Chapter 36:

(Episode VIII) (Act 5)

siVisPride


Maddie was swearing, trying to kick, as the wires that were dragging her were covering her completely now—so spinally yet created an excellent mesh. So, it couldn’t have been from the pillars, but the Davenoid’s web supply.

Aiko reasoned that it managed to see them, somehow.

River in her specter like form floated forward, creating a trail of bellowing steam in her wake. Tracy and Aiko ran after.

Oddly, the Davenoid didn’t notice, or at the very least didn’t notice River. She glided, towards Maddie, clouding the entire warehouse in seconds.

But suddenly, she became visible. Just like that, with even her looking over her own hands as she pants.

“RIVER, HIDE!” Tracy screamed. “WE DON’T KNOW HOW IT SAW US!”

River, out of breath, just looked towards Maddie who was starting to become strung up within the webs, “W—WE’LL GET YOU OUT--!” She retreated within the fog.

Aiko looked around the white mist, and said this to Tracy—River—anyone, “We have to figure something out—have River use the ability again so I or Jackie can uproot the Davenoid from behind, something—anything!”

“DON’T DO IIIIIIT!” the small girl tried to rip out of the terrible construction she’s in the dead center in. She was like the Davenoid, only unwilling, a series of wires starting to dig into her very skin—only way she could fight off was to use siVis to buck against it. But she was losing.

YOU FUCKING PIECE OF SHIT, YOU BOOTLEG MICKEY MOUSE BITCH, I’LL FUCKING TEACH YOU TO FUCK WITH ME--!

“River!” Aiko looked for her, trying to keep moving despite hoisting Jackie up and her legs post the point of giving out, moving towards where she disappeared while being wary of any nearby hazards. “Please! Figure out how your ability works--!”

She hit and nearly tripped on something.

Someone. River was on her side again, clutching her still-twisted ankle, trying desperately to catch her breath.

Aiko could only look on, as fear paralyzed her again.

Her head snapped towards a shriek that belonged to Maddie.

The wires attempts to bore into her was still futile, but still caused massive bite-sized holes to be created throughout her body. And by Maddie’s expressions, twisting and turning, it was nothing but merciless pain.

“I’LL KILL YOU—I DON’T KNOW HOW, BUT I’LL FUCKING KILL YOU, DO YOU HEARD MEEE?!” Her voice cracked, and she noticed. This made her angrier, practically spewing and spitting venom, “I’M NOT DYING TO THIS—I COULD’VE DIED TO BETTER THINGS THAN THIS, YOU FUCK, YOU FU---” Cut off again as she wailed out, a squeal that ended with a unimpressive squeak. “FUCK YOU, FU—” She tensed, only able to jibber. She couldn’t stop it, she couldn’t stop this, and it was becoming more and more apparent. “You’re not going to be the one to get me—I fucking survived for this fucking long not to get got by s-some--!” Cut off again, and she just roared in agony, pain, and desperation. It trailed off into a broken, hurt whimper that was embarrassingly long.

She just started crying, weeping her next few words.

“i didn’t do all of this shit—just to die like this… please, i cant fucking go like this…”

In a last, pitiful bid—Maddie grabbed at the wires that drilled into her hands, tugging at them like a child.

But a tug was enough. The wires, somehow, turnt of a sickly, moldy green as it lost it’s strength, and Maddie broke free.

Her eyes, big now and not half closed—glossed with tears just looked at her hand. Barely believing what she’s seeing. And what just happened.

siVis Ability: FOUNDED!

“am-am I strong--?” Maddie spoke in a whisper, before using her other hand to do the same, again—a sickly green before being able to rip away casually. She ripped away all the wires, falling right into the fog.

Aiko saw her scramble forward, stopping just short of River. Wordlessly, she tried to help her up.

Then River’s shoulder started to turn that sickly green.

“Fuck--!” Maddie reeled her hand back, looking at it.

The girls just watched at what Maddie did. A sickily green, a rubbery texture… Of strings.

And not just strings, but oddly patterned and layered and laid out with care and purpose. It slowly returned into River’s regular shoulder.

“…I turn things into string?” Maddie said. “Well shit, that’s disappointing as fuck… Deserving, but still.” She looked at her hands again, “Can I never touch anything now?!”

An attack by the Davenoid not only stopped the possible talk, but sent Aiko and Maddie fly backwards—causing Aiko to lose grip of Jackie as she fell on her back.

“MAN FUCK YOU--!” Maddie’s throat was still raw.

As soon as the impact hit her back, Aiko knew that she was done.

This body—this fearful, cowardly body—was past it’s due. Even with enlightenment, it only granted the fact that fear always took hold of her—no. It was fear that always played a vital part in her make up.

She looked to River, barely stabilizing her breathing still, the only thing she can go was tense in pain as she’s reminded of her twisted ankle.

Where was Tracy in all of this? Hiding again?

It was only down to Maddie, and it pained Aiko more that she couldn’t help. She was about ready to give into despair.

Then she heard Jackie gasp back for life, causing Aiko to crane her head towards her. She kept gasping for air, only to cough and scurry about out of instinct.

“Oh, thank Christ!” Maddie exclaimed. “Be a hero again Jackson, please, none of us can do it better than you can—"

The victory was sort lived.

Jackie tried to rest, only to fall back down again. She hoisted herself up with her arm and leg fighting against the buckling, but it was clear. Her ability still left her drained after the attack. Her eyes were shot open, she was so delirious—when she looked at Aiko and Maddie, she only did just that. She didn’t see them.

The wire-tendrils that tried to attack Aiko and Maddie reared up again and lanced themselves forward.

Maddie cursed to herself and readied her hands, catching and gripping onto one of them as the ability call was made again. She turned the wire into threads again, causing the others to stop in their tracks.

“I told your ass I’d get--!”

Her insult was followed by a scream, as the wire accelerated—like they did to bore from the earth—within her hands, causing her to immediately let go.

And the pain made her a sitting duck, for the others to dive and prey upon.

Tracy tackled her out of the way, almost from nowhere. The two skidded away from the impact, and it was clear that they were going to bore right through Maddie.

As Maddie grunted and crawled over to inspect her hands, Tracy rocked in place as she was the only one standing. And she knew that.

When she saw the vibrating tendrils, practically king cobras rearing to go, Aiko saw something snap in the lady. She rose her hands, as if what she did was wrong.

“I’m sorry, please—I-I-I’m sorry! I HAD TO PLEASE, I’M SORRY--!”

They dove in anyways.

And like everyone else, Tracy feebly put her hands up to brace herself.

What followed was the floor being lifted up as she did it, the tendrils crashing head on and stunned due to the suddenness of it all.

siVis Ability: FOUNDED!

“me--?” Tracy pointed herself in quick succession. “Me too--? I did--? YEAH! YAAAY!”

“Shit!” Maddie broke through the joy. “I think I’m fucked up, girls!”

“W-what do you mean?” Tracy said. She turned to her, and Maddie in turn sat up and faced her plus Aiko.

Maddie’s hands, for a lack of a better description, were in literal tatters.

They were turned into thread instead, and each unraveled string hung from her hands to her wrists.

“OH MY GOD, MADDIE—" Tracy shrieked.

“I-it hurts, but it’s not—ah! Fuck me—it’s not that bad, not as bad as the other shit right now, but I think I’m fucked like River!”

“Tracy!” Jackie’s voice was unmistakable. “Another wall, quick--!”

The girl fumbled a bit, trying to figure out how she did in the face of the speeding tendrils. Raising her arms, flapping them in the air as the precious seconds burnt away.

siVis Ability!

Tracy’s arms suddenly stopped, mid-flailing. She was confused, but no time to ponder. She struggled, as if she were a mime trying to lift something up, again a slab of floor followed her lead, casting vertically as it became a shield.

It became ammo instead.

The tendrils bore into the slab, showering the girls in mishappened clods that pelted them nearly everywhere on their bodies—knocking the ones standing down again, everyone inflicted with siVis-latent bruising.

“Damn it!” Jackie looked at the tendrils advancing, and got right back up. Despite herself? “I did this, I—”

She dashed forward, meeting the now-merged serpent hand on—punching at with her ability, despite getting knocked back.

…Despite not fainting…

Jackie couldn’t believe it either, while looking tired, she was still here.

Immediately rebounding from the burst, the wires spilt once more and try to rush Jackie. She responded, reflexively punching away any that gets near, skirting back, but still was able to keep consciousness while blowing them back—forcing them to retreat.

“…I can absorb kinetic force too…?” Jackie pondered, while still looking worse for wear.

But she had a fiery look in her eye, none the less.

“I can dish it back—It’s weird, and not as strong, but I can dish it back!” Jackie proclaimed, as the tendrils advanced at her again, and she kept punching them back—feebly, but still enough.

“In that case—” Maddie found the strength to leap up and ran for the Davenoid’s webbing. “You keep it busy! I’ll do what I can!”

Aiko can only look, despite her awareness being sharpier than usual—maybe heightened because of all this.

Maddie tore at the webs, all while wincing in pain, but she continued to shout, “Fucking get fucked! I’m fucking up all your shit! Fucking trashed, bitch--!”

Even the fog started to get more and more thick. With a resounding confirmation, River regained the use of her ability, adding as much steam as she can in her state. Aiko glanced over, watching her still holding her leg, her cheeks filled with air shrink, as her body is releasing steam, but not transforming into it this time.

On her other side, Tracy is trying her best to raise the ground again, but clearly nothing’s working. There’s some kind of logic, some kind of cause and effect with these abilities—and maybe the best thing about this whole incident is the fact that they’re able to figure that out, versus facing someone that clearly figured theirs out.

The Davenoid kept moving it’s head, just like Aiko, but it was clear whatever it used to somehow detect them doesn’t work anymore. And Maddie is ripping up it’s handy work as Jackie keeps fighting back with it, possibly for a long time.

Its his blessing and curse, Aiko figured out. Its a terrible accident that could’ve killed countless people, never mind them… But its also an accident. It can do these improbable things, but no true software or design that perfects it every single time. It pauses, it figures out, but it gets overwhelmed.

Maddie made it to where the Davenoid was, and started swiping at the last wires it was being held up by, and could even aim at the last chuck of wires at its base, ending this.

It began to use everything and anything it had.

The hanging wires, just undone, started to lash in every direction, knocking Maddie back onto her side.

It followed up, and proceeded to wrap itself around her head and started to squeeze.

“MADDIE--!” Jackie screamed out. Her guard let down.

Jackie was lashed, repeatedly, but she braved it if that meant getting to Maddie, using her ability to burst forward. She got the tendril coiled around Maddie, and pried with her own strength that should’ve been gone what felt like hours ago. She freed her, taking the hits as she’s launched with Maddie in her arms.

“M-maddie… Tell me…” Jackie swallowed, trying to keep awake. “You…?”

Maddie could only raise a thumb up, encouraging but concerning.

Aiko looked to River, who has her eyes shut, barely gathering herself no better than before. Aiko looked to Tracy, who pleaded to herself to make whatever she did work.

Every move forward, the push renders everything void. Reality, again and again, pushing them all back in the most insane ways.

It was what she was living in fear of.

It was everything that everyone feared.

So that was the reason she got up. Forced herself up.

She had to stand up, and had to charge straight forward.

No more words, no more thinking. Either weighs down what every human’s capable of, an universal gift and a crippling curse.

To act.

Aiko jumped at the Davenoid, not really knowing what she was going to do. But she landed and tried to rock her body to finally force it down to the ground. With the help of Maddie, the wires she couldn’t rip at finally gave way and her with the Davenoid fell to the ground.

So she felt accomplished, despite feeling the tendrils coiling around her. The shouts and screaming of the others. The endless pit in her stomach that doubled as a black hole, telling her that she’s fucked up. It was all worth it.

This is why she did the things she did. Scale streetlights. Hopped across rocks that scattered across rushing rivers. And cut anything not related to that out of her life.

Just to be this. To live, not ruled by fear—but a life of ultimately no regrets.

The Davenoid flung her to its right at blinding speeds, and Aiko crashed out of the warehouse’s boarded up window.

She sailed so fast, that she picked up enough momentum to jump the high fence of a nearby construction yard, and once she hit something, she felt nothing.