Noah "Hold on a minute. Didn't Kanji and Gwen give Azan a camera or an app to see each of us?"
The Aspect of Emotion pauses his digging and turns around...
Kanji "Yes, I did say that loud and clear. What seems to be the problem?"
Noah "Those little fly camera things. Can't you like... track them and find each of our locations?"
Kanji "That's where our mistake lies. The bots weren't tough enough to endure the duration of our fights. That is why I urge everyone to find the others otherwise they won't have to option to escape."
Gwen "I do worry as well but... To be perfectly honest, I can't see our members losing to The Majors. How should I say this without coming off as rude... They are a bit unstable."
Claire "Yay! Duh! They were mind controlled and forced to believe some fake stuff. It's so messed up!"
Dave "You say that but that's what media has been doing all this time, bro. Implanting our minds with fake news and bullshit political agendas. Just let a brotha do what they want to do. You feel me."
Amelia "Yeah, I feel you, honey. I hope you can talk sense to the British nobles at home. They are as stubborn as a nail when it comes to tradition."
Adrian "Ummm.... guys. I know the conversation is great and all but... can you help dig me out?"
Their eyes land on Adrian, ensnared beneath a massive mound of soil.
All "Oops."
________________________________________________________________________________________
Azan taps the side of his, yet the screen persists in a snowy blizzard of static. With a violent jolt... the device sparks to life for a second before succumbing to darkness.
Azan "Fuck! The battery must've died! Damn it, Kanji!... your escape plan is gone now. What should I use the last charge on then? Hmmm.... suitcase. Attack mode!"
It transforms into a mechanical saber.
Azan "Might as well get the hell out of here-
?? "I won't recommend that!"
A beam of light grazes his shoulder, mocking his senses.
Azan turns around, confronted with an odd... and perhaps lewd individual. A wild guess puts the strange man as hailing from Spanish roots. His robe is carelessly left open, revealing his centerline. His abs resemble finely crafted sculptures, yet they're adorned with an exoskeleton resembling that of a black ant. His clothing choice from the waist down is limited to black and yellow striped shorts. His hair, combed forward and raised, alongside triangular sunglasses, adds a layer of insufferable arrogance to the overall persona. Lowering his gaze, Azan flinches at the sight of a pair of Crocs– definitely not the fashionable kind.
Azan "Ugh! What the fuck is that supposed to be? A flip flop or a crock."
?? "Oh, come on! I got recommended to buy these from a friend. I heard it's like the Bizz of this generation. I believe they call these flocks or something. Anyway, let's get down to business. Do me a favor and just lay down so my job becomes easier. The name's M106 by the way! Don't forget it!"
Azan "Ah yeah.... no. Dying isn't on my bucket list. Sorry. Also, your English is very clean and your shorts are on backward."
M106 "Oh, thanks. I do pract- Hey! Wait a minute! That didn't even make any sense."
Azan "Well, you probably know us by now. Nothing we do makes sense."
M106 "Ha. Ha ha. HAHAHA! Same here! Man, you're the most interesting opponent I ever had. For your reward, I'll play my cards early. Right... now!"
M106's form squashes into a two-dimensional figure as if imprinted onto paper.
M106 "Hold on before we fight... Errr... where is it... Ah, here it is! Hold your horses, you're not the one I'm supposed to be fighting!"
Azan "It took you this long to realize that."
M106 "Oh, sorry that I don't have a memory greater than a goldfish. Cut me some lack."
Azan "Enemies don't give each other slack."
M106 ".... I take back what I said earlier. You are... very lame."
His left arm shrinks while his right extends.
Azan "A bit freaky. I'm pretty paper doesn't behave that way. How about I beat you with Rock?!"
Azan's powerful right hook meets M106's face, causing it to crumple like actual parchment.
M106 "Wow, that tickles. MY TURN!"
His right arm folds, transforming into a sword, before swooping downwards.
Azan intercepts the blow with his saber, but... the enemy blade is seeping through. Swiftly, Azan withdraws and performs a roll to the left.
A piercing whoosh resonates. Azan turns to witness a perfect line extending from M106's stance across the room.
Azan "Dammit! How does that even make sense?!"
M106 "It is simple, really. A normal sheet paper if done correctly can give you paper cuts that carve your skin enough to reveal your stomach. Now imagine if a thousand sheets of paper were compressed into a single sheet. Just how powerful do you think it will be?"
Azan "You... monster. I get it now. You're supposed to fight Diana seeing as my hook didn't work. Heh. Today isn't your lucky day! Sabers can cut paper!"
Azan leaps, severing M106's pinky before landing.
M106 stands there motionless but burses out in laughter. Azan watches with disappointment as the cultist rolls along the ground. Azan moves closer but M106's reeling continues...
M106 stands there motionless before erupting into laughter. Azan observes, disappointed, as the strange man succumbs to his amusement as he rolls against the floor. As Azan approaches, M106's reeling persists...
Azan "What's so funny?!"
M106 "... Hahaha. GOT YOU!"
Azan notices M106's wrinkles deepened to his entire body. M106 smiles and compresses into a ball.
Azan sprints but the sphere is quicker. It accelerates, colliding with Azan's back and hurtling them both against the wall. The sphere revolves, its pressure gradually crushing Azan's back.
Azan "De-Defense mode!"
A force shield emerges, launching M106 to the room's opposite end.
M106 "Hey! That was a bit-
Azan's saber hovers centimeters away from his eyes, but M106 ducks just in time.
Azan "Gotcha!"
His blade quickly descends, cleaving M106 in half.
M106 "No... it's too early. Fuuuuucccc..."
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Azan "You should have been more careful. You hipster wannabe."
?? "Yo, what the fuck did just say?! Take that back!"
Azan turns to face two simultaneously speaking halves. They shrink, restoring their original shape. Frustrated, Azan ruffles his hair.
M106 "Impressive aren't I unless you somehow can create Fire which I made sure that most of you don't. Otherwise, I wouldn't take this job. In a way, I'm glad that I'm fighting you and not that pink-haired girl."
Azan "Her name is Claire, you rude bastard. Also, who says I can't make fire!"
M106 "WHAT?! YOU CAN MAKE FIRE-
Azan surges forward, executing a horizontal slash.
M106 "Wha... y-you d-dirty... ba-bastard."
M106 now lies quartered.
Azan "Shit. My back is killing me!"
Exhausted, Azan slumps against the nearest wall, eyeing the motionless paper figures. He hastily wraps a bandage around his back. Despite the acute pain, Azan retrieves a syringe.
Azan "Yeah. This is gonna sting."
Azan plunges the serum into the center of his back. Instant relief washes over him.
Azan "Dammit. Never make the first move against uncertainty. I can't believe I forgot this lesson... if you were here Dad, I bet you have been quite disappointed. Oh... looks like that bastard is finished reforming.
Four miniature M106s appear before his eyes. They open their mouths in unison...
M106 "What the hell was that?! Cheap move!"
Azan "Are you sure you want to yell right now? You seem pretty exhausted. Catch a breath or two."
M106 "Oh no! I ain't falling for your tricks again."
They morph into paper airplanes, darting across the room.
Azan swerves to the right and they burrow through the wall as effortlessly as needles through jelly. The airplanes swoop back, targeting Azan. From the left, one of them zeroes in on his shoulder but falls short by a whisker. Azan cuts it into five pieces.
M106 "That's it! You're done now!"
They speed toward his exposed back.
Azan "Those things are sharp but can they go through this?!"
The planes collide with a force field, crumpling their noses.
As they flutter down gently, Azan's watch transforms into a saber, then changes into a whip. He snaps it forward, rending the planes into countless paper shreds.
Azan "Whew! I hope they don't turn into a thousand more otherwise I might be screwed... What is that noise?"
Something writhes beneath the mound of paper.
The entity reveals itself, bearing a close resemblance to a blood worm but sporting multitudes of centipede-like legs. Oddly, these appendages are vein-like, awash in blue and red hues. Azan inspects the being from a distance and notices a yellowish, translucent blister on its back— An unknown movement is seen within it.
Azan "Yep, I have seen enough! Die!"
Azan assails the creature with all his might but the saber ricochets off its rubbery crimson hide.
The creature scrambles about, amassing all the bits of paper it could find. In a blink, the scraps spiral into the blister as though sucked into a black hole. The entire being oscillates between red and yellow hues. It thrashes about the room as if gripped by unbearable pain.
Azan "Wait, this isn't it right. Wasn't supposed to be transforming? It looks like it's dying. Then again... why was it so strong?"
The creature's convulsion grinds to a halt and its color bleaches to be white as paper.
Its bulk swells and Azan retreats a few steps. The creature assumes the form of a gigantic, lion-like origami, patrolling the room with little or no disregard for Azan.
Azan "What the hell? This thing is sliding along the floor." "Should I attack it?"
He slips behind the paper beast, severing its tail. The creature pauses, spinning around to face Azan. The detached tail scatters into ten avian-shaped origami. The lion roars and the squadron of paper birds flutters around it like a protective barrier.
Azan runs forward, thrusting his blade. He downs one of the birds, but... the remaining fleet launches an attack.
Azan "Shit! Defense mode!"
The birds collide with the force shield, perforating its energy layer and causing the shield to flutter. Azan morphs his watch back into a sword and sweeps through the remaining birds. They all plummet with ease except for one...
The last origami falls from the ceiling and strikes his right shoulder.
Azan clenches and extracts the bird. He backs away, keeping a wary eye on the lion. Its agitation strikes him as a bit odd. Seizing the moment, he covers his shoulder with a bandage.
Azan "Whew, that hits the spot. Now... getting close will be difficult. I can't believe I have to activate Stealth mode."
His sword morphs into a pair of gloves, and he holds his breath as he slips them on.
The lion rotates in confusion, failing to locate Azan. The large feline becomes increasingly animated and restless, slashing the air with its claws. Suddenly, it feels an impact at the back of its head.
The lion splits into hundreds of paper sheets.
They scatter on the floor and commence self-folding. Azan brandishes his blade but only manages to obliterate half of the paper remnants. The remainder morphs into a swarm of origami creatures— moths, flies, or butterflies. They are hard to distinguish without a closer look.
Azan "How great! More enemies! God, I wish I had some kind of Aoe mode but I guess this will do."
He whips his sword forward and the swarm splinters into four smaller clusters.
He lunges at one group, activating his force shield. Azan corrals them into a wall, crumpling their paper forms. The other clusters configure into arrows and assail the back of his shield.
It shatters, and Azan draws a deep breath as his watch resumes its glove form. He disappears...
Azan "Man, these origamis are hard to deal with. Come on, think! If only I have fire or something."
The origami horde scatters, attacking anything within reach. Soon, the room is riddled with cuts and holes. The origami creatures regroup and commence merging. Taking this chance, Azan emerges from stealth and slashes at the mass of paper.
It splits, but... remains intact. Not even a single cut.
Azan "What the hell- Oh come on!"
His eyes widen at the sight of a levitating torso with arms. It flies toward Azan, throwing a right hook toward his eyes. Upon impact, its fist detonates into spikes, obliterating its entire arm. Unexpectedly, only a single large spike struck the right side of his forehead, but the pain is hard to take in.
Azan brandishes his blade and swings at its other arm.
It tumbles but explodes into more spikes upon contact with the ground. Both of his feet are ensnared, immobilizing the wielder. Azan drags himself away, donning his gloves once more.
The torso morphs into a sword and cuts down at the ground in front of it.
No blood, and so it floats to another spot. Azan reaches into his inventory and retrieves his final syringe. He contemplates where and when to use it. Clearing his throat, Azan grasps the large paper spike embedded in his forehead and yanks it out.
Azan lets out a tormented scream, attracting the attention of the paper blade.
Azan "Oh fuck!"
It thrusts itself forward but Azan lurches as far left as his body allows.
The origami collides with the wall and Azan presses his hand against its handle. He twists the sword to the left and drives the paper spike into it, pinning the sword to the wall. Retrieving the syringe, he tends to his wounded forehead. Glancing downward, he notes that the spikes impaling his feet have shrunk considerably. Resembling needles more than spikes now, he stoops down and carefully releases them one by one.
Azan "Damn it, my feet feel dirty. I wish I could clean them but this is not the right time to get into the bubble. How do I defeat this paper bastard? I can't use fire so I have to think of something else. Wait... paper is also weak to water. Then maybe if I...
The sword wriggles free from the wall and zooms toward Azan.
Despite the pain, Azan hops to the side but loses his footing, sliding across the floor. He spots the blade directing a U-turn, picking up speed. In his hand, he holds a mechanical soap.
Azan "I have only one shot at this. Go!"
He hurls the mechanical soap... it connects!
The sword becomes submerged in a bubble, making vain shots to pierce its way out. However, Azan sees that its form is thinning and wavering. Relief washes over him as he watches the paper blade plummet to the floor, soaked blade to handle.
Yet, it still shows signs of movement.
Azan "Oh you got to be kidding me! Fine, I'll finish you off!"
?? "Hold on! Wait! I don't want to fight!"
Azan "Huh? This voice. I thought you wear dead or turned into that monster. Were you actually conscious that entire time?"
?? "Well... yeah sort of. It was like observing my own body but I couldn't control it. Thanks to you, I am free but I don't have much time left. Will listen to my story?"
Azan "Sure, as long as it is important."
?? "I assure you that it is. My name is Jax Johnson. You see..."
I was a young Spanish American around the age of 18 and lived in a single-room apartment in new york city. I was attending college while doing origami as a side gig since I really needed the money. The embarrassing part was that I borrowed money from a gang of loan sharks in order to pay for college.
I hone my skill with paper craft to the point where my work was quite famous for a while. I even won a competition giving me enough money to pay off the loan sharks. However, those guys were super greedy. They kidnapped me and tortured me to make more origami so they could profit.
They used three methods that broke my mind. First, they stick me into a cage with a tiger or a lion. I don't remember. Only when I was half dead that they pulled me out. Next, they put me in a room filled with flies for a week and I remembered throwing up a lot. I got sick instantly a few hours after leaving the room. A doctor examined me and find that there were fly eggs all over my body. The loansharks were afraid I would die and so the doctor pulled out all the eggs. It was very painful but not as painful as the last.
They strapped me onto a board and turned me into a eunuch. My mind broke that day and as my consciousness fade, I heard them say that it was all to torment me. The last thing I knew was a loud explosion and I woke up to a strange man who offered his hand to join a cult. I agreed since he saved me.
Azan "Ah, now I understand why people want to join those cultists."
Jax "No, you got it all wrong! I learned the truth! It was all fabricated. The eyes of those loansharks are similar to some of my colleagues. I was tricked! Please avenge me..."
Azan "Sure. But I think you're not the only one who was tricked. There must be others... right?"
He looks at Azan, grins, then vanishes— The wall behind him detonates.
Dave "Yo, bro. Time to dig!"
Mina "Azzy! You're okay. Are you hurt?! Oh my god! Your feet!"
Azan "Not to worry, Mina. Check this out. Heal mode!"
He fires his healing glue gun at his feet.
Gwen "Now that's the proper way to use that tech. I'm somewhat proud."
Kanji "Alright everyone. Just two more to go!"
They cheer and continue digging.
They erupt in joy and resume their tunneling.
(To be continued)