Chapter 18: Battle at Devil’s Cove!

Cello was deep in thought as Berus, and she wandered through the ruins of Central City. Berus, who had his hands behind his head, glanced at Cello and noticed her focused expression.

Curious, he randomly asked, “So, how long have you had a crush on my sister?”

Cello broke out of her focus and looked at Berus, stunned. His question was so out of nowhere that she didn’t have time to process it. Her face flushed a light red, and Cello turned to look away.

“I-I-I don’t know what you’re talking about,” She stammered.

Seeing Cello flustered, Berus grinned, raising an eyebrow and said, “I’ve watched you and my sister hang out a few times, and I see the way you look at her.”

Cello whipped her head to the side, her face an apple red. “We’re just friends, okay!” She snapped.

Berus burst out laughing. He held his stomach, almost falling and rolling on the floor. He wiped the tears from his eyes as he composed himself. Berus looked at Cello and said, “Look, no one’s breaking any laws here. I’m just curious.”

Cello crossed her arms and humphed. “If you watch us so much, you figure it out,” She said, her tone sour.

“Hmmm,” Berus hummed as he thought about it. Then, he snapped his finger and said, “It all started when she and I were the only ones that went to your seventh birthday party, right?”

The young prince nodded in agreement with himself. He continued, “Yeah, yeah! The details are a little hazy, but I remember. You cried for about an hour, thanking Laura between sobs.”

The sides of Cello’s lips twitched, and veins popped up on the top of her head. She looked like she was ready to murder Berus.

Berus continued, “After that, you never left her side. I guess it’s understandable then. But, I don’t know if she feels the same way, Cello. Sis seems to be pretty interested in Anthony.”

“Fuck that human!” Cello quickly snapped back. “What does he have that I don’t?”

“Top academic credentials, a high-end job, emotional stability."

Cello furiously grabbed Berus by the collar and pulled him close. “Whose side are you on?!” She barked.

“I’m on my sister’s side, duh,” He said. “Her heart, her choice. She can fall in love with whomever she wants…as long as they're good-hearted. Which Anthony is. I would think you, being her best and only friend, would support her no matter what.”

Cello’s eyes widened slightly. Hearing Berus’s words, they made Cello feel some shame. She was Laura’s best friend; she SHOULD support her. Perhaps she was being selfish; it was a hard pill to swallow. Cello lowered her eyes and released Berus.

“Maybe…you’re right,” She muttered. “But still…”

Before Cello could finish her sentence, the two heard a sudden sound from the sky. It was a heavy sound. Wings flapping in the air. The two looked to see a purple figure flying in the sky, coming in their direction.

Berus quickly pushed Cello back. “Hide!” He said, and the two quickly ran behind some rubble.

They peeked their heads out, keeping their gaze on the purple figure as it flew by. As it got further away, the two exchanged glances before taking one more look to truly make sure it was gone.

Cello looked at Berus and asked, “Did you see that?!”

Berus nodded and said, “Yeah! That purple figure was wearing a mask!”

“That must be our guy. Let’s follow him!” The two got up and sprinted in the direction the masked man had flown to.

Armin and Hudgens had stopped in front of the black gates of the city’s cemetery. They had spotted a strange, gray mass in the middle of the cemetery earlier and went to investigate. Armin carefully opened the metal gates, their hinges making loud creaks as they were pushed. Hudgens had his rifle raised, on the alert that any of those red beasts or other creatures could be lurking. They tread carefully, glancing at the ground under them, and notice the series of long, dried roots. As they got closer, Armin saw the gray mass more clearly. He walked a little faster to get closer, kneeling in front of the mass.

“What the hell is that?” Hudgens asked, his brows furrowing in disgust.

Armin ran his right hand over the mass, examining it intently. After he was finished, Armin stood up, reaching into his pants pocket and grabbed a small bottle of hand sanitizer. He squirted some on his hands, rubbing them as he walked around the mass.

“This is a Lucifer Hand,” Armin said, surprisingly calm and composed.

“What?! But they’ve never been this big before!”

Armin bit his thumb as he thought of an explanation. But before the doctor could fully form an idea, the flapping of wings sounded above them. A shadow formed above them, and their heads shot up. Hudgens raised his rifle in the air, aiming at the purple figure that stared down at the two. Under the mask man’s mask, his blood red eyes stared widely at them. His gaze shifted, locking onto Armin. The masked man’s grin grew even wider, and without saying a word, he flew off. With little time to process their encounter, the two heard the sound of footsteps approaching their area. They looked back and saw Berus and Cello running in a full sprint, seemingly chasing after the masked man.

“That’s the masked man!” Berus yelled as they passed the cemetery. “We’re going to try and stop him!”

Hudgens stuck out his hand and shouted, “Hold it, you two!” However, they ignored his order and continued to run. He cursed, taking his radio from behind his belt, and spoke into it. “We’ve spotted the masked man heading north! Two of those experiment brats are in pursuit; we have to follow them!”

As Hudgens called on his fellow soldiers, Armin looked back again to see Laura sprinting with Anthony on her back. She was heading in the same direction as Berus and Cello.

“We saw the masked man!” Laura shouted. She picked up the pace, Anthony nearly falling off.

Hudgens watched furiously as the experiment trio pursued the masked man in such a rush. “Damn, these kids.” He cursed.

Armin quickly placed a hand on Hudgens's shoulder and said, “We might as well join them.” Armin went running out of the cemetery, and Hudgens reluctantly followed shortly after.

Berus and Cello ran all the way across the desolate land, never losing their sights on the masked man. As they reached the city’s edge, the two had to come to a screeching halt. The city was surrounded by the ocean, so there was no way for them to continue their pursuit. The masked man flew further away, then took a sharp dive toward the far island in front of them. The figure flew behind a tall building and wasn’t seen again. A few minutes later, Laura and Anthony showed up. Laura lowered Anthony, his feet touching the ground.

Berus looked at them and asked, “Did you guys see the masked man too?”

Anthony nodded and said, “Yes. He didn’t say anything when we were faced with him, and then quickly flew off.”

“Laura, are you okay?” Cello asked.

“I’m fine.”

“What exactly happened when you saw him?” Berus said.

“He just stared at us,” Laura explained. “He stared at us for like a minute, then just flew off. We were stunned for a bit before finally following him.”

During their conversation, the rest of the group had finally caught up. They were exhausted and out of breath. Armin caught his breath and asked them what happened. Berus explained the situation, saying that the masked man had flown down to the island in front of them.

“Devil’s Cove,” Armin said, walking to the very edge of the land. He turned around and continued, “Hudgens, tell the pilots to bring the chopper here and take us to that island.”

Hudgens nodded and, without question, pulled out his radio and called the pilots who were waiting in the helicopter. As they waited, the group all looked out to the island, wanting to see if they might see movement of some kind.

Out of curiosity, Laura turned around to look at Armin and asked, “Why is that island called Devil’s Cove?”

“Long ago, there was a horrific nuclear accident that caused irreparable damage to the island,” Armin said. “That island had been uninhabitable even long before the others. To this day, radiation still lingers on that island, but not as bad as it once did.”

A voice suddenly spoke out. “Quite a few years ago, that island was where your experiments were first shown to the world.” That voice belonged to Sanchez.

Gordon looked at the experiment trio and added, “Ay, they all fought to the death. It was quite the bloody show.”

The three looked out to the island in both shock and awe. It was hard to believe that was where experiments were first shown to the world. Laura reached into her robes and touched the folded photo. She wondered if her and Berus’s mother and father had fought on the island. If he did, what happened? Did they fight each other?

As the questions rolled around in her mind, the group heard the sound of the helicopter blades getting closer. It landed on the ground, the door slowly opening up. Once the group all ran inside, the helicopter took off, the door raising back up while they were in the air. They flew over Devil’s Cover, and the pilots scouted the area when they saw the masked man sitting on a destroyed building. He waved both his arms at them, kicking his legs as they dangled over what was once the roof of the building. The helicopter headed down, landing a bit of a distance away. Everyone got up and headed toward the door. They all readied themselves for a fight. As the door opened, everyone took a deep breath. Once the door was completely down, the group rushed out and headed straight toward the masked man's direction. As they got closer, he stood up and waited for the group to arrive.

The masked man waved childishly at the group as they stopped a few feet below him. “Well, howdy-ho!” The masked man said, his voice was high and very flamboyant. He placed his hands on his hips and leaned forward as he continued, “Well, my, my. You all found my secret evil lair. Congrats!”

“Not much of a secret if an airplane can find it,” Fischer commented.

Ignoring his comment, the masked man continued his joyous ramble. “Look at all these sour faces. You look like I killed someone.” The man chuckled to himself.

“You killed two leaders of experimental empires!” Cello snapped.

“That I did!”

Laura took a step forward and said, “Why? How could you murder them in cold blood?”

“Hmmm,” The masked man hummed, tapping his finger to his mask. “Circle of life,” He responded.

“That’s not how the circle of life works.”

“Revenge is a dish best served microwaved?” The masked man shrugged. “Look, I’m the main villain, that should be enough for you people!”

“Is this just some game to you!” Berus barked.

The masked man paced back and forth as he talked. “Well, I wouldn’t call it a game per se. More like…mmm, instincts, yeah!” He jumped off the roof, smashing the skull of a skeleton that had been trapped under the building with both his feet.

He continued, “Now, I’m more than positive you would love an explanation as to my origins and goals, buuuuut we do have to have a battle. As per the title of the chapter. So,” The masked man flicked his sleeves as he raised his hands, “come at me!”

The experiment trio stepped forward, Berus cracking his knuckles before him, and Cello took their fighting stance. Laura unsheathed her sword and raised it in front of her, pointing the tip at the masked man.

Berus and Cello charged forward, throwing two simultaneous punches. The masked man grabbed their fists, not even moving an inch. Still gripping their fists, the masked man spun around and threw the two away. Laura swiftly thrust her sword forward, the masked man catching the blade in both hands. He went for a kick, but Laura blocked it with her own leg. Berus rushed over, going for another punch. The masked man used his left hand to push the blade down while using his right to block Berus’s punch.

Cello leaped into the air to deliver a kick. The masked man ducked out of the way, and Laura moved her sword upward. The tip of the blade cut into the wolf mask, but the masked man managed to dodge the attack. Berus kicked the masked man in the ribs and sent him sliding to the side. Cello went for another barrage of attacks, but the masked man blocked or dodged each one. However, once Berus jumped in, the duo put the masked man on the backfoot. Berus socked him in the gut, with Cello delivering a powerful uppercut. The masked man stumbled back, and Laura swooped in, planting her right foot down and lunging forward, bringing her sword down for a slash. The masked man barely dodged it, the sword slicing through the front of his purple robes.

The masked man hopped a few steps back, letting out a quick sigh after he made some distance. “Boy, oh boy,” He said with a grin. “You three are quite the force to be reckoned with. I’m getting a WAY better challenge from you than with those old farts.”

“Don’t you dare mock the leaders!” Berus yelled, bursting forward to continue the fight.

The masked man blocked a few of the young prince’s strikes, grabbing his left wrist. He felt something strange on Berus’s wrist, and in his distraction, Cello socked the masked man across the jaw. Whipping his head to glare at the Cello, he yelped and moved his head out of the way of the spinning sword. It grazed his shoulder before the blade impaled into the ground. Berus rushed in, throwing a few kicks that the masked man blocked with his palms. He managed to knock Berus away, but was met with a flurry of throwing knives heading his way.

He jumped to the side to avoid them, Cello jumping out from behind him, and went for a slash with her claws. The masked man grabbed her wrist, pulling her forward while he used his other arm, slamming his elbow into her stomach. She was sent flying back into a building, a dent left in her armor.

Laura charged at the masked man, slinging more throwing knives at him. He dodged them all; however, he wasn’t prepared for the flame strip and slapped it onto his left arm. She quickly reached into her belt, sliding on the igniter and lit the paper ablaze. The masked man’s whole lower arm burst into black and pink flames. He quickly removed the glove from his right hand with his teeth and hacked off his left arm from the elbow. The severed arm fell to the ground and burned to ash. Red tendrils shot from the wound and reformed his left arm, revealing his light gray skin.

“You’ve got quite the bag of tricks, little miss.” The masked man commented, a dark twinge in his tone.

Laura didn’t comment and instead dashed toward the masked man. The two went on a quick back-and-forth before the masked man smacked Laura away. Berus and Cello rushed in, putting the masked man on the defensive. He kicked Cello away, Berus grabbing one of his arms and sinking his teeth into the masked man’s flesh.

He yelped, shaking his arm. “Hey! No biting!” The masked man grabbed Berus by the hair and pried him off. He tossed the young man to the side, and a green blur came wheezing through the air. Laura's flute impaled into the masked man’s left eye before falling to the ground.

“Gaaah!” He shouted, “My eye!”

The masked man blinked multiple times with that eye as he looked down to see the flute on the ground. He looked back up and said, “Did you just throw…A mother. Fucking. Flu-”

Before he could finish, Cello slammed both her feet into his back and sent him flying forward. His face dragged across the ground before hitting a large rock and stopping his body. Laura rushed over and took out her sword from the ground. The masked man got up with a groan, looking back to see the trio in their stances again.

He quietly growled before saying, “Alright! No more cheap tricks! Have some class, you brats!”

The masked man couldn’t say another word before a gunshot rang and pierced through his skull and through his left eye. The one who had fired the shot was Hudgens. The masked man stumbled, stunned and speechless. Laura used this opportunity and burst forward, rearing her blade and delivering a clean cut across his neck. His severed head flew into the air before hitting and rolling on the ground, his decapitated body stumbled before falling back.

Laura was panting heavily, unsure if she would’ve made it in time. She looked down to see the unmoving corpse, breathing a sigh of relief.

“W-we did it!” Anthony said out loud.

“That was easier than expected,” Berus commented.

The trio ran over to the group, Laura putting her sword back into its sheath. They all smiled and patted the trio on the back or shoulder.

“Aye, great shot, Hudgens!” Taylor said, slapping the soldier's back.

While they shared this moment of triumph, something didn’t feel right to Armin. Berus was right; that was easy. Too easy. Armin remembered seeing the masked man regrow his arm, so he took a quick look back, but nothing had happened. He should’ve been relieved, but something was off. Their good mood was cut short by a voice yelling at them.

“After I said no tricks, ya go and do that!” The masked man’s severed head said. “You guys are jerks, ya know that?!”

The entire group fell silent, their eyes opening wide, the color draining from their face. The masked man’s body sat up and started touching the ground around it in search of its missing head.

“Over here, dumb dumb. No, left. No, no, stage left! Thank you!”

The masked man’s head was reattached, but was put backward. He sighed, annoyed, and spun his head to face forward. The group, mouth agape with ashen looks, couldn’t believe their eyes.

“H-how?” Anthony whimpered.

“That’s…impossible…” Laura added.

The masked man let out a lower, menacing chuckle. “Well then,” he said, grabbing his mask and cloak. “I’ll start taking this seriously." His voice changed at that last sentence, becoming deeper and darker.

Laura and Berus’s eyes widened even more upon hearing this new voice. “Papa?” They both said.

The masked man laughed before saying, “You only wish I was.” He threw off his cloak and mask. Armin’s entire body went cold, and he nearly fell to his knees when he saw those crimson eyes with white pupils.

The sides of the masked man’s mouth split open as he laughed louder. This masked man…was the fungus clone that was thought to have been killed ten years ago. A chill went down the group’s spines as they all quickly realized just how hopeless this fight had become.