Stacya and Paulina chased Mr E through the white corridors and rooms across the Animal farm.
Of course, it was Stacya mostly, as she swam across the advantegem floors like water with Paulina holding on to her waist tightly. She wasn't much help in a chase with her cybernetic rocket boots inactive.
Mr E used the same hare legs from before to boost his speed. He also kept his miniature size so he could fit through cracks and crevices in the walls. If only Stacya couldn't faze through those walls and catch up to him.
Every time Mr E turned, she was close. Every time he jumped through a hole in a wall, no matter how small, she swam through it like it was nothing but a barrier made of water.
Feeling her gaining on him more and more, he had enough. Growing a pair of large bat wings, he flew upwards. Slipping through a small crack in the wall above him.
He had done it. He finally lost her. Now he can find his Mutoxin bomb, activate it and end his plans. He may die from the explosion, sure, but it's a small price to pay for the evolution of humanity.
Suddenly his instincts exploded like a sucker punch to the gut. He looked around and couldn't see anything. Then he took a look at the wall nearest to him and noticed a small ripple. A ripple which was gaining on him.
He turned his bat wings into Hawk wings and flew even faster. Even as the ripple got farther and farther away, he could still feel his instincts hammering into him. He was still in danger.
Yet he didn't know why. It didn't matter now though,because he small fissure in the wall above looked small enough to pass through.
He flapped his wings even faster. His hope was nearly upon him. Once he passed through the fissure, he'd turn as quickly as possible and find another crack. No matter how small and hide there.
How would he stop them from finding him? Simple, release an even smaller clones as a decoy. As they chased it down, he'd be long gone. Closer to finding and activating that bomb. Neithwr they nor Hawk knight would be able to stop him then because they'd all be dead in the ensuing explosion.
Along with every pitiful himan in Empire City. And the ones that weren't dead would be so mutated they'd look nothing like their former selves.
Perfection.
Suddenly half his body was gone.
Mr E felt a sudden intense pain across half his body followed by a cruel numbness which hurt even more.
It felt like half his body wasn't there anymore.
Becuase it wasn't.
As he fell to the ground like a small bird that had been shot, he looked at the two he was escaping. Or at least,the eipple they formed. As they rose out of the liquid, he gasped and noticed something.
Although Paulina couldn't fly, she could still use her plasma pistol. A weapon capable of firing highly concentrated layers at a large range. A weapon she hod in her finger. A finger which was hidden when the two were inside the wall with only a small ripple to show for it.
He was shot down like an animal in a shooting range.
Pathetic.
He hot the ground with a small thud like he was nothing. Like he was easy pickings. The two rose out of the liquid wall and walked toward him. With half his body gone, his blood and organs pouring out of his body like a spilled meal, he was losing consciousness.
The only reason he was still alive was thanks to his healing factor. Despite it being severely weakened, it was still fighting the losing battle of keeping him alive.
However he had still performed his purpose.
With his life fading away and entrails leaving him, he cracked a nasty grin from ear to what was left of half his face.
At least he bought some time...
Soon everything faded to black.
Stacya and Paulina stood over the dead man in complete silence. He had the wings of an eagle for arms and the legs of a hare in place of his actual legs. He was now half of himself thanks to Paulina and her plasma pistol, weapon she hadn't used since her days in the Danger Squad.
It's been a while since I used this thing." Paulina said with a chuckle as she massaged her finger.
Yes. I couldn't have defeated him if it werent for you."
So says the girl who did all the work. I never would have caught up to him if it weren't for you. And thanks to your ability I was able to charge my pistol to deliver the shot. Something I wouldn't be able to do if it weren't for thst ripple effect of yours." Paulina said as she place her hand on Stacya's shoulder.
Stacya gave a shy smile as her cheeks turned purple.
Paulina then let her go and turned towards the clone. She began scanning him for further weaknesses to help defeat the other one.
It was clear he was powerful as a whole yet why was this clone in particular so weak?
However that wasn't what Stacya was concerned about.
Despite her knowing the severity of the situation, despite her best efforts to concentrate at the task at hand, her mind was mostly on Paulina.
Ever since she met her, all those years ago, she was either an indecipherable enigma or an emotionless machine most of the time.
Every smile, every frown, every reaction she had, was fake. Stacya could see it all. The only one stopping her from hating Paulina was Zack's connection to her. Zack must have a reason to love her so much.
But Stacya's instincts still registered her as a threat, even after all those years.
Sadly it didnt help that the only time she showed genuine emotion was when she hungered for blood.
This was her chance to get a genuine reaction out of her. To prove her instincts wrong. Once and for all.
"Y..you did it. You killed him." Stacya said with a hint of uncertainty in her voice. Paulina was quick to fish it out despite being distracted.
"What's wrong?" Paulina asked, still facing Mr E.
"I'm surprised you chose to kill him. Zack wouldn't have done the same." Stacya answered.
"Zack and I have different ideals. I've worked as a vigilante. I've seen death face to face. I've met people who deserve to die and have put them down accordingly." She replied, still scanning.
"Then why is Zack so hesitant on it? He seemed pretty firm on his guilt when he thought he killed Mr E. Why? Even Captian Rocket was fine with killing and Zack followed him more extensively then the rest of his students. Including you and me." Stacya set the bait.
"One could chalk it down to naivety. The fact that he's headstrong and new to vigilantism However, I know Zack and I know why." Paulina didn't bite. Still emotionless in her response despite the clear distress in her voice.
Nothing but a facade.
"Really? Then why?" Stacya asked, tilting her head like a nervous child. It was clear Zack's behaviour bothered her. However she didn't want to show it since she had to deal with Mr E. With him down, she could kill two birds with one stone.
However Paulina knew the entire time.
"Zack always viewed himself as a monster. The day he got his powers... the day he transformed, he killed his family on the spot. His parents and little sister were ripped to pieces and eaten. His entire neighbourhood would've been dead if it weren't for Captian Rocket interfering. Thanks to that traumatic experience, he developed a deep hatred for himself." She said with a fake nervousness.
"But it wasn't his fault! He was mindless at the time. He couldn't have..."
Stacya, annoyed with the response, set the bait again.
"He still remembers all of it though. Once his monster phase is over, he receives a play by play of it all in his mind. A grim reminder of what he did when he lost control. That's what led to his deep fear of things he knew would push him to lose control. That's why he depises killing. He thinks that he doesn't deserve to live..."
Paulina still didn't bite.
"So of he is still alive then others who are deserve to as well."
"Exactly. He sees himself as a monster so he refuses to kill anyone else while he's still alive."
"And how do you see him?" Stacya set the bait one last time.
Paulina stopped and looked at Stacya for a moment. Then she got up and was so close to Stacya she could feel her breaths.
"A hero."
She bit.
Stacya looked at her for a moment and wanted to speak. She however, paused halfway. Paulina wasn't the type to show much emotion even in a dire situation like the reveal of the mutoxin bomb. It was obvious to her that when she broke down, she only did it to elevate the situation.
However, Stacya was very good at sensing emotion.
That's why she liked Jake so much. Everything he did was sincere. Even if he lied his body never did. Paulina's body always did. At first Stacya assumed thst she was some emotionless machine, but she was something worse in a way.
Whenever she smiled, she was nervous or angry. Sometimes her anger would be a mask for her excitement at the fact that she gets to see blood.
However that time it was different. Stacya could see Paulina meant her words. She saw Zack as a hero. Nothing more. Nothing less. She wanted to ask more but Paulina cut her off.
"Enough of this. We need to find the boys. Now." Paulina said. Her emotions disappearing like they were never there at all.
"W.. what's wrong?" Stacya asked, confused at the sudden change in tone.
"It was a trap. This clone was to distract us. We need to get back to the others beofre it's top late." Paulina said with an urgency which Stacya could see that was clearly forced.
It dint matter now. She needed to concentrate at the task at hand.
Despite what her instincts are telling her...
To be continued...