A glowing green rat scurries past Dash, Dash flinches and takes a step to guard-rail, " RAT! "

  Terra steps on it, green fluid explodes out in every direction. Dash stares at the stain on his pants

  for a second too long..

  `` " I DESERVE TO.. " ``

  He clutches his head, trying to forget, trying to move on just as Terra said. He stares inbetween the holes of the walkway down to the abyss below, " Terra..? "

  Terra stops as they get to a metal grated platform cross section, " Tewwuh! " He says in a mocking tone, " Tewwa Tewwa Tewwa! Oh my god shut the fuck up. "

  He turns quickly to the side, Dash's finger already pointing shakingly. The dim lights that covered the walls were no longer a dull yellow, but now red.

  Alarms started blasting from every direction, the entire complex of the power-station illuminating one set of lights at a time, a loud

  sound reverberating after each light is turned on.

  " Huh. I expected something less.. Y'know, cliche? The red lights, alarm noise..- "

  " Terra uhm! I think we should be running right about now?? " Dash picks up the pace, walking past Terra, " Running where, huh? I'm talking, Shroom. "

  Dash looks around frantically, " Out.. Out.. OUT! " He sees a metal door covered in stickers, graffiti and worn yellow tape, words faintly written on

  it being read as ' Co__rol _oom ``, " TERRA COME I FOUND A HIDING SPOT! ", He quickly points at the door.

  Terra turns, his eyes narrowing, noticing the door. " Guess you're not dead-weight after all. " He starts marching over, a smirk slowly

  spreading across his face, Dash's eyes seemed to widen in glee, " You-- You mean it?! "

  " Yeah, you're not dead-weight.. You're as useful as the water that builds up on the bottom of a trashcan after it rains! " He rubs his nose and

  snickers.

  Dash frowns, his shoulders slumping. " I'll... take that as a compliment? " He pushes the door handle down, but it's locked. " It's jammed! "

  " Jammed? " Terra scoffs, nudging Dash aside with his hip. " With my impressive mental computational power of 1000 iq, i can easily

  get through problems like this, so watch and learn. Shroom. "

  Terra lifts his leg and slams the heel of his boot into the lock mechanism. The metal screeches, sparks flying as the door bursts open,

  hitting the wall inside with a deafening CLANG.

  " Honey, I'm home! " Terra yells into the room, stepping over the ruined frame.

  Inside, the Control Room is a relic of the past. Monitors the size of microwaves line the walls, most of them smashed or displaying static. The air smells of stale coffee and ozone.

  A single, rotary fan spins lazily on the ceiling, casting moving shadows over a desk cluttered with blueprints and half-eaten donuts that look fossilized, stale jam stuck onto

  the worn wooden desk.

  Dash scrambles in, immediately trying to push the heavy metal door back into place, but the lock is decimated. He resorts to leaning his back against it, panting.

  " Okay... Okay. We're in. Maybe there's a back exit? Or a map? "

  Terra ignores him, walking straight to the main console. He spins the swivel chair around and plops down, putting his feet up on the dashboard. " Ooooh, buttons! "

  " Don't touch anything! " Dash shrieks, pushing himself off the door. " This is a power plant! You could blow something up! "

  Terra’s finger hovers over a big red button labeled 'EMERGENCY SHUTOFF - SECTOR 4'. He looks at Dash, grinning mischievously. " You say 'blow up' like it's a bad thing. "

  " Terra, please! We need to hide! What if an even more dangerous agent comes! " HHis yell choked into a harsh whisper, trying not to alert anyone of their location.

  " Hide? Hiding is for people who owe money. I owe money but I'm a celebrity! There's a difference. " Terra leans forward, spotting a microphone on a flexible stand. He taps it. Thump. Thump.

  Crackle. The sound booms through the room's speakers—and based on the echo, through the entire facility.

  Dash’s face goes pale green. " No. Don't you dare.. "

  Terra presses the 'TALK' button, slowly glancing over to Dash and smiling.

  " Ahem. Attention all R.C.T. flesh-bags and minimum-wage security guards! "

  " ..And sporeborns that have pissed themselves! "

  Dash's face turns red, " TERRA! "

  Terra lets go of the button for a second to let Dash scream, waiting a second before pressing the button again and leaning back in.

  He gets closer to the receiver, " This is your great, handsome captain speaking. I am requesting all larpers for this one- I'd like a glass of water, bring it to.. "

  Terra looks over to a faded plate next to the door Dash is hyperventilating on, " Control Room 2G! Chop-chop! "

  Terra looks up. Directly above the console, a rusted metal plate reads: [ SECTOR 4-A: MAIN CONTROL ].

  He grins, his eyes narrowing with calculation.

  " ...Control Room 2-C! The one by the North turbines! Chop-chop! "

  He clicks the mic off and spins the chair around, lacing his fingers behind his head.

  Dash slides down the wall, clutching his hair. " You... you just told them where we are. You just invited the entire R.C.T. to dinner. "

  " Did I? " Terra points a thumb at the sign above the console. " Read the sign, illiterate. "

  Dash squints. " Sector 4-A... " He pauses. His eyes go wide. " Wait. You said 2-C. "

  " 2-C is on the complete opposite side of the facility. It's an echo-chamber of metal bridges that lead nowhere. " Terra taps his temple. " Right now, every single squad is sprinting away from us to

  intercept a ghost. That clears the East Hallway for exactly... " He glances at the fossilized donut, sticking his finger in the jam and smelling it. " ...Three minutes before they realize I lied. " He licks

  it off his finger, " That's horrid. " He points at the donut.

  Dash stares at him, baffled. " You... you actually have a plan? "

  " I always have a plan. It's just usually 'Kill everyone'. Today I'm feeling quirky. "

  He kicks off the dashboard, the chair creaking in agony as it rolls to the other side of the room. Terra stands up from the chair,

  walking over to the grime-covered dusty observation window that acts as the back of the room, rubbing his hand in a circle on

  the glass.

  " Besides.. By the time they've figured it out, we won't be here. "

  Dash walks over next to Terra, looking through the clean spot. His breath hitches.

  It isn't just a factory.

  Below them lies `` Ground One. ``

  It is a subterranean city of industry buried deep beneath Washington D.C., a mechanical purgatory connecting the Dam to the earth's crust. Endless

  miles of conveyor belts, blast furnaces, machinery, and glowing rivers of molten slag stretch out into the darkness.

  It is so large that clouds of steam form their own weather system near the ceiling, the floor of the city so far down that the lights

  are faint dots in the distance.

  " Whoa... " Dash whispers, gripping the railing. " We're under D.C.? "

  " We're in the belly of the beast, Shroom. " Terra smirks, his red eyes reflecting the fires of the furnaces below.

  He taps the glass.

  " And the only way out... is down. "

  Ether flows from Terra's hand, glowing a menacing crimson. He reels his fist back, " What goes up.. "

  He grabs Dash with a free hand, his left foot planting behind him as he gets ready to jump, " Huh? "

  Dash looks down at his shirt, Terra's hand is holding it, " WAIT-! "

  " Must come down! " His fist snaps forward, arcs of Ether touching the glass similar to lightning, creating flat shockwaves

  on it. His fist breaks through the glass with ease, shards being sent flying due to the wind-force of this

  punch.

  Terra jumps off, dragging Dash with him, " SKYDIVING! " He yells, adjusting his pose mid-air to

  nose-dive face first.

  " AHHH! " Dash yells in fear as he starts falling, swinging his arms around desperately to grab onto something, his

  face cartoonishly catching the wind causing it to stretch, spit flying out of his mouth in drops, " HEEELPPP!! "

  " Dramatic-much? " Terra chuckles, spinning around mid-air, " Alright Shroom, we're gonna need to land.. I don't have

  a plan for this one, so! " He grins, casually rubbing his chin in a statue-like pose as he reaches terminal velocity.

  Dash slowly turns to Terra, his eyes barely able to keep open, " WHAAATT?? "

  The ground approaches rapidly, Terra's eyes widen as he looks down, they're about to hit a furnace head-on. " Not good. " He shakes his head,

  " YEAH, YOU THINK? " Dash yells over the roar of the wind passing by them.

  [-/-]

  The sun shines on the field, grass swaying peacefully to the current of the wind.

  A rabbit crawls out from behind a tree, looking around. It's ears shoot up as a twig breaks, it's eyes

  quickly scanning the area.

  " Gotcha! " The boy swings his hand at the rabbit, his student uniform blowing in the wind, arms forming on the ground from where he stood,

  eventually reaching the rabbit, grabbing it, " Ha! "

  It squeals and kicks, scratching the hand. The boy winces, his own hand getting slightly bruised at the same time, albeit

  not as much as the one holding the rabbit, " Easy there, I'm not gonna eat you! Maybe. "

  A girl follows behind, " Uh.. Hiro, are you sure about this? You said they wouldn't notice- "

  " If we skip the training, yeah! They won't, trust me. Heh. " A toothy smirk, pointing at himself with his thumb, a glint in his smirk

  That seemed confident enough.

  The girl fidgets with her fingers, " O-Okay.. If you say so. " She follows with, they both walk off, " Did you see the rabbit

  though? I'm so cool with my ability.. " He laughs, she laughs with him. She doesn't really find it funny but,

  wants to fit in, just as he did.

  " You think you're cool Hiro? Really? As if I'm not even here.. " He leans on the tree, wings on his back.

  " Yes, i am, Denis. All you do is fly around and shoot your little glowing feathers, wouldn't

  hurt a fly! " Hiro makes girly noises and mimics throwing.

  Denis's eye physically twitches, " You wanna bet? " A feather slowly

  forms at his hand, glowing with Ether, his wings slowly flapping forwards.

  " Yeah, I wanna bet! " Hiro crosses his arms, a larger arm forming next to him, the middle finger

  now extending.

  Denis charges forward, throwing his feather at Hiro. It moves unnaturally fast, piercing

  through the wind, " TAKE THIS! "

  Hiro swings a punch towards Denis, the arm follows right after.

  " W-Wait! " Polly screams as they reach out to attack each other, about to run in between.

  Both attacks suddenly stop, as if suspended in the air, the feather floating harmlessly and the arm completely frozen.

  Denis's eyes widened, " Tch. " Hiro sighs.

  Polly's hands glow, her arms shaking and buckling. Visibly the floating objects create shockwaves

  while in stasis, as if she is trying to dissipate the velocity but the kinetic energy is pushing against the Ether.

  She lets go, landing on her knees. Her eyes are blood-shot.

  The giant earthen arm crumbles into a pile of loose soil, dusting Polly's uniform. The feather, released from stasis, shoots forward with renewed velocity—but without a target,

  it buries itself deep into the bark of the tree behind where Hiro was standing, sizzling as the Ether dissipates.

  Hiro stumbles back, his arrogance evaporating instantly. " P-Polly?! " He scrambles over, dropping to his knees beside her. " Are you crazy? You could've gotten squashed! "

  Denis lands softly, his wings folding behind his back with a sharp snap. He adjusts his collar, looking down at Polly with annoyance but a slither of respect.

  " She didn't get squashed, " Denis mutters, kicking the pile of dirt that used to be Hiro's attack. " She stopped us. Both of us. At the same time. "

  Polly gasps for air, clutching her chest. " I just... " She coughs, wiping a tear from her bloodshot eye. " I didn't want you guys to... get in trouble. "

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  " Get in trouble? " Hiro scoffs, though his voice is shaky. He looks at his trembling hand, then at the tree with the smoking hole in it. " We were just... practicing. "

  " Is that what we're calling it? "

  A voice cuts through the field, sharp and cold.

  The three students freeze. The wind through the sunflowers seems to stop.

  Walking out from the tall stalks is a tall woman with silver hair tied into a strict bun, holding a clipboard. She taps a pen against her arm.

  Her uniform is pristine, decorated with a badge that reads: Grade 0

  " Skipping mandatory conditioning. Unauthorized sparring. Use of lethal force on school grounds. Really you two? " She sighs, a vein visibly pulsing on her forehead.

  She adjusts her glasses and stares at the two " If you two skip classes one more time, i swear to god.. "

  Hiro turns over, " HE started it first! " He points to Denis

  Denis's expression shows even more annoyance, " You idiot, you started it. I just commented on your ego. " He glances over to the woman.

  " You don't believe this edgelord do you, Etty? Come on. It's how we're talking about here, I'd never start a fight! But i'll pick one up that's for sure- "

  Etty stares at Hiro, her eyes narrow, annoyed. " Just.. Go back to Catalyst High. The catalyst games are happening

  and you'll have to participate in teams. If New-Jersey doesn't win, Principle Archer will KILL me. "

  [-/-]

  The students stand together on a large field. Some wear the Catalyst High student uniforms, others

  just wear whatever they please. A boy with a head-band and haori stands on the stage, the grade 1

  symbol on their badge. Around the stage stands multiple people in uniforms, presumably

  principles from different catalyst high schools.

  The boy walks up to the microphone, adjust his headband and tapping the top of the microphone,

  the feedback ringing across the crowd, " Testing, testing... " He coughs.

  He smiles, a confident look as he watches students look up at the stage, some just having arrived" Today, i, Kyoshin Ze-ji represent the Catalyst-High America and Asia division.

  I'd like to welcome students from across America and Asia to the annual Catalyst-Games! "

  The crowd cheers, clapping and whistling heard from across the field.

  Hiro looks out from the window of the train, his face pressed against the glass, oxygen building up on the window, he rubs it off with his wrist. " Whoa..

  Are we really in Washington Catalyst-High? "

  Denis stands on the seat parallel to him, " You look stupid. You're ruining our reputation-- Actually, I don't even know you. " He looks away,

  sweating as other students sat in the train with them from the same class.

  " THIS GUY KNOWS ME! " Hiro screams, pointing at Denis, pulling a face at him. A few students turn to look, a few giggling, others talking

  to each other about the two.

  Denis grabs Hiro's collar, " SHUT THE FUCK UP! " He yells at him, " HUH? YOU WANNA REPEAT THAT EDGELORD? " Hiro's eyes blaze in fury as he grabs Denis back, they both

  reel their fists back to punch each other.

  ' Approaching; D.C Link-Station. Remember to mind the gap. ' The speaker scratches as the recording ends, students rush out and pile at the doors.

  They both pause, looking over at the speaker, " Huh.. Already? " Hiro blinks, letting go, followed by Denis dusting off his uniform, then

  punching Hiro in the gut as he follows the rest of the students out of the train

  Hiro grabs his chest and gasps for air, " I'LL KILL YOU!! " He scrambles off the seat, stumbling over the table and falling

  face-first-- But he stops right above the floor, Polly stands behind him with her arm to her chest and right arm slightly bent outwards, her ability putting him in statis, " C-Careful.. "

  She mutters, her hand shaking.

  Hiro turns, a toothy smile, " Thanks! " He quickly regains footing as the stasis wares off, " Don't worry Polls, the great Hiro is never in danger! " He smirks, a thumb

  pointing at himself, " Don't push yourself though, don't forget we're gonna be fighting in the games! "

  She nods, " Y.. Yeah! " She smiles, following behind Hiro as they walk out of the train.

  The sun beams onto Hiro's face, he lifts his hand to hide the sun, " Really bright outside, but that means this is our day, because it's a sunny brand new day! "

  Denis is adjusting his outfit, he looks back at Hiro, " That idiot.. Does he really think everything is that simple? That the catalyst game is just about it being someone's day? " He sighs, picking up the pace again, turning to walk down the stairs to the exit, " Look how ` His Day ` how that went for him last year's Catalyst Games.. "

  Polly anxiously looks at the massive crowd of students in the distance, standing next to the glass wall at the station's top, people

  walking down the stairs next to her. She hears every step, every mumble and laugh, the talking echoing in her ears.

  " Hey, polls, you alright? " Hiro pokes the backside of Polly's head, she turns, surprised, " I'm fine! " She squeaks out.

  " You don't seem fine. You've been spacing out a lot lately. " They both walk down the stairs, Polly looking down at her hands and fidgeting, " N-No really, i'm

  fine.. But I've just got a really bad feeling, y'know? " She glances over, a comfort-seeking but also worried face.

  " Uh-huh, I get it.. I mean that big crowd can be scary y'know, but- "

  " No-no, it's not the crowd.. It's.. Just.. " She looks up, " It's just a feeling, okay? "

  Hiro snickers, " Whatever. Ms `` Feeling `` "

  " Hey! It's not funny.. " She pouts, Hiro laughs and pats her back.

  [-/-]

  In the crowd he stands, his black, unkept obviously cut long hair swaying in the wind, a single headband at the top holding together

  the hair.

  His eyes look around the crowd, scanning at an alarming pace. A few stare at their phones, live feed of a dam playing on it. Some mutter

  things about the R.C.T and Rogues, others joke about Terra Umbral or converse about the syndicate, most talking to each other

  about the games and laughing.

  " Catalyst scum.. Slaughtering people with their powers without a second thought, corrupt to the core, only hell-bent on killing other Catalysts. "

  His haori's black and white style stand out but not much, a golden hue around the edges of the sleeves and bottom, it's

  ripped up at the sleeves and has slight hints of blood, his eyes only closed further and seemed more annoyed as he stared at the

  people around him.

  Purple energy flowed around his hands, " Parasites. Dirty, Ether using shit-eating apes that leech off our resources. ", the Energy was not

  Ether, it was completely different, Blight.

  His hood hid most of his face, a visible scar across his eye, a cross shape, the hood flowing gracefully.

  " But, patience is a virtue they say. And in a world like this.. It's a power. " He smiles, not mischievously or with intent, just an unsettling smile.

  He looks up at the stage, " Revolution doesn't start with a bang, but with a lighter and a fuse. "

  [-/-]

  The trio stands in the crowd, Hiro's arms confidently resting on his sides, Denis sighing as he's forced to be sandwiched between 2 other students, Polly

  is overwhelmed by noise.

  " Hey, is that team 12? " A cocky voice booms from nearby, Hiro turns first with an annoyed expression.

  Denis clicks his tongue, " Hiro, don't. " He squeezes out of the sandwich, pushing Hiro aside and peering through the shoulders and heads.

  A student in a white attire is seen walking through the crowd, he has a silver ring and is obviously wearing distinct clothing than

  the rest of the students which all still have oddly unique attires.

  He confidently strides over to the 3, a smirk spreading across his face, " Bottom-feeders central, huh? " He scoffs,

  looking Denis up and down, glancing at Polly.

  Hiro's hand slowly clenches into a fist, his eyes twitch, " River. " He takes a little step forward, " What, you here

  to talk about your fuckass money? " Hiro flips River off.

  River's green eyes cut through his soul, he chuckles sarcastically, " Feisty. "

  " What do you want. " Denis stares at him directly, being level to him in terms of height.

  River's smirk becomes a grin, " Oh nothing.. Just some tips. " His eyelids slowly close.

  " Quit while you worthless shit-bags still can. " The air goes stale.

  " You wouldn't wanna hurt yourself, right? I mean, your team is a crazy stereotypical main character, the shy weak girl

  that can't even use her catalyst ability without shitting herself, and the edgy bitch. (You by the way)!" His finger jabs into Denis's chest.

  He then walks past Denis and purposefully hits his shoulder, not even glancing back.

  Denis stands there, dusting off his shoulder where River bumped him. His face is blank, but his knuckles are white.

  " I'M GONNA TURN HIM INTO A PUDDLE! " Hiro roars, lunging forward.

  Denis’s arm shoots out, acting like a steel bar across Hiro’s chest. " Stop. "

  " STOP?! DID YOU HEAR HIM?! HE CALLED POLLY A- " Hiro thrashes against the arm, veins popping in his neck.

  " I said stop. " Denis’s voice drops an octave. It isn’t a request. " If you fight him here, we get disqualified. That’s exactly what he wants, you idiot. "

  Hiro stops struggling, breathing heavily through his nose. He turns to Polly. She is staring at the ground, clutching the hem of her skirt, trembling.

  " Hey... Polls. " Hiro softens his voice, awkwardly patting her head. " Don't listen to that gel-haired freak. You're strong! You stopped us earlier, remember? "

  Polly forces a weak smile, but it doesn't reach her eyes. " Yeah... Thanks, Hiro. "

  She knows he's lying. Denis knows he's lying.

  River continues his stride through the crowd, people parting for him like the red sea, either out of respect or fear of his status. He checks his nails, bored.

  He turns a corner near a large structural pillar of the stadium—and slams shoulder-first into a figure standing still in the walkway.

  River stumbles back, his expensive white attire getting a smudge of dirt. " Watch where you're going, hobo! " He snaps,

  brushing off the dirt with disgust. " God, they let anyone in here... "

  The figure—the man in the black and white Haori—doesn't move. He doesn't apologize. He doesn't even look at River.

  His eye darts to River, his eyes darkened as he notices the 'Grade 1' Symbol stuck onto his attire.

  River's annoyed look slowly fades as the man keeps staring, " H-Hey.. You high or something? Hello? "—

  The man stands next to River, his hand brushing against his shoulder as he walks, " Be polite. "

  River's entire body goes stiff— He hasn't registered the movement yet, `` The HELL? When did he move.. He.. He was there

  just a second ago. Ether-step? No, I sensed nothing when he appeared next to me.. ``

  His eyes dart to the side, his pupils contract.

  An eye has grown on his shoulder.

  The eye isn't just a drawing or a tattoo. It is wet. It is living. It rolls in its socket, the pupil dilating as it stares directly into River’s

  peripheral vision, blinking with a squelching sound.

  River stifles a scream, his composure shattering instantly. He frantically slaps his hand over his shoulder,

  expecting to feel the slime of a cornea, but his hand hits only fabric.

  He pulls his hand away. Nothing. No eye. Just a faint, eerie warm feeling and a small spot of black residue that smells like rot.

  He whips his head around, heart hammering against his ribs. " You—! "

  The man in the Haori is already ten steps away, blending into the flow of the crowd, his gait relaxed, unbothered and formal,

  his hands freely next to him.

  River stands there, hyperventilating, clutching his shoulder. The fear isn't just from the speed; it's the violation.

  The feeling that for a split second, his own body didn't belong to him.

  " Look at him. " Hiro snickers from the distance, nudging Denis. " Guy looks like he saw a ghost. Guess he's not so tough when someone actually steps up to him. "

  Denis narrows his eyes, watching River’s pale face. " He’s shaking... That wasn't just a bump. "

  " Who cares? Served him right! " Hiro sticks his tongue out at River’s back. " Let's go register before the line gets long. "

  He grabs Polly’s wrist, pulling her along. " Come on, Polls! "

  " Y-Yeah... " Polly stammers, her feet moving automatically, but her head turning.

  River is storming off in the opposite direction, pushing people violently out of his way, desperate to get away from the spot.

  But Polly isn't looking at River.

  The noise of the crowd fades for her again. The cheering, the insults, the excitement—it all turns into a low, static buzz,

  like a radio tuned between stations. A cold shiver crawls up her spine, unrelated to the wind.

  Her gaze locks onto the man in the Haori.

  He drifts toward a massive structural pillar near the entrance of the stadium.

  He doesn't look suspicious to anyone else; he just looks like a tired traveler leaning against a wall.

  " ...Polly? " Denis calls out, his voice muffled by noise.

  She blinks, the sound rushing back in. " C-Coming! " She turns around,

  running to catch up to her team, but the feeling of dread settles in her stomach like a stone.

  Back at the pillar, the man in the Haori smiles.

  He slowly lifts his hand. He places his palm against the concrete of the stadium's foundation.

  Underneath his palm, the concrete turns a sickly shade of grey. A single, purple vein of energy pulses from his hand,

  sinking deep into the stone, spreading like a root system into the framework of the entire arena. It pulses once,

  like a heartbeat—thump-thump—before vanishing beneath the surface.

  " Tick... " He whispers, his finger tracing the microscopic crack in the wall.

  " Tock. "

  He pulls his hood down further, disappearing into the sea of cheering students.

  [-/-]

  Terra stood behind the furnace, holding the head of a robot covered in stains of oil like a wine glass, the black

  oil leaking from the wires on the bottom of the robot.

  " Terminator has seen better days, eh? " He turns to Dash, pointing the severed robot head at them.

  Dash's eyes are dilated as he stares at the oil on his hands, the voice of the blindfolded boy

  playing in repeat in his head, " Huh.. Oh, yeah, haha.. Terminator. "

  Terra groans, " Such a depressed fucking BUZZKILL! " He walks off, dropping the head, " Come on, chop chop, I thought of a plan. "

  Dash nods, quickly following Terra from behind, his eyes staring forward at the expanse of the underground facility.

  Ground-one is covered in industrial machinery, the grime having gotten onto both Dash and Terra's clothes, Terra

  walks over a collapsed pipe, a robot having been crushed under it, a V symbol visibly etched

  into the side of the Robot's collapsed head-piece, a flicker of light every now and then coming to life

  on the glass screen.

  They both turn as a robot slowly turns the corner in front of them, holding a note-pad, " Intruder. Intruder. " It

  repeats, before striding forward.

  Terra bursts out laughing, copying how the robot moves, his arms swaying unnaturally as he cackles, " I. Am.

  Robot. Take. Over. Humanity. "

  Dash screams in horror as it approaches, his hands slam together, he lifts 2 fingers and hides the

  rest of his hand behind his other hand, " Herd: Wolves! "

  He struggles, `` Come on, come on.. `` Ether slowly forms behind him, the silhouette of a wolf visible.

  The Ether forms into the wolf, but seems to deform, " I did it! I did it! " He celebrates, but then

  remembers that a robot is—

  The robot punches Dash, sending him tumbling back. The wolf growls and pounces on the robot,

  ripping it apart.

  Dash lays on the ground, his cheek bleeding from the impact, He cries on the ground , a bruise forming.

  He crawls up into a ball, the voices of the teenager and the noise of his head exploding in repeat.

  " Get. Up. Dash.. Protocol. One. Must. Find. Exit. " Terra drones in a monotone voice, stepping directly over Dash’s curled form as if he were just another piece of debris.

  Dash doesn't respond. He just curls tighter, his hands gripping his hair, the sobbing turning into hyperventilating wheezes. The bruise on his cheek is already swelling,

  turning a nasty shade of purple against his pale, blueish skin.

  Terra stops a few feet away. He drops the robot act. He stands there for a second, listening to the pathetic sounds

  of Dash crying. He sighs, rubbing his temples.

  " Okay, comedy hour is over. Get up, Shroom. "

  Dash crawls onto his feet, rubbing his face, blood dripping from his nose, " It Hurts.. " He says in

  a muffled voice, his blue cheeks turned purple.

  From the windows that covered the edges of the underground city lights point towards them, agents breaking through

  and nosediving down, some using parachutes and others sliding on the wall.

  [-/-]

  The agents piled up together in the sector, one of them in the operational uniform speaks out now as he adjusts his

  black vest, " Alright guys, just because we have surrounded them doesn't mean it's over. We are going to stay here

  and keep watch of the exits. As we know, Terra flees the scene promptly after being tracked down and cornered. "

  Paul sighs, leaning on the wall. He stares at a half-eaten donut with stale jam on the table next to it,

  tapping his foot on the metal floor " Noted. "

  Carter stands at the doorframe, looking around, bored. He walks up to one of the tables and picks up

  some dust with his index finger.

  Suddenly, a shadow casts on Paul's feet as he was looking at the floor, the agents looking over at the door to

  the control room.

  " You guys are going to stay here. I will deal with him myself. "

  They walk in, attire being different from those of the agents, his eyes focused on the expansive city past the window. The sound

  of metal scraping on metal breaks the silence, a scythe held behind him covered in dark blue ether.

  " Noble? " Paul stares, shocked. " What're you doing here? "

  " Rend. "

  His scythe swings, uncontrolled and dense Ether shooting out in the arc of his scythe. The already

  destroyed glass pane is shattered into many more pieces, the arc of Ether eventually hitting

  the other side of the underground city far away.

  Boom, the air-slash collides with the wall, leaving a dark line on the wall, the smoke engulfing it.

  " I'm here for the rogue of the week. " Noble says, a stale voice.

  Paul pinches the bridge of his nose, " Vector Industries won't like this.. Just don't destroy

  everything, alright? "

  Carter straightens up almost instantly, his voice 3 octaves higher than usual, " Good idea- Sir! We will

  stay here and allow you to do the work! "

  Noble continues walking with the scythe scraping on the floor, Terra's footprints

  severed by the scratch-mark.

  [-/-]

  The candle's flame gracefully sways, as if a melody of physics. The wick will not stop melting even if itself decides to.