¡OVERGROWN!
DISCLAIMER: I OWN THE THREE GAMES. I WANT THE REVAMP OF THE FIRST COMING OUT. I HAVE THE ENTIRE SERIES. BUT UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES DO I OWN THE RIGHTS TO WA.
A/N: Here comes the downward slope I call the end. The last one is the next followed by an epilogue. So here's when all the big stuff will be once more set up for the next chapter where we'll see a whole lot of surprising things, some foreshadowed and some not. This chapter though is where the prologue will actually be added. This will probably be short, but it's meant to be so the next chapter isn't huge. So, let's start this thing. R R you know the drill.
Todd made his way down the narrow halls Botan had run down. It seemed endless, but still shorter than the path that they all took to get into this part of the ruins. By his careful calculations he had figured that the path he was taking was the quicker way into that secret part of the ruins that Thorn was never allowed to know about. Still, it probably comes out so far from the town though.
Clive was placing a cap on a syringe filled with the antidote that would revert the hybrids to plants. He had made this one in case there was no more bullets tainted with the same. This one though, was more powerful. It was like the ones he put in his gun and actually kill the plant part of the hybrids, leaving the human parts alone. It would have no affect really on ones like Venus or the little ones called Flora. Those would still die. That was why he gave out the other bullets. Those would only revert the hybrid to a plant, his own bullets and what was in the syringe would kill all plant aspects.
Gallows was sitting with Thorn. Inches from her face. He so badly wanted to kiss her cream skin. Her lips. Move his hand through her green hair. He did not though. He was going to be a gentleman this time. He actually wanted to date her after this was all done. She did commit to travel with him and the rest.
Maya was daydreaming to say the least. Of what, not even she would let known. AS she came from it she noticed a shadow. Yes, there was something trying to sneak up on them. She grabbed her Arm and prepared to draw it. She looks to Thorn who soon notices what Maya did already.
"Thorn," Maya whispers. "Go with Gallows. Get out."
"Huh," Gallows is brought to attention by his name. "What's going on?"
"Another, hybrid thing." Maya whispers. "Go ahead before he attacks. Clive and I can handle it. You have to protect her right?"
Gallows nods and takes Thorn's hand. "We'll go the moment it all starts." Thorn nods.
Maya flicks a pebble at Clive's skull. He turns and sees her ready to attack something. "Now would be a good time." He mentions and she turns and fires a few rounds into the direction she noticed the hybrid. That was also the cue for Gallows and he ran for the exit quickly with Thorn just behind him.
From the shadows a hybrid attacked. His vine-like arms stretching out in all directions trying to grab either Maya or Clive.
"Hold back on firing so much!" Clive orders. "There aren't many more bullets for your gun with the antidote on them."
She nods and pulls back. "I always have my power to fall back on."
"Here." Clive tosses her a book as the hybrid misses him. "It'll go well with those abilities you showed in battle before."
The arms return to the hybrid who stands up once they withdraw. "Where is my sister? Tell me!"
"I don't know. She ran away." Clive mutters as he fixes his glasses. "What are you?"
"I'm Stamen, not a what, a who."
"Really, a who?" Clive wonders. He was impressed they thought of themselves like that. "Maya, use your gift, and I'll divert his attention."
"Are you sure it's a he?" Maya wonders.
"Yeah." Clive looks back to Stamen. He didn't want to use his Arm. If the sniper used his Arm he'll use the bullets in it that he was not intent on using. Still, he was noticing that Stamen's body was too thick and had some bark that would prevent the bullets of Maya's gun to take affect. That's why he is resorting to her ability to become the character in that book.
Jet and Virginia walked slowly down the hall. "It seems, longer than earlier…"Virginia admits.
Jet stops. His ears were burning. "Do you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
He waits a second. No noise now. "Nothing. Must be weirding out on you."
"When don't you?" She smiles.
"Hey!" He shouts offended.
"Jet, did you mean what you said back there? All of it?" Her face becomes serious.
"When, I was fighting Black Rose?"
"Yeah."
"It doesn't matter. If it was or not, as long as I know,"
"What you are inside?"
"Yeah." It's quiet for a moment.
"I saw something in you today, that I'm not sure if I ever saw before. Part of it was the mercy you gave Black Rose. How, you talked and you didn't want to fire so much. You're usually quick to the trigger in a fight."
"It was a fight I knew I could win easily. I just, didn't want to win easy. So to avoid that I just didn't want to bother fighting. But, that girl was stubborn. She couldn't let it go and leave me alone, so I had to fight a waste of a battle." Jet bitterly said. He hated having to fight battles that had no point or significance. Waste of time.
"Jet, I, want to tell you something." Virginia looks to her feet.
"Go on." He stops for a moment.
Only quiet. Neither speak for a moment. Nothing passes. She just looks to her feet and he looks at her, and then, he looks down too. Looking back up he moves slowly for her. "Jet?"
Then he hears the noise. "Get behind me!" He moves behind him drawing his Arm and shooting off into the dark behind them. There was a whole lot of Flora coming from the lab. They must have had a time release that let them out now. Their only mission, to kill them.
"What is it?"
"Those little turds of a hybrid are coming all over again." Jet announces as she draws her Arm as well. Each of them fire off into the dark. Jet taking the right side of the hall and Virginia on the other. But there was more to the right so Virginia fired off that way as well. They had gotten all of the first wave, but they heard more. Then Jet saw one coming at Virginia that she had not. "To your left!" He roars. He lets off a few rounds into the Flora as well as the deep corridor. "Listen, Virginia, run."
"What?"
"There's no end to them. You kill it; it comes back." Jet grimly notes. "Go to Clive. Gallows should be lying around back there too."
"What about you?" She worries grasping her guns tightly.
"Just go. This is my responsibility." He grits. "This enemy, only exists because of me. This enemy, is Filgaia's enemy, and that means it's mine."
"Look, I'm the leader. This is my job."
"I never really was part of the group. You ain't my leader." Jet explains. "So, you have no say in my actions."
"I'll go, but, be careful." She turns to leave.
He snatches her wrist. Silence again. His eyes drilling into hers'. "Take care of the girl."
"Right." She replies with doubt.
"I mean, she has to die."
"What?" She screams.
"Just do it. I don't care what she says. Whether she has any part in this at all. She's still-"
"I won't kill her. I won't kill Thorn."
"I didn't think you could. Just go." He whirls around. His gun raised.
"Good luck."
"It's bad luck to say good luck." He comments and disappears into the dark of the ruins.
"Jet." Virginia turns and runs the opposite way.
"This is what you give me?" Maya wonders as she stands a near human torch throwing a comic book aside. "I'm made of fire!"
"That was the point." Clive argues.
"Whatever." She throws balls of fire at Stamen who dodges each one so the walls and floors just get scorched. "Damn! Stay still!" She keeps missing.
"Concentrate." Clive advises.
She snaps and sneers at him. "I am!" She throws one at his feet. "Now back off and shut up!" She throws more balls and still the same results. Stamen was one fast non-human.
Stamen roots himself into the ground. "Fire does not scare me."
"Well, it should!" Maya shouts as she gets ready to get him now that he could not move. Stamen opens his mouth and fires a stream of water at her extinguishing the flame and knocking her to the floor. "You didn't mention that!" She shouts intended for Clive.
"Didn't know." Clive shrugs. He didn't want to use his gun and the two syringes he had. He did not have those two syringes anymore. Was there a hole in his pocket again? He'll have to talk to Catherine about that when he gets back home.
"Brother." Thorn stood behind Stamen.
"Sister. I have looked long for you."
"I know."
"You didn't come home."
"I never will." She softly states. "Father, he is wrong. You should get to know that."
"Sister?"
Jet lie covered in Flora as the vine in his back stopped his assault earlier. Stupid mistake. He did not think this would happen again. When the vine grew from his back he lost his Arm, and any hope of finding it right now was hopeless. All he saw was the dark green of the Floras. Still, it was like they were trying to eat him, but they didn't have sharp enough teeth to get through his skin.
He could only move his right arm. HE tried to hit them, and could not. He hit the ground in frustration. "I, I've always been alone it seems. I was meant to be alone. I work alone. I'm supposed to be alone. There is no one else like me, and that is just a declaration to the universe that I'm meant to live alone." His teeth clench. The bites were not hurting, but they were annoying. "I, should have asked for help. So many times. So many times. From Clive, Gallows. Even, even Virginia. I knew, I knew I'd get another vine like this. That I wouldn't be able to fight."
And suddenly, he finds himself in the air. The hybrids thrown across the floor. "I'm dying." He mutters as he collapses. And, he hears something. The angels or Valkries calling to him.
"Jet!" Virginia uses cremate on the remaining Flora as he pulls his body further away. "Are you okay?" She asks once seeing all the Flora were gone.
"I, I told you, you stu," He winces. "Stupid girl to go back."
"I can't leave you Jet. I'm the leader, I need the team together. I know Clive and the others will be fine, but, I'm worried about you. You're weak with these vines and all Jet."
"I'm not weak!" She embraces him and he freezes.
"Please, just listen to me. Don't, act like that." She silently pleads.
"Virginia?"
"I," She looks up to the ceiling. "Even if you feel alone Jet, please, just remember that I'm always here for you. If you, really do need the help, you won't even have to ask for it. I'm sure, that even the others agree too." She loosens the hug to lean back and see his face. "We're, all like one big family Jet. This team."
He remains quiet. "That's what I'm afraid of." He stands and breaks from her fully, but falls in pain. The vine remains.
Virginia is there. At his side. Just as he falls she was there. "Do you need help?"
"Y, yes."
"Sister Thorn, how can you say such things about our father."
"Shut up!" She shouts. "He's, he's no father to me. No, not in the longest time. He hasn't been a father. Not in a long time. He just likes to have the title." She argues.
"Sister?"
"I'm not your sister! We barely even share the same blood." She throws her fist forward hitting his chest.
"Sister…" Clive looked on intensely as Stamen fell to the floor and slowly became a shrub. He looks to Thorn's hand, and sees a syringe.
She collapses to her knees in tears. Gallows enters in a startle. "Thorn you-" He sees her and her brother. "What happened?" He demands.
"She, killed him." Clive mutters.
Gallows slowly moves for Thorn. "Thorn? Are, are you okay?"
She looks to him with teary eyes and jumps into his welcoming arms to cry into his chest.
"Virginia," Jet stands as he removes the wilting vine. "What do, do you think this means?"
"Either, they killed it, or it's just not planted in the ground." She mumbles as her eyes goes to the path ahead of them. "It means we should hurry."
"Right." He stands tall and straight.