Vanguard chuckles to himself and admires his trio of rings.
Vanguard: All the power I could ever need in one hand. And there are still seven more rings to collect; how joyful.
Exciton: (His guard is down! This might be our only chance!)
Exciton quickly charges up and fires a Glass Cannon at Vanguard’s wrist.
Exciton: (If this works…)
Justus appears beside the attack and deflects it.
Exciton: What?!
Silver: (Since when did Justus have that kind of speed!)
Vanguard: That was a valiant attempt, Exciton, but with The World protecting me, you’ll never remove these rings from my fingers.
Exciton: *frustrated grunt*
Vanguard begins walking toward the group. Justus bows as the tyrant passes by him.
Vanguard: Stay back and block any attempts at my hands.
Justus: Yes, Master.
Vanguard cracks his neck.
Vanguard: Now that I have all this power, I think it’s time to test it. And if luck would have it, I have four brand-new toys to play with. Too bad for you all that I like to break my toys.
The whole group is trembling.
Vanguard: But the question is… which one do I play with first? Shall it be my old friend, Exciton? I’d thoroughly enjoy getting you back for our earlier battle. Or the fused warrior? You were the one who overpowered my Emperor. Or maybe I should go with Black Hollow? Rubber Man would have acquired the Delta Ring for me much sooner if you didn’t awaken at the wrong time. Or finally, Silver, drowning Drunk Billy, and finishing off Alden was not very nice, wouldn’t you say? All four of you have caused me a lot of distress today, so I simply can’t choose who I’ll devastate first. Hm…
Several seconds pass of Vanguard thinking.
Vanguard: Oh, and by the way, I’m not taking any volunteers at this time.
Exciton: (If what the time traveler said is true, then Vanguard is more powerful than all four of us combined. Whoever he chooses to attack first… will die; there’s no getting around it.)
Vanguard: I know! Let’s go with the classic method of selection that has never failed!
Vanguard points at Black Hollow.
Vanguard: Eeny, meeny (Exciton), miny (Aarow), moe (Silver), catch a (Black Hollow) tiger (Exciton)-
Exciton: (He can’t seriously be doing this right now!)
Black Hollow: (This gives a whole new definition to the term “death game.”)
Silver: (If he points at me, I’ll die. Hell, any of us will.)
Aarow: (If I die, that counts as two deaths… not good.)
Vanguard: By the (Aarow) toe (Silver). If he (Black Hollow) hollers (Exciton), let him (Aarow) go (Black Hollow). Eeny (Exciton), meeny (Aarow), miny (Silver),...
Vanguard points at Black Hollow.
Vanguard: Moe.
Black Hollow: *grunts*
Vanguard: Well, Black Hollow, it looks like today isn’t your lucky day.
Black Hollow: If I must battle you, then I will.
Silver: Black Hollow! You can’t!
Black Hollow: Silver, this is for the best. You students shouldn’t be asked to give your lives at your age, and Exciton is too powerful to allow him to die. So I’m the best option.
Exciton: *frustrated grunt*
Silver: But-
Vanguard snaps his fingers.
Vanguard: Justus, would you mind clearing out the unnecessary bodies?
Justus: Yes, Master.
Suddenly, Exciton, Silver, and Aarow find themselves standing beside the unconscious bodies, with Alden and Piper added to the line.
Exciton: What? How did we get over here?
Justus sits atop a Maoi.
Justus: (I’ll take the best seat in the house for my Master's debut.)
Vanguard and Black Hollow face off.
Black Hollow: (According to Blaze, Vanguard is stronger than Exciton and I in his current state. So, I need to weaken him as best I can before he kills me. Perhaps then Exciton will be able to finish him off. But, first things first, I need to gather information.) So, what does this Delta Ring do?
Vanguard: Why spoil the surprise? I’d like this battle to start off with some festivities.
Black Hollow: What?
Vanguard: You are ranked the 3rd strongest hero in the world, correct?
Black Hollow: More or less.
Vanguard: Good, then you’ll be a marvelous measuring stick for my power. Black Hollow, I want you to hit me with 100% of your strength.
Black Hollow: Wh- is this some kind of trick?
Vanguard removes the Gamma Ring and tosses it to Justus.
Vanguard: No, it’s not.
Silver: Are you kidding me?!
Aarow: This is his chance! Without that, Vanguard can die!
Exciton: (Why is he so cocky? Why risk this?)
A bead of sweat rolls down Black Hollow’s face.
Vanguard: Well? Go ahead. I won’t dodge or block; I guarantee it.
Black Hollow: (He has to be planning something.) *gulps* (Either way, I can’t back down. This is the best chance I’ll have at killing him, so I can’t waste it!)
Black Hollow takes a few steps back.
Vanguard: Oh, that’s right, get a running start! I'm sure it will help boost your impact.
Silver and Aarow look at each other.
Silver: We’ve gotta get in there and help him!
Aarow: We can’t pass up this opportunity to blindside him.
Silver and Aarow take a few steps forward.
Exciton: Stop! Don’t go in there!
Silver: Wh- why Exciton?
Exciton: Just trust me, Black Hollow is already dead. There’s nothing we can do to help him now.
Aarow: Oh, come on, Exciton! That’s bullshit! He’s still standing, so we can-
Exciton: LISTEN TO ME!
Aarow and Silver are taken aback.
Exciton: The best thing we can do for Black Hollow right now is to keep ourselves alive. If you go in there, you’ll die too.
Silver: But-
Exciton: But nothing! I understand that Black Hollow is your mentor; he’s a great hero and an even better man, but he’s dead, and we can do nothing but spectate.
Silver clenches his fist.
Exciton: If you don’t believe me… just watch.
Black Hollow takes a deep breath.
Black Hollow: (I’ll kick him in the head so hard it will fly off his shoulders like a golf ball to a tee!)
Vanguard: I’m waiting…
Black Hollow: YOU’LL WAIT NO LONGER!
Black Hollow charges at Vanguard, leaps in the air, and spin-kicks his head… it doesn’t even budge.
Black Hollow: Wh- what?
Vanguard laughs as Black Hollow leaps away from him.
Vanguard: Was that really 100%? I have to be sure.
Black Hollow: I… I put everything I had into that kick…
Vanguard: Good.
Vanguard snaps his fingers, Justus tosses him the Gamma Ring, and he places it back on his finger.
Vanguard: If that’s all you can do, then I’m sure Vulcan and Exciton can’t do much better.
Aarow and Silver are shocked.
Aarow: D- did- did he just take a hit from Black Hollow… like it was nothing?
Exciton: I told you, kids… Vanguard is the strongest force on this planet now. All we can do is sit here and hope he skips our turn to die.
Silver falls to his knees.
Silver: Black Hollow…
Black Hollow trembles in fear.
Black Hollow: How did you do that?
Vanguard: The Delta Ring enables the wearer to reverse the power of their quirk. In your case, instead of making yourself invisible, you could make others invisible. For some, this ring is useless, but for others… It's a complete game-changer.
Black Hollow: Your quirk allows you to give the tarot-based quirks to others… so with that ring… you can give those powers to yourself.
Vanguard: Yes, the ability I just activated to nullify your attack was: The Tower. It grants the wielder the power of Perfect Balance; nothing can ever knock me off my feet. Couple that with my natural brawn, and your attack stood no chance.
Black Hollow: (If my count is correct, that means Vanguard now has access to 24 quirks.)
Black Hollow falls to his knees in defeat.
Black Hollow: (I’m powerless against that.)
Vanguard: So, you’ve accepted your fate.
Vanguard cracks his neck.
Vanguard: Then let’s bring you one step closer to it!
Vanguard uppercuts Black Hollow, sending him flying.
Vanguard: I invoke the power of the Chariot!
Vanguard begins savagely beating Black Hollow using various martial arts styles.
Black Hollow: AHHHH!
Vanguard: It’s been so stressful to get to this point; I’m happy I can take a second to enjoy myself!
Blaine and Khold continue taking turns destroying trees in search of Alexis.
Khold: Are we unlucky, or is she lucky?
Blaine: I’m not sure, but this makes our game more intense.
Khold: Eh, yeah, you’re right!
Alexis is shivering; her tears have frozen on her face.
Alexis: (I swear to god, if I make it out of this, I’m wearing my paper cloak literally everywhere I go. Ugh, who am I kidding? I’m not gonna make it out of this.)
Khold: *from afar* Hey! What are you doing?!
Alexis: (Shit! Did they spot me!)
Alexis looks out from behind her tree; she spots Demetri struggling to stand up.
Alexis: (Demetri, what are you doing?! Don’t make this worse for yourself!)
Khold: Hey! Stop that! Don’t make me come over there!
Demetri continues trying to stand up.
Blaine: Go knock some sense into him, brother.
Khold: Ugh, fine!
Khold walks over to Demetri and steps on his seared back.
Demetri: AHHHHHHH!
Khold: Listen when I speak to you! Don’t make me kill you, or you’ll ruin our game!
Demetri is hyperventilating from the pain; he attempts to get up again.
Khold: Jesus Fucking Christ!
Alexis: (Demetri, stop!)
Demetri: I… won’t… stop...
Khold: That’s it!
Khold covers Demetri’s back in dry ice.
Demetri: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Alexis covers her ears to block out Demetri’s intense screams of unrelenting pain.
Alexis: (Why is he doing this? There’s no need to endure this abuse.)
Khold: Now stay down!
Khold begins walking away, but Demetri tries to stand up again.
Khold: YOU’VE GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!
Demetri: I’m not… gonna… let… you… win…
Khold: We already have, you fucking idiot! And now I’m going to prove it to you!
Khold creates an icicle in his hand and aims for Demetri’s neck.
Alexis: (Demetri!)
Khold: It’s time to die!
Blaine grabs Khold’s hand, stopping him.
Khold: Brother? What the hell!
Blaine: This is the most courage I’ve ever seen from one of our victims, brother. I’d like to hear why he won’t stay down.
Khold: *growls* Fine, but I’m killing him after.
Blaine kneels down in front of Demetri.
Blaine: What’s your name?
Demetri: D- d- d- Deme… tri.
Blaine: Well, Demetri, tell me why you refuse to stay down.
Demetri: I… I’ve been one of the biggest laughingstocks of my hero class since Day 1. I fell behind, and I’ve never been able to catch up…
Tears fall from Demetri’s eyes into the snow.
Demetri: I’ll admit that it’s my fault I couldn’t reach the same heights as my classmates. I’m an arrogant, perverted fool. I was too busy trying to snatch underwear and get a slight glimpse of boob to actually put in the same amount of work as everyone else. That’s on me and nobody else, but… the one thing that made it tolerable was that I wasn’t alone. I wasn’t the only dumbass that couldn’t do anything right, even if he tried. Isaiah was my friend, and even though we were idiots, at least we were idiots together… misery loves company, you know? But he abandoned me… and for what? A fucking chance at some tail… That's all our friendship was worth to him. So now he joined the Vanguard and finally turned himself around… and then there’s me. The same old failure. I’ve been humiliated so many times in life, so I won’t let my death be humiliating too. I want to go out the way Hayze, Justus, Kevin, Aaron, or anyone else would… Not. Giving. Up.
Everyone is silent for a few seconds.
Alexis: (Demetri…)
Demetri: Alexis… if you’re still here… I’m sorry for everything. But, for my dying wish… can you find it in your heart to take it all as a compliment? I know that’s asking a lot, but it would help me be at peace.
Blaine stands up.
Blaine: Thank you for that, Demetri.
Khold: So, can I kill him now?
Blaine: No, we’ll spare him.
Demetri: Wh… what?
Khold: WHAT?! WHY?!
Blaine: His speech moved me. As long as he promises to do something with this second chance we’re giving him.
Khold: Hey! I disagree with this!
Blaine: I’ll skip my next three turns in our game.
Khold: Deal!
Blaine looks down at Demetri.
Blaine: Well?
Demetri thinks for a moment.
Demetri: No deal.
Blaine: Hm?
Alexis: (What?! Demetri!)
Demetri: No matter what I answer, you’ll hunt down and kill Alexis… I may be a douchebag, but I’m not a traitor. If she’s gonna die… I will too.
Alexis is amazed.
Blaine: Okay then.
Blaine knocks Demetri out cold.
Khold: Hey! That was my kill!
Blaine: We’re not killing him; he checks all the boxes Master Iota would want in a new soldier.
Khold: You think the Master would want him?
Blaine: I'd say so after I explain what he said to us.
Khold: Ugh, fine! But you’re carrying him back!
Blaine: That’s fine. Let’s finish our game.
Khold: Let’s!
Blaine: You should be happy, brother. That loser reminds me a lot of you.
Khold: Shut the hell up!
Alexis grinds her teeth.
Alexis: (Demetri… for the first time ever… you have my respect. I’m not going to let them take you… we’re BOTH getting out of this!)
Alexis takes off her shoes and socks, ties them together, and carries them with her teeth. She then starts climbing up the tree she’s been hiding behind.
Alexis: (I may not have my quirk to rely on right now, but I still have everything else!)
Alexis reaches the top and hides among the branches.
Alexis: (The falling snow should give me decent cover.)
Alexis looks down at Blaine and Khold.
Alexis: (Okay… now it’s time to gamble.)
Alexis unties her shoes and drops them from the tree; they smack down on the ground.
Blaine: Hm?
Khold: What was that?
Blaine: It sounded like it came from that tree.
Khold: You think that’s the one she’s behind?
Blaine: Well, you could annihilate it and find out.
Alexis gulps.
Khold: No, I have a better idea. We said whoever finds her gets to kill her, right? So, if I think she’s behind that tree, I can just check there, right? I don’t have to destroy it AND her at the same time.
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Blaine: Eh, I’ll allow it.
Khold: Sucker!
Khold runs over to the tree and checks behind it.
Khold: I’ve got you now!
Khold finds Alexis’ shoes and socks.
Khold: Huh?
Blaine: What, what is it?
Khold picks up Alexis’ shoes and shows them to Blaine.
Blaine: The hell?
Khold: Do you think she snuck away?
Blaine: Perhaps… without her shoes, she would have been much quieter.
Khold: There aren’t any tracks here, though?
Blaine: The falling snow could have covered them up by now.
Alexis: (I had a feeling this guy was too logical for his own good.)
Khold: Well, if she’s gone, then our game is ruined! Which direction do you think she went?
Blaine: It doesn’t matter; we’re not following her.
Khold: What?! Why?!
Blaine: She hardly has any clothing left, and the only direction she could have escaped to without us noticing is further East. She’ll never find help before she freezes to death. Hell, it might have happened already.
Khold: So what, we’re just gonna leave?
Blaine: Yes, we’ll return to the snowmobiles and follow the western trail. We’ll find more prey that way.
Khold: *grunts* Having some new opponents would be more fun. Don’t forget your boyfriend.
Blaine: *nasal grunt*
Alexis begins leaping from tree to tree as quietly as possible, maneuvering her way to the tree closest to Demetri.
Alexis: (I’m only gonna get one chance at this!)
Blaine approaches the knocked-out puppeteer.
Blaine: Alright, come on, you.
Khold checks the beacon.
Khold: Hey, brother! It looks like Julio and Yusuf were killed.
Blaine: Shame.
Khold: Also, there’s a fourth snowmobile back there.
Blaine: Really? Then we might have company heading our way.
Khold: Yeah, I’m also seeing-
Alexis jumps down from the tree and lands on Blaine.
Blaine: AHHHH!
Khold: Brother?
Blaine is knocked out cold; Alexis scurries to hide behind a tree.
Khold: Brother?!
Khold comes to Blaine’s aid.
Khold: What the hell?
Alexis charges out from behind the tree and kicks Khold in the face.
Khold: *frustrated grunt* So, You WERE still here!
Khold creates an icicle.
Khold: Now I can finish what I started!
Khold attempts to stab Alexis, but she dodges, grabs his forearm, and twists it.
Khold: *pained grunt*
Alexis: (This isn’t where my story ends!)
Alexis knees Khold in the jaw.
Khold: You’ll pay for that!
Khold blasts Alexis with a gust of wind chill, knocking her back and on her ass.
Alexis: S- s- s- s- so cold…
Khold: That’s me!
Khold creates his Ice Cannon and aims it at Alexis.
Alexis: (Shit!)
Khold begins charging the Cannon with snow, preparing for a point-blank blast.
Alexis: (I won’t die here!)
Khold: You should have just stayed hidden! Your loyalty to this dweeb just ended your life!
Alexis: (I can’t dodge, I have to stop him, but how!)
Alexis looks at Demetri.
Alexis: (We’re getting out of this no matter what, Demetri!)
Alexis’ eyes widen.
Alexis: (Wait…)
“ Blaine: You should be happy, brother. That loser reminds me a lot of you. “
Alexis: (If this guy is like Demetri…)
Khold finishes charging his Cannon.
Khold: Time to die!
Alexis stands up.
Khold: Oh, so you’d prefer to die on your feet? That’s cute.
Alexis: This is the most pain I’ve ever been in… the concept of warmth is becoming so foreign to me that I’m starting to forget what it feels like…
Khold: That’s my quirk for you; nobody survives my cold!
Alexis: But still…
Khold: Hm?
Alexis: I’ll do anything to live a little longer…
Khold: Anything, eh? Well, too bad my sights are set on ending your life! Especially after what you did to my brother!
Alexis: Sorry, but this is non-negotiable.
Khold: Oh yeah? And what are you gonna do to stop me?
Alexis rips her shirt open and flashes Khold, stunning him.
Khold: Duh…
Alexis charges at Khold and kicks him in the balls.
Khold: AHHHH!
Khold falls to his knees, dropping the Ice Cannon. Alexis quickly picks it up.
Alexis: Let’s see how you like it!
Khold: (SHIT!)
Alexis blasts Khold with the Ice Cannon, sending him careening into a tree.
Khold: AHHHHHH!
Alexis rushes over to Demetri and hoists him over her shoulder.
Alexis: Come on, Demetri… let’s go.
Alexis moves as fast as she can.
Khold: WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING?!
Terror pours down Alexis’ face, and she looks back at Khold.
Khold: WHAT?! DID YOU THINK A SNOW ATTACK WOULD BRING THIS AGENT OF FROST TO HIS KNEES!
Khold begins channeling the icy winds around his body.
Alexis: (This again?! What should I do? If that attack connects… we’re both dead!)
Alexis attempts to run away, but he’s hardly faster than she was before.
Khold: You can’t escape the cold! The cold consumes all! And it WILL destroy you!
Khold finishes charging his attack.
Khold: It’s time for a Cold Wave!
Suddenly a beam strikes the tree behind Khold, drying out the wood and causing it to collapse on top of Khold.
Khold: What the hell?!
Khold abandons his attack and dodges out of the way.
Khold: Who did that?
Blaze: I did!
Blaze has arrived; he runs between Alexis and Demetri, and Khold.
Khold: (Who is this guy? I’ve never seen him in any of the briefings.)
Blaze looks over his shoulder at Alexis.
Blaze: (Her skin is blue, and she’s going to go into hypothermic shock soon. I have to get her to Hayze as quickly as possible.)
Khold: What do you think you’re doing, kid? Nobody interrupts my attack and lives to tell the tale.
Blaze unsheathes his obsidian sword.
Alexis: (That sword… I’ve seen it before.)
Blaze: I have to save these two lives, so I don’t have time to waste on you.
Khold: *frustrated grunt* Don’t talk to me like I’m a speed bump! I’m Khold, and I’m going to kill you!
Blaze: *nasal grunt* Says who?
Khold creates his Ice Cannon and begins charging a blast.
Khold: Don’t mock me!
Blaze: I only mock the weak.
Blaze fires a purple beam at Khold’s Cannon; it melts instantly.
Khold: The hell?!
Blaze begins firing beams at various trees around Khold, drying out the impacted area and causing them to collapse.
Khold: AH! AH!
Khold starts running for his life as the trees plummet to the ground around him.
Blaze: Let’s see how you like being hunted!
Blaze charges at Khold as he’s avoiding the falling trees.
Khold: I don’t!
Khold coats his arms and torso in ice as Blaze slashes at him; his armor absorbs the hit.
Blaze: *frustrated grunt*
Blaze fires a beam at Khold’s ice armor and melts it instantly.
Khold: What is this quirk you have?! It doesn’t look like a fire quirk, but you’re melting my ice with ease!
Blaze: Ever heard of a microwave?
Khold: Huh? A microwave, as in the thing I cook Hot Pockets in?
Blaze: No, dumbass, the electromagnetic radiation.
Khold: The what?
Blaze: *frustrated grunt* I don’t have time for this.
Alexis keels over in the snow.
Blaze: (Literally. As much as I’d love to watch the life leave Khold’s eyes again, it’s not worth those two dying over. I have to get them out of here now, but how do I get away from him?)
Blaze looks around and spots Blaine unconscious in the snow.
Blaze: (Him…)
Blaze clenches his fist.
Blaze: Listen here, Khold, this battle is over. We both have wounded allies that need help, and if we continue fighting, they will die.
Khold: (What? How does he know my name?) My brother will be fine.
Blaze points his sword at Blaine.
Blaze: I can fix that.
Khold: So, what, you’re going to attack my unconscious brother instead of me from now on? Go ahead.
Blaze: I know that’s a lie; you only had your brother growing up, so despite your constant squabbling, you’d never let him die.
Khold: Wh- how do you- Nice guess, but you’re wrong!
Blaze fires a microwave at the tree beside Blaine. It starts to collapse on top of him.
Khold: Brother!
Khold bursts towards Blaine and saves him from the falling tree.
Khold: *frustrated grunt*
Blaine: Let’s call a truce to bring our allies to safety.
Khold: Fine!
Khold hoists Blaine over his shoulders and takes off to the North.
Khold: (Who the hell was that guy?)
Blaze runs to Alexis and Demetri.
Blaze: (They’re both in bad shape, but the Thyagodryphen can’t fix body heat issues, so…)
Blaze gives Demetri the medicine, his back heals completely, and he wakes up soon after.
Demetri: Wh- what? I’m alive? What happened?
Blaze: There’s no time to explain; we have to move fast!
Blaze hoists Alexis over his shoulders.
Blaze: Follow me!
Demetri: Wait! Where did those two go?!
Blaze: I told you! There’s no time!
Blaze starts running back in the direction he came; Demetri shakes off his confused look and follows Blaze.
Blaze: (We have to get to Hayze before it’s too late!)
Vanguard grabs Black Hollow by the ankle and smashes him into a Maoi.
Black Hollow: AHHHH!
Vanguard begins whaling on Black Hollow.
Vanguard: Are you regretting becoming a hero yet? Or do you need more punishment?!
The Moai falls apart.
Black Hollow: *groans*
Vanguard picks Black Hollow up by the neck.
Vanguard: Want to play a game?
Black Hollow: N… no…
Vanguard: Good, it’s called: “If you puke, you die.” I don’t think I need to explain the rules.
Vanguard punches Black Hollow in the chest.
Black Hollow: AHHHH!
Vanguard: Round 1 Complete! You win! Want to know your prize?
Black Hollow: No…
Vanguard: It’s an extra punch!
Vanguard punches Black Hollow in the exact same spot.
Black Hollow: AHHHH!
Silver is still on his knees, watching with a look of defeat.
Aarow: Why won’t he end this already…
Exciton: I hate to sound cruel, but the longer he drags this out…, the better.
Silver: HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT?! YOU’RE A HERO, GODDAMMIT!
Exciton: Yeah, and as a hero, I’m thinking about the lives I can save, not the ones that have already been lost. Our only way of surviving this is if he decides to spare us. There are only two ways that can happen. First, he tires himself out by extending this execution, and the second… he gets bored. I know you kids don’t want to die here, so… even though this is painful to watch… just remember it’s your only chance at survival.
Silver continues watching Black Hollow get beaten to death by Vanguard. Then, a flashback begins: Silver and Black Hollow meditate at BH’s Dojo, but Silver is squirming.
Black Hollow: Silver?
Silver: Y- yes, Black Hollow?
Black Hollow: I can tell something is wrong. Are you worried about our upcoming mission?
Silver: Well… of course, but that’s not the issue.
Black Hollow: What is?
Silver: When Hayze died… I froze… I couldn’t bring myself to help you chase after his murderer. I’m sorry for that.
Black Hollow: Why are you apologizing?
Silver: Huh? Because I failed you, sir. You hired me to help you, and I backed down at the first sign of danger! That’s not what a hero does!
Black Hollow scoffs.
Black Hollow: Silver, no “rules” exist for being a hero. I mean, there are laws that we have to follow, but there’s no precise definition for how we must act or react in any given situation. Watching a friend die is one of the most painful experiences anyone can live through. I never expected you to be “okay” after that moment; I asked you to follow along because why wouldn’t I? You’re my student, and I wanted you to help, but I didn’t force you to come along when you were frozen. Emotions are a part of being human, Silver. The idea that you need to brush them off to fit the societal definition of “what a hero does” is laughable.
Silver: But… if I want to be a better hero, I can’t do that every time something happens.
Black Hollow: You’re right.
Silver: So, you understand why I’m unhappy with myself, right?
Black Hollow: No, I don’t.
Silver: What?
Black Hollow: Silver, you are young, and your entire career is ahead of you. And what a career it will be… because you experienced that moment. You know what it’s like to watch your friend die before your eyes. Trust me when I say you'll know what to do next time.
The flashback ends. Tears fall from Silver’s eyes.
Silver: (He’s right… I know what I have to do… Nothing…)
Silver punches the ground.
Exciton: (There’s gotta be a way that we can beat Vanguard…)
Exciton glances at Aarow.
Exciton: (Hm…) Hey, Aarow?
Aarow: Yes, Exciton?
Exciton: How exactly did Aaron and Wes fuse into you?
Aarow: Our friend, Yul, from U.A., possesses the ability to fuse objects together, and this quirk can be used on people as well. Combining them together for 30 minutes.
Exciton: But he’s not here, so how did you do it?
Aarow: His quirk works by coating two objects in different “fusion energies,” so he had the support class at our school create “Energy Capsules” that could store his quirk for others to use when he’s not around.
Exciton: I see… and are there any limitations on who he can fuse?
Aarow: As far as I’m aware, no. I mean, I couldn’t fuse again since I’m already a merged entity, but that’s it for limitations.
Exciton: I see…
Aarow: Why are you asking, Exciton?
Exciton: I’ll uh… I’ll tell you later.
Aarow: Huh?
Jagger hides behind a tree not far from Ash, Gus, Yusuf, and Julio.
Jagger: (I see… so they disabled Julio and Yusuf’s beacons.)
Jagger stares at Ash.
Jagger: (She probably figured out their function by taking over their bodies.)
Jagger rolls up his sleeves and preps his needles.
Jagger: (With the element of surprise in hand, I can easily exterminate those two.)
Jagger hears footsteps coming behind him; he hides further.
Hayze: Ash? Gus?
Ash: Hayze?
Gus: Hayze! You’re here!
Julio: Ah, fuck us!
Hayze runs to the group.
Jagger: (Hm…)
Jagger clenches his fists.
Hayze: Are you guys alright?
Gus: Yeah! All thanks to Ash! She took these guys down like it was nothing!
Hayze smiles.
Hayze: Really, Ash? That’s awesome!
Ash: Oh, well… i- it was nothing!
Julio: Fuck you!
Hayze: So, you captured Yo-yo guy and curse boy… have you been questioning them?
Ash: Yeah, the one with the bloody crotch hasn’t been saying a thing, but the other one has been pretty cooperative.
This piques Jagger’s interest.
Hayze: Really? What has he said?
Ash: He said they used a “ring fragment” to hunt down the actual ring. It took a while, but they finally narrowed it down to here.
Jagger reaches for his beacon.
Jagger: *whispering* Marsh, this is Jagger. Come in.
Marsh: *beacon* Jagger? Why didn’t you come back? Julio and Yusuf are dead.
Jagger: *whispering* They’re not; the heroes figured out what the beacons were for and disabled them. So Yusuf and Julio have been getting interrogated.
Marsh: *beacon* What?! How much do they know?
Jagger: *whispering* I’m not sure, but I’ll need your help in a second here.
Hayze looks at Julio and Yusuf.
Hayze: Where did you get the fragment?
Yusuf: Uh… the Vampire Queen sold it to us. She just asked for Zaire’s help in exchange for it.
Hayze: Alright… and where is she now?
Yusuf: Dead! We executed her after breaking her free from police custody.
Hayze: Hm… boys, let’s take a vote.
Ash, Gus, Julio, Jagger, and Yusuf look confused.
Hayze: Do we believe him?
Calm, Wrath, Impulse, and Gale: (No.)
Hayze: Oof, 4-0, that’s tough for you.
Yusuf: Wh- what are you talking about?
Jagger is maneuvering towards the trees closest to the frozen pond. Hayze’s eyes turn red. He ignites a flame and holds it up to Yusuf’s eye.
Yusuf: AH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!
Hayze: Tell me, do you know what happens when the liquid inside of your eyeballs evaporates?
Yusuf: N- n- n- n- n-
Hayze: Well, as long as you don’t lie to me, you won’t find out the answer. So, I’ll ask you again: Where is the Vampire Queen now?
Yusuf: We kept her alive for a few days, trying to see if she would help us. Master Iota wanted her to give us access to that Soul thing her subordinates always used in exchange for her freedom! But she knew we’d never let her leave, so we executed her! That’s the truth, I SWEAR!
Hayze: Boys?
Calm: (Yes.)
Wrath: (No.)
Gale: (Hm… no.)
Impulse: (I’m gonna say yes.)
Hayze: 2-2, I’ll break the tie and believe you. So, that leaves me with one last question. If either of you answers honestly, you get to live.
Ash: What?! Hayze?! We can’t kill them!
Hayze: “Can’t” or “Shouldn’t?”
Ash: W- well, shouldn’t, but-
Hayze: But nothing, Ash. I’m sorry, but Iota has killed far too many people for us to take this lightly.
Ash: I- I guess you’re right…
Hayze: Now, tell me where your base is.
Julio and Yusuf both gulp.
Hayze: Well?
Neither of them answers.
Hayze: Alright, if you guys won’t answer. I’ll just go find someone that will.
Hayze aims a fireball at both of them. They look afraid.
Ash: (What’s going on? That guy was spilling all kinds of information to us to save himself, so why won’t he tell us where Iota is to save his own life?)
Hayze holds up five fingers.
Hayze: You have five seconds before your lives are terminated. 5… 4… 3… 2…
Julio and Yusuf are both sweating like crazy.
Hayze: 1… 0-
Julio: Okay! Okay! I'll tell you!
Yusuf: Julio! No!
Julio: He’s located in-
Suddenly, one of Jagger’s needles pierces Julio’s carotid artery.
Hayze: What the hell?!
Ash: Someone else is here!
Julio bleeds out in seconds.
Jagger: (Thank you, Julio.)
Yusuf: Jagger! I didn’t say anything about the base, honest!
Hayze: Gus, Ash! Get down!
Gus and Ash duck as Hayze begins rapid-fire blasting trees with fireballs.
Hayze: If you’re hiding, I’ll find you!
Jagger runs out from behind the tree and runs across the frozen pond.
Ash: There he is!
Hayze: Ash! Come with me! Gus, stay here and watch the prisoner!
Gus: Right!
Ash and Hayze chase after Jagger by running across the pond.
Ash: They must keep a tight ship if he was willing to kill his friend to stop him from telling us where Iota is hiding.
Hayze: Yeah, but nobody will stop us from getting the location if we catch him!
Ash: (I’ve never seen Hayze so fixated on something.) Hayze! I think we should talk about-
Suddenly a sniper bullet pierces the back of Ash’s neck; she falls against the ice as blood fills her mouth.
Hayze: ASH!
Hayze runs to Ash’s aid as Jagger escapes.
Hayze: Ash! Ash! Are you alright?!
Ash: *choking on her own blood*
Hayze starts shaking as tears fill his eyes; he begins hyperventilating.
Hayze: It was all a setup… he ran over here for this exact reason…
Marsh smiles.
Marsh: It’s way more fun to hit the neck, a near-instant kill, and much more painful!
Jagger: *beacon* Good work, Marsh. Nice shot.
Marsh: Thanks, but can I ask why you wanted me to shoot her and not him?
Jagger smiles.
Jagger: I want the pleasure of killing him myself. This way, we can apply all the pain we want.
Marsh: *beacon* *laughs* You sick motherfucker.
“ Ash: I’m Ashley; by the way, it was nice to meet you; good luck. “ - Chapter 3
Hayze: (How could I let this happen?)
Gus: Hayze? Is Ash alright?
Gus comes running toward Ash and Hayze.
“ Ashley: Please, call me Ash now. It’s part of my new rebranding towards being a hero!
Hayze: Oh, okay, Ash, I’ll try to get used to that. “ - Episode 6
Hayze: HOW COULD I LET THIS HAPPEN?!
Suddenly, Gale, Wrath, Calm, and Impulse appear as spirits around Hayze, and a force slowly drags them toward him.
Impulse: (What the hell is going on?!)
Gale: (It’s like we’re getting sucked in by a vacuum!)
Calm: (This has never happened before! I don’t know what this means!)
Wrath: (Well, I don’t like it!)
Inside the deep recesses of Hayze’s mind, Khaos also starts getting dragged upward.
Khaos: (What is this?)
Hayze’s eyes begin to rotate rapidly between each of his personalities.
Hayze: AHHHHHH!
Hayze begins to exude energy so potent it knocks Gus back.
Gus: WOAH!
Ash’s choking sounds grow faint as her skin turns pale.
Hayze: AHHHHH!
Wrath: (We’ve gotta put a stop to this!)
Impulse: (I agree, but how the FUCK are we supposed to do that? Unless one of you has hands, we’re not slapping any sense into him!)
Calm: (Sense! That’s it! Hayze! You have to listen! You can still save her! Use the medicine Blaze gave you! He wouldn’t have given it to you unless it could be used to save someone’s life!)
Wrath: (Listen to the dumbass, dumbass!)
Gale: (What Wrath is trying to say is: Listen to your logic, not your emotions!)
Impulse: (But aren’t we technically his emotions?)
Calm, Wrath, and Gale: (Not now, Impulse!)
Impulse: (Sorry!)
Calm: (Hayze! Remember the time in the forest when all hope seemed lost for you? I helped calm you down! I am your logic! So calm down and listen to me!)
Hayze slowly reaches for his pocket and grabs the medicine.
Calm: (Good! Now give it to her!)
Hayze attempts to place the medicine in Ash’s mouth, but it’s full of blood.
Impulse: (Uh… I think that’s a problem!)
Calm: (Shove it through the bullet hole and rub her mouth!)
Hayze does as he’s told, Ash’s wound closes within seconds, and she spits out the excess blood in her mouth and passes out.
Hayze: (She’s… okay…)
Hayze’s eyes revert to normal, and the personalities are freed from the vacuum pulling them towards him. Hayze then passes out as well.
Impulse: (So uh… what just happened?)
Calm: (I don’t know… but whatever it was... we must never let it happen again.)