Rats skittered about the dank, dark and gloomy floors, their tiny paws scrabbling together whatever scraps of food they could grasp, no matter how rotten or dirty. Their scavenging was interrupted as a bright light appeared in the blackness, shining a silver gleam across floor, the sound of metallic footsteps getting ever closer to the rodents. In an instant, they scattered, squeaking, back into their messily carved homes in the rocks – the sharp claws that ended Jack's feet sent out loud bangs with every step that hit stone. A swarm of black and blue particles orbited his wrists, faintly illuminating his forearms, barely revealing the hilt of his drawn sword. He stopped dead in his tracks as a single drop of the liquid the sanitized Octarians gave off hit the ground in front of him with a simple 'Plip!'
Turning his light upward, he was met by some kind of Octarian he had never met before, a long, slender creature with two bulbous eyes above a circular mouth filled with teeth, its slick body covered in glowing pink pustules, its swift movement onto the ground revealing its sickly green back was...glowing. The green liquid seeped out from between its teeth, Jack silently assuming a battle stance as the creature sized him up. In the brief moment, Jack took another, more careful, look at the creature. Whilst its back still glowed in itself, it was covered by two long, thick tentacles, the middle of their suckers growing larger pink pustules, four odd growths on its underside showing themselves as it reared up to release an unearthly screech before it charged at Jack. Lightning sparked as he brought his blade up, bolts of electricity scattering throughout the tunnels as it clashed with the horror's teeth. Almost as soon as the clash occurred, Jack broke it off by kicking the monster in the stomach, both of them being sent into a backflip, the cyborg's landing creating small craters where his feet were.
The creature's whole body shook as it released another shriek, a thin blue mist filling creeping out of the numerous grates in the area as the screech echoed among the darkness. Jack threw his light into the ground, illuminating the now revealed crossroads in the silver light. His sword vanished into his wrists before the orbiting particles joined up with him, forming into sharp, black blades with a glowing blue ridge that came out of his forearms, leaving a trail of a blue light as Jack brought them up to his front.
"Come and get some!" His ragged voice cackled, his ferocious foe responding with another shriek, Jack giving it a suitable psychotic yell of his own. The snake-like monster lunged for Jack, letting out a painful cry as its exposed underbelly instead got impaled by one of the arm blades and it was thrown right into a wall "Was that all?" Jack hissed, carefully observing the glowing substance he had extracted from the creature on his blade. The Sanitized bled a similar colour to this blue, but this time it was giving off an ever so faint glow, albeit it was hard to see in the light the one he had placed was giving off.
In his moment of distraction, the beast got back up in less than a second and dashed towards Jack, knocking him clean off his feet. The murky water splashed up against the stone as the cyborg was sent crashing to the floor, his claw-like fingers digging into the creature's skin, deep enough to draw further blood. It struggled and lunged at Jack's chest, the white blood in his system only pumping hotter with every lunge until he threw it face first into the concrete, slamming its teeth against the rock repeatedly, each smash getting stronger and his yells getting louder until the snake-like beast was nothing but a bloody mess, as Jack snatched up his light it revealed the radial glow the creature's blood gave off, enough to envelop a small area around it in the cyan light. Shaking his blades free of the substance as they returned to orbiting his wrists, his blade returning to him, Jack left the corpse to rot in its own blood among the shadows.
Just as the metallic man began to vanish further into the darkness, a pair of bloodshot eyes forced themselves out of the creature's skin, its teeth returning to it in mere seconds. Larger, bulkier fangs burst out of its lips, soaked in its own blood.
Huffing, Jack stopped walking to observe the growing thickness of the mist...was it acidic? His head snapped to face down another long, dark hall in the system, an odd green light shifting to pink occasionally flickering at the very end of it. It was almost mesmerizing to the cyborg. Before his foot could even leave the ground, however, he was jumped by the creature once again, having doubled in size already.
Snarling, Jack thrust his sword upward to the creature, only for its new set of fangs to grab it "Son of a bitch!" He scowled, him yanking his sword away slicing the bottom lip of the creature's mouth wide open, a puddle of blood splattering onto the floor.
Watching the creature as it reeled from the slice, Jack's clench on his sword only tightened as it suddenly sprouted seaweed from its chin, its high pitched screech piercing his ears. The beast smacked Jack with its tail, the bricks in the wall collapsing over him. The beast lowered itself to the floor again, a rotting stench of blood, corpses and gunk filling the mist as it stalked its prey, its eyes focused intently on the rubble. In a flash of lightning, Jack burst out of the rubble, standing strong.
The creature began to writhe and throw itself into the walls, its skin bulging and pulsing as its pustules burst, releasing a smell so horrid even Jack couldn't describe it, more than enough to make him gag. Gangly, mutated arms erupted out of the skin where the pustules were...but deep under all that mutilation and blood, Jack could make out one thing.
Octoling arms.
Its cry faded into a painful wail of dozens unknown, Jack's tentacles curling from the blood curdling cries. The monster smashed its head into Jack, sparks and small bits of rock flying through the air as he skirted along the concrete floor, his arm blades reappearing and digging themselves into the ground, the silver haired man glaring up at the...thing with his glowing red eye. It was like it was fighting itself, lurching itself into walls, scratching its own skin off, all whilst its cries echoed throughout the sewer-like halls.
Spinning his sword on his palm before sprinting toward the creature, his battle cry could be heard all throughout the tunnels as he leapt into the air, his whole body illuminated by crackling lightning. The creature tried to scurry off, only for its tail to be snagged by Jack's sword, its resulting scream of agony piercing Jack's ears, his hands shooting up to cover them. The thunderous sound of its footsteps got ever so rapidly close Jack couldn't even lower his hands an inch before he was thrown up into the air, smacking into the ceiling with a hollow WHUD! before dropping into the gross liquid below. Still the blue air continued to thicken as Jack got back on his feet. As his white blood dripped from his mouth into the putrid liquid below, the combatants stared each other down, an evil glare slowly forming in Jack's eye, unwavering even as the creature's skin burst to reveal more eyes under its pre-existing pair, the green blood seeping out of the fresh wound where its tail once was.
Jack's ears perked up suddenly, the sound of distant music filling the halls – techno, electronica, whatever it was, it was getting closer by the second. The monster seemed to pay it no heed, its lower row of arms twisting in an indescribable away to allow it to stand upright, it towered over Jack now, the cyborg only giving it a grunt as he swiped his sword out to his side, liquid splashing as he once again made a mad dash for the creature.
"I'LL SEE YOU IN HELL!" He shrieked as a bolt of lightning burst out from his body, searing the walls around him. The creature made no noise as it dashed to the side, Jack's sword coming down on a metallic...thing. As soon as it did, a whirring filled the air and Jack was blasted away by a white explosion of light and energy. He hit the ground with a solid WHACK, rolling for a few feet before coming to a stop, smoke radiating off of his entire body. The blue fog was as thick as ever, yet Jack could clearly make out a single glowing red dot among the all consuming cloud.
A rather tall and slender Octoling emerged from the fog, clad in a black snapback, loose black shirt with a mess of an emblem on its front, her matching trousers and boots covered in scratches, tears and wholes. Her skin, however, stood out like a thorn. It wasn't the sick green the rest of the sanitized were, it was a bright, glowing cyan, the exact same colour as some of the...fluids the monster, now standing beside her, had previously spewed up. Her shades released an ominous hum as the red glow flashed bright, the crimson light filling the fog.
Snarling, Jack cracked his metallic knuckles, sparks flying from within "And you are?" His creaking voice was rife with anger, his body barely able to hold his voice box together.
The Octoling remained totally still for a few seconds before answering with a monotone "Deadfish. With a one."
Jack's battle stance only grew in intensity upon hearing that name "So you're the one who has the posters all over the stations, huh?"
Deadf1sh nodded. Ever so slowly. She brought her hand up to her shades, adjusting them as the hum from the glow faded in once more "You've been out of line for far too long now, Reaper."
Jack gave Deadf1sh the snarl of an animal in return.
"The head wants us to bring you back to him alive..." Her vision ever so slowly turned to the monster by her side – a screech unlike anything on the planet came from inside her as she yanked an arm clean out of the monster, its screech almost as befitting of its torturer "Something this THING clearly doesn't have the brain power to understand!" The glowing woman turned their head back to Jack "You are going to come quietly. The leader wants to try something on you."
"Oh yeah!?" Jack yelled, throwing his arms downward. Blades thrice as large as the ones he had previously summoned burst out of his arms, his whole back sprouting dozens of spikes "Come and get me!" His face was promptly covered by the same black particles that formed his blade, blue lights shining over it once they had formed into a solid mask.
Deadf1sh snapped her fingers and simply pointed at Jack, the monster screeching once more and dashing toward Jack.
Almost immediately it lost an entire row of arms in a single slice from Jack, its mix of both sick green and glowing cyan blood churned in the liquid below, illuminating the metallic weapon of a man from below. Jack drove his blade through the beast's chest, its splitting wail growing in intensity as it bulged out in size even further, its head now pressing up against the top of the halls as the entire row of arms burst out of its skin once more.
"What the hell is this thing!?" Jack yelled as he jumped away from the monster slamming its head into the ground, sending the liquid that covered the flow hurling upward. Before Jack was even on the floor it charged him again, scraping its face along the floor, leaving a trail of blood mixing into the liquid in its wake before lurching up and grabbing him in its fangs, Jack's arm blade slicing open one of its eyes as he yanked out one of the beast's fangs, dropping to the floor with a loud BANG, even with his neat landing. Crushing the fang he was holding into a fine dust, Jack's upper lip shook under his mask as he growled, fangs bared "I've let you live long enough!" He bounded into the air once more, hands clasped together as he brought them over his head before throwing them down, a loud SHHHCLACK squelching in the air as the soft underside was cut wide open, blood and numerous grossly coloured guts spewing forth into the stinking liquid, the monster shrieking and howling into the darkness before it fell over in the pool of its own organs. Jack's masked faded away, as did his arm blades and spikes, as he turned around to face Deadf1sh, who was in the exact same position she was before what could barely described as the fight started, like she was nothing but a statue watching the man with a cold stare. Summoning his blade to his hand, Jack gestured to the beast "What was that thing?"
"A Chimera." Deadf1sh responded in her flat tone.
Jack looked to the fresh corpse, shrugging his shoulders before returning his gaze to the DJ "Looks nothing like the Chimera I know of."
No response.
Deadf1sh turned around and pulled a turnable from within the mist "That matter won't be important to you for now."
A shrill ringing filled the blue air as Deadf1sh slammed her hand onto it, Jack's vision going black in an instant. He smashed into the ground, limp.
Coughing and spluttering, he awoke on a soft burgundy carpet floor, groaning, his body creaking and hissing as its mechanisms kicked back into gear.
Wait, I know this place, he thought, spinning around to take the room in. The grey walls, black and red furniture, the black marble top kitchen counters...there was no mistaking it, this was his old apartment – his family's home.
As he turned to face back in the direction he had woken up facing, he saw her. The scuffy red boots, tight leather trousers and incredibly creased vest...all leading up to her wild, shining green hair.
"Stubborn little thing, aren't you?" She questioned without turning to face him.
Jack clenched his teeth, taking a sharp breath before speaking "M...I'm so sorry..."
She quickly turned to face him, that sassy smile she had always kept the same as ever "Babe, I told you that I want you to be happy, didn't I?" She walked up to him in the same way she always did, giving her hips a playful sway with each step "C'mon, my rough n' tough guy ain't gonna stop now, is he?" She lightly punched his chest, Jack staggering back from the force – despite all the years they'd known each other, he could never expect how powerful even the lightest taps from her were "Honey, you're capable of more things than you realize." She pulled him into an embrace, Jack softly wrapping his arms around her waist "Now, what did I always say?"
"Heheh..." The cyborg chuckled "You're right. Get back out there..."
"And eat that whale." They said in unison – she planted a firm kiss on his lips before a blinding white light filled the room.
Everything came crashing back in a rush of black and white vision, Jack lurching in his yell of shock as his eye shot open.
Only inches away from him, he saw a folded note standing in the murky liquid.
"BE BACK SOON"
It was like a robot had written it down from how straight and uniform the handwriting was. Jack's immediate attempt to stand was met with a force immediately yanking him back down. Turning his head to look at the source of the force, he saw electrical shackles binding him to the floor by his hands and feet…
"Ohh...shit."
C.Q Cumber's train
Slithering over the controls, Cumber turned his body up and yelled down the carriage "Marcus! We're getting back to Station 14!"
Marcus made his way into the cabin only a moment later "Good, Jack should be done with his scouting by now."
"And any word from the girls?"
"No." Marcus said as he shook his head "Hopefully Rem's still got the gem on her."
Cumber gestured to the window "About that – she dropped it off in here before she went off scavenging with Ix."
The glowing blue gem was sitting right there, not even giving off its blinding radial light. Paying that no mind, Marcus crossed his arms "Ugh – it's been days and we haven't found even a hair of info on the other stones. And who knows what Johnny's been up to with the one he got." He sighed as he looked out the window "Honestly it's a little- HOLY SHIT CUMBER HIT THE BRAKES!"
Not even questioning Marcus' sudden panic, and in a speed unnatural for a creature like himself, Cumber jumped up to the emergency brake and yanked it straight down, the screeching wheels against the rails audible for miles throughout the metro system.
The train came to a shrieking halt only inches from an Octoling stood on the tracks, totally still.
Deadf1sh's shades hummed as the light flashed on, immediately making direct eye contact with Marcus. And as soon as their eyes met, a tremendous explosion rocked the tunnel, the entire train immediately buried under hundreds of pounds of rubble.
2 hours earlier…
"Be safe out there, kiddo." Cumber lightly slapped the back of Marcus' leg as he stepped off the train "Remember, it's whatever metal we can get."
"Got it." Marcus nodded "Hm, it's like we've built an entirely new train with all the times we've needed to replace parts, eh?"
Cumber nodded before giving a stern and gruff "Now get moving!" The doors hissed shut before a mechanism in the train's insides began to grind into action, the noise sending a cold chill through Marcus' teeth as the giant metal snake began its voyage into the shadows, the grinding and screeching gone in only a matter of seconds.
Turning around, Marcus pulled a white fox mask with red accents and a golden cross on its forehead from within his duffel bag, easily fitting it on his face. The red accents gleamed a red sheen as Marcus placed the mask on his face, the eye sockets crackling a scarlet electricity.