April 26th, 2016. 8:45 PM.

In a dimly lit alleyway, rain poured relentlessly from the stormy night sky. Puddles formed in the uneven pavement, reflecting the feeble glow of distant streetlights. Amidst the shadows, Elio spots a shivering, sickly kitten, laying like a ragdoll near a dumpster.

He approaches cautiously, his steps echoing in the desolate space. The soaked fur of the frail creature clung onto its tiny frame. Determination etches onto Elio’s face as he carefully scoops up the trembling kitten, shielding it from the unforgiving rain with an umbrella. It begins kicking him out of fear, but eventually calms down, feeling the warmth of Elio.

The rhythmic drumming of raindrops intensifies as Elio cradles the kitten against his chest while being tucked inside a winter coat. He begins to walk out of the alleyway, the kitten nestles against him, finding solace in the warmth of his embrace. With every step, Elio’s compassion radiates through the alley, as though he were a beacon of humanity in the midst of the storm.

May 31st, 2018. 7:00 PM.

“Reggie…” Elio mutters, slowly waking up. “Reggie…” He repeats himself upon opening his eyes, only to close them for a few seconds. He suddenly jolts awake fully, trying to sit up; “Oh my god, Reggie!” He tries to sit up again, realizing that he’s strapped down to a stretcher. “Hey, could one of you undo these straps, please?” Elio tries to speak, but his voice is muffled under a ventilator.

Elio takes a glance at the back of the ambulance, he sees the time; “Nineteen- what?! It’s already seven?! Shit, I can’t be wasting anymore time!” Elio then takes a deep breath. He begins to use his thermal powers to cool his body to incredibly low temperatures, slightly decreasing the volume of his body. He then uses his smaller volume to slip out of the straps meant for holding his arms down, he unbuckles the straps from his body and takes the ventilator off of his face. “Wait, how are you moving?!” One of the paramedics asks in shock when noticing.

“Pull over and stop the ambulance! It’s urgent!” Elio orders in a stern manner. “Wait, I’m ju-” “Do it now!” Elio shouts. “Ok!” The paramedic looks at the driver; “Pull over, the patient is fine!” As the driver pulls over, the side door opens; “Thank you.” Elio says calmly. He then hops out of the ambulance and begins running through the streets of Gull’s Bay.

Elio makes it back to the recruitment center, he dashes inside and slides on his feet, slapping his hands on the front desk; “Where’s the locker that has my backpack?!” Elio breathes heavily, the receptionist reels her head back in surprise; “Uh- Oh! I’ll go get it for you, just wait here.” She gets up and walks through a doorway, feeling a bit worried because of the different attitude. She comes out after a few seconds and holds out Elio’s backpack for him.

“Thank you!” Elio grabs his backpack and puts it on. “You’re welcome, but… you look distraught. What happened to your cat? Is he alright?” Elio pauses, he takes a deep breath; “I hope so… I appreciate the concern and the help. Anyway, I have to go now!” Elio bolts out the door. He darts his way up a building, grabbing the ledge of a roof and flipping upward, landing on the roof.

Elio stares at the coastline, he looks up and notices a faint black spec in the sky. Immediately, he takes in the fish-like shape, his mouth slightly smiles in hope when he sees that it’s not moving; “YES! Nice going, Reggie! Now I can get back up there! Just stay safe until I do!” Elio then turns around and begins jumping along the rooftops, heading toward the mountainous outskirts of Gull’s Bay.

May 31st, 2018. 6:30 PM.

Reggie lays down in the darkness, his ears furled back, he takes deep breaths; “Ok… you got this, Reggie. Elio put faith in you, so clearly, you must be good enough to do what he instructed. I’ll just start a riot to hold them off!” Reggie pep-talks himself. He turns around and runs through the chute, making his way back up from where he fell. As he climbs up, he hops out of the chute and looks around, spotting people walking as they’re unaware of his presence. Reggie gets in his predatory stance and wiggles

“Elio, you better be up already! Given where I am, it’s safe to say I won’t be able to last too long!” Reggie leaps forwards and pounces on one of the crewmate’s heads, knocking him forward and biting him on the neck; “Get it off!” The crewmate shouts as Reggie notices the other three crewmates turning toward him. He hops off, landing on the floor, he brings his claws out as his hair spikes up, Reggie hisses before disappearing.

“Wait, where did it just g- AAAAAHHHHH!!!” One of them screams in fright and agony as she falls down after suddenly being clawed in the back, bleeding; “Wha-” The other gets interrupted as Reggie moves up to his face and claws at his cheek, he then hops off his shoulder and kicks him in the face, knocking him over. He then stares at the last man standing, his rifle being readied as he aims it at Reggie, Reggie glances down the hall and darts off. The man is ready to squeeze the trigger, but his eyes dart to his crewmates, he notices how each of them have blood flowing from their injuries. “Gendross! Gendross, come in!” “What’s happening?” “Those intruders that we shot off, one of them is still onboard!” Gendross’ eyebrows raise in surprise. “I thought they were blasted back down to sea! Which one is it?!” “The cat! It’s pandemonium right now!”

Gendross gets up from his office chair and heads out the door; “Which deck is Reggie on?” “Fourth deck!” Gendross begins running as he hears that. “Got it! I’ll be there right away!” He disconnects from the line. “That’s strange, he knows he’s outmatched and yet he still chooses to cause a ruckus. Unless he thinks Elio’s still alive, if that’s the case, then his plan is to make us stay here. That must be it!” Gendross slows down and begins walking; “I don’t want any more of my friends getting hurt or injured…” He ponders, reaching his communicator up to his mouth. His voice echoes through the Levacean; “Everyone stop attacking! I figured out what the cat’s motive is, he just wanted to make his presence known! He’s not a threat anymore!” Some crewmates hear the announcement and look up, slightly confused, but they follow orders and lower their weapons. “Anyone who’s been hurt or injured by him, make your way to the medibay. If you’re unable to move, call for the closest crewmate to help you out. I will also take you to the medibay if I am nearby.” Gendross continues.

Reggie perches on one of the crewmate’s shoulders; “Let me speak to Gendross. Put him on the line.” Reggie demands. “Right!” The crewmate reacts, startled. He links his communicator to Gendross’; “Gendross, come in.” Gendross changes his settings to directly speak to him; “Over.” “The cat you just mentioned is with me, I think he wants to talk to you.” Reggie leans his head over to the communicator, interjecting; “Gendross?” “Yeah, it’s me.” “Good! I need you to stop this ship from making its way to Ganymede!” Reggie answers.

Gendross smirks slightly in realization that he was spot on about the plan; “I figured. You want Elio to get back up here and you have faith in him doing so. Just… oh, I don’t know… what’s in it for me? Given yours and Elio’s betrayal earlier, I’m not willing to do this for free.” “If it means giving Elio the chance to get back up here, I will do anything! I’m serious!” Reggie shouts.

“Anything, you say?” “Yes! Anything!” Upon hearing it, Gendross smirks. “Glad to hear it! Alright, Jenson, bring Reggie over to the lab, if you’d be so kind. You can go back to your post afterward.” “Of course! I’ll be there right away!” He begins walking while Reggie remains on his shoulder. “Thank you! I’ll see you there!” Gendross disconnects from the call. Gendross then exhales in relief; “Ok, perfect. Crisis averted.” He walks inside an elevator and presses the button to take him up to the eighth deck.

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May 31st, 2018. 6:40 PM.

Gendross waits in the laboratory, waiting patiently for the man to show up with Reggie. The shutters open, Gendross turns his head, his hands in his pockets, he sees that they’ve arrived. “Good, you’re here!” Gendross says excitedly, he picks up Reggie and gives the crewmate a pat on the back. “Thank you, Jenson! “Yeah, no problem! Alright, I’m heading back to my post now. Take care, boss.” He leaves the laboratory. Gendross then eyes Reggie; “Alright, I’ll just cut to the chase. I ha-” “I like chases.” Reggie interrupts as his ears perk up.

Gendross pauses for a few seconds; “Yeah… as I was saying, I have you here because I want to have your abilities in combat tested. You’re a strong fight, but you’re only going to get so far on your own, like your fight with The Heavy Titan. Elio did all the damage, but at the same time, it makes sense, you’re just a cat, you can’t slice metal. So, I’m going to put you against an opponent that you’ll have a more fair chance against.” “Oh, I see. So who am I fighting?” Reggie tilts his head. Gendross gestures toward a small team of scientists; “These guys will show you your opponent, and from here on with the test, you’ll be following what they say.” Reggie nods his head, taking a deep breath; “Ok…”

“Open the simulation pod.” Gendross orders, one of the scientists presses down on a pad. A colossal metal pod within the laboratory creaks and groans as it slowly unfurls, revealing complex circuitry and lighting flowing in a series of synchronized movements. Rays of light spill through the widening gaps as the shutter for the pod opens, illuminating the mysterious empty space from within. “You may step inside, Reggie.” One of the scientists speaks, Reggie does as he’s told and walks inside.

As Reggie steps inside, the shutter closes as a screen that shows Reggie’s location appears on a monitor. “Alright, you can start whenever you like.” Gendross says to the scientists. “Of course! We’re loading up the simulation now.” One of them types in an intricate network of coding, a bar on the screen appears as it begins to load up. Reggie feels something within his whiskers as he looks around. Suddenly light begins to materialize as a dark cave begins to conjure. Coarse sand lies beneath Reggie’s paws. The damp atmosphere clings to the cybernetic walls, as if mimicking the real-world essence of a subterranean world. Shadows dance across the simulated walls, trapping Reggie in an immersive and mysterious environment.

“I’m not alone…” Reggie senses, feeling uneasy, he turns around and spots what is watching him. A scorpion of over 15 feet in height. The massive scorpion stood menacingly, its dark exoskeleton glistens under the eerie glow of the of the circuitry. Sharp, segmented pincers frame its formidable claws, poised for potential threats. Its tail, armed with a venomous stinger, arches menacingly over its body, completing the formidable silhouette of the colossal arachnid. Reggie’s ears fold back in fright as his pupils dilate upon seeing this monstrosity. “What am I supposed to do?! Hello?! CAN ANYBODY HEAR ME?!”

A voice then comes from inside the pod; “I can understand your fright, but there’s no need to worry right now. This is a completely controlled environment. The simulation has not yet begun, so you’re safe until you decide when you’re ready. Once you’re ready, the scorpion will be activated and will attack. Fair warning, the simulation is on level ten, the highest level, which involves realistic and self-learning AI. You can decline at the cost of not being able to see your owner, or you can proceed when ready, but be cautious as this scorpion can kill you if you’re not careful.” “...” Reggie has no response, he just stands there in a daze, frightened by what he’s seeing.

Reggie takes a deep breath, slowly exhaling as he puts his paw forward, crouching low, he lets his claws out, making his decision; “So I just have to beat this monster before it has me for dinner. Let it move, I’m ready.” He sounds more confident. “Very well, then. Let the simulation begin.” He activates the simulation by pressing a play button, which allows the scorpion to move.

In a moment’s notice, the scorpion puts its claw in the sand and flicks a massive amount at Reggie, he gets hit in the eyes by the sand particles and is forced to close them. The scorpion proceeds to take advantage and goes in for a fatal skewer with its telson, but Reggie’s ears perk up as he weaves out of the way by diving to the left. He gets up to violently shake his head, getting the sand out of his eyes, but as he opens them, he realizes that the scorpion has disappeared. “Wait, what?!” Reggie’s head looks in all directions at lightning speed, he then notices a faint movement in the sand, discovering the scorpion buried itself and plans to attack from below. “Hate this! Hate this! Hate this! Hate this!” Reggie panics.

He uses his speed to run on the walls of the pod, as he’s running, the scorpion leaps out of the sand like a crocodile in an attempt to catch Reggie with its mouth. Reggie reacts by jumping off the wall toward its bottom jaw. He pivots upon landing on the outside of its jaw and begins to speed down the scorpion’s stomach. “Come on, work!” He stops running, he lets himself fall as he turns right-side up, throwing his arms forward and jamming his claws into its stomach, ripping it as he falls down the stomach as if it were a curtain. The scorpion releases a horrendously loud hiss, which makes Reggie’s ears twitch rapidly.

The scorpion throws its arms forward as its body is about to fall to the floor in order to bodyslam Reggie to crush him, Reggie reacts by retracting his claws and dive bombing off of its stomach, rolling on the ground to avoid the impact. Reggie backflips, but the scorpion reaches out its pincer and grabs Reggie by the stomach. It moves its arm up, readying its tail to skewer Reggie, though instead of being frightened, Reggie becomes more confident in his own capabilities. He boasts a face of determination, he then raises his paws up and squirms quickly, slipping out from the scorpion’s grasp. He lands on his feet right before the telson was about to skewer him.

Immediately, Reggie shuffles back to widen the distance, but notices that the scorpion isn’t moving. “Is this a species of scorpion that I’m unfamiliar with? I get that the AI’s supposed to be self-learning, but what kind of scorpion acts strategically?! This thing’s just not gonna move, but how am I to damage it?” Reggie’s stomach growls; “Man, I’m hungry! Alright, I’ll just have to finish this quickly!” He begins circling the scorpion, outmaneuvering its tail, he sniffs the air, trying to find an opening.

“That tail had a foul smell to it, not toxic, but foul… I need to check.” Reggie climbs onto the scorpion’s back, it swiftly reacts by trying to impale him with its tail. Reggie steps to the side and leaps toward the tail, clinging onto it, he checks the stinger. Reggie gags; “Well, that’s awful! The anus of a scorpion is on the stinger as well! But wait…” The scorpion shakes Reggie off, Reggie lands in the sand; “If that’s where it is, then I just need to cut off the stinger. Take away one weapon system on its body and I’ll be good! That kills two birds with one stone!” He stands up and peels out, dashing around the wall, gathering speed; “More speed… I need more! Speed… is good!”

Suddenly, Reggie lands on the floor, he retracts his claw and licks his paw as the stinger of the scorpion’s tail falls to the floor, sliced clean off. The scorpion shrieks violently. “Woah!” Gendross shouts in awe as he watches the fight. The scorpion has lost focus on both attacking Reggie and defending itself, its stomach being exposed again. Reggie’s eyes sport a bloodthirsty glint and unblinking stare as his pupils become slits, he rushes onto its stomach and with lethal grace, Reggie unsheathes his claws, tearing it to shreds.

“Ok, it’s done! Reggie passed the test! Disable the simulation!” Gendross shouts in surprise. “On it!” One of the scientists deactivates the simulation, and all of the particles that were generated begin to disappear. The pod looks like its normal cybernetic self again, the shutter opens up as well. Reggie’s ears perk up and he trots his way out; “So, I take it I passed?” “Yes! With flying colors! I wasn’t expecting you to be that strong!” Gendross answers, seeming a lot more upbeat.

Reggie has a look of irritation on his face when hearing that; “Yeah, looks can be deceiving… but seriously, I could have died there!” “Don’t worry, I instructed the simulation crew to pause the AI if you were unable to make a comeback. You did exceptionally well though, so not only was it guaranteed you would survive, but you rendered that scorpion completely helpless, and in just a matter of minutes.” Reggie sighs after hearing that. “I guess it makes sense, besides, this means I get my end of the bargain. But I’m curious, why did you need me to take this test anyway?”

“Could one of you bring the serum for me?” Gendross looks at the team of scientists. “Of course!” One of them gets up and takes out a key. He leaves the room and comes back a few minutes later, holding a box with a syringe in it, the liquid within it having an uncanny black color, looking almost like ink. He hands the box to Gendross; “This is what I needed you to take the test for. This here is a serum that will grant you exponential power. I’ve been looking for someone who can potentially take this power as I don’t want it to fall into the wrong hands. With your skills and heart, you should be more than capable of bearing this power. So, Reggie, will you take this power that I am offering you?”

Reggie eyes the syringe; “Let’s see… I don’t know what that thing will even do to me, that’s the one thing I don’t like. But… on the other hand, this will not only seal the deal in allowing Elio to get back here, but likely, this power will keep me from holding him back.” Reggie ponders as he takes a deep breath. “Alright, I’ve made my decision. I’ll take it.” Reggie glares at the syringe.

Gendross smirks, his voice is low and menacing; “That’s great to hear. By taking this, you’ll become the worst nightmare of all your enemies.” The case for the syringe opens.