Around ten years ago, Maroon, Mark, and Shank all find themselves standing outside an abandoned building, a tall fence before them. Mounted on the fence is a sign and a flag, the sign covered in moss.

  “Land of the free, home of the brave, god bless America,” the sign reads. Maroon stretches, approaching the barrier as she pulls something out from her pocket. She raises bolt cutters to the metal as Mark and Shank stand behind her. Shank looks around, both of his hands clamped together.

  “Why are we here?” Shank asks, glancing at the camera on the wall, the screen facing the floor.

  “Because,” Maroon replies, turning to him. “I heard some great things about this place, stuff like expensive machinery, government experiments, and safes filled with cash.”

  “I get that, but what if we get caught?” Shank adds.

  “Don't question me,” Maroon snarls, causing Shank to flinch, backing down.

  “I… I’m sorry, Maroon,” Shank answers, his ears drooping as Mark glances at him, staying silent.

  “Good boy,” Maroon remarks. She then clamps the cutters down onto the metal, breaking apart the fence, slowly creating an opening. She grunts as she pulls on the opening, creating more space as she steps through. Mark quickly follows her, looking back as Shank steps through after them. Maroon stops before a heavy door, her gaze shifting to the old-looking lock holding the door shut.

  “Shank, dude, you’re up,” Maroon says, turning to him. He exhales, pulling a pair of lockpicks from his pockets as he approaches the door. He kneels before it, eyeing the rusted lock before sliding the lockpicks back into his pocket and reaching up. He grips the lock with one hand, breaking it open by yanking it down. He drops the broken mechanism, watching as it hits the ground, rust spilling from inside. The door creaks open as Maroon shoves it aside, staring into the long corridor behind it. Maroon turns as someone approaches, a grin appearing on her face.

  “Keven… It’s nice to see you again,” Maroon remarks, placing her hand on her hip as he approaches, wearing a large, purple hood, as well as long, black pants, his entire body concealed. “I trust you know how to find this… machinery and cash you mentioned?”

  “That’s correct, I know where that stuff is,” Keven replies, his voice somewhat robotic as his purple eyes shine through the shadow his hood casts over his head. Keven steps through the entrance, pulling a flashlight from his pocket and shining it down the hall. He then points the light towards the first door on the right, exhaling.

  “There should be some good tech in there,” he remarks, watching as Maroon passes him, approaching the entrance. She moves closer to it, cracking her knuckles before she grips the broken door, grunting as she pushes it open, sparks falling from the frame.

  “Crystalline research,” the door reads.

  “How do you know so much about this place?” Maroon asks, finally opening it enough for her to fit through. She backs away, dusting off her hands.

  “It’s not important,” he replies, watching as Maroon climbs through. Mark and Shank follow behind her, though Shank stops as Keven grabs his shoulder, holding a flashlight out to him. He grabs it from his hand before sprinting after Maroon, aiming the light down the corridor.

  “What do you think’s down here?” Shank asks, flinching as Maroon snatches the light from his hand, aiming it at a lever on the wall. She reaches forward, grasping the small rod and pulling it down, the lights flickering to life above them.

  “I don't know, man, but I’m surprised the place still has power,” she remarks, tossing the flashling away, the glass bulb shattering against the floor. She approaches a computer in the corner, yawning as she glares at it.

  “Hey, Keven! It’s all you,” she shouts, looking up at the cave behind the glass before them, the walls covered in blue crystals. Keven steps past her, sitting down in the chair in front of a monitor connected to the computer. He presses the space bar, watching as the screen flickers to life, a loading screen appearing… after a few moments, a prompt appears on the screen, asking for a password. He pulls a small hard drive from his pocket, placing it into one of the plugs on the top of the computer, a black box appearing in the corner of the screen. He then begins typing, lines of purple text appearing in the box. After a movement, the computer unlocks, slowing a simple desktop with a few files on it.

  “Crystalline testing,” the first file reads. Keven slides the cursor over to it, clicking on it, watching as a tab opens with a line of videos, each named a random string of numbers. He clicks on the first video, watching as the screen goes black.

  A human man sits on a chair in a white room, wearing a lab coat.

  “My name is Rick Verwal. I am the head scientist currently researching a creature we have titled the crystalline. The crystalline are small, crab-like beasts with a bright blue crystal shell. We have conducted studies on the shell and have discovered that it reacts to blood, spreading energy through the cells. We remain uncertain what this energy does, but today we have found a volunteer who has consented to having this energy spread through his bloodstream,” Rick says, turning the camera towards another human man strapped to a chair behind a glass barrier. “This is Jake Melvor, a man convicted of many counts of homicide, as well as battery and rape. The government has agreed to pardon him in exchange for allowing us to run tests on his body. The crystalline work by injecting a large dose of energy into blood that touches the surface of their shell. This energy will then spread to any surrounding blood cells, polluting the samples. We are unsure how the energy will react to a full human body, which is why we needed a volunteer… For the record, I don't agree with pardoning his crimes, but that’s not up to me.” Rick grabs a pair of gloves from the table just beyond the camera’s view, pulling them onto his hands before stepping out of frame.

  Rick approaches Jake, carefully grasping one of the crystals, pulling it off the wall.

  “I will be making a small incision on your shoulder,” Rick adds, a small knife in his hand as he moves closer to Jake. Jake grins, watching Rick.

  “Just hurry it up, I have things to do,” Jake remarks, his voice raspy, similar to that of a heavy smoker.

  “I’m sure you do,” Rick adds, stopping just before him. He then kneels, raising the knife to Jake’s shoulder, carefully making a small incision. He barely reacts, watching as Rick raises the crystalline to the wound, carefully placing the shell against the blood dripping from it. Blue light moves through the blood as the shell makes contact, climbing into his shoulder, causing his veins to glow as it spreads. The shell slowly turns white, the blue light spreading through Jake’s body. Jake watches as the shine slowly approaches his heart, causing the skin above his veins to ripple. He clenches his fist, his muscles shaking as the metal holding him down starts to bend. Jake watches as the metal warps beneath his bubbling skin, before his arm bursts out from the restraints, sending metal flying as Rick steps back. He reaches over, grasping the restraints holding his other arm down, tearing away, and jumping to his feet. He turns to Rick, the blue light reaching his heart. Rick pulls a gun from inside his lab coat, aiming it at Jake.

  “Get back in the chair!” Rick demands, taking another step back. Jake takes a step forward, his muscles expanding, starting at his shoulder and moving through his body. Rick pulls the trigger, the bullet ricocheting off of Jake, tearing into the floor as he steps closer. The camera angle switches, now showing the security cameras. Jake’s body becomes unrecognizable, his muscles rapidly expanding as the light grows brighter, pulsing stronger and stronger beneath his skin, creating large ripples. He grabs onto Rick’s arm before throwing him aside violently, sending him crashing against the guardrail just before the wall of Crystallines. Jake looks down at his arm, watching as a small arch of energy bursts from his muscle, sliding down his skin, creating a long incision. Another burst of energy then shoots from his chest, ripping a hole in his body as the light whips the glass in front of him, creating a clean cut, the bottom half dropping to the ground fully intact before hitting the ground and falling over, thudding against the tile. Another burst shoots from his back, climbing up his spine, the whip-like burst tearing through the wall behind him, reflecting off the crystals, sending small shreds of energy shooting through the chamber, ripping apart the equipment as Jake’s skin starts to ripple even harder, another whip bursting from his shoulder, quickly followed by another from his hip, leaving giant gashes in his body, his blood being turned into streams of energy as it falls from his body. Jake falls to his knees, thousands of small blue spots appearing on his skin as Rick aprints towards the exit. Thousands of whips then shoot in every direction, the view switching to a camera in the hallway as the streams of energy slice through the walls with ease, passing the hallway as they rip Rick apart, the thousands of small strings completely decimating the walls. The view then swaps to a camera outside the building, a gargantuan amount of strands shooting into the sky, decimating a large chunk of the building, tearing it into billions of microscopic pieces. As the whips stop, a massive crater is left where the front half of the building used to be, with Jake standing at the bottom of it. His entire body then bursts, sending hundreds of powerful blade-like bursts flying in every direction, reaching nearly twice as far as the previous series of blasts. The video then cuts off, the file closing. Maroon turns back to the fully intact chamber filled with the blue crystals, then back to the screen as Keven clicks on the next video.

  A male Variant with dark blue fur stands beside a barrier, the wall behind it covered in blue crystals as his cat-like ears twitch. Another male variant with long, puffy, orange fur slumps against the railing beside him, watching as he mops the floor.

  “Yo, Duncan, did you see the video briefing on these things?” the orange variant asks, gesturing to the crystallines.

  “Yeah, Jade, I saw it. Crazy shit,” The blue one replies, continuing to mop the floor.

  “The guy blew up, completely destroyed the last site, it looked painful.”

  “Yeah,” Duncan remarks, his eyes locked onto the floor as he mops.

  “Doesn’t that interest you? You always wanted to be a scientist, you even went to college for it!”

  “I did, but you know how human-run companies are, they don't like our kind. I was lucky to get this job, so what they do here is none of my business. You should probably grab a map as well, or you could get in trouble.”

  “You're right… Speaking of trouble, I hear Paul is upset at you again,” Jade remarks, yawning.

  “Again? What for?” Duncan replies, sighing.

  “He claims he saw you talking to his wife again.”

  “I've been good friends with his wife long before he met her. He’s a controlling psychopath, and if he wants me to end an eighteen-year-long friendship, he will have to get his wife to want that. After all, we're just friends, and have been for eighteen years.”

  “Well,” Jade begins, turning to the door as it swings open. A human man stands in the doorway, breathing heavily, his face contorted in anger. “He’s coming into work today.” The man steps into the room, staring at Duncan.

  “Paul, listen, I’ve told you many times, we are just friends, we have been for the past eighteen years.

  “I don't fucking care!” Paul shouts, moving closer as Duncan steps back. “I don't want you talking to her! Not ever again, you disgusting, wild animal!” Duncan exhales, taking another step back as Paul attempts to get closer.

  “Paul, we can talk about this later, over the phone. I don't feel safe with you getting so close,” Duncan replies, raising his hand in front of himself.

  “Shut the fuck up, flebag!” Paul adds, continuing to get closer. “I am a higher rank than you; I can get you fired! Nobody wants to hire something like you, so don't try me!” Paul clenches his fists, his jaw clenched as he steps closer yet again.

  “You are a filthy animal! You don't get to talk to her!” Paul shouts before slapping Duncan with the back of his hand, causing him to stumble back. Jade grabs onto Paul, pulling him back.

  “Paul! What the fuck is wrong with you!” Jade remarks as Duncan places his hand over his cheek, groaning.

  “I don't give a shit what your rank is!” Duncan shouts, watching as Paul pushes Jade back. “You’re a controlling asshole! Your wife and I have been friends since we were three! I will not throw that away because you refuse to have a conversation with her!” Paul then strikes Duncan in the face with his fist, causing Duncan to stumble back into the corner of the railing, his eyes squeezed shut. Paul kicks Duncon in the chest, knocking the wind from his lungs and breaking the railing behind him, causing Duncon to fall to the ground, gasping as he hits the floor.

  “Not so tough now, are you!” Paul screams, his smile fading as blue light starts to spread up the veins on Duncan’s neck. Duncan forces himself upright, a crystalline sticking from his back, the color draining from its shell. Paul turns, attempting to run before the heavy metal door slams shut, locking them all inside. Alarms blare, the entire chamber shaking. The view switches to a camera outside, the segment of the building where the three of them are being lowered into the ground, before it switches back to the security camera inside. Duncan reaches back, feeling the crystalline as his eyes widen.

  “Fuck,” he gasps, his hands shaking as he looks up at Paul. “Are you happy? Are you proud of yourself? Now we’re all fucking dead!” he shouts, tears forming in his eyes.

  “To be honest, I was in love with your wife, but I respected her, so I was happy just being friends, even after the mother of my children died, I still never tried to ask her out, because I knew she cared for you… You killed all of us for nothing…” he mutters, watching as Paul steps back. Duncan closes his eyes, his tears running down his face as light spreads through his veins, causing his skin to ripple. He gasps as the light reaches the center of his chest, blue arches appearing beneath his skin. “I was happy for her, I thought she found someone who truly cared about her, but you’re manipulative and controlling.” Duncan stands, taking a deep breath as he braces himself…

  But the pain never comes. Instead, as he looks down, the blue light calms, receding into one spot, creating a large glowing circle in the center of his chest. It then dissipates, weak light spreading over his body. He collapses to his knees, his shoulders rippling. He exhales sharply as two long strings of electricity burst from his shoulders, expanding to create furless duplicates of his arms that stick from his skin. He gasps as the hands suddenly break off, shattering the bones inside as the arms are torn apart by light, leaving behind two extra floating hands. The wrists seal themselves, the skin quickly growing fur before they fall to the ground. He falls forward, catching himself with his hands as light ripples down his back. The hands on the ground twitch, suddenly splitting apart, creating another pair. He clenches his fists, the hands on the ground doing the same before relaxing as he looks up at Paul and Jade.

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  “What… what’s happening?” he stutters between sobs, tears running down his face. “It… it hurts… It feels like I grew another set of arms, only for them to be torn apart.” The hands on the floor behind him start to lift into the air, leaving behind crackles of electricity.

  “But this… isn't what happened on that recording… do you think I’ll… survive?” he asks, his body shaking. Jade takes a step forward as Paul turns to him. He slowly approaches Duncan, kneeling before him. Duncan tenses as Paul steps forward, the hands lifting to his side, clenching into fists once again.

  “I've… never seen anything like this,” Jade remarks, reaching forward and grabbing one of the hands. As he touches it, Duncan turns to him, his breathing quick.

  “Why… can I feel you touching my hand? But it’s, like… like a new one,” Duncan adds, looking back up at Paul. he pulls himself to his paws, the hands following him as he grips the railing beside him, his grasp pinching the metal. The alarms then stop, the chamber starting to shake again, and after a few moments, the door re-opens. Paul sprints out the door as Jade carefully holds onto Duncan’s arm. A human in a white lab coat races through the door, sliding to a stop as her eyes scan the floating hands.

  Duncan sits at the edge of a cushioned table, wearing nothing but a hospital gown, as a human woman approaches him.

  “How are you feeling, Duncan?” she asks, sitting beside him.

  “I feel… strange… but the pain is gone,” he replies as the woman pulls a glass box from the table, one of the floating hands inside it.

  “And can you… feel the detached hands?” she asks, gently shaking the box.

  “Yeah… that’s what feels strange, that I can feel a body part that isn't connected to me.” She opens the box, allowing the hand to float out from it.

  “And you say there used to be four, but they combined into just the two?” she asks, pulling out another box.

  “That’s correct, there were four when it happened… it started with two, but they split into four… then combined back into two after Jessica found me.”

  “We have decided to make you an offer,” the woman adds, causing him to look up. “You have a degree in biology, correct?”

  “That's right, I do,” Duncan replies.

  “We offer to pay off your debts, and promote you to Rick Verwal’s old position as head of the crystalline research, under a condition.”

  “What’s the condition?” Duncan adds.

  “You must move yourself and your family closer to the facility, and allow us to run tests on you. Your three children shouldn't even be in school yet, so they should not mind the move.”

  “Will this come with… better pay?” Duncan asks, watching as she opens the second box, the hand inside floating to him.

  “Much better pay, as well as other benefits. Do you accept?” she asks.

  “Yeah, I don't see a reason not to. I accept… also, being the head scientist… doesn't that make me a higher rank than Paul?” Duncan adds.

  “That is correct, so the decision on whether or not to fire him lands on you.”

  “I’ll have to think about it… after all, he’s my closest friend’s husband.”

  “Take all the time you need. You are now in charge of the crystalline research, which will likely be starting back up fully after this incident.” Duncan nods, taking a deep breath as the camera cuts off, the video being closed. Keven then slides the mouse over to the next one, clicking on it.

  Duncan sits in front of the camera, wearing a lab coat as the two disembodied hands float around him.

  “I’m not sure what number to call this one, as I don't know if the video Rick made was the only one he took, so this will be referred to as log one,” Duncan says, the screens on the wall flickering to life to reveal a large room, a glass wall in the center, a computer, desk, and monitor on the other side, the crystallines covering the wall the camera is pointed at. A somewhat muscular variant woman with red fur and wolf-like ears sits in the center of the room. “I have moved the testing chambers to a more remote location and have set up a live feed to lessen the danger.” Duncan presses a button on his shirt, the speakers humming to life.

  “Samantha Bryers, we thank you for volunteering for testing. You were given a briefing on the possible dangers, as well as shown two videos, one of a human and one of me, a Variant. Do you still consent to the tests, acknowledging the possibility of permanent disfigurement, injury, or death?” Duncan asks.

  “Yes,” Samantha replies, her eyes locking onto a small table before her, a crystalline set atop it, with a small needle beside the crystalline.

  “You will be required to prick your finger and place the shell of the crystalline against the blood. You will then hold it there for about six seconds, or until the shell turns fully white,” Duncan adds, watching as she leans forward.

  “In exchange for this test, you will be provided with financial support, enough for you and your daughter to survive on. In the scenario where you do not survive, your daughter will receive the same amount. Do you agree to this?” Samatha nods, picking up the needle and pricking her finger, flinching as she pulls it away, a drop of blood leaking from the hole. She then places her finger against the crystalline’s shell, taking a deep breath. She watches as her veins start to glow, light passing through her bloodstream as the color drains from the shell. She watches as it passes through her arm, large clumps of light sticking to her fingertips as she looks up at the camera.

  “My skin isn't… rippling like in the videos,” she mutters, watching as it quickly passes through her chest, making its way to the other arm. She then watches as her muscles expand, becoming much thicker before the expansion stops. Her other arm then does the same, followed by the rest of the muscles in her body. After a few moments, the light reaches the center of her chest, pulling all the energy into the singular point before sending a weak pulse of light throughout her body. She turns her hands over as long, curved claws extend from her fingers, creating large hooks. The claws then retract back into her hand, uncurling to slide smoothly down her fingers. She flexes her hand, exhaling.

  “You are a professional mountain climber, yes?” Duncan asks.

  “Sort of… I record myself climbing, and then upload those videos, but they… don’t do very well, and I've been deemed unfit to work, so I have no other way of making money.”

  “Then our theories are most likely correct. The main difference between humans and variants when it comes to our blood is that we have an extra organ, which we have named the soul. This organ appears to embed our blood with an essence of ourselves, and seems to be where the light collects before dispersing. As you might know, the soul works as a sort of second brain, holding our memories, compassion, and our personality. We have theorized that the… enhancements gifted by the crystalline will depend on the personality of the subject, whether that be a literal or metaphorical translation. You love to climb, so you’ve been given stronger muscles and retractable hooks. While we were pretty sure of this, it was still just a theory. We have another offer for you, and no matter what you choose, you will still receive the agreed amount. If you allow us to monitor you, your videos, and your lifestyle, you will receive the agreed-upon amount, and we will work to alter your files to allow you to work,” Duncan says.

  “I'm… Yeah, I can do that,” Samantha replies, the door to her right opening. She pulls herself to her paws, approaching the opening as the video goes black.

  Duncan approaches Samantha as she leaves the building. She looks up at the camera as she steps onto the dirt, taking a deep breath.

  “How far… can your hands go?” she asks.

  “About a kilometer before I lose connection. Anyways, there is one last test you need to do. We had already predicted something like this, so we brought the testing chamber to a hollowed-out mountain to allow for proper testing… if you agree to it,” Duncan remarks, gesturing to the large wall of jagged stone beside them. Samantha looks up at the massive barrier, exhaling.

  “You want me to climb?” she asks, turning to Duncan.

  “That’s correct,” he replies, watching as she approaches it. She reaches forward, her claws sticking from her fingertips, curving to create hooks.

  “I… I can do that,” she remarks, reaching up and hooking her claws on a thin ledge, pulling herself up. Her gaze shifts to her muscles as she lifts herself with ease before leaping into the air, catching herself on a round stone, the hooks stabbing into the surface. She glances down at Duncan, hanging from the wall with one arm as the camera lifts up to meet her. She then grabs onto the stone once again and starts to scale the barrier, a smile forming on her face as she begins to ascend by leaping from boulder to boulder. She stops, turning to look down at the ground, then to the camera.

  “This is awesome!” she shouts, looking back up before continuing to climb. She squints her eyes as she leaps over the ledge at the top, shielding her eyes from the sun before she lands on the ground with a thud. She looks down at her hands before reaching up to her forehead and feeling it.

  “Holy shit, I didn’t even break a sweat, this is crazy!” she adds, turning to the camera. She falls back, placing her hands behind her head as she hits the ground with a thud, her fur shining in the sun. “I’ve never been more glad about a decision in my life.”

  The video then closes as Maroon grins, looking up at the chamber before them.

  “So those things give us powers? That’s fuckin’ crazy, how could this place have been abandoned with something like this inside?” she mutters, approaching the glass.

  “Keven, open the door,” she demands, watching as his hands glide across the keyboard. After a moment, the glass before her starts to rise into a slit that opens in the ceiling. Maroon steps through into the chamber, gesturing for Mark and Shank to follow. Keven then slides the cursor to the next video, clicking on it.

  Duncan sits in front of the camera, breathing heavy, a machine on his back as he looks up at the camera.

  “I have decided to end the crystalline experimentation… Allow me to make something known, Something I do not care to admit… I sometimes struggle with processing emotions. This happens randomly, in episodes, and is something I’ve learned to live with. It’s tame, compared to a lot of cases out there, but nonetheless, it is something I've been taught to despise about myself. I sometimes feel heartless because of it… I’m told that I need to be careful, that according to my superiors, I become unsettling when I have an episode. I’ve never hurt anyone when this happens, and I've never wanted to… but people… people I looked up to… have told me that it wouldn't take much. None of these people are doctors, but they were my heroes. I think the crystalline does more than we thought with our personalities… It appears that it also integrates our insecurities… and our fears into the enhancements. It saw the phrase ‘I feel heartless,’ and took it literally. Without this machine on my back, my heart would stop beating, and I would die. For now, I have to haul it around, at least until we create something better. Surgery is impossible because the rest of my body repairs itself, only allowing for thin needles to stay inside. We do not yet understand the side effects, as Samantha has yet to encounter one. Before we knew any of this, we did another experiment on a patient at a mental hospital nearby known as Max, an orange wolf Variant. He was diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder a few years back. We assumed that he would gain some kind of cloning ability, but we were not prepared for what happened. The moment the energy dispersed through his system, he began rapidly growing limbs, before splitting into two separate, yet connected people. He gained the ability to create an infinite number of clones at will, but his two personalities were split across two separate people connected by some kind of invisible force, essentially converting his alternate persona into a whole other person. They have decided that the original will keep the name Max, while the duplicate will go by Max’s last name, Zal. Max originally had heterochromia, his right eye green while his left was blue, but now, both of Zal’s eyes are blue, while Max’s are green. They claim to be forced to read each other’s minds at all times. This has caused them to have a love-hate relationship,” Duncan adds, gripping his head. “Max escaped containment, muttering about not returning to the institute… he described it as hell. To avoid the crystallines being used as a weapon, I have committed treason, lying directly to the government. They now believe that a virus has broken out in the lab, infecting the crystallines and making them useless.” The video then cuts off, the screen fading to black as he looks up at Maroon.

  Maroon approaches the wall of crystallines, a grin on her face.

  “Maroon, I… don't think this is a good idea,” Shank remarks, looking around. “There has to be a reason this place was abandoned.” Maroon glares at him, snarling. Her grin then grows wider as she grabs his arm.

  “Well, boy, how about you…” she begins before throwing him forward, his arm being cut by a stray piece of metal on the railing. He gasps, grabbing onto the large gash in his arm. “Try it out!” She shoves him into the wall, causing him to exhale sharply as one of the shells presses against his wound. He pulls away, a string connecting the open cut to the crystal as the color is drained. He looks down at it, taking a shaky breath as Maroon watches. She then shoves him aside, the string detaching as the shell turns white. She then uses her claws to cut open the skin on her shoulder, grabbing one of the crystalline and pressing it against the blood dripping from it. Shank slumps against the railing, his skin bubbling as the light spreads through his veins, his flesh starting to droop. Maroon kneels before him, grinning as light passes through her body.

  “You do not get to question me. You are nothing to me except a tool, a weapon,” Maroon remarks. Shank grips the tile beneath him, tears forming in his eyes as his right arm starts to quake, the hand contorting. Shank then stumbles to his paws, his breathing heavy as his right hand is reduced to a stump. “You serve no other purpose.” Shank clenches his fist as his right arm begins to warp, slowly becoming a blade. His skin continues to droop as if melting, causing him to collapse back to the floor. Maroon watches as the light disperses through his body, his flesh loose and oversized on his body. She then looks down at her hands, watching as the light deperses through hers just as it did with Shank, only with red light instead of blue. Fire slowly starts to run up her body, causing her grin to widen.

  “Yes…” she mutters, clenching her fists as the fire subsides. She glances at her shoulder, watching as the wound seals itself. She then grabs a crystal from the wall and tosses it over to Mark before stepping past Shank, approaching Keven. She leans close to him, still grinning.

  “Go explore, I’m going to go get Sky,” Maroon remarks before leaning away and walking to the door. Keven exhales, watching as Mark presses the crystal into his skin. He then stands, turning around and approaching the door after Maroon. As they step into the hallway, Maroon turns towards the exit, staring at the van parked outside the fence. Keven then continues to the door across from him, reaching for the handle. He pushes it open, stepping through. He then makes his way to each door, one by one, slowly moving down the hallway.

  Keven sighs, standing in front of the door at the end of the hallway, his hand resting on the handle.

  “This is the last door, It has to be here,” he mutters, pushing it open. As he steps through, his eyes lock onto a large machine on the far wall, pumping energy into the walls as the black orb in the center pulsates with purple electricity. “It's… here…” he mutters, reaching up and gripping his hood. He pulls it down, his short, brown hair flowing in the wind made by he fan above as he takes a step forward, his purple eyes glowing.

  “Shit, that thing must be a big deal if you took off your hood,” Maroon remarks, causing him to spin around. She stands in the doorway, her arms crossed.

  “Stay back,” Kevin snarls, backing towards the orb as Maroon steps closer.

  “I haven't seen a single bit of money here, nor have I seen any expensive machinery. I’m starting to think you lied, so that you could get something out of this place,” Maroon adds. She continues to move closer as Keven backs away. “I’m grateful for the powers, but I still hate being lied to.” Maroon clenches her fists, taking another step closer. Max gasps as he backs into the machine, his hand coming to rest on the surface of the black orb.

  “Send me home and move this building to the nearest and least populated reality,” Keven whispers as Maroon approaches. She raises her fist, her knuckles being laced with fire. She swings, her hand passing through Keven as his body vanishes in a puff of smoke, causing her to stumble forward. She pushes herself to her paws, looking around before the floor starts to shake.

  “What the hell?” she mutters. She takes a step back before sprinting towards the door, stumbling into the hallway. She races towards the exit, watching as a bubble starts to form around the building. She then trips, sliding across the floor as she looks up, watching the bubble reach the ground, tearing through the dirt. She turns as Mark steps into the hall, holding Shank in his arms, his skin still drooping. Maroon turns back to the exit, watching as the bubble starts to become cloudy. The world outside the bubble then goes black, the ground beginning to shake as pebbles lift into the air. The outside of the bubble then starts to return, now much different, the large, grey city gone, replaced by a grassy hill with a colorful city in the distance. The ground shakes violently as the bubble pops, dirt being pushed aside to make room for everything inside the sphere. The shaking stops as the bubble vanishes completely. Maroon looks into the clear blue sky, still shaking as she stands.