In the workshop, Corazon suddenly stops working.
"Is something wrong?" Merga asks.
"I can't help but feel like something very bad has just happened," Corazon answers. "Excuse me."
As Corazon stands to leave, Merga blocks her way. "You're not walking out on us."
"The greasemonkey can finish," Corazon informs. "I've done all the hard stuff. Get out of my way."
"We have a job to do," Merga growls.
"Then do it," Corazon growls back. "I have a more pressing concern. Get out of my way, or I will kill you where you stand."
"You wouldn't dare try."
"Look behind you."
Merga turns to see twelve of the greasemonkey's robots, all with their guns aimed directly at her head.
"My barkada, my rules," Corazon asserts.
Merga relents and steps aside. "I won't forget this."
"Nor will I," Corazon replies as she strides out of the workshop.
In Corazon's room, Carol slowly begins to recover her composure. In silence, she gathers Coral's katana and looks for a sheath and baldric so she can take it with her, items it only takes moments to find.
With the baldric fitted correctly, Carol sheathes her departed sister's katana and turns her thoughts to escape. I can't risk going down through the building: too much chance of running into someone who'll alert Corazon, and I want to be outside the walls before she finds out. Carol heads back out to the balcony to look for a way down, but there's no obvious route. On second thoughts, I can sneak through the building after all.
Carol returns to the room just as Corazon enters. The two wildcats freeze, eyes locked on each other, Carol's burning with intense hatred, Corazon's burning with furious anger.
"So, now you know the truth," Corazon growls quietly.
"How could you‽" Carol growls back.
"It was necessary," Corazon explains simply.
Carol shakes her head. "She was right: you're insane."
"This was your plan all along," Corazon concludes. "I should have known."
"I'm surprised you fell for it."
"Me too. And now you will die."
Corazon draws her sword and charges.
Carol stands her ground, refusing to draw Coral's sword. At the last moment, she dives out the way of Corazon's charge and sprints out the room before the older wildcat can turn and attack again. Corazon sprints out of the room in pursuit, but Carol has already disappeared out of sight.
Corazon snatches her radio from her belt and opens a broadcast to the entire barkada. "Carol Tea must not leave the compound! Stop her by any means necessary!"
In the workshop, having heard Corazon's broadcast command, Merga picks up a handheld radio. "Do you want her dead or alive?" she asks Corazon.
"I DON'T GIVE A FUCK!" Corazon yells back.
"Music to my ears," Merga grins malevolently as she leaves the workshop.
Carol bursts from the stairwell and straight into a squad of seven barkada fighters. Instinct takes over as Carol is forced to engage, using all her abilities to defend against seven attackers simultaneously. The wildcat fights valiantly, but against seven skilled opponents, she's soon pinned, unable to break free.
Desperation sets in: Carol grabs the disc on her belt, slings it through the first opening she spots, then hits the button on her teleporter.
Half a second later, the seven barkada fighters are surprised to see Carol vanish in a flash of light.
The wildcat materialises in mid‑air behind them, landing on her feet, fighting down her rising nausea as she sprints away. The fighters turn to pursue, but Carol has already disappeared out of sight.
Once around the corner, Carol ejects the spent crystals and slots home two fresh ones, her nausea barely under control. Keep running. Vomit on the move if you must. The wildcat continues at top speed, smashing her way through the main doors to find herself facing half the barkada charging straight at her. No way I can fight through all that.
On the verge of panic, Carol looks desperately for any way to escape. Dammit. Knowing there's only one option, Carol sprints towards the closest building, unhooking her disc from her belt as she runs. At the last moment, she leaps as high as she can, and hurls the disc over to the roof of the building. Instinct tells her when to hit the button, and half a second later, she materialises just a few feet short of the roof. Fortunately, her momentum carries her those last few feet, and she rolls on landing, ending on all‑fours, where she immediately vomits.
Calming down slightly as she knows she's bought herself a little time, Carol moves to the centre of the roof, pops the spent crystals, and slots two more into place. A quick check reveals she has enough for two more teleports. Save one for getting over the wall. Carol takes a moment to get her bearings and work out a route, then sets off, leaping from roof to roof as she works her way towards the wall.
As Carol leaps onto the roof of the armoury, Merga lands in front of her, blocking her path.
"Going somewhere?" Merga growls as the wildcat slides to a halt.
"You can't trust Corazon," Carol argues. "As soon as you activate the Bakunawa, she'll kill you and take it for herself."
"Lies," Merga challenges. "The false dragon has corrupted you."
"You blind yourself to the truth," Carol counters. "I pray you see it before it's too late."
"The only truth I need to see is that I am the future of my species," Merga boasts. "If you surrender, I'll take you to Corazon alive. If you don't, I'll take only your head. Choose."
Carol draws Coral's sword.
Merga grins malevolently in anticipation.
Carol drops into a fighting stance, sword held high and pointed forwards, and beckons Merga to charge.
Merga doesn't need inviting twice, charging hard at Carol, claws out, ready to strike. Carol catches the charge, deflecting the dragon's attacks with the reclaimed blade. The wildcat tries to counter, using techniques she developed while sparring with Lilac, but nothing works. Forced to get creative, Carol alters her strategy, and eventually forces an opening, landing a slash across Merga's left upper arm.
The slash draws blood, angering the dragon, but not affecting her speed or strength. Merga counters with a heavy gut punch, but Carol twists out he way, and the blow is glancing. Carol attempts another slash, but Merga deflects the swing, almost tipping Carol off‑balance. The wildcat backs away a little, putting some space between her and the dragon and buying a little time.
Carol expects Merga to charge again, but the dragon elects not to.
"You're the first to draw my blood," Merga comments, running a finger over the wound. "Congratulations: you've just signed your own death warrant."
"Or you could stand aside," Carol suggests.
"Not a chance!" Merga growls.
Merga charges up a Dragon Boost, but as she's about to unleash it, Carol paradoxically charges directly at the dragon. As the Boost fires, Carol leaps high, using the sword to bounce off the Boost's wake, sending her even higher. At the peak of her flight, Carol unclips the disc and hurls it over to the next roof.
Merga slides to a halt, turns, and charges to catch Carol as she falls.
Carol waits until the last possible moment to activate the teleporter.
Carol vanishes the instant before Merga can close her hands on the wildcat's legs. Stunned, Merga lands badly, stumbles, and falls flat on her face. Growling ferociously, she looks up to see Carol on the next roof, the sword sheathed, wiping traces of vomit from her mouth and waving.
"Get back here!" Merga yells, scrambling to her feet and giving chase.
But Carol is already sprinting away.
Merga leaps over to the roof Carol teleported to. However, she doesn't look where she's going, and she plants a foot directly on Carol's vomit, losing her footing immediately and slamming hard into the rooftop.
Carol's ears twitch as the sound of Merga falling hits them, and she allows herself a little smirk. Disgusting, but amusing. And it's bought me all the time I need to complete my escape.
Merga picks herself up and can only watch as her prey gets to the last rooftop.
Carol unclips the disc from her belt, spins to give the disc as much momentum as possible, then hurls it far over the wall and into the trees. Leaping off the roof to preserve her momentum, Carol teleports into the trees just before she begins to fall.
Too late, she realises her mistake. This is gonna hurt.
Carol slams into the trees, smashing through several weak branches before wrapping herself with a sickening crunch around a thick branch that doesn't flex at all. Badly dazed and winded, Carol tumbles through the branches, hitting the ground hard. That… was dumb.
"She WHAT‽" Corazon yells over the radio.
"She got away," Merga confirms.
"FUCKING USELESS!" Corazon bellows. "Why the fuck did I revive you‽"
"Because only I can activate the Bakunawa," Merga reminds.
"And that's the ONLY FUCKING REASON you'll remain alive!" Corazon yells. "Get the fuck back to the workshop NOW!"
Merga crushes the radio. You will regret yelling at me, Corazon Tea. I will humour you… for now.