Chapter 3: The Nightmare Phantom
Sitting in his chair, Vitale settles his back deep in the plush cushions of his chair. He looked at the photos of two familiar faces in Parasol's hands. He then looked at her square in the eyes, anticipating why she suddenly came to his office. Parasol herself waited for him to speak, but became impatient and more skeptical with each passing second. He formulated a few compromises that he may consider, but decides to give a good impression as his best approach.
"Hey heeeey, what's the Princess doin' all the way up? I'll call up a guy to give you and your folks here a chair. Maybe some wine will hel-"
"Spare me the comfort. You better hope this ends shortly, and that you remember your place."
"(Tough customer, eh? Figures. Alright then, missy. Imma remind you it takes two to tango when it comes to our pasts.)"
"I stared at these pictures. *places them on his desk* Do these two look familiar? Yes or no."
"...Yes. They do."
"In that case...How affiliated are you with them? I imagine you gave them orders."
"What gave you that idea?"
"Of course, if they are working with you, I'd like to know what you told them to do."
"...What is this all about?"
"So you did give them orders."
"Wh-what- I-"
"You would have told me that you didnt by now. That hesitation and avoiding you did proves it, now tell me what are you making them do! *hears a gun cocking* Hold! Fire when I say so."
"I guess there's no avoidin' it...I had 'em take care of some unfinished business with some cat broad that came back to life again."
"Is that it?"
"If you dont mind me askin', did a certain incident happen?"
"Two did."
"(Oy vey Cerey, my lil girl, whatcha doin'? The Princess herself is in puttin' me in the hot seat cuz of you.) Ok then. What happened here?"
"First thing's first. The rest of your orders for them."
"Alright alright Im comin' clean. I also had 'em take care of some mooks and some girl that's tryin' to bust this girlfriend of her's outta jail."
"Much better. I see now. Things are coming together nicer now."
"Care to explain?"
"Gladly. We lost some men due to an attack. That lady you mentioned may be behind it."
"And the other incident?"
"That is the latest one. Where a certain singer escaped from our grasp after taking out our flying vehicle. Your two underlings were at the scene."
"(...Cery, you're about to catch hell for that one.) Well surely...*leans back with crossed fingers* From what I've told ya about these orders I gave 'em, they didnt cause the trouble. I sent 'em out to minimize trouble."
"Actually, before I tell you how bad it looks for you, there is yet another incident that occurred before all this. *sees him look shocked, then points to my picture* We've been looking for this man."
"T-th- Ahem, the boy? W-what the hell did he do?"
"He had an accomplice, someone different from the girl you have along with him. She robbed some banks with him."
"Now wait a minute...You aint pinnin' that on me, aincha?"
"A mobster that doesnt rob banks? How likely does that sound to you?"
"Look here, Princess. I may be behind alotta dirty work but I dont do-"
"Yet you know this person."
"Listen. I dont rob. I aint behind ANY robberies. AND. I just met the kid two nights ago. I know not a damn thing about his past."
"Hmph. Fair enough."
"If ya find anything about me doin' business wit' him before that time, good luck."
"I suppose that's convincing enough. However-"
"And another thing...Where is this first girl you's talkin' about? I never heard about this."
"We...Currently dont know, but let us not derail. You're still held responsible for drawing unnecessary attention of a powerful parasite host."
"*siiiiighs* What's my charge?"
"Since none of my men died and nothing within my operation was comprised from the incident, this is going to be light compared to otherwise. If you cannot locate this threat of our's within two days, I have to shut the place down."
"This place of mine goes bye-bye eh? (As much as I wanna say 'Sorry, it aint happening'...Lemme play along) I got a plan for this then. Imma swear it. This lil pain in the ass we got here, two days' gonna be plenty."
"Hmph. Big words. We will see how well they're backed. Egrets, we're moving out."
"*sees them all leave* (I dodged a bullet there...I gave these two simple orders, and this is what I get? I better hear some real good news before either of 'em come back. Or else. Heads will roll)" Vitale thought to himself with a very serious look, with his chair turned to the windows and his gaze piercing through them to see the wide scope of the city. While his faith in Cerebella didnt waver, he still hopes she knows the gravity of the situation and that she knows what to do after realizing how fast information spreads. Even if she doesnt, he expects her to be as perceptive as possible to make both of their jobs easier, and to not catch an earful upon arrival. He wont leave her out to dry however, since he has a bit of a Plan A and B for this situation.
The morning that followed, I found myself waking up next to Feng, who was still asleep. I guess that night really tuckered her out. Well let's see...What're we gonna do today...Oh, I could try to find Cery but in case I run into trouble, it's best I just stay here...Let's see if she doesnt mind waking up. "*shakes her shoulder slightly* Heeey, Feng. You awake?" I asked her. She kept sleeping. Aww man. It had to be when I feel plenty rested. Hmm...Just about everyone I know is pretty far from me this..Well..I guess I could check out that new circus they mentioned. It's closer than the one we're at. Come to think of it, Cery might be at the circus early for practice.
Heheh, I dunno what time Im suppose to come in for it, so I can ask about that too ^ ^;. There were some ads that I kept seeing for it on the way there. Yesterday when Filia led me to this spot, I only saw a few of 'em. Looks like they're trying to put our circus outta business. That spell trouble for us, especially when I have nowhere else to work! I dont think going back to robbing would be a good idea. Rallia led that whole thing anyway...I kinda miss her now, despite how cold she was. Heh, what a pun that was ^ ^. Anyway, I'll make sure the manager knows about how aggressive this new circus is. I enter this new big ol' tent of their's, seeing one of the Big Bang Buster guys dropping from a 100ft, and this pair of pyro performers blowing flames through their mouths, prepping to juggle a dozen bowling pins they were lighting up. I hope they're immune to their own flames or else I dunno how they'll do it. We're missing this tall girl that I sorta overheard Cery talking to. What's her name again? Alice? Alim? Uuuh... "*walks to the large muscular performer, who was busy with squats* Hey, your name was Lenny, right?" I asked, "Eh? Hey aint you's the kid from the gym yesterday? Yeah Im Lenny. Ya need help?" he asked back, "That girl that was from the gym. What's her name? Ali? I know it started with that" I clarified, "Ah Alison. She went for some breakfast. Should be back by- *sees her enter* Well there she is. We got someone lookin' for you, Ali" Lenny told her, "*looks at me, finishing a big sausage burger* (What the hell's he doing here? I know he cant even harm a fly) Ya came for a visit, kid? A bit early, dontcha think?" Alison tells me, "Oh umm..Sorry I came this early then. Kinda got...Nothing else better to do, so I thought a harmless visit would be fine. Cery went somewhere an- *gets picked up by her* W-wha!" I yelped, "Listen here, kid. Next time you come by on short notice, it's you, me and a 6ft hole with a grave that has your name on it. Am I clear? -V-" she threatens me, "O-of course! T-t-this place looks nice and all but if you don't mind, I gotta see if I can find Cery for a bit now! u;;;;" I complied, and the instant my feet touched the ground, I scurried out of the tent swiftly. Lenny sighed upon seeing my cowardice, but he suddenly fell unconscious. "You can come out now. *hears a warping sound behind, turn around* He's out" Alison told her, "Nicely done. I could've done it myself with my illusions but you saved me and Blight the trouble" the mysterious man said to her, "Did you send him his or that girl's way, Vince?" Alison asked, "I know he's dying to tear him apart, dear. He'll have to wait his turn tomorrow. Brain Drain will really like what he hears once these two are out of the picture. Now, he would like it if you could track down Eliza after your performance tonight" Vince told her, "Right...And Verg', I'll be busy with something else in a few hours. Tell the ringleader about this errand I gotta take care of" she tells him, "With pleasure, darling. If it's another person you're having join our ranks, the more the merrier. I shall return too. A certain Rallia needs to be checked on" Vince replies to her wishes before seemingly vanishes. Oooooow...My stomach's really trying to get to me...If only I ate before I came out this far..So much for that visit too..Maybe they wouldn't mind me coming by when they actually perform tonight. Knowing Crey, she wouldn't come with me and feel like she's supporting the direct circus competitor. I wonder though...What made them so big outta the blue? Our spot has been a thing for way longer and inside there didnt seem all that different. I'll think about it later.
Once I got to our tent, I see Cery walking the tight rope above with two fingers from Vice Versa, keeping a great deal of balance. "Wow. Looking good, Cery! ^o^" I shouted towards her, spooking her and losing her balance, "*falls but is caught by Vice Versa as it hangs from the rope with one hand* Ugh! Kid! What gives?! oVo;" she reacts, "Whoops sorry. Uh..I was looking for you for a bit. Looks like you're busy with some early practicing" I reply, "What else does it look like? I woulda been on the other side and back by now if you didnt screw me up v" she told me with folded arms, "Well I gotta tell the manager about a few things. Where is he? " I asked, "He's outta town this morning. Have the ringleader relay it to him. He went to his car. When you're back, we gotta alot of practice to work on" she told me, "*nods* Alright. I'll talk to him" I replied, stepping out to find him. Let's see, I did see a car outside. And it was riiiiiight..There! The closest parking lot. "*hangs up* Last time I ask her for anything..Alright, drive-thru it i-" he was saying, "Hey there! ouo" I greeted him, "*jumps up, hitting head on car roof, drops phone and rubs head* AAGGH! Dont pop up on me like that! I kinda having a rough morning here!" he told me, "Oh sorry..Im..Kinda having a rough morning myself...Anyway can you tell our manager to get some flyers for our circus? There've been alot of ad posters for this new circus and it got pretty popular in no time" I requested, "Is that so? Grrr..Looks like I'll have to get some from the boss himself. He should have a dozen on him. You and the others're gonna hang 'em around town, alright? *backs up and drives away* First my wife's time of the month, now I gotta eat on the go. Some morning..." he said under his breath, "*sees him drive into the street way up ahead* Ok. Now to get back to Cer-" I was saying, "Do you still remember me~?" I suddenly and eerily heard, "! *looks around* W-who said that?! Who are you?! (Wait...That voice..It's actually familiar..) You're the one that took Rallia! Where is she!" I shouted, "Sssssssshhh. Not worry. She's safe and sound...With me, of course ^ ^" the voice said in a slightly upbeat tone, "If you so much as touch her...I swear...I'll...! You'll regret it! *hears some fading chuckles ring in my head* He's messing with me...What's his deal anyway? Why me...Wait! Unless! D-does he know me?! I gotta know where he is then..." I was thinking out loud...My heart was beating fast and audibly enough to rattle every bone in my body...He must've planned to tell me something like that..So I could feel this bad...I'll make him pay for humiliating me...There's no way I'll act like Guy for him...My feet carried me...Though weakly, I was able to get back to the tent timely enough for no one to see me in an indecent state.. "*front-flips to the ground, sticks the landing, getting claps from the few other performers; bows* Thank you, pleasures all mine UuU *hears the entry's flaps open behind, turns around* Ah kid, just in...Whoa o o" Cerebella said after seeing me, "H-hh-h-h-hey...W-w-where w-ere we? - -;;;;;" I asked after some stuttering, "Uuuh..(He looks like he saw a ghost out there) I-I..Got done with quite a bit while you were gone, so..Mind getting my shoulders?" she said, turning her back to me and tilting her head, "S-sure thing..." I lowly reply. I reach my hands out slowly. Slow enough to freak me out and retract. Hearing my breathing being more audible, she looked back at me with an initial jolt and put my hands to her shoulders. Geez...I really need to get it together..Well..I say this but the instant I got up closer to her...My pelvis was greeted with agood pressing of her sweet...Plump...Pumpkin of an ass..Though she couldnt see it, she knew my cheeks were bright red from the feeling.
"Ignore the wagon for now..You're acting really off all of a sudden yknow."
"S-sorry that you...Just saw me like that..Im just a bit...Shook is all.."
"Shook from what? Let's get it together in a few."
"From..This voice...It was in my head.."
"Uh...Do you need to be checked out? "
"N-no not like that. This is a real guy talking to me. I think it's that guy that took Rallia."
"Oh him? Since when did he get mind powers?"
"Well since was our first time seeing him..We really dunno what his powers are..So far it's pretty scary."
"If he can shake you up like that, he might be a really good counter to my fists."
"Then..It sounds like we cant do anything to him.."
"Same for lil Annie I guess, but Im thinking...If we can get your parasite some more abilities, it could do the trick."
"If I knew how to in the first place...Would Vitale have any ideas?"
"I think he does, but he'll have to wait a bit. (He wont like how ugly things got on my end after updating him so..) There's a few guys we oughta talk to."
"After our show? If you think it'll help..."
"Ya good yet? Rehearsal wont happen if we do nothin'."
"Yeah I..Im good."
"Good. You can get to my shoulders now..e e"
"O-oh dammit! I forgot! Here! /"
"*gets shoulders and neck massaged by me* (Uuuuuuugh, wish this kid wasnt spaced out so much. I'd figure my bottom would do the trick if just talking to him didnt..- -#)" Cerebella thought, slightly bugged by her physical advance not going as she figured, but was ok right afterwards when she got some limberness back from working my fingers on her. Now that she's well, we could get to some practice performing. This consisted of me getting used to the falls from the high falls of the rope (hurling a few times...out of almost a dozen falls from the rope..That's good, right?). Then there's hanging upsidedown with her, both from the rope and on the ground. She had me balancing on big rubber balls..which I was probably the worst at so we continued this for an hour...After I ran through bunch of ring stands while lighting them on fire as fast I could, I collapsed from exhaustion...and starvation. "You sure can run and skip through 'em. *holds two bears in Vice Versa's biceps above after juggling them* Let's see, now there's practicing on unicycles, holding our breaths underwater, one of us gets fished out, handling lions by ourselves, then-" Cerebella was listing, "Time out time out! I'm...I didnt get anything to eat...I don't think I can move..." I interrupt with, "Oh. Well why didnt ya say so? We might as well meet those guys while we're out. We got plenty of time. *turns to the other performers and the few other ones coming in* We'll be back guys. Won't take too long" she told them before sitting the bears down and picking me up as we stepped out.
What was thinking...Going out without eating like that..I'll make sure to grab a bite from now on = =...Oh. Since we're out here, I just remembered something. "Hey. Mind if we stop by this one café that Filly works at?" I asked, "Yeah, after we're dome eatin'. But Filly? Where'd this come from?" She asked back, "Heheh I dunno...This'd be about my 3rd time meeting her. We seem to enjoy each other's company and I think she's been pretty helpful so far ^^" I told her, "Has she? Hmph. Guess chatting with her won't hurt either" Cery replied, still carrying me. We past some corners up and had went into this seafood joint. She spends around 1/10th of her money on the food there. It was great too! I had a handful of catfish, shrimps AND scallops! She had a similar plate herself, but I can tell she enjoyed her food too. I think it added a year to our lifespan ^U^. At any rate, we made our way to where Filia works, further in Innsmouth. The trip there was a bit lengthy but kinda ideal since we got pretty full and this was a good way to work off those calories, and make room for some good ol' coffee.
Filia was given waiter duty to cover for the main waiter. She was fine with the decision since she had decent memory skills and brushed up on being a better talker this way. "*walks up to a table with two guys* Hey there. Are both of you ready to order?" Filia asked them, "Yeah, we'll take a frappe. One large, one medium" one of them told her, "No problem. It should be ready in a minute ^^. *hears the door behind open, turns, seeing me and Cerebella enter* Hm? They're here? Maybe to order for once?" she then wonders to herself, "Psst. *gets his attention* Yo look at all that cake she has. Imma do it \u/" whispered the customer's friend, "H-hey man, don't! I can see it from the front it was so big but-! o o;" replied the guy who ordered, "*turns back around, finishing to jot down the order* Sorry about that. I'll be back in case you need anything else, Ok? °°" Filia told them, "R-right right. I'll be the one paying so I'll tell ya..*sees her walk away* uuugh..you're unbelievable sometimes... " he told his friend, who put on a devious smile with raised eyebrows. Filia had a faint feeling that something happened to her but couldn't locate what it was...At least initially. She walked her pretty self over to us at a table, anticipating an order.
"Heeeeey Filly-Cakes! How's it hangin'? ^u^"
"[Cerebella] I guess Cery-Cakes doesn't roll off the tongue for you?"
"Maybe one day it will."
"[Filia] *giggles* I do like that nickname ^^."
"[Cerebella] Speaking of cakes. *lifts up a taped dollar under her skirt* Seems someone tipped you early for your cake."
"[Filia] ! *rips it off and feels another bill on the dress, sitting right above the crack of the cheeks* Ooooooo...! This is the 3rd time this has happened! I'll find who did it this time. V"
"Mmn. Those jerks must thing this is a brothel. Looks like this place ain't strangers to crooked people. (Like I'm one to talk...well, to some extent _ _) Sorry that happened to you, Filly. I'd tip you properly if I had the money."
"[Filia] Oooh how sweet of you. ^/^"
"[Cerebella] *sees her making a smitten pose* Ahem..Well...I bet I'd make 5 times more than she would if it came down to tips. All I need is some skin to show, maybe tease here and there, and I'm all set. UuU"
"[Filia] I wouldn't be surprised. Besides I um..get by without tips."
"We did come to order though. A caramel lotté...and if Cery doesn't mind, a cappuccino for me. This meal we had made me a bit greedy -u-"
"[Cerebella] Normally I'd tell ya to relax but I'll make an exception. Lemme take to any dark cup ya got. I'm feelin' daring today. eue"
"W-with 5 packs of sugar. Just in case.."
"[Cerebella] Sure, and I'll give you all of 'em after I'm done. UuU"
"[Filia] *giggles* You two sure are something together. *jots the order down on another sheet* It should be out real soon."
"[Cerebella] *sees her walk away to the counter* When she comes back, imma talk to her, ok?"
"Alright..."
"[Cerebella] Say...I did feel bad aboutcha earlier. Figured this'd help calm ya down. You really weren't yourself there..."
"Oh...I really appreciate this then, Cery..I uh..didn't make you feel jealous with how me and Filia have been close, have I?"
"[Cerebella] I try my best not to be jelly. If I really wanna, I can have ya eating out the palm of my hand 24/7. I just got quite a bit on my plate at the moment. u u"
"Makes sense..."
"[Cerebella] If ya don't mind me askin'...Anything else this guy said?"
"...Kinda wish he did..Only really told me about having Rallia.."
"[Cerebella] Huh...That's really suspicious then. If he has mind powers...Who's to say he doesn't have something like brainwash?"
"! You...You do have a point..Maybe he's shown his hand more than he wanted to...it's.. Just that she seemed willing..instead of...yknow..like she got hypnotized."
"[Cerebella] Maybe it's subtle when used? Or he probably knew her before?"
"She would've told me by now, but...I dunno...We just gotta find her.."
"[Filia] *comes back with the three drinks on the tray, puts it in front of them* I hope it's hot enough for you two. *puts the five packs of sugar in front of Cerebella* And here's five of these as asked ^^."
"[Cerebella] I'll give it a shot in a sec. Don't go anywhere."
"[Filia] ! W-what happened? o o"
"[Cerebella] Got some questions for ya. Remember the last time you've seen Annie or Peacock?"
"(Peacock...? Do we mean a bird?)"
"[Filia] Hmmm...Peacock should still be at Lab 0. I think Annie's still hidden off somewhere. It's best you catch her fighting crime."
"I think I heard...Something about that..Also what's this thing about your friend? You and Squigly mentioned something about her. Carol was her name, right?"
"[Filia] Oh that...I wanted to tell you at a better time but..*looks around, bends over, whispers* She told me a bit more about being experimented on. This guy forced her to be an Anti-Skullgirl weapon. His name is Brain Drain."
" ! *starts digging my nails into my head, brain rattles* GHHHNN! GYAAAGGHHH...!"
"[Filia] ! *jolts backwards* W-was it something I said? o O; *hears a whistle behind, sees how much skirt was raised and flops it back down with a hand, giving scowling stare at the guy laughing to himself* (It must've been him that taped money on me -V-)"
"[Cerebella] Whoa kid, will you be alright?"
"*exhales loudly* (What's... Wrong with me today?! Why does that sound so familiar? WHY!?) I'll... Be fine..Maybe I just..need to drink.."
"[Cerebella] Uuuh yeah you do that..*grabs the cup filled with dark coffee and sips it* (I think we're onto something here..) *takes a moment to force down the coffee* mmmm...MMM! *puts it down* S-see? No problem...Just got about...Over half to go.. ;;;;;"
"[Filia] D-dont be afraid to add in some sugar, Ok? *looks back, seeing a few customers staring back* Uh oh, um..Looks like I got people waiting. Let me know if you two need anything else."
"*finishes 2nd sip* Alright..It tastes really good by the way =u=.. Did you make it?"
"[Filia] *giggles* I can't make anything on my own yet. I...Did make sure your's was extra sweet.../u/ "trades a shy smile with me but looks down* Umm...If you want., we could...Talk..Tonight..A-after work.."
"I'll be busy going to this circus around that time...Hey! I could take you there with me! ^o^"
"[Filia] ! O-oh I'll...see...Gotta run "
"[Cerebella] *continues drinking while seeing Filia walk away* (Hmm. She's reeeeeally got the hots for this guy here. Not that I personally really need 'im like that, but with Vitale bein' plenty interested in this kid, I gotta make sure he doesn't get too attached here...Heh, this ain't too hard. Giving him another wild night should do wonders) *finishes drinking* Aaaaaah~ There! How was that performance? Not a sweat on me UuU"
"You really did down all of it, huh? Golly. I know I can't come close to that! I dunno how you do it. *hears her loud burp* Heheh, hope your stomach's doing well. I'd keep a water jug on me if I were you."
"[Cerebella] I should last. It's just some practice and one measly performance tonight. Besides, I feel very energized now!"
*I bet. Well lemme wrap up and we'll be outta here" I told her before getting to my two drinks. And when I put those sugars in them, BOOOOOY they were so GOOD! My mouth and cheeks were filled with butterflies in no time -q-...I should come back again to have more, and...M-maybe see about watching Filly prepare it for me..and share it with her...and...Uh let's not get too crazy with my fantasies with her. I kinda creeped myself out for a sec ^ ^;;;. After Cerey made fun of my funny faces while finishing, she takes out the money and puts it down on the table. Filly came back pretty timely and was able to greet us out of the door, thanking us for the tip and giving her an easy time.
We were out the door and made our way to the circus. The roads were busier than expected, even had crowds of people surrounding us. I guess rush hour is coming in early today. It's barely 2:30pm now. We didnt fret thought. We still had plenty of time to practice when we get there. "Yknow what, kid. *gets my attention* Imma do a bit head-huntin' after our performance. May cause a bit of trouble so Annie can come right out" she plots with me, "A bit..Risky, dontcha think? o o; Didnt you guys say how she's really really strong?" I asked, "I got an idea or two. I've framed a few crooks before" Cerebella assured of me. Geez...How much did this guy make her do? It's unbelievable how she's willing to do so much dirty work for him...I'm scared that it'll really catch up with her...I think I should bring that up to him. Cerey's incredible and so gifted. I don't want her to waste away behind bars, or worse...E-especially if I get caught in that too o3o;;;. At this moment, we were a minute away from our tent. The carni' itself had a few people roaming around.
Once we entered, I was given an immediate stare from a girl in purple tights, with some knives in her limbs. I was taken aback by her appearance but her stare was similar to Feng when she first met me. Speaking of her, she practically came to my rescue when she stepped up to this spiteful performer. "What's the matter, Beatrix? You have a problem with the new guy? -v-" Feng asked, "So he's the new guy? Then what're you doing in my face like you know him? oVo" she replied, "Cuz i-! I apparently know him pretty well, ok! He doesn't need to be treated like some misfit /V/" Feng told her, "(I see what's happening...You can't fool me. It looks like he works fast) Whatever. I guess seeing a scrawny guy coming back with Goribella really put me off. If she can't have him keep up, I'll have to test how special he is" Beatrix told her back out loud before she walks off. I'll ask a bit more about this later, but I think I got a good picture. She's jelly about how big and round Cerey is and has a complex towards being outshined by her. Yep, that's gotta be it. "*phone buzzes, picks it out of cleavage* (...SHOOT!) Hey kid. We got an hour to practice here. Try your best here" Cerebella told me, "We just got back, but ok. As long as they're fine with it" I reply, mentally preparing myself. I getting more aquatinted with the other performers this time. 10 minutes each. Starting out with some gymnastics with Feng, which was mostly a bunch of handstands and flips on bounce pads, then there was Cerey, who showed me how to handle their two tigers...Then we had this big guy. Hubrick...? Hubrecht? I couldn't get his name down, but he wanted me to call him Hubby. He was pretty weird himself. Might not be saying much since Im literally working with a crowd like this, but he really likes looking at his muscles and displaying his strength...So I ended up watching him push and lift really big things, from monster truck tires to platforms. He told me how he was considered to become a Big Bang Buster, but couldn't due to...Off-putting reasons? He does come off as really friendly. Even more than me, which is kinda funny ^ ^. I was given to Ragina after him, who's even in a higher position than the ringleader and she's the beast tamer. Apparently she's had the ringleader guy do alot of filling in recently. Life happened to her like that. Anyway, it was a bit of a part 2 of taming the tigers, but this time, if I was an inch away from getting clawed by them, she had a special whistle to make them pause and whipped them away. I...I guess Im a bit less scared of them now. Im sure, they can smell the fear from me a mile away. I this other guy was supposed to be here, but is running late for some reason, so I was given to Beatrix. Given our first impression earlier, I didnt look forward to working with her, but felt hopeful anyway.
"*sees me coming* Ugh. Do you even have a stage name yet? e e"
"No...Um, Cerey is still considering me to be a janitor.."
"You really should. You're clearly outclassed here."
"I think..About anyone can tell.. |||"
"What?! Then why're you-! Dont tell me you're part of the Cirque des Cartes too!"
"I pretty much am."
"Uuuuuugh! What's Vitale thinking with this guy! You shouldn't be here!"
"I guess you know him personally?"
"For a time, yeah. I could've had Goribella's position by now. I know I deserve it way more than her! Now he doesnt even bother with me!"
"Then what happened, Beaty? Obviously you're mad about it."
"FIRST OF ALL! DONT! And I mean DONT! Get close to me! GOT IT!? oVo *sees me look away with popped out eyes* Second, no way Im telling some wannabe performer."
"Ok umm...What if I told I kinda have a Parasite?"
"Are you sure that isn't some imaginary friend?"
"Im still not...THAT sure about what it is, but if I get hurt bad enough, it'll come out."
"I can arrange that."
"O-oh? How so?"
"*takes a deep inhale with eyes closed, spins with cape, making a tall box appear in an instant out of it* Step right in."
"Looks a bit cramped but ok."
"Before I continue with it, how'd you manage to get Feng and Goribella on your side in no time?"
"Umm..I kinda...Didnt try? It's a bit hard to explain ^ _-."
"Is it now? *pulls three knives from cape* (Should I get more? Or maybe two in the head and one in the heart is good enough?)"
"Uh what's with the three knives? ^ ^; They aren't for me, are th- *gets the door to the box slammed on me, bangs on it* ! C-can you still hear me? *hears her walk away for a moment* Im not a fan of this prank anymore! O O;;;"
"Oh dont worry. You wont die. It'll just hurt...Alot" Beatrix told me, putting on a sinister smile while making sure no one was looking. She throws two knives on the left and right side of the wooden box, hearing me scream inside it. With a bit of extra anticipation in case I really did survive, she flung the last knife up in the air, making it stab through the ceiling of the box, making the section cave in and fall as the tool fell all the way through. This way, the weapon would either fall on my head or pierce down into my heart. To make sure that I was dead, she opened the door her little death trap, and was surprised to see that half of it was filled with black, tar-looking substances, looking somewhat hardened, hard enough to not spill out upon opening. The backed away bit, and some of it lunged at her, capturing her arm. Initially shocked, she warps the substance away with swipe of her cape with the other arm. "(Just what the hell was that? Now I know what he means. Not even Im sure what it is. If he was normal, he'd be dea-)" Beatrix thought, "Hey, time's up. What's holding ya? *looks in the box, seeing how Im covered in black muck* Alright, what's going on here? -v-" Cerebella asked, "Tch. Your friend here just gave me a surprise is all. I just happen to slip up with this trick I had in mind with him" Beatrix lied, "Dont feed me that crap! You tried to off him, didnt you?! *points to the bleeding knife laying on my stomach* You never 'slip up' that badly unless you meant to! Now step ahead, he's with me" Cerebella told her, making her rival turn her nose to the air as Cerey picked me up. She laid me on the floor and notice that the black liquids were allocating into my cuts and into my clothes before I sat up, rubbing my head. "Ooooh..Was I...Out for long?" I asked, "Nah, only for a bit. I'll explain later. Follow my lead like before" Cerey told me before sharing a spiteful stare with Beatrix for a moment before she went about her business to practice on her own. Even if I didnt know what happened, I can see how thick but bad the blood is between these two. I guess I'll soon see how well they pull together tonight. We proceed to use the last 20 minutes to reduce my fear of heights with a handful of times from me falling from the high rope to be caught by 'Bella, some hoop jumping and a bit of being shot out of the cannon. The last one sounds the most dangerous, but it's just powder, a strong spring backed by a powerful vent and the remote to it activates a shooting noise. It's really clever stuff ouo. "Alright, we're going now, kid. Stay there. *goes to Ragina* 'Ey there, 'Gina. Some last minute arrangements came up. Wont happen again today. It's Vitale. *sees her nod in affirmation* Thanks, ma'am. Cant keep him waiting, right?" she said before exiting with me.
We sure've been doing alot of moving, huh? Just about everywhere it feels. It sorta makes me wonder what else is out there. If this is the weirdest place on Earth or not. I think even with someone that's dealing with dangerous business, my day-to-day is pretty eventful. Gonna meet the boss man for what? The second time? Lemme think...I wanna ask him aboooooout...Oh, Brain Drain! He has to know something there! Then there's...Hmm...I guess what to do against this guy in my head. We gotta make it clear that Im not going nuts. Man, even just the thought of it is pretty scary o o...We were already at the elevator, giving me some extra time to come up with anything else. There's one big thing Im not clear on...How many people does Cerey know? Well, I couldn't think about it much, the door's already opened...And w-who's that masked lady in his lap?!
"[Cerebella] Hey! What's Black Daliah doing here?!"
"[Vitale] She's part of the plan I have in mind. Things are becoming very different now. You can get off now, dear."
"[Black Dahlia] Hehe, sorry about you kids seeing this. *stands* I just wanted to get a bit comfortable before taking care of business."
"W-what business are we talkin' this time?"
"[Vitale] I am glad you asked...At the same time, not too glad...'Bella."
"[Cerebella] ! Yes, sir!"
"[Vitale] What've I told you...This lady is about to run amok, and I ended up getting threatened to get my Tower shut down. Our Tower. The Princess herself visited."
"! P-Princess? Who's that?"
"[Cerebella] Ugh, dammit kid! You were really under a rock! Everyone knows that Princess Parasol runs the city. Her visiting here like that is far from good! We're in trouble now.."
"[Vitale] She believes our family is behind two incidents that got her men killed. I know we dont have anyone here that's out and about, wackin' off her men one by one. And since IM in trouble, all you's in trouble."
"[Cerebella] So what then...Is Dahliah gonna replace me now?"
"[Vitale] Not quite. All of you are going to head out and search for this singer. Eliza. It doesnt look good at all for anyone, but I dont care how you do it. We need her out of the picture."
"[Cerebella] We fought her before, but..It just didnt go too well. We were lucky to come out of it alive. The kid really pulled through for us. This zombie chick that was there didn't do half bad herself."
"[Vitale] Then I need you to split up. Him, that girl, and Black Dahlia have to search for her."
"[Cerebella] But Vitale...What about me? Do I do anything?"
"[Vitale] First of all, we can't afford any more screw-ups now. You won't get another chance to screw-up. Do I make myself clear, lil lady?"
"[Cerebella] I know...I should've seen that coming..."
"(Cerey...If only I could've...Controlled this thing..If I did, that Eliza girl would've been history..)"
"[Cerebella] B-but hey, I was able to come in contact with Peacock this morning. She'll help us too. That counts for something, right?"
"(Oh right! So that's why she went out so early! It wasn't just for practice.)"
"[Vitale] *takes out a picture with a blond boy on it* You two will look for this kid. One of my men spotted him near the Lab 0 area. Twist his arm so that he works for us."
"[Cerebella] Ok...Alright Vitale! I swear, I wont let you down. I cant afford to!"
"You said something about incidents, right? What were they?"
"[Vitale] Now this is something our Princess doesn't know about...Her men were getting killed off by some lady. Her men aren't too bright or too tough, but it goes without saying how bad it is to wipe these guys out. So this is another lady we gotta track down.."
"[Black Dahlia] Ho boy, we have quite a tall order. How about I track that one down for you?"
"[Cerebella] ! So you can steal the glory from me in front of him? Fat chance! I'll make her regret what she did!"
"[Black Dahlia] Have you forgotten that we're in this situation because of your mess-ups?"
"[Cerebella] You're the one that's gonna be messed up if you dont watch it, sister!"
"[Vitale] Girls girls, we're suppose to fight the enemy. I had a feeling there'd be bad blood here, so that's why I need to separate the two of you especially."
"*sees them give each other death glares* (G-geez girls..Well he made a good call) Um! ! Another thing! *gets his attention* Do you know anything about Brain Drain? This new friend I made a bit ago mentioned him after her friend told her about her being experimented on by him."
"[Cerebella] (Huh. Does he know about him? I dunno actually. Good thinking, kid!)"
"[Vitale] Hmm...My men have been finding mentions of him too...Thinking about it..If he's some big-time mad scientist..Things are piecin' together.."
"O-oh, are they? o3o"
"[Vitale] Y'see...He tried capturing some of my men not too long ago. 18 of 'em. One made it out alive by the skin of his teeth. He died soon after, but before he kicked the bucket..He mentioned about seeing a little girl almost doing him in. Is that the one you mean?"
"Little girl? Well Filly aint too old herself and...I guess? They should go to the same school, so sounds about right."
"[Vitale] He's the enemy to us too. And the wounds didn't kill him. The things he was seein' did."
"! (Seeing things?!) I heard things today! Me and Cerey were talking about it, and we're thinking this guy has mind powers. That has to be him too! *GASP* Then that means...!"
"[Vitale] Sounds like doc's right-hand to me."
"[Black Dahlia] Heavy. So there's a trickster, a really strong lady, a mad doctor and a singer. Just when I thought things couldn't get worse."
"[Vitale] That said...Stay grouped together after your missions are finished. We don't know how hard they're about to hit us, so get all this done asap."
"[Cerebella] Just you watch, Vitale. I'll take down that chick who started this, and that cat girl that's still out there!"
"[Black Dahlia] Weren't you assigned to take care of her too? Lemme handle it if you were given that much issue with her."
"[Cerebella] Imma need you to butt out! I got her this time!"
"[Vitale] Enough. At this point, it's a race to whoever makes her fish food."
"Hmm...Well..We are't getting anything done by standing here. I think we know what we need to do. Let's get it done asap before it's showtime."
"[Vitale] The kid's right. It's do or die now. Make it snappy."
"[Cerebella] I gotcha, Vitale! Let's get a move on, kid!" she told me as the weapon-bound lady in a dress sees us go down the elevator. Cerey putted up a front, but that heavy look on her face tells a different story. If I were to guess...Dahlia has better track record. By how much I dunno, but it's really getting her down. And she had to tell our boss how much we failed...I have to say too..Mistakes will really set us back..Though..There's this thing I have. I still dont know how capable it is. I guess this'll really push it to the limit. You hear that, buddy? This is your ultimate test! Dont fail me now! When we stepped outside, we felt the presence of someone behind us. "*sighs* What do you want?" Cerebella asked before turning around with a bit of spite, "I hope you two are going to look for this little girl and the boy now" Black Dahlia said, "Let's see...Do you think we should let her look for them? It'll give us more time to practice" I asked, "Listen kid. You're not gonna be part of the show anyway" Cerebella told me, "I-Im not? / .\" I react, "You need more time. I thought about it for a bit and you're just not cut out yet" she also told me, "Hmm yeah I guess I should've figured then. I was kinda wetting myself from the thought of trying tonight, so you saved me there ^ ^;" I reply, "Heeey then he should come with me to look for these new recruits. Vitale wanted me and him to work together in the first place. If you think about it, in the back of his head, he knew this kid did better than you in some areas" Black Dahlia brought up, "(...Is..That actually true?)...Wait a minute, sister! I got something for you! Lemme look around with him for an hour. After that, if we can't find her...You can bring him by then. You know where our tent is. He'll be right outside for ya" she proposed, "Oh! Those are some good odds for me. Just don't be surprised if it doesn't go well. I cant stand whiners" she told her before leaping away into the distance. I notice Cerey's fist tightening really hard before grabbing me and beginning our search for this blond guy. I can only hope we dont run into trouble. We got a few heavy-hitters just waiting to pounce, and wipe the floor with us. Even if we don't find her, this'll be our busiest day yet.
The two of us checked the photo every now and then, say after every 5 minutes. It shows him being near some buildings but I wasn't sure. It still feels like my first day goin' around town. Cerey wasn't too confident herself with exactly where he was. Though, I think just about anyone can tell she's bogged down by something else. "Hey Cer', what's the matter? Mind telling me?" I asked her, "I guess it's that obvious. Im just tired of Dahlia showing up to steal the spotlight from me. Now she's being depended on by Vitale, and he didnt even tell me about this...If I can't do this too, then I'll lose everything in no time.." she told me with a heavy look and tone to her voice, "Well. I know you dont wanna just be a performer all your life. I think you're putting all your eggs in one basket here. Have you ever thought about how even the stuff with him not going well anymore? Yeah that's cuz we messed up, but I think we gotta know what to do if...Yknow. His place gets canned and all" I suggest, "Mmmmnn...I guess I never thought of that..I dunno what else we'd do though" she replied, "Ah dont worry. That's why we got time. To think it over as much as we need to! ouo" I told her optimistically, "Guess I can't say I wont think it over. I'll come back to ya on that" she replied. A tad more modest of a response than I thought, but I'd say that's progressive ^ ^. We looked around some more for 18 minutes and still not a clue. I hope he didnt go outta town on us. Not that I'd blame him. This freaky city of our's aint for everyone. Even I'm a freak to some degree. Passing up Innsmouth, we hear running footsteps from behind. I turn around and see a familiar face. "Heeeeey! It's Filly! You came outta nowhere for us? I thought you were working ouo" I asked in excitement, "My manager felt really generous today. Especially after seeing how happy I was to serve you two earlier. He's having Minette cover for the rest of the day for me ^u^" Filia explained, "That's great! You can help us find the guy we're looking for! *sees Cerebella roll her eyes, hugs her* Dont be like that, Cer'! It's ok to accept help sometimes. Besides, we got half an hour left and she can cut our time down with her help" I told her, "You're looking for a guy? *is give the photo* So...Near...Ok, I might know the place. I can at least get us close" Filia told us before we follow her. The energy me and Filly shared seems to've rubbed off on Cerey, who now looks more like her usual self. We did feel like we were covering more ground and ran more frequent. Filia took it upon herself to ask civilians if the guy looked familiar and about two of 'em gave her some details. Like, duh. Why didn't we think of that? We sure felt kinda dumb at the moment -w-;;;...So from what they're saying, he's towards the border of the city, which Cerey know would take us 26 minutes to get to at full speed, so since we're really running low on time, she decides to go to the circus on her own. Yep, it's just me and Filly-Cakes now. "*runs with me* Hey, since we're about to find him and we'll have a good amount of time to ourselves after this. We should get a hold of Peacock too. She might be watching her toons as usual" she told me, "Toons? She watches cartoons? Funny hobby has there o3o" I reply, "It's kinda how she gets inspiration. She's still a kid y'see. How she fights is...Pretty out there to say the least. Even for an Anti-Skullgirl weapon" she informs, "Oh! That might be what we need! We'll have the perfect lean mean, bad-guy beatin' team in no time if everyone comes together! ^u^ Would've really helped against this guy that invaded our tent the other day. I'll tell you more about it later, but boy, was he bad news" I told, squeezing a giggle out of her as we continued our search. After around, say, 8 more minutes of looking around, we see him trying to get through a tight alley to get through the other side. "(That should be him!) HEEEEY! *sees his shoulders jump* Mind comin' here? We're gonna need your help with something" I asked, "(Phew...At least it isn't her again. I think I lost her this time) Uuuuh Im coming, just gimme a sec" he replied, walking over this way. Looking at him closer, he had some sort of lab coat on and jolts came from his limbs a few times when he got close to us. Wow, I can feel his static frizzing up my clothes from here, and he's about a few meters away. No wonder bossman wants him to join us. "We've been kinda looking for you. Dont sweat it though. We just need your help to take some really strong ladies down, and maybe a mad science guy. You'll be part of a really strong team with us! ^o^" I told him, "Really...I guess that's better than being forced to be taken in by some goons...Y'see, I've been trying to hide and get by since my powers have been really surging lately.." he told us, "Oh that's a big pain then. Boss showed us what you sorta look like, but your name is...? - 3-" I asked, "Leduc...Just call me that, ok? Let's just hurry back before...I get spotted again.." he answered and urged us, "(Spotted? Dont tell me...She cant be here, can she?) Alright, we'll hurry back. Im sure that our boss has a place for ya" I replied and agreed to his needs. On the way back, we see several guys with cat elements and more remarkably Fish Bone symbols on them. Huh, I guess this is Cerey's handiwork. She sure does take her role seriously..."Kid, I know you like this guy and all, but dont forget that you're walkin' a tightrope when you're workin' with him. He's part of the Medci. Just like the girl he was with. She did this" Samson whispered to her without anyone but her noticing, "I know..But I think it's for a good cause. Who knows how much danger the city will be in if I dont help, and they needed me.." Filia whispered back. We were able to get back to the Medci Tower, which made Filia hold a frown on her face when she looked up. That's right...She can't come in with us..I remember what she told me. "('They tried killing...Sameson told me everything..And if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here'. I didn't get the full picture but given even this much. I can't have guys like these know that she's here) Uh hey Fils..M-mind staying out here and make sure no one followed us? ^.^;" I asked, "R-right. I can do that" she agreed, "Alright. Lemme introduce you, 'Duc-dude. Boss shouldn't bite ^ ^" I told him before we step inside. She waited there, sitting a few steps away from the side of the door, her eyes glued to her phone. She texted her friend, thought about things here and there, all within 10 minutes. Once that time was up, her gaze was met with a hand. My hand. Her eyes were then met with my bright smile, and I helped her up. We then proceeded to walking to me and Cerey's Cirque Circus.
We uh...W-we did hold hands on the way there and boy...Her hands feel way softer than Cerey's..It was a slice of Heaven at first too...It..Make me think about just being with Filly. I'm honestly not a fan of doing dirty work with shady mobsters. Yeah they're trying to keep the city safe especially now, but still. I think I'd look good in a server's robe. We had to make a short detour to Lab 0 to find Peacock. To our surprise, our lil' investigation came up short. Huh...Just where the hell is everyone today? It's like they love slipping through our fingers. We didn't make a big deal about it. There's always next time, even if me and Cerey have one more to get everything together. I really hope so. Having a team of 7 sounds mighty fine for this problem everyone's facing. I can imagine it might be awkward to watch something like a circus with someone like her, given what Filly-Cakes told me. Sounds like she could even run the Circus. Speaking of which, we soon found ourselves getting popcorn and some soda with her money. We picked a top row seat and were ready to watch the show happen. Clapping and crowd cheering was filling the air as the announcer was stepping into the center. "WELCOOOOME Ladies and Gents! Tonight is going to be as amazing ever, so let's look forwaaard! *hears them uproaring more* That's more like it! Now let's give it up for a surprise guest, AND our personal muscle-bound duo! Round of applause FOOOOOR! *points behind with a spin, having a colorful poof happen in that direction, with a big guy, Cerebella and another muscular man with a pink mustache come out of it* CEREBELLA! HUBRECHT! AND BURNEY!" the announcer introduces, "WOOOOOOAAAAAHHHH" the audience hollered out loud for them, " Lovely, lovely! Even better cuz the knowledgeable can see that our 2nd muscleman is from The Big Bang Busters gang! *sees them hold Cerebella up by her feet, and she proudly stands above them* WHOHOAHH! Quite the intro, eh folks!" the announcer also said, "Heh. I'll say. Look at her living the dream ^ ^" I comment, "Uh huh. Im pretty happy for her too ^u^" Filia said, putting her head on my arm. O-oh man...She's..Getting real comfortable, huh? I really like being with her but...I dunno about this...Then right as I thought that, she looked up into my eyes with a charming smile, and was inching her face closer to mine with lips aimed for mine. W-would...Would this be cheating? Me and Cer' aren't like that but...Filly sure is tempting me right now...Even moreso when she put her hand to my crotch...And even dug in my pants..HaaaAAuaaah, her hand is unbelievably soft..I was feeling every inch from her womanly palm and fingers as she was gently grasping my shafter..Am I...Really gonna let her do this? I-I can only hope no one watches us then /o/..The instant another thought appeared in my head, her lips were already brushing and pressing against mine. It felt so great...So blissful that my mind was fogging up, along with my vision becoming blurry...Then there was a white fade..It's hard to say sorry for Cer'...It always felt like she undermined me...She might care about the spotlight more than me so...Enjoying myself with Filly...just this once..She shouldn't mind that...At that moment however, as if we were struck by some cruel fate...I noticed that not only was my vision messing up..But the surroundings...Everything was...Looking shifty..Very wobbly. Filia may be a wonderful kisser, but even I can tell how immersion-breaking this is...DONT TELL ME! "Filia! Get back!" I told her before pushing her away, "*uses a seat on the side to regain balance with a hand* H-hey! What's wrong? o *looks around, seeing everything blurring and changing* ! What's...Going on here? O O;;;;" she asked, "It cant be...*sees the place look like another Circus as more blue and purple patches appear with familiar posters plastering on the walls* (wait...ISNT THIS ALISON'S CIRCUS?! WHAT THE-!) We're in an illusion!" I shouted, "*claps hands together* Good, good. It seems you've figured it out nicely. You even realized which Circus tent this exactly was" said a familiar voice, coming from the man appearing in the center, "*looks down, seeing him* YOU! IT'S YOU AGAIN! *runs down at him* WHERE'S RALLIA!" I shouted in anger, "(R-rallia? Who's that? W-what's going on here...? o o;;;;)" Filia asked herself in her head in confusion, "*wags finger* I wouldn't do thaaaaat~ *stops me in place, seeing me struggling to inch forward* (Hmm...You're not suppose to move at all...No matter) So then. Hours ago you realized that I have mental powers as well. That's a bit impressive. Yet you still came at me the way you did anyway. Hmmhm, you do some amusing things, boy" he was mockingly telling me, "LET ME GO!...GHNNNN! I'LL BEAT SOME ANSWERS OUTTA YOU IF I HAVE TO! O;" I shouted, "You're oddly reckless all of a sudden. Oh that's right, you did become close to this Rallia girl. Hahahah, excuse me. *flamboyantly puts two fingers to head while looking away* I tend to forget one or two things about my victims' lives. Now...*points to me* It'd be unwise to move again. For not just your sake..." he was alluding, "What do you...? *looks behind, seeing another him holding me in place with a smirk and wrapped arms around my neck* ! (Since when could he...? Oh no then there's-!) *looks further back, seeing Filia wrapped from behind by another clone of him, seeing a blank look in her eyes* DONT YOU DARE DO ANYTHING TO HER! IM WARNING YO- *sees her get dragged away in a portal with him* FILIAAAA! NOOOOOOOOOO!" I shouted very loudly in desperation, "Hmmmhmmhmhmhmmhmmm...Hahahahahahahaaah! There! Let's see more of that angry side of your's! Don't disappoint me now!" he said to me, "...Your...Name...What the hell is your name...!" I asked him, "Oh? How curious. Vincent. Vergil Vincent. You can call me Vince or VV if you'd like. I might as well spill the beans a bit more. These illusions you see before you...They are so powerful..So potent, that they can effect reality. All thanks to this Proto-Parasite that I am cursed with. Y'see, boy...Me and you are the same on some level" Vince told me, "WE ARN'T THE SAME AND YOU KNOW IT!" I shouted at him, "Think what you will, though you are correct. The difference being that I learned to control mine over time. I learned to influence it...Thanks to it's powers, I gave it autonomy. I see you're a ways away from achieve such control" Vince was unveiling to me, "shut up...JUST SHUT UP! IM NOT YOU AND I'LL NEVER BE ANYTHING LIKE YOU! Im only gonna tell you this once...BRING...THEM...! *bites deep into my shoulder, springing a big spurt of blood out of it* BAAAACCKKK!" I ordered him, biting that spot again and my Parasite jumps out as a big black ooze, sprouting webs all over the interior. "*gets some webs on face and mouth* Fascinating...That's some resistance to my power you have there. *floats up* Too bad you currently can't hope to harm me. I could get rid of you now...*sees the Parasite growing bigger, to almost touching the ceiling* (Then again...Maybe things will start looking iffy for me after all) But I got bigger fish to fry..For now..Have this as my farewell to you" Vince told me, slowly flicking his wrist at me before vanishing. Suddenly...My mind was assaulted, filling up with images of building collapsing on me, bugs coming out of my stomach, copies me being laid on the ground in front of me, visions of people I knew being cut down, and more gruesome...Unbearable scenes started flooding my mind. "(Stop...STOP...) *hears loud high pitch ringings* MAKE IT STOOOOOP! Q" I shouted out loud with all the air escaping my body...I found myself on my knees, in the middle of a blank field. This scenery dissipated as it turned out I was in the parking lot. My face was stained everywhere with sweat and tears...The pain was too great. I fell on the ground, feeling absolutely fatigued.
...What happened...What the hell just happened...If asked...I...Wouldnt know what to say...It was so unreal...So otherworldly...No one would believe me...I should stay down...Sink into a dark hole...Into the ground...I belong there..."-y! -up! KID!" I heard, "H-huh? O O *opens my eyes wide open* What...Waat was that..? What happened to me..." I weakly said, "Hey so...We managed to rack in alot of dough from the performance..You on the other hand..You were...Out for a day" Cerebella told me, "A-! Did you say a whole day?! How the...Dammit...Not only did I miss everything but...Now Filly's gone..." I lowly told her, "S-she is?! How the hell that happen?" she asked. I took a deep breath, rubbed my head for a moment...Ugh my head's killing me..I feel really old now. "Ok...Hear me out..When we got to the tent, me and Filia were watching but..Then we got caught up in an illusion. The guy's name is Vincent..I dunno what his deal is but...He managed to take Filia away from me and...He was just destroying my head after that.." I inform her, "That explains alot...Damn...Now we're missing another person...Look...We have six hours left now. I'll hate doing this but...We're gonna have to work together with Dahlia, so we can find Peacock and Annie, then we can finish business from there. Like Vitale said. It's do or die time. These guy are starting to attack. Im really seeing that now" she told me, "I'll...Try my best out there...You'll just have to carry me..I cant feel my legs...Or my arms.." I told her, "*siiiighs* Alright. You should feel like a toothpick anyway. Imma need you to get it together when a fight breaks out, ok?" she replied, "Ok...I just gotta believe in myself..Kinda like you euo" I respond, putting a slight smile on her face. With that, she picked me, putting me on her back and we exited like this. Feng worrisomely looked out the window with a heavy, saddened look on her face, and her hand planted on said window.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the city, a deadly duo is found dancing together at a park, gathering the attention of local onlookers. "You're as beautiful as ever, Eliza...But Im afraid our time is about to be cut short. *looks behind with a smirk, seeing Black Dahlia walking closer, looking this way* We have a troublesome guest in our midsts.." Vince said, "Aaaaaww, don't say that, Vinny..The day is still young and we were having such a swell time together..Oh well. Can't be helped I suppose. At least you've made strives to make my job easier" Eliza replied in a carefree manner, "*flies upwards, released from her grasp* Not to worry. I have some thorough work to do...Such as checking in on a certain little league trio of mine...And awakening the current Skullgirl. You stay here and clean up the mess" Vince told her before getting away in the air, "*turns to Black Dahlia* With pleasure..ewe" Eliza said, preparing to battle against her opponent...Aiming to kill her.