Scarlett returns to the control room through a veil of shadows.
Scarlett:
How is he doing?
Wirths:
It looks as though the prototype serum is a complete success. He just survived their onslaught of bullets.
Scarlett:
Good. I would have been very disappointed if the serum was still futile after everything we’ve worked for.
Wirths:
Yes, the blood you acquired from Hayze was exactly what I needed to crack the code of quirk transferral.
Scarlett:
Now, the question is how stable this transformation is.
Wirths:
I’m unsure, but that’s why we needed this test run. If everything goes well, we can mass-produce Project V, and soon our goal will come to fruition.
Scarlett smiles.
Scarlett:
Let’s not get our hopes up too soon, Doctor.
Wirths:
I’m a mad scientist, my Queen. That’s what I’m built to do!
Scarlett:
Of course.
Scarlett looks around at the other monitors.
Scarlett:
How are the other groups faring?
Wirths:
The larger group led by Exciton is currently in a rather useless part of the facility; we don’t have to worry about them for a bit longer, however…
Wirths points to the monitor with Big Tank, Fatal, Walker, Saige, and Alexis.
Wirths:
These five are approaching my lab rather quickly. I stored and backed up all the data for creating the serum, but my equipment was too cumbersome to move elsewhere. So it would be best if we thinned the herd slightly.
Scarlett:
Thinned? Why would you want any of them to reach your lab? They know our objective, so they’re bound to destroy everything inside if given the chance.
Wirths:
Let’s just say that I’m interested in one of them, and I’d love to do some… experiments.
Scarlett:
You’re a rather creepy man, Doctor.
Wirths:
Oh, you sound like the board at my doctoral exam, my Queen.
Scarlett:
Fine, do what you will, but if production of the serum is delayed because of your “experiments,” I’ll have your head.
Wirths:
Oh, don’t worry, I have everything figured out.
Big Tank leads his group down the hallway.
Big Tank:
We need to find a staircase or an elevator. Howitzer, Mirror Shot, and Kuudere need our help.
Walker:
Don’t worry, Big Tank. They’ll be fine; Aaron is one of the finest students I’ve ever had. He and Wes are a formidable duo.
Big Tank:
I know that, Walker, but it’s in my blood to rush to my soldiers’ aid regardless of their skill level. So, let’s pick up the pace and keep your eyes peeled for an entrance to the lower levels.
Walker:
Alright.
Fatal:
Oh, so now you believe in these kids' abilities?
Walker:
I never said I didn’t, I’d love to assist if I can, but I have faith they can handle themselves if I can’t.
Fatal:
Really? Is that why you left U.A., so you’d have an excuse not to help them?
Walker:
I won’t justify that with a response.
Fatal:
Pfft, of course not.
Walker:
Femme Fatal, might I remind you that we are on a critical mission right now? This is not the time for you to be passive-aggressive.
Fatal:
Well, this might be the only time I see you for the next however many months, so it’s basically the only time.
Walker:
That is not-
Big Tank:
Will you two quiet down?! We are professionals! Do not squabble!
Walker:
Yessir.
Fatal:
Sorry, sir.
Saige leans toward Alexis.
Saige:
*whispering* It’s weird seeing Mr. Walker and Ms. Fatal taking orders from someone else.
Alexis:
Yeah…
Saige:
Are you alright?
Alexis:
I- yeah! I’m fine.
Saige:
Aaron will be okay, Alexis.
Alexis:
I know… and I know I shouldn’t be letting myself be distracted so easily, but Aaron can be so reckless sometimes, and on a mission like this, one mistake could cost us our lives. I’m just worried he’ll do something stupid.
Saige:
Well, maybe he will, but you have to have faith in him.
Alexis:
I know, I know, *sighs* How are you so calm right now, Saige? Aren’t you a little overwhelmed by all of this?
Saige:
A little, but I have a little trick I do whenever I’m worried.
Alexis:
And that is?
Saige taps one of Alexis’ temples; her fingertip glows pink as pulsating rays are cast through Alexis’s head.
Alexis:
Woah.
Saige:
Feel better?
Alexis:
Yeah… you just cleared my whole mind.
Saige:
You’re welcome. Now focus on what’s going on in front of you.
Alexis:
Right.
Suddenly, Big Tank stops the whole group.
Fatal:
Is something wrong?
Big Tank:
Do you hear that?
Everyone listens closely.
Walker:
It sounds like footsteps.
Fatal:
And a lot of them.
Big Tank:
They’re approaching from the front.
Big Tank cracks his knuckles.
Big Tank:
I’ll take care of them.
A group of 20 men wielding M16s come into view and take aim at the group.
Grunt 1:
Prepare to die!
Big Tank:
You know who you’re messing with, right?
Big Tank gets on all fours and aims his cannon at the grunts.
Big Tank:
One blast from my cannon, and there will be bits and pieces of you guys scattered all throughout this hallway.
Some of the grunts are shaking.
Fatal:
Better plug your ears, guys. This is about to get loud.
Walker:
(Something’s wrong here… the Vampire Queen is far too cunning to attempt something this idiotic.)
Big Tank’s cannon begins charging up.
Big Tank:
This is your one and only chance to drop your weapons and surrender!
The grunts don’t move.
Big Tank:
Suit yourself! Take this!
Suddenly, a blast door shuts behind Big Tank’s group.
Walker:
Shit!
Big Tank:
Death Cannon!
Big Tank fires a massive tank shell at the grunts; however, a panel in the ceiling in front of them opens, and Ivy leaps down.
Big Tank:
Huh!
Ivy:
Push!
Ivy uses her gravitational force to reverse and reflect the tank shell back at Big Tank.
Big Tank:
Oh no!
Fatal:
This is bad!
Walker leaps in front of Big Tank and opens a portal that absorbs the tank shell.
Walker:
I’ve got it!
Big Tank:
Nice! Quick thinking, Walker.
Walker:
Don’t thank me yet!
Ivy:
Open fire!
As the portal begins closing, the grunts open fire on the group.
Walker:
I can’t block this barrage now.
Saige:
I’ve got it!
Saige runs ahead and creates a wall that blocks the entire hallway. The grunts' bullets continually embed into it.
Ivy:
Keep firing; it will break eventually.
Grunt 1:
Yes, ma’am!
The grunts unload all of their bullets into the wall and begin reloading.
Big Tank:
Sorry,
I didn’t realize these ceiling boards had ventilation systems above them.
Walker:
It’s alright; I don’t think any of us were expecting that.
Fatal:
Well, what do we do now? We’re trapped on both ends.
Alexis:
Do we fight?
Walker:
Not with the masked girl with them. She could reflect any of our attacks, and I can only absorb so many using my quirk.
Fatal:
So if we can’t run and can’t fight, are we supposed to just sit here and twiddle our thumbs?
Walker:
Who said we can’t run?
Fatal:
Huh?
Walker points up at the ceiling.
Walker:
As Big Tank just pointed out, we have an escape route right here.
Big Tank:
One problem, I’m too big to fit in a vent.
Walker:
Yes, but you can fit inside one of my portals.
Big Tank:
*grunts* I knew you were a good addition to this mission.
Fatal:
Alright, let’s get going then.
Fatal leaps up and punches through the ceiling board to reveal the ventilation shaft above. She climbs inside.
Fatal:
Who’s next?
Walker:
Alexis, go.
Fatal helps Alexis climb into the vent.
Walker:
I’ll go next.
Big Tank:
You’d better stay safe; I don’t want to get caught in limbo.
Walker:
I will.
Walker opens a portal beneath Big Tank and climbs into the vent with the help of Fatal.
Fatal:
Alright, Saige, come on!
Saige:
Okay!
Saige reaches for Fatal’s hand when the floor beneath her suddenly opens, and she begins falling.
Saige:
Ah!
Fatal:
Saige!
The floor closes, and Saige’s wall disappears.
Ivy:
Move forward!
Grunt 1:
Charge!
The grunts begin charging.
Fatal:
What do we do!
Walker:
We have to run! Start moving!
Alexis:
Right!
Alexis crawls through the vent when suddenly a board opens, causing her to fall back into the hallway, where another floor trap opens, causing her to fall into a hole.
Fatal:
WHY DOES THIS PLACE HAVE SO MANY TRAPS!
Walker:
Probably for this exact scenario. Just keep running!
Fatal and Walker leap over the open board and continue climbing through the vents.
Walker:
(She has a goal of splitting us apart as much as humanly possible, she’s made that abundantly clear, but the question is… why?)
Aaron and Wes face off against Ricky. The air is tense, and none of them have made a move.
Wes:
So… what now?
Aaron:
What do you mean “what now?” We fight him.
Wes:
I know that! I’m talking about what we do now that he’s used that serum! If what Big Tank was talking about during the briefing is true… he now has the Vampire Queen’s quirk.
Aaron:
Yeah, and?
Wes:
And that means he’s packing the same heat she is!
Aaron:
Uh-huh, but he’s still the same dumbass he was five minutes ago. I don’t care if he’s got the power of god at his fingertips; with his single-digit IQ, he doesn’t scare me a bit.
Ricky starts laughing maniacally.
Aaron:
Did I tell a joke?
Ricky:
So, this is what power feels like? It’s better than I ever could have imagined!
Aaron:
You’re still not on my level.
Ricky:
Oh, yeah? Well, let’s see about that.
Ricky begins slowly walking towards Aaron.
Ricky:
I now possess the powers of a vampire. So, I’m now immortal! You’ll never defeat me!
Aaron transforms his other hand into a bazooka and aims it at Ricky.
Aaron:
Maybe, but that doesn’t mean I can’t blow you to bits!
Aaron fires a rocket at Ricky.
Ricky:
You really should have read up on your gothic literature.
Ricky suddenly disappears into the shadows.
Aaron:
Huh?
Aaron’s rocket continues flying straight into the Soulvania wall.
Aaron:
Where did he go!
Wes:
*under his breath* Shadows are a vampire’s best friend… they shield them from their major weakness, sunlight.
Wes reloads his gun.
Wes:
(This was her plan from the start, that’s why she brought us to this dark room and put us against Ricky. She’s using him as an experiment, and we’re the test dummies.) Aaron!
Aaron:
What?
Wes:
No more joking around, man. This is serious.
Aaron:
I’m aware of that, Wes. Trust me, my head is in the game. Right now, he’s hiding because he knows he can’t take us. This guy is about as scary as a negative pregnancy test.
Wes:
That’s exactly what I’m talking about, Aaron! We shouldn’t be-
Aaron:
Huh? Wes? Why did you stop talking?
Wes coughs up some blood.
Aaron:
Wes!
Verity:
Are you alright?
Wes falls to the ground. Ricky was standing behind him; his nails are covered in blood. Wes has a large bleeding wound in his lower back.
Ricky:
It’s good for you that humans need 1 kidney to live.
Wes:
*grunts* How did you get behind me… without making any noise!
Ricky:
I don’t need air to live, so you can’t hear me breathe, and as long as I have shadows, I can be anywhere I want.
Aaron:
So, what are you saying? You can teleport?
Ricky:
Of course not. I’m simply shrouding myself in shadows so you can only see me where light is cast, and if you couldn’t tell… this room has no light!
Ricky laughs maniacally.
Aaron:
Oh yeah?
Ricky:
Huh?
Aaron transforms his M16 arm into a flamethrower.
Aaron:
We’ll see about that!
Ricky:
*frustrated grunt*
Ricky disappears into the shadows.
Aaron:
You can’t hide from me!
Aaron shoots a small constant flame out of the flamethrower illuminating a few feet around himself in all directions.
Ricky:
That’s fine, so what if you can see where I’m coming from! Your bullets are useless, and firing that bazooka at me when I’m that close will kill you instantly!
Aaron:
Oh no! You’re SO right! Godammit! How could I forget that! UGHHHH!
Wes looks confused.
Aaron:
Great, now I have this awesome defense, but no way to counterattack! I’m basically a sitting duck right now! Oh no!
Ricky:
That’s right, and you’ll never know when I’ll strike! You may see it coming in time to react, but you can’t stop me!
Wes:
Aaron! You’re immune to your own explosions! You can take him!
Aaron gives Wes a death stare.
Aaron:
Wes.
Wes:
Y- yes?
Aaron:
I fucking hate you.
Ricky reappears from the shadows and uses his pistol to shoot Aaron in the knee,
Aaron:
AHHHH! MOTHERFUCKER!
Ricky:
Thanks for telling me his plan, dumbass! Now I know I should attack from range.
Aaron:
WES, YOU STUPID FUCKING IDIOT! I WAS TRYING TO TRICK HIM!
Wes:
Oh…
Verity facepalms.
Ricky:
Now that I have you both weakened, it’s time for my onslaught to begin. The question is, which of you will I start with?
Aaron:
Wes.
Wes:
Aaron.
Ricky:
I think I’ll go with the annoying one.
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Aaron:
Phew…
Ricky lunges at Aaron and begins barraging him with punches.
Aaron:
Ah! YOU LIAR!
Aaron tries to aim his bazooka at Ricky, but Ricky bites into Aaron’s neck, paralyzing him.
Aaron:
*grunts*
Wes:
Aaron!
Ricky:
Time to feast!
Ricky begins sucking Aaron’s blood.
Wes:
(I’ve gotta help him!)
Wes slowly gets to his feet and takes aim at Ricky.
Ricky:
Are you stupid! Your bullets won’t work on me!
Wes:
Yeah, not the ones I was using before.
Ricky:
Wh- what?
Wes fires a bullet into Ricky’s skull, igniting his head in flames.
Ricky:
AHHHHHHHH!
Ricky unclenches his teeth, releasing Aaron. Aaron staggers backward; his skin is pale.
Ricky:
YOU BASTARD! WHY DO YOU HAVE INCENDIARY AMMO?!
Wes:
BECAUSE I DIDN’T WANT TO GET MY BLOOD SUCKED BY A FUCKING VAMPIRE!
Ricky:
AHHHHHHH!
Aaron:
Wow, Wes, you actually did something right for a change!
Wes:
I’ll let you have that one because I fucked up hard there on the ruse. S- sorry about that.
Aaron:
Whatever, just don’t fuck me up again. Next time it could be the end of me.
Wes:
R- right…
The flames on Ricky’s head extinguish. His hair is gone, his skin is charred, and he’s hyperventilating.
Ricky:
YOU’RE GONNA PAY FOR THAT! YOU HEAR ME!
Aaron lights Ricky on fire with his flamethrower.
Ricky:
AHHHHHHHHHH! YOU ASSHOLES!
Wes:
Jesus, Aaron!
Aaron:
What? Fuck this guy!
The fires eventually extinguish, leaving Ricky’s body a smoldering mess of charred skin with some spots on his body having exposed bone.
Aaron:
You know those stereotypes about vampires being sexy? You’re kind of proof against that.
Ricky:
YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO DIE!
Aaron:
I bet you wish you could right now, huh? Not a great time to have immortality.
Ricky:
I WILL GUT YOU LIKE A FISH.
Aaron:
I’d still look better than you.
Ricky:
AHHHHHH!
Wes:
Aaron, I don’t think now is a good time to egg him on.
Aaron:
Pfft, with your fire bullets and my flamethrower, we’ve got this completely under control.
Ricky:
Oh, that’s what you think, huh?
Scarlett and Wirths watch the match closely. Examining everything Ricky does.
Scarlett:
He didn’t get my enhanced regeneration abilities from sucking blood. The taste he got from the loud one should have at least restored his skin.
Wirths:
It seems so… It looks like I’ll have to write that down as a flaw in the prototype serum, but this has been very promising so far.
One of the monitors begins beeping.
Scarlett:
Is something wrong?
Wirths:
His mental state is deteriorating rapidly.
Scarlett:
Is it due to another flaw in the serum?
Wirths:
I hope not, but we can’t rule it out. I’ll continue monitoring.
Ricky begins walking toward Aaron and Wes.
Aaron:
Alright, Wes, what do you say we put an end to this?
Wes aims at Ricky’s head.
Wes:
If we melt his brain, that’ll be the end of him, right?
Aaron:
I assume so. So, let’s do it-
Ricky:
*under his breath* You won’t be ending me.
Aaron:
Huh? Speak up!
Ricky:
I SAID YOU WON’T BE ENDING ME!
Ricky disappears into the shadows.
Aaron:
Great… this again.
Wes:
It’s alright; I’ve already thought of a way around this.
Wes kneels down and begins transforming the ground into a mirror surface.
Wes:
You may be able to hide from our sight, but thanks to your soulvania, there’s a finite number of places you can be.
Aaron:
You know the word finite?
Wes:
Shut up.
Verity:
He was reading a dictionary on the way here.
Wes:
I SAID SHUT UP!
Slowly, the entire floor of the soulvania, up to the walls, and onto the ceiling, becomes a mirror surface. Wes then coats his whole body as a mirror.
Wes:
I’d recommend getting down, Aaron.
Wes fires his gun at the soulvania wall.
Wes:
Ultimate Attack: House of Mirrors!
Wes fires the bullet; it bounces around the entire room continuously.
Wes:
(That bullet only has two things it can connect with: him or Aaron. Hopefully, it isn’t the latter.)
Aaron lies down on the ground.
Aaron:
(If I get set on fire by Wes, I’m going to neuter him.)
The bullet continues bouncing around the room.
Wes:
(Come on! Hit him!)
Ricky:
I bet you’re waiting for that bullet to hit me, right?
Wes:
Well, yeah…
Ricky:
Good, me too.
Wes:
Wh- huh?
Suddenly, the bullet strikes Ricky and ignites him on fire directly behind Wes.
Wes:
What!
Ricky:
AHHHH!
Ricky tackles Wes to the ground. The impact shatters the mirrors on Wes’ back.
Wes:
AHHH!
Ricky:
I DON’T CARE HOW MUCH PAIN AND AGONY I HAVE TO SUFFER AS LONG AS YOU EXPERIENCE THE SAME AMOUNT!
Ricky punches Wes repeatedly, shattering more of Wes’ skin with each impact.
Aaron and Verity:
Wes!
Aaron transforms his arms into bean bag guns and fires them at Ricky, knocking him off Wes. Ricky slams into the soulvania wall.
Ricky:
*groans*
Aaron:
Wes, are you alright?!
All of Wes’ mirror surfaces begin to revert to normal. Wes’ body is shattered and burned.
Wes:
No… I’m hurt… pretty bad. AHH!
Aaron:
Sit tight; I’ll kill this guy real quick.
Ricky begins laughing maniacally as his flames extinguish.
Ricky:
Don’t you see it’s a waste of time? Only one of you can survive this fight anyway! You should have fired your bazooka and blown both of us to bits!
Aaron:
Look, buddy, I may not like Wes, but I’m not gonna kill him!
Wes:
*under his breath* Fuck you…
Ricky:
If you want to survive… you’ll have to!
Aaron:
*frustrated grunt* I don’t care! I’m gonna kill you first!
Ricky:
How are you going to do that with a bum leg?
Aaron:
Wh- my leg is just f-
Ricky pulls out Wes’ gun and fires it at Aaron’s right leg, hitting him in the calf and igniting it.
Aaron:
AHHHHH!
Ricky laughs maniacally.
Ricky:
YOU’RE GOING TO DIE AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Wirths stands up.
Scarlett:
Where are you off to?
Wirths:
The serum is slowly driving him insane. I must go back to my lab and document this.
Scarlett:
Are you planning to pick up your experiment along the way?
Wirths creepily smiles.
Wirths:
Of course.
Saige plummets into a room full of garbage.
Saige:
Ugh! What is that smell?!
Saige landed in a moldy pizza box.
Saige:
Of course…
Saige stands up and looks around.
Saige:
(Where’s the exit?)
Alexis plummets into the garbage.
Saige:
Alexis?
Alexis:
Ugh… what is that-
Saige:
Smell? It seems we fell into the facility’s garbage disposal.
Alexis:
Great…
Saige:
Don’t worry. The trash and putrid odor are the least of our concerns.
Alexis:
Why?
Saige:
I don’t see a way out of this place.
Alexis:
What about the vents we just came through?
Saige:
They closed after we fell in, and just like everything else in this place, they’re reinforced.
Alexis:
Who reinforces a trash disposal?
Saige:
The same people who put trapdoors every 6 feet.
Alexis:
Well, I guess we have to start digging…
Saige:
It looks like it… but hey, at least we’re probably on the same floor as Wes, Aaron, and Verity.
Alexis:
True, but finding them could take a while.
Saige:
Hopefully not as long as us digging through piles of trash.
Suddenly, the vents open, and two grenades fall into the room and begin filling the room with gas.
Alexis:
What the?!
Saige:
Don’t breathe!
Saige and Alexis cover their noses and mouths to try not to breathe the gas, but the entire room is filled entirely within seconds.
Saige:
(I can create a gas mask, but if there’s no clean air to begin with, it’s useless!)
The two girls desperately attempt to dig through the trash to find an escape, but they both are forced to breathe in the gas after a minute.
Saige:
(I… I’m losing consciousn-)
Alexis:
(Need.. air.)
Saige and Alexis pass out. Wirths slides into the room through the vents wearing a gas mask.
Wirths:
Ah… this will be fun.
On the surface, Zach’s infection has spread up his entire leg and to his hips.
Zach:
*groans* (This… sucks…)
Impact is sitting down now; his infection has spread to his upper chest.
Yul:
How are you feeling?
Impact:
*coughs* I’m getting weaker and weaker by the minute.
Yul:
Should I call for an ambulance?
Impact:
No, we can’t bring civilians into this. It’s too dangerous.
Yul:
Then… What should I do?
Impact:
Be ready… Once Zach is dead… it’s all gonna be on you. You’ll have to kill this guy. *coughs* I wish I could, but this poison makes it hard for me to even stand.
Yul gulps.
Yul:
I understand, sir.
Impact:
Don’t worry, Yul. I only recruit people I believe in, and that goes for you, Wes, and Zach. I wish Zach could have won, but he’s just too inexperienced… his blood is on my hands. You’ve fought with me many times and are among the most talented and intelligent people I’ve ever met. You can win. I know it.
Yul:
Thank you, sir, but… his quirk is deadly, and he knows I’ll try my hardest to avoid it. He’s probably developed hundreds of strategies for countering that idea.
Impact:
Don’t think about that.
Yul:
Huh?
Impact:
All you can do is try your best. It’s a waste of time to put more thought into it than that. Instead, try and pinpoint his weaknesses.
Yul looks at Large Man.
Yul:
(His massive muscles don’t seem to hinder his speed whatsoever, and he’s intelligent. His arsenal is powerful, so maybe the path to victory lies in his fighting style. Zach was able to catch him off guard relatively easily, and if not for his metabolization of toxins, he could have been killed. Hm…)
Zach coughs up some blood.
Zach:
*under his breath* This bites…
Large Man:
I’m sorry that you must die this way.
Zach:
Huh?
Large Man:
I don’t take any solace in killing someone slowly, but it’s what I must do to survive.
Zach:
Oh, don’t worry, I understand… you’re just doing your job.
Large Man is surprised by Zach’s response.
Large Man:
Tell me, boy. What made you want to be a hero?
Zach thinks for a few moments.
Zach:
At first… Because I wanted to be strong. My motivation was basic, but that’s what kept me working hard. I only applied to U.A. because my parents told me I should… I didn’t think I’d make it, but sure enough, I did. During the first few days, I felt pretty overwhelmed by my peers. Some seemed really determined as if their lives depended upon becoming high-ranking heroes. I obviously wanted to be the best I could be, but I just couldn’t keep up. Maybe that’s why I couldn’t keep up with them? I don’t know, but it brought me and some other people in the class, and we became close friends.
Images of Angel, Jace, Gus, Demetri, and Isaiah flash through Zach’s mind.
Zach:
That’s when my reason for becoming a hero evolved… I wanted to succeed alongside my friends; I wanted us to reach our goals together…
Zach goes quiet.
Zach:
(Together…)
Zach clenches his fists in the dirt.
Large Man:
So, you’re fueled by the power of friendship. It’s cliche, but I respect it.
Large Man stands up and starts walking towards Zach.
Zach:
Huh?
Large Man:
Impact is weakened enough; I will show my respect for you by ending your life now.
Zach:
*grunts*
Large Man stands over Zach and hovers his foot above his head.
Large Man:
Any final words?
A tear rolls down Zach’s face, and he grinds his teeth.
Zach:
(My friends… I… I…)
Large Man:
Farewell.
Large Man lowers his foot and begins crushing Zach’s skull.
Zach:
I WON’T DIE!
Zach stabs his bone claws into Large Man’s ankle.
Large Man:
AHHH! WHAT THE HELL?!
Large Man topples over and smashes into the ground.
Impact:
What? What just happened?!
Yul:
Zach?
Large Man looks at his sliced-up ankle.
Large Man:
Damn you! Even after I was willing to let you die a quicker death, you still hit me with a cheap shot?!
Zach is somehow standing.
Large Man:
Wh- what? How are you on your feet!
Zach is grinding his teeth in pain, grunting with each movement.
Zach:
I’ve got friends that are counting on me. Friends that would be devastated if I didn’t come back from this mission! I OWE IT TO THEM TO FIGHT UNTIL MY LAST BREATH!
Yul and Impact are amazed.
Impact:
I’m having trouble standing myself, and I’m nowhere near as injured as he is…
Yul:
He’s standing up through sheer willpower.
Impact:
His legs are numb, and his muscles are atrophying, but he’s forcing himself to stand up and fight.
Large Man stands up.
Large Man:
You really are a warrior.
Zach wraps himself in his bone tail and extends spikes out each vertebrae.
Zach:
Take this!
Zach leaps into the air and begins spinning at high speeds toward Large Man.
Zach:
SKELETAL DRILLER!
Large Man:
What makes you think this will work this time?!
Large Man extends his arms to catch Zach again.
Zach:
Easy!
Zach uncoils his tail around his body, catching Large Man off guard.
Large Man:
What?!
Zach uses his claws and tail to slice Large Man’s right arm off. He continues flying until he smashes and rolls across the ground.
Zach:
*groans*
Large Man looks at his severed arm.
Large Man:
AHHHHHH!
Yul and Impact are both shocked.
Yul:
Zach knew he would try to catch him just like last time… So he converted his attack into a high-speed slicing motion.
Impact:
With his arms outstretched like they were, that gargantuan didn’t have a chance of reacting in time.
Large Man turns to Zach.
Large Man:
I hope you’re happy with yourself!
Zach:
Not really… I was aiming for your neck… but I was in too much pain to be accurate…
Large Man grinds his teeth.
Large Man:
I’M GOING TO RIP EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOUR LIMBS CLEAN OFF YOUR BODY, AND THEN USE YOUR CLAWS TO CUT OFF YOUR OWN HEAD!
Zach gulps.
Zach:
(It took every ounce of effort I had left to stand back up once… I’m not sure I have enough strength to do it again…)
Zach looks at Impact and Yul.
Zach:
(If that was my dying act… I hope I made you proud… Impact.)
Justus and Ash continue walking down their hallway.
Ash:
I hope everyone else is doing okay…
Justus:
I’m sure they are.
Ash:
Me too, but it’s hard to not worry. The Vampire Queen clearly put a lot of effort into separating our group into smaller teams… she probably did that for the others too.
Justus:
Probably, but I wonder why… What's the point in dividing us in such a small space? She could have taken out multiple of us simultaneously because we were condensed together.
Ash:
Yeah, and if there are more groups, wouldn’t that make us more likely to come across her whereabouts sooner?
Justus:
Yes… it would…
Justus stops.
Ash:
Is something wrong?
Justus:
You’ve got me thinking about whether we’re doing the right thing by progressing forward. The only reason for her strategy to be like this is that she wants to pick us off individually. Perhaps this hallway will lead us to her… what would we do? We can’t fight her without anyone else.
Ash:
So what do you want to do instead?
Justus:
I think we’d be better served to try and get back with Vulcan and the others. The shute we fell down closed, but I could try to break the door and-
Terus:
Oh, is the son of Colossus scared?
Justus and Ash put up their guard. Terus opens a door in front of them and walks into the hallway.
Justus:
You again.
Terus:
Looks like you two- wait… where’s the other guy?
Ash:
He’s dead.
Terus:
Wh- on the turret trap? What kind of weakling was he!
Justus:
Enough about that. What do you want? Because if it’s a fight, I’ll happily oblige.
Ash:
*whispering* Justus, are you sure? We don’t know how strong she is.
Terus:
You should listen to the girl. I’m way more than you could handle.
Justus:
I was born to fight villains like you.
Terus:
No, you were born because your dad likes bimbos.
Justus:
What did you say?!
Terus:
I said your dad was a womanizer, and your mom was a slut. Did you really need me to spell that out?
Justus:
I’ll ask you once to take that back.
Ash:
Justus, don’t lose your temper.
Terus laughs.
Terus:
Boy, your dad is a sore spot for you, huh?
Justus:
Yes, but how could I expect someone who works for the Vampire Queen to understand that?
Terus:
Oh, do you think you’re the only one with daddy issues?
Justus:
I don’t have issues. My father was the greatest hero to ever live, and he died proud of me.
Terus smiles.
Terus:
“Greatest,” huh?
Justus:
What are you getting at?
Terus:
I’ll tell you if you agree to follow me somewhere.
Justus:
Do you think we’re stupid?
Ash:
We know you’ll just lead us into a trap.
Terus:
Hm… I guess you’re right.
Terus turns around and begins walking away.
Terus:
I guess I’ll see you around… *under her breath* brother.
Justus’ eyes widen.
Justus:
What did you just say?
Terus starts running away.
Justus:
Get back here!
Justus begins chasing after Terus.
Ash:
Justus! Wait, you’re doing exactly what she wants!
Justus:
(Did she say… brother?)
Saige slowly awakens.
Saige:
Huh?
She looks down to see that she’s strapped to a vertical table in her underwear. Her hands are trapped inside metal boxes, restricting her ability to use her quirk.
Saige:
Wh- what’s going on?
Wirths:
Oh, good, you’re awake.
A light flashes on, revealing she’s inside Wirths’ lab. Wirths is standing at a nearby table, fiddling with a syringe and chemicals.
Saige:
Who are you?! Where is Alexis?!
Saige notices a camcorder on a tripod is pointed right at her.
Saige:
What is this, a snuff film?
Wirths:
My name is Dr. Wirths. That information isn’t important.
Saige:
It is to me!
Wirths:
No, the only thing that matters to you… is the experiment.
Saige:
Ex- Experiment?
Wirths laughs.
Wirths:
I need to study you and collect some crucial data.
Saige:
Study me? Study me for what?
Wirths:
Well, I guess I shouldn’t say “you.”
Saige:
What does that mean!
Wirths:
You are one of four people who have received the late Dr. Moore’s quirk serum, are you not?
Saige:
Y- yeah?
Wirths:
Well, as a long-time admirer of her work, I wish to one day replicate that serum.
Saige:
Oh, I know all about your Vampire serum… that’s why we’re here to stop you and your boss.
Wirths:
Good, then you probably can guess that I’m having some “problems.”
Saige:
Problems?
Wirths:
One of the known side effects of Moore’s quirk serum is that its recipients are known to develop psychological conditions known as personality disorders. You and Femme Fatal have a dissociative personality disorder, Adam Hayze possesses multiple personality disorder, and Ivan Odorizzi has to have something wrong with him. I felt that my version of the serum would have this same consequence, and during my “recent” test run. It was revealed that it causes insanity in its recipients.
Saige:
Well, that’s too bad.
Wirths:
I know, right!
Saige:
What does any of this have to do with me?
Wirths:
Isn’t it obvious? I need to study you. I need to see what caused you to develop your disorder by studying the disorder itself!
Saige:
Y- you don’t mean…
Wirths:
Yes, I want to talk to the other you, Ms. Neidert.
Saige:
No way! I haven’t let her out in years, and I never plan on changing that.
Wirths:
I had a feeling you’d say that.
Wirths fills his syringe with a chemical.
Saige:
Wh- what is that?
Wirths:
Have you ever heard of a little thing called “truth serum.”
Saige gulps.
Wirths:
Your other self is fueled by your shame, so if you experience enough shame, eventually, I’ll get to talk to her, right?
Saige:
Look, do you really NEED to talk to her? I can tell you everything you need!
Wirths:
Okay, is there a way to erase your extra personality from your mind?
Saige is silent.
Saige:
Okay, that’s an unfair question.
Wirths:
Well, I need to know how to cure my subjects of insanity, so I’d say it’s entirely fair.
Saige:
Well, I-
Wirths injects the serum into Saige’s neck.
Saige:
AHH! Woah…
Saige gets woozy. Wirths turns on the camera and starts recording.
Wirths:
Let’s start with some baseline questions. What is your name?
Saige:
Saige Neidert.
Wirths:
How tall are you?
Saige:
5 foot, 7 inches.
Wirths:
See, Isn’t this fun?
Saige:
I swear to god, you sick bastard! If you don’t let me go-
Wirths:
What’s your bra size?
Saige:
D.
Wirths:
No reaction? Hm… you were noted as having relatively low modesty. I guess I’ll need to crank things up a notch.
Saige:
You’re disgusting, you know that?
Wirths:
Look, Ms. Neidert, I guarantee I take no sexual thrill out of this. I’ve been tasked with creating a serum that will turn every human on Earth into a vampire, and the last thing I want is for all of them to be insane. So I’m doing this for the safety of everyone.
Saige:
Don’t try to make yourself sound like a hero! Look around! This is creepy, even for a mad scientist!
Wirths:
You must really hate your other self, don’t you?
Saige:
Huh?
Wirths:
Our intel depicted you as playful. I expected you to make jokes and pretend everything was fine, but you’re terrified, aren’t you? You want nothing more than for your other self to stay locked away.
Saige grinds her teeth.
Saige:
Chagrin tortured me for years. Every mistake, embarrassing moment, and little bad thing that ever happened to me, she’d force me to repeatedly remember and replay in my mind. It was hell… I hated my life, and it took me years to get her under control and lock her away!
Wirths:
Hm… that all sounds similar to what I’m doing right now.
Saige:
Yes… so please don’t let her out… I’m begging you.
A single tear falls from Saige’s eye.
Wirths:
Hm…
Wirths thinks for a moment.
Wirths:
No. I
Saige:
*frustrated grunt*
Wirths:
Now… tell me more.
Inside the recesses of Saige’s mind is a cage with a dark figure standing inside of it. Suddenly, the bars of the cell begin to rust. The figure smiles.
Chagrin:
Oh, Saige…
