Another man stepped outside, no weapons in his hands. He had once worn a rich jacket and silken shirt, but now the man's clothes were little more than ashes; traces of burns covered his entire body. An elegant hand rose and struck a golden earring, producing a melodic sound. Black eyes looked mockingly at the children.

“A genetic reject, a coward, and a dolt,” the man said in a confident tone. “I had planned to keep the carnage contained until the police arrived, as I wanted to show them a kind of makeover I had given their dear comrade. But if you are courting death so badly, I am more than willing to oblige. Ah..." His hand reached up to the golden earring, and Ratcatcher saw a thin vapor emanating from the shiny metal. When he touched it with a finger, a burn appeared on his flesh from the overheated metal. "Mark, Mark, Mark..." He shook his head. "What am I to do with you? This body is mine now. Well, out of respect for your dedication to saving lives, I will give them a sporting chance. Inferiors. I will play with you until my earring cools. You may attack me however you wish. For as long as it is warm, you live. Part of you anyway.”

“So you are the boss, huh?” Carlos shouted. “Wash your eyes, grandpa; we just bodied your peasants like nothing! There are three of us and only one of you!”

"Most unfair, I agree." The man bowed his head and took another step.

"Surrender and we will treat your wounds!" Elina shouted. "There is no need for further violence!"

What are they doing? Ratcatcher wondered in horror and grabbed her staff. This man, his casual attitude, his careful observation of his surroundings... He wasn't prey. Nor was he an outsider. No, the closest thing she felt right now was the fear of a matriarch spider. The fur rose on her back and every instinct told her to run. There are no acid pools nearby. She can’t take him on and live. Run or be devoured.

The man only feigned arrogance and mockery. His black eyes never fully left either of the trainees; every movement oozed confidence and restrained arrogance, so wildly at odds with his torn and wounded face. He moved his shoulder, revealing a large burn that ran down to the muscle. A movement that should have caused a twitch of pain, or at least a spasm, no matter how many painkillers the man could have taken beforehand, caused no reaction.

And there was something in his eyes. Where the previous enemies all had lifeless pupils until the moment they were about to lose their conscience, this man had real life in his eyes. And something else. She could not put her finger on it; it looked as if barely visible threads ran across his sclera, holding the eyeballs hostage.

"For you," the man clarified in a pleasant voice. "Because I have no need for prisoners."

He jumped forward, leaving footprints in the concrete. Elina's fingers snapped, sending two shockwaves into the attacker, who broke through them, closing his eyes to shield them during the collision. Elina barely had a second to process what had happened when a knee slammed into her face, breaking her nose with a horrible crunching sound and sending the girl flying backwards.

Ratcatcher didn't allow him to follow the wounded trainee. She swung the staff at his jaw, but he caught it on his wrist, depriving her of the chance to stun him with electricity. With a crescent motion of his hand, the attacker easily moved the weapon aside, closing the distance between them in a single slide. The trainee tried to raise the end of the staff to use it as a shield, and his leg kicked into her own leg, robbing her of her footing. Next came a crushing elbow that landed on her shoulder, sending the imbalanced girl flying.

Skilled. Too skilled! She thought in panic, feeling an ugly bulge growing up. Injuries and the damage? The man couldn’t care less about it. He knew which attack to use and when, easily reading them like a book. Just like Dad had taught her, Ratcatcher went limp in the moment of strike, hoping to disperse the damage and counter quickly. And yet his blow went all the way down, making her arm scream in pain. If she'd hesitated for a moment, the bastard would have dislocated her shoulder by now.

“Piece of shit!” Carlos roared, appearing before the man. A foot nearly kissed him in the face, but Carlos leaned back, allowing the kick to miss its mark as he bent his legs, entering the man’s close space. “Phew, not impressed. And for my next trick, I will make an asshole sing an opera.” The boy said it with a grin.

He clenched his fist, raising it in an uppercut aimed at the man’s groin… And then the rising kick stopped in mid-air and came down on the boy, curved like a hook. Because of his flashy move, Carlos had no time to stand up and dodge. Not even his super speed saved him as the attacker landed the kick on the boy's shoulder, grabbing him and sending him face down. The man kicked the boy in the head with another leg, sending the poor boy sprawling across the stone road, leaving a bloody trail.

Elina got up just in time to see the attacker coming at her. She raised her hand to snap, and the man swung at her with his left hand. Ratcatcher wasn't sure what exactly happened; Elina screamed in pain, blood pouring from her hand as her fingers fell to the ground one by one. She tried to retreat, only for the man to close the distance between them, looming over the desperately screaming girl.

“I’ve had my fill of your shockwaves…” The man began to speak, and Ratcatcher unleashed her most powerful screech.

Some abnormals, either through the use of their powers or the gifts of nature, could unleash a directional stream of sound strong enough to burst eardrums. Ratcatcher was neither. But by filling her lungs to the brim with oxygen, she could unleash a deafening scream that not only brought Carlos back from the brink of unconsciousness, but echoed in the man's ears long enough to distract him.

He was surprised for barely a second, but that was long enough for her to bring the staff down on his neck with a wide swing, forcing him away from Elina before he could kill her. She saw the shock in his eyes and grinned. Unlike the other children, the Ratcatcher had already taken a life. And not just the life of some mindless insect or monster. No, she had killed a person. And to save others, she wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

Calmly, she pressed the discharge button. Nothing happened. No hiss of electricity, no shock came out to fry the bastard. It took her a precious moment to understand and allow her enemy to regain his balance. This man. During the time he waved her weapon away, he damaged it, somehow cutting the cables in half.

I can't beat him. The girl understood. She would have to outwit him if she wanted to live.

Feeling her heart pounding like crazy, the girl pulled the staff back before the man could grab it and stomped the butt of the staff into the concrete, cracking the stone. Spinning her weapon, the apprentice sent a hail of stones at the man, only for him to casually block them all with a sweep of his arm. But that was good. It was exactly what she wanted. When his hand blocked his view, Ratcatcher took advantage of the moment and grabbed a sharp piece of stone with the tip of her tail.

She made a thrust, stopping the attack short of his face in a feint. She had planned to distract him with the first feint and land the true hit at his Adam’s apple when his left arm moved, revealing what exactly he used against Elina. His index finger became a long and sharp dagger, leaf-shaped and gleaming with dark steel. Its point sliced through her staff like a knife through butter, leaving a halved piece in her hands. Not stopping there, the man punched the trainee in the face.

Endure it. She gritted her teeth, feeling a fang slip and fall down her throat. The pain was… insane. Both from his bone-crushing punch and from the collision with the concrete behind her, she felt herself trapped in a vise, threatening to crack her skull open. But her opponent... He got distracted too.

The tail moved, sending the sharp stone right into his eye. Ratcatcher lacked Mom's claws, but as Dad had shown her more than once, it was all about how you fight. Mom taught her the value of hard work, how to persevere in the face of hardship, and how to endure the worst. Dad taught her to always treat others kindly, to show no mercy in actual combat, and to fight dirty.

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Her opponent blinked, dodging the stone with surprising speed. His fist turned into a choke, pinning the girl to the ground while his blade finger struck, slicing through her tail and drawing howls from Ratcatcher. Hot. Her blood gushed from the stump of the tail, now shortened by three-quarters. Hot. Her own blood fell to the ground, its droplets exchanging snowflakes in the air.

Nadya screamed in horror, and the man lifted Ratcatcher’s head a bit, slamming her against the concrete once more. Another tooth was lost, but all she could see was her severed tail hitting the stone in convulsions. A part of her. Severed. Gone forever. She lost a part of herself. What will Mom say?

Only now did it dawn on her that she might actually die here. That’s it. No more playing with her brother. No more Mom waking her up in the morning, snapping at her for risking being late for the bus, and no more Dad laughing as he prepares breakfast for her. She will never visit the mall with Nadya. Her dreams of helping Mom get a home will go down the drain. No. Her knees trembled when she looked into the man's eyes and saw nothing but glee. She will die here.

Ratcatcher flailed, trying to kick him out of herself, but she could've kicked a mountain with the same success. The man held her down as easily as if she were a bug. He turned the girl's head and pointed his bladed finger at her temple.

Daddy… Please. Anyone. Dad. Mom. Eugenia. Mister Other. Anyone. Someone. Save me. She tried to bite him, panicking about how her family would react to her death. Panic turned to terror when all her attempts went absolutely nowhere. As the inevitable approached, Ratcatcher wet herself and felt tears welling up in her eyes.

"Not bad for a genetic reject," the man said with a cough, licking blood from his lips. He touched his earring and smiled. "Look at that. It's gone cold. Let's still your heart and make your heart do the same." He raised his hand to strike, and the sun reflected off the steel.

A shockwave hit the man in the face, causing him to fall backward. His grip on her neck loosened just enough for Carlos' kick to break it completely, pulling the Ratcatcher closer to Elina. The trainee stood on her wobbly legs and looked up at her rescuers.

Elina's face bore a slight dent, and she breathed heavily, blood dripping from her nose and mouth. A shattered tooth came out with one exhale, and her nose dangled like a piece of crumpled paper. Carlos looked little better. One of his eyes was now sinking into a small pool of red, and a long strip of skin had been torn from his chin, revealing glistening flesh beneath.

"Carlos, grab the girls and leg it!" Elina snapped in a nasal tone. "I will hold him back!"

"No!" Ratcatcher shouted. The man slowly looked at them before wiping blood from a nostril. "I will stay; you run! I can distract him long enough…"

“You can’t!” Elina’s teeth clattered. “I finally got it. I read about them… An ability to grow metal over the body, strong enough to withstand my shockwave, this whole ‘genetic reject’ bullshit… You are…”

“Eight.” He stood up, and all his fingers shifted. Flesh became like liquid, ever moving and allowing metal to emerge from within, turning his fingers into steel claws. “And you are dead.”

“A… a Number,” Elina said weakly. “Iternian Plague. A tool of Maximillian.”

Metal began to grow around Eight's body. The shirt on his shoulders exploded, revealing metal pauldrons growing over bones. His nose turned into a sharp blade, and new steel covering appeared around his skull, leaving two holes for ears. His neck also changed, becoming encased in elastic steel, creating protection against any sudden blow. The same process repeated itself all over his body. Burns disappeared under the onslaught of metal that grew over them, fusing with the skin.

“Just for uttering my master’s name, I will pull out your tongue before ending you.” Eight tilted his head. "Or shall I take your body?" Elina turned pale as snow. "Even crippled, it will still be an improvement, and I might just pay a visit to your family..."

“Someone check the clock, cause I believe it’s your napping time!” Carlos grinned and leaned forward.

“I don’t speak in gibberish, boy.” Eight’s eyes focused on him. "What's that eruption of garbage coming out of your mouth supposed to mean?"

He is not caring for either me or Elina. Ratcatcher understood. This Eight, he had already figured out the most dangerous of them. Swallowing hard, she began to speak: "Carlos, he is baiting..."

"Ever heard of Lightbringer, mister?" The boy ignored her.

"Carlos." Elina tried to grab him, but he stepped out of her reach.

“Yes. You are too short and irrelevant to be him,” Eight replied.

“Watch this!” Carlos jumped slightly, and his feet almost disappeared as he quickly tapped in place, beckoning Eight with two fingers. "You can't keep up with my speed, old timer! Come and see!"

With those words, the boy turned into a blur, racing faster than any arrow or bullet to their left, turning the corner and leaving only mocking laughter in his wake. Eight glanced after him, took another step, and his boot cracked, allowing his half-metal and half-organic foot to land on the stone.

“Did… Did he just ditch us?” Elina raised her eyebrows in a mixture of anger and relief.

“I am just going to ignore that and continue with the slaughter.” Eight’s lips pressed into a thin smile, and he took a step. Leaving the bare foot on the ground.

““No!” Ratcatcher screamed, finally understanding what had been happening. Eight’s eyes were still looking at the corner, his leg… Vibrations and visuals! He was tracking the boy even now! “Carlos! Run away! Whatever you do, don’t you dare…”

It was too late. Carlos had reappeared from the same turn, finding somewhere and now carrying a large metal light post in his arms like a battering ram. The boy raced up, utterly disappearing from the girl’s vision. His insane speed ripped the pavement behind him like an earthquake. The tip of his unusual weapon almost connected with Eight.

Blades of metal poured from the Number’s body. One after another, they formed a wing made of nothing but cutting weapons aimed at the charging kid. Carlos noticed the attack all too late; just like Ratcatcher’s staff, his own makeshift weapon ended up sliced into ribbons. Desperately trying to get out of the way, the boy jumped to his right, unable to keep up with his own speed, and his own impact carried him forward.

A blade tore through his side, liquidating his lung. Another hooked talon caressed the boy's shoulder, taking his right arm. Another slid across his face, tearing half the skin and shattering his cheek. Carlos' body spun in the air, coming down and crashing into Eight's legs; his painful screams were overlapped by his own laughter when the sound finally caught up with him.

The Number closed his eyes and listened to the brief cacophony of mixed sounds in the air as his steel wing folded back into his body. Eight's smile became a wide grin, and he said, “Dolt to the very end. Heed this lesson well, inferiors. Such is the fate of those who do not know how to use their abilities and fall for every trick."

"Carlos..." Elina whispered. "I'm sorry... It's my fault... It's all my..."

“Indeed, it is, inferior. Had you caught him, he might’ve understood and maybe even escaped. But don’t look so gloomy, obsolete.” Eight turned to her, kicking the moaning child as a pool of blood slowly formed beneath Carlos’ body. “The boy is still alive. Barjonis are like cockroaches; unless you crush their brains, they have a nasty tendency to survive the worst. Trust my experience; I have culled plenty in my time. However, even with all the gifts bestowed upon him, the boy will bleed out in ten or so minutes. Will you stand there and let it happen? Or can you muster enough courage to resist the impossible?”

“Snap out of it!” Ratcatcher grabbed Elina’s shoulder, stopping the girl from charging. She pointed to the situation. “The bastard is filling your head with bullshit to bait you! Look how close he stands to Carlos! Your shockwaves might harm him too.”

“Hm.” Eight threw his head back and laughed, opening his mouth filled with razor-sharp black fangs. No malice or anger could be heard in his voice; just sheer joy filled the street. Finally, he looked at them with a glint of annoyance. “Once more, a genetic reject ends up ahead. You are Iternians!”

Eight clenched a steel fist and surveyed the street. A sneer appeared on his face as he saw Nadya being led away by onlookers and several people dragging away the wounded civilians. "You are the third best people in the world! The ones who created my master and I by extension! Where is your pride?! How are you allowing this filth…” he asked, pointing at Ratcatcher with a claw. “Standing in your presence, much less ending up being smarter! This reject of nature should have been culled for the sake of purity! Humanity’s purpose is…”

"Fuck right off!" Elina brushed her hair with her good hand. "Reject this, inferior that. Like clockwork!" She smirked at the Number’s scowl. "Hit the nerve, did I? You are just a tool, meant to be used and cast aside when the time comes. Don’t you dare lecture us about our purpose when you don’t even have the free will to choose one, slave!" She patted Ratcatcher on the back, and the girl saw her trembling legs and wet pants. Elina coughed. "Sphere. Run. I-I’ll hold him here."

“I will n…”

"That's an order!" Elina roared, raising her hand in the wake of the approaching enemy. "I am a leader, and you will listen to me! Survive, damn you! I will buy you a few minutes!"

"None of you will last a second, weaklings," Eight gloated. "The very fact that I am forced to take time out of my day to take out garbage like you... It's a dirty job, but hey! Someone has to do it so that true humanity can flourish."

"Who do you think you are?" Ratcatcher bared her fangs, releasing the claws on her hand and leg. Whatever happens, she will not go down as a coward.

"I am something of a gardener, tending the beautiful garden that is my master's world. And you are the weeds."