10082090 EOD B-Echo

[S]: You and I both know from our past that, well, I'm typically the one to fall for all of the traps.

[VD]: Not on purpose, I know. But that's why I'm starting to get a bit worried about what my mom was saying.

[S]: No, listen. Like I was saying I understand the severity of this issue, so that is why maybe we should let her and Nate deal with this. If I get into peril in something like this there's a good chance I might not get back up like usual, but-

[VD]: But what?

[S]: I feel bad sitting around when we both know we've been through worse.

[VD]: Maybe we should at least try to do something, but not fight them head on.

[S]: Yeah, but what? A they are a cult so it's not like they're getting a good reputation. With any luck they're not growing, but even still they have a limited number of members.

[VD]: I wonder if word of them has caught the attention of the media.

[S]: Media?

[VD]: News and communications services, digital stuff. Remember?

[S]: Oh, right. Yeah, I wonder if their existence has caught wind yet.

[VD]: Caught wind, you say? Maybe it can, but, is that wise as of yet?

[S]: I don't understand.

[VD]: Do people need to know the existence of this cult? They only seem to be after the four of us. I still don't know a whole lot about anyone else my mom and Nate know.

[S]: What if we need help?

[VD]: I have a feeling she'd be the one on that, Nate would be too stubborn to ask for help.

[S]: Well what do we do, then?

[VD]: Actually, I just thought of something. Let's go!

[S]: Now?

[VD]: Yes, before it gets dark.

### **1090 [VD] and [S]**

[VD]: Look, I know this may seem risky but that's why I figured we prepare some.

[S]: What are you planning?

[VD]: I figure we scout out the area she got attacked, see if it leads anywhere where we can get some information on the cult. She said she thought they retreated into the nearby forestry once she escaped, so maybe we should check there before it gets dark. We'll take pictures with these neat tablet phone's cameras.

[S]: But, what if?

[VD]: If what?

[S]: We do run into these cultists?

[VD]: This probably isn't the most pleasing option to Nate and mom, but I'm taking one of their *silent* pistols.

[S]: What? Why?

[VD]: My gun, the one I named after you-

[S]: The Sun.

[VD]: Yeah. It's too old to be outfitted with what mom told me was called a "suppressor" or "silencer". Apparently it makes guns virtually silent, kind of sounds like a spit rather than an explosion.

[S]: No, like, why do we need her gun? Is using yours that big of a problem with it being louder?

[VD]: Here there are what are called police forces and counter-terrorists units that do all the gun-handling duty of protecting people, and not guards or anything. If one of us "civilians" uses a gun in a setting like this, let alone walks around with one, they might assume we're up to no good.

[S]: I mean, aren't we technically?

[VD]: Let me put it like this. I thought about how all of mom's strength and SDR's strength was sapped out, I began to think of simpler ways to defend oneself from that. A gun is holding the weapon up and pulling the trigger, which is much less effort than using the last of your strength in your Anima or using a weapon suited for melee. That, and gunshots are loud. I'd rather not go to jail for the police thinking the wrong thing about our intentions so get the sneakier gun. Owning a silencer is illegal unless you can prove legally that you are special forces or special operations or whatever, which mom can and we can't.

[S]: I guess I understand now.

[VD]: By bringing a gun to defend us we're already breaking the law, why not say "screw it"?

[S]: Alright I guess, let's go.

[VD]: Oh, remember to change to your World Zero human form first!

[S]: Right, right. Thanks.

[VD]: As much as I love you for your true, natural form.

*[VD] and [S] leave [KF]'s house with a silenced P227, using subsonic ammunition, which is hidden by giving it to Rider of the Sky until [VD] needs it. The two head for the park to venture into the woods. The time is 16:00*
[VD]: Here it is.

[S]: We better hurry, it's almost 5 P.M. and it gets dark outside soon after.

*The two head cautiously into the same forest [KF] ran through to escape the cult a few days prior, in order to search for clues to better take the cult down. As time closes to sundown [S] becomes more wary as [VD] keeps a vigilant eye on their surroundings, both finding nothing in all that time*
[VD]: What a waste of time, I was sure this wouldn't take as long as it has been.

[S]: We should head back, we might be able to get home before it's dark if we're fast.

[VD]: Yeah. Still keep an eye out.

*[VD] pauses as [S] continues on a few feet before noticing him stop*
[S]: Well at least neither of us are hurt, and that you didn't have to use the gun either.

[VD]: I wouldn't speak too soon.

[S]: Huh?

[VD]: Look, there's a shack out in the distance! There's no lights or anything on over there, actually it looks abandoned.

[S]: Ok, but we're making this quick.

[VD]: Hurry up, then.

*[VD] and [S] run towards the direction of the shack. Upon reaching it [VD] takes a photo of it from a short distance and the two and briskly enter*
[VD]: I wouldn't call this home, but it barely look murderous in here.

[S]: Pretty abandoned indeed.

[VD]: Just in case I'd still keep my voice down if I were you.

*The shack is adorned with interior necessities like lighting, furniture, and drapery except all have been long untouched by human intervention. Nature has spent a long time already reclaiming this small once homey cabin, but upon further inspection [VD] suspects this oddly located residence is more than it seems. He is the only one between the two to notice the finer details of the shack as the sun has fully set by this point*
[VD]: It seems strange for a cabin like this to exist so close to such a major city and not be torn down or discovered before.

[S]: Maybe it's more trouble than it's worth to take it down?

*[VD] notices a dark doorway in the back right corner from the door they entered in, looking less like a hallway further or a closet and more like a stairway down. [S] notices [VD]'s gaze*
[S]: Do you hear anyone down there?

[VD]: No.

*[VD] summons forth the P227 and pulls the slide back slightly to confirm it is loaded*
[VD]: But I'd be more worried if I left you up here alone.

*The two slowly make their way towards the doorway, both cautious of their footsteps on the creaky wooden floor. They approach the darkness to confirm the existence of a stairway and begin to slowly descend into a basement. Upon reaching the bottom they find no one but instead find four large meat hooks several feet taller than themselves along with a few wardrobes and a lit desk further back, all barely illuminated by the desk light*
[VD]: This is some disturbing shit.

[S]: Do you think-

[VD]: These hooks are for us?

[S]: And Kari, and Nate...

[VD]: I don't want to stick around too long to find out. Let's check that desk and leave.

*[VD] takes a picture of the entire basement as best as he can and then he and [S] approach the desk, which [VD] takes another photo of before assessing the lit contents*
[S]: Looks like we're going to find out anyways.

*[S] points at photos taken of herself, [VD], [KF], and [NH] all without anyone's knowledge. Some are just of their faces for identification, including [S] in her natural non-human form, and some photos are even voyeuristic*
[VD]: We're taking all of these with us.

[S]: If it weren't for the secret spy nature of your mother I'd say to just destro-

[VD]: Hold on, do you see that?

[S]: See what?

[VD]: It almost look like, down by our ankles, that there's a black fog.

*[VD]'s eyes widen in realization, throwing him and [S] into one of the wardrobes and closing them in.* *Just then many footsteps begin to rush into the shack upstairs. One pair of footsteps begins to walk farther away from them towards the stairs and slowly descends down them into the basement. With the unknown person slowly patrolling around the basement [VD] and [S] stalwartly wait for the person to leave while hidden, the only sound from either of them being the fast beating of their hearts. Once the person sounds to have swiftly walked back up the stairs and walk out of the shack, [VD] and [S] exit the wardrobe*
[VD]: We can't speak much, there's a lot of them up there so keep quiet. For now let's just worry about getting as far from here as possible.

*[VD] and [S] slowly sneak back up the stairs to leave, and upon reaching the top it seems as if no one is present any longer just as it was before. Once [VD] and [S] walk out into the middle of the single-room shack [VD] turns to look at [S], and just then he notices a cultist emerging silently from the shadows about to reach for [S]. Before [S] or the cultist can react to [VD]'s shocked expression [VD] shoots the cultist in the neck. In the only moment he has before he dies completely, the cultist takes one slash at [S] which strikes her left arm*
[S]: What the fuck!

[VD]: Of course. He was hiding in our blind spot as we walked back up. I'm shook to think I almost didn't notice him. How did I miss him?

[S]: We can't be worry about that now, we have to leave!

*As [VD] and [S] turn to the doorway, many more cultists rush in from the entrance at the sound of [S]'s screaming. They see [VD] and [S] standing above one of their comrades, who lay dead behind [S] and [VD] with the modified P227 in his hand. The crowd begins rushing towards the two. Some get close to the two, one even hitting [VD] on the head. [VD] has Rider of the Sky turn the air around some of the closer cultists into solid concrete, then having it blast heavy air at the already broken windows behind the two to make a new exit. The two leave the shack hastily with everything on them and begin running off in one direction, tripping on mud, blood, and moss*
[VD]: Damn it, we were so close!

[S]: We have to take these guys on, we've already failed the undetected part!

[VD]: The longer we stay here the more of a risk we're making on our own lives. We got enough to run away with.

*[VD] and [S] jump over a large log and hide behind it, sure that they are still being pursued*
[S]: You don't seem like you're affected as much as Kari put it.

[VD]: I don't want to take any unnecessary risks with this one, we're very much severely outnumbered.

[S]: Then maybe I can-

*As [S] begins to get up [VD] begins to hear many approaching footsteps in the distance and proceeds to hold her down and cover her mouth. Many cultists pass by holding different bladed weapons, discussing amongst each other to find "the kids"*
[VD]: We're not going to be able to last by hiding.

*[VD] has Rider of the Sky create a ward of white fog around the scattered cultists as [VD] gets up to open fire on all trapped within*
[S]: How much extra ammunition did you bring?

[VD]: Not a lot. Now's our chance, let's move!

*[VD] and [S] make an escape in the opposite direction but even more cultists pursue. As [VD] takes a look back to evaluate the pursuit, he foolishly trips on a rock and drops the stolen physical pictures and the P227 in the mud before him*
[VD]: Ah shit I think I sprained my ankle, just take the pictures and go! I'll hold off as many as I can!

[S]: After all you've done?

*[S] takes the photos and the P227*
[S]: Well, here goes nothing. We've always joked about this.

*[S] manages to take out a few of the cultists before more emerge towards the two and the handgun runs out of ammo. [S] throws the P227 back to [VD] and begins to fight back against approaching cultists while unarmed. [S] and Rider of the Sky hold off more cultists as seemingly an endless amount of them swarm their location. Eventually they are surrounded and one cultist manages to slash at [S]'s legs, bringing her down to the mud too.*
[01]: So much resistance.

[02]: Too much pain.

[03]: More pain follows.

[01]: Son of Frost, and his lover.

[VD]: You've got to be kidding me.

[??]: No one is taking either of them to their demise.

[VD]: Huh?

[KF]: To think, if I were a second too slow.

*[SDR] emerges from behind [KF] and begins to seemingly erase chunks from the mass of cultists one by one, leaving partially existing bleeding messes of people as those unscathed begin to scatter. [SDR] approached [01] and begins to pummel them relentlessly for almost too long, finishing them off with a solid punch sending [01] slightly airborne off to the side, then [SDR] summons Six Shooter, incinerating [01] as she hits her mark*
[KF]: Fix.

*[SDR] then flies towards [VD] and [S], waving her hand around each of their injured legs. With their injuries fully healed [SDR] pats [S] on the head and glides back towards [KF]. [VD] and [S] stand back up, [S] with all of the physical photo evidence and [VD] with the silenced P227*
[KF]: What were you two thinking?

[S]: We didn't want to sit around and do nothing.

[VD]: It was my idea.

[S]: Voce!

[VD]: Don't be mad at her, please.

[S]: I agreed to go with you!

[VD]: Sol, please just-

[KF]: Quiet!

[SDR]: It doesn't matter who's to blame or who's responsible.

[KF]: Yes. It doesn't matter. At this point I'm more relieved that you two are okay. That, and I am confused why the fog wasn't present earlier.

[VD]: I'm sorry, it's just that-

[KF]: What?

[VD]: You're really intimidating.

*[KF] smiles softly at [VD]*
[KF]: You have nothing like that to be worried about.

*[KF]'s expression becomes instantly more serious*
[KF]: But we shouldn't stay here. We need to get back to the house. SDR, take care of the bodies.

*[SDR] finishes "erasing" all of the cultists' corpses leaving nothing but blood pools in the mud as their remains have been disintegrated. Afterwards [SDR] grabs [VD] and [S] as she with [KF] leap slightly into the air and are shoot in a straight line back to the edge of the forest at the park*
[VD]: Do you want the gun back?

[KF]: If you'd have asked that before we left the forest I would have racked it and disassembled it with it still in your hand and requested you hand over any remaining ammo. But lucky you, you get the burden of holding onto it since we're back in the public eye. I wonder how many lives you made it claim tonight.

[VD]: I, err, sorry.

[S]: You know, I've never seen Voce at a loss for words by any means until I've seen him talk to his real biological mother.

[KF]: Lets save speaking freely for home, for now lets focus on getting there. I'm much more interested in what you two have found out rather than being upset for the night. I don't need to say anything more for Voce to realize he's messed up.

[S]: You do still have your phone, right?

[VD]: Thankfully, I do.

[KF]: I'll take this intel where I can get help in crushing this cult for good. For as terrible of an idea as it was, good job.

*end*