A figure with a modified voice and blacked-out eyes sat in a dark chamber. They used their computer to activate a hologram of someone. It appeared as a dark shadow; the only thing noticeable being the eyes.

“Master, I got bad news.” The one with the censored eyes bowed before them. “We got some traitors in the midst, those who no longer wish to help you with your plans.”

The one from the computer scratched their chin. “That’s troubling indeed. Thank you for letting me know.”

“What do you suppose we do with the situation?”

“Depends. Do you know where they’re at?”

“Yes, I heard they moved to the city. Why do you ask?”

“Then I know what we can do.”

.-.-.-.

In a science convention center, many people arrived with their inventions. Someone in the center of a podium did a mic check before starting the event. All the great geniuses of the world came together to share their works with the masses.

Amid the crowds, Fawn, alive and well, along with her parents, watched and listened to the announcer before presenting their inventions.

Fawn, however, didn’t pay attention to what anyone else said and found the convention to be boring. She just wanted to support her parents with their hard-earned work.

Fawn overheard her parents whisper something. “I hope nobody noticed or realized what we did with—”

“Mom, Dad, what are you saying?” Fawn looked up at them with wistful eyes.

“No, it’s nothing dear.” Both of her parents shook their heads and assured her with a smile.

The guy from the front of the stage called Fawn’s mom over to display her set first and check on the microphone test while Fawn’s dad stayed by her daughter’s side.

Fawn heard a ringing from her ears, turned around. The skies from outside had gotten darker. Red lightning struck down on the ground, then pierced through the windows.

The screen blacked out and got static-like. When it got clear again, the video showed the convention, only it was a colossal mess. Torn walls, floors covered in blood, countless bodies everywhere, lying motionless. A single figure stood around the flames, watching the chaos unfold. The person covered their face with a mask, wielding a spiked and bloody bat.

They grinned through their teeth as they pulled out the walkie-talkie and pressed it.

“It all went according to plan. Can you imagine? That was easier than I thought it’d—”

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They could hear the sounds of muffled crying from a closet door. The masked fellow walked toward the door and slammed it open. Fawn fell in a fetal position, sobbing to herself. She looked up and backed herself against the wall, clutching her chest and panting heavily.

“Please don’t kill me!” She pleaded with all her heart.

The masked fellow smiled and lowered the weapon. “You know, I do have a soft spot for children, so I might consider sparing your life.”

“R—Really? You will?”

“...No.” The figure stepped closer and raised the bat in the air.

.-.-.-.

Ken quickly shut off the video before the scene escalated any further. Mindy, Kelly, Richard, and Ken stayed silent, the atmosphere getting heavy in the room.

Mindy clutched her chest, her heart pounding rapidly. She looked at everyone else.

“Is everyone alright?”

Ken and Kelly shook their heads. “Not really.”

“So, all this time, they were both dead,” Kelly muttered, lowering her head.

“So much for avenging our daughter,” Ken added. He buried his face with his hands. Kelly walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder before hugging him. Tears formed around their eyes as Ken hugged back.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Mindy muttered.

She glanced over at Richard, but he said nothing. He hyperventilated, placed his hands on his head, and panicked. Mindy, Ken, and Kelly checked on him, not knowing what was wrong. Richard ran to the bathroom and slammed the door behind him. The group could hear him throwing up, most likely in the toilet, and crying.

The group had gotten pale as they waited for him to exit the bathroom, hoping he did fine. After a while, Richard left the restroom and wiped his mouth with a washcloth. He slumped on the couch and rubbed his forehead.

“Are you alright, Richard?” Mindy inquired. “You look...”

“I...” Richard shook his head. “I’ve seen that red lightning before.”

“You have?”

“When I was little, it was the last thing I saw. I took a glimpse of my home on fire before passing out.”

“Sorry to hear that.” Kelly and Ken said.

The group agreed to rest up a bit after that intensity, and they would discuss the next course of action later. After a while, Richard drank water and lied down on the couch to calm himself.

Mindy suggested looking over the rest of the video for more details to help with their search. But when Kelly went to investigate the matter, she found the video had gotten corrupted. Richard blamed himself, but Ken assured him they could always find another way to get to their enemies without the source.

When he heard about their new plan, Richard wasn’t sure if he was behind it or not.

“The longer we wait, the longer the opportunity our enemies have in planning another attack on us,” He explained to the others.

“Are you sure you’ll be alright though?” Mindy asked.

“Well, I’m going to try my best,” Richard replied with a half-smile. He brightened up; an idea popped up from the corners of his mind. “I know another way we can fix the problem!” He exclaimed, getting up from the seats and pointing to the ceiling.

“You do? What’s that?” Mindy asked.

“We can talk to the person who gave this container to me.”

“Really? Who’s that?”

Richard snickered. “It’s my turn to keep you guessing.”

“We’ll stay here. We need to recover after what we've seen,” Ken said. He sat beside Kelly and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her close.

“We understand.”

Richard took the container back as he motioned for Mindy to follow them outside.