I looked at the wall of everyone that's been on our team in the last 10 years. Zephyr was in the centre, crossed out by Cyn’s name. Then everybody else’s names around Cyn’s as if it were a mind map. On the left-hand side we had more recent recruits like Skye, Cairo and Krystal. Then along the right side we had Isabella and “Sleepy Joe”. And then me and Buck, side-by-side. “The Hooded Man” at the end. A lot of other names were crossed out. I’m not sure why everybody else’s names aren’t crossed out because Cairo and Krystal went completely missing, Isabella had left on her own accord and “Sleepy Joe” went all the way to the countryside, just excluding himself from others.
I grabbed a red chalk and crossed everybody’s names out, leaving Skye, Cynthia, myself and “The Hooded Man”. Until I reached Buck.
I COULDN’T cross it out.
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It’s been 3 hours since Cyn left. So much has happened today.
Buck. He’s been my best friend here since the start. We both joined at the same time, fighting alongside Zephyr until Cyn came along.
Then everyone else started coming in too. It’s not like I didn’t like them or anything but it’s rather the fact that everyone who I was originally with is now gone. Out of everyone, I’m the one that's been here the longest now. It’s weird. It doesn’t feel right. I’m by myself. And by the looks of things, it’s just going to be traitor after traitor. First Skye because of how much of a loose cannon she is and her brother seemingly hunting Cyn down, then Josh because he would choose his love for Skye over duty…
And then what about Cynthia..? Will it seriously just be me left..?
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I checked Josh’s vitals again for probably… the billionth time today. I’ve been used to calling him The Hooded Man, but Josh has a… nice ring to it. Like, he’s an actual person rather than an object… as stupid as that sounds. I think Skye was meant to keep his name a secret but she quickly folded and told me his name the moment I asked.
“I’ll be… ok. Right, Hope?” Josh seemed worried.
“Yeah… but you gotta rest a while longer. I think Cyn and Skye can handle the Terrors for now.” I say.
“Skye… where’s Skye..?” He began to look around frantically. He really cares for her, huh. I mean, I wouldn’t recommend having a relationship in the workplace but I guess that’s not my decision to make.
“She’s down at the tech room, but I can get her for you-”
Quickly, he answered “Please.” before I could finish the rest of my sentence.
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I went down to the tech room, until I hear Skye frantically shouting. I rush down the hallway and creep up behind a wall, watching her from behind. She had a D.F.E in hand, and was talking to Cynthia. The screens were bleeding a red light.
“Zephyr is gone, but you gotta get to the Arena now!” Skye had the same tone of voice.
I wondered what was going on?
“Look, Axel has just warned me about this, but he’s going to get into trouble. One of you needs to hide him in the Base. Buck and Zephyr are coming for him because he didn’t stick to their plan.” Cynthia sounded like she was near the Arena, I would recognise that humming noise anywhere.
“What plan?” She asks.
“I don’t have time to explain, ok? He’s at the Delightful Incredible Eatery. I’ll send all of you the location of where the eatery is and you NEED to hide him! And if you have to fight the two then…”
It hung up abruptly.
“I’ll get him.” I added. Skye jumped, she probably didn’t expect me.
“You sure?”
“Yeah, and then you can watch over Josh and the tech room, especially when I don’t understand all those… computer tech stuff.”
Skye seemed hesitant. Almost like she wanted to go. Probably to talk to her brother no doubt as she’d probably let Zephyr find Axel.
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I teleported to the eatery, but it didn’t seem to be very busy. I walked in, stealthily as my eyes flickered from one side of the eatery to the other. The walls looked stained with ash and lights were completely blown. Below me… blood. I couldn’t see anyone. Not even any waiters or chefs. I was the only one there, and the temperature felt so warm.
It was like the Firebrand was used here.
“Hello?” I shout, hoping for some kind of response. All I got was silence, so I explore around for a bit.
My footsteps were loud, echoing. It was hard to hear if anybody was here, until I heard a cough.
My eyes immediately fixated on the location that the cough had emitted from, so I ran over there and went into the kitchen.
“AHHH!”
It was a bloodbath. Bodies were piled, with holes burnt into their hearts. I heard the cough again, then some heavy breathing.
“Hello? Axel?” I say, quietly.
It was coming from the walls. I put my hand on the bricks, only for it to feel like… nothing?
“Axel, if you’re there, cough twice.”
Two coughs.
Curiously, I ask “How are you inside the wall?”
A bloody hand reached out. Suddenly a burst of fear came rushing to me.
“What…what is this?” I walk backwards, nearly tripping on my feet.
The hand went back into the wall. Suddenly, I heard shuffling, like he was moving backwards on something.
I had to be brave.
“Ok, look, just wait there, ok?”
I use my pack and get out my healing kit. Hopefully this might keep him alive.
“I’m coming!”
I kick my way into the wall. It was like… a portal. Stepping forward, I grasped my surroundings. It took me into some kind of… staircase.
“Axel!” I shout, rushing to him. He sat himself into a corner of the staircase, slashes across his body. It wasn’t like everybody else’s deadly injuries, it was like he was left alive on purpose.
It took me around an hour to heal Axel’s injuries and get him back to shape, but there's only so much you can do with “magic” bandages like these.
We had a conversation about what had happened. He told me about everything that Buck and Zephyr was planning, or what he knew they were planning. But he has no idea why he was kept alive.
“T-thank you…” He reached out his hand to me, almost like he wanted me to help him up. A low humming noise was coming down from below, like some kind of machine.
I help Axel up, before I ask:
“What is this place?”
“I… I don’t know.” Axel coughs.
“Are you fit enough to walk?”
He tried to take a step but immediately fell, but I saved him before he would’ve gone down the staircase.
“Ok look, which leg isn’t working properly?”
“Left.”
We had some crutches in the Base, so I told him I could teleport there and teleport back, but…
“Hey, why isn’t it working?”
I pressed frantically on the D.F.E, until it emitted a strange orange colour.
“Crap! Maybe the signal here isn’t good. I’m gonna have to get out of this building.”
He stuck a thumbs up.
I said to him, “But I’ll be back, I promise.”
I try to reach out the wall, to find the opening. I attempted to go through, but I got pushed back, like some kind of horrible gust in a storm, only strong enough to sweep me off my feet.
I try numerous times, but to no avail. But then I had an idea.
“Stay here.” I point to Axel. He nodded.
I rush down the long flight of stairs, until I'm greeted with a metal door. Hesitantly, I twist the doorknob, and open it.
A gigantic hallway had greeted my eyes, and there was only one door to go down to. A blue light was emitting from the windows.
I ran as fast as I could until I reached it, and I opened it carelessly with no hesitation.
It was like… a reactor of some sorts. Sparks of fire were emitting from a small room that would spectate the rest of the lab. Blood was dripping from the ceiling, and photos of all of the Sacred Swords were in a circle, with a beheaded duck in the middle - black goop oozing from its wings.
What did any of this mean?
I notice… in the corner.
All the scientists were… dead.
ns216.73.216.64da2
and then Add to home screen.