A/N: After 6 years, this chapter finally continues the story from where we left off in the old one. It didn't take me that long to finalize this chapter as I had bits and pieces written over the years to build off of and I think it's been turning out great.
The idea for this test was my friend "The First Enemy", aka "The Clown King of Chaos". He initially pitched the idea back in 2012 and I knew since then I wanted to use it. So thanks, man.
XXXXXX
Perception: Part I
2:43:21...2:43:20...2:43:19…
The cages trapping Minato and Benitsubasa soon ascended through the ceiling and gifted them their freedom. A set of staircases then jut from the walls, allowing them a safer method of getting down to Haihane, whose voice had cracked from the shock and painful scream she let out. Minato rolled over and slowly came to his feet. Doing his best to ignore the blistering burns he sustained, he hustled down the steps to Haihane's aid as she cradled herself in a fetal position on the floor, tears leaking and her body convulsing from the shock of losing her nails and nearly losing her head. Benitsubasa however, simply took her time as she mosied down them.
Kazehana followed in not long after having been freed, taking the path Minato had gone down, heels clicking as she expedited her pace. She joined her ashikabi's side as he knelt on the floor, offering Haihane all the comfort and compassion he could. His expression was of deep remorse. His hands caressed Haihane's shoulders as she bawled in terror and agony.
"We're here for you now." he said soothingly.
Benitsubasa kept stern of herself as she inspected the vacant bleeding holes where Haihane's nails would be. "Fuck, that's gnarly. Shit. It looks like they came out at the root." she cringed, thankful that the test Minato saved her skin from was so…forgiving in comparison considering the result of it.
"This isn't real." Haihane reasoned in disbelief. "There's no way this can be real…"
"I'm afraid it is, Haihane," Benitsu said neutrally before glancing at Minato. "Well, we saved her, pipsqueak. What now?"
"I don't know. She's hurt." he lamented as he held the woman mournfully.
"Well, I do. We keep going until we reach the end. No waiting. If she wants to stay there on the floor like a wounded animal waiting for the end that's on her."
"We can't just leave her behind!" Minato argued, cutting his arm through the air to accentuate his point.
"If we don't we're all screwed!" Benitsubasa shouted.
"Please don't leave me!" Haihane begged. "I'll try not to slow you down. I promise!"
"We know you won't dear." Kazehana softly spoke as she approached and came to a knee. She leaned in close and gently wrapped her arms around the broken bird's scarred body. She wasn't on good terms with Haihane by any stretch, but in Jigsaw's domain, everyone mattered. Minato took on boiling hot steam to grant her a second chance, so she would follow his example and do the same.
Benitsubasa leered down at her. "Then on your feet, Blue."
Kazehana backed away and came to her feet, holding out her hand.
Haihane reached out to it, but Benitsu swatted her hand away, causing her to shriek as her exposed nerves were set ablaze with the vibration.
"Agh!"
Kazehana stomped her foot. "Hey, what was that about?!"
"Ow, what did you do that for?!" Haihane growled.
"On your own. Show us you're capable."
"Benitsu, please," Minato growled. He looked at Haihane. "Here, I'll help you up."
Haihane waved him off, wincing as the breeze irritated the nerves of her sensitive wounds. "No, I can do it myself, even like this…"
Minato backed off at her request as Haihane struggled to stand and regain balance. She slipped a few times and instinctively used her hands to break her fall on Minato's chest. Given her injuries, it resulted in agony and she wound up back on the ground a shivering mess.
Benitsubasa shook her head at Blue's pathetic attempts and frowned. "See, look at her. Useless."
"You're not helping!" Kazehana shouted, then coughed a bit.
"No, I'm fine…" Haihane gasped as she rolled onto her bandaged belly and stared daggers at the Red Sekirei, determined to display her worth to the group. "I can get up." she leveraged her weight onto her forearms and came to her knees, rising to her feet once they were positioned properly to stabilize her wobbling legs. "See?"
"Keep it that way." Benitsubasa sneered. "We have to get going. If you know what's good for you don't fall behind."
"Oh, can you shut the fuck up with your empty threats already?" Kazehana groaned. "Haihane, pay Pinkie Pie here no mind. There's no way Minato or I would ever leave you behind. Right, hun?"
"What was that?!" Benitsubasa barked, shaking a balled fist aimed at her jaw.
Minato ignored the tantrum. "Of course, we wouldn't. We're all in this together and I'll be damned if I don't try to get us all out of this place."
Haihane's face morphed into a chibified blob and before long she jumped into Minato's arms a sobbing mess. "Thank you! Thank you so much for saving me!"
Minato returned the favor and Kazehana did the same, neither paying any mind to Benitsubasa as she aimed a finger at her mouth as if trying to gag herself on the sappiness. "Don't mention it, Haihane."
The mechanism of a large set of double doors unlocked just beyond the testing area, a few yards behind the collar trap's guillotine blade. They hadn't noticed it before considering it was pitch dark during the game and their focus was elsewhere for justifiable reasons.
The screen mounted on the wall right next to the huge doors flickered to life, and once again Minato and company found themselves being stared at like bugs in a jar by the haunting red eyes of the nightmarish Billy.
"Many paths lay beyond the door in front of you, though only one leads you to your next Sekirei," the hideous puppet said in his deep raspy voice. "However, unlike all those previous, a minimal amount of control will be in your hands to reach them; you have the decision of choosing what will guide you. The switch before you will illuminate the next room if you...at a cost of course...alternatively you can terminate the lights and take the tools provided in the box beneath the tv, but I would advise you take extra precaution to watch your step if you do so."
The screen went black and Minato took note of the lever and small table beneath the television. The lever had a long, narrow cylindrical handle parallel to the ground. Smeared below it in bloody enamel was the word 'Blindness'. And above it was the word 'Sight'. Minato reached out for the handle, about to do the obvious thing and force it up to get the lights on, but he froze halfway. Something told him to wait and consider the decision. Talk it over with the others…
"What are you doing?!" Benitsubasa demanded.
Minato didn't answer her. He was too deep in thought.
"Answer me, dammit!"
"Shh," Kazehana hushed her. "Let my man think."
'It can't... it just can't be this easy. This is Jigsaw's world, Jigsaw's rules.'
The tv blared to life once again as Minato went to answer them and formulate a plan. Though it wasn't Jigsaw this time. Someone else was...hacking into it. The group watched closely as a feminine voice could just barely be made out through the static. Once the reception was clear they were face to face with Matsu. Minato would have been glad if it weren't for her having a large iron ring looped through her pierced jaw. Thick flows of crimson droplets pitter-pattered from the lock and chain dangling from it.
"Yes! Finally, I'm in!" the bespectacled Sekirei celebrated briefly through careful murmuring. She was wincing in pain from something, though it wasn't obvious as to what it was. Talking with that ring was only a small part of her agony it seemed. It was a wonder how she was able to speak even half-properly. Maybe she was too accustomed to putting dirty things in her mouth all the time for it to silence her? She looked absolutely drained, pale as snow, likely from blood loss.
"Matsu?! Oh my god, Matsu!" Minato exclaimed with a mix of thrill and horror. He wanted to see her again, but not like this!
"I don't have much time, so listen. Whatever you do, do NOT turn the lights on in the next room. It'll tear out all the chains they put in me and I might bleed out!"
"They put chains in more than just your mouth?!"
"They're all over: arms, legs, torso, everywhere! I only have a few seconds left to spare on this stream before another comes out. Turn out the lights and take the two-way radio and lantern. I'll be keeping in touch with you throughout this test, but you need to be the one to contact me first so we can have a back-and forth."
"Alright, but where are you?"
"In the center of the labyrinth they're guarding and I'm hurt bad."
"Hurt?! How?! What happened?!" Something told him the chains in her were the least of her worries.
A loud thud was then heard somewhere off-screen. Matsu gasped, quickly glancing at the direction of the noise before turning back to the camera. "Minato, be safe! I love you!"
Minato leaped at the tv and grabbed it as if he were holding his precious Sekirei. "Matsu! Matsu! Don't go! Wait!"
Static.
"Well, shit." The red Sekirei said, pinching her nose. "So, what now?"
"Now we go find her." Kazehana said, taking a step forward. Minato had just stepped back from the tv and she wanted to give her man the support he needed. Seeing Matsu like that angered her greatly, and she could feel it affecting Minato as well which pissed her off even further. He was white as a ghost, much as Matsu was. How dare Jigsaw do this to them, to everyone.
She came to his side and let herself lean upon his shoulders, then started stroking his back with gentle bunny pats. "We'll find her, don't worry. You've saved everyone so far, and Matsu will be no different."
"Yeah," Haihane said as she waltzed over. "Everyone here with you is living proof of that. Right, Red?"
"Stop making me agree with you!"
"You're right." Minato nodded, dipping his chin and wiping away some moisture from his lashes. Steeling himself, Minato raised his face, now carved with the expression of a man pissed off and determined. "I'm turning out the lights. Prepare for anything."
He grasps the handle and yanks it South. An unlatching noise is heard from below. The box beneath them opens. Reaching inside Minato finds the tools of their survival: a two-way radio and gas lantern. The tools seemed quite old. The radio looked to be at least a few decades old and the lantern even more ancient than that. It looked like something used by coal miners during the turn of the 19th century.
Benitsubasa went to the door as he inspected the items and once again sent her boot through it without so much as a second thought.
"Are you mad?!" Haihane shrieked.
"Don't mind her." Kazehana deadpanned. "That's her running gag."
"Let's get going," Benitsubasa said, clapping her hands to wipe them off.
XXXXXX
The four of them were about to step through the doors into the pitch blackness, but Minato stopped for a moment to assess things. He saw a long and somewhat narrow hallway that was most likely underground since the ceiling had several visible pipelines. It was obvious that the place hadn't been under proper care in years; the plumbing was rusted and leaking so much that a very thin liquid coat covered the floor. And it smelled very peculiar. It likely wasn't even water. A loud hiss made from escaping steam would fill the dark and damp atmosphere every few seconds. Jigsaw seemed to have forced them into a maze. And at the center of it was Matsu. The end of the hall broke off into three different directions, and he would bet anything that each of those corridors broke off into separate passages as well.
He and Haihane walked into the massive room and stopped next to Benitsubasa just as the door slammed shut and sealed itself as Kazehana entered behind them. For a few seconds, they saw an endless nothingness until Minato turned on the lantern.
"This is...really scary, guys. Can I please wake up now?" Haihane whimpered weakly.
"There is no waking up from this, blue." Benitsu grumbled. "Just follow our lead and don't slow us down."
"Shh," Minato hushed. "Quiet. I think I heard something."
He began to move further into the seemingly endless subterranean labyrinth. He only made it a few steps, and then a very uneasy feeling consumed him. Something inside of him was telling him to slow down and take in every little detail around him. He stopped walking and scanned the room with sluggish sweeps of the neck. After only a few seconds did he see that they were in much more danger than it seemed. On the ground and against the wall was a tipped-over oil drum, and the area around the top's opening was black. Minato tightened his grip on the lantern tenfold. He didn't know if the entire floor of this twisted place was also coated with fuel, but he didn't dare risk it, for if it was and he dropped the lantern for whatever reason, a fire would start and rapidly spread, and they would have absolutely no chance of getting away from it.
"Whatever you do, do not drop that thing," Benitsubasa instructed, cringing considering the implications.
He began to move as slowly and carefully as he could and Benitsubasa followed suit. The only sound that could be heard was the very faint splashes of flammable liquid caused by their every footstep. After coming across and taking a few random turns, he was about to take another precautious step when he felt something press against his leg just above his ankle and he stopped dead. It felt like it couldn't be thicker than a coin but it was pushing against the entire front side of his limb. He carefully drew himself back.
"What? What is it?" Haihane whispered to him so quietly she wasn't sure if he had even heard it.
Minato got down on one knee and held the lantern up to the spot where he felt the object stop him from going any further. The flame's glow illuminated on a metal wire that ran from one wall to the other. It was suspended about half a foot above the ground.
"Tripwire." He wasn't sure if he was saying to her or himself.
"Great." Benitsubasa sighed. "Now it was official; even walking with baby steps in Jigsaw's world could be fatal."
XXXXXX
"... Tripwire..." The single word echoed all throughout the corridors, and one of Jigsaw's most veteran Pigheads heard it loud and clear. He flexed his wrists and fingers to get a better grip on his weapon then took off down the passage from which the echo had originated. It was time to have some John-approved fun…
XXXXXX
"Hey Minato, try using the two-way radio we grabbed." Kazehana suggested. "Maybe Matsu can shed some light on things."
"Yeah, that would be better than bumbling through the dark aimlessly." The group gathered close as he brought the device to his face and thumbed the button. "You there, Matsu?"
"GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
A deathly shriek accompanied by the sound of flesh ripping and a loud clang echoed through the speaker, drawing a frightened gasp from all of them.
"Matsu?!" Minato shouted in panic. "Matsu?! Talk to me! Are you alright?!"
A few moments of labored and pained breathing pass before a voice is heard from the other end. "I'm…here…" Matsu winced. "Sorry about that…"
"What happened? Why did you scream?"
"Another chain ripped out of me." She explained.
"Why?"
"It's part of the game. Each time you try to contact me, one gets yanked out of my body."
"Oh crap, I am so sorry!" Minato exasperated.
"It's fine." she paused. "It's necessary to complete this game."
"Jigsaw didn't really explain much about things in relation to this test." he responded. "I'm guessing that means he left that to you?"
"Indeed. The maze you're in is filled with booby traps, winding paths, and crazy people. Without my guidance, you're likely to get lost, or worse."
"So Jigsaw is forcing me to hurt you each time I need help? That's…evil, even for him…"
"How the fuck do you even know about Jigsaw anyway?!" Benitsubasa growled. "You seem to know an awful lot considering none of us here even knew where the fuck we were when we woke up. What's the deal, brainiac?"
There was another pause which left ample time for the group to consider Benitsubasa's blunt question.
"I know because I've been watching you all this whole time."
"You what now?" Kazehana questioned.
"It's a long story."
"Give us the short and sweet of it then." Benitsubasa demanded.
"My game started when I came to about an hour before Minato woke up…"
XXX One hour before the trials XXX
As Matsu awoke from her nightmare and into one made manifest, she found herself slumped against a stone wall. In a tired haze, she began glancing around the room, finding it oddly similar to her hidden cubby back at the inn. She went to yawn, eyes widening in surprised curiosity when her tongue landed upon the iron ring screwed through her jaw. It was then she became aware of the overwhelming taste of blood in her mouth. She went to grab it and felt a strong pull at the flesh in her arms. She yelped in pain, eyes centering on the source of the agony.
Chains were clamped through her skin. More than a dozen linked her body to the wall she was up against, save for one. The one in her mouth went off into the distance and came to a rest in front of a computer several yards in the distance right behind the columns of metal bars imprisoning her.
*BZZZZZT!
Her head jerks towards the sound of rippling static. Billy appeared, well dressed as always.
Matsu observed the doll in confusion as it turned its head slowly towards the camera and finally addressed her.
"Hello, Matsu. I want to play a game. This game will take place in a room not much bigger than the room you spent most of your life in, a prison cell. In fleeing from MBI you have grown inward, becoming nothing less than a recluse harboring a fear of the outdoors. You have allowed yourself to become chained, and today, we are going to see what you would be willing to do to break those chains once and for all. But you alone cannot attain freedom without the aid of your Ashikabi."
The TV then went to live footage of her Ashikabi, napping away in a chair with IV fluids being pumped into his arm.
"Minato!"
"Minato will be waking up momentarily and encounter a series of tests to reclaim you as well as the lives of everyone in this building. Provided he chooses to not simply leave you all to your fates, that is. If he chooses to come to rescue you, his life will be in constant danger facing the challenges that await him. However, you may assist in matters from a distance. In front of you is a computer. It is linked to all the tests Minato will partake in leading up to your own. With some effort on your part, his games can be made less difficult, though the opportunity to grant yourself this window will come at a cost. A cost of flesh and blood."
Matsu honed in at the television, taking the words of her captor in as carefully as possible.
"To power on the system in front of you, you must tear yourself from one of the chains binding you. This will grant you a total of thirty seconds to do as you wish. I would advise using these moments sparingly, as some of the chains are embedded through major vessels. Remove too many too soon, and you could bleed out before he has a chance to even reach you. For now, though I leave you to the show. Let the games begin…"
XXXXXX
"So you've been helping us this whole time without us even knowing it?"
"Yep. The first test you and Benitsubasa were in? That test was originally supposed to add 30lbs to the lever. Working my magic I was able to cut the burden in half. I also caused the power outage in Kazehana's game, which not only deactivated the electric fence but also made the wheel turn slower, and finally I added an extra 30 seconds to the previous game involving Haihane."
"Matsu, you're a lifesaver. I'll be sure to let you experiment on me as much as you like once we're out of this place."
"Can you not be a pervert, pipsqueak?"
"I'll be sure to hold you to that promise, Mina-tan." she giggled. "These chains to give me quite a few ideas, come to think of it."
"Oh save the lovey-dovey kinky bullshit for later!" Benitsubasa argued, all the while Haihane huddled close to Minato. "What direction do we need to head in? How do we find you?"
"It's not me you have to search for first, it's the key to my prison, in addition to the key that will safely remove my chains."
"Ok, so where are they at?"
"Both are at opposite ends of the labyrinth." she explained. " Right now you're in the central hub and aside from the flammable stuff on the floor and some trip wires you're safe where you're at. The closest key is down the corridor to your left. Make your way down it as cautiously as you can to avoid slipping. If that gunk goes up in flames it'll make the steam you were blasted with feel like a space heater in comparison."
"Just what is this crap on the floor anyway?" Kazehana grumbled.
"A mixture of jet fuel and thermite."
"What the fuck is thermite?"
"A chemical that burns hot enough to melt through solid steel."
"How hot are we talking?" Haihane quivered.
"Almost as hot as the surface of the sun."
"Well…fuck." Benitsubasa sighed.
"It shouldn't burn quite as hot though. A lot of it has probably diluted in the liquid by now. It'll still kill us all though if it were to ignite, so don't drop that lantern whatever you do. You hear me, Mina-tan?"
"Loud and clear." Minato responded. "What kind of hazards are we heading into?"
"From what I remember there are more tripwires and somewhere there's a shotgun. Not certain where, though."
"A shotgun? Greaaaaaaat…" Minato muttered.
Kazehana raised a brow at her statement. "From what you remember? Don't you have a photographic memory, Matsu? You are a brain-type."
"Can't risk using it. Jigsaw said we can't use our powers, remember? Not sure if it would count if I did so."
"So Jigsaw found a way to police your thoughts?!"
"This guy is a fucking mind reader apparently," Benitsubasa said, smacking her face.
"He's not a mind reader, but I'd rather not jeopardize things on a hunch. Your collar did let out a warning siren when Kazehana tried escaping the test she woke up in. I'm not attempting fate. That might be the only warning we get"
"How smart are you without them? Benitsubasa asked.
"I'm on Minato's level, so I can still assist and deactivate traps along the way. I just won't be as speedy when I do it if I had my abilities to fall back on."
"How long do you estimate disarming them will take?"
"It depends on how many there are. One should take twenty to thirty seconds depending on the complexity. But it will require me to turn off the two-way radio so I can do my thing."
"And that means another chain has to come out so we can speak again…"
"Exactly."
"How many chains are there?"
"24 is what I started with. Now I'm down to 18. Not sure if the one in my jaw counts though since it'll be impossible to remove without the key. Same for the ones in my Achilles' tendons. I rip out those and I won't be able to walk. Come to think of it that may be the game-over scenario, having it rip out my entire jaw once the timer reaches zero."
"It won't come to that, Matsu. We will find you." Minato assured her. "We're being timed? How long do we have?"
"I know you will." she considered her next words. "The timer will stop once we hang up this first call. Once that happens we'll have about twenty minutes. Hate to cut our reunion short, but the sooner I disarm the traps in there the better. Besides some trip wire, you're not in much danger at the moment. Just be mindful about where you step, take your time, and we can chat again after two minutes go by."
"I don't want to hurt you, Matsu…"
"That's why I'm trying to limit how often I'll have to do this. For both our sakes. Well, gotta go. Love ya, Mina-tan!"
"Love you too, Matsu."
The radio fell silent. The group looked at each other, down the path, then back to themselves. A nod was shared amongst them all and Minato aimed the lantern through the darkness, the group taking faint footfalls onward through the start of the winding dungeon.
Taking well more than two minutes stepping over and through the wires, they came across a door. The only door, in fact. Was this a trick? Minato precautiously scanned the area, painting the lantern's light with broad strokes to make out anything he could before allowing any of them to take one more step further. This wasn't enough to keep Benitsubasa from tromping forward to do her running gag. Before Minato could react, her boot had already slammed through it without mercy, reducing it to splintered fragments.
Kazehana picked up a rapid clicking noise as the door's remains tumbled to the ground. Haihane heard it too. Their instincts kicked in, and Kazehana grabbed Minato by the back of his shirt, pulling with all her might so his back would be along the wall as hers had been, the lantern violently smacking the wall but thankfully not dropping into the fuel below. As Benitsubasa's thigh fell from her signature kick, her expression ran cold as her previous countenance of confidence slumped into dread of an incoming face full of heated shrapnel. Haihane leaped to her rescue and they tumbled to the floor just as Minato cleared the doorway. A gunshot blast rang out and echoed from one end of the maze and back. It was incredibly magnified and damn well hurt everyone's eardrums.
After regaining their wits and processing everything that happened, the group shouted "What the fuck are you thinking you stupid, crazy bitch?!"
Matsu on the walkie-talkie was one of them, her voice significantly louder than the others after having ripped out another chain. Now she was down to 16.
"Uhhh…" Benitsu mumbled, shaken. "Oops?…"
"I told you that would trigger a trap at some point!" Minato screamed.
"It never happened before, so I-"
"Don't give us that crap!" Matsu yelled back. "I told you to look out for traps and this is what you do?! Check the door for them. You owe it to us all, especially Haihane."
Speaking of the bandaged girl, she rolled off of her and furrowed her brows. "Still think I'm useless now, Red? I just saved your ass, so you're welcome."
"Uh, yeah…that you did. Thank you." Benitsubasa came to her feet and carefully approached the door, peeking inside. Just on the other side of it, a shotgun barrel was level to where her head was. If Haihane hadn't acted, she would havebeen blown away. "Tha... thank you. So much." she stuttered while realizing she just gave herself a makeshift NDE.
"Don't mention it." Haihane said in a ticked-off voice. She wasn't sure why she had done what she did without even thinking. Something inside of her took over, saying she couldn't let her die when she could so easily save her. Now in the clear, the group looked inside what they now saw was just a small room and saw that two huge words were splattered on the far wall in glow-in-the-dark paint.
'FREEDOM'
Minato wasn't sure if it was some sick joke or a warning that they were going the wrong way. Before he could decide, something caught him in his peripheral vision. He looked to his right and saw a blue-ish white beam of light moving up and down while pointing forward from its source. Someone was coming, and it most likely wasn't someone who wanted to help them.
"Take Haihane and Miss airbags and go." Benitsubasa said. "Find somewhere to hide while I handle this idiot."
Minato nodded, and without a word grabbed the wrists of the two Sekirei quickly leading them around the corner connecting two corridors. Benitsu leaped to the cobweb-cluttered joists in the ceiling to prepare for her ambush. Minato pinned his back to the wall and the Sekirei did the same. He knew that if they ran away the other person would undoubtedly hear and track them. He heard footsteps approaching, and then they stopped abruptly. Minato built up all the guts he had and ever so carefully looked around the corner. He was right about it not being someone friendly. It was one of Jigsaw's Pigheads and he was shining his almost blinding flashlight into the room that held the hidden shotgun. This one was dressed differently from all the others. Instead of red robes he had on a dark grey hooded sweatshirt, jeans, black shoes and black gloves. He was likely a lower-ranked thug in Jigsaw's employ. In his right hand was a fire ax.
"So he managed to avoid losing his head," the Pighead thought to himself aloud. "Guess I gotta go and find him..."
"Think again, buttwipe." Benitsubasa chortled.
"Huh?!" The pighead flashed the beam up at her but it was too little too late for him.
Minato closed his eyes and turned his head away as the Benitsubasa made short work of the thug, dropping from the ceiling like a slimy assassin and blindsiding them with a punch to the jaw sending them to the floor face first. She followed that with a stomp to the spine, and the snap of their neck in one swift motion. She picked up the dead henchman's flashlight and shown it in Minato's direction.
"All clear, pipsqueak."
Minato sighed in relief. "Thanks, Benitsu. Don't know what I'd do without you."
"What you'd do without me is die is what you'd do. Now let's get moving so we can find your Sekirei."
"Hold on." Minato said raising a hand.
"For what?" the pinkette questioned.
"We should check the body. See if they have a key or something on them."
"Good idea. You hold the flashlight while I search the corpse."
"You just killed someone…" Haihane said mouth covered by her mangled hands in shock.
"Yeah?" Benitsubasa barked back. "What about it? I'm just playing by the rules is all."
Haihane shivered at the scene. "...I want to go home."
XXXXXX
A/N: Fun fact, in the original fic this chapter was supposed to be the one Haihane died in. She was originally written to have her face blown off by the shotgun, but after talking it over with some others I decided to scrap the idea.
Most of the snippets I had left over for this test have been used, so the next chapter may take a bit to get done. Hopefully, I'll have part II of this up soon as I've been on quite a role with it.
Till next time,
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