(Gertsmonath 16, 52 / 10:01PM)

  14 years ago.

  Even in the night, the city of Lagefor still bustled.

  The city night lights radiated every inch amongst the darkest of shadows, every building shone brightly into the night. Light pollution blocked the stars from sparkling the night sky, many citizens continued on with their nightly routines.

  Some smoked, some gambled, and some slept.

  And others slept around.

  Walking through the empty downtown streets, a lone man kicked off a soda littered on the street. The top of the soda can hit one of the cement buildings, it danced for two seconds before rolling down a pitched bck alleyway.

  Turning his eyes to the right, the lone man noticed a young woman leaning on the edge of the building. Holding a cigarette in her hand, she looked to be barely 20, her lower eyelids circled in dark eye bags.

  (???) Do you need some company mister?

  (Random Male) Thank you for the offer, but I’m a married man.

  (???) It’s just for one night.

  (Random Male) No really, I am fine. Thank you.

  The prostitute grabbed the lone man’s arm, her fingers tracing circles around the man’s sleeves. Trying to pull his arm back, she had her other hand cmp down on his wrist, leading her nails to dig deep.

  Her eyes pushed down, and she smacked her upper and lower lips, saltering her mouth with her moistened tongue. Softly breathing onto him, the man froze his feet, with the soles of his heels gluing deep into the sidewalk pavement.

  (???) You know you want it~

  The man took off his hoodie, leaving the prostitute to see a man with blonde hair. Being a few inches taller than her, both his eyes were red, followed by his dress shoes gleaming under the building lights above.

  Wearing a tuxedo suit underneath his hoodie, the prostitute only purred the more she saw him.

  (???) I feel like I’ve seen you before~

  (Joseph) You’ve probably seen my face somewhere. I’m nothing more than a politician from Ticia.

  (???) Hmm~

  The prostitute brought her face inches away from his, with the tips of their noses barely touching each other. Gulping down whatever saliva stuck in his throat, Joseph tried to move his arm back, but it only caused the woman to stab her nails into his bones.

  Widening his eyes, he gnced at the new fresh scars he was receiving. As if she trained or honed her muscles, a thought came to Joseph’s mind.

  (Joseph’s thoughts) Does she have Togo?

  Balling his right fist, he had it lowered down to his thigh, before thrusting it toward the prostitute. In the snap of a match, she arched her head back, as Joseph’s fist barely grazed the bottom of her chin.

  Letting go of him, the prostitute threw away her cigarette, raising both her hands to the height of her shoulders.

  (???) I’m not interested in this type of role-py.

  Both her hind legs crouched down an inch from her original height, followed by her eyes scanning every muscle across his body. Gliding her right foot back, her eyes gred deep into Joseph’s red pupils, leading her to churn her lips downward.

  While Joseph took a step back.

  (Joseph) It seems you know how to defend yourself. Who taught you The Art of Togo if I may ask?

  (???) That’s none of your concern. Get lost you pervert.

  Joseph furrowed his brow before pcing both of his hands back into his tuxedo pockets. Tilting his head to the right, a little chuckle sought out from his lips, causing the prostitute to tighten her knuckles evermore.

  (Joseph) But I haven’t even said or thought of any remark that may offend you.

  (???) Sorry, but I’m not giving you any services. You had your chance.

  (Joseph) No. I’m the one giving you a chance.

  Pulling out a little envelope from within his pocket, he passed it to the woman who made a ‘hmm?’ noise. Lowering both of her fists, she id them onto her thighs.

  Tapping her right foot, she folded her arms below her chest, making her chest seem bigger than it already was. Continuing to have her stare at the small envelope, the prostitute’s hands scrunched and trembled as Joseph’s eyes grew dark.

  (Joseph) You can fight, and you’re stronger than the average female. Unlike other politicians, I do care about people’s talents and skills, so please.

  Taking a single step forward, the edge of the envelope started to hover millimeters away from her chin. Slowly extending out her hands, she grabbed the edges of the paper, her fingertips feeling the smooth surface of the paper.

  (Joseph) Take it and read it.

  Pulling the paper out of his hands, the prostitute brought it to her face, squinting her eyes as she read at a snail’s pace. Using her pointer finger to trace the words bit by bit, she began nodding up and down the more she took in the information.

  Lowering the paper to her crotch, she…

  The man was gone.

  Looking left and right, no sign or trace of him even existed. Walking backward into the back alleyway, her fingers dug deep into the envelope, until she curled it like a ball and tossed it into her pocket.

  Walking into the pitch-bck alleyway, she cast her eyes down to the ground.

  (???’s thoughts) If only there was a blonde-haired guy simir to him, but more softer.

  ______________________________________________________________________________

  Nobody moved.

  Not even a flinch of a muscle jolted upon their fingers. Their heartbeat, and breath; all froze before the sniffling charger whose body and head barely reached the ceiling of the cart.

  Noticing his left hand grasping air, he gnced down at the dropped bottle, before looking up at the all-bck monster. Puckering his lips, Stan’s ears rang tinnitus, along with his eyes blurred from the sudden thought which came to him.

  Followed by his stomach growling furiously, every cell in his body fought against one another as if a civil war ravaged his entire body. His breathing fastened more than ever before, Fred slowly moved his head back, leaving both of them having the ability to whisper amongst themselves.

  (Fred) You ok Stan?

  (Stan) … I have an idea.

  (Fred) To take down the charger?

  (Stan) Yes, but it won’t be easy.

  Gary, Diego, and Loraine all slowly moved to Stan, their shoulders brushing and smoldering against one another. Their ears perked up, they continued to keep their eyes on the slow crawling pouncer, as it moved around on its hind legs.

  The pouncer sniffed the door in which half the strike force went through. Plowing air into its skull, hidden dust sought refuge inside its throat. Seeing it was occupied with the door, the rest of everyone gathered, except Alexandra.

  (Stan) I’m going to brew as many of these bottles as I can … and blow this train cart sky high.

  (Fred) And you want us to deal with it for the time being?

  (Stan) Yes, and I’ll direct the charger toward me once I’m done. At the same time, it will be charging, I’ll light up the bottles, and the bst should kill the charger.

  Everyone began to nod at the hearing of the pn, as Stan’s feet barely held himself afloat to stand. Having bone pierced against his lungs, every breath he pulled in was more blood he drew out, leaving his gums stained with the smell of iron and metal.

  Gary had both his hands on the edge of the cocktail table, his fingers curling into the wood. Casting his eyes down, his face darkened as the st sentence spoke out of Stan’s mouth.

  (Gary) But wait … if you’re going to lead the charger, and light the bottles at the same time …

  (Stan) I know … the odds aren’t great.

  His lips quivering, his eyes turned red from the hidden tears, his lower eyelids burning and stinging from the salt he damned up. His body was on the verge of crumbling like a cookie, his left fist balled hard, whilst having his eyes pinned on the pouncer at hand.

  Doing so, he remembered the speech from prior, followed by the daredevil events in which Luke put himself.

  (Stan) But Luke promised we would all make it back here alive. No matter what.

  Slowly pressing his balled fist firm on the table, he gred at the pouncer who turned its nuzzle toward them.

  The pouncer sniffed the air, and its hind legs slowly began to crawl toward them meter by meter, leaving them to edge back at the same speed. Wanting to cough, he couldn’t. Wanting to snore and sleep away, he will not.

  Because he believed some of his friends and family were watching him from up above.

  (Stan’s thoughts) I wondered if my parents' st thoughts were of me … if I was dead or alive during that day…

  Nudging his head to the others to go, Gary, Fred, Diego, and Loraine all picked up their weapons with their primary hands, before setting off. Crab-walking amongst the metallic floor, their sneakers didn’t trace a squeak or a squish, causing their breaths to rex at the thought.

  Noticing the pouncer dangerously close to the bar where they were originally, the only person who stayed was Stan, who ducked behind the table. Hearing the sounds of air being violently pushed out of its no-nose nostrils, he kept his lips sealed, his body frozen with time.

  His nose was molested by the pungent smell, and his gag reflex took effect but silently.

  Without thinking, Gary raised his right hand, with the barrel of his gun aiming at the roof. His lungs were full of air, and he pushed all of the carbon dioxide out of his system, before firing.

  In the snap of a finger, the pouncer stopped in its tracks, its sniffling halting once it heard the thundering csp of a gunshot. Stomping its front legs three times, the floor beneath it dented from the stress and strength of just its cws; as it charged forth.

  (Gary) S-S-Shoot!

  Sprinting to the previous train cart, the door was open, while the charger had its nuzzle slobbering to the smell of Gary’s body odor. Upon reaching the previous train cart, it was none other than a barracks room for the guards and agents.

  Without thinking upon it, Gary looked back—

  The pouncer was meters from pouncing him.

  Without looking in front of him, he tumbled onto a white barracks bed, causing him to flip over and nd on his back. Instantly looking at the charger, it raised both of its hind legs, its cws ftlined straight. Without hesitation…

  Another gunshot boomed from both train carts.

  His life fshed before his eyes, Gary widened his eyes at the paws hovering over his face, its cws millimeters from his face. Keeping his breath sealed, not a trace of it smoldered or caressed the pouncer.

  (Gary’s thoughts) W-W-W-

  Unable to even think, he saw both of the charger’s paws pull back, as it turned to the direction of the gunshot. Its face and snout were wrinkled and veiny from the hidden pain, its nuzzle directed the smell from the bar train cart.

  Since he was the only one with a gun in hand, Diego took a step back as the charger had its attention directed at him. Despite being blind, its hearing and smelling only heightened, once a low growl rumbled its body.

  But the growl soon drew with it a roar.

  Trembling everything from within the cart, the windows shook immensely as some of them cracked and splintered. Leading everyone to press their palms onto their ears yet again, Diego didn’t, as the charger began its charge to the tanned man.

  (Diego) Woah. Woah! Woah!!

  Sprinting the other way, the soles of his feet bulged and tore apart his muscles, as he pushed his body to the door in which it came out. Having his right hand wielding his revolver, it swayed back and forth erratically, with the stomps of its paws shaking the train cart and everything within it.

  Passing the balled-up Alexandra, he lunged straight into the room where the guard came out of prior, noticing that the room…

  (Diego’s thoughts) It’s a dead end.

  Crawling backward, he pced the back of his head on the metal wall, his mouth churning his lips down at the sight of the charging charger. With every stomp the creature pounced on, Diego’s heartbeat missed a beat.

  Clutching his left hand onto his chest, the monster bsted through the metal walls of the room. Raising its hind legs, it began the same stance as when it tried to do to Gary, letting its cws straighten out while plowing it down to…

  And simir to Gary, it stopped not millimeters, but centimeters from Diego’s face.

  Turning its eyes and body amidst the small cramped room, it sniffed out a fragrance, a fragrance which began to sway its head back and forth. The person streaming out the smell was none other than …

  A woman wearing a fedora and a bck tuxedo with scks. Wielding a simple bottle of perfume, she sprayed the fragrance onto herself, sending it to growl and bare its teeth like a tiger would.

  (Spartan Alexandra) Why did you do that …

  She broke the gss bottle with ease, by just putting enough pressure on her palms. Gss shards stung her skin, but it didn’t pierce nor bleed, her skin treating it like wooden splinters.

  Lowering her hand, both her eyes brimmed with a pinkish red color, her lower eyelids enacting as damns.

  (Spartan Alexandra) Now I have no choice…

  Curling her fingers into her palms, she pced her balled fists to cover her face, while having both of her feet glued in the same position. The charger, pinning his newly found charge at Alexandra, bared its teeth and growled an ear-piercing roar.

  Without covering her ears, she bulged her toe muscles and pinned her entire body weight on the tips of them. Sending her to jump to the left, she avoided the malicious charge from the charger.

  (Spartan Alexandra’s thoughts) And with the smell of my perfume, it’ll always follow with the stench.

  Dodging left and right, within the small enclosed space of the train cart, the charger continued to hone in on Alexandra like a heat-seeking missile. Without getting tired, she took note of the many men who watched her dance with the charger, letting their eyes take a whiff of her foot movements and body.

  Men watching…

  The thought of it alone was enough to push both her lips to the bottom of her ears. Feeling risky, she waited for the charger at the st second and then lunged to either side.

  Noticing her dance with the charger was getting too close to Stan’s brewing, Fred waved his hand, as a coarse yell plowed from his mouth.

  (Fred) We have to hold it down! Don’t let it get too close to the bar!

  Her ears mending to the info from Fred’s lips, she twirled her body like a ballerina. From there, she began lunging back until she was right beside everyone else, their weapons readied.

  All of them, seeing the charger plowing through a chandelier with its back, drew out their weapons, or in Loraine’s case.

  (Fred) Now!

  Activating her blessing, a bck nylon rope birthed out from her right palm, leading her to thrust it toward its back legs. In the snap of a match, her nylon rope wrapped around them, sending the beast to sm itself onto the floor. A gargantuan shake trembling the train cart, Gary and Diego almost fell, as their footing loosened.

  Every muscle within her body bulged as soon as she bound the charger. As if she finished running two to three marathons, her nylon rope wasn’t as sturdy as the other ones; as creaks and cracks already began forming along the rope. Meaning she was reaching her limit.

  (Loraine) G-G-Get! It…

  Trying to stand on its back legs, Fred let the ends of his yo-yos hit the floor, as he rapidly brought it up to his hands. Thrusting both his hands in the air, he arched his elbows back and then threw the circur toys straight at the bound beast.

  Having his yo-yos wrapped around its legs like silk, there was one problem…

  For one, Fred wasn’t as strong as Loraine.

  (Fred) W-Woah!

  Crashing onto the floor, he pushed every muscle within his body to hold onto those sets of legs. Like holding onto the line of a fish, his palms callused and blistered on the metallic line of his rope.

  Luckily for him, a woman stood him up.

  Both her hands wrapping around his waist, she dug her feet on the metallic floor, holding herself as an anchor for Fred. Her chest pressing onto his upper back, she made sure her body shared the weight and strength of him binding the beast's legs.

  Whilst the three of them held it down, Gary and Diego had their irons drawn to their front legs, their fingers already on the trigger. Without counting down, the two of them opened fire, sending a shower of hot lead into one of its legs.

  Commencing out another ear-piercing roar, the windows shook and cracked, trembling along with the interior walls of the compartment.