Several minutes prior to Specter taking aim at her targets, Agents 1, 2 and 3 were all slowly descending the crater along the trail that was chosen for them to cross. Sometimes it trailed away from the outer rim and extended over the center of the crater, these parts had Agent 1 glueing herself to Agent 2 and even she was cautious due to the path's instability, but for the most part they were free from any danger. Occasionally there were rocky overhangs to give them temporary shelter from the blistering heat of the sun. Agent 3 was a little in front of the two as Agent 2 had to keep grabbing Agent 1's arm because she kept trying to look at all the pretty minerals dotted about the crater walls.

Agent 2: Agent 1, we're on a mission, we can't afford to look at every single thing that's shiny.

Agent 1: But Mariieeeeeee... these are so coolll! Look, this one's green!

Agent 2 snapped her head backwards to look at her after hearing her actual name. Agent 1 recognised that look very well as she wiped her hands off on her dress before smiling innocently like she did nothing wrong.

Agent 1: Sorry, Agent 2, heh...

The two cousins had stopped their small bickering session and caught up to Agent 3, seeing her hold her Hero Shot close to her.

Agent 3: I hope there's nothing actually down there and we can do this safely... the bridge parts were nerve-racking...

Agent 1: I have to agree but relaaxxxxx, as worrying as the situation is, I'm sure we'll be fine. Pinkie promise with a cherry on top!

This did little to ease Agent 3's worry, but she can admit it's nice seeing Agent 1 take this so casually.

Agent 3: Thanks...

Agent 2: I hope you're right about that 1. It makes me wonder how the others are doing.

The trio walked along in silence for a while, with the sounds of the hot wind breezing through the crater to break the aura of quietness. Despite nothing having happened, Agent 2 can't help shaking the feeling that something is off, as if... they're being watched. During this moment she hears different sounds that are different from the ones she got used to hearing here.

Agent 2: Does anyone else hear that? It's like, clicking...?

Agent 1: Oh, it's probably just birds, they like making noise~

Agent 2: Yeah potentially. But why would birds be out here...?

Agent 2 looked toward the sky, squinting her eyes because of the sunlight, but she can't make out any birds. The silence was eerie to her, especially with this uneasy feeling, she kept trying to look around to see something, but met with just blue skies, and sun. This observation was cut short as soon as she heard a familiar hissing sound, her eyes shoot open before grabbing Agent 1 and 3's arms and sprinting down the path.

Agent 2: RUUNNNN! STING RAY!

The crater's silence is broken with the piercing sound of a Sting Ray filling the void, taking a quick glance behind them to see a maroon beam of ink blasting against the walls. Agent 3 panics as the three of them speed off in an attempt to find some cover, not that it'll be much help given the weapon. There's not been many moments that have had fear course through her body like this as she ran with Agent 1 and 2.

Specter had missed the first shot, dispelling breath and narrowing her eyes as she aimed back down her sights, upon missing for one of the few times, she knew these people were not just ordinary people she was used to raiding. She takes careful aim to quickly assess who to aim for, the black-haired one is moving too fast, the white-haired one isn't that far behind them, looking further back at her targets she can see the yellow-haired one lagging behind. She takes precise aiming while pressing her finger on the trigger of her Sting Ray, it whirs back to life about to fire before she watches her target vanish into a teal fog. Specter's eyes widen in shock, never having seen someone just disappear in front of her eyes, taking aim at the other two while clicking her earpiece to let her group know what she'd witnessed.

Specter: "One. Gone."

Gizmo: Gone? What do you mean "gone"?

Gizmo walks in circles, pacing in absolute confusion as to what Specter could mean by "gone".

Vandal: Maybe they mean down, rather than gone. A slight hiccup?

Gizmo: No, it's not that. Specter never makes mistakes; we all know this which means something is wrong. Let's move.

Agent 1 looked back to make sure Agents 2 and 3 were keeping up with her, seeing Agent 3 lag behind had her worried. She was about to do a quick stop to dash back to get her, but as she was about to, she watched the Sting Ray laser starting up and saw Agent 3 vanish into thin air.

Agent 1: MAIZE! NOOOO!

Agent 2 hearing Agent 1 scream alarmed her, her hearts racing but going into full panic mode as soon as she heard her daughter's name.

Agent 2: WAIT WHAT?!

She flicked her head to look behind her to see Agent 3 is not in sight. Agent 2 could feel herself freaking out and breaking inside a little, but what was strange to her, there was no evidence that Agent 3 was there.

Agent 2: JUST KEEP RUNNING CALLIE!

Agent 3 felt her gloved hand start pulsing along with her emotions running rampant, her legs kept carrying her as the situation got worse, she shut her eyes tightly and wished to herself to be somewhere else. As she felt herself about to trip... she suddenly felt light, and her footsteps starting to echo in her ears. It took her a few moments before she opened her eyes back up and looked around herself, she was still in the same crater everyone was in, but it was shrouded by a dark stormy fog. She looked down to her hands as she slowed down, seeing that teal glow in her malformed hand stronger than ever. She started hyperventilating for a moment, but remembered, she's seen it glow strongly before, although not like this so she takes a few deep breaths. As much as she doesn't like it, she's at least familiar with it.

Agent 3: M-Mum...? Auntie Callie..?

Agent 3 wanders forward as her voice echoes into the void, watching the two she called out for still running to flee from danger, remembering that the three were being shot at. She tries her best to compose herself, realising her powers had actually saved her, because she may as well be dead if they didn't. Agent 3 started moving into a jog before slowly running, reaching her hand out toward Agent 1 and 2's figures, yet suddenly saw herself passing several meters within a second. Pushing forward still, she witnessed she had gone past them, she didn't look back as she noticed an opening on the crater trail, rushing inside and leaning against the wall, sliding down it while clutching her chest.

Specter kept her sights on the two she could still see while recovering from her prior state of shock, which had ruined her concentration as she started missing shots. She felt herself get more frustrated as she kept blasting her Sting Ray toward her targets, before holding the trigger down and dragging the beam slowly behind them. Specter felt her weapon start to overheat before it malfunctioned and stopped firing, she tried quickly fixing it before looking back through the scope to make sure they hadn't gotten away, but she had lost sight of them. Specter huffed in irritancy as she hit the side of her Sting Ray before clicking into her earpiece.

Specter: "Two. Away."

Agent 1 and 2 continued running in a blind panic as they hear the Sting Ray blasting shots more frequently, fortunately for the both of them they were all misses. During the midst of their sprint, the two of them felt a wind blow from behind them, strange considering the two of them were running against the wind. The duo started going faster as soon as the sound of quick blasts turned into a continuous Sting Ray shriek.

Agent 2: Quick Callie! In here!

Agent 2 ushered her cousin who was hardly looking around other than in front of her to enter an opening in the side of the crater, the two of them leaping inside to get to cover from the sniper, the sounds of the Sting Ray cutting out and being swallowed by the wind.

Agents 1 and 2 had gotten up and brushed themselves off, before Agent 1 watched her cousin drop to her knees and start weeping, she quietly stepped toward her to see if she was okay before hearing her spout sorrowful words.

Agent 1: Hey...? Mar Mar... you okay...?

Agent 2: I'm such a t-terrible mother... how could I bring her here... I should've just left Maize at home...

Agent 1 felt her hearts sink seeing her cousin like this, before kneeling down in front of her, feeling tears start coming out, bringing Agent 2 to look at her before being met with her tear-stained face.

Agent 2: C-Cal... I failed her... I should've m-made sure she was with me... I-I-

Agent 1: You didn't fail her... hold on, Maize has gotta be somewhere ri-right...?

Agent 1 tried to reassure Agent 2, holding her close and letting her have a shoulder to cry on. She couldn't help but feel herself start to cry alongside her after hearing all of this.

Agent 3 watched closely as she heard the faint voices of her mother and auntie echo into the void, yet they didn't sound happy... more filled with grief. She listened closely and felt her body fill with misery at her mother's words, she tried relaxing, but was failing to do so, she wanted to be there and not be forced to watch them wallow in sadness. She shut her eyes as she went to wipe the coming tears from them, feeling her weight return to her as she opened her eyes back up to see the stormy fog had disappeared now, her own small sobs joining theirs.

Agent 3: I-I'm here... R-right here...

Agent 2 lifts her head slowly from Agent 1's shoulder and looks toward the source of sound that sounded like her daughter, her vision was blurry as she slowly got up and stepped closer to the figure she could hardly make out.

Agent 2: M-Maize...?

Agent rubbed her eyes to get the tears away so she could see better, and before her she saw the familiar yellow eyes and yellow hair of her daughter. She reached out to touch her face, widening her eyes as she felt the warmth of her cheek, she reached out more to touch her shoulders and arms to make sure what she was feeling was real. After a few moments of assuring herself, Agent 2 threw Agent 3 into the tightest embrace she has ever given someone.

Agent 2: Maize..! Thank cod..! You're okay...! I-I was so worried...

Agent 1 had come over after realising that Agent 2 had stopped crying on her shoulder, wiping the tears out before seeing her cousin embrace her... niece? She seemed skeptical for a moment before she got a look at her face and knew it was her, launching herself into a hug between the two, reuniting the family together while she ugly cries.

The three of them took a few moments to calm down from Agent 2's breakdown, Agent 1's continuous crying still unbelieving of it and Agent 3 explaining what happened. The family got up onto their feet to get themselves back to work yet closer together than usual.

Agent 2: Maize, sweetheart... never, ever, ever worry your mother like that again... I don't want to have another breakdown like that.

Agent 3: Yes mum... I promise...