Note: Whew! I managed to get this chapter out of the way. The chapters for 'Blue Eyes White Mermaid' and 'For the Love of Geb and Nut' are starting to take shape. In the meantime, our heroes are about to take part in their greatest challenge yet: a fight with a Hunter (a.k.a Big Daddy)! Will they succeed? Enjoy the new chapter!
Chapter 11: Big Daddy Showdown!
It was not long before the team made it to the large hallway where Steinman's blood messages were first sighted. Blossom was shivering with fear as they peeked out from behind a corner. "They're here Master!" she squeaked in a hushed tone, "The scary splicers are here!" Indeed, not far from the group, there were two female splicers in torn up jeans and t-shirts, chatting like teenagers on a shopping spree. Each of them was carrying a lead pipe, spattered with blood.
"So what do we do with these chicks?" Jonouchi asked.
Pegasus stepped in front of the others, "Never fear, my friends." He said with a smirk, "I'll handle this pair." He lifted up a hand. Nothing happened at first, but then his smooth skin started turning knobby as if the veins are bubbling up and swelling. In moments, some parts of his skin started to bulge out and take the shape of tennis balls, which they could see his right cheek, the left side of his neck, and of course, the palm just below his wrist. Once the bulges had grown to a size fitting a tennis ball, they literally burst right through the skin, revealing to be red round globs of goop. They all stayed put in the openings they created.
"Ugh, gross!" Honda said in disgust at the sight.
"Yes, it is," Pegasus confessed with distaste, "which is why I only reactivate this plasmid under certain conditions. It makes me look like one of those disgusting splicers!"
"Plasmid?" Atem said, "So you're a Plasmund, like us?"
"That's right Atem Boy!" Pegasus said. "And I always thank my lucky stars for making me Nagi compatible!" He motioned his hand as if to throw an object upward, and the round glob on the palm blasted right out of its opening, taking the shape of a ball before it landed neatly on his hand.
"Yuck! What kind of plasmid is that?!" Jonouchi gagged.
"Patience." Pegasus said, "You're about to find out soon enough!" He tossed the round glob up in the air and caught it with his other hand. "One for the money,"—another red glob blasted out of his wrist—"Two for the show,"—at that point he started juggling the two globs—"Three to get ready,"—then holding the globs, he took aim—"And here—we—GO!" And with that, he tossed the globs at the two splicers at top speed. Each of the globs hit both targets, and the splicers stopped their friendly chat. After four seconds of confusion from the impact, they let out screams of rage, and started attacking… each other! The others watched as the splicers flung insults and bashed each other with the lead pipes they carried. "VOILA!" Pegasus said in triumph, "Instant cat fight!" He turned his attention to the group. "This, my friends, is the work of my Rage plasmid. Any enemy who is struck with this plasmid would be filled with such anger that they forget whose side they're on, and as a result, they'll attack just about anyone, even their own allies."
"I get it!" Mai said, "So by using Rage, you not only divert their attacks towards you, you can also cause damage to two enemies at once!"
"But what if there's only one enemy?" Jonouchi asked.
"Then the target of their wrath is the one person who uses Rage… which would be yours truly." Pegasus explained as his skin returned to normal, "In that kind of scenario however, it would only be for a short while. But whether you're facing one enemy, or an opposing army, it doesn't matter; the Rage plasmid will not work on those with strong wills." Atem nodded in understanding, just as one of the fighting splicers gave the other the killing blow. She huffed and puffed in exhaustion, blood dripping just about everywhere. "Well that was quick. Guess I'll close the curtain on this little sideshow." Pegasus said as he took out a gold colored chain gun. He fired three bullets in quick succession, and needless to say, the splicer bit the dust. Once she hit the floor with a thud, he put his chain gun to the side. "Before I forget, here's an interesting tidbit: Like most other plasmids in Kyoki, Rage was created during the 1980's. I happen to have some evidence of the prototype." He took out a video diary, and turned it on. Imagine Atem's horror when he once again saw the face of a certain scientist.
"Clinical Trial, Lot # 44, Dr. Suchong/Client Orichalcos Futuristics." Dr. Suchong began in the recording, "The subject in this trial is a white male by the name of Roland Wallace." The camera turns over to reveal a man in a suit. "Can you hear me Mr. Wallace?"
"Yes Sir, Mr. Suchong Sir!" the man replied.
"Very well," Suchong said, taking out a syringe, "I'm introducing Lot # 44 right about… now!" And with that he makes the injection. Suchong turns back to the screen and explains, "We've codenamed Lot # 44 'Rage' because of its tendency to--" He couldn't finish his sentence, for Wallace began to convulse and scream with rage, as many round globs burst through his skin and anger swelled up. He tried to pull himself free. "Nurse, hold him down!" the nurse made the attempt but the subject proved to be too strong.
"I can't hold him much longer!" the nurse cried, before Wallace broke free and started attacking. Dr. Suchong was knocked to the ground, while the nurse screamed in the background. Somehow he managed to pick up the video diary and point its camera towards him.
"Well, it seems like Lot # 44 needs a liiittle more work." He gave what seemed like a wicked smile before the camera finally turned off. Pegasus put away the video diary and picked up his weapon.
"That's just about it. Let's move on shall we?" he said. The others nodded in agreement and slowly the team slipped out from hiding. They had barely gone through when Jonouchi suddenly started sniffing the air.
"What's that smell?!" he said, "It's worse than limburger cheese!"
"It wasn't me!" Honda said defensively.
"Hold on!" Atem said, and he too began to sniff the air. He grimaced immediately. "That stench smells familiar."
Pegasus sniffed as well. "Pheromones." He confirmed.
"Pheromones?" Atem asked, growing concerned. "Is Ryu Mutou summoning reinforcements?"
"If he is, we wouldn't be smelling it." Mai said. "The pheromones he puts in the air can only be detected by splicers. These pheromones are different!" As if on cue, a loud whale call echoed in the hall.
"Oh no!" Jonouchi gasped, "Please tell me it's just a whale!" To his dismay, the ground shook, followed by the sound of heavy footsteps. As the vibrations grew more intense, a voice came out from behind a nearby hall in front of them. It sounded like a small boy.
"C'mon Bubbles, don't be such a slowpoke! We won't find any angels at that pace!" Finally, the Hunter lumbered into view, and stepping in front of him was a small seven-year-old boy.
"Look!" Mai said, pointing at the pair, "There's a Scavenger over there!" Indeed there is. This one had blonde hair, and he wore a red baseball cap sported backwards. He had a T-shirt with a missing sleeve, and jeans with holes exposing his knees. He only had one sneaker, and the foot that didn't have a shoe was covered only with a sock, which had a hole exposing his big toe.
"Hmm, seem like that Big Daddy is on guard duty." Honda said.
"Hey! There's an angel over there! Let's go get some Nagi!" the Scavenger told his Hunter companion, and immediately stepped toward the corpse with the hypodermic syringe ready. Right when the boy began to extract the Nagi, Atem remembered Anzu's request.
"There are other Scavengers just like Mei Lin, waiting to be rescued. Please help them out when you see them."
Anzu. He thought, his hand curling into a fist, I promise I won't let you down. He eyed the Hunter that stood patiently behind his ward. But first, I'll have to deal with that Hunter. I know he's trying to protect that child, but as long as he's guarding him, I won't be able to use Restoration. The Bolt's power built up within, and as he spread open his hand, a ball of electricity began to form. Atem stepped in front of his friends, shocking them to no end.
"Atem Boy?" Pegasus said, "What are you doing?!"
Atem simply replied, "I'm going to pick a fight."
"WHAT?! A-Atem, wait! STOP!" Honda shouted. But it was too late. Atem unleashed his Bolt attack, striking the Hunter dead on!
"Bubbles!" the Scavenger shouted. The electrocuted Hunter convulsed for a moment, before he shook out the aftershock and turned his head toward Atem. He let out an angry whale call, and the yellow glow in his helmet turned red.
"Aw man, you've done it now Atem!" Honda exclaimed, "YOU'VE MADE HIM MAD!"
"That's exactly what I was going for!" Atem said as he stepped closer toward his soon-to-be opponent and took a fighter's stance.
"Goddammit Atem," Mai shrieked, "You're even crazier than the splicers! Do you really think you can fight that monster by yourself?!"
Atem ignored her comment as the Hunter let out a bellow powerful enough to literally push back anyone. Yet the crimson-eyed youth stood his ground, and lifting his lead pipe quarterstaff, he shouted to the Big Daddy, "Bring it on!"
"Get him Bubbles! Crush him!" the Scavenger shouted as the yellow glow in his eyes turned red. And with that the Hunter charged toward his target. He swiped a mighty punch at the crimson-eyed youth, but Atem ducked out of the way. He then attempted to make a counterattack, striking the brute on the side with his quarterstaff. To his shock, his repeated hits hardly made a significant impact. That was when the Hunter did a sideswipe with his gigantic fist. It was a direct hit on Atem's stomach, but since he had the Static Discharge gene tonic equipped, a circle of electricity shot out and shocked the brute yet again. Still, the impact was so powerful that it sent Atem flying, until he slammed into a nearby wall, hard. Just when things couldn't get worse for the crimson-eyed youth, the Hunter shook out of his shock, completely unfazed. Then he lunged at Atem again, this time with his drill-arm in activation, and he was aiming right at Atem's face! Atem let out a small, terrified shout as he barely dodged the whining drill, which hit the wall with a bang.
"Atem!" Jonouchi and Honda shouted in horror for their friend. Pegasus glared at the giant Diving Suit and lifted his golden machine gun.
"It seems like we have no choice!" Pegasus said, "We have to take that Big Daddy down!"
"Aiee! Be careful Master!" Blossom cried. Pegasus reactivated his Rage plasmid, and threw the red glob right on the Hunter before he could make another attack on Atem. After recovering from the shock, the brute turned around and roared a whale call at the Rage wielder.
"Have a taste of my new armor-piercing bullets, Big Daddy!" Pegasus shouted and his fired his machine gun. Many of those bullets indeed lived up to their function, striking the giant even as he was charging head on towards his new target.
"Look out!" Mai exclaimed, and she ran out of the Hunters way, along with Jonouchi and Honda. Pegasus also dodged the drill attack, barely, but in the opposite direction. Just as he fell to the floor with a screaming Blossom, Honda decided to make his move, and started shooting at the Hunter with his pistol. Mai loaded up her handheld crossbow and fired a bolt. It hit the brute just as the Rage plasmid wore off. As if realizing that he was dealing with multiple targets, the Hunter bellowed again, and bull rushed the two assailants. He slammed them with his huge fist, and sent both of them flying at once.
"Mai! Honda!" Jonouchi shouted as they crashed landed on the floor. Soon rage began to surge within him as he looked at the Hunter, his hot coal skin glowing bright with a raging fire. Yet compared to the anger he felt when he confronted Dr. Steinman with his friends, the heat of it was even more intense. And the surge of power and strength flowed in his body, just like it did with Atem! And speaking of whom, Atem, battered and bruised, slowly rose to his feet with the help of his quarterstaff. When he saw his friend, he let out a gasp. Jonouchi… he thought, What's happening? It's like his Blaze plasmid is going on overdrive! At that very moment, Jonouchi raised his sword, letting the fires of his Blaze cover the blade. Meanwhile, just as Honda was about to get up, the Hunter grabbed him by the ankle and swung him over to the other side of the hall. Honda yelled in pain as he landed on the floor.
"Yeah, knock 'em dead!" the Scavenger cheered as the Hunter prepared to launch a killing blow.
"Hey, Big Daddy!" Jonouchi shouted, gaining the Hunter's attention, "You think you're so tough?! Then how about a little drill-to-sword combat?!" The Hunter charged toward the dirty blonde, as though happy to oblige. Whining drill and flaming sword clashed with each other, and miraculously Jonouchi's sword somehow managed to resist being skewered to scrap metal. Again and again the fighters swung at each other. Then suddenly, the Hunter punched Jonouchi right on the face, sending him to the floor. The brute's gloved hand caught fire, but he quickly punched the ground to snuff it out. After seeing his friend get hurt in that way, it was not long before Atem began to feel a familiar rage building up within him. His Bolt plasmid pulsed with great strength and power. At the very same time, Jonouchi lifted his head, wiping the blood that was dripping from the right side of his mouth. He glared at the Hunter, unfazed by the punch. "Big mistake…" he growled. Then he quickly stood up, and shouted, "SPINNING INFERNO!" He spun in a circle, holding his flaming sword outward, making a ring of fire. The blade struck the Hunter right on the stomach, and not only did it wound the brute, it set him aflame as well. The Hunter bellowed in pain and anger, and he charged in an attempt to retaliate. But that was when Atem made his move. Once again, a large ball of electricity formed in his hands.
"PLASMA BOLT!" he shouted, and he hurled the ball forward. His aim was true, and the Hunter bellowed as he was electrocuted. As such, the giant Diving Suit stood paralyzed on the spot.
"Unbelievable…!" Pegasus gasped as he witnessed the whole scene.
"Now Jonouchi!" Atem exclaimed, "Finish him off!" Jonouchi did not hesitate, and with a great battle cry, he plunged his sword right into the brute's heart.
For a few moments all was still. The Hunter's blood flowed like one massive river. Then he let out a long whale-like moan, and as soon as Jonouchi pulled his sword out, everything seemed to slow down as the brute fell to the ground with a heavy thud. The light in the helmet flickered, before finally it died out, along with the Hunter himself. Then there was silence, as the team stared long and hard at the Big Daddy they had just killed together. The Scavenger was staring at the Hunter too; he let out a gasp of shock, unable to believe what just happened before his very eyes. Choking sobs began to emit from the little boy's throat as the red glow in his eyes once more became yellow. Finally, let screamed in anguish, "BUBBLES!!" Immediately, he ran toward the giant corpse of his bodyguard. "You can't die now Bubbles! Please don't die!" When it became apparent to him that 'Bubbles' had indeed passed away, he started crying like never before. Meanwhile, Mai and Honda had gotten to their feet, as did Pegasus, and like Jonouchi and Atem, they were stunned at what they had just done.
"No way…" Jonouchi said, "We… we did it…! We actually killed a Hunter!"
"Amazing!" Pegasus said as his skin returned to normal, "It's been a while since I've seen one's Overdrive Abilities in action like this!"
"Overdrive Abilities?" Atem questioned.
"Oh, sorry." Pegasus apologized, "For a moment, I forgot that you and your friend are from the surface, so allow me to explain. Unlike normal humans, or even splicers for that matter, we Plasmunds have a unique special power at our disposal, which is referred to as the Overdrive Ability. It is only activated when a Plasmund is pushed to the limit in one form or another. When that happens, they use their plasmids in ways unique to them, and they are extremely powerful."
"Yeah!" Blossom added, "Not even a Big Daddy like this one could stand up to something like that!"
"Awesome!" Jonouchi said in awe, "That explains Atem's supercharged Plasma Bolt when we were fighting against Dr. Steinman!"
"And that also explains your newly-discovered Spinning Inferno ability, Jonouchi." Honda said, "Such amazing powers are capable of turning the tide in any major battle." With the explanation finished, they soon laid their eyes on the young Scavenger, who was still mourning the loss of his companion.
"So what do we do now?" Jonouchi asked.
"Leave him." Mai said, "Let him mourn his loss and let him get back to his hiding hole by himself."
"But what if some splicer comes along and harvests the kid?" Jonouchi protested.
"Well it's a whole lot better than sacrificing our humanity!" Honda said, "Don't you get it?! People who harvest Scavengers, even if they are a Plasmund… they change! Something happens, and unless they get treatment, they're overcome with bloodlust, and eventually all they can care about is their hunger for more Nagi! I know it's cruel, but we can't help him! Just leave him here and head over to Emergency Access so we can go to Dragon King's Bounty!" With that, the he and the others began to leave.
"No!" Atem said suddenly. The rest of the team looked back at the crimson-eyed youth, startled at what they had heard.
"Atem?" Honda said. Atem began to step toward the crying Scavenger.
"We will not leave this child!" he said, "Not this time!"
"Atem Boy, have you gone mad?!" Pegasus shouted.
"You better not be doing what I think you're doing!" Honda exclaimed in growing anger.
"Leave him alone, you bastard!" Mai hollered.
Pegasus lifted his machine gun and aimed it at Atem. "YOU SHALL NOT HARVEST THAT BOY!"
"There is ANOTHER way!" Atem shouted back, "Trust me! It'll be worth your while!" And with that, he bent down and reached out toward the boy.
"Atem, DON'T!" Jonouchi shouted in a panic. But Atem had already picked up the little Scavenger boy, holding him as gently as he could. All at once, the Scavenger grew horrified.
"No! NO!" he cried, trying to pry himself out of Atem's grasp, "Lemme GO!" At that very same moment, Atem's Bolt plasmid faded to make way for the white glow of the Restoration plasmid. Once the glow covered most of his body, Atem immediately cradled the boy's head with his free hand.
"It's all right, Little One," he reassured, "Don't be afraid." And with a sigh, the boy grew limp with relaxation. Everyone else stared in amazement as the white glow began to crack upon the Scavenger's skin from Atem's hand.
"What's this?!" Pegasus gasped in awe, "A plasmid I've never seen before?!" At that moment the glow had become so bright, that they all had to cover their eyes. When at last, the light faded, a small thump was heard, and the others looked up just in time to see an incredible sight. There, standing in front of Atem, was the Scavenger, who was not only alive and well, but also looked more like a normal little boy with bright green eyes. As his Bolt plasmid returned to his skin, Atem opened his eyes and smiled as the little boy looked at himself in surprise.
"Huh? I-I'm me again…" the boy said, before he looked up at his savior, "Did you…?"
"Yes, Little One." Atem replied kindly.
The boy gave a big smile. "Whoa! Thanks Mister!"
"I don't believe it!" Honda said in amazement, "Atem actually… made him human again!"
"But how?" Mai asked.
"It's my pleasure." Atem said to the ex-Scavenger. He took off the boy's hat, playfully ruffled his hair, then put it back on, earning some happy laughter from the child. "Now hurry back to your hiding hole before the monsters come and eat you, okay?
"Okay Mister!" the boy said, "Thanks again!" And with that, he ran off toward the tunnel in a nearby wall. Jonouchi stepped toward his friend, who was watching with a smile.
"Atem!" he said in excitement, "That was so cool! Seriously, how did you do that? How did you manage to make him human?"
Atem knelt down to pick up the dead slug that had been in the boy's body. Unlike the slug he saw previously, this one had only a pink horizontal stripe, and no orange spots. "It's all made possible with my new Restoration plasmid." Atem explained as he drained the Nagi into his jar, "Remember what Pegasus said about the symbiotic relationship between the rapture slug and its host? Restoration allows me to destroy the slug from within. In this way, the Scavenger's life is spared, while at the same time they are restored to their original state."
"Incredible Atem Boy!" Pegasus said, "But where did you get such a plasmid?"
"When I found myself trapped in a moral dilemma concerning another Scavenger, someone came in my time of need and gave it to me. That was how I got my first batch of Nagi." Atem replied, "Which reminds me… Pegasus, do you sell it in any of your Gather's Garden stores?"
"Actually, no." Pegasus replied, "I've never even heard of this particular plasmid before, much less seen one."
"Me neither." Honda admitted.
"I haven't heard of this plasmid either." Mai said. "Heck, I don't even know anyone in Kyoki who uses it, if there is such a person."
Atem looked at them in surprise. "You mean… no one in the city knows about Restoration?"
"No." Honda said. "It's true that many of the refugees want to help the Scavengers, but they have no idea how to do it. That's why when most Plasmunds and normal humans see one with a Big Daddy or a Big Bertha, they leave them alone, and let them do their 'duties'. There are times, however, when there's no other choice but to harvest the kids for the Nagi they carry. With great remorse, they let a splicer do the harvesting, then take the slug soon after."
"If that's not bad enough," Mai added, "Some of us are tempted to harvest the slug with their own hands." She frowned in a mix of anger and sorrow before she said, "And of those people, some actually gave in to that temptation."
"No way!" Jonouchi gasped.
"Last year, Aunt Julie and I were on the hunt for some Nagi." Honda said, "It was my first time, so at first, I didn't understand why she was so reluctant." As he spoke, his voice became shaky. "After finding a Scavenger and defeating her Big Daddy, one of our colleagues couldn't wait for a splicer to come. Aunt Julie tried to stop him, but it was too late. I watched as the scientist… thrust his hand right into her stomach… then pulled out the rapture slug, killing her instantly. The slug was quivering in his bloodied hand… and when he was done, he dropped the girl's corpse… I was haunted by that scene ever since."
"I understand completely, Honda Boy." Pegasus said sadly, "I myself had witnessed the harvesting of those children on more than one occasion. The poor things…" But soon a smile appeared as he turned toward Atem. "But now, just like you told me Atem Boy, all of this is about to change. Whoever gave you that Restoration plasmid helped you give us the most precious gift in Kyoki: the light of hope." That sentence was enough to bring a smile to the faces of Honda and Mai.
"I agree with Pegasus." Mai said, "To know that there is finally a way to save those Scavengers… It's so uplifting!"
"Hey, why don't you let us help you?" Honda suggested.
"Oh that a wonderful idea!" Blossom said joyfully, "I'll help too! I'll even use my radar to detect nearby Scavengers and Hunters!"
"Atem, if they're gonna help you rescue the kids, then so am I." Jonouchi said wrapping an arm on his friend's shoulder, "There's no way I'll let you fight a Hunter alone!"
"Thank you everyone." Atem said gratefully, "I'm going to need all the help I can get." That was when the Video Phone turned on again, revealing the hidden face of Raiden on the screen.
"Are you guys almost out?" he asked.
"Y-yes Raiden!" Atem said.
"Then hurry over to Emergency Access!" Raiden said, "You got Mutou's eye now. You won't see him coming, but he'll get there when you least expect it."
"Damn!" Atem said, and he turned toward the team. "No time for questions, let get out of here!" The rest nodded in understanding, and rushed toward Emergency Access.
Mutou stared at long and hard at one of the TV screens in his office. It showed the five adventurers as they headed through the door to Emergency Access.
Behind the businessman there were two splicers dressed in what appeared to be an army soldier's uniform, without the helmet. "Hmph, seems like those little parasites managed to survive the scalpels of Dr. Steinman." Said one soldier.
"And that's not all." said the other, "We've got another traitor in our midst: Pegasus J. Crawford. Daaamn! First the General Contractor, now him?!"
Mutou calmly leaned back on his chair. "It doesn't matter." He said, "Even if they manage to cancel my security lock with that surgeon's key, they won't be able to use the main bathysphere of the Kyoki Metro. They're essentially trapped." On the screen at that moment, Atem placed the card-like key into the machine by the switch in Emergency Access, and then pulled that switch.
"Security lockdown deactivated. Thank you, and have a nice day."
The red lights went out and the siren grew silent. It did not take long before the gate opened. "WOO-HOO!" Jonouchi cheered. "We did it!"
The Video Phone turned on, and Raiden once more appeared on the screen. "I don't know how you guys did it, but you did it! Come to Dragon King's Bounty as soon as you can. I'm looking forward to shaking your hand, especially your hand Atem."
"That's no problem, Raiden." Atem said.
"Hey guys," Honda said, "I didn't ask you before now, but do you mind if I come with you to Dragon King's Bounty? The Neptune Safehouse is located in that place, and I'm supposed to go there to meet up with Aunt Julie."
"Don't mind at all Honda." Jonouchi replied, "Since you mentioned it, I actually look forward to seeing her again."
"I'll go with you too." Mai said, "You all could use my help when we encounter some splicers."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" Pegasus said, "Let's get on board the bathysphere!" Everyone nodded, and soon they stepped through the gate. There, they saw the bathysphere, floating in a pool of water set in the center of the leaky room. Luckily, it was large enough for all of them to fit in.
"Check it out Atem!" Jonouchi said, pointing to a switch in front of him, "This bathysphere's got a switch just like the one in the lighthouse!"
"You're right!" Atem gasped, "But this one has some kind of computer!"
"Do you want to know how to use it?" Honda asked, "Just type in the destination and pull the switch. The bathysphere will do the rest."
"All right then." Atem said, before facing the sandy blonde. "Jonouchi, since I pulled the switch last time, why don't you type in our destination and pull the switch this time."
"Sure thing buddy!" Jonouchi said. He approached the computer and typed in 'Dragon King's Bounty', then took hold of the switch. He pulled as hard as he could, but somehow, it didn't move an inch. He stopped, panting from the effort, and said, "Hold on, let me try again." And he pulled again, harder this time. Yet in spite of that, the switch still wouldn't budge. Tired from his attempt, Jonouchi stopped altogether.
"Here, let me give it a try." Honda suggested, and so he took hold of the switch and pulled. And he pulled. And still the switch refused to move. So he stopped, panting. "I don't get it! It worked perfectly before!"
Pegasus tried to pull it as well. "No luck for me either." He confirmed.
"Hold on, I think I know what's going on." Mai said, and then she made the attempt to pull the switch, her eyes honed on the computer screen. As she pulled, the screen was flashing in bold letters, 'Access Denied'. "Shit… I knew it! The bathysphere is somehow keeping us from using it!"
"You mean we're stuck here?!" Jonouchi exclaimed.
"Don't give up hope everyone!" Raiden said, "Why don't you let Atem pull the switch?"
"How do you know it won't do the same thing with him?" Jonouchi asked, skeptical.
"Just trust me." Raiden said, "Atem, go ahead and pull that switch, would you kindly?"
Atem let out a small gasp, before he said, "O-okay Raiden." Slowly, he reached out and took hold of the handle. With a firm grip, he pulled the switch. Slowly, to everyone's amazement, the switch began to move towards his direction. Then suddenly, the switch slid all the way down in the hand of the crimson-eyed youth. Immediately afterward, the bathysphere door slowly swung closed with a loud slam.
Back at his office, Mutou leaned toward the TV, utterly shocked at what he was seeing. The bathysphere on the screen, now locked securely, began to sink into the water. "H-hey! That wasn't supposed to happen!" One of the splicer soldiers exclaimed.
There were a few seconds of silence, before Mutou finally spoke. "Impossible!" he growled, before standing up. "How did that boy manage to activate the bathysphere?!"
"Why are ya asking us boss?!" cried the second soldier, "We don't know how he bypassed the Metro!"
Mutou sighed in frustration and took his seat again. "This little parasite is someone we need to study. Return to your stations, and let me keep an eye on the boy and his group of friends as they travel through Dragon King's Bounty."
"Yes sir!" the two soldiers said, before departing to their stations. Once he was alone, the businessman looked at the TV screens in deep contemplation.
MSS or DIH? He thought, You're quite a mystery, Boy… but I'll figure you out soon enough…
Note: That's it for this chapter, and for our heroes' adventure in the Medical Pavilion. Starting with the next chapter, the adventure in Dragon King's Bounty begins, starting with a close encounter with a familiar 'creepy lady', and yet another battle with a Hunter. What's in store for the team? Until next time!