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[b][h1][color=purple]The Rescue[/color][/h1][/b]

Chemical Girl’s feet barely made a sound as they touched the cracked tile floor of the bank’s second story. She moved quickly but quietly, her translucent form shimmering faintly as her powers kept her insubstantial. The room was dark and hazy, the remnants of Pestilence’s gas clinging to the air. Her eyes scanned the space, zeroing in on four hostages tangled in thick, writhing vines. The tendrils constricted tightly around their arms and legs, rendering them immobile, and the hostages’ muffled cries of fear broke through the eerie silence.

[color=purple]“I see the hostages, Puzzle,”[/color] she whispered into her commlink, crouching low to avoid detection.

[color=yellow]“Good,”[/color] Puzzle Box’s calm, analytical voice responded in her ear. [color=yellow]“The vines are organic but infused with a strange energy—it looks like they’re actively resisting being cut. You’ll need to use your phasing ability to pull them free. Just be quick; Pestilence’s tricks always have a nasty surprise.”[/color]

[color=purple]“Got it,”[/color] she replied, her voice steady despite the tension crackling through the air.

Chemical Girl approached the first hostage, a middle-aged woman whose face was streaked with tears. The vines twitched and tightened as she reached out, almost as if they sensed her presence. She placed her hand lightly on the woman’s shoulder, her fingers shimmering as her power activated. In a fluid motion, she phased both herself and the hostage out of the vines’ grip. The woman gasped as the constricting pressure vanished, and Chemical Girl gently guided her toward the stairs.

[color=purple]“You’re safe now. Head to the ground floor and stay low,”[/color] she said softly.

The woman nodded shakily before bolting for the exit. Chemical Girl didn’t waste a second, moving to the next hostage and repeating the process. One by one, she phased the terrified civilians free, each time feeling the strange resistance of the vines trying to hold their prey. By the time she reached the last hostage, her breathing was steady but deliberate, her focus razor-sharp.

[color=purple]“They’re free,”[/color] she reported into her commlink as the final hostage ran toward safety.

[color=yellow]“Good work,”[/color] Puzzle Box replied. [color=purple]“But the clock’s ticking. That bomb’s not going to wait for you.”[/color]

[b][h1][color=purple]The Bomb[/color][/h1][/b]

Chemical Girl turned her attention to the central lobby below, her sharp eyes locking onto the bomb sitting ominously in the middle of the chaos. It pulsed faintly, wires tangled around its surface like a steel spider’s web, and a red light blinked in a slow, menacing rhythm.

[[color=purple]“I’m heading to it now,”[/color] she said, her tone resolute.

[color=yellow]“Careful, kid,”[/color] Puzzle Box warned. [color=yellow]“This isn’t your run-of-the-mill explosive. It’s rigged with airborne dispersal tech—shrapnel and gas designed to spread destruction far and wide. But you can disable it with the Puzzle EMP. Left compartment of your belt. It’s keyed to short-circuit the trigger mechanism. You’ll only need to get it close to the core.”[/color]

Chemical Girl landed softly near the bomb, her shimmering form solidifying as she surveyed the device. The tension in the air was palpable, the faint hum of the bomb’s mechanisms sending vibrations through her fingertips as she reached for the EMP device.

With a flick of her wrist, she tossed the sleek, glowing gadget toward the center of the bomb. The EMP latched on with a sharp [color=blue]click[/color], and a pulse of blue energy rippled outward, causing the bomb’s blinking red light to flicker and die.

[color=yellow]“It’s disarmed,”[/color] Puzzle Box confirmed after a beat. [color=yellow]“But it’s still live. You know what to do.”[/color]

[b][h1][color=purple]The Phase[/color][/h1][/b]

Chemical Girl nodded to herself, stepping closer to the bomb. She knelt, wrapping her arms around the heavy device. Its weight was nothing compared to the stakes at hand. Taking a deep breath, she let her powers wash over her body, turning her insubstantial once again.

The bomb shimmered as it phased with her, becoming intangible in her grip. With a swift upward motion, she lifted off the ground, her natural ability to fly carrying her seamlessly through the chaos. She phased through the shattered floor, descending into the earth below the bank.

[color=yellow]“How deep are you going?”[/color] Puzzle Box asked through the commlink.

[color=purple]“Deep enough that no one gets hurt,”[/color] she replied, her voice calm but focused. She passed through layers of dirt and rock, her surroundings dark and silent as she descended to a safe depth.

Once she was sure the bomb was far enough underground to prevent airborne damage, she released it, allowing it to solidify in the earth. She reemerged from the ground moments later, her form shimmering back to solidity as she landed gracefully in the bank lobby.

[color=purple]“It’s done,”[/color] she said, brushing dust from her hands.

[color=yellow]“Good work,”[/color] Puzzle Box replied, his voice filled with pride. [color=yellow]“Now get back in there and finish this.”[/color]

Chemical Girl smiled faintly as she turned back toward the fray, ready to dive back into the chaos and help bring this nightmare to an end.