Oliver sat at his desk, a bit uneasy. The day passed by fairly quickly, but that was probably because he spent most of it stressing about his current situation. Even though he was in the safety of his own home, he still felt scared. I mean, wouldn't you be? Being treated like a pest that needed to be exterminated. Nobody could blame Oliver for feeling that way. Although, with his current position, he would probably still be blamed.
Tapping his fingers on the wooden desk, the repeating tone slowly creeping into his brain; worming into it like a parasite. With each tap a new worry filled his brain.
"What if I get caught?"
"What if I wake up to a whole squad trying to kill me?"
"What if I don't wake up at all"
"What if I don't even get the chance to sleep?"
"What if someone is waiting outside the door to kill me?"
Tap after tap, he became more and more paranoid. He was in such a trance, that he didn't even realise how many minutes had passed. It wasn't until he felt liquid hitting his shoe did he finally snap out of his trance. He looked at his shoe, seeing a small spot of crimson coloured liquid on it. It was clearly blood. Following the trail of blood coming from the edge of the table led to a small puddle of blood where he had been tapping. Slowly bringing his hand closer to his face, he noticed that he had tapped so much, he had given himself a cut. It was at that point that Oliver decided to get some fresh air.
Leaving his room, he was greeted by an empty apartment.
"Aunt Susan is busy with the shop, and Olivia won't be back until 12... So I guess I'm all alone... Again" Oliver thought to himself.
Ever since Oliver and Olivia had joined the Cadets, being left alone had become normal for Oliver. Unlike his sister, Oliver didn't get any opportunities to stay back at headquarters, even for training purposes. So the only thing he could do was go back and spend time alone. He wasn't upset about it, but the silence had started to become sickening. Oliver sighed before grabbing some bandages from the bathroom. As he closed the bathroom mirror, he stared at himself. He felt something was off about his face. Specifically his right eye. He examined it closer, even pulling up his eyelids a bit, but couldn't find anything weird about it. Still, he felt uneasy looking at it.
"Maybe I should wear an eye patch.... Nah that'd be lame" Oliver thought to himself.
Instead, he just washed his face. Making his way to the front door, Oliver realised he had forgotten his coat. Quickly going into his bedroom, he found his coat on his bed... With that belt on top of it. The way it was displayed, it was as if it was put there on purpose. Oliver was disturbed by it, but decided to use his brain for once.
"I did keep the belt in my coat... So I guess I had taken it out and put it there... Still creepy though" Oliver thought to himself.
He picked up the device, then took his coat from underneath. He was about to put it somewhere safe, but something in Oliver told him to bring it with him. It was as if dozens of soft voices were whispering to him. Without realising it, he had already made it out the front door... With the device in his hand.
"That's definitely not creepy..." Oliver said to himself, trying to calm himself down a bit.
Realising that leaving the device back at home wasn't an option, Oliver put it in his pocket. He made sure it was hidden, so he wouldn't be questioned by the authorities or nosy neighbours. He was still uneasy after experiencing an almost supernatural event; but he figured that after the walk, his mind would clear up. At least he hoped it would.
Walking down the cold city streets was anything but calming. Not only was it cold, it was incredibly silent.
"I guess all the attacks have got people worried... Can't blame them. If I wasn't an investigator, I'd probably stay cooped up in my room all day" Oliver thought to himself.
What he had just thought was completely useless. Even to him. In all regards, making such an observation was just stating the obvious. He pitied anyone who could have the ability to read his mind. However, thinking useless, mundane thoughts helped Oliver ignore the cold, but more importantly the loneliness. He thought, "maybe if I fill my head with noise I can pretend that people are here with me"... But thoughts can never replace true human interaction. Oliver stopped in his tracks, feeling more depressed than before his walk. He wondered if he stood still for long enough, maybe he'd turn into a popsicle.
Laughing at his own joke, Oliver's laughter slowly started to be drowned out by the screams of bloody murder. Quick on his feet, Oliver ran towards the sound of the scream. He was met by a Fester towering over a young girl as its mouth dripped with saliva.
"P- please I just want my mommy...." the girl said, hugging her stuffed bear.
The Fester's mouth creeped into a smile as it ran its long sharp finger along the girl's cheek. A small cut formed on the girl's cheek, causing the Fester to smile even more.
"DoN't W-worRy.... I'll tAkE y.. yoU tO uR moMmy" the Fester attempted to speak.
Its face began to open up, revealing rows and rows of sharp teeth. It lunged forward, ready to eat the girl, but right before it could make contact, Oliver stabbed in its mouth using an umbrella.
"Festers are tough, but their insides are just as fleshy as any living thing" Oliver said, trying to sound cool.
The Fester squirmed backwards as it attempted to dislodge the pipe from its mouth. As it writhed and struggled, Oliver picked up the girl and ran. He knew he couldn't outpace it, but as long as he could contact at least one cadet with an attachment unit, this could all blow over smoothly. Hearing a loud crash behind him, Oliver turned around for a split second to analyse the situation. In the few seconds he turned around, he was met with an absolutely ludicrous creature. It appeared to be a giant chicken whose face was replaced by party supplies.
"I'm either high... Or Festers are just weird" Oliver thought to himself as he continued to run.
While running, he had to deal with dodging objects thrown at him by the chicken. What's more, the ground beneath him started to turn into cake. He almost sank through the ground, but he managed to grab a nearby wall. He hoisted himself up before climbing onto a nearby house so he could catch his breath.
"Fuck fuck fuck.... This was not what I imagined a walk at night would be..." Oliver said, breathing heavily.
Turning to the girl, she seemed to look upset by what Oliver had said.
"Huh? What's wrong?" Oliver asked, still out of breath.
"My mom said you shouldn't curse" the girl said, pouting.
Oliver was about to say something snarky back to her, but then remembering she was just a kid, he decided to just let it go.
".... Right... Sorry I'm just a bit on edge..." Oliver said, rubbing the back of his head.
The two sat in silence for a few moments, taking the time to recover a bit. Oliver looked at the sky, realising how dark it was. This caused Oliver to worry for the girl.
"What the heck are you doing out this late?! Won't your parents be mad?" Oliver asked.
Hearing what he said, caused the girl to grow a bit distant. She curled up into a ball before speaking in a very quiet voice.
"I don't care what they think... I hate my parents..." The girl said.
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Oliver paused for a moment before looking at his feet.
"O- oh... I'm sorry..." Oliver said, feeling extremely guilty.
The silence turned into an awkward one as Oliver didn't know how to deal with a runaway kid who hated her parents.
"Why... Did you run away?" Oliver asked, trying to cut the silence.
The girl didn't respond. Well it was more like she didn't want to respond.
"I mean I get it... Why would you tell a stranger about something so personal... but how do I make her open up?" Oliver thought to himself.
As he looked around for something to cheer her up, Oliver realised that she wasn't holding her stuffed bear. Looking around, he managed to find it hanging on the edge of the roof.
Making his way back to the girl, he tapped her shoulder. She turned to face him, seeing the stuffed animal in his hand. Her eyes lit up a bit, but went back down soon after. Seeing she was still distant, he decided to do something embarrassing. Placing the bear in front of his face, he began puppeteering it.
"Hey, what's got you so down?" Oliver asked in a silly voice.
The girl was hesitant, hiding inside her puff jacket.
"Hey? Can't you even tell Mr beary?" Oliver asked.
"His name is Mr Tibles!" The girl said, popping her head out, sounding slightly angry.
Oliver chucked a bit before continuing his act.
"Well can you tell Mr Tibles what's wrong?" Oliver said.
The girl looked down before looking at Oliver.
"My mom and dad always focus on my little brother. They always play with him, but when I tell them I want to play too, they say they're too tired... They definitely love my brother more than me" the girl said.
"So that's why... I mean I can relate to how she feels... But..."
Oliver stood up, then looked up at the sky. He took a deep breath before speaking.
"There's no way your parents don't love you..." Oliver said, the cold night air blowing through his hair.
The girl's eyes gazed downwards, feeling as if Oliver was just another adult trying to put down her own feelings.
"... But treating you like that is no good," Oliver continued.
The girl looked up at Oliver with brighter eyes.
"Right! They shouldn't treat me like that! That's why I ran away! Because I hate them" The girl said, a bit more energetic.
"Do you really hate them? Because if I recall correctly, when that monster attacked you, you called out for your mom" Oliver said, smirking a bit.
The girl paused before getting embarrassed.
"T- that's..." The girl said, trying her best to come up with a comeback.
Oliver chuckled before ruffling her hair.
"You don't wanna leave them huh? You just want them to realise you're important too right?" Oliver asked.
The girl lowered her head, before nodding. Oliver smiled then helped her up.
"Let's get you back to your parents then. Besides, I think Mr Tibles needs a nap" Oliver said, handing the bear to her
"Okay!" The girl said enthusiastically, taking it in her arms.
As the two smiled at each other, Oliver felt an overwhelming presence slowly creeping up from the ground. He turned around, seeing a disturbing face slowly popping up as if it were playing a twisted version of peek-a-boo. The Fester has reached the next stage of its evolution.
"Found.... You" it said, its smile reaching its ears.
Instinctively Oliver grabbed the girl then jumped off the roof. It seemed to be the right call, as the Fester's peek-a-boo stunt was merely a distraction so its main body could attack. A large slash cut through the house they were on, the two barely escaped its range... Barely. As they rolled to the ground, Oliver felt a searing hot pain where his left arm should be. Looking at it, Oliver was horrified to see his arm had been cut off. He wanted to scream and curse, but he noticed the worried look on the girl's face. He steeled his nerves before doing his best to smile.
"I'm.... I'm fine. You just run okay, I'll deal with this guy" Oliver said, his smile twitching.
The girl didn't respond. She was too scared to do anything. Besides, she didn't want to leave him. He knew from the look in her eyes, that even if he yelled at him, she'd stay completely still... So instead he chose a kinder option.
"Your parents will be worried sick if you don't come back home ya know?" Oliver said, trying his best to sound comforting.
The girl clenched the hem of her dress as she began trembling.
"Won't your parents be worried if you don't come back mister?" The girl said.
Oliver paused for a moment before smiling again.
"It's fine, I don't have parents.... But you're right, I still have people who will be sad if I don't come back. So how bout this. I promise I'll come back, but you gotta promise that you make it back home. Deal?" Oliver asked.
The girl nodded before getting up.
"Keep your promise okay?" She said.
Oliver chuckled before giving a thumbs up. Watching the girl run away, Oliver sighed a bit.
"Why the hell am I doing this...? I'm usually a selfish person... But this is already the second time I've done something so stupid...." Oliver said, slowly standing up.
He turned to where the monster was, now seeing its true body. A giant angler fish with what could barely be considered a human face as its lure.
"From party chicken to fish... Festers are so weird..." Oliver said, pulling out his transformation device from his pocket.
The face on its lure smiled once more as it noticed Oliver. It lowered its lure down to Oliver's face as close as it possibly could. Oliver could practically feel the rotten air it was breathing out on his skin.
"I'm going to eat you"
Oliver made a disgusted looking face before punching it right in the eye. It reeled its lure back before screaming.
"Hey bastard, didn't your mom ever tell you to keep quiet at night? People are sleeping!" Oliver said, putting on the belt.
As Oliver was about to pull the trigger on the belt, the Fester began creating bubbles around itself. It shot the bubbles at Oliver, causing him to get trapped in one of them. His surroundings completely changed from a housing district to the bottom of the ocean.
"Figured... This guy has illusion powers... But wait if that cake thing was an illusion then... What the hell did I put on my face?" Oliver thought to himself, grimacing.
"Well whatever..."
Oliver pulled the trigger on the belt once again, completing the transformation this time. Oliver broke out of the bubble illusion rather easily, causing the Fester to get scared.
"So this thing really can heal anything huh?" Oliver said to himself as he looked at his new left arm.
Seeing such blatant disregard to what it had just done to him, the fester felt a new feeling it had never felt before. Humiliation... And it hated it. The Fester attempted to shoot more bubbles at Oliver, but he just dodged them. The attack seemed to be more of a detriment to the Fester as it gave Oliver the opportunity to get up close to the Fester. Oliver didn't have any plan whatsoever; all he knew was that if he stalled the fight any longer, more people might get hurt.
"Right... Finish this in one hit" Oliver thought to himself.
He clenched his fist, then punched the Fester. Unfortunately for Oliver, it seems that his punch was weaker than he expected. However what worried him the most, was an unwavering feeling that something was wrong about the Fester. It was as if a hidden truth was being uncovered for him, yet he didn't know what exactly that truth was. The weirdest part was that this feeling was located in his right eye.
"Huh? That should'v-" but before he could finish his sentence, the Fester slammed his body against Oliver.
Oliver was sent flying back, which hurt both his ego and his body. Standing up, he began wondering why his punch had no effect.
"That weird feeling in my eye… it must have something to do with it. But even still a punch like that should probably do at least some damage. Maybe it's because the Fester's rank is high. Is it an Advanced, or is it Hyper? Probably a Hyper, I heard it speak just now...." Oliver thought to himself.
Realising that he essentially knew nothing about how this Fester worked, he decided to rethink his plans. As he began thinking and thinking, there was one thought he couldn't shake off.
“That feeling in my eye… what was it? Is this belt affecting my body?” Oliver thought to himself.
It was then when Oliver had an idea.
“Alright… if my eye can sense something off with that Fester's body then…” Oliver thought to himself as he began concentrating.
He closed his left eye then put all of his focus into his right eye. As he did so, he began to see truths that had been hidden. Everywhere around him began emitting a glow, with living objects glowing the brightest.
“Don't tell me… am I seeing the flow of Descent energy?” Oliver thought to himself.
He was completely ecstatic at his discovery, though this also brought up serious questions about himself. Though his existential crisis had to be halted for a second, as he realised that the Fester was emitting two glows. One was coming from the Fester's body. It was relatively faint for a living object, but inside the Fester, was a glowing round orb that was shining incredibly brightly. It was then when Oliver remembered the Fester's illusion ability.
“Don't tell me…”
Scanning the area, Oliver noticed that strangely enough, the houses are all completely intact despite the Fester's radical movements. Coupled with the information he had just gotten, there was only one conclusion he could make.
“So that's how you wanna play huh?” Oliver thought, grinning widely.
Heading towards the Fester, Oliver began walking confidently. In response, the Fester began shooting bubbles at Oliver. However instead of dodging, Oliver planned to walk through them. He could now see the amount of descent energy in each bubble, so if he just coated his body with more descent energy than the bubbles, it would pop. At least that was his theory. Though the hard part was trying to learn how to use descent energy on the fly. Although thanks to his new eye, he felt like he could do it… probably.
As he got closer and closer to the moving bubble, Oliver felt an incredible sense of ease wash over him. He knew he could do it, of course he could. It was just like the time when he was hit with that massive beam of descent energy. Something inside of him told him what to do, as if it was his right. Closing his eyes, he began to imagine his whole entire body being covered by energy. Like a warm blanket being draped over him. In an instant, a very faint glow of green enveloped him. Oliver had figured out how to use descent energy. The moment the bubble came in contact with his body, it popped into a massive explosion of confetti; as if even the world was celebrating his achievement. Seeing that it's attack did nothing to Oliver, the fester began panicking. It moved backwards slowly. With each step Oliver made, the Fester responded in the opposite direction. Soon, the Fester had been backed up into a corner. It tried its best to scare Oliver by roaring at him, but he didn't once flinch. Getting as close as possible to it as he could.
“If my theory is right then…”
Oliver pressed his hand up against its body, then pushed. His hand slipped through the Fester's body, the part of his arm visible having a glitchy filter surrounding it, as if he was breaking through a hologram. Oliver smirked, before completely walking through the Fester's ‘body’
“Bingo” Oliver said proudly.