The wind blows across the pavement, a small ember slowly passing Dash's frozen form, a fire still ignited next to them.

  Dash turns, his eyes shaky, his hands clenching and unclenching as he tries to grab onto something that isn't there, he doesn't even fully process

  that someone has died, that someone else's blood is on him and that a boy is laying flat lifeless, permanently, right behind him.

  " I did it because he was gonna kill me. I did it because he was gonna kill me. I did it because he was gonna kill me. I did it because he was gonna kill me. "

  His voice cracks, he tries to sob but doesn't, he remembers, freedom. He remembers what Terra does, maybe that's the right path, maybe he's soft.

  The fire goes out.

  He slams his face over and over, landing on his knees, crying, it finally comes out, " I deserve to die. " He grunts out, slowly ripping his blue

  skin off on the pavement as he slowly pulls his fingers across it, a trail of blood at his fingers.

  " I DESERVE TO.. "

  An agent arrives, a hand being placed on his shoulder, " Hey, kid, you okay? "

  He slowly turns, his eyes look like he just saw an entire family get slaughtered right infront of him, " Am i okay..? "

  " There's.. There's a dead child, right there, RIGHT BEHIND ME.. AM I OKAY? AM I, AM I? AM I OKAY? "

  He points at them, " THAT'S MY FAULT, I DID THAT! IT'S.. YOU WHY.. WHY ARE YOU.. " He gets up, " ARE YOU FUCKING STUPID? BLIND? "

  The agent, a middle-aged woman in full R.C.T operational uniform stares at him, Dash breathes heavily, ugly sobbing but furious.

  He slowly comes back to reality. Agent, dead body, confession.

  A u-turn, he runs to the edge of the Dam, the agent lifts her hand but hesitates for a second, as if they stutter physically, " Suspect has been located.. "

  He looks back, vans are parking, agents dropping out in full protective gear, talking in receivers.

  " Terra. Where's Terra.. " He skids to a halt as he makes it to the edge of the pavement, road-work signs in orange being pushed aside, " TERRA!! "

  He screams out to the bottom, " I gotta jump.. I gotta jump. I CAN'T JUMP! " He tries taking steps forward but

  his vision blurs as he tries staring down the terrifying vertical drop down.

  " Wait.. Why am I scared? Why am I acting like I should preserve my life? I've killed someone anyway, I'm evil anyway, I'll go. I'll go down, who cares.. "

  The agents start noticing, people in more specialized clothing appear, he's cornered.

  His scared expression tries to look serious but his sobbing doesn't stop, simply replaced by a determined look.

  he jumps down into the flowing water, screaming in fear as he approaches Terra, noticing Flame-Fist right above him.

  [-/-]

  Terra looks up, Flame-fists fist is a few inches away, he has no time to dodge.

  Flame-Fist drives his fist downward as he was right above Terra, the force of his fall, fist and his Ether all combining into one powerful strike.

  Terra is his directly in the face, he's sent through the sword and breaks it into steel pieces, flinging down the dam at terminal velocity, a shockwave

  shaking the whole structure.

  His smirk is gone, he breathes for air but he has been completely winded due to his spinal compression and force going across his whole body, plus

  the instant energy conversion making all the air leave his mouth.

  The crystals that were about to impale Ruby, break apart.

  He hits the deep water of the Dam after a few seconds, blood pooling at his mouth, `` I can't.. I can't breathe.. ``

  ..

  ...

  `` Terra! Terra! ``

  A black wall of darkness forms above him. A hand slowly reaches out to his face, `` You okay, Terra? I'm always here for you! `` Eyes

  slowly open across the darkness, it seems to be like a fluid, slowly melting onto his face, the hand approaching closer and closer.

  The darkness seems to breathe, it moves, it has mouthes, eyes, it talks, a familiar voice.

  `` I love you Terra! ```` I love you Terra! ```` I love you Terra! ```` I love you Terra! ```` I love you Terra! ```` I love you Terra! ``

  `` I love you Terra! ```` I love you Terra! ```` I love you Terra! ```` I love you Terra! ```` I love you Terra! ```` I— ``

  The indescribable horror disappears, as if it didn't exist, like turning on a light, right as the hand was about to reach him.

  His eyes widen, he is awake again, in the water, he quickly swims up, grabbing onto the side of the Dam's wall, his eyes shake, he laughs,

  grabbing the side of his head and slowly pulling downwards, " HAHAHAHAHA!I'M TERRA UMBRAL! "

  He repeats.

  " I'M TERRA UMBRAL! "

  He repeats, again and again.

  But he can't get it out of his head, the voice, he looks up, " HAHA.. Haha... Dash? " He smirks again, his eyes no longer shaky,

  blood covering his forehead, 3 tear marks across his face.

  " Oh my god, that IDIOT, do I have to do everything for him? I'M NOT YOUR BABYSITTER 'TOAD' "

  Dash screams, a high-pitched streak of terror as he sails past Ruby and Flame-Fist. His blue mushroom cap is plastered to his skull by the wind, looking like a wet balloon.

  "HEEELPPP!!" He flails his arms, hitting the surface with a massive, uncoordinated SMACK that sends a plume of white spray into the air.

  "I got bigger problems, condom-head! Two psychos incoming!" Terra calls out. He looks at Dash struggling to stay afloat, his face contorting into a snicker. "Just... don't breathe the wet stuff! It's bad for you!"

  Above them, Flame-Fist roars, orange sparks trailing from his heels like a comet. He dives, his fist reeled back for a strike that could shatter a tank. Terra draws a sharp breath and plunges beneath the surface.

  Flame-Fist’s fist hits the water with the force of an explosion, but the liquid drag catches the momentum. The glowing knuckles stop a mere inch from Terra’s nose, the heat boiling the water into a cloud of bubbles.

  "PHYSICS!" Terra mutes the shout underwater, his eyes wide with delight as he watches the punch fail. He doesn't wait for a second attempt. He kicks off, moving through the current with the sleek, terrifying speed of a shark.

  He leaps from the water, landing on the middle walkway. He stands up, his ragged clothing heavy and dripping, and begins to shake his head violently from side to side like a wet labrador. Water sprays everywhere, but he remains soaked.

  Terra stops, looking down at his still-dripping sleeves with a frown. "Man... I swear I've seen that work before."

  Dash grabs onto the ledge of the water, having barely made it alive. His cap drips, soaking wet, almost like a sponge. " SWARM.. " He coughs, " Open.. "

  The wasps and bees latch onto Dash, lifting his small, tired form onto the walkway

  Ruby slowly approaches, " Well well well! A pawn! " She smirks, her shadow covering Dash's face, pointing

  downwards at her while assuming a confident pose.

  He looks up, his eyes red at the corners, " I'm not a pawn.. " He gets up, stumbling back, regaining composure.

  " I'm.. I'm.. " He looks around, his self-worth blurred, muted by the noise of his guilt, " I'm not sure. "

  Ruby pauses, " I see, speechless in my presence huh? MUHAHAHA! Just hand yourself over and i'll MAYBE not eat that

  tasty flesh of yours.. No promises. " She drools, her hands reaching out. But she slaps herself, keeping composure.

  Dash gets up, swaying from side to side for a moment as he tries to regain footing. After a moment, he sprints towards Terra, " HEY! " Ruby yells, running after him. The drop off the side of the dam is even worse than the one on top, because there's no water at the bottom. Just forest. At least 20 meters down. No cushioning.

  Flame-Fist stands in front of Terra, " You're cornered. Terra. Backup has arrived, agents are everywhere, justice will be served in the name of the R.C.T. "

  " I'm cornered? HAH, HILARIOUS! Dumber than ya' look y'know. I'm umbral, i'll get out of here EASY-PEASY LEMON-SQUEEZY— "

  Terra is punched by Flame-Fist, then a jab to his already broken nose, a gut, then a kick.

  He lands on his back, breathless, " God.. You're an asshole y'know that right? Beating up a defenseless, innocent man? " He smirks.

  He looks around desperately, he can't keep up his act for long, " Knock-Knock. "

  " I'm not gonna play your rogue games. " Flame-Fist takes out power-dampening cuffs, Ether visibly disappearing around them.

  He frowns, " Buzzkill. You were supposed to say who's there, and i was supposed to say- "

  His hand was holding a smoke-grenade? Flame-Fist quickly looks at his holster, it's gone.

  Terra runs past flame-fist, pushing him off the bridge. Terra frantically sprints, nearly stumbling as a spear

  whirs past his head. Dash finally catches up, following behind, " TERRA! "

  He turns, glancing at Dash for a split second, " What a happy reunion, huh? SHUT the fuck up. "

  Dash sways to the side, nearly falling off the edge as Ruby flies past him on a rocket, " GIVE UP, LITTLE

  PEASANT! " She yells, swerving the rocket projectile sideways.

  Terra isn't thinking, because right now his top priority is getting out of here as soon as possible. And the noise in his head is extra thick now, the mask is cracking.

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  They make it, a door, the end of the bridge, in the wall of the Dam. Terra kicks it open, running in. Dash leaps forward as Ruby approaches

  behind him, " DOOR! " He yells, Terra closing the door just as he flew past.

  A loud thud, and metal screeching follows after. And the sound of groaning.

  Dash quickly gets up breathless, Terra already walking. Both of them exchange glances, Dash's eyes distraught, Terra's pupils pinpricks.

  They walk through the hallway, making it to an industrial water power-plant under the dam, both silent. They keep walking, the floor now a copper bridge connected to hundreds of other bridges, the bottom just a dark abyss downwards and the top barely illuminated by flood lights a hundred meters up.

  Dash tries to say something, anything, questions boil up in his head, his mouth trembling. " Terra? "

  " Yeah? " He picks his teeth.

  " Do you ever.. Regret anything? "

  " Nope. " He states, smirking.

  " I mean like, killing y'know? Not even a little? " He chuckles softly, rubbing the backside of his head, his eyes wandering down.

  " Blah blah blah.. " He says, still not turning to confront Dash directly.

  " Okay.. It's just that i killed a teenager up there, and he looked just like me, i saw it, he was an agent but.. "

  The humming of the turbines was a low, vibrating growl that rattled Dash's teeth. It sounded like the dam itself was breathing—heavy and mechanical.

  Mist from the massive cooling pipes clung to his scarf, making the blood on his face feel cold and sticky again.

  Dash looked at Terra’s back. The ragged red cloak flapped in the wind, fluids covering it.

  "Is it because you're used to it?" Dash whispered, his voice barely heard over the roar of the water below.

  "The... the math of it? One life for another? Is that how you stay so... You?"

  Terra stopped.

  The silence that followed wasn't peaceful.

  It was the kind of silence that happens right before a lightning strike.

  He didn't turn around, but Dash saw his hands clench into white-knuckled fists.

  "You want me to tell you it gets easier?" Terra’s voice was different. The manic energy, the 'Piece-o-cake' confidence—it was gone. His voice was flat.

  "You want me to tell you that eventually, you stop seeing their faces when you close your eyes?"

  "That there's a happy ending? That you'll say sorry and it'll all go away? " He turns, a face of disappointment.

  Dash flinched. "I just—"

  " Grow up. People die. Edgy or not you'll have to realize and you'll have to move on. " He jabs a finger into Dash's chest.

  He stares for a few seconds, " That really was Edgy though."

  [-/-]

  R.C.T. H.Q 3, Base " Gun-Flower". D.C. Entrance.

  The headquarters is bustling with people. Some float around, others move at super speed. Most are walking normally, or in groups. Some with their coworkers and others alone.

  The receptionist pushes a pen over, laying on the counter, their office clothing is slouched down and their bra and shirt are slightly visible,the manager passes by and writes something down in their notebook.

  A boy walks to the table, covered in green clothing, a yellow scarf and cardboard claws, confident golden eyes, " Hello, sir? "

  The receptionist looks up, their eyes tired, " Yes..? " She groans, getting up from his slouched position and leaning lazily forwards on his elbows, " If you're here

  for the EOAT, then i regret to inform you that all the spots have been filled up. " they say in a lazy voice.

  " Well, it seems you're not familiar.. My name is, the lucky hero: Chance! "

  The receptionist stares for a few seconds, making a popping sound, then goes back to rolling pens on the table, " Complaints over there. ",

  they point at a trashcan.

  " No no, look, I have powers! I can like.. Punch, and then a dice appears! When it rolls on a number, my punch gets stronger and stuff! "

  A man walks by, stopping having overheard this, he walks over towering the rest of the crowd, patting the boys shoulders,

  his metal hand clanging against Chance's shoulder, " You kiddin', kid? ", Chance glances back, a smile of innocence, " Nope! "

  The man laughs, like a truck engine starting up, rubbing his silver grown out beard, " Honest, i like it! "

  The receptionist straightens up, " Tornguard! What brings you, uhm, here! ", she slowly adjusts the pen back into the holder, a quick glance over to it.

  " What's it mean to you intern? New orders, sundock isn't very busy, D.C is Bring this boy his place will you? "

  He walks off, clicking the elevator button. The door opens and 2 people stand inside freezing once they see him.

  Others hesitate to enter, " I'll just use the stairs.. " One in the crowd says.

  R.C.T. H.Q 3, Base " Gun-Flower". D.C. Floor 8, Office Branch 4.

  The office sector smells of coffee, dead dreams and electronics. The clicking of keyboards and unenthusiastic chattering is audible,

  each person assigned to their own boring job of censoring things. Some simply stand in the lounge space, complaining about

  salaries and work.

  A worker leans onto the table, " Guess what. "

  The second worker looks over, brewing a coffee on the marble table, looking at his newly bandaged finger, " Yeah? "

  He slowly leans in, " I saw Courtney today.. "

  A few workers in proximity turn, chattering, a few walk forward and start asking questions, " Are her boobs really that big..? " " Is she real? "

  " Did she give you her number? Can I see? " " Did she say anything? "

  But, a few steps away, an office worker sits in his cubical, 2 " Employee of the Year " badges hung up on the walls, he take a sip of his coffee as he writes a few lines on his computer while staring at a new report.

  `` 87 killed at 3 P.M, Washington Highway, reports say the suspect is the criminal at large, ' Terra Umbral '. ``

  He puts his coffee back on the table with a thud, a woman jumps up over the wall of the cubical, " Kenny! Kenny! Did ya' see the report? Umbral just killed

  all those people! " She hops to be able to look over, Kenneth looks up, " Yep. Paperwork for days. " He sighs.

  " Well, it could be worse! " A man walks past him, " Yeah yeah, you always say that Richard, but your haircut couldn't be! " The whole office erupts in

  laughter.

  " This Terra guy seems pretty scary, y'know. "

  Kenneth scoffs, " Just another edgy one. He'll be gone by Monday, Penny. "

  Penny stops hopping, her voice cutting through the cubicle wall, " Wanna bet on it? "

  " 100$. " Kenneth smirks.

  " 120. " Penny giggles.

  He shakes his head, " Just get back to working.. " A tired chuckle comes out as he turns back to the document, his gaze lingering a little too long

  on the 87. " Can we make it 60? "

  R.C.T. H.Q 3, Base " Gun-Flower". D.C. Floor 20, Science Branch 5.

  E sits on a couch, his legs to his stomach. He stares at a large television, multiple scientists talking and writing on a board behind him.

  He slowly leans forward as he now pauses, a still-image of Terra in the water from drone-footage, a small tree-branch covering

  the footage in the corner, " He stopped moving for exactly 2.54 seconds underwater, and seemed to then suddenly start screaming.

  This makes it obvious that he is currently in a less-than optimal mental state. He will be desperate. "

  He drops the remote, looking at the table, " Terra Umbral. If i were him, where would i go... " He bites on his thumb-nail, a piece coming off, " Logically,

  he would attempt to find an optimal escape route that would place him in minimal danger. We see him enter the power-station inside the dam after tricking

  flame-fist, the sporeborn we assume is called " Dash ", follows behind, entering with him. From here my drone could not enter further. "

  He slowly gets up, his neck slightly slouched forward, his baggy eyes stare off into the distance, the clear glass windows of the skyscraper

  show the shore of D.C, " I need a visual of every beach in washington D.C close to the Dam's pipes and exits. "

  " But at the same time, he could have multiple routes, his path is undetermined and currently as i saw on the footage

  his mental state has deteriorated further from dissociation to pure psychosis... He will have to pick an unoptimal path to the beach but there is no true specific path he can think of in his state.. " He continues

  thinking even though he knows he must've solved it, scientists quickly bringing up monitors and live feed, some still on the board.

  " In the back of my head lately, i've been doubting.. What is the R.C.T doing? Blightborn attacks are being less and

  less prioritized, their focus shifting to killing " Rogues ". But their practices are corrupt. I've seen it.. " He looks around for

  anyone who may have heard him, " Something big is happening. I can't deduce that is but it has to do with the new generation. "

  " A new world.. " He scratches his head, biting his thumbnail, " Too many moving variables, unrelated, i'll push it aside.

  R.C.T. H.Q 3, Base " Gun-Flower". D.C. Floor 12, Operational Lockers.

  Paul leans onto the locker door, putting on his gloves as Carter is putting on his uniform, " You ever wonder what it's like? "

  Carter glances to the side, " Not putting up with your bullshit today Carter, what's it this time? Specialized? "

  He chuckles, it fades into a cough, " No. I mean like.. As a rogue? "

  A few Agents stop talking, exchanging glances.

  Carter grabs Paul's mouth, " You've lost it dude, Rogues? Are you drunk? Have you been DRINKING on the job? What if tornguard

  figures-- "

  " No no, serious question, I mean we've been killing them but we haven't ever really like.. Asked why? "

  Carter is about to counter-argue, but then he pauses, " Yeah, weird huh? But still, i wonder.. " Paul rubs his chin.

  " Okay but, Rogues are evil.. ", " Says who? ", " Everyone, the media, it's gotta be true right? "

  Paul shakes his head, " Just.. Put your clothes on. Unless the media told you not to, gotta be true, right? " He snickers, punching

  Carter lightly on the shoulder.

  " Whatever man, you're definitely drunk. " He snickers.

  R.C.T. H.Q 3, Base " Gun-Flower". D.C. Floor 2, Bathroom.

  She walks out of the bathroom, adjusting her clothes back into place, " That was nice~.. " She pockets the phone of

  the agent, who lays in the bathroom with their pants pulled down, panting and dazed, unaware.

  " But I'll have to go now, sorry! " She blows a kiss with her back slightly bent to the Agent, her tail waving goodbye as she walks off.

  She approaches the elevator with a sway to her hips, 2 men stand on each side as the door slowly slides open, she doesn't even look up at them.

  The two men look at each other, smirking, one takes a little step forward " Hey are you, Courtney? Like, Courtney Rose? "

  She slowly glances back, her eyes predatory, " In the flesh. ", she looks them up and down, " I assume you two are going to be operational, correct? "

  They nod quickly, one whispers to the other, the other breathes in as if getting ready for something, " Could we get your.. Contact? "

  She smiles, her demeanor and expression suddenly kind and patient, " My, My~.. Daring boys aren't you two? " She opens her eyes, half lidded, her hand lifts forward in front

  of them both, " Write it down for me will you? "

  Both look through their pockets frantically, one takes out a paper and the other a chewed up pen, they quickly

  write their numbers down as the elevator reaches the floor `` Floor 12`` the speakers of the elevator announce.

  She grabs the paper lightly, " Call us! " They say as they stride out with confidence, Courtney smiles once more,

  glancing at Kenneth, who stood at the end of the locker-hallway, waving slowly.

  As the elevator door closes, she crumples the paper, her eyes suddenly serious with a hint of anticipation, her friendly smile

  now stern.

  `` Floor 24 ``, the elevator dings, she walks over the helicopter pad and onto the edge of the Roof, " The Crimson.. " She takes

  out the phone, going through the notes and files, she opens the R.C.T maps app and writes Terra Umbral, the app auto-

  matically allows access.

  She looks up to the city skyline, smiling, " He'll be fun.. " She purrs at the thought, her tail swaying around.

  " Just you wait for me, Umbral, I'll make you a little lap-dog.. "

  The wind howls up here, whipping her hair around. Courtney taps the screen of the stolen phone, tracking the GPS signal of the R.C.T

  vans that are currently swarming the Dam.

  " Too slow.. " She pouts, looking at the dots moving like sluggish beetles on the map.

  She walks over to a sleek, black specialized helicopter—an 'Operational V-4 Osprey'. The pilot is currently doing a pre-flight check, holding a clipboard.

  " Heya, handsome! " She shouts over the rotor noise.

  The pilot turns, confused. " Ma'am? This is a restricted vehicle, specialized for Squad 7 extraction, you can't be— "

  Courtney is already inside the cockpit, leaning over the console. She grabs the pilot's headset off the dashboard and puts it on, one ear left uncovered.

  " Squad 7 can walk! " She winks, her tail flicking behind her, brushing against the pilot's leg.

  Before the pilot can protest, she kicks him in the chest—not hard enough to kill, just enough to send him tumbling out onto the tarmac. She slams the door shut.

  " Sorry! Duty calls! "

  She flips a few switches with practiced ease. The rotors scream as they spin up to maximum RPM. The helicopter lurches into the air,

  banking sharply towards the north.

  " Now.. " She looks at the tracker again, her smile widens as she stares at the red pulsing dot in the middle of the dam. " Let's go play fetch. "

  Everyone at once, take their steps forward, a step, the first step.

  The first step to an uncertain future, a lustful future, a saddened future and a dangerous future.

  [-/-]

  The candle's flame burns bright, the tip has started to melt.