Luke slowly turned toward the man that stopped him, a face that he would recognize from a mile away.

(Luke) Fred.

Luke couldn’t even dare to look at Fred when he then let go of Luke’s wrist.

Pulling the hand that held the crystal-like substance, Luke put it back inside of his leather jacket.

Hope as well couldn’t describe the face Fred made, as his hair blocked the overall outline of his cheeks and jawline. Putting her left hand onto her right wrist, she slowly extended her right hand outward toward the silver-haired young man.

(Fred) Sorry if I was busy … I was taking care of something …

(Gemma) You didn’t have to do that babe. You were supposed to be helping me, because after all…

Gemma then extended both of her arms outward toward the shy man.

Placing both of his hands inside his pants pockets, Fred walked forward toward her, his footsteps tapping the soundwaves that collided with the air around them.

(Gemma) You were always my little wallflower~

Fred also extended both of his arms out wide for Gemma, both of them giving each other a long overdue hug.

Wrapping his arms around her lower back, he pulled her body toward his, her cold icy skin piercing his palms as the white fabric barely was enough to contain it. Both of their heads close to one another, Fred nuzzled his head over her shoulder.

(Fred) I’m ready.

(Gemma) I knew that you were smart. Don’t worry, it will only just be a little kiss~

Pulling his head away from her shoulder, he took in her all-black eyes that were gleaming at him, his reflection being shown into her pitch-black pupils. Licking her lips, she then leaned her face close to his, closing her eyes shut as she could feel the warmth of a beating heart.

Luke clenched his fists as his eyes widened from the danger that was yet to come, his right hand reaching outward as it remained still.

Hope clasped her hands together onto her chest, as if she was making a little prayer despite her eyes focusing on the two.

(Fred) Gemma I…

Ignoring those two words, Gemma then opened her mouth wide, her all-black teeth and putrid breath blasting out right in front of his face. Pushing his head slightly back, he continued to lean his face closer and closer, his lips barely opening as she then put her hands toward his shirt.

Inches, centimeters, millimeters…

As the corners of her teeth began to sharpen, her colorless lips were on the verge of pressing onto the light red of his lips—

She couldn’t move.

(Gemma) Huh?

A burst of electricity and magnetism surrounded the entirety of the room they were in.

Having her hands on his chest, her muscles couldn’t even pull her out of the stance she was in, as if she were a statue. Her eyes widened, yet her mouth and throat still worked, the muscles that were supposed to do their job ceased to do their duty.

While her organs continued to do theirs.

(Gemma) F-Fred!?

(Fred) I’m sorry Gemma…

From the inside of his jacket, a small metal device was sticking out from the outside of his pocket. With a red beeping light coming from the homemade device, Gemma couldn’t even make a glare as her cheekbone muscles remained stoned.

Both Luke and Hope remained gawking at the setup that Fred made, both of their mouths slightly lowered at Fred’s groundbreaking way of moving forward.

(Gemma) You … You …

(Fred) I know you didn’t want this…

Fred then pulled out a razor-like yo-yo from the inside of his jacket, his right hand trembling as his fingers stained the toy.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Her eyes glancing down at the toy, Gemma’s whole body started to twitch despite the spell under the EMP burst, her eyes beginning to cry out tar as her nostrils flared inward and outward. Taking a couple of steps back, Fred pulled back the razor yo-yo that was entrenched in the old razor weapons that she used to use.

(Gemma) … You’re … You’re …

(Fred) But you’re not the same girl that I remember. So … Gemma, if you’re hearing this from the prison of your heart…

The air around the room went into a deafening silence, with the air around them making their goodbye a melancholic one.

No breath was drawn, and no muscle moved.

Only the tears that dropped from the man who wielded his weapon swept the room.

(Fred) Thank you for taking care of me…

Fred thrust the razor whip like a sword.

Making contact with her chest, the intensity of the razor whip was enough to slice through the entirety of her body.

The whip then came out from the other end of her chest, slashing across her body in one single slash. Tar leaking out of the area that he whipped across, her upper body then began to slowly yet surely…

Slide off.

Plopping onto the metallic floor, only the upper half of her chest, neck, and head were trembling under the coldness of the metallic floor. As a tsunami of tar poured forth from the sliced-open body, her heart wasn’t safe as even that too was beyond repair.

Every cell and skin that made up her body soon started to crumble as if she were a dead leaf. The three starred as her ash remained on the cold metallic ground.

Fred then turned his head toward both Luke and Hope, his face plastered with tears that stained his reddened cheeks.

(Fred) Thank you guys for capturing her. I wanted to do the finishing blow…

The two soldiers could not say a word.

Hope turned her head as she saw Luke’s darkened face, her eyes enlarged as she kept on having her stare at him.

Clenching both of his fists, he looked toward Hope, his face on the verge of letting out a couple of tears as his throat quivered relentlessly. Unable to look at the staring Hope, he clasped both of his hands together as he soon started to stare into the abyss.

(Hope) What happened?

(Luke) I don’t know …

(???) I suppose … gasps … you lost your composure. That’s what’s called … gasps … implosive anger I presume.

A lich girl stood in the doorway that led to the downstairs of the first floor.

Having her arms crossed, she had her shoulder tilted to the door frame as she looked at the three of them. Despite her body language is that of a relaxed and refrained teenage girl…

Her body and skin were the complete opposite, as her body was drenched in a heap of sweat that covered every part of her body. As well as her breath heaving out hot putrid air from her mouth, her vulnerable heart pumped out more tar that circulated throughout the entirety of her body.

(Luke) Who are you?

(???) The name … gasps … that was bestowed to me was Mia. I will not speak … gasps … of my last name here.

(Fred) A Fron accent…

Both young men took a step back as they glanced at the weapons that they still carried on their hips.

Hope didn’t even bother to holster her combat pistol as she had her hands motionless on the ground, her palms dripping with sticky sweat that caused her body to move forward. Taking a step back, she covered her body behind Luke as she looked down onto the metallic flooring of the building.

(Luke) How did you escape from those three from downstairs?

(Mia) That cat-human girl summoned her storm on the floor … gasps … catching me off guard. If I hadn't pulled out my heart and threw it across the other ravine of the building … gasps … I would certainly be dead right now.

Luke noticed Hope’s fidgeting as her throat started to quiver from analyzing the lich girl’s body.

Putting his hands into his pockets, he placed them deep into them as he tilted his head upward, his eyes starting to glare at the girl. Fred also made a little glare at the girl, his entire body straightened and outlined with both of his hands onto his sides.

With both men ignoring Hope, both looked at one another with simple stares, looking back toward the lich girl who was still in a heap of sweat.

(Luke) You look familiar…

(Mia) It is quite obvious that I look familiar. Do you not see the familiar … gasps … face that is right next to you I presume?

Both men turned their attention toward Hope.

Both see a similar status in facial structure, along with her nose and ears almost a replica of the lich girl.

Both saw a similar hairstyle as the same strands of hair had the same thickness of both females.

And most importantly of all…

(Luke’s thoughts) Come to think of it, Hope never told the group anything about her past…

Luke placed his right hand on her shoulder, his fingers caressing the lining of the fabric of her leather jacket. Looking up toward Luke, her eyes widened as she looked down, her legs wobbling.

Fred on the other hand walked behind Luke, both of his hands folded as he swept away some strands of hair that got into his eye.

(Luke) Hope … where are you from?

Hope clasped her hands together as she formed a tight grip on them.

Looking into the lich girl that still leaned on the doorframe, her eyes soon started to sharpen as her face stiffened up. Unable to look toward Luke or even glance at the silver-haired young man, Hope inhaled a huge amount of air that caressed her throat.

(Hope) I don’t … I don’t remember.

(Mia) Don’t worry, there’s a reason why you don’t know…

(Jack) Get her, boys!

A yell came from the first floor down.

Hearing the loud voice of a red-haired man that they were all too familiar with, Mia flinched her body as she remembered the cat-human.

(Mia) I suppose I shall leave now … yes, right now…

Mia then extended her right hand onto a metal wall that was right near her.

In an instant, Mia’s right hand soon started to turn itself into a metal concoction, the weapon being not a projectile or gun, but rather…

A grenade.

Pulling back her right arm, she then threw the metal device right onto the metal wall that was next to her, while pulling the pin back in the process. Not even bothering to move, the grenade soon exploded upon impact rather than the typical four to five-second delay, creating a loud explosion that shook the room to its core.

Creating a large hole, Mia then swiftly jumped into the dust as she flew away into the dark of the morning while everyone watched.