---

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---

_{@Lexisheeps, @Qia, @Wayward, @naomimyselfandi, @Silver Carrot}

---

Hiss.

The cryopod popped open with the release of mist and pressure, innards quickly acclimatizing themselves to the ambient temperature of its surroundings.

You would find yourself lying on your back, the memory foam gel densely pressed underneath you giving any indication of how long you've been out. Dressed in an orange and white onesie, you're given the distinct impression you were a patient, or a test subject, before this.

Swinging your legs over the side, you would notice the smell first. The cold bitterness of blood and disinfectant in the air. In the dimly lit grey walls of the industrial-type storage room, you could see bodies leaned haphazardly against the walls, slumped on the floor.

It seemed you were waking up in the aftermath of a war zone, black uniforms and discarded rifles the only indication of who these people were.

“Well, well, well.”

Your eyes would turn up sharply. Hovering in the center of the room was a man. Or a phantom. It was hard to tell, with the snake-like appendages curling around him. He seemed to chuckle under his hood, appraising the test subjects rising to their feet.

“This is all they have left? You have to be joking.”

His laughter increased, pressing a clawed hand to his face.

“They really have been run aground, it seems.”

He seemed to shrug, smiling from the darkness of his hood. “No matter. You will all falter and join your failures soon enough. Unless you think you can dare stop the Flood that is coming.”

Mad chuckling. He raised his hands to the group, before smirking. “Good luck.”

And just like that, the phantom disappeared into thin air.

---

---

She awoke like the rest. Listless and cold. Stiff from however long she had been put on ice and left to rot in this… This place.

She could only remember a few facts about herself, and her barcode. Her test subject designation. Her dehumanization.

VV-007-G1A-01.

That's who she was. Nothing else. No name, no nothing.

She sighed. A bothersome mouthful. She'd shorten it to VV. As she stood from the capsule and took in the carnage surrounding her, she couldn't help the pit of dread that formed in her stomach.

Just what happened here?

”Good luck.” Said a floating spectre of a man before he disappeared, and his words only intensified the encroaching dread she felt.

That was when something caught her eye. There was a directory on the side of the wall, at the far edge of the room. She moved closer to it, squinting in the dim light.

”Hey, guys?” She said to the others waking up. “I think I found something.”



It was a huge map that spread across the wall. Where it was written ‘Archives’, there was a circle. Someone had written in sloppy sharpie, “Take the elevator up and you'll be here.”

On the far side of the map, where it was written ‘Cell E.5’, it was circled and stared with striking black marker. Another note was hastily written, “Safe zone.”

At the top of the map, there was a ‘Main Gate’. The way out?

VV stared at the map, then looked around her. “We shouldn't stay here… but where do we go?”

There was, indeed, at the front of the room, what appeared to be an elevator. It only needed to be called via a button on the side.

The sounds he'd heard just moments ago, had caused him to flinch with a hint of fear. Wasn't entirely sure what the sounds were, but they sounded rough. Like a certain level of gun violence had occurred just outside the pod he'd been trapped in. Muddled thoughts meandered through his mind as he stared at the back of his eyelids. He'd felt the pressure of his pod change as the cold air rushed once the lid opened. But he was in no hurry to move. No hurry to open his eyes and look up at the laboratory's ceiling. No hurry to think...

But his thoughts were intrusive. What had happened? Who was he again? Where was this? His mind's eye felt dazed. Unsure of itself and the more he pondered, the more questions popped up rather than anything of meaningful substance. But then a girl's voice caused his eyes to flutter open. Who was she? She was just as unknown to him as he was to himself.

She'd found something? "What did you find?" He questioned her curiously, but kept from pulling himself up just yet. He felt incredibly stiff. But maybe she would have answers to his milliard of questions. Though, her tone of voice suggested otherwise.

Finally, he managed to pull himself upright and attempted to lean over the edge of the bed. He wanted to stand and remove the ache of too much sleep. But his movements were slow and jerky. With a thud, landed on the cold hard floor. He looked up to the girl as he questioned, "Does it really matter where?"

He clung to the pod's framing to pull himself upright, "Nice to meet you, miss." He said with a soft smile, "I'd tell you my name, but..." His voice trailed as he noticed other pods in the room. Looked back to his own pod, saw a line of numbers... his barcode: MC-457-R2M-21. He smiled softly, "You can call me, M."

"I wonder if there are any other survivors." M stated hopefully, as he glanced around the laboratory once more.

His quick glance led him back to his own pod once again. This time, he noticed a dainty stick with an amethyst for a tip. It rested against the inside frame. A key had been attached to it as well. It's ornate features were pleasant to look at. And was the only substance of color against the white padding. He picked it up carefully and examined it. His warder. It felt important for any future attempts to get out of this place, and decided to clutch it tightly.

After a moment to fully soak in the beauty of the wand, he silently made his way over to the woman he'd been speaking with. Only soft thumps of bare feet against the floor escaped him, as he approached her.

---

---

The others woke slowly, it seemed, disoriented and groggy, gradually coming to in their pods. Not so the woman in the leftmost pod. She lay quiet, motionless, doing her best to remain hidden while the strange man gave his strange speech. Only once he was gone did the screaming start. She sat bolt upright, a mess of dark hair flying out behind her. Her words, at first, made no sense, like she was speaking an unfamiliar language; she abruptly switched to English, and whether she was any more comprehensible for it is a matter of opinion. "Every possible demon's unhallowed genitalia," she said, "fucking ow!"

She had quite a striking appearance, this strange yelling woman. She was of some East Asian descent, with straight black hair and light brown skin. She could almost have been pretty, in another context; even the strange purple scars protruding from under her clothes to wind around her neck and left arm wouldn't have been a deal-breaker. But there was something about her eyes, a haggard, worried look as they moved between her newfound companions, scanning each in turn before moving on. She was thin - scrawny, even - with dark circles under her eyes. The intensity of her reaction couldn't be entirely explained by her surroundings.

Gradually - over what seemed to her to be a very long time, but was really only seconds - the strange woman brought herself back under control; she finally remembered to breathe. She looked down, busying herself with something in the pod. She found a pair of glasses, and returned them to their rightful place on her nose; she then took something else, which wasn't immediately visible. As she exited the pod, three things became clear. She was tiny, barely five feet tall, and her scarring wasn't just limited to her upper body; the thing she'd taken was a book, a thin paperback that had seen better days. For a moment, she was distracted by the barcode tattooed on her right shoulder; then she stepped forward.

"Uhm, hey," the strange woman said. "I- I'm sorry you, ah, I'm sorry you h- heard that. I..." Her voice was no more substantial than the rest of her, and soon trailed off. "It j- just really hurt, ah, b- because..."

She glanced down at her left hand, where her scars were at their worst; or, perhaps, at the book she was holding. She paused, then, to fuss with her hair, adjusting it so it covered her shoulders, the back of her neck, as much of the angry purple splotches as it could. She again became distracted by the barcode, but couldn't quite hide it, and soon gave up. LO-314-A4A-11. Is that supposed to mean me?

"...it d- doesn't matter," she said, frowning and looking away. "Uhm, I- I don't think y- you know anything m- more than I do, right? S- so I guess we'll be working together. You can call me, ah..."

Lo? No, that didn't sound right. Eleven? Even worse, and the other number was far too long. That left only one possibility, but in that there was some promise. The fourth letter of the alphabet, after all, was D.

"...Ada, i- if you want to."

---

She lay still and listened to a voice that had broken through the silence. Something about...stopping a flood? She concentrated, so that she'd be able to recall every word. For some reason, what he was saying seemed very important.

It was only when she pulled herself upright in the pod, that she realised that the voice had been talking English, and that she understood him. Why, then, were her thoughts in German? She must have been bilingual. From the moment she woke up until now, she'd been trying to recall something. Anything. But it wasn't even a blur. There was nothing up there at all.

She climbed out the pod to discover that she wasn't alone. There were others, similarly dressed up like...test subjects, who had also come from pods. She immediately had to cover her ears because the woman in the pod besides hers started screaming and cursing, breaking the still silence. She didn't want to glare at the woman. Her feelings were understandable, but it was still...startling, to say the least.

One of the others drew the group's attention to a map, and began discussions on where to go, and each other's names. She saw several others looking down at barcodes. She had one too. PG-414-G6G-78. From the way others were name each other, that'd make her what? P? Hmm, she'd rather have a real name. What about Pia?

"Call me Pia, then," She'd say to the group, in a heavy German accent, before pointing at the map. "Only two rooms are pointed out. The safe room and the main gate. I think whoever drew on this map wants us to get to the main gate, but...why would we need to use a safe room?"

_{@Lexisheeps, @Qia, @naomimyselfandi, @Silver Carrot}

---

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---

---

”Does it really matter where?”

VV looked to the slumped bodies along the wall, then back to the dark haired man. “I suppose not. I imagine we've woken up in a war zone of some sort. But wherever we go, it should be chosen as a group.”

As M introduced himself, she gave a quiet nod. “Wish it were under, well, any other circumstances, but… Yeah, you can call me VV. Vee-vee.”

“I wonder if there are any other survivors.”

VV grimaced slightly, then gave a shrug. “Others like us? I bet the only reason we survived is these reinforced pods. I don't know if there are others… I doubt they could survive this gruesome massacre. Then again, I'd prefer to be wrong.”

"I think M's right. There could be others out there. But we need to be cautious. We have no idea what else might be lurking in this place.”

VV dragged a palm over her mouth, nodding as the girl with her hair up in a half-ponytail spoke.

“You're right. We have no idea what we're walking into. But if there are others, we should try to find them, right?”

VV tilted her head, red eyes glimmering. “You didn't mention your name. I'm VV.”

That's when the group was interrupted by haggard and unholy screaming, and VV involuntarily flinched.

“What the-”

Before the seemingly Japanese woman calmed down and got out of her pod, to VV's quiet relief.

”S- so I guess we'll be working together. You can call me, ah… Ada, i- if you want to.”

VV reached over and placed a comforting hand on the scarred woman's shoulder. “You're okay, Ada. I'm looking forward to working with you. We're gonna get out of here, I promise you.”

”Only two rooms are pointed out. The safe room and the main gate. I think whoever drew on this map wants us to get to the main gate, but...why would we need to use a safe room?"

VV contemplated as she stared at the brunette. It was a valid point. “Maybe the safe room leads… somewhere else? Or maybe whatever lies in the halls is far too treacherous near the Main Gate? Or…” her tone dropped a note. “Maybe we were never meant to leave this place.”

She scanned each of their faces, seeing the flicker of emotions trapped in each of them. She had no idea what they were all doing here. But she knew it wasn't good. Their best course of action would be to find an exit and escape as quickly as possible.

What was waiting for them, though, was anyone’s guess.

She searched a few of the bodies until she found what she was looking for - a security card. With this, they would hopefully have an easier time navigating this labyrinth of a facility.

She bit her lip, and glanced to the group. “Well, we can think about where we wanna go on the way - they both require we go down the same hall.”

She strode over to the elevator and pressed the button. After a brief pause, the doors slid open, illuminating the storage room in a sterilized white glow. VV stepped inside, holding the elevator doors with one hand and beckoning with the other.

“Let’s get outta here.”

---

---

---

---

---

The elevator doors cracked open again on a higher floor, revealing the soft, ethereal glow of a dimly lit server room. The rows of servers were stacked from floor to ceiling, the thrum of electricity the only sound in an otherwise quiet facility. There was the faint scent of blood here, and gunpowder, as a few fallen bodies of personnel and soldiers marred the otherwise perfect gray tiles.

VV crept into the enclosed space, staring down the line of servers, holding her breath.

“I think… we're alone here.”

She turned back to the group, eyes scanning them, before her jaw dropped and a strangled yelp escaped her throat.

On the wall above the elevator, looming over all their heads, it stared. Made up of shadows cast from the ethereal light, a portion of its body was flat against the wall, appearing as none other than regular shadow. The other half, however, the half that loomed over them, was massive. It had an oddly human shape, completely pitch back, skeletal, gangly limbs, clawed hands poised as if to snatch them out of the air. It had black, greasy hair hanging from its head. Where its face should have been, were only glowing red pinpricks for eyes.

The entire room had a chill to it, a palpable sense of dread, of fear, as the entity stared at them, menacingly.

---

"Uhm, hey," the strange woman said. "I- I'm sorry you, ah, I'm sorry you h- heard that. I..." Her voice was no more substantial than the rest of her, and soon trailed off. "It j- just really hurt, ah, b- because..."- Ada

"Call me Pia, then," She'd say to the group, in a heavy German accent, before pointing at the map. "Only two rooms are pointed out. The safe room and the main gate. I think whoever drew on this map wants us to get to the main gate, but...why would we need to use a safe room?"-Pia

---

The first thing Pia noticed when leaving the elevator was that there were bodies strewn across the floor, many with weapons in their hands. But unless they were killing each other, whatever they were shooting at hadn't been taken down by the gunfire. VV moved a little ahead then looked up and her expression quickly changed to one of fear. A had a similar reaction, and suggested they slowly stick to the shadows to avoid drawing its attention.

"We already have its attention," Pia whispered back sharply. "There's no way it didn't hear the elevator door open. Don't make any sudden movements."

Pia started very slowly inching her way away from the elevator in the direction of the archive room's exit, and the main corridor that awaited. She saw the weapons littering the floor. If they couldn't help their previoud owners, they probably wouldn't help this group any more, but it would be slightly more reassuring to be holding something she could use to defend herself.

It's time to awaken.

His body prickled and cracked as the deep freeze rushed out of the pod. A gleam, beaming gaze of red eyes opened. He took in the vision of disorder and disaster on the other side of the tempered glass screen; although the cold of the pod layered a foggy residue upon his side of the veil, the picture was clear enough. Even as scattered and scared as he was, he had no issue comprehending that someone or something had upended the space around him. But knowing this did nothing to quell the confused anxiety that permeated through his beating heart.

Breathing heavily, he recoiled to the back of the pod, splaying out against its far side. He looked and felt like cornered animal, still sorting out which stream of adrenaline he should follow. Run for it? Hide here? Fight and find a way out? He had barely enough time to think these options over when something tugged at him... an instinctual urge that pulled him from the core of his soul. Go.

With a laboring effort, as though his body were adorned by heavy weights, he pulled himself up to the edge of the pod and scaled up and out along the metallic sides. His joints popped; his muscles stretched; his vertebrae all realigned with a resonating glissando, punctuating with an accent at the base of his neck. Crossing his body through the threshold he gasped and heaved strained breaths, each exhale dispersing the evaporating mist from the cryopod.

As he straddled his legs over to the outside of the pod his strength escaped him. The resulting descent saw his body fall into a log roll, the end of which set his face intimately close to the cold, bloodstained concrete floor.

Come to me.

Recapturing a degree of fortitude he pressed into an upward dog position. As his muscles flexed, a sharpness cut through his body. I a pained heave of air, he released a guttural noise. Something of a cross between an agonized scream and a primal roar reverberated around the room. Both sounds came out in a shrill harmonization, as though two voices were ringing in unison from a single set of vocal chords.

For all he knew, his yell might have drawn unwanted attention to his presence in the room. Had he not been fighting for every rise it took for him to place his feet under him, he might have been more concerned about being discovered.

Once upright, he stole a moment to feel the body with which he had this far struggled to move.

For all of the things he didn't know he had forgotten, a deep inner sense told him that this wasn't quite right. He felt heavier than he should given his size, with a host of muscles that seemed too well-crafted to have caved in not even a minute earlier. He surveyed himself further... a run of veins visible through the skin as black lines. And more nagging a matter, odd, sharp flashes of pain kept a beat atop his head and in the back of his shoulders. Beyond any of these observations remained the unwieldy nature of the form. He was hard pressed to believe that his was a body that his mind was meant to occupy.

But that was all irrelevant when he thought on it. He needed answers, and the best he could do was hope that he'd get used to carrying himself in time.

He gazed around at the room he had awoken into. Other than the mess of prior violence, he noticed there were other pods like the one he had crawled out from. They were all open and empty; there must gave been others then. Of so were they still around, and did they know more than he did? As his head rounded the space, his line of sight aligned with his own pod. He turned back to face it, looking it up and down for clues.

There were two that stuck out immediately.

First, was a series of numbers and letters, etched onto a placard at the top of the pod.



Not a name to go by, but "D" seemed good enough until something better was dug up.

The second clue was in the form of a small chain hanging by the pod as though it were there for him to find. Attached to the chain was a pair of small stainless steel cards... there seemed to be words on them. He excitedly stumbled his way to the chain only for his heart to drop more quickly than it had risen; whatever information was upon the tags was scratched and burned beyond his comprehension. Nonetheless, he took the chain and draped it upon his shoulders. It seemed the proper thing to do.

No closer to further progress, he turned his attention back to the rest of the room.

The elevator had been overlooked by his previous take. Now, though, he noticed the indicator light flickering above it. It was stopped on a floor above him. If it was being used, that meant there were likely other people about. Seeing it was his only option outside of staying in the room with the empty pods, he hobbled over to the panel on the wall and pressed hard into the button that would call the lift back down.

He had to find a way out. He wasn't sure he knew that, but he did.

As A approached her, Ada visibly tensed up. She brought her hands in front of her, like she was spoiling for a fight; for the first time, A could get a good look at the discoloration on Ada's left hand, how it covered most of the back of her hand, curled around her pinkie and index finger, and disappeared back up her sleeve. Ada's eyes watched the other woman intently; she glanced briefly around, like she was considering escape routes, before returning to scare worriedly at A. It seemed a tossup whether she'd run off or throw a punch.

The moment of tension seemed to pass as A started talking. Ada let out the breath she'd been holding; as she took another, slow and deep, her arms fell to her sides, and her gaze to the floor. She shifted, ever so slightly, to hide her left side and the worst of her scars. "S- sorry," she said, in spite of A's reassurance. "N- new people are, uhm... k- kind of hard for me, even at the best of times, a- and I don't think I'm alone in thinking, uhm, this isn't one of those times, right?" She glanced at A's face, almost furtively, like she was trying to judge her reaction without making it obvious.

"I, uhm, I hope we can uncover that truth together." Ada's voice was stronger than before - quiet, still, but not so shaky; this time, she managed to look A in the eye and hold it. "W- would you mind if we stuck t- together for the time being?"

---

As the shadow-thing stared them down, Ada's response was a low, guarded whisper, and surprisingly calm given her earlier freak-out. "Pia's right," she said. "It knows we're here, but we don't know what it wants. I- if it attacks, run for it." She looked to each of her teammates, making sure they weren't planning anything stupid. "R- right? There's no way w- we can fight it."

_{@Qia, @naomimyselfandi, @Silver Carrot}

---

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---

Whether the group tried A's method of trying to stay out of sight, or Pia and Ada's idea of not making any sudden moves or running at the first sign of trouble, the Entity would simply stare at them.

M noticed the fear in VV's eyes, causing him to stop dead in his tracts. Clearly, something was wrong. His gaze scrolled upwards in the direction she openly stared. A knee jerk reaction escaped his lips, but thankfully was not louder than a whimper, "Shit, that thing's huge!" He couldn't help but softly smile at the dreadful situation he found himself in, "I feel it knows we're here, like it's been waiting for us."

"Indeed I have." The entity's voice was a warped, whispery mess. "This Wild is pleased with your progress, but you are all still so weak. The Master demands a sacrifice. To strengthen you..."

It pointed towards VV with long clawed fingers. "You'll do."

And it raised its hand, about to strike VV down. Before there was a flash of light, and none other than M stood in the way, blood pouring from the open gash cut across his chest.

“M, what are you doing?!” VV gasped.

“No one here deserves to get hurt, not on my watch!” M growled, glaring up at the Entity. “If you want ‘em, you'll have to go through me!”

The entity stared, blood dripping from its claw. Before it chuckled.

”Very well. May you be remembered as the one who saved the fledglings before they had wings yet to fly.”

The bloodied claw wrapped around M's torso as the entity's mouth unhinged, expanding several feet wide. In one fell gulp, M was swallowed whole, devoured entirely by the Entity. VV screamed. The Entity paid no mind. It rumbled in contentment, before staring down at the group once more, a hand pressed to its jagged maw.

“The first trial is complete. The Wilds welcome the lost heroes. As instructed by my Master, let me…”

It's whispery voice became dark and distorted. “...help you.”

Its maw cracked open. A whispery roar was guttural in its chest as shadows leapt off the walls.

All at once, a wave of shadow passed over the Archives Room, penetrating the hearts and minds of Ada, A, Pia, and VV. Their eyesight would grow dark as visions overtook them.

---

“You really thought you could try to outrun us?” A tall boy growled.

They had cornered her against the school's outer wall, in a place with no windows and low visibility. The tall boy with his torn bomber jacket grinned wickedly, bringing a hand up and slapping her across the face.

His lackeys hooted and hollered, gripping the girl’s arms. The tallest goon stared down at her again, grabbing her hair and forcing her to look up at him.

“You broke the rules. Now I'll give you a punishment you'll never forget.”

And they twisted her, smashing her into the concrete wall face first, and ran away laughing. The aftermath… pain. And warm, fresh blood dripping from the nose.

_@Qia

---

Her hands kept at a steady rhythm. She had taken the courses, she knew what she was doing. It still didn't do much to quell the desperation inside of her when she saw the blood pooling below her fingertips.

Elbows locked. And press. And press. And press.

She moved back to bring her head to their chest level. A fellow student, just like her. They had all been walking together when…

They still weren't breathing.

She desperately continued her CPR.

They were starting to get cold under her.

Panicking, she brought her hands up to her face, seeing the student's blood on them. Her gaze snapped up, and she could see the other students surrounding her, staring at her in shock, accusations on their tongues.

What had she done wrong?

_{@Silver Carrot}

---

“I know you're hiding, you little brat!”

Angry footsteps stormed their way up the stairwell. From her hiding place under the bed in her mother and father's bedroom, she had a clear view of the hallway and bedroom door. She shivered where she lay cramped.

Under no circumstances could she be found.

“You can't hide forever!” Her father growled, his words slurring together. He had been drinking again.

Dirty pants and worn socks appeared in the doorway as her father neared. He paused, feet shifting this way and that, before he stepped into the bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

“I know you're here, little mousy. Come out, and I promise I won't hurt you… a lot.”

Her heartbeat quickened, and she clamped a hand over her mouth, trying not to breathe.

He took a step closer, and she shrank further back under the bed. Another step forward. Her lungs burned for air.

Then. A knee plopped down, and a shadowed face stared at her from outside her hiding place.

She froze, terrified.

“Gotcha.”

_{@naomimyselfandi}

---

“Give me her hand. Her hand!”

She struggled hard against the rough hands holding her down, pressed against the glass of her shop's counter. A slap rang across her cheek, making her whimper and flinch.

“Stop struggling!”

The suited men surrounding her managed to pry out a hand, flattening it against the glass. The leader of the pack, smelling like cigarettes and aftershave, leaned down close to her.

“You continue to refuse us…” He pulled out a switch blade, letting the sharp metal kiss the skin of her cheek before placing the edge against her wrist.

“And you're gonna lose a hand.”

A dark chuckle among the men as the leader continued to speak.

“But it won't be all in one go, no.”

He moved the blade to rest on her pinky.

“You’ll lose your fingers first. Then the thumb. And then-”

“Alright fine! Please, please, I'll do it. Please…” She shivered, staring up at him, tears brimming in her eyes. “I'll… do it.”

_@Estylwen

---

And all at once, the darkness retreated and the group's eyes again saw the Archives Room around them, and the shadow hanging off the wall over them. Each would have seen a different vision, and each would be affected in a different way. But each would feel, would know, deep down, that this vision was a part of their lost memory.

They would also feel a certain power unlock within them, with the knowledge on how to use it, well within their mind. Just like how one knew how to use the muscles of the arm, or how to ride a bike, it was the same.

They were slowly starting their descent into their personal Abysses. For better, or worse.

The Shadow above them began to collect raw shadows, brimming with a black energy before its body tore asunder and split into five smaller shadow beings. Each shadow being came down from the wall and stood, spindly and tall, over each person present. One for A, one for Ada, one for Pia, one for VV, and the last one slipping through the cracks in the elevator, making its descent to the lower levels.

Each stared at their assigned target and coiled in a snake-like stance, preparing to strike.

“The helpless will struggle and weep at my feet. The Wilds will help you. Become the predator, not the helpless prey. Become what you were meant to be!”

And each shadow launched an attack their their respective targets. Ada and A both had similar attacks - slashes aimed for the chest and shoulders. Pia and VV also had similar attacks - dark waves of energy rocketing towards them with enough pressure to knock them off their feet.

The group had the option to pick up one of the rifles scattered around, try to attack, or run from the fight.

---

_@Wayward

---

While there were vibrations causing gentle sounds of foreboding to waft down from the floor above, as the elevator was called the box rested in front of D. However, as the doors slid open, a shocking sight overtook him.

A shadow being, hunched over in the elevator, pinprick red eyes staring angrily at D. It slowly ambled forward, darkness wafting off it.

“A straggler. A lost soul that this Wild accepts. I have a gift for you, as per my Master's orders.”

Its haunting smile followed D as the being leaned in closer. The room dropped a few degrees, causing mist to creep over some of the cryopods. The being raised its spindly black hands, and a dark wave rocketed out, drowning D in blackness.

---

“You poor thing…”

A mother's tutting as she knelt in front of him, pressing cotton dipped in antiseptic against the open cuts.

“They were bullying you again, weren't they?” She asked carefully, watching her boy closely. There was worry in her eyes.

Another dab across a fresh cut, and he flinched. “I'm almost done, honey.” She said softly.

The boy could feel the worry and comfort of his mother, his own helplessness. And as he sat there, his little hands balled into fists and his jaw set firmly.

Never again.

_@Wayward

---

The Shadow being stared at D for a long moment as he came out of the vision, before it smiled a sharp, unnatural smile at him. It stepped out of the elevator and to the side.

“Your friends above struggle. You'd better go help them before… more… perish.”

---

---

Pia looked around again at the bodies around them, and shook her head at Ada's question. [color]"If these guns couldn't help these soldiers...or guards. Whatever they are...they're going to be even less help to us."[/color]

When the creature tht was watching them spoke back, Pia froze on the spot. Her blood went cold as ice. At least it was talking, and that meant is wasn't a monster that would kill them all on sight. But they were still at it's mercy. Pia could only watch on as it demanded a sacrifice, and then the scene played out in front of her. It tried to take VV. M volunteered in her place, and was scatched up and eaten in front of their eyes. He hadn't known who any of them were. He hadn't even known who he himself was, and he still made that choice. Pia knew she wouldn't have been able to do that.

Soon, the creature's mouth opened again and suddenly all was shadow. She saw a vision of a woman trying to resucitate a child in a high school uniform. They were out in the open, on a road. These place looked familiar. All the signs were in German. She the realised; the woman giving CPR to the student was her. Was that what she looked like? Her head was suddenly splitting in pain. Things clicked, and she suddenly remembered this scene from her own eyes. She couldn't remember enough to make sense of it. Just the desperation, confusion and guilt. She somehow knew that she had caused this student's injuries.

---

The Archive's room returned, and Pia now had knowledge that she had something else insider her. Something that she could invoke but not control. She never could control it properly. She wasn't sure how she knew that. Just a feeling. The creature spoke again. The words didn't make sense. 'Become their predator, not their prey'? Did it want to attck the shadows that were now forming?

Pia saw a wave of dark energy come towards her and her fear welled up. Before she was fully aware of what she was doing, it was as if her strong emoutions were escaping her body and causing a whirlwind. Just, without any wind. guns and bodies were lifted from the floor nearby her and began to swirl around her. One of the corpses took the impact of the dark energy wave and was cleaved in half, showering Pia in his stale blood. Become the predator. She grabbed one of the guns as it floated past her hand, pointed it at the shadow that attacked her, and opened fire.

Come ON!

D's inner voice escalated in intensity; even in his thoughts, the sensation of two voices speaking was inescapable and impossible to ignore. More still, an inexplicable anger was boiling from beneath his skin. He was growing impatient in his waiting. The elevator was lumbering along down from it's prior stop several floors above. The seconds spent as this light atop the door frame dragging along in merciless agony. The irking suspicion that someone or something was intentionally slowing the lift's return to the cryochamber flooding D with a seemingly boundless frustration. The rage was blinding, tunneling his vision so that all but the still closed doors to the elevator was blurred and blotted from his vision.

Even as he tried and failed to surmount his own weight, he clenched as tight a fist as his fingers could manage. A shivering and unsteady arm wound up to punch through the door. He knew it would be the dumbest decision he'd made since removing himself from the pod. "OPEN UP!"

Weak though it was, the fist struck forward in all its bare-knuckled glory.

And yet, in this moment to his deepest relief, the punch wiffed as the elevator doors pulled open. His closed hand passed through the newly cleared space in front of him. To his shock, he had carried enough of his weight through to throw his whole self forward and into a stutter-footed drop to his knees. The pain of the cold, hard floor rushed through his knees and up his already aching back and into his neck; it was a wake up call if could ever say he had known one. His fury subsided and peeled away into a feeling of exhaustion.

This was short lived.

As the dim, haunting light of the elevator escaped into that of the cryochamber, a feeling of fear and pain overtook him. It called him back to his feet, uncaring to the pain and effort it took to do so. The terror exacerbated when he set eyes upon the figure huddled against the wall of the lift. Enveloped in shadow and imposing itself in contrast to the light humming overhead, the thing set D a step or two away from his destination. The words of the figure were lost amid D's mix of emotions as he locked in with its piercing gaze. Paralyzed where he stood, all he could do was accept the fate before him as the being cast its darkness upon him...

Then the darkness was gone. A fog had lifted. The memory that he could only hope was his own seared into his mind. Never again...

"Never... again?" D found himself standing fully. The previously insurmountable load that was his body had lightened somehow. No. it was him, not his weight. He was stronger. The tough muscles that lashed from his body tensed and relaxed as they discovered their own strength; it truly was a gift. To finally feel at home in his own form was a shred of reprieve in the midst of a daunting ordeal.

"Friends?"D gawked at the figure, following it was caution as it stepped aside to offer him its place in the elevator. A low rumbling from overhead kickstarted a realization. There were others... he knew that now. He looked wearily at the shadow, and then contemplated the lift that he felt himself wait for over an unbearable span of moments. Then, he shook his head, eyeing the figure. His legs shook and then flexed. He listed towards a door to his right, the other side of which provided a clear enough view to stairwell. "No. I'll get there faster on my feet."

He flung the heavy door open as though it were a curtain, and started with bounding steps in a viscious ascent of the stairs.

_{@Qia, @Silver Carrot, @Wayward}

---

The shadow entity that faced A seemed to freeze in place, before it began to spasm erratically. Muffled grunts escaped its lips as a quiet pitter-patter of black ooze dripped from its eyes. A’s ability had grabbed ahold of the squishier, more formed parts of the entity’s ethereal body, and was wreaking havoc.

Its muffled screeching grew to incoherent screaming, and it thrashed this way and that before succumbing, dissolving into a pile of goo on the tiled floor.

Pia, on the other hand, had decided to use their environment to their advantage. The shadow entity growled in annoyance as Pia was able to protect themselves from the wave of darkness. But when she raised the rifle, its eyes widened. The rifle wasn’t like a normal run-of-the-mill militant type. Its bullets were specifically infused with an electrical current that disrupted the energy field of Wilds. When they penetrated the shadowy membrane of the entity, it hissed and shrieked as holes were torn through its ethereal body. With Pia’s superior aim at point-blank range, the entity soon collapsed on the tiles as a hole-riddled mass, unmoving.

VV faced her own shadow entity, sprint-rolling to the side to narrowly avoid the dark wave crashing into the server wall behind her. It was then she reached out with a hand, and ethereal tendrils shot out, constricting around the entity. It choked out a yelp, struggling uselessly against the translucent cords. Slowly, VV pulled back, drawing the entity closer.

“Submit to me…” She whispered, eyes never leaving the entity.

That was when D came pounding through the stairwell door, the heavy metal frame swinging wildly as he entered the Archives Room. Just as his feet crossed the threshold, the most horrific thing happened. The crumpled entities that lay at Pia and A’s feet began to stir, slowly pulling themselves back together. There was a long, breathy moan that filled the room as all the entities, including the one VV was trying to reel in, began to trickle together like rain, conglobating into a central mass above their heads. The shadow being, now formed into one singular Wild, stared at them coldly from the ceiling.

“Too little, too weak. I need more. MORE!”

It began to thrash shadowy tendrils around the room, aiming to wrap up and constrict Pia, A, D, and VV. VV dodged to the side before reaching out with her power once more. Translucent cords wrapped around the shadow entity, but she couldn’t pin it down. It was far too powerful.

“Quick,” she cried to those around her. “Give it everything you got! We gotta weaken it!”

---

---

Pia didn't need to be told. Her fear and desperation were already causing her power to go haywire, but she couldn't control it. It wasn't telekinesis. It was more like inanimate items were getting swept up in an energy tornado of her making. some larger items slammed into the sides of the monster but never hit the core. There even some smaller items that were bouncing off her and the others, possibly causing them some pain or distraction but never outright disruption. Pia didn't even know how to turn it off or turn it down. But she had a gun in her hands. She took aim. She'd never been trained to fire a gun but as long as some of the bullets hit the core, she'd be doing something. She opened fire.

D's steps up the stairwell quickened with each upward stride as he ascended to the Archives. To his surprise, he felt himself gaining momentum and energy as he moved; his newfound power was only just setting in, swelling his stamina as it peaked. Labored and gasping breaths settling into a smooth rythmn. The aches and pains in his muscles subsided entirely. The racing of his heart, which at first had burdened him, became nothing short of normal.

He crashed through the door into the Archives, nearly parting it from its hinges as it swung into the wall with a resounding banging of metal on concrete. Despite the exertion, his arrival saw him with no fatigue to show for his efforts. He was in top form, and that was a best case scenario for what he faced on the other side of the threshold. The others that the figure downstairs had told him about were ebroioled in a battle against entities similarly wreathed in shadows. D noticed immediately that at least one of the others had been left either injured or dead.

As soon as he set foot into the Archives, the entities, which had seemingly been dealt with, coalesced before his eyes into a massive singluarity. D ducked and dodged as the newly formed being thrashed its tendrils, narrowly avoiding getting caught. Keeping the lionshare of his focus on the entity, which had clung to the cieling, D looked around at his presumed companions... one seemed to be restraining their enemy; another shot a bolt of some form of energy; the third had pulled out and fired a gun. Next to the others, his own power felt useless given the situation; what good was all of his newly birthed prowess if he couldn't even reach the damn thing?

"Hey!" he called over to the one restraining the entity. "If you can get it onto the floor, I should be able to handle it." If the other two could hurt the thing enough, maybe, D thought, he could put down the last hit on it.

_{In collaboration with @Silver Carrot}

---

Pia’s attack caused the shadow to gurgle and groan, especially where some of the bullets met its eyes, effectively blinding the monster.

“Ahh! I- I can’t see!” The Wild shrieked, tendrils groping for something - anything.

VV strapped on a few more translucent tendrils on the beast, “Nice one, Pia!”

With her focus entirely on the beast, trying to wrestle it down to the ground, she didn’t notice when strong, armored hands wrapped around Pia’s mouth, silencing her, and her arms, dragging her back.

The men, who smelled of sweat and death, dragged Pia out of the Archives Room and down the hall, where the rest of their five-man squad waited. Their masked faces and night scope visor helmets gave little in their facial expressions. Pia would notice the skull and crossbones badge on their shoulder sleeve.

They threw her to the ground, standing around her. One stooped down while the others pointed their assault rifles, eyes watching the random floating stuff flying around Pia.

He spoke, his voice low, sharp. “Who the hell are you? Who do you work for?”

Pia’s adrenaline was starting to level out, and she stopped struggling. The floating objects were slowing down as she calmed down both from the removal from supernatural peril, and the more familiar threat of guns pointed at her. She was being restrained by men, who not only could be reasoned with, but should be reasoned with if she wanted to stay alive.

”I-I don’t know yet,” Pia answered truthfully, in a shaky voice with a German accent. ”I woke up in a pod with no memory and I’m still trying to piece everything together.”

The man leaned in, towering over her. His face mask disguised the twist his lips made as they parted into a snarl.

“A likely story.” His hand reached out, placing on Pia's shoulder with firm pressure. Enough to keep her still.

“Do you have any idea what we're dealing with daily hourly basis here? What sort of monsters lurk in this hellhole? For all I know, you could be a new breed of Wild made to look like a human. So, forgive me if I don't believe your story entirely.”

His armored head gestured to the door to the Archives Room behind them. “And? What about your friends? Who are they?”

Pia looked down. All she had to tie her to her own humanity were snippets of a memory where she was a member of society. For all she knew, she could be a new breed of Wild. She wasn’t looking for trust. She was looking to surrender if it came to that. These people haven’t shot her yet, so her humanity must be keeping her alive. She may be safe with them if she complied.

”They all woke up in pods too. We don’t even remember our names, so we referred to each other by letters. We all seem to have different…supernatural abilities. I don’t understand them. Those swirling, floating objects were caused by me, when I’m scared, but I can’t control it.”

The man seemed to consider her words carefully as he knelt there, his massive bulk making him still tower over her. He released her, checked the ammo of his assault rifle, and stood.

“Well, little miss, seems you just earned yourself a one-way ticket to the Iron Fortress. We'll have our higher-ups and our medical team decide your fate. You don't seem like a Wild, but until then, don't make any sudden moves, don't resist, and we will do our best to protect you on our way to our base.” His visored helmet tilted down at her. “Got it?”

A pause. “Name's Lieutenant Riker. What do your friends call you?”

As Pia watched, half the squad headed back into the Archives Room, disappearing from view.

“Pia,” she replied, glancing back to the room she had been dragged out of. Would the others be okay? The powers they’d manifested did seem like they’d be much more useful for subduing that…thing. They should be fine. She’ll hopefully be seeing them again.

---

_{In collaboration with @Wayward}

---

The attacks from the other women caused the entity to howl in pain, its center mass quivering with rage, writhing and thrashing blindly.

VV wrapped another translucent braid on the shadowy creature, yanking hard until the entity was pulled down to ground level. She twisted her head sharply, desperate to keep her feet from skidding as she held on for dear life.

“Do your stuff! Now or never!” She yelled to D.

“Right.” D nodded at VV. The entity sat on the floor, dazed and shocked in the wake of the preceding assault. D advanced on the mass with a chambered fist; he hoped he was as strong as he felt he was. The gap closed, he pushed his weight in a single forward step, aiming for the visibly vulnerable center mass of the entity. Giving a savage yell, he thrust a hard punch with his right hand.

The attack was direct, and the entity shrieked, writhing on the spot. The central mass that included the eyes suddenly became gooey, leaving black substance on D's hand as he pulled back. A soft ”Yes” hissed through D's lips as his knuckles drove into the shadowy mass.

The whole writhing mass went limp for a beat, and VV could hear her own tight breathing, before…

Before the shadow entity, oozing at the seams, let out a scream as it drunkenly struck out with its tendrils, now wet to the touch. The tendrils attempted to constrict around D's legs and arms to pin him, to stop him.

No. No! NO! D shuffled his feet, narrowly evading the tendrils that whipped towards his legs. His arms, however, were wrapped tightly within the entity’s grasp. His right hand, already vulnerable in the wake of his previous strike, had been immediately caught at the wrist; as he frantically danced to avoid his feet being ensnared as well, he neglected his left hand, which was caught up just the same.

Throwing another punch was out of the question. But the hold that the entity had upon D’s hands put itself almost as much at his mercy as he was at its own. D tugged at the tendrils that had taken hold of him, attempting to pull them taught before pulling his arms hard to the right, and then to the left… and then back to the right. There wasn’t much space in the narrow rows of the archives; D was doubtful he could generate the force needed to do much damage. Still, by knocking the thing around against the stacks of servers, keeping it disoriented, preoccupied, and moreover in a state of expending itself in a state of hapless thrashing, was as good a method.

The others could have their way with it while he kept it busy.

The entity struggled, really struggled, as it was smashed against the servers. Each breath the monster took became more and more laboured. Its blinded eyes more furious, but burning with a weaker and weaker glow.

Just as it was about to release D and shrink back from his attack, VV sent forth one last translucent rope, winding around the monster’s center and pulling tight.

“Ahh! Release me this instant!”

VV smirked despite the sweat dripping from her brow. “Heh, not it a million years.”

And then she pulled. The monster, weakened by the combined attacks of the group, and D’s final smash, couldn’t resist VV as she pulled and pulled. She reached a hand out, and the being began to fizzle, dark specks melting into VV’s body. It continued to melt and dissolve until VV had absorbed the entire Wild.

Swooning on her feet, VV stumbled a bit before she moved towards D. “A-are you okay?” Her chin lifted. “You name… I don’t know your name, but you’re one of us, aren’t you?”

As she said ‘us’, she turned her head to look around the Archives Room. “Wait…” Her eyes widened. “Where the hell are A and Pia?”

The room, beyond the smashed servers, was empty. VV turned to see a vent open, but there was no sign of her comrades. Panic setting into her system, VV took a step into the dim blue light of the servers. “A!? Pia!? Where are you?”

Before there was the sound of rushing footsteps. VV whirled around only to be face to face with the point of a rifle. Masked and armored men with a skull and crossbones on their sleeves stormed the room, securing it in seconds flat.

“Get on the ground!” One of the men shouted at VV, and D. VV’s eyes focused on the rifles, slowly falling to her knees, raising her hands in surrender.

Before they knew it, both D and VV were grabbed roughly to their feet and hauled out of the Archives Room.

---

_{In collaboration with @Qia}

---

A’s attack hit true, causing black smoke to leak from the eyes of the entity.

“Y-you… You think you’ll get away with that!?” The shadow entity screeched, trying to reach out with a taloned tendril. VV watched, and launched out another translucent appendage, trying to inhibit the entity’s movement. She was wholly focused on the monster, and didn’t notice when A was assaulted by a different attack entirely.

To call it an attack wasn’t right. But it was definitely forceful… in a…cute way.

Tiny little shadow monsters with large heads, barely making it up to the knee of A. At least ten were pushing and pulling on her, trying to direct her to where they had come from - the opened vent. It seemed large enough for her to fit through if she was on her hands and knees. A way out of the Archives room.

They had chittering, whispery little voices. “Miss, it’s not safe for you here. Please, please come with us!”

A stumbled, caught off guard by the sudden onslaught of tiny, oddly endearing creatures pushing and pulling at her. Their childlike voices and genuine concern for her safety were in stark contrast to the malevolence of the larger shadow entity. She hesitated, torn between assisting her companions and heeding the warnings of the miniature beings.

With a glance at the others, still engaged in their own battles against the massive entity, A made a split-second decision. “I’ll be right back,” she called out to her friends. “Don’t let up on your attacks!”

Allowing the tiny shadow creatures to guide her toward the vent, A dropped to her hands and knees, feeling a mix of curiosity and apprehension as she prepared to crawl into the unknown. These small beings seemed sincere in their desire to help her, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that she might be leaving her companions at a crucial moment in the fight.

The little shadow monsters chittered in relief, some leading into the vent, some bringing up the rear as A entered. The vent soon slanted up, and working one's way up it was a bit of a struggle, but eventually, everyone made it to a light part of the vents, a fan blowing in cool air from above. A would see to her left, through the slits of a vertical grate, the Archives Room. VV breathing heavily in the center of the room, D nearby, black ooze on the floor - but curiously, no entity.

Of course, the peace A saw would shatter at the sound of heavy boots. A small squad of armored men with assault rifles and glowing green night vision goggles raided the room, shouting instructions like “Get on the ground!”

A would see in 4k definition the fear on VV's face as she raised her hands.

The shadowy creatures around A whimpered a bit as they too, watched. One tugged on A gently. “This is what we saw coming.”

The shadowy beings moved past A so they were all in front of her, lit up from the glow overhead.

“We want to show you how we have stayed safe throughout the raid on Umbra Corp Site 11.” One of the shadowy begins wiggling their little arms, puffing out their chest. “Those scientists don't monitor the air vents, we can travel the entire facility like this.”

One tinier shadow patted A's arm. “We think you should escape. We can show you the closest vent to the exit…”

A watched the unfolding scene with a mixture of concern and confusion. The absence of the shadow entity and the arrival of the armed squad left her with more questions than answers. As the small shadow creatures explained their plan, A considered the implications of their offer.

Escape was certainly an enticing option. The thought of evading the danger and uncertainty of the Archives held a strong appeal. But her gaze kept returning to the frightened figure of VV on the floor below, and the knowledge that Pia and D were likely still in harm's way as well.

A hesitated, her hand hovering near the vent opening. The tiny shadow beings had been helpful so far, and their offer of a safe escape route was tempting. Yet, the bond she had begun to form with her newfound companions weighed heavily on her conscience. Could she really leave them behind to face the dangers of the Archives alone?

With a deep breath, A made her decision. "I can't just abandon my… friends," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the sound of the armed squad's shouts. "But I appreciate your help in getting me this far. If you can show me a way to reach them without being seen, I'd be grateful."

Her plea hung in the air, a fragile thread of hope. The shadows had proffered sanctuary, yet here she was, seeking passage back into danger’s maw. Despite the odds, A clung to the possibility that their intimate knowledge of the facility’s labyrinthine vents could reunite her with her allies, to confront the Archives’ threats as one.

The shadowy beings murmured to one another in hushed tones, glancing at A occasionally. Finally, they looked at her collectively, and the littlest one spoke up.

“We think it’s dangerous… but we will help you. We’d do anything for someone like you.”

A resounding murmur of “yes” and nods of approval rippled through the group at that. The littlest one continued.

“Follow us, and we will show you where you can intervene before they reach their base.”

It was ten minutes of slowly shuffling through the vents before A found herself at a grate along the ground level, right beside the security room in the main hallway. The hallway itself was dimly lit, decorated with the occasional collapsed solider.

The littlest shadow patted her arm, offering what looked like a black hard candy. “They will pass this vent. If you eat this, you will be invisible for five minutes. They should be here any minute… Good luck.”

And true to the being’s words, A could hear the shuffling of a group coming down the hall from the direction of the Archive’s Room.

A looked at the small, dark candy in her hand, marvelling at the strangeness of her situation. The shadowy beings had shown her kindness and support, and their gift, however unusual, could be the key to saving her friends. With a glance through the vent at the approaching group, A knew she had to act quickly.

“Your generosity will not be forgotten,” A whispered back, her gratitude a tangible thing. With no time to spare, she placed the candy between her lips, its flavour an acrid shock to her senses. As she swallowed, a peculiar chill enveloped her, the world’s colours fading into a monochrome haze. Her hands, once solid, now wavered like a mirage—she was invisible.

With the stealth of a shadow herself, A eased the vent open and slipped into the dim corridor. Crouched low, she advanced towards the sound of the approaching group. Recognition dawned as she identified VV, Pia, and D, as prisoners of the armed escort. Urgency gripped her; she needed to act swiftly to liberate them.

Channelling her newfound invisibility, A concentrated on the soldiers, invoking her power, Hemorrhage, to sow disarray within their ranks. As the effects of her ability took hold, A prepared to move in and help her friends capitalize on the confusion.

---

_{@Wayward, @Qia, @Silver Carrot}

Lieutenant Riker led the squad through the hallways, Pia, D and VV at its center. The soldiers behind the pod-dwellers had their rifles up and pointed at their backs, making any ‘funny moves’ a bad idea.

As they passed by the security room in the center hallway, the men failed to notice the vent to the right missing its grate.

Then, there was a blood-curdling scream. Lieutenant Riker turned abruptly as several of his men dropped their guns, gloved hands pressed to their visored helmets where they were feeling the effects of Hemorrhage.

“Men! The hell..?” Lieutenant Riker stared at them for a moment before he pulled out a small purple-accented device. Before he could use it, however, he was also caught by Hemorrhage, and grunted in pain.

Some of the men, in response, shot blindly into the hallway, unable to see their assailant, but figuring out they were under attack from something. Other soldiers pushed Pia, D, and VV to their knees to discourage them from running off as the grunts and groans of pain only increased, men gripping their heads.

---