Persona 5: Long Live the Rebels

Chapter Four: Welcome to the Jungle

For the next few hours, Iko and Donnel listened intently to the teens story, their explanation about the true culprits identity. After they finished, Iko and Donnel were absolutely stunned.

"I'm not sure how to react to this." Iko admitted sadly. "Akechi-kun, the murderer…"

"I still can't believe that he went through with this!" Donnel growled. "How does he hope to justify this?!"

"To be honest, I'm not sure." Akira sighed. "To think that we'd actually be friends…"

"He thought he had all the cards, but he couldn't fool us!" Ryuji boasted.

"That was an impressive and risky plan." Jessamine remarked. "You guys had a large pair to pull off a stunt like that."

"We've tested our luck many times with different opponents over the months." Haru declared. "All thanks to Akira-san's leadership."

"All I did was given directions." Akira said modestly. "It was thanks to our amazing teamwork that we made it this far."

"Modest as always!" Ann smiled, rubbing Akira's back. "That's just how he is!"

Akira blushed at her words a bit.

"Indeed, a true leader, yet always modest." Yusuke nodded in agreement.

"I have to agree." Makoto nodded.

"What about your story…Iko?" Futaba asked, hesitant to call him father. "What happened after you escaped Vladimir's Palace?"

"Well, after we escaped, Donnel, Jessamine and I went to my house at the end of work." Iko continued. "We had to discuss what happened…"


Years ago…


After getting off work, the trio managed to get to Iko's house, making sure they weren't followed. After entering Iko's house, the trio sat at the dining room table, discussing what happened.

"This still makes no sense to me." Donnel spoke up.

"Well, I think I can summarize what happened." Iko declared, pulling out his phone and scrolling over to the strange app. "Somehow, this app allows one to access an alternate reality called the Metaverse. We seemed to have stumbled across what's called a Palace, a manifestation of someone's distorted desires."

"I see you're up to snuff on Cognitive Psience, Iko." Jessamine remarked with a smile. "That was in fact Vladimir's Palace we were just in."

"I'm guessing that assassin knew someone would be there, right?" Donnel asked. "Probably told Vlad to back off?"

"That's what I was thinking." Jessamine nodded. "No doubt he wanted to deal with us himself."

"But how did he know where to find us?" Donnel asked.

"Vlad probably told him." Iko growled. "No doubt he complained about my refusal to hire him."

"So he came through with his threat, huh?" Donnel frowned. "People sure sink to low levels."

"Well we need to do something about him!" Jessamine declared. "Shido's just gonna send him after us until he gets what he wants!"

"But how?" Iko asked. "The police wouldn't dare touch him and everyone else is afraid of him."

"There is another way to deal with him…" Jessamine gave a sly grin.

"What do you mean?" Donnel asked.

"Simple, really." Jessamine said. "We just have to infiltrate Vladimir's Palace and steal the source of his distortion; his Treasure."

"His treasure?" Iko repeated.

"Let me explain," Jessamine began. "Deep within a Palace is a Treasure, a physical representation of the Palace owner's wicked or negative thoughts and desires. Probably something the Palace Ruler values in real life."

"You mean if we take the Treasure," Iko said. "His Palace will not only collapse, but he'll leave us alone?"

"More than that, Iko." Jessamine smirked. "Taking his Treasure will also trigger a change of heart, making the host confess their crimes."

"So not only will Vladimir leave us alone," Donnel clarified. "He'll also confess the crimes he committed?"

"That's right." Jessamine nodded. "A confession should be more than enough to put him away for good!"

"I see." Iko mused. "Any drawbacks?"

"Only that you can't kill the Shadow." Jessamine explained. "As you already know, killing the Shadow will result in the person in the real world suffering a mental shutdown."

"Just like Wakaba…" Iko frowned sadly.

"Okay, so here's the deal," Jessamine began. "After work tomorrow, we'll meet in front of the building, then infiltrate the Palace. I can explain how it works on the way in."

"Alright, then it's settled." Iko nodded. "Tomorrow, we'll infiltrate Kraven's Palace and get the basics down." He then turned to Donnel. "Will you be alright heading home?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine." Donnel nodded. "I always take the shorter routes home, so I won't have a problem getting home."


After their meeting was concluded, Donnel left for home, Iko prepared to go to bed. After getting in his pajamas, he sat on his bed, with Jessamine sitting beside him.

"Nervous, Iko?" She asked, looking up at him.

"A little bit." Iko shrugged, before petting Jessamine. "But I have you and Donnel by my side, so I have nothing to fear."

"I'm glad to hear that." Jessamine smiled. "Now, you'd best get some sleep. We've got a big day tomorrow."

And with that, the two went to sleep, to rest for the next day.


Somewhere…


Iko woke up with a jolt, finding himself in the same tent he once was when he woke up, and in the same comfortable robes.

"I'm in this place again?" He looked about his surroundings.

"Hello again, Trickster."

He turned to see Angelus standing at the tent tarp.

"You again." Iko got to his feet. "I see now that this is no dream, right?"

"Quite right, Trickster." Angelus nodded. "This place existed between dream and reality, mind and matter." He then gestured to the larger tent. "My master would like to speak with you."

Nodding, Iko followed the messenger to the larger tent, meeting Gaia inside, as she sat at the small table, reading a book.

"I'm glad to see you again, Trickster." She smiled, putting her book to the side.

"Maybe now, you can explain what's going on?" Iko inquired.

"Of course." Gaia agreed, a blue folder appeared in her hand. "But first, I ask that you sign this contract, for it is required for you to have full access to the Velvet Room."

Iko looked about the tent, seeing the velvet red carpets and the color of the tents outside and the dark eternal night sky. Acknowledging this, his picked up a nearby quill and wrote his name on the dotted line, and the contract closed, disappearing in a puff of smoke.

"Now, the contract is signed." Gaia smiled, a small key appearing in her hand. "This is the key that allows you to enter the Velvet Room as you please. I will always be here, should you require guidance."

Iko accepted the key, taking a moment to look at it, before looking up at Gaia.

"Can you tell me what this all means?" Iko crossed his arms, taking a seat across from Gaia. "We never did have the chance to talk about what you meant."

"True, we did not." Gaia acknowledged. "As you can see, I run this Velvet Room, at the request of my friend, Philemon, to guide the Tricksters on the path."

"Trickster…" Iko repeated. "What does that mean? And who's Philemon?"

"Philemon is the being who lives within the realm of the consciousness and unconsciousness of all souls." Gaia explained. "As for the former, well, that depends on you, really."

Iko could feel Cleopatra giggle from within.

"Trickster could mean anything." Gaia went on, pulling out a deck of what looked like tarot cards, setting several of the cards on the table, each one showing a different image; one was a brawler, one was a bird, another a cowboy and another was a shogun. "One, who deceives, lies, cheats. But for you, it could mean rebel, one who fights against the corrupted authority, one who dares to question what's in front of them."

"Someone who stands out from the crowd," Iko added.

"Exactly." Gaia nodded. "The calamity takes the form of a terrible being with aspirations of godhood, to control the masses and take away their freewill. Only a Trickster, such as yourself, and several others, can fight against this terrible being with the power of Persona."

"Every Persona User is different," Angelus spoke. "Among these Users is a Wild Card, a Persona User capable of using more than one Persona. Unfortunately, you do not have this ability; however, you do have a unique ability to 'capture' Shadows."

"You must prepare for the coming Calamity," Gaia said. "You will be infiltrating the Palace of Vladimir Kraven, a selfish mercenary of arrogance. Be careful how you approach this man." She then grinned. "And, while you're at it, capture two Shadows from his Palace and bring them here and I will show you how it works further."

The ringing sound came once again.

"Once again, our time is up." Gaia sighed. "Perhaps next time, we will have more time to speak."

And with that, Iko's vision was shrouded in blackness, rendering his unconscious again.


Back in the real world…


Iko's eyes shot open, though he didn't jolt up like he did when he first encountered Gaia. Looking over, he saw that Jessamine was still asleep, curled up next to him. He couldn't help but smile.

Looking over, he saw the time on his alarm clock; the time was 4:45. It was almost time for morning.

Sighing, Iko decided to go back to sleep to get a few more minutes of rest.


The next morning…


Iko woke up with a yawn, stretching his limbs before getting out of bed. After taking a quick shower, he got dressed and picked up his bag with Jessamine propping herself on his shoulder.

"So, today is the day, right?" Iko asked, as he walked out the door.

"That's right." Jessamine nodded. "Today, right after work, we infiltrate Vladimir's Palace and see what we can find. If we come across his Treasure, we take it."

Nodding, Iko got in his car and drove to work.


Iko parked his car in the parking lot, got out of the car and walked into the building. Thankfully, he was able to avoid Vladimir, and once he got to his office, he sat and waited for Donnel to arrive.

While he waited, he sifted through report after report, until he looked through the research section, looking over other research projects that he and Wakaba were planning to go over. A cure for cancer, researching a way to end world hunger, and even studying space-time theories.

As he looked through the files, he noticed the door slide open, and Donnel entered the room.

"Hey, Boss." Donnel greeted, closing the door. "Back to work as usual, right?"

"For now, yes." Iko nodded. "But right after, we infiltrate Vladimir's Palace and see what we can find. Thankfully, I was able to evade him this morning."

"He must be running late." Jessamine guessed, hoping out of the bag. "Which gives us about 24 hours of bliss."

"Then let's get to work."

And so they went to work, as time flew by.


Hours later, and it was finally time for the Iko and Donnel to commence Jessamine's plan. Gathering their belongings, they made their way to the door.

"Finally, time to begin the operation." Jessamine began. "Let's just hope we don't run into-"

Before she could finish, the door quickly slid open, revealing a smirking Vladimir.

"Ah, my Egyptian friend." He said with that smirk. "I was looking all over the building for you!"

"Kraven." Iko growled disdainfully. "I was wondering where you've been."

"I have recently forgotten where to find this place, you see." Kraven defended. "Regardless, I'm here now and hope you took consideration to my offer."

"This again?" Iko sighed in annoyance. "How many times do I have to tell you 'no' before you understand?!"

"As many as it takes." Kraven declared arrogantly. "The last thing we need is to lose another brilliant scientist."

"Hey, he said 'no', you Russian cunt!" Donnel spoke up, getting in between them. "And he'll keep givin' ya the same answer until you take a hint!"

"How dare you speak to me like that." Kraven snarled, looking down at Donnel. "Worthless cur like you should know your place! You and every other lowly peasant here is expendable and-"

Suddenly, Donnel struck Kraven in the face with a hard jab, making him stumble back a bit, rubbing his jaw and staring back in shock.

"You…you just hit me…" Kraven stuttered.

"You damned right I did." Donnel snarled. "And I'll do it again if you talk to me like that again."

Kraven only stared back in shock, before his face twisted with anger.

"You little!" He seethed, then angrily turned to the door. "You will pay for this!"

And with that, he stomped out, leaving Iko and Jessamine quite stunned at what had just occurred.

"Donnel, what just happened there?" Iko asked.

"Sorry, I'm just tired of his attitude." Donnel shrugged. "I couldn't just stand by while he talks like that and gets away with it."

"Well, let's hope it doesn't come back to bite us in the ass." Jessamine sighed, before getting serious. "Now, let's get to work."

Nodding, the three went to the room where they first entered the Metaverse. After closing the door, Iko activated the MetaNav.

"Alright, here goes." He pressed his finger against the app.

Their surrounding shifted, as if transforming. After the shifting subsided, they opened the door, revealing the lush jungle before them.

"It worked!" Donnel whooped.

"Seriously, are you unable to keep your voice down?" Jessamine scolded, now in her cartoonish bipedal form.

"Hey, Boss, you're in that outfit again." Donnel remarked, pointing out Iko's Egyptian attire.

"It would seem so." Iko mused, admiring his outfit. "Not half bad, eh?"

"I mean, you look good." Donnel admitted.

"Let's just get down to business." Jessamine rolled her eyes, looking about their surroundings. "The Shadows patrolling this Palace don't seem to know that we're here yet, so we've got time to explore."

"The Shadows…" Iko repeated, remembering the Goatmen he fought the last time he was here. "Like those Goatmen from yesterday…"

"That's right." Jessamine nodded. "The Shadows can take on any kind of form. Inside someone's Palace, anything can happen." She looked down the jungle path, seeing no Shadows for now. "Alright, the coast is clear. Let's get a move on!"

The three went down the jungle path, finding several hanging skeletons and effigies along the path, before finally arriving at their destination. Peeking through the bushes, they could see what looked like a massive prison structure of a compound. The building was surrounded by fifteen foot high wall with wooden spikes embedded in the walls. There was only one entry into the compound, but it was heavily guarded by Shadows that took the form of hunters. The inside of the compound was rather wide and large, several exercising stations were laid about. The structure itself was tall and massive in size.

"Some compound, huh?" Iko remarked. "He must have quite the ego to have a structure that big."

"That place looks impenetrable!" Donnel gasped. "How are we supposed to get in?!"

"Don't you watch any spy movies?" Jessamine frowned, before smirking. "For every heavily guarded place in the world, there is a way. We've just gotta find it."

The three carefully maneuvered around the compound, hiding in the shrubbery, searching for a weakness in the compound walls, before coming upon section of the wall that appears to have broken down a bit, leaving an opening.

"Looks like we can get in through here."

Jessamine and Iko were able to get over the opening with ease, though they had to help Donnel over, and they quickly snuck behind one of the buildings, before peeking out to see the structure.

"Don't suppose we can just walk in through the front door, right?" Donnel asked halfheartedly.

"Of course not!" Jessamine scolded him silently. "Every thief and spy knows that the front door is a terrible idea! We have to find some other way in."

Iko scanned the building, seeing many holes in the building, before spotting an opening in the back of the structure; there was a massive hole in the wall and thankfully no guards.

"Perhaps we can sneak in through there." He pointed.

"Yeah, that could work!" Jessamine smirked, looking up to him. "Good eye, Iko!"

The trio snuck over to the back of the structure, avoiding being spotted by the patrolling Shadows, and snuck in through the back, entering a large and wide interior, lined with rugs and more holes in the walls.

"I'm surprised this building is still standing." Iko remarked, gazing at the holes.

"Let's keep moving, and remember to stay out of sight." Jessamine commanded.

The trio went down the halls, going up several stairs. The interior was as rough as the outside; the walls were lined with trophies of some of the hunters, trophies that varied from all kinds of horns and pelts of different kinds of animals.

"For some bastard's fantasy, he knows how to imagine trophies." Donnel remarked, looking at the trophies.

As they went down the halls, they stopped behind a corner, then peeked out, seeing one of the Shadows with their backs to them.

"Alright, now would be a good chance for a preemptive strike." Jessamine smirked. "Just sneak up from behind and rip off the Shadows mask and they'll change into their true form!" She turned to Donnel. "You should probably sit this one out, my dude. You don't exactly have the power to keep up."

Donnel sighed, but he back up, as Iko snuck up behind the Shadow, then hoped on its shoulders and tore its mask off and back up. The Shadow quivered and squirmed, before bursting into a black puddle, revealing its true form to be a massive reptile-rooster hybrid.

"Cockatrice." Iko muttered, bringing out his glaive and readying his stance.

"Get ready to fight." Jessamine declared, pulling out her rapiers.

The Cockatrice roared a roster-like roar, before charging at them, only for the duo to sidestep it, the duo getting several strikes in. The Cockatrice roared, letting out a high pitched screech that rang throughout the area, so loud that Iko, Jessamine and Donnel had to cover their ears it was so loud.

"This one must be using sound waves as a weapon!" Jessamine yelled.

Iko didn't seem to hear her, from the loud sound waves of the Cockatrice before them. Though he did hear Gaia's words echo within his mind.

Use your power to capture and bring Shadows to me.

Focusing, he extended his arm towards the Cockatrice, unsure of what he is supposed to do. Suddenly, the bandages on his arm started to rustle, then, to his surprise, they extended from his arm, wrapping themselves around the Cockatrice's legs, its wings, and then its beak, putting an end to the loud sound waves.

"Iko, what just happened?!" Jessamine exclaimed, surprised by what had happened. "The bandages-"

"I'm not sure, but it's working!" Iko called.

Taking control, Iko brought the Cockatrice down to the floor, rendering it helpless.

Iko carefully approached the beast, as it struggled, though he thought he could hear the beast utter words.

"Leave me alone!" The Cockatrice squawked, struggling against its restraints.

"You can talk?" Iko pointed out, surprised, but also intrigued.

"Of course I can talk!" The Cockatrice snarled. "Why wouldn't I be able to talk?!"

"To be honest, I never thought such Shadows could be capable of speech." Iko mused. "This is a whole new experience for me."

"Yeah?" The Cockatrice quipped. "I didn't think mummies would hold such curiosity."

"As a scientist, I've always had a strong curiosity for the unknown." Iko admitted. "After all, researching that kind of field is my job, my passion."

"Passion, you say?" The Cockatrice mused, thinking hard. "I remember such passion, from days when I was much younger."

'I wasn't aware Shadows had memories.' Iko wondered, before the Cockatrice squawked again.

"That's it!" The Cockatrice cried, before closing its eyes in serenity. "I am but a simple Cockatrice with a great passion! And I belong to thou."

And with that, a sarcophagus appeared behind it, and the bandages quickly wrapped around it, quickly and completely covering it, before dragging it into the sarcophagus, sealing it inside.

Iko, Jessamine and Donnel looked in amazement, stunned by what had just occurred. Before anyone could speak up, a portal of light opened behind the sarcophagus, then, much to the shock of the trio, a massive earthly hand reached out and wrapped its earthly fingers around the coffin and pulled it into the portal, the portal closing afterwards.

The trio stood there, absolutely shocked by what they had just witnessed.

"What the fuck just happened?!" Donnel demanded, shocked by what just happened.

"I'm not really sure." Iko admitted, before thinking to himself. 'But I'm sure Gaia had something to do with it.'

"Well, whatever it was, it'll come in handy." Jessamine remarked, before hopping ahead. "Come on! The safe room is up ahead!"

The trio pressed on down one of the halls, reaching what looked like a distorted door. Opening it, the trio entered what looked like a regular board room.

"Why isn't this room affected?" Donnel asked, closing the door behind them.

"Kraven doesn't have influence in board rooms." Jessamine said. "Remember, he's just a guest here."

"Man, I still don't understand this Cognitive Psience crap." Donnel sighed. "Still, I guess this gives us room to breathe." He looked over at Iko, looking over his outfit. "And what's with the outfit? And that mask?"

"That's his 'Will of Rebellion'." Jessamine explained. "It's sort of like an armor that protects him from Kravens perverted vision."

"So, why don't I have one?" Donnel raised an eyebrow.

"You probably don't have the potential yet." Jessamine shrugged. "It's sheer willpower that's been keeping you from being affected by the Palace."

"Damnit, I wish I could be of some use!" Donnel growled, before lighting up with an idea. "Wait, I've got it!"

He dug through his bag and pulled out what looked like medicine bottles and…a silverballer pistol!

"Donnel, where in the hell did you get that?!"

"Relax, Boss, it's not a real gun." Donnel assured. "It just makes noise, but maybe it can fake them out."

"Actually, it can be useful." Jessamine smirked. "Remember, in the Metaverse, anything can be perceived as real, so long as the enemy sees it as real."

"That's good to know." Iko nodded, before pulling out a pen began writing. "I'd better write this down for future references."

Chuckling, Jessamine placed an ear to the door, listening, as she heard voices from the other side.

"Have you found the intruders yet?"

"Nah, not yet."

"Then keep an eye out! Meanwhile, the other hunters are training with the pets, and what do we get? Guard duty."

"I know, right? Why can't we have some fun too?!"

Jessamine thought to herself for a bit, then turned to the duo.

"Sounds like there are at least two guards outside. We can take them out quickly."

The trio exited the room, spotting two guards standing at the end of the hall, facing away from them. While Donnel hung back, Iko and Jessamine snuck up behind the guards, the ripped off their masks, the two guards transforming into their true forms; the first guard transformed into a massive Minotaur, carrying an ax, while the second one changed into a Goatman, baaing in anger.

"Get ready, Iko!"

Drawing their weapons, the two readied themselves, as the two monsters charged at them, and the two summoned their Personas.

"Phoolan, hit 'em with a multi Graviton blast!"

The bandit queen fired two gravity blasts from her rifle, sending the Goatman back into the ground, while the Minotaur just skidded back a bit.

"Come, Rebel." Cleopatra cooed, her snakes hissing loudly. "I would like to have some fun as well!"

Iko nodded, then rushed towards the Goatman then hit it with his combo attack, killing it.

The Minotaur roared, then fired a fireball towards Iko, who was able to jump out of the way, but the fireball grazed his arm, lighting the bandages on fire. Screaming, Iko slapped his arm over and over, putting the fire out.

"Ah, shit, that hurts!"

"You must be weak against fire!" Jessamine declared worriedly. "Be careful and dodge as best you can!"

Nodding, Iko kept his distance, then summoned his Persona.

"Cleopatra, hit him with some dark magic!"

Cleopatra laughed, then lifted up one of her snakes, which opened its mouth and unleashed a blast of dark magic at the Minotaur, knocking it off its feet.

"It's down! Iko, restrain it!"

Iko extended his arm out, and the bandages came to life, springing from his arm and wrapping them around the Minotaur, keeping it grounded and restrained.

"You think these tiny bits of fabric can hold me down?!"

"They're more than just fabric, Bullhead." Iko smirked. "They're magical."

"Magic? I've never seen this kind of magic before."

"Yeah, well I'm still getting used to it." Iko admitted. "Still, it's pretty impressive, no?"

"Impressive indeed. Reminds me of my younger years."

'Do these Shadows actually have an age?' Iko thought to himself, curious.

"Ah, I remember now! I come from the sea of souls! And I belong to thou."

The Minotaur was then wrapped up in bandages and stuffed in a sarcophagus, then pulled into a portal by Gaia's hand.

"That ability of yours is quite useful." Jessamine remarked. "Maybe it can be used to tame stronger Shadows?"

"We'll have to experiment later." Iko put away his weapon, looking down the hallway. "We should get moving."

The trio continued their way down the hall, before coming upon a set of doors with a large sign over it.

"It's in Russian!" Donnel complained. "I can't read it!"

"Quit your bellyaching and let me!" Jessamine sighed, looking up at the sign. "It says…'Training Hall of the Hunt'."

"That can't sound good."

Opening the doors, the trio entered what looked like some form of hunting grounds, tall grass and thick trees, watching as the hunters are hunting for their prisoners in this area, much to the shock of the trio.

"What the hell kinda place is this?!" Donnel gasped silently.

"Looks like some sort of training ground for the hunters." Jessamine guessed. "The hunters must let the prisoners loose in here to hunt them for sport."

They watched as some of the prisoners ran for their lives, desperately trying to get away from the hunters that chased them.

"Is this how Kraven views other people?" Iko shooked his head in disbelief at what he was seeing.

"I'm afraid so, Iko." Jessamine nodded sadly. "He views everyone who is unimportant as slaves."

"This is unbelievable!" Donnel growled in frustration. "How can any normal human think like this?!"

Before an answer could be given, one of the prisoners ducked behind a rock, looking over at them, a look of terror on his face.

"Please…" He begged. "Please…don't…kill me!"

Before the trio could respond, to assure him they meant no harm, there was gun fire, forcing them to get behind cover, while the prisoner fearfully ducked behind the rock.

"These freaks are fuckin' insane!"

"We need to get out of here!" Jessamine said. "It's not safe here!"

"What about these folks?" Donnel pointed at the prisoners. "We can't just leave them here!"

"They're not real people!" Jessamine retorted. "They're not real humans who came in like you two did." She looked towards the prisoners. "Think of them as very similar looking dolls."

Iko looked toward the prisoners, recognizing some of them as his coworkers. Though he had no love for them, it didn't feel right to just leave them here to suffer.

"We need to find the way out of here." Jessamine declared. "We can head back towards-"

"No."

She and Donnel looked at Iko, who stood up.

"We're not leaving them here like this." Iko stated firmly. "If we can't bring them to reality, we can at least set them free from Kraven's compound."

"I told you, it's hopeless!" Jessamine pointed out.

"That doesn't mean we shouldn't try." Iko countered. "I'm going to get these guys out, with or without your help."

Jessamine made to protest, but saw that Iko wasn't gonna budge, then gave a defeated sigh.

"Fine, damnit. I hope you know what you're getting yourself into."

"Trust me on this." Iko assured, then turned to Donnel. "You stay here and wait for us. We'll be back as quick as possible."

"Alright, Boss." Donnel nodded, before handing Iko a walkie-talkie. "We'll keep in touch with this."

And with that, Iko and Jessamine snuck into the tall grass, leaving Donnel a bit frustrated.

"Damnit, I wish I could be of some use." He sighed. "If only I could fight the way Iko could."

While he pondered his thoughts, he failed to notice a dark figure behind him.


Iko and Jessamine snuck through the tall grass, hidden from view, taking out the hunters and saving the prisoners, gathering them behind the large tree.

"That's all of them." Iko sighed, wiping the sweat from his face.

"This is a waste of time." Jessamine remarked bluntly.

One of the prisoners approached them, having long shaggy hair and those golden eyes.

"Are you guys here to free us?"

"Yes, we are." Iko smirked. "We can't bring you guys to the real world, but we can at least free you so you can fight back."

"Fight back," The prisoner mused. "Well, if you're gonna help us, you need to get us through that door."

He pointed towards what looked like a massive set of steel doors.

"They say that if we make it to those doors, they'd let us go." He said. "But they always just shoot us down from the sniper's nest up there."

He pointed up to the tall platform, where the hunters were scanning the area with their sniper rifles.

"If you guys could take them out, it'd give us a chance to flee."

Iko nodded, then turned to Jessamine.

"You ready?"

"Yep, might as well get this over with." She shrugged.

Sneaking through the tall grass, the duo snuck up the platform, sneaking up on the hunters from behind and attacked, taking them both out. Iko then pressed the button that opened the steel doors, allowing the prisoners to run free.

"Thank you, Rebels!"

"We'll find a way to repay you guys!"

After the prisoners fled, Jessamine was deep in thought.

"Rebels, huh?" She stroked her chin. "Perhaps this wasn't a fool's errand after all."

"Now that we've freed them, let's head back to Donnel and get out of here."

The two got off the platform and made their way back to the entrance to the room, but when they got there, Donnel was nowhere to be found.

"Where'd Donnel go?" Jessamine asked, worried.

"He was told to stay put." Iko said, pulling out the walkie-talkie. "I'll try calling him."

Switching on the talkie, Iko spoke into it several times, trying to get Donnel to answer, but no response.

"Damnit, come on, Donny!" Iko growled. "Answer me!"

"Hello, Iko."

Iko felt his blood run cold, his expression twisted a bit with anger as he recognized that Russian accent. Even Jessamine was shocked.

"Where is he?" Iko growled.

"I'm glad you asked." The voice chuckled. "Come outside, and he might still be alive."

The walkie then switched off, leaving Iko very pissed off.

"I've had it with that good for nothing piece of shit!" He raged, throwing the walkie against the wall, smashing it to pieces.

"Save your anger for when we get there." Jessamine said. "Right now, we've gotta save Donnel!"

With their new objective in mind, the duo sped down the halls, hurrying to save their friend.


Another chapter bites the dust! I apologize if the last bit appears rushe, but I just don't want you guys to think I'm slackin' or nothin', but I've been busy with some real life shit, you catch my drift? Anyways, hope you guys enjoyed the new chapter regardless, and as always, be sure to review and let me know what you guys think of the new chapter!