A/N: Hello my loyal subjects...eeehh...*cough*, *cough*, I meant my precious readers, and welcome to another mini-chapter!...that is 6k words long, but who cares. As with the first mini-chapter, this one is funny too! Before I forget it, special thanks to SeekerMeeker for the details he added on it. Without further delays, let's start this hilarious trip!
The Ether Conflict
Mini-Chapter 2: When the Horde Attacked
Blackout Main Base
Male Dorms
Room 49
Inside one of the male dorm rooms in Blackout's main base, two boys lie on their beds, trying to pass their evening. One has short, brown hair with hazel eyes; he is currently reading a novel titled "The Sharpshooter." It is about a WW2-era veteran tank gunner, and his life after the war; specifically, it is about how he became a sharpshooter for his hometown's police department.
The other boy has short, blond hair and blue eyes, currently typing something on his cell phone; he is texting a certain ginger-haired girl. Some of Blackout's bases had been outfitted with a communications antenna, which offered limited mobile coverage up to a certain distance away from the base in which it had been installed.
An escort mission? That's a first, the blond boy types in his cell phone and presses the "Send" button.
Yeah, we were really surprised by it, but the payment is really good, he receives a text back moments later.
So, what's this job exactly, he types and a few minutes, he gets an answer.
I can't say a lot of details about it, the text reads. But we are supposed to escort a convoy that transports a very precious cargo between two cities. To make matters worse, we don't even know what the cargo is! :(
If the cargo is so precious they asked Blackout to escort it, it means the probability of getting ambushed is high, he writes, but before sending the text, he adds one more line:
Please be careful Saori.
Don't worry Tyler, I'll be fine. We have Miho leading us, so I'm sure everything will work out just fine, he receives, before receiving another text. Since when did you start worrying about me?
What, can't I worry about my sweet angel from time to time? O:) ;)
Stop it Tyler, you'll make me blush! :$ he receives as an answer and Tyler smirks, already imagining Saori's embarrassed expression.
I think we are getting in the antenna's range, reception is pretty bad here, she texts back. I'll text you when we are inside another antenna's coverage. Many kisses! :* :* :*
Many kisses and be safe :* :* :*, he texts back, before putting his phone on the bed stand and lying on his bed, he looks at the ceiling.
"Having a relationship can be really worrisome sometimes," he murmurs just loud enough for Reiji to hear him.
"It can't be helped, since she is doing the same job as you," Reiji says, turning a page on his book. "How has your relationship been progressing?"
"That's an odd question from you," Tyler says, turning his head so he faces Reiji. "Why do you ask?"
"Mere curiosity you could say," Reiji answers back, his eyes never looking away from his book's contents.
"We have been doing fine," Tyler answers his friend. "Thanks to her, I don't get mobbed by girls every ten seconds when out of the male dorms," he says and Reiji chuckles a bit.
"Yeah, we can actually move around and even chat without getting interrupted by a girl who wants to ask you something," Reiji smirks.
"Amen to that," Tyler says, glad he doesn't have to be wary of his surroundings for any clingy girls anymore. "Though Odysseus just loves teasing me and getting me in trouble," he sighs, closing his eyes for a brief moment.
"How so?" Reiji asks, curiosity overwhelming him. He stops reading his book and turns to face Tyler. "Did she say something embarrassing in front of Saori?"
"Dude, she asked her if SHE had sex with ME yet," Tyler says with a serious expression and Reiji looks at him and raises both eyebrows in surprise, before bursting in laughter.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Reiji manages to say between his laughs, the sheer absurdity of the comment making it look like a joke. Tyler frowns, annoyed at his friend's reaction.
"I kid you not," Tyler responds back seriously. "Not only did Saori run away with a face as red as a tomato, but the girls who were passing by at that moment and overheard her, they shot death glares at me! I even saw one retrieving a pocket knife from her uniform!"
"Wow, even the yanderes are after you," Reiji jokes. "If only Annabelle was there with her."
"Oh, she was. The killing intent she released when she heard Odysseus, I don't think it is possible for a human to exert such amounts," Tyler says, shivering a bit at remembering that moment. "Even Odysseus froze in place, her face becoming as white as fresh snow and she was sweating a lot."
"What happened after that?" Reiji asks with amusement.
"Annabelle knocked out Odysseus with a punch in her face and dragged her back to their room like a sack of potatoes, probably to torture her," Tyler jokes.
"Think she made Odysseus wear any formal dresses?" Reiji says and both boys start laughing, knowing their commander was never fond of formal dresses, or dresses in general as a matter of fact. Suddenly, Tyler's phone starts ringing, and picking it up, he answers it.
"Hello?" he says.
"Hey Tyler, it's Annabelle," the voice on the other end of the call says.
"Oh, hey Annabelle, how are you?" Tyler says.
"I am fine, thank you. I called because I wanted to ask a favor," Annabelle says to Tyler.
"Is something wrong?" Tyler asks, sensing Annabelle's tone is different than usual.
"Odysseus is sick and I want you to bring me some medicine from the hospital," Annabelle answers Tyler.
"Can't you go yourself?" Tyler asks. "The hospital is practically next to your dorms."
"I'd love to, but Odysseus won't let me go," she says in an irritated voice.
"Please Annabelle, don't leave me alone!" Tyler can hear Odysseus' groggy voice in the background. "I want you to stand by my side in my final moments!"
Tyler rolls his eyes and sighs a little. "Odysseus being herself again," he says in a deadpan voice. "She just loves overexaggerating things, doesn't she?" he facepalms.
"Pretty much," Annabelle sighs, massaging her temples with her left hand.
"Someone get me some paper and a pen! I need to write my last will, while I still have time!" Odysseus moans.
"This is getting ridiculous. Anyway, thanks a lot for the help," Annabelle thanks Tyler.
"No problem," Tyler answers and ends the call.
"What did Annabelle want?" Reiji asks Tyler with curiosity, having closed and put the book he was reading on his own bed stand.
"Odysseus seems to be sick, so she asked me to go and get some medicine from the hospital," Tyler answers back, while getting dressed on his uniform and putting on his boots. "Want to come along?"
"Sure," Reiji responds, starting to get dressed too. "Though, couldn't she go herself and get it? The female dorms are practically next to the hospital," he asks Tyler.
"Odysseus won't let her go," Tyler curtly responds. "You know how our commander can be sometimes."
"Unfortunately yes," Reiji sighs as he finishes dressing and Tyler grins a little at his remark. "But it's not always her good side we get to see." And with this, Tyler's grin evaporates from his face.
"You don't say," Tyler murmurs, remembering a very particular occurrence that happened about a week after joining Blackout. "Anyway, better get going, or Annabelle will chew us out."
"Agreed," Reiji nods and both boys exit their room, making their way towards the exit of the male dorms. Thankfully, their room is on the ground floor, so they don't have to watch for too long to find themselves in front of the main courtyard.
"What a lovely sight," Tyler says, looking at the beautiful sight of the cherry trees and the lawn, the small brick roads and the antique lamp posts that provide light at night.
"Except for the big hole that still hasn't been repaired," Reiji adds and Tyler looks at the blocked section of the courtyard, which still holds the scars of the "skirmish" between Miho, Odysseus and the unknown woman. Even the vertically cut tree remains in its place, as evidence of the terrifying power Ether users hold.
"This is ironic," Tyler says, as both boys make their way towards the hospital through the courtyard. "Blackout has enough power and personnel to take Japan in one fell swoop, yet they can't fix the damage that has happened here," Tyler shakes his head in disbelief. "What are they doing, trying to choose what color the bricks for the paths will have?"
At the same time
Director's office
"Achoo!"
"Bless you, Director."
"Thank you, Teruo," the Director thanks the Coordinator. "Now then, should we use red bricks or blue bricks for the paths?"
"I think the blue ones would be better," the Coordinator suggests. "The blue color is known to calm down people which would be perfect for the courtyard."
"We could add another fountain too," Misako adds, adjusting her glasses a little. "Or even a small pond with Koi fish and ducks."
"I'm sure they have other, more important problems to deal with, that's why the courtyard hasn't been repaired yet," Reiji suggests.
"Maybe," Tyler says, when he spots a woman in the distance approaching him. "And here we go," he mutters with a blank expression.
"What do you mean?" Reiji asks him, before noticing the approaching woman. "Oh..."
The woman, which has long, dark brown hair and a pair of dark brown eyes, approaches the two boys and stops in front of them. She wears Blackout's standard uniform, which has a similar insignia to theirs, meaning she is a member of a tank crew. "Hello!" the girl greets cheerfully the two boys. "My name is Daigo Aki, I'm the leader of squad 75," she informs them. "Also known as "Hellhounds"."
"So you are an elite squad," Reiji says and Aki nods.
"Yep! We are one of the bigger squads in the Armor department," she boasts. "We are currently looking for a loader for the third tank our squad has, and we've heard a lot of good things about your skills!"
Looking at his right, Tyler looks at Reiji, who subtly nods, so Tyler puts his game face on and turns to look at the woman. "So you want me to transfer into your squad," he says with a serious expression and the girl nods.
"Yes. I already have the papers here," she says as she presents a bunch of papers she was holding behind her back. "You just need to sign them and we can handle the rest."
"What's in for me?" he professionally asks the woman.
"You will be receiving 10% cut of each mission's payment, be the loader of an XN-45/90 experimental MBT, have your own room, since we are an elite squad," she pauses a little and crosses her arms under her ample chest. "and have a little fun at nights if you want," she winks at him and Tyler discreetly rolls his eyes. "Much better than the squad you are currently in, right?" Now it's Reiji's time to roll his eyes at the woman's remark.
"I have to say, your offer is really tempting," he says with a smile and Aki smiles in anticipation. "But I'm afraid you will have to speak with my agent first," he says and points at Reiji.
"Eh?" is all the woman can say, having being caught off-guard by Tyler's statement. "Agent?"
"Hello, my name is Akaza Reiji," Reiji says and bows a little. "My client would love to accept this offer, but we need to make some slight adjustments," he says professionally.
"A-Adjustments?"
"Yes. First of all, we would like the 10% cut to be paid in Zimbabwe dollars or Antarctic ice cubes."
"What?" Aki blurts out with a confused expression.
"Secondly, we would like his room to be themed as a Hawaiian bungalow, complete with Tiki torches."
"W-Wait a minute, what's up with these adjustments?!" Aki asks incredulously, but Reiji continues like he heard nothing.
"Thirdly, we ask that my client receives a box of organically grown Magadascarian kiwis each week and that the experimental MBT is painted light pink," he says with a straight face, looking Aki directly in the eyes.
"This is a joke, right?" Aki asks with a dumbfounded expression.
"I would never joke while working, Miss Daigo," Reiji says and hands her a business card. "We'll give you some time to think about it. Have a nice day," Reiji bows a little before he and Tyler continue towards the hospital. Aki just stands there, not sure what happened all of a sudden. In fact, she is so taken-aback by the whole situation, she doesn't even notice that the card is blank.
After the boys have moved a certain distance away from Aki, they just burst in laughter, which earns some curious glances from the people around them.
"What the hell man?! Organically grown Magadascarian kiwis?!" Tyler's manages to say between his fits of laughter. "Where do you find these phrases?!"
"Don't forget the Hawaiian bungalow themed room," Reiji says while laughing.
"Yeah, it even has Tiki torches." Taking a few deep breaths to calm down, Tyler turns to face Reiji and asks him a question. "So...do you have a girlfriend yet?"
"Hm?" Reiji turns to face Tyler too. "Why the sudden interest in my love life?" he asks.
"Since you asked me about my relationship, is only proper as your best friend to ask you something similar," Tyler says with a smirk, and so Reiji smirks too.
"As my best friend, huh?" Reiji says and chuckles a little. "Well, I did ask you about your relationship with Saori, so it's only proper I answer yours too." Tyler draws a bit nearer to Reiji, so he won't have to speak too loudly and potentially be overheard by someone. "I am not in a relationship with any girl, sorry," he says to Tyler, who turns to look at him with a neutral expression.
"I figured as much," Tyler responds with a grin. "Or else our dear commander would have already informed us, like she did with me and Saori," he says with a modest amount of irritation, still remembering Odysseus' constant teasing. "So then, let me change my question. Is there any girl you are interested in?" Tyler asks and leans closer to Reiji.
"Actually there is," Reiji answers his friend's question.
"I honestly expected you to try and avoid answering me," Tyler admits, expecting his friend to try and sidetrack him, so as not to answer his question.
"But then you wouldn't be surprised like this," Reiji chuckles a little.
"Fair enough," Tyler says. "So, who's the beauty that has mesmerized you with her brilliant looks?"
"Hana," Reiji answers bluntly and Tyler cranes his head slowly to look at his friend.
"Hana..." Tyler repeats and raises both of his eyebrows to show his surprise.
"Why, think we don't match?" Reiji asks Tyler.
"No, you are a pretty good match, if I say so," Tyler says, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Actually, you are a perfect match for each other, now that I think about it." Noticing they have made it to their destination, Tyler stops in front of the hospital's entrance. "Here we are. You think we will be fine?" he asks Reiji.
"I think we will be OK," Reiji says with confidence. "The real challenge will be getting inside the female dorms without getting noticed by the girls."
"I guess you are right," Tyler sighs deeply. "Let's grab the medicine and get out as fast as we can. With how things normally are, I expect most of the nurses to start chasing me around."
"Then why don't you wait here, while I go and get the medicine?" Reiji suggests.
"You sure about that?" Tyler asks.
"Yes. It's going to be a lot faster too, if we don't have the nurses chasing you," Reiji smirks at Tyler.
"Fair point," Tyler says and goes to stand in the wall next to the hospital's entrance. "I'll wait for you here. Just don't be late." Reiji nods and enter the hospital, in search of medicine for his sick commander.
Minutes pass and Tyler remains next to the entrance, waiting for Reiji to return. Although he seems relaxed, his senses are on overdrive, making sure no one is about to surprise him. Come on Reiji, where are you? Tyler thinks as he sees some girls giving him some looks while they enter or leave the hospital, which most of the times means he is about to get surrounded by girls.
"Hey, I got the medicine," Tyler hears Reiji's voice saying and looking next to him, he finds Reiji with a paper bag.
"Great, let's get going," Tyler says quickly and the boys start walking towards the female dorms, which is next to the hospital. Entering the space between the 2 buildings, the boys find themselves in a narrow space. Walking further in, they stop in front of a metallic door that is painted green.
"Thank God for the dormitory's service entrance," Tyler exclaims. "Thank to this door, we can sneak in and out of the dorms without being seen by the girls." Tyler takes a moment to marvel at this rusty and slightly dented door. "This door needs to be awarded the Medal of Honor for his exemplary service at making our lives easier."
"Done admiring Sgt. Metal Door?" Reiji jokes and Tyler frowns at him. "Anyway, the sooner we get in and deliver the medicine, the sooner we leave this deathzone with your body intact," Reiji says and proceeds to open the door. "Hm?"
"What's the problem?" Tyler asks with concern, seeing Reiji's serious expression.
"The door...won't...budge," Reiji says between his grunting, trying to force the door open with a shoulder bash.
"Well...shit," Tyler swears, throwing his hands in the air for a moment. "What the hell will we do now, run all the way to their room?"
"You do remember how it turned out when we tried it, don't you?" Reiji says and Tyler shivers involuntarily.
"Please don't remind me," he says with a quivering voice, before noticing Reiji retrieving something from a cardboard box next to the door. "What are you doing?" he asks with curiosity.
"I thought that something like that might happen, so I had prepared a contingency plan," he answers, and then presents Tyler a wig. "If you have long, blonde hair, everyone will think you are a girl, so they should leave us alone."
"You are kidding, right?" Tyler asks with an incredulous look, and when he sees Reiji's serious expression, he just sighs in defeat. "I guess it is better than running till the third floor." Reluctanttly taking the wig, he puts it on, and after a few fixes, he turns to Reiji. "How do I look?"
"Oh my, don't look me in the eyes," Reiji jokes, covering his eyes with his right arm. "Too much moe, I think I'll vomit rainbows."
"Haha, very funny," Tyler says with a grumpy look. "Let's get over with this thing, so I can burn this wig in a bonfire." And so, the two boys exit from the narrow space between the two buildings and proceed towards the entrance of the female dorms. As they walk, the girls look at them, some for mere moments, other for more and one or two girls gaze intently at Tyler.
"You think our cover has been blown?" Tyler whispers at Reiji's left ear, noticing the intense stares he is receiving.
"No, or you'd have been surrounded by girls," Reiji whispers back. "Just keep walking and if anyone asks you anything, let me do the answering."
Reaching the entrance, both boys enter and find themselves in the main hallway of the dorms. "Great, no one suspects a thing," Tyler whispers, seeing they have safely made it beyond the entrance. "Now to make it all the way to the third floor," he adds with a hopeful voice.
...but the universe has other plans for him and Reiji.
"Hey, you!" he hears a voice calling out to him and he instantly freezes in place. "I'm talking to you blondie!"
Shiiiit! We are so screwed! he yells mentally, turning slowly to face the one who spoke to him.
"You seem to be new here," a girl around 17 years old with short, green-dyed hair and black eyes, says, approaching Tyler and Reiji. "My name's Asuka, nice to meet you," she says and raises her hand for a handshake. Tyler automatically takes her hand and shakes it, realizing his mistake too late.
Wh-What is that feeling...that I feel in my chest? Asuka wonders, feeling her heart start beating faster, her cheeks slightly blushing. Looking the new girl in the eyes, she feels slightly embarrassed for some reason, so she quickly adverts her gaze. "S-So, your n-name is?" she rather cutely stutters.
Crap, if I utter a single word we are all gonna die! Tyler exaggerates mentally, feeling sweat forming on his forehead.
"Her name is Asuna," Reiji comes to the rescue, salvaging this very delicate situation. "She lost her voice after a rather traumatic experience with some bandits," he says with a sad expression and catching up on his plan, Tyler plays along, adopting a really sad expression and even faking a few tears. "Since she can't talk anymore, she tends to get really sad when people ask her questions," Reiji says and pulls "Asuna" closer to him. "If you'll excuse us." As the boys turn around to continue further in the hallway, Asuka suddenly takes a step forward and raises her right hand to stop Tyler, though she trips on her own foot and falls down. As she is falling, she instinctively grabs Tyler's wig, pulling it off of Tyler's head.
"Ouch!" the girl groans, as she slowly rises from the ground. "I'm really sorry for-" Asuka starts saying, when she notices that Asuna suddenly has short, blond hair. Looking at her right hand, she notices that she holds a wig that is long, blonde hair. The boys freeze in place, looking back at the girl and what she is holding. Asuka merely looks at them with a surprised expression. An eerie silence ensues, as the boys slowly turn to look at each other. By now, every girl at a distance of at least 20 meters stares at the boys, more specifically at Tyler.
"Well...Reiji...it was an honor serving with you," Tyler says with the most serious expression he has ever made. A few girls start to lean forward, ready to sprint.
"Likewise, my dear friend," Reiji says and both boys exchange a firm handshake, as a few girls start to sneak on Tyler. "I'll see you in Valhalla." They nod to each other, then run as hard as they can.
"Get Tyler!" numerous girls scream at the top of their lungs, and they all go on a mad stampede, desperate to grab Tyler like he is the last man on Earth.
"Asuna-boy!" Asuka screams like a fan girl, flailing the wig like a flag. "Let me PUT this on you again!"
"Where is their room again?" Reiji groans, as he blocks three hands that reach for his friend.
"I know the way!" Tyler shouts, as he dodges a few scary hands, reaching out to grab him like ambush predators.
"Tyler~" the many voices of girls echo in the hallway, as the two boys run back and forth, and Tyler feels a chilling sensation through his whole spine. They try one staircase, only to see five girls. All five squeal, and run after Tyler. They manage to escape by ascending the next flight of stairs, and find an empty hall.
...or so they think.
"Where are you~" the voices say in a creepy manner, promising really bad things for Tyler. The boys run away, and open a door to hide in, only to find themselves in a room of 15 girls, in various stages of undressing. They slam the doors shut, and look above the door. "Why do the female dorms have the showers on the first floor?" Tyler asks Reiji, as they can hear movement behind the wooden doors.
"Beats me," Reiji shrugs and both boys start running yet again, only to get chased by all 15 girls, who are screaming in joy. Now, the hallway is no longer quiet.
"Any idea where to go?!" Tyler screams.
"Here!" Reiji opens another door.
"ABORT, ABORT!" Tyler screams in terror, dragging his friend as 20 more girls stream out of a gameroom, a poster that says "TYLER'S GENUINE FAN CLUB MEETING TODAY!" taped in one of the walls. Now, they are being chased like a lone deer fleeing from a pack of at least 45 wolves, hungry to "bite" him.
"Get him!" girls scream and squeal at the same time, their eyes gleaming dangerously. Most of the girls, however, who chase him are about Tyler's age, but hordes of them smash through doors and run down the hallways, as if they are chasing after a celebrity. A few smarter ones try to form a quick plan to trap the two, especially Tyler.
"You go the other way!" the "leader" of one group shouts. "We'll go the other, and trap him like a mouse!"
"Try and catch his friend, maybe we can force him to surrender himself!" another girl orders.
A number of older women come out, annoyed at the sudden spike in noise level.
"What is going on?" one of them screams. "And-oh..."
Her tone dramatically changes from one of annoyance, to one of mild amusement.
"Well-well," she says to her group, who all line out to watch. "Tyler made a foolish choice to come here."
"Yeah," says another woman, taking out some cash. "I am betting 10000¥ that the girls will catch him this time."
"I bet the opposite," another one says.
"No, no, you got it wrong," another joins in, taking her own cash out. "Let's bet how LONG it will take before he gets captured," she grins.
"I hope the gods have mercy on my soul!" Tyler says and when he looks back at the number of his pursuers, his face becomes snow white. Now, there are over 60 girls chasing their "love". "The gods have abandoned me!" he screams, as he passes between more girls, running for his life. As the boys run towards the stairs that lead to the second floor, Tyler retrieves his phone and calls at Annabelle's room.
"Come on, come on, pick it up," he says as he hears the phone ringing, before it finally connects. "At last!" he tries to sigh, ducking to avoid five more girls clawing at him.
"Hello?" Annabelle asks, oblivious to the situation from the other side.
"Hello Annabelle!" he screams into the phone. "Open the door now! We're being chased!" He terminates the call before Annabelle can reply.
Annabelle stares at the phone, and sighs.
"Oh boy," she groans, getting up to open the door.
"Please," groans Odysseus, clinging onto her, a few tears escaping her eyes. "Don't leave me alone."
"I am not leaving," says Annabelle. "Just making sure the boys will get to live one more day," she sighs, as she delicately removes Odysseus' hands from her and walks towards the door.
"Mayday!" one the guards tries to call into his walkie-talkie. "We need-uf!"
A horde of girls slams through, trampling over him. He lies on the ground, writhing in awkward pain.
"Ouch," says an older woman, dusting him like a chair, while not helping him up. "Welcome to the world of girls."
"Is that...why the boys in the office had...such gloomy faces when I told them today's shift was here?" the man groans to himself, still lying on the floor.
Meanwhile, the boys are nearing the staircase to the second floor, but the Mongolian horde of pretty girls that chases them starts gaining ground, and the comments they make don't help the boys relax at all.
"Tyler, why are you running? We only want to ask you a few things~"
"Please don't be afraid of us, we only want to "axe" you a few questions!"
"Please go out with me, I'll even make you have an unforgettable night!"
"Why are they so desperate?!" Tyler asks incredulously, as the boys climb the stairs to the second floor.
"Maybe it has to do with you, Prince Charming," Reiji grins and Tyler frowns. "Or do you prefer Princess better?"
"Shut up, we are a breath away from certain doom, and you keep joking?!" Tyler shouts at his friend, as he slides between the legs of a girl that tries to block his way. "Jesus Christ, wear some underwear, you pervert!" he yells at the girl, who wears the standard uniform of Blackout, albeit with a short skirt and not the pants it comes with normally.
"Good thing Saori isn't here," Reiji says at Tyler, as both boys round a corner. "Over here!" Reiji says quickly, opening a door and diving inside. As Tyler enters too, Reiji closes the door.
"If Saori...was here...none of this would have happened," Tyler pants, trying to catch his breath. Both boys place their ears against the door, but they don't hear anything.
"Something's wrong, I don't hear any sound," Reiji says slowly, focusing as much as he can, in order to hear even the slightest of noises.
"Found you, my lovey-dovey smooch-smooch," a voice creepily whispers behind Tyler, its breath gently caressing Tyler's neck, and Tyler just adopts an expression like the one in Edvard Munch's painting "The Scream", accompanied of course by a high pitch screaming that alerts every girl on the floor of their position. Reiji grabs Tyler by his right forearm and drags him out of the room, both of them barely avoiding the gloved hands of their assailant.
"Now you have stalkers chasing you?!" Reiji asks incredulously, seeing the fully-clothed individual that silently pursues them, followed by the horde of thirsty girls.
"Cut me some slack, I didn't expect the assassins would be after me!" Tyler defends himself. As the boys near the staircase that leads to the third floor, a group of five girls descends them, physically blocking the way. "We have been boxed! This is our end!" he screams in desperation.
"This is it girls, we have finally cornered him!" the girl leading the horde shouts in joy and all the girls cheer enthusiastically, as the horde starts picking speed, and all Tyler can see are extended hands trying to grab him.
"This is it, I'm going to hell!" he screams.
"Tyler, grab!" Reiji shouts at him and throws him the paper bag with the medicine.
Noticing his friend's look, Tyler feels his heart sinking on his stomach. "Reiji, you don't mean..."
"I'll see you on the other side!" Reiji grins and starts running faster. Setting his sight upon two of the five girls that block the staircase, he resolves himself at sacrificing himself for his friend.
"Ignore the boy in front of us, focus on Tyler!" the leader of the group that blocks the stairs says, which proves to be a fatal mistake for them. Reiji seizes this moment of weakness and tackles two of the girls on the ground, creating a gap wide enough for Tyler to squeeze through and start climbing the stairs.
"Keep going Tyler!" Reiji shouts, as the horde draws closer. He tries to stand up, but the girls he tackled on the ground keep him pinned down using their own bodies.
"You are going to hell, along with us!" one of the girls laughs in a sinister manner.
"Complete the mission! Nothing else matters!" are the last words Tyler hears his best friend utter, before the horde completely consumes him.
"Don't worry, my friend. I'll never forget your sacrifice," Tyler whispers, shedding a few tears of sorrow for his friend's loss. Reaching the third floor, Tyler spots Annabelle at the middle of the hallway, waving at him. Just a little more! he thinks, before the creepy voices of death and painful agony start uttering their soul-crushing phrases.
"Come on Tyler, don't run away~"
"We only want to have fun!"
"Come to my private party! It will be really fun~"
"Have my babies, Tyler!"
"What the fuck was that last comment?!" he screeches, as the horde draws closer to him. Tyler looks back and his eyes almost pop out in terror, as he sees a girl leaping at him, a crazy look at her face. She almost catches him, when a blue barrier blocks the whole hallway, effectively blocking the girls from reaching Tyler.
"What the fuck do you want, bitches?!" a groggy voice shouts, and Tyler spots a sick Odysseus slowly walking towards the barrier, her expression promising pain and agony to anyone that dares to speak.
"It's the witch, run!" one of the girls screams and the horde of girls retreat to the lower floors, as Odysseus materializes her scythe to make herself seem even scarier.
"We will get you one day, Tyler," one of the girls says ominously, before releasing a villainous laugh and retreating with the rest. Tyler can feel multiple shivers through his spine, this last message shaking his soul.
"Odysseus, go immediately back to bed, you need to rest!" Annabelle orders Odysseus, before noticing that Reiji is missing. "Hey, Tyler...where is Reiji?"
"He...didn't make it," Tyler says, looking at the ground. "He sacrificed himself so I could make it here in one piece."
"And it worked so splendidly."
"Reiji, you are alive!" Tyler spins around and says with joyful tears, as he sees Reiji walking towards him. "I thought I'd never see you again! That reminds me," he says, spinning around and handing Odysseus the bag with her medicine. "This is yours."
"Thanks a lot Tyl-Achoo!" Odysseus sneezes suddenly, dousing Tyler's face in...things better left unknown.
"Odysseus, back to bed, now!" Annabelle scolds Odysseus like a mother, pointing at their room. "Or I'll leave you alone!"
"Please Annabelle, anything but that!" Odysseus pleads, bolting straight for her bed.
Tyler just stands there, a blank expression on his face. "Well, shit. We put ourselves in danger and what do I get as a reward? A sneeze in the face...great..."
"You know, you could have just sent Reiji, instead of coming too," Annabelle says, and the boys look at each other.
"So...in the end, my sacrifice meant nothing?" Reiji says with a lifeless voice, looking at the ground with an unfocused gaze.
"All these scarring things I had to hear and see..." Tyler trails off, he too looking lifelessly on the floor.
"Guys, are you OK?" Annabelle asks with a concerned voice, and becomes more concerned when she sees the empty smiles and eyes the boys have.
"Yes, it is nothing to worry about," Reiji says.
"Just...we just need some time to reevaluate our lives up to this point...that's all," Tyler says.
Before Annabelle can say anything, both boys turn around and start walking towards the exit. "Well, whatever," Annabelle shrugs, before returning to her room to look after Odysseus, who has started exaggerating once more.
The next day Tyler was sick and remained to his room. Thankfully, Saori had returned from her mission, so she looked after him, till he got better. She also prevented his room from becoming a botanical garden from the flowers the girls from the female dorm would probably bring to him.
A/N: Here you have it! Next time you see the story updated, it will be a revised Chapter 8. Also, who won the bet? Anyway, if you liked the chapter, like and subscribe...wrong platform. Let me try again. *Coughs a little* Anyway, if you liked the chapter, favorite and follow and leave a review, if you have any comment to make. Have a nice day/night and stay safe!