[ Location: Hawkins Memorial Hospital - Third Floor ][ Date: June 8th, 1985 - Evening ]
The "Mini-Spider" roared.
It didn't have lungs, but it made a sound like tearing metal.
It lunged.
"Move!" I shoved Nancy aside using a quick Telekinetic nudge.
The monster smashed into the wall where she had been standing, cracking the plaster.
Jonathan swung a fire extinguisher. CLANG. It hit the wet flesh with a dull thud, sinking in slightly before the creature shrugged it off and backhanded him across the hall.
"It's too fast!" Nancy yelled, scrambling for her gun.
I raised my wand.
'I can't seal it as it's liquid, so it will just flow around the ink. I need distance.'
'Telekinesis: Force Push.'
[ Ability Active. ]
I thrust both hands forward. A wave of force hit the creature.
It flew backward, crashing through the double doors of a patient room.
"We can't kill it here!" I shouted.
"We need to leave! Now!"
We sprinted down the hall.
Behind us, the monster shrieked and smashed through the wall, chasing us. It was fast—scuttling on the ceiling like a gecko made of meat.
"The elevator!" Jonathan yelled, pressing the button frantically.
"Too slow!" I grabbed them.
'Apparition.'
CRACK.
The world twisted.
We tumbled onto the asphalt of the parking lot, coughing and disoriented.
Above us, glass shattered and the monster roared from the third-floor window, watching us.
"How did we teleport? and it knows," Nancy panted, loading shells into her shotgun. "It knows we're running."
"I will tell you later about it, You guys go to the Cabin," I said, dusting myself off. "Fortify it. Don't let it in."
"What about you?" Jonathan asked, starting the engine of the station wagon.
"I'm going to the source," I said, checking my ammo.
"As I'm going to close the door."
"You can't be in two places at once, Vivan!" Nancy argued. "We need help at the Cabin! El is the target!"
I smirked.
"Actually, I can."
I formed the Tiger Seal.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
POOF.
A cloud of smoke erupted next to me and A duplicate Vivan stepped out, cracking his knuckles.
"I'll ride shotgun," the Clone said, hopping into the station wagon. "Go and keep El safe."
Jonathan stared, then nodded. "Okay That's creepy. "
"Let's go."
The car sped off, tires screeching.
I stood alone in the parking lot.
'One me at the Cabin to play defense. One me at the Mall to play offense. Perfect.'
'Apparition.'
CRACK.
[ Location: Starcourt Mall - Parking Lot ][ Time: 7:30 PM ]
I arrived at the Mall and it was closed for the night, the neon lights buzzing ominously.
The parking lot was empty.
Except for one car.
A blue Camaro.
It was idling right in front of the main entrance, engine rumbling like a beast.
Leaning against the hood was Billy Hargrove.
He wasn't sweating anymore and he wasn't grey.
He looked perfect. Strong, as his shirt was unbuttoned, showing the sweat glistening on his chest.
But his eyes were pitch black.
He saw me and smiled.
It wasn't Billy's smile.
It was the Flayer's.
'Observe.'
[ Target: Billy Hargrove (The Flayed) ][ Stats: Strength 22 + ** (Boosted). ][ Status: Hostile. ]
"Hello, Vivan," the voice boomed, layered with a guttural growl that vibrated in my chest.
"Get out of the way, Billy," I said, drawing my wand and my Glock.
"You want to close the door," Billy stepped forward, his muscles tensing. "We built this for her, but we will break you first."
He slammed his foot on the ground,
he launched.
'He's fast. But.'
He threw a punch and I caught it.
Smack.
The impact shockwaved through my arm, but I held firm.
"I told you, Flayer," I said through gritted teeth, twisting his arm behind his back. "Get out."
Billy screamed, not in pain, but in rage and tried to bite me.
"Okay, that's enough," I grunted.
I pulled my wand with my free hand.
"Stupefy Maxima!"
A bolt of red light hit him point-blank in the chest.
His eyes rolled back and he went limp, collapsing into my arms.
I dragged him to the mall entrance and propped him up against a concrete pillar.
'If I leave him, the Flayer wakes him up. If I kill him, Max never forgives me. what a drag'
I pulled out a Paralysis Tag (made during my Konoha grind). I licked the back of it (old habit) and slapped it on his forehead.
"Fuinjutsu: Bind."
The ink glowed. Billy's muscles locked up completely.
Then, just to be safe, I used Telekinesis to bend a metal bike rack around his chest, binding him to the pillar.
"You sit this one out, Hargrove," I whispered, checking his pulse. "You don't get to die a hero today. You just get to live as a villan."
I turned to the mall.
'One down. An army to go.'
[ Location: Starcourt Mall - Loading Dock Elevator ][ Time: 8:00 PM ]
I pried the elevator doors open with my mind. The shaft was dark and smelled of Russian cigarettes.
I didn't wait for the car and directly jumped.
'Levitation.'
I fell fast, controlling the descent, landing softly on the roof of the elevator car five hundred feet down. I opened the hatch and dropped into the corridor.
The base was chaotic.
Red lights flashed. Alarms blared.
"Intruder alert! Sector 4!"
I heard gunfire.
'Gunfire?'
I ran toward the sound.
[ Location: Storage Corridor - Sector 4 ]
I turned the corner and saw them.
Steve, Robin and Dustin.
They were huddled behind a stack of metal crates.
Bullets were sparking off the metal above their heads.
Four Russian soldiers were advancing down the hall, firing in controlled bursts.
"I'm out of ammo!" Steve yelled, holding a Russian Makarov pistol. "This thing jams every five seconds!"
"Throw the rocks!" Dustin screamed.
"I am not throwing rocks at men with machine guns!" Robin shouted.
The soldiers moved closer. They were going to flank them.
'Not on my watch.'
I stepped out into the hallway.
'Telekinesis: Force Push.'
[ Ability Active. ]
I thrust both hands forward.
BOOM.
The air rippled. The four soldiers were lifted off their feet and blasted backward as if they'd been hit by a truck. They smashed into the far wall and didn't get up.
Silence.
Steve peeked over the crate, his hair was a mess. He had a bruise on his cheek.
"Vivan?!" Steve gaped. "You're late! And why aren't you wearing tactical gear? You're in a suit!"
"I had to walk the dog," I said, walking over to them. "Are you guys okay? And Steve, nice looting."
"Dead guy," Steve pointed to a fallen guard nearby, panting. "Figured I needed an upgrade from the bat."
"We're pinned down!" Dustin yelled. "They know we're here!"
"I noticed," I said. "Listen. I sent a Clone to the Cabin to help El. But I need to close the Gate now."
"Clone?? The radio room?" Robin asked. "You need navigation?"
"I will tell you about clone after all will be over! Exactly," I said. "Go to the Comms Room. Navigate me to the Key and call Murray Bauman. Tell him to bring the cavalry."
"What about you?" Robin asked.
"I'm going to blow something up," I said, reloading my Glock with Venom Rounds. "Go. Now!"
They ran toward the vents.
I turned toward the main power conduit.
[ Location: The Main Corridor ][ Time: 8:30 PM ]
I paused for a second as I needed to check on the others.
'Remote Viewing. Target: Hopper's Cabin.'
[ Ability Active. ]
My vision shifted.
It was a nightmare. The Meat Flayer—the giant spider monster—was tearing the roof off the cabin.
My Shadow Clone was standing on the roof, using a Telekinetic Shield to hold back a massive tentacle. Nancy was firing her shotgun. El was screaming, holding the other side.
'The Clone is holding But he's burning Aether fast.'
I snapped back to reality.
"Move," I told myself.
I sprinted down the hall. I blasted doors open with [ Bombarda ].
I crushed security cameras with my mind.
I reached the final door.
The Key Chamber.
I kicked it open.
The room was massive. In the center, the Key—a giant laser cannon—was firing a blue beam into the wall. The wall was glowing angry red and the rift was open.
And standing on the catwalk, blocking my path, was a man.
He was huge and wore a leather jacket and sunglasses indoors. He looked like he was carved out of granite.
Grigori.
The Russian Terminator.
He turned to me and smiled.
"The American boy," Grigori said. His voice was deep, like gravel. "The trickster."
"Move," I said, raising my wand.
"No," Grigori said.
Suddenly, the Rift pulsed.
SCREEECH.
The red light flared and something crawled out of the Gate.
A Demodog. Then another. Then three more.
They shook off the slime of the Upside Down and stood next to Grigori, growling at me.
'The Mind Flayer sent reinforcements. He is helping grigori.'
Grigori pulled out a knife. "You die now."
I looked at the Terminator and than looked at the five Demodogs.
'A wand won't cut it and gun won't be enough.'
I holstered my wand and reached into my Inventory and pulled out the Chakra Sword.
I channeled Aether into the blade.
It glowed white-hot, humming with power.
"System," I whispered. "Play my boss battle playlist."
I grinned.
"Let's break some toys."
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