Arc 2 - Chapter 14: Benn and Hope vs Gemma II

(Quintiles 29, 59 / 7:45PM)

Back to the present…

“Where are we going!?”

“Outside.”

Sprinting across the wooden floor, mist surrounded the both of them, leaving their vision to be clouded by the moistened air. Their stomachs clenched, all they wanted to do was escape the building.

They knew that stopping would be fatal, leaving both of them to sway their heads rapidly. Their breaths haggard, the thought of dying was enough to push their breathing to manual, rather than automatic.

‘Let’s just hope we don’t run into a wall—’

They crashed into something.

Their cheeks making contact, they reddened on impact. No time to feel angry, Benn extended his hands forward, and felt his palms graze a hard surface. Turning toward Hope, who he barely saw, his throat began to quiver as he gulped loudly.

“Guess we’re not that lucky…”

“Save us!”

“Benn! They’re getting closer!”

They heard the group of zompires clamping their feet on the wood, causing the floor to shake. Scratching his nose, he closed his eyes, while feeling Hope cling to his arm like a lifeline. With her right hand, she pointed her combat pistol toward the sound of thudding footsteps.

Out of pure instinct, the abundance of moisture heightened his senses more than normal. Allowing his memory to open up quickly, it was also vivid, like he was sucked into a dream.

‘There were a bunch of electrical cords from the front entrance, so…’

“B-B-Benn!”

Pulling out his machine gun, he aimed the barrel at the same direction Hope had her gun pointed to. His finger on the trigger, he steadied his aim, as the footsteps got louder and louder.

Waiting for the chance to fire, the coldness of the mist allowed his breath to be seen. Hyperventilating amidst the stress, outlines of sprinting silhouettes began to be shown in front of them.

‘I hope I don’t die from this…’

His forearms pulsating, he used his left hand to push Hope away from the incoming zompires. His nose stinging from the abhorrent smell, he lunged to the right, leaving their footsteps to thud toward the direction of where he landed. For a split second, he saw the zompires, and counted them.

There were eight of them; all looking to be Gemma’s age.

‘They’re all piled together…’

He aimed his machine gun not at the incoming horde, but far in the distance. Placing his finger steady on the trigger, he tried to squint through the blinding mist, but the whiteness wouldn’t let him. His breathing relaxed, he fired the trigger twice, leaving two small bursts of bullets to burn the metal.

And instead of striking at the horde, it rippled through the mist, into the unknown. But he didn’t strike the unknown.

Like the snap of a small wooden stick, a bolt of sparks littered onto the horde. Sizzling, it looked like a bolt of electricity soar through their bodies. Meaning the unknown Benn struck … was the hanging electrical cords he first saw when entering in.

Their eyes beginning to melt, the solid to liquid eyes flowed down their cheeks, while their bones crackled hysterically. Collapsing under their overcharged bodies, bolts of electricity sparked from their conductive bodies.

And as for Benn…

‘Ah!’

It also flowed into him. His clothes spewing out bolts of electricity, all of his muscles circulated the electrical charge ran inside his body like a bullet train. Having his own electrical field, Benn collapsed onto his knees, and placed his hands onto the wooden floor.

He felt like a thousand needles stabbed him repeatedly, all throughout every corner of his body. His nerves in absolute overdrive, he couldn’t tell if he was feeling hot or cold. Clenching his eyes, his hands tightened the most they ever were, all the while his bones and joints asked for the sweet release of death.

“AAAAAAHH!!”

Amidst the pain … in the barely visible mist …

He pushed his vocals to the limit, screaming under the cataclysmic pain.

His skin starting to darken, his grayish-blue skin began to burn from the stinging electricity. Continuing to scream, continuing to tear his vocals, the pain ate away his soul and mental being. Until…

“Heal…”

Placing her hands onto his back, she felt the contents of the frictionful leather black jacket. Volts latching onto her skin, it soared through her body as well, pushing her to grit her teeth. Her palms reddened, the yellowish light didn’t stopt.

Shutting her eyes, arching her back, her saintly yellow light continued to shine amidst the pain.

‘This is all I can do…’

Her legs shook. Her knees buckled.

She slammed hard alongst the floor, and fluttered her eyes repeatedly. Followed by her breath decreasing, her core strength diminished as she slammed her chin to the wood. And just as she did this, Benn stopped his shrieking cries.

Putting one knee on the floor, he lifted himself up with a normal body. Breathing in, he looked around the mist that blocked his vision still, and clouded his body like an ice blanket. Having his gun by his side, both hands on the weapon tightened unwaveringly.

‘Gemma is still alive somewhere…’

Placing his right hand over his chest, he glanced down at the wheezing Hope, who lay on her stomach with sweat drizzling her face. Swiping a drop of blood from his lip, he stained his healed hand with it, while focusing on the blonde beauty.

‘But Hope is barely…’

Crouching down, he placed his left hand onto her back. Feeling her heart drastically slowed, he gulped down whatever saliva that failed to moisten his mouth.

Having a time limit, the mist that clouded the bar began to fade. Turning his head left, he saw what’s left of the zompires, as he saw nothing but black ash littering the wooden floor. Relieving a quiet sigh, his eyes sunk down into the bottom of his cheeks.

“I guess it’s just me then.”

Without looking, he heard a rumble of footsteps thudding the wooden floor.

Moving his left hand toward the center of his gun, Benn stood up and straightened his body; while seeing a burnt girl walking in the distance. Noticing that a line of ammo didn’t line up for the magazine, it meant his gun was dry, eliminating the chance for an easy fight.

‘And I guess I have to fight like a man.’

Holstering his gun into his jacket pocket, specifically toward his back, a click resonated around the bar. Spreading his feet a few inches apart, he tightened his fists, and raised his large hands to spring up a fighting stance.

“No matter what, I’ll make sure all your limbs fit inside my stomach.”

Taking no note of her stomach, he kept his frown lips and dry voice to puncture his one liner.

“You’re gonna need a bigger stomach.”

________________________________________________________________________

Her right leg pushed off the ground, she barreled through the stale air. Rippling her skin, she extended her hands outward, and showcased her fingernails that were drenched in tar.

Pressuring the soles of his feet to the wood, his fists only tightened, and anticipated her next move.

“Too easy.”

Lunging herself to the right, and angling her body, she thrusted her right hand toward his stomach. His body open for an attack, her fingernails sharpened the more she etched closer.

But he didn’t have time to defend himself from her. His eyes tracking her movements, his hands nor feet were fast enough to move his bulky body.

‘Please forgive me, Hope.’

Benn pushed out his right hand, which sent her nails to shoot through his bones like bullets. Having her fingers wedged between them, the only response he could give was a silent yelp.

Cold sweat littered down his forehead and neck, while a river of blood gushed from his new wound. His eyes blurred, Gemma tried to wrench her nails back, and she twisted her bones and fingers to loosen his joints. But it only made Benn gag his mouth open; from pain.

“Don’t think you trapped me just yet!”

She pushed her other hand, leaving Benn to turn his fastened eyes onto her nails. For a split second, her nails weren’t that sharp compared to the ones lodged in his hand, but they weren’t dull.

‘She’s … starting to get desperate…’

Targeting his liver, her fingers were on the verge of making contact. With a sharp thrust—

He grabbed her wrist, and clenched her down with bone breaking strength. Gripping her frail bones into place, her teeth clenched as he stared at her with narrowed eyes.

“You … gasps … shouldn’t have exerted that much force … gasps … to begin with.”

He began to bend her forearm, leaving a malicious crackle to reverberate their ears. Her fingers facing the direction of her body, she struggled, as Benn’s arms pulsated from his unyielding strength. Hearing a hellish creaking sound, the area between her forearm and arm … soon snapped.

Leaving the joints to be free from each other.

“D-Damn you!”

Her arm bending unrealistically, Benn pushed her fingers slowly to her chest, as both of his forearms shivered in strength.

Unable to allow her to fight back, the soles of his boots pressured onto the wooden floor. Having a steady grip on her wrist, he pushed further and further with his stomach squeezing in agony. Soon, her fingernails finally began to scrape the white fabric of her skirt.

Her eyes tarshot, all he needed was just a single push forward … Once he saw a small streak of tar river out.

‘Just one last—’

She pushed herself forward, allowing herself to be stabbed by her own fingernails. But as she did this, all of his focus was on her eyes, which left his liver to be …

‘W-What…’

He glanced down, and noticed a hand wedged inside his stomach region. Feeling his vision blurring heavily, traces of cold sweat swept down his temples, followed by his forehead. And froze.

The crevices of her lips reaching her ears, her affectionate eyes looked upon the pale faced shark-human. Covering her mouth with her hand, her eyes squinted devilishly like a brat winning chess.

“Turns out I just won.”

Benn pulled his hand toward his body, and noticed many holes scattering her gunshot riddled body. Chunks of bone and meat littering the wooden floor, he glided his body back, leaving Gemma to pull back her fingers as well. Allowing a streak of running blood to pour from his liver, tinnitus rang.

Placing his normal hand onto his chest, his bloodied one dropped alongst his thigh. Splattering the wooden floor, everything from his nerves to his bones screamed out in pain.

‘Oh no … oh no …’

Twitching his injured hand, the utter pain alone caused Benn to activate his gag reflex. Hunching his body forward, he took many steps back, as his vision blurred to a full 100%. Bending over, he felt like his head might explode, and moved his safe hand onto his chest.

Staining the leather with his own blood, he coughed out whatever liquids that dwindled his mouth.

‘I still haven’t told Gwen yet… I still haven’t…’

Despite coughing out no liquids, he used his safe hand to swipe away a drop of saliva or two. Turning his head towards the door, with a drool lingering along his right lip, he tiptoed slowly like a hermit crab.

Sniffling the air, he catched whiff of Hope’s body near the entrance. Steadying his breath, he closed his eyes, and began slowly exhaling and inhaling through his parched nostrils.

‘I need to get out of here. I need to—’

“Yeah no can do sushi. You know I have a reservation starting right now~”

Towering over him, Gemma looked down with joy in her eyes, while she folded her arms below her chest. Smacking her lips, she let her rotten tongue intertwine her decaying gums and teeth, making it marinate with her foul breath.

Crouching down, she extended her right hand, and let the tips of her nails caress the top of his hair. Leaning close to Benn’s face, she extended her other hand toward his chin, which left microscopic cuts along his bluish skin. As he stared at her with widened eyes.

“I think I’m just hitting the tip of the oasis~”

“Gemma … let him go…”

Gemma and Benn turned toward the direction of a heavenly voice. Lying on her stomach, Hope wide-eyed Gemma with darkened eyes. Making eye contact with the girl who was barely breathing, her grip on Benn’s hair trembled violently.

Letting out a warm smile, the corners of her eyes slanted outward.

“Hmm? How’re you still here?”

Letting go of Benn’s face, she placed her hands onto her lower back, and walked toward Hope with sharpened eyes. Which left Benn to collapse onto the ground, hitting the wooden floor against his chin. Unable to speak, not even a trace of a mellow whisper fluttered.

‘Hope … what are you doing …?’

Glancing back toward the bleeding shark-human, Gemma placed her frail finger up to her lips. Smiling as the white pigment of her face slightly reddened, she made a shooing sound, while a cold mist blew out from the center of her mouth.

“Your hope is running thin. You’re too worn out to be able to fight back.”

Crawling ever so slowly, his throat jumped repeatedly the more he pushed. Intensely staring at the lich girl, Gemma in return crouched down near where Hope was, and extended her left hand downward.

Running her fingers along her cheek, she felt the softness of the warmthful woman, scraping away any traces of dead skin lingering on her. Creating small cuts along her cheekbones, the devilish smile that plagued her cheeks soon faded.

“And I think it’s about time to put you out of your misery, Hope. You look like you’re about to wither off into the rising sunset…”

Grabbing onto Hope’s hair, she lifted her arm up, all the while her leather jacket sprawled out several electrical sparks.

Her body already burnt, and her breathing diminishing, Gemma had her other hand restless alongst her side. Staring straight into Hope, she ignored Benn who barely reached her right foot.

“Did you really think you could’ve beaten me? A tank and a healer? I thought I was done for … until you executed the combo the worst way possible.”

Raising the restful hand, she had it up high in the air, and spread her legs to form a pose. The evening sunlight from outside began to dim, all three of them didn’t notice that they were in front of a large window. A window that began to cast in black, followed by a couple of shadows soon blocking the radiating sun.

“I’m strong … much stronger than any of you combined!”

—Then came the Vulcan of bullets.—