The one saving grace of a dangerous formula created by her family, Evelot had all the knowledge and resources to create a counteragent. It was child's play, taking samples of the peppers off the living corpses and reverse-engineering the formula from scratch until she created the equivalent of weed killer.

She ignored the commotion going on outside, the screams and the fighting, and barely noticed when everything quieted down. Her shadowy limbs moved fast, mixing, stirring, and extracting from the peppers, applying whatever knowledge she gleamed about her parents' original formula at rapid pace.

Soon, after a grueling twenty minutes of work, she managed to create the counteragent. She held up the flask filled with blue liquid, gently jiggling it and watching it fizz within its confines.

As a test, she grabbed a pepper from the sample pile and placed it in front of herself. Uncorking the formula, she carefully administered a drop onto the pepper. After a few seconds of exposure, the surface of the pepper fizzed and bubbled, breaking down into a pile of blue mush.

Evelot sighed in relief and corked the flask. "This won't be enough to save the entire town, but the effects should go away naturally so long as nothing stimulates the plant growth. More importantly, I need to get this to the others before they succumb to any ill effects." She stashed the flask inside her costume and leapt off the stool.

However, right as she prepared to conjure a portal to the outside, she was struck from behind. She gasped as a barrage of Bullet Seeds bombarded her back, throwing her across the basement and crashing into the table holding up the flayed Pokémon, who slid off and collapsed onto top of her. Peppers and blood splattered over the ground and across the Mimikyu's body.

"AH!" she cried, struggling to push the corpse off.

"Well, well, well, well, well…"

Her eyes widened as someone stepped into the light. Deftly spinning their farming scythe, the Scovillain host of Crimehallow sauntered into the murder basement. Propping the weapon over their shoulders, they snickered in unison at the pinned Mimikyu.

"You just can't help sticking your nose where it doesn't belong, do you?"

"RRRRAAAAAAHHHHH!" In a fit of rage and desperation, Phoebe attempted to run up the walls and grip into what little she could. Her feet and hands scraped against the rough stone in a vain attempt to move even an inch higher to the grate, but couldn't maintain the strength to climb and plummeted back onto the bone pile.

Amos leaned coolly against the walls, watching as the green mist continued to seep down. It filled up to his waist, and Phoebe would've submerged herself had she not used her tail to break her fall.

"Smooth," he grumbled.

"Shut up!" she yelled before furiously banging on the walls. "We need to get out of here! NOW!"

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, really? I was just slamming my back into that grate for the fun of it. I never even considered breaking free from this comfy death trap."

"Shut up, shut up!" she screamed, punching harder and harder into the wall.

"Oh yeah, keep screaming at the wall. That's totally going to get us topside." Amos scoffed. "Absolute waste of my time. Of all the ways I'd prefer going out, the last thing I needed was being trapped in the same space as some annoying bitch like you—"

"I said SHUT! UP!" She suddenly grabbed him by the collar and socked him across the face with her tail.

"AGH!" He toppled back into the wall and covered his cheek. "Agh! Dammit! What the hell's your problem, woman—" Upon turning back to the Aipom to give her an earful, he paused.

Phoebe stood in the center of the pit, trembling with her fists and tail curled up in rage. However, most notably, a flood of tears poured down her face, matting down the disheveled fur around her cheeks. Her knees buckled under her weight. Her breathing was ragged with exhaustion.

"I'm sick…and tired of your complaining," she growled. "All I want…is to get out of here and save Evelot. I don't expect you to understand what I'm going through right now, but Evelot is the closest thing to a family that I have left. You may think you're cool and collected, but you're just another asshole in this fucking hellhole. You lived in the better parts of Wick. I had to spend every fucking day since I was three thinking today was my last day. If there is anything in this shit fest I give more than a modicum of care for, it's that idiot Mimikyu who still holds onto some vain hope for goodness. So, unless you want me to rip your tongue out, I don't want to hear another word of your bitching!"

A dreadful silence hung between the two, save for Phoebe's ragged breathing. Amos' cold stare remained unchanging, thought the dark circles under his eyes felt more pronounced as the dread started to seep into him. Getting no response, Phoebe turned back to the walls and tried to dig her hands through the rough gaps to find a handhold.

"…" Amos sighed. "My mom sold me for drugs."

"…" Phoebe stopped clawing at the wall and spun around with a baffled scowl. "Ex-fucking-cuse me?! Who starts a conversation like that?"

He ignored her response and continued, "I never had parents of my own. I was just thrown back and forth between foster parents until I was thirteen. My dad was just some piece of shit that banged my mother, and my mother is a piece of shit who needed extra bits to get her medical herbs. Just because I grew up in the nicer parts of Wick doesn't mean my life wasn't shit, too." He sighed. "Though, I can't deny I had better opportunities to get by. I just never had a reason to do more than survive.

"One day, when I was fifteen, I ended up being taken hostage in a village I was doing some odd jobs for. The knights couldn't do shit without risking our lives, and those thugs were demanding serious ransom money for our release. Then…next thing I knew, they were all taken out by a single mercenary. I never caught his name, just some dusty-looking fellow with a slingshot. However, I remember admiring his skill and the relief he brought to those people when he stepped in. Didn't even stay for a reward. He said…he said that he was just doing his job. And that's how I developed an interest in mercenary work. Easy money, and…maybe I could've finally found the adoration I was missing in my life."

Amos leaned back against the wall and gazed up at the locked grate. "Of course, my life ends up being screwed over again, and one little lapse in judgment on my part puts me on the wanted lists. I ended up needing to work with seedy gangs before I eventually found my way into the Dukes of Buzzard. What other reason do I need to act hostile over everything knowing something bad's just going to happen again? It never ends. It's why Evelot's hopeful attitude pisses me off so much."

"…" Phoebe frowned. "Because you don't agree with her views?"

"…Because I'm jealous someone can be that stupidly idealistic over this shithole world."

"…" Phoebe sighed. "So, you've always been a sad loser."

"I pour my heart out for once, and that's how you respond?"

"Anyone other than Evelot, I have trouble being nice." She leaned on the other side of the pit and sighed. "…Still, what you went through…was pretty fucked up, I'll admit. I mean, nowhere near as bad as my life, but—"

"This isn't a contest," he grumbled. He closed his eyes and sighed. "I'm sorry for mocking you earlier. I'm just…stressed, and I don't know how to deal with it."

"And I'm sorry for punching you."

Amos glared. "Look, let's be real with ourselves: we hate each other's guts, and that's not something that'll change for a long time, if ever. But as much as I hate to admit it, I need you and Evelot if I want to track down Last Autumn. That's the one thing we can agree on: keeping Evelot safe."

Phoebe wiped her eyes and sniffled. "So, what's it going to be?"

"We may never get along, but we can at least put aside all the bickering to keep each other alive. Until we've killed those pepper-headed assholes, no more arguing or fighting amongst ourselves. And if Cain's really behind hiring this guy, that means this won't be the last bounty hunter after our throats. So, for the sake of keeping the Broken Glass Alchemical Company alive, let's start over and focus on the task at hand."

"…" Phoebe glared softly and extended her hand to him. "If it means protecting Evelot, I'll work alongside you…Lancaster."

He shook her hand. "And I'll have your back, Burkhard."

"Hmph, good." She pulled away and glared at the grate. "Now, how are we going to get up there? No offense, but you weren't making much progress trying to tackle the bolts loose."

He grunted. "If my pincers were smaller, I could just spit up an acidic variant of my Venoshock and melt the bolts loose."

"…" Phoebe glared. "Hey."

"Yeah?"

"How much can you stretch your body out?"

Evelot shuffled back, trembling as the pepper brothers slowly trudged toward her. Their lowly laughter echoed quietly over the bloodied basement, their voices bouncing off the walls and assaulting the terrified Mimikyu's ears.

"P-Please…m-maybe we can talk this out," she pleaded. "I-I'm sure m-my friends will forgive you if you let me go."

Alibrand smirked. "Sorry, but we've gone too deep to turn back now. You can't stop a good business like this."

"Not to mention a delicious one!" Wigbrand plucked a pepper off a nearby body and tossed it into his mouth, causing Evelot to shiver in disgust. He chewed down on the berry, swallowed, and smacked his lips in delight. "That's a spicy pepper right there! WOO!"

Evelot backed all the way into a wall and tried to activate her Phantom Force, but she was too scared to concentrate. The basement, the looming threat standing before her, whatever was going on outside; it was all too much for her to handle. She clutched the sides of her head, panting heavily as she trembled even harder.

"This isn't real. None of this is real," she mumbled.

Alibrand lowered the scythe and propped it just under the costume's chin. "You know, we're surprised you didn't recognize us. Then again, it's been a long time since we last saw you. You were still a little kid back then, playing in your parents' lab. The youngest of the bunch, and now the only remaining survivor of your bloodline."

Evelot gulped, feeling the weight of the scythe against her costume. "You…used my parents' growth formula for this? They would've never—"

"Don't be so naïve. Even if they knew what we were really after, we were just another paying customer for the Faucher family." Alibrand's smirk grew. "You may see them as your loving parents, but they never cared who they sold their potions to. It was all about survival and profiting off the gang wars. You carry that same fervor. We heard you became a doctor over at Scornpeak to get by. You've probably given away a myriad of potions without realizing the harm you've caused."

Evelot whimpered, sinking herself to the floor. "I never wanted to…"

Wigbrand cackled. "It's funny how life works out! What a precious doll, dancing around in the safety of her parents' lab without realizing the fuse that was alight in the background! This was bound to happen anyway! Your parents were horrible people, and they've done terrible things to people, directly and indirectly. You can't even imagine the powerful forces that were created because someone got their hands on your parents' potions."

"P-Please, leave me alone…"

Alibrand grabbed her by the costume's neck and lifted her to eye level. "Cain needs you alive, but the rest of your friends will be joining the town as our new pepper gardens. We'll be sure to let you sample their peppers before we ship you off to the good doctor."

"N-No…"

Wigbrand tapped his brother. "Hey, since we have her, maybe we should ask her about that thing…"

Alibrand raised his brow. "What thing?"

"Those rumors about the Fauchers and their secret research. If we got our hands on that, imagine what we could accomplish!"

"…" Alibrand smirked and turned back to the cowering Mimikyu. "That's right. Your parents were rumored to have access to some special creatures. The rumors say they were trying to unlock the secrets of life and death."

Evelot's eyes widened. "Y-You know about—EEP!" She covered her mouth, but it was too late.

"So, the rumors are true." He pulled her closer. His hot breath burned at her nose, making her cough. "That means you have their research notes. Give them to us."

"N-No!"

"That wasn't a request." Alibrand nodded at his brother, who dropped the scythe and reached underneath Evelot's costume.

Her eyes widened. "N-No! You can't just—EEP!" She froze as Wigbrand dug his hand up through her costume. She felt his hand tracing along her amorphous body, trying to find its way to her inner pocket space. She trembled uncomfortably. "S-So crass…!"

Alibrand rolled his eyes. "Oh, calm down. We're not trying to molest you or anything. Just give us your parents' research, or we'll be forced to do a thorough search inside that rag of yours."

Evelot clenched her eyes shut. "I won't let you! I inherited all their research, and I won't let you misuse it!"

Wigbrand kept fishing around inside Evelot's costume. "Wow, her body feels like a squishy stone or…something. Maybe a sponge." He tried to pull the costume open, but Ali gave him a quick headbutt.

"Idiot! You'll send us both into cardiac arrest if you look upon her true form!"

"Oh right…" He kept feeling around inside until his hand entered an airy space. "Hmm? Hey Ali, I think I found the pocket—"

SNAP!

"GYAAAAAAH!" He and Alibrand screamed as they pulled their arm loose. A bear trap had chomped down on their arm, tearing through the flesh.

"OH GOD, IT HURTS!"

"WHY DO YOU EVEN HAVE THIS THING?!" Alibrand screamed.

"SWEET MOTHER OF XERNEAS, THIS IS AGONY!"

Alibrand lost his grip on Evelot, who immediately darted past them once she touched the floor. She hopped onto the stairs and made her way to the main floor. "AMOS! PHOEBE! MAGNI! HELLLLLLP!"

The brothers flailed and screamed trying to get the bear trap off until Alibrand picked up their scythe and sliced their arm off instead. The trap and their severed arm clattered onto the floor as the brothers panted in relief. With their territory still set up, their arm was rapidly growing back.

"Man, I'd hate to be the guy who pisses her off in bed on the first date," Wigbrand panted.

Alibrand slapped him. "Get your mind out of the gutter! If she breathes in too much of the mist outside, Cain's going to kill us!" Shaking off the lingering pain, they ran up the stairs and chased after the fleeing Mimikyu.

The Wilds of the Outlands – Year 867…

Young Alibrand tended to the fields as he always did. Despite being a small Capsakid in the greater expanse of the Outlands, he worked diligently to maintain the farmland of his family home. With his tiny shovel in hand, he knelt over the dirt and planted seeds in the ground, working well into the hours under the hot sun.

"Ali! Come take a break!" He looked up to his family home, a one-story wooden house, and saw his Jumpluff mother waving him over with a mug of ice-cold water.

Alibrand ran over to her and grabbed the mug. "Thanks, Mama!" He tilted his head back and gulped down the water, causing some of it to splash over his face.

The front door opened, and an adult Scovillain walked out onto the porch, cleaning the grime off his hands with a rag. The red-headed pepper grunted. "Finally got the water barrels installed. Savor the drinks while you can, boy. It'll be a while before the next shipment."

The Jumpluff frowned. "Did something happen?"

"One of our contacts informed us the water shipments were raided yesterday," the green-headed pepper said. "A gang cropped up recently, and they're trying to make this area their territory."

"Oh dear…"

Alibrand finished his water and set the mug down. "Are we in danger?"

The Scovillain smiled and patted their son's head. "Don't you worry, kiddo. Your old man's got some fight in him. I'm not letting anyone come anywhere near this farm." He winced and looked out over their farmland. "Still, this won't look for business if no one buys up our crops. The Outlands is becoming more and more of a shithole every day."

The green-headed twin nodded. "Well, what did you expect? The Tetrarch family hasn't been governing this area for years. More and more land is being assimilated under the control of powerful gangs. Seems easier to just leave it be and protect whatever territory is still left in their possession."

Jumpluff groaned. "This area just draws in too much crime."

Alibrand tilted his head. "Is there anyway to stop it?"

"Not unless you promote mass genocide," his red-headed father said. He then shrugged. "Though, you could become a gang leader yourself and force everyone under control, but I wouldn't want you going through that."

Jumpluff patted her son's head. "You just focus on growing up into a strong young man. You'll be inheriting this farm one day, and you'll be the one to protect the few good people left in the Outlands."

Alibrand smiled. "You can count on me!" He rubbed his hands together and cackled. "And if anyone tries to rob the farm, they'll be in for a rude surprise!"

Jumpluff laughed nervously. "Uh, of course." She shot a glare at her husbands. "You just had to drop him when he was a baby?"

They raised their arms in defense. "It was an accident, we swear!"

"For your sake, you better hope when he evolves that his brother doesn't go crazy."

Alibrand ignored the light bickering between his parents and looked out over the farmland. One day, he will inherit all of it and make it into his own. Perhaps, with enough time, he could expand his influence over the Outlands and use his resources to quell the rampaging lifestyle of criminal kind. He could become the true ruler of the Outlands, spreading peace and prosperity for good-working folk like his parents.

It was a big dream, but he believed he had the gumption to make it a reality.

Year 870

It had happened so fast. Alibrand was awakened to the sound of commotion in the living room and wandered out in a daze to see what it was about. He came in at the worst time possible, and the memory of it would never leave him.

His mother's gutted and bloodied corpse lay splattered across the dining room table with its legs snapped in half and collapsed onto the floor. She had a knife clutched in one of her arms even as she lay lifelessly on the floor, a desperate act to defend herself.

Ali's fathers…or father, was next.

The red head of the Scovillain pair had a broken table leg stabbed through his head. It hung limply across their back while the green head wrestled control of the body to attack the intruding Haxorus that dared to walk upon their property in the middle of the night. Alas, even while armed with two farming sickles to defend himself, the last half of the Scovillain met a swift end as the Haxorus slashed into his face with his serrated tusks, puncturing and ripping the brain apart in a clean swipe.

"You should've just agreed to our demands, old man," Haxorus scoffed before throwing the corpse aside. "The owners are out of the picture. Once we get control of the food supply, we'll increase our control over this area."

"M…Mom? D-Dads?"

Haxorus peered over his shoulder and saw the trembling Capsakid staring at the bloody scene. His eyes were wide and emotionless, as if paralyzed into disbelief by the horrible act committed in his home. His brain went into overdrive, struggling to process the myriad of thoughts and feelings rushing through his head. He felt dizzy, lightheaded, heated, and…

Unusually calm about the situation.

Haxorus glared at the runt. "Just the kid." He shook his head and stomped toward the door. "Sorry, kid. It's just business. You'll learn it one day if you survive long enough out here."

"…"

"Go back to bed. Pretty soon, this farm will be under my boss' turf. Perhaps, if you beg him enough, he'll let you join as an underling. Won't that be nice?"

"…So, this is the way of the Outlands. This is how business is conducted out here."

Haxorus sighed. "You're still young. You'll understand when you're older."

Alibrand walked over to his fathers and picked up the farming sickles, the green blood dripping off the hooked blades. He took a deep breath, deftly spinning the tools in his hands, and sighed. "You didn't kill all the owners. I'm the one who inherits this farm."

The tusked dragon rolled his eyes. "Nice bravado, kiddo. I'm sure the boss will take ample consideration for gumption like—" His eyes widened as a blue glow started to expand across the dark living room. "…that?"

He looked over his shoulder and saw Alibrand erupting in a brilliant aura of blue light. The tiny Capsakid, standing over his fathers' corpse and clutching the farming sickles tightly, began to grow in size. His tiny tunic and pants expanded as his body grew, tearing themselves open with shreds dangling off his body. His head contorted and grew, splitting down the middle and elongating into two separated necks.

The glowing teen turned around, crossing the sickles together with an unsettling laughter coming from one of the heads. The light died back, and in the place of the little Capsakid was an irate Scovillain, one scowling and the other laughing uncontrollably.

"Those who dare intrude on our land—" they spoke in unison, their differing tones booming in the cramped quarters. "—shall under true suffering!"

"Lousy brat! Psycho Cut!" Haxorus whipped his head and fired psionic blades from his tusks.

The newly evolved Scovillain clashed their sickles together and charged into the fray. They barreled through the projectile slashes, bellowing with hideous laughter even as blood rushed from their open wounds. They lunged at the startled dragon, reared their arms back, and brought the sickles down on his fat neck.

The hooked blades punctured his throat. With their farmer strength, the Scovillain ripped the sickles free and tore open the dragon's throat, splattering his blood across them.

Haxorus stumbled back on his heels, gasping hopelessly as the light faded from his eyes. "W-What…?"

The red-headed pepper scowled. "I'd say tell your boss that he's next—"

The green-headed pepper laughed maniacally. "But I think they'll get the message once they see our new scarecrow!"

With a fancy twirl of their sickles, they slashed across the dragon's face and plunged the hooks through his eyes. The blades curved in until they reached the brain. The Haxorus froze as soon as the blades connected. His arms drooped to his sides, and he collapsed forward on his knees. The Scovillain leapt off the dragon before he toppled forward onto his face, splattering more blood over the home.

Blood dripped down the Scovillain. The red-headed pepper sneered at the dead dragon, kicking him a couple times in the head. "This isn't your turf anymore, and it seems someone needs to teach the Outlands some respect."

The green-headed pepper wiped some blood off the side of his face and licked it. He shuddered with delight. "Oooooh~! That might be the rush of death talking, but that tastes good~!" He smirked at his brother. "So, what now?"

The red pepper glared out the open door to where the pale moonlight shined through onto them. He pointed out into the open and proclaimed, "Time to establish our own order to this lawless land."

Evelot burst out of the tavern, landing in the snow and taking a moment to catch her breath. "Holy shit, holy shit…" She shook herself, hiccupping from all the stress wracking her body. "Oh god, where is everyonnnnn—AAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Her eyes finally set upon what had been occurring topside, a horrific scene not fitting for the unprepared. Bounty hunters lay in the snow, their exposed wounds producing a garden of stems and greenery with the beginnings of peppers budding off the plants. Most were still alive, paralyzed from the overwhelming pain of their bodies becoming full-fledged gardens.

"Oh…shit!" she yelped. "Amos! Phoebe! Magni! Where are you?!"

"Your friends have likely already turned into our new gardens." She squeaked, spinning around and seeing the Scovillain brothers walking out onto the porch. "Now, unless you want to meet a similar fate, I suggest you come quietly," Alibrand threatened. "Dr. Underhill has plans for that genius of yours."

"I thought she was a girl," Wigbrand whispered, earning him a hard slap to the head.

Evelot trembled away from them. "N-No, no, no!" She quickly dug inside her costume and produced a revolver. "Stay away!" She fired without giving them a chance to respond, hitting them square in the chest.

To her continued horror, the wound sealed shut just as quickly as it formed. Wigbrand hiccupped and spat up the stray bullet, proudly showing it off. "Look Brother, a prize!"

Alibrand rolled his eyes and raised their scythe. "Alright, I guess we'll have to take you back to Underhill in pieces. But first, hand over your family's research!"

"Never!" She fired two more shots at them before running. The bullets did nothing as the brothers chased after her.

She fled deep into the town, darting around whatever corner she could access. She tried desperately to sink into a Phantom Force portal and hide herself away in her shadow storage, but the overwhelming fear continued to wreak havoc on her concentration. She couldn't find the strength to access her other moves, either.

No, no, no! I can't die like this! I don't want to die!

"Extra Spicy Crunch!" She peeked over her shoulder and shrieked as they fired a serrated blade of fire at her. She dove into the snow and let the attack fly over her, slicing and burning through the surrounding buildings instead. She saw their shadow flying over her and rolled out of the way right as they slammed the butt of their scythe into the ground.

"AH!" Evelot threw unmarked potion vials at their faces, their effects either inadequate or nonexistent. She managed to at least blind them in the eyes long enough to run back out into the street.

The brothers wiped their faces clean and chased her into the open space. Wigbrand cackled. "She's not even putting up a fight! The little coward squeals with terror!"

"…" Alibrand growled under his breath.

"Something amiss, Brother?"

"…Nothing. It's nothing."

Evelot jumped over the groaning pile of bounty hunters and dashed behind another building. She fired a couple more warning shots behind herself, if only to slow the brothers down. Seeing she only had one bullet left, she pressed her back to the wall and fumbled inside her rags for spare bullets.

"C-Come on, come on," she stuttered. She pulled out a handful and tried to put them inside the gun, but her hands were shaking too much. The bullets slipped from her hands and onto the snow. She yelped and reached down to pick them up.

"Kitten~."

She froze. It was the voice again. It sounded so distant and surreal. What traumatic hallucination is this?!

"Kitten. Don't let yourself be cornered. Do not let the demons loose."

"I—huh?"

"Fire. Now!"

"AH!" She spun and quickly fired her last bullet, startling herself as it hit Alibrand across his left eye. She didn't even realize they had snuck up on her.

"GAAAH!" They staggered back as Ali covered his bleeding eye. "You little bitch!"

"EEP!" Forgetting her dropped bullets, she turned and ran back out into the open streets. I'm losing my mind out here!

"Mini Pepper Scattershot!" With his brother momentarily incapacitated, Wigbrand fired the flame-coated Bullet Seeds at the fleeing Mimikyu, their flames biting into her costume on contact.

"YOW!" she screamed as her backside caught fire. She ran around in a panic with the seeds' fiery fangs gnawing into her costume. She dropped into the snow and rolled around until the flames were snuffed out.

Alibrand wiped the blood off his face as his eye regenerated. He glowered at the flailing Mimikyu. "What the hell? Something's not right."

"What do you mean?" Wigbrand asked.

"She definitely inhaled enough mist to start a full-on greenhouse in her stomach, and all this running around should've triggered the reaction by now." He snarled. "First she's unaffected by the muffins, and now she's not growing plants in her body. What the hell's with this girl?"

Evelot picked herself up and sighed in relief. "Much better~." She gasped as the brothers lunged across the street, swinging their scythe for her head. "EEP!" She ducked, feeling the tip of the blade slice across the face of her costume. "HELLLLLLP!" She took off running, tears bursting from her eyes like geysers.

Alibrand growled. "This is getting ridiculous! Binding Pepper Garden!" He fired a stream of Bullet Seeds at the fleeing Mimikyu.

She tried to dodge, but Alibrand swept the attack across the street and nailed her in the back. Upon hitting the costumed shadow, the seeds cracked open and sprouted into thorny vines that coiled around her. The vines were tipped red, jabbing into her costume and causing her to scream out in pain. "AAAAAHHHH! IT BURRRRRRRNS!" She rolled through the snow in a panic, which only pushed the thorns deeper into her skin. "WHHHHHHHY?!"

Alibrand huffed, propping the scythe over his shoulder. "Enough of this nonsense, Faucher. You're coming with us whether you like it or not."

Wigbrand nodded energetically. "Don't worry, I'm sure Dr. Underhill won't kill you…you know, until he rips your secrets from your head and turns you into a vegetable. Hey, kind of like what we do, but more literal!" Alibrand facepalmed.

Tears streamed down Evelot's face as she tried to wiggle away in the snow. "Someone…help…me…"

The brothers approached and picked her up by the neck. "Let's get her someone secure before we deal with the rest of her friends," Alibrand said. "The bickering idiots are probably submerged in the mist by now."

Wigbrand cackled. "Yeah, and that overgrown meat shield is probably a whole bush by now—"

WHAM!

The brothers felt their spine twisting as something ran full speed into them from behind. They coughed up blood, dropped Evelot as they were lifted off their feet, and thrown across the street, smashing face first into a wall that broke away against them.

Evelot landed back in the snow and gazed up at her savior in horror. "Magni?!"

The giant Scolipede panted profusely, barely able to stand on his legs. Vines coiled around the length of his body with peppers slowly growing off the buds. A vine had grown out from underneath his eye, which was reddened from the capsaicin coating the outside. Visible bursts of breath expelled from his nostrils as he glared down at the brothers, standing protectively over Evelot.

"Leave. Friend. Alone!" he roared.

Alibrand and Wigbrand pulled themselves back onto their feet, wiping the blood off their faces as their injuries healed themselves. "Heh. Guess we underestimated your muscle," Alibrand taunted. "Even so, you can't beat us. Even if you managed to overcome the eventual paralysis, you're still under the effects of our territory. Any damage we accumulate will be healed off by the nutrients of everyone we infected, including you."

Magni snarled. "Smash heads like pumpkins."

Wigbrand cackled. "Come on, big guy! Show us what you're made of! Let's see if you can contend with the fifth strongest member of the Deadly Seven!"

Evelot stared up at the towering megapede in fear and concern. The injuries he had sustained would only grow worse if he continued fighting them. She had to give him her formula, but the vines coiling around her made it difficult to communicate her findings. "M…Magni…"

Magni picked Evelot's incapacitated body up and tucked her underneath his cloak. He snorted, stomping his foot down threateningly. "Protect. Evelot. No matter what." He let loose a monstrous roar and charged down the brothers.

Alibrand and Wigbrand cackled, lunging at the stampeding megapede. "Let this be the greatest harvest ever!"

"Ugh! You…sure I couldn't have just thrown you up…here?!"

"Less…agh, complaining! More…c-climbing!"

With the mist rising inside the pit, Amos and Phoebe had to work fast. Linking their arms together and pressing their shoulders together as hard as they could, they pressed their feet to the walls and slowly walked their way up to the grate. They struggled and stopped in between steps, feeling as if their formation would give out and send them plummeting into the mist. However, with the sound of battle raging once more outside, they steadied their shaking bodies and continued the trek up.

Amos hissed as a stabbing pain flared through his leg. "Agh! This sucks!"

Phoebe growled. "How…d-do you think I'm f-feeling? Just…a little closer!"

After much struggling, they eventually came within reach of the grate. Before either of their legs gave out, Phoebe used her prehensile tail to grab the grate. She and Amos let their bodies go limp, and she grunted as she caught both their weights.

She took a moment to catch her breath before pulling Amos up. "Alright. Switch."

Amos hooked his stingerless tail through the grate and hung upside-down while Phoebe kept a hold of him. He started to swish around some acidic toxins in his mouth while Phoebe tore off a piece of her shirt to use as a rag. She held it in front of his face, where he quickly spat onto it. The fabric sizzled as the acid chewed through.

"H-Hurry!" he grunted.

"I'm going, I'm going!" Phoebe, keeping one foot on Amos to balance herself, reached her hand through the grate and wiped the rag over the lock. She pulled her hand away just as the acid chewed through the fabric. "Okay, how long will it take to eat through the metal?"

"Soon enough. Close your eyes and get as far back to the wall as you can."

Amos dropped from the grate while Phoebe pushed herself to the wall, gripping tightly to the thin edges. Once he landed, Amos took a deep breath and propelled himself back up the pit with a burst of sand. He braced his body and rammed into the grate with all his might.

The withered lock came undone, and Amos broke through onto the jailhouse floor, collapsing onto his face. "Ugh…"

Phoebe flipped onto the surface and huffed. "Finally!"

Amos picked himself up and coughed. "Yeah, but I think I inhaled some of that mist when I dove back down."

They tensed up as a deafening roar sounded from outside the jailhouse. They shared a concerned look with each other until Phoebe said, "We'll worry about that later. Find Evelot, kill the sons of bitches who locked us up, and get the fuck out of here."

"Agreed." They dashed for the door, kicking it open, and ran out into the snowy garden before them.