not before I do one last thing.
Fearmonger:
And that is?
Eve starts rubbing her palms together.
Eve:
I spent a lot of time over the summer mastering this trick. I might as well put it to good use.
Fearmonger:
Hm?
Eve places her right hand against the platform, but nothing happens.
Fearmonger:
That’s your trick?
Eve:
Give it a second.
Fearmonger:
Uh… alright?
A few more seconds pass with nothing happening.
Fearmonger:
Alright, you had your chance.
Suddenly the glass wall of Eve’s cell shatters with water flowing out of it like a waterfall.
Fearmonger:
(What! Another one!)
Eve’s toilet comes flying towards the platform and shatters against the spot Eve placed her hand on.
Eve:
And that’s all I’ve got.
Eve places her right hand against the ground again.
Fearmonger:
I won’t lie, I’m not loving that you kids are destroying the carefully crafted cells, but if that’s really all you came out here to do, then that’s okay.
Eve:
Yeah, that’s about it for me.
Eve walks to the edge of the platform.
Eve:
Mind giving me the final push?
Blair bangs on her glass.
Blair:
Eve! No!
Fearmonger walks towards Eve and cocks back his arm.
Fearmonger:
That’s fine by me, girl!
Fearmonger goes to punch Eve, but she blocks with her right hand.
Fearmonger:
Delaying the inevitable?
Fearmonger socks Eve in the stomach.
Eve:
No, I’m taking you down!
Eve grabs onto Fearmonger’s other hand and holds it tight.
Fearmonger:
Oh, you’re going to drag me off the edge, are you?
Eve:
Nope.
Suddenly, the shards of the shattered toilet come careening towards Fearmonger.
Justus:
She’s got him!
The shards phase through Fearmonger and embed into Eve.
Eve:
*pukes blood*
Fearmonger:
Clever plan, girl. Too bad your assumption that my phasing ability didn’t apply to specific objects was wrong.
Eve’s grip on Fearmonger loosens, and she begins falling into the lava pit.
Eve:
(Well, at least I went out swinging.)
Eve falls into the lava and is incinerated.
Blair:
EVE!
Fearmonger starts walking back to the room.
Fearmonger:
That’s seven.
The loud siren goes off.
Fearmonger:
Really? Four in a row?
Hayze teleports to the center.
Fearmonger:
*sighs* Are YOU ready to-
Hayze:
No.
Fearmonger:
Alright, let’s get this over with.
Silver watches intently.
Silver:
(I don’t know what Hayze has planned… and that’s probably a good thing.)
Saige:
(I feel like I should be worried, but for some reason, I’m not.)
Angel:
(I’m starting to think people forgot I’m here…)
Blair looks worried.
Blair:
(No… what are you doing?)
Fearmonger cracks his knuckles.
Fearmonger:
You really are that eager to fight me after seeing seven of your friends get killed?
Hayze:
Someone’s gotta put a stop to this.
Fearmonger laughs.
Fearmonger:
And you think it will be you?
Hayze:
No.
Fearmonger:
Then why would you-
Suddenly a wave of water smashes into Fearmonger. The force of the water doesn’t move him at all.
Fearmonger:
Water? You think that will-
Hayze lunges at Fearmonger.
Fearmonger:
Nice try!
Hayze phases through Fearmonger.
Hayze:
Sea Skates!
Residual water from Hayze’s attack forms into ice skate blades on the bottom of Hayze’s shoes.
Hayze:
*grunts*
Hayze attempts to spin kick Fearmonger but phases through him.
Fearmonger:
(What the hell is his kid’s plan?)
Hayze blasts a continuous stream of water at Fearmonger. The water again doesn’t move Fearmonger, but he is forced to brace himself.
Fearmonger:
(And more importantly, where is this water coming from?)
Fearmonger gets a look of realization and looks at Kevin and Eve’s broken open cells.
Fearmonger:
(Clever, but how does he plan to do anything against my perfect invincibility?)
The water starts to phase through Fearmonger.
Fearmonger:
(I can just step right through all of this.)
Fearmonger walks out of the water stream.
Fearmonger:
Again, nice try, kid-
Hayze is gone.
Fearmonger:
Wh- where did he-
Hayze emerges from within the water stream directly behind Fearmonger and slashes the back of his neck with his Sea Skate, drawing blood.
Fearmonger:
What!
Silver:
He hit him!
Angel:
A
direct hit!
Saige:
He drew blood!
Fearmonger stumbles forward, holding his wound.
Fearmonger:
That stream of water wasn’t supposed to distract me… it was to break my eyesight of you…
Hayze:
I noticed when you fought Eve that you didn’t phase when she grabbed you. It was pretty clear that it was because she took you by surprise. You aren’t always this invincible figure. You have to consciously activate your ability. So, if you can’t react, you can’t dodge.
Fearmonger smiles beneath his mask.
Fearmonger:
(Heh, they told me to watch out for this one. He had me completely fooled with his initial barrage of useless and idiotic attacks. I was convinced he was letting his emotions get the better of him. I dropped my guard. He’s smart; it’s just too bad for him… he isn’t supposed to win.)
Fearmonger’s wound heals instantly.
Silver:
What? Healing too!
Angel:
That’s a problem!
Hayze is unphased.
Fearmonger:
You could have killed me there, but you didn’t. That’s a mistake.
Hayze:
*grunts*
Fearmonger:
Let me guess… you couldn’t bring yourself to take a life?
Hayze doesn’t respond.
Fearmonger:
I see. You’re not going to save all of your friends if you’re that weak!
Hayze:
Shut the hell up.
Fearmonger:
Okay, actions speak louder than words anyway. The winner of this battle is the one who kills the other and, based on our prior actions… I’d say I’ve already won!
Fearmonger laughs maniacally.
Fearmonger:
Now, it’s time to die!
Fearmonger starts to lunge toward Hayze, but suddenly his body freezes up.
Fearmonger:
Wh- what the hell?
Hayze bursts towards Fearmonger and stabs a Sea Skate directly into his heart.
Fearmonger:
*gasps*
Hayze:
What was that you were saying about winning?
Fearmonger:
H… H- how?
Lilith flies onto Hayze’s shoulder.
Fearmonger:
Huh?
Hayze:
I had Lilith fly through the piping from her cell to mine. She grabbed onto my body when I pressed my button, thus tagging along. You were right; I could have killed you with my first attack, but what if I didn’t? My theory that you can’t handle surprise attacks was precisely that: a theory. I purposely made that attack fail to instill a sense of urgency inside of you. Once you knew I could penetrate your defenses, your first instinct was to swiftly end me. You weren’t even paying attention to the fact that Lilith was crawling on your neck. When you began your attack, it was all over for you, Lilith pressed down on a pressure point in your neck to temporarily paralyze you, and then I swooped in for the kill.
“
Adrian:
Heroes have to kill if it means protecting the greater good. “
— Chapter 86
Hayze:
(Those words wouldn’t stop echoing in my mind.)
Lilith:
Good job, Hayze!
Fearmonger smiles.
Hayze:
Huh?
Fearmonger:
You think you’ve won already? Might I remind you that I AM INVINCIBLE!
Hayze digs his Sea Skate further into Fearmonger’s chest.
Hayze:
No! You’re dead!
Fearmonger suddenly disappears.
Hayze:
Wh- what?
Lilith:
Where did he go?
Hayze frantically looks around.
Hayze:
(What now! I thought a stab wound to the heart would be enough!)
Hayze, out of nowhere, feels a sharp pain in his stomach. He instantly pukes up blood and gets sent flying back to the platform's edge.
Hayze:
AHHH!
Lilith takes flight.
Lilith:
Wh- what just happened?
Fearmonger’s maniacal laugh can be heard, but he isn’t anywhere to be seen.
Hayze:
Dammit… Now he’s invisible too!
Fearmonger:
I told you, Hayze. You have your choices, you chose death, and now you will experience that choice!
Hayze:
Not happening!
Suddenly water from Eve’s cell shoots into the air and bursts causing droplets to fall like rain down upon the platform.
Fearmonger:
(Huh?)
Hayze slowly gets to his feet.
Hayze:
Try killing me now!
Fearmonger:
(With pleasure!)
Fearmonger takes a step forward. Hayze instantly skates directly at him and uppercuts him. Fearmonger is stunned and becomes visible again.
Fearmonger:
What? How did you know?
Hayze:
When you step on a wet surface, the water will splash up slightly around your feet. I saw that and knew exactly where you were!
Fearmonger:
(Damn! He came up with that on the spot!)
Hayze:
Now then…
Hayze cocks back his arm.
Hayze:
It’s time for you to die!
Hayze starts rapidly attacking Fearmonger with a barrage of punches to the chest.
Hayze:
DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!
Fearmonger gets sent flying off the edge of the platform.
Silver:
He won?
Saige:
Yes!
Blair:
Hayze got him!
Justus, Alexis, Gus, and Zach emerge from their catatonic or nearly catatonic states.
Hayze:
Thanks for the help, Lilith.
Hayze falls to his knees, coughing up blood.
Hayze:
(Damn, he hit me hard…)
Hayze struggles to stand up.
Hayze:
(Shit…)
Lilith returns to standard size and starts flying towards Hayze.
Lilith:
Hayze!
Hayze:
Thanks for the help earlier, Lilith; I-
Lilith lands next to Hayze and blocks a punch from Fearmonger.
Hayze:
(Wh- how… how did he…)
Lilith gets sent flying off the edge, careens into the lava, and is incinerated.
Hayze:
LILITH!
Fearmonger laughs.
Fearmonger:
That’s eight.
Hayze turns back and looks at Fearmonger’s feet.
Hayze:
(He didn’t make a sound… h- how? It’s like every time I come up with a new way to beat him, he comes back with a new ability to counter it.)
Fearmonger:
I keep telling you this, but you don’t seem to understand. I AM INVINCIBLE!
Hayze:
FUCK YOU!
Hayze lunges at Fearmonger and phases right through him.
Fearmonger:
This was fun, kid, but I think now is the time for me to end this.
Fearmonger punches Hayze in the face and sends him flying to the edge again.
Fearmonger:
You got that girl killed, you know. She died giving you an extra 2 minutes of life.
Hayze starts hyperventilating.
Hayze:
(If I die here… everyone dies… I couldn’t save Kevin, Aaron, Jace, Wes, Eve, Ash, or Lilith… and now I can’t save anyone else. They’re all going to die… because of me.)
Hayze clenches his fists against the ground.
Blair:
H- Hayze…
Silver:
This might be it…
Silver hears a strange sound. He turns around to see the water in his toilet draining.
Silver:
(What?)
Every single toilet’s water begins to drain completely.
Fearmonger:
Any last words?
Hayze slowly gets to his feet.
Hayze:
I’m not going to let you kill everyone… I’m not going to let you kill everyone… I’M NOT!
Suddenly, all the water in the entire network of pipes shoots out of Kevin and Eve’s cells and collects in the air above Hayze.
Fearmonger:
Wow… that’s something.
Hayze:
DIE!
All of the water comes bursting down toward Fearmonger.
Hayze:
TORRENTIAL TRIBUTE!
The water smashes down against the platform where Fearmonger is standing like a giant tree falling against the ground.
Hayze:
*grunts*
Fearmonger bursts out of the water and uppercuts Hayze.
Fearmonger:
That’s nine.
Hayze starts falling towards the lava.
Silver:
He… he lost.
Saige:
No…
Blair:
HAYZE!
A tear falls from Hayze’s eye.
Hayze:
(I… I… I couldn’t save them… Mom… Dad… I failed…)
Hayze falls into the lava and is incinerated.
