Chip’s Totally Awesome Totally Boba Tea
“Uggggh that hits the fucking spot.” Lonzo took a sip from his brown sugar boba. He leaned back against the table with a smile as he looked at his two companions.
Directly across the table from him was Anna who had finished drinking her tea. She went with something classic and rewarding like a traditional green milk tea. Now she was just staring at her phone.
Sitting beside her was Kain who couldn’t help but order three cups of boba. All with different flavors. They were all empty and he was now contemplating getting another one.
“Hey, Terios. What flavors did you get again?” Lonzo asked.
“Strawberry, honeydew, and brown sugar.” He answered softly.
“Damn… you really like the sweet stuff, huh? You should calm down. You don’t wanna get diabetes.”
“Not to worry… I’m incapable of getting any defects like that.”
“Really? You genomes are weird.”
“Are biological structure was designed for this purpose. My body is in a constant state of looking for impurities and eliminating them. With the use of Either I can control how active the search is.”
“All right, you’ve earned yourself another tea. My treat as always.” Lonzo said as he tossed his wallet toward the boy.
“Thanks.” He mentioned as he caught it. “This was nice. It’s nice to just hang out and be normal after everything we’ve done.”
“Of course. As long as I’m here we’ll have more normal moments like this. We’ll also have more members, so we don’t have to shoulder the burden ourselves.”
“It’s selfish as hell. But, I’d rather not suffer alone. Maybe I shouldn’t feel so bad about that girl becoming one of us.”
“Feel however you want to feel. I’ve come to peace with whatever happens and I think you need to as well.”
Terios nodded before walking off to place his new order.
“Anna, get off the phone man, DAMN!”
“Fuck off.”
“What are you doing? Looking for your prince charming? Someone who’s going to sweep you off your feet?”
“No, I’m looking at different countries because I want to travel. I believe I can convince Abigail to let me have some PTO after how hard I’ve been busting my ass.”
“Hey, I’m the one who does all the heavy lifting. All you do is drive.”
Anna flicked Lonzo off and soon Terios returned with four more drinks upon seeing this Lonzo couldn’t help but laugh. Everything was calm for the moment.
However, sitting a few tables down were a pair of twins. A pair of twins who just so happened to serve the Vin-Sync.
“Do you feel bad?” Talia asked.
“No, he’s a sweetheart. That’s his biggest strength. But, it’s also his biggest weakness.” Cecilia replied.
“If we kill him it might strain your relationship. He might never treat you the same way.”
“It’s better than him potentially dying to save this monster.”
“I’m glad we are on the same page sis. Someone like him shouldn’t deserve to be alive.”
“There’s no way to justify the killings. Even though we’ve experienced great pain and stress. Humans are what we were made to protect. Killing them is like killing our purpose for living.”
“Yeah, I want to do this as soon as we can. When they least expect us. We have all the cards right now and enough power to kill all three.”
“All right. Then let’s follow the plan.”
—
The three finally grew tired of drinking boba and decided to head back to the main hideout. However, Lonzo and Terios noticed something off about the white van they drove and parked in one of the parking lots.
“Someone slashed the fucking tires! Son of a bitch!” Lonzo complained.
“What asshole would do that? This state is going to hell.” Anna scoffed.
Terios got a strange feeling that something was amiss. Why slash only their tires specifically? After what happened earlier he wouldn’t be surprised if that man came back to try and kill him. If he did he was a fool.
“Whatever. We can steal another van. Let’s just call an Uber back.” Terios added.
“We’d have to kill the Uber driver after you sick fuck. I like it.” Lonzo cheered.
“I could just wipe his mind, but whatever. I don’t care.” Terios took out his cell phone and had only managed to open the Uber app before he heard the soft voice of a pretty woman.
“We can give you a ride.” Cecilia stated.
“Hell yes. Count me in.” Lonzo smiled.
They were twins it was easy to tell from how identical they looked. However, there was something off about them and their timing.
“Did you do this?” Terios asked.
Talia shook her head before Cecilia answered.
“No. We couldn’t help but overhear. You see we have very sensitive ears because of the wind.”
“I don’t trust these women. Let’s get the Uber.” Terios stated.
“Subject 666. Did you really think you could hide forever?” Talia said bluntly.
Hearing this was enough for Terios to drop his phone on the ground, his screen shattering upon impact when it hit the ground.
“What did you call me?”
“Terios. We’ve been looking for you for a while now.” Cecilia chimed in.
“It’s time we ended this game of hide and seek.”
Terios started to back away slowly as he stared at the two women in shock. But, it didn’t matter. He was stronger than the other genomes. He would crush them.
“You’re weaker than me. I’ll end you!”
Lonzo and Anna looked concerned as they saw Terios’ reactions. If these people were related to Terios then they must have been genomes. That was very, very bad on their part.
“It’s been a very long time since you had anything to do with VIn-Sync. But, understand you aren’t special. In fact, you’re the downgrade.” Taila stated.
“Your genetic compound was used for further development of genomes. They perfected it and were able to make what is now known as Gen 2 genomes. We are more stable and have more control over our abilities without any side effects.” Cecilia added.
“We are also way more efficient at killing demons. Would you like to find out?” Talia added.
Talia oozed out an orange-colored aura that engulfed everyone in the area rather quickly. Upon feeling it Terios, Anna, and Lonzo all understood that they would all die here.
Lonzo upon feeling Talia’s Either could understand that she was like him in a way, but better. He could tell she had way better control over her abilities and was experienced. She was a professional killer when it came to demon hunting.
Anna understood that she had low odds of winning and immediately was shifting her priorities from fighting to retreating. It was better to survive than to fight a losing battle or one that she didn’t know if they would win.
Terios on the other hand realized that his worst nightmare was becoming a reality.
Once Cecilia released her Either… the gentle, yet dominating Either spread across the area as well. Dominating everything around them and restricting their movements. This was known as fear.
“These two are monsters. I’ve never seen Either like this… it’s… it’s on the same level as Abigail… no it might even be stronger.” Lonzo cried out.
Anna was at a loss for words.
Terios on the other hand was about to break. He knew he was about to return to a tortured life at Vin-Sync. All of his efforts to be free appeared to have been in vain.
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“You have a chance to surrender and suffer a quick death. If not then we will make you regret it. That… goes for all of you.” Talia said bluntly and stared at Terios as if he was garbage, mere rubbage to be thrown out.
She didn’t value his existence and merely saw it as a mere hindrance. This was very mentally crippling to Terios. His resolve was quickly breaking.
I can’t win.
Is there any point in fighting?
Fight. Fight for me.
I don’t think I can do that.
Fight to protect me.
It’s pointless. We’re dead.
Fight to keep me alive.
“I surrender.” Terios said.
Upon hearing this Lonzo’s fear was gone. Instead of fear, he was now filled with anger. Anger that Terios was so willing to give up just from the mere sight of their opponents.
Lonzo shook his head before slamming his fist into his palm as he quickly glanced around the parking lot. No people were around, but there were a few cars out and about. Lonzo looked over at his comrades and saw both of their spirits were broken.
“Wise choice.” Talia snickered.
“Hell no. I’m not going to surrender. I’m going to FIGHT!” Lonzo yelled, increasing his Either.
“Lonzo… we’re still injured from our last fight! We aren’t dealing with humans either. We won’t win this f-” Anna tried to be the voice of reason.
“I don’t care!!” Lonzo screamed as he leaped off of the one good leg that he had. He was ready for whatever they threw at him. “I’m not going to back down from a fight! My pride is on the line as a faithful servant to Lady Abigail!!!”
They didn’t seem afraid… or impressed. It was almost like this was something they’d seen a million times over.
Cecilia increased her Either slightly. Channeling most of it into her hands and held one out.
It wasn’t long before a strong gust of wind blew across the area! Terios and Anna were blindsided by this fearsome attack. But, surprisingly Lonzo was caught off guard.
Even with his defenses active, it might as well not have existed. “Th-there’s no way- Agghh!”
The Either itself was so focused… so refined and condensed. It managed to blow a hole right through Lonzo’s chest. A large gaping hole about the size of a soccer ball was present. Along it were the vital organs of the demons.
Blood gushed out, spilling harshly onto the ground. However, even as Lonzo felt his time was coming to an end he decided to still press on.
“RUN!!” He called out to his friends before taking one step forward. That one step forward was the last step.
Cecilia made a swiping motion with her hand and his head was gone. Removed from where it ought to be. Falling into the distance as it hit the floor. Blood gushed out once more, endlessly. Leaving behind a red puddle as the body fell lifelessly.
Upon seeing this Anna released a blood-curdling scream!
She knew death was coming for her.
She knew that the end was near.
She wanted to run away as fast as she could.
And that was exactly what she did.
She wasted no time as she leaped off, using the Either to increase her speed and jumping potential. She zipped off so quickly that Cecilia almost instinctively went after her. Taking the same approach.
The twins were very close to one another. Talia already knew what the plan would be since Cecilia charged off head first. Talia was often the one to clean up after her sister’s messes and handle the most important tasks.
This would be no different. After all, right now her most important mission before her was taking care of subject 666. Despite not having a main fighter role she was confident in her ability to defeat Kain.
Especially with the psychological damage that had been placed on him. Seeing someone close to him even if he didn’t care about them dying in such a horrific way would take a toll on him. She knew this and she wanted to add fuel to the fire.
“You and your friend will be next. I will make sure that you personally die a pathetic death.” Talia said as if she was talking to scum.
That was all she saw in Kain. She didn’t see a person… in fact, she saw him as another demon that was meant to be slain. Even though everyone wanted him to be captured alive, mostly. She despised him and wished death upon him.
I’m scared.
Why?
Because of death… I’m scared of dying.
Dying like this.
Dying when I haven’t accomplished anything worth any kind of value in life.
Dying before I-
Terios had a weak expression on his face. He was traumatized by the deceased body of Lonzo. His head barely raised as he was reminded just how much blood a human body could produce. His opponent: Talia. She was not in a caring mood.
Her Either was already unleashed… channeling brightly with a bright orange hue. It was beautiful with how it radiated off from her body. From this sight alone he knew that he was outclassed.
She had perfect control of her Either. It flowed out of her in perfect harmony. It was respectful, stern, and prepared for this brutal fight.
Kain on the other hand could only produce a small amount of Either in his current state of mind. He was afraid and it was disturbing his concentration. He was unconfident in his ability to win and the more he looked at her…
The more he envisioned his own death.
“Please.. Just-”
The boy’s words were a mere tremble. It was met, however, with no mercy. The woman rushed forward and delivered the stiffest of kicks directly into his midsection.
THUD!!
The force of it was enough to send him sliding uncontrollably. Once he caught himself he nearly lost balanced.
Even with his Either to protect him he still felt as if he was hit by a boulder in the stomach. It knocked the air right out of his mouth and he was struggling to breathe. Panting, gasping, his hand clasped around his throat.
His eyes darted around the parking lot… people were starting to gather around. Only a few paid them any mind the others were more concerned with trying to go about their daily lives. Nothing could interest them.
What should I do?
What should I do!?
What should I fucking do!?
Calm down.
She wouldn’t let him catch his thoughts. She would keep him on the defensive. She rushed in again and delivered the swiftest of kicks.
THUD!! THUD!!! SMACK!! SMACK!! WHAM!!!
Each kick she delivered was thunderous. Connecting with various limbs of his body. Arms, legs, stomach. It didn’t matter if he defended them. The difference in Either was huge. She was in a sound state of mind.
Her strikes left his pale skin bruised. A nasty purplish discoloration. Sweat began to seep from his bores and his breathing increased.
“Hey… knock it off!”
A stranger yelled as he saw the boy being bullied by a redheaded babe.
“Whatever this kid has done th-”
“He’s a murderer. I’m no better, but he’s killed, humans. A lot of them too.”
“...” The man stood confused.
“You don’t know the situation at hand, so back off. Else, he might kill you too.”
Terios was desperate at this point and the only thing on his mind was survival. This man was a useful tool in his goal of defeating this woman. He extended a hand towards the man and his Either extended as well.
Talia didn’t seem surprised by this action. The man gasped as he was captured by the ominous Either.
“Let me go or I’ll kill him!” Terios stated very clearly.
“Do it.”
The man and Terios both looked confused by her comment.
“Further prove to me that you’re a monster.” Talia said calmly as she stared coldly at subject 666.
…
“Prove to him that you can’t be saved.”
She’s bluffing… she wouldn’t let me kill him.
“Shut up!!” Terios’ hand tightened.
Upon doing this so did the pressure around the man. He could feel as if something was crushing his body and squeezing the life out of him.
“You have to save him! It’s your job!!”
“I’ll lose a few points when I make a report. But, it’s worth it in my eyes to kill you.”
Terios swore under his breath, knowing that the man wasn’t going to gain him an edge in battle. He instead tosses the man her way with tremendous force.
At this point, he didn’t care if the man died or not. He only wanted to stop this woman. The person that threatened to take away his freedom.
Seeing the man fly towards him, she held out her hands and caught him. Even at this range, the force was enough to cause her to slide back a few. Her shoes ground against the asphalt. Once the man was safe she threw him onto the ground.
“What the fuck are you, people!? Demons!?”
Talia ignored him and rushed towards the Terios again. Upon seeing this the man rushed to his car.
She belittled him once more with an onslaught of kicks and punches. Continuing to surpass him with speed and finesse.
SMACK!! SMACK!! THUD!! WHAM!! THUD!! SMACK!! SMACK!!
Each strike caused his body to swing back rapidly. Moving back and forth with each strike. The bruises continued to couple his body until he was sent flying to the ground.
Calm down.
Even though Talia was clearly winning something didn’t feel right. There was something off. He wasn’t reacting… he was just taking every hit.
Calm down.
Her instincts told her she should end this now and that is what she planned on doing.
I know what I have to do.
To survive.
She didn’t have many offensive skills. Most of her abilities were better suited for defense or support. Mostly because she cared about her sister so much. That was the basis for her ability creation.
Even her one offensive ability was mostly used for support. But at this moment she was hoping to put Kain down with it before he could somehow come back in this fight. With this in mind, she began to channel her Either.
Wind Blade
It was a ranged ability. Something she would use to support her sister from behind while keeping up her defensive and enhancement abilities. This ability was rather simple.
Using her Either much like her sister she could manipulate the wind around her in a very limited manner. The air around her twisted and warped, becoming two circular blades that floated around her palms.
The moment Terios saw this he knew that sudden death was near. An attack like that would prove fatal. He didn’t know if he could stop it. No, he didn’t want to take any chances. But, right now…
He was throwing caution to the wind.
It was a simple ability, but it was very useful. The more she concentrated the sharper she could make it. The more she concentrated the faster she could spin them.
Overload
Another ability that Talia often used. It was a way for her to increase her Either output. The flow of it increased and the next attack would become 2x stronger. The blades spun around rapidly. Her vibrant aura started to expand. There was now tension in the air.
Subject 666 stood and watched. But, something was different. After all the blows he took he noticed something.
I can’t feel it.
It doesn’t hurt.
No… in fact.
I’m starting to understand.
Understand why she wanted me so much.
“This is where you meet your end!” Talia stated as she hurled one of the circular blades forward. It moved rather intensely, kicking up a large gust of wind.
Terios knew that he wouldn’t be able to avoid damage. But, he underestimated himself. He expanded his Either himself and stayed calm like the person he looked up to would be in a situation like this.
It was a simple task. With his aura being expanded by just a few he would be able to sense the exact moment the blade came close. Even if his eyes could not see he would be able to feel and react.
SLIIIIIIIICE!!!!
Blood. It started leaking from his right side. The wound was rather deep and serious. Well, it would have been for a regular human. Although it was painful he would be fine if he could avoid the other attack.
However, the blade kept spinning as it ripped through him. It wouldn’t stop for a while since Talia didn’t have full control over the wind blade as her sister did.
Upon being hit by this Kain continued to tell himself that it didn’t hurt. But, it in fact hurt very badly. His face might have remained expressionless, but the boy fell to the ground after clutching his wound.
It doesn’t hurt.
This doesn’t hurt!
“I know you must be in terrible pain. I will end it very shortly.” Her words were cold.
Just like those researchers…
Just like the ones who took Setsuna from him.
His anger started to fuel him. These people… no matter how good-intentioned they were or not. They wanted to control him. They wanted to take away his freedom. They wanted to end his life.
He was not going to stand for this anymore.
Terios bit his lip as he forced himself to stand up. He stared down at the few sprinkles of blood that were dripping onto the cement. He took a deep breath and stared at Talia. Warning her to do her best.
She wasted no time. This time she was going to bisect him in half and be done with the whole mission. She made sure to throw her blade horizontally. With the speed it was traveling, it was akin to a bullet.
He shouldn’t have enough time to dodge. It was over.
Terios knew this. But there was something that Talia hadn’t known about him. She underestimated him.
A gen two Genome was a thing of beauty. They had more control over their Either and were immune to the effects of genetic degradation. However, they were not without fault. Because of how balanced they were they had less potential for growth.
Their adaptation rate was also stuck at one. While gen one genomes had an adaption rate of three. This meant that even though there were more drawbacks to gen one genomes they benefited by being able to catch up to beings that were stronger than them.
The speed of this adaption depended strictly on the genome. Terios was a prodigy in this right. Even after coming into contact with a few blows from Talia, he was already catching up to her speed and power.
That is why he knew he didn’t need to dodge the Wind Blade, but instead, he had something sinister in mind. It wasn’t enough to just avoid the attack. He was devious and wanted payback.
SLIIIIIIIIIIICE!!!!
Talia’s eyes widened. Terios, however, smiled. It was unsettling.
In her mind, she was wondering if he was smiling at the fact that he had just lost an arm. She knew he was mentally unstable and didn’t know what to make out. He was smiling because his plan worked.
By expanding his aura to be able to not only sense when the blade was in range. But, he was also able to take control of it. His eyes were actually able to detect the Wind Blade this time, but he still wasn’t entirely fast enough.
Instead of trying to avoid it completely he instead changed the trajectory. He forced the attack into a vertical movement with his telekinesis. Because of this, his left arm was completely severed.
It flew wildly amongst the air, completely cut from the upper bicep. Blood poured nonstop from this fatal wound. However, he was excited because he knew he had this fight won.
Unlike Talia who didn’t have much control over this attack. Once Terios took ownership of it with his Either he could freely manipulate it as he deemed fit. His opponent had no idea how capable he was.
It traveled a few miles away, but he could still freely manipulate it. It had managed to cut through a few cars which lessened its power, but that was fine. He made it spin faster and forced it to make a sharp you turn.
Talia was still unaware and was calculating what her next move should be. She was also dealing with the drawbacks of Overload. Such an ability would often leave her disoriented and a bit “drowsy.” It normally didn’t last long, but at this moment it would prove to be a grave error on her part.
The strong gust of wind returned as the blade passed by Terios, nearly nicking him again. Mirroring her earlier attack he shifted the direction to a horizontal position. By the time Talia could react it was over…
Her mouth was agape. Her torso had been completely severed. The impact was so hard that the upper half of her body was blown away, leaving blood flying everywhere in multiple directions.
Her lower body was also blown away in a different direction. Talia yelled out in pain her voice akin to that of a banshee. It must have been the most painful experience even with everything they went through.
Terios, however, didn’t care in the slightest.