The Most Dangerous Game

Gearhead didn’t have time to respond before he watched them dash into the jungle. After a little spin and pretending to look for her, he looked at his apprentice.

“Are her powers invisibility or super speed? Because that was fast.” He said with the dumbest smile on his face, thus was interrupted by a “No Sir, she has electricity manipulation.”

Gearhead didn’t have time to scorn his apprentice before they heard a monstrous roar. Looking up, they were met with the sight of flying monsters beginning their divebomb attack on the victims we know as “tourists.” Gearhead charged forward and slammed his bat into the skull of one of these Silent P menaces. He spun around just in time to see his partner get attacked by one of the other flying beasts. While the creature crumbled to the ground as if it slammed directly into a brick wall as it slammed into the green barrier, the force still sent Waldo flying back and crashing to the ground next to the bodies of the stewardess. Gearhead just slammed the first step forward to ensure he was alright before he felt his collar being pulled upwards as a Quetzalzoatlus scooped him up and dragged him into the sky.

~~

Waldo’s head was fuzzy as he tried to regain his focus. The screams of the tourists shot him back to full consciousness. Slowly pulling himself to his feet, he quickly tried to keep his nerves deep down and figure out his next move. His next step forward made him pause as his foot crunched down on something hard. He quickly scooped up the object from under his foot, realizing it was one of the guns a stewardess used to blow their brains out. A new idea popped into his head as an excited smile crept across his face. Without thinking another thought, Excalibyte was running around the area and scooping up every gun he could see.
~~

James broke free from his kidnapper and quickly climbed onto their back. Looking out, he could see the island and his ever-stretching jungle. He looked around for any sign of this ‘safe haven.’ when all he could see was nothing but trees and monsters running around, he gave up and looked down just in time for a cracking of lightning to shoot out and crash into something down below.
“That must have been the work of that Shock-Heart chick,” he thought to himself as he reached for his bat. He looked the back of this creature up and down before stopping directly over a spot he assumed to be a key spot of its spinal cord.
“This might kill me but it also might be the best ride of my life.” he pondered. His pondering was abruptly interrupted as he heard something fly by his head. Turning towards the sound, he was able to spot, even for just a moment, another seafoam-colored projectile flying past the creature's wings.

~~

Waldo held back his excitement as he looked up at the sky and watched as two of the fly monsters started to plummet back to the ground. He looked down at the still-smoking gun as the glow faded slightly. His smile almost glowed just as bright.
“It was a long shot but desperate times come with desperate and very illogical measures.” He said as looked back to the sky and saw that the remaining creatures started to flee, all but the big one.

~~
Gearhead had to stop himself from jumping with joy as he felt all the pride in him rush to the surface.
“FUCK YEAH, The Kid did it,” he screamed so loud, it must have echoed across the island. “He pulled off the Tech-bullet maneuver.” A smile and a laugh came as he looked back at the spot and then at his bat.
“If the kid can pull off a dangerous move, Why shouldn’t I?” He said out loud before he pushed a button on his bat, causing a tiny spike to poke out at the bottom of the handle. He quickly grabbed it by the other end and slammed it onto the spot he was analyzing. The creature screamed in pain and shifted before correcting itself.
“See ya on the ground kid, Godspeed until we meet up again.” He thought as he rested his hand on the round end and pumped electricity through the bat, sending electricity through its spine and spreading quickly throughout its body.  The creature screamed once again but this time it gave out something much weaker before it tilted down slightly as it started its descent towards the jungle below. James could only think of one thing to do at a time like this. He looked down below, gripped the bat with both hands and yelled “BOMBS AWAY” as they both started their crash through the treetops.

Giving off a feigned, sad tone with her voice Eevi pouted at her employer's order before their call was terminated. "Aww no care for the dramatics? Don't care for the theatric tragedy of the senior heroes seeing the death of their junior and being faced with the cruel truth of their situation?" The silence on the other end was her answer. Whilst they were paying her, they could at least humour her and play along as well. With an annoyed twitch taking her eyebrow, Eevi sighed and confirmed the command. "Understood, leave the hero kid for you kill the other kids. Eliminate the heroes if it presents itself. I hope it is understood though that I AM getting extra for each one of these wannabe heroes I kill for you." Although no reply came through her earpiece Eevi knew she had been heard. The boss probably had other important things to attend to.

The distance screeching, clicks, and echoes she heard coming throughout the jungle informed her that this supposition of hers was correct. The real threat of the island was in play now.

While they would certainly help keep the heroes on their toes and now require constant attention with targets, these heroic types always had something up their sleeves. Using what she could to try and get any advantages over the new opposition she faced, Eevi looked over at her phone and skimmed it for the information her boss had provided for her use. Picking out something that could potentially help their situation, she radioed her help. "Attention all sentries, patrols, and decoys; All heroes present on the island have some kind of technology or electrical powers. To better hide our locations against any potential detections of our comms turn off all radios and only turn them back on every 10 minutes. If I have any updates for you I will radio them during those intervals. Wait 10 seconds during this time and if you hear nothing then turn off your radios for another 10 minutes. That is all." Slinging her radio back to her side, Eevi observed her watch and set a repeating 10 minute alarm on it.

Now what would she do about these heroes? Observing for now, Eevi pulled her binoculars out and turned to look back at the airstrip from the hill the other exit of the bunker took her to. One of the heroes was already gone, Shockheart. Just great. It would probably only be a matter of time until she had to face the closest one to a professional career hero on this island. Putting that worry aside though, she noted the approaching swarm of flying dinosaurs headed for the airstrip. This would be a good show, she might even get to observed one of these spoiled pomps getting ripped apart.

Quickly however, she found this hope disappearing. These two "nobodies" were putting up an effective fight and making a skillful use of the abilities listed in the information sent by her employer. One of the madmen even clambered onto the back of one shortly after it scooped him up. The remaining one on the ground made an ample usage of the firearms so graciously provided by her boss to fight off the ones he had been left to handle closer to the ground. She couldn't even make out any one of the brats getting attacked in any meaningful way by them. "Anything to tilt the scales they'll take I suppose"

Something that she could work with caught her attention however. The dino-riding hero shouted off something and began to plummet towards the tress with his unwilling mount. It was just so nice for Eevi to have people make her job easier for her. "Separate the three heroes, check. I hope this doesn't mean I owe any of them money for making my time easier?" Smiling at her comments, Eevi stowed her binoculars once again and began to walk off into the jungle.

She had to let this 'Gearhead' meet his biggest fan.

A bland, clinical look etched Wanting's face as he routinely wrote down the various actions the heroes have taken against him and his dinosaurs. Shockheart was living up to her name as a "premium hero", easily dispatching the raptors that were supposed to be for the children.

He couldn't find himself surprised by her actions as it is what heroes do. No matter the planning, secrecy, or effort, they will always find the invisible crack in the wall to ruin things. It was just how the world worked he concluded. There was some kind of cosmic narrative, pulling the strings behind the scenes, forcing the world to be more interesting. He didn't know if this was karma balancing things, some sort of omnipresent gods doing this for their amusement, or just a freak phenomenon but he was confident that there was some unseen force at work when it came to people with powers. Maybe someday he will conduct more experiments on this theory of his when he finally gets what he has been after.

What was mildly surprising were the 2 no-names. Based on what he read about them, he would have been reasonably confident that they would suffer injuries in the first encounter due to inexperience, lack of will, and lack of foresight. Not only had they defeated the Pterosaurs, but they had so soundly with little to no harm to themselves or the kids. He made a note to monitor them more closely for the remaining time.

He didn't bother responding to Inkwell's demand for money as there was little reason to. She already knew the agreement of her work and the appearance of heroes was covered under "unforeseen hazard pay". She would receive a handsome bonus if she succeeded.

As he watched her make her way to Gearhead for her showdown, he flicked his attention to Shockheart. She was taking cover from an entrenched sentry team. He considered his options of what to do with her. He could activate the nerve gas in the surrounding area and kill her but that ran the risk of leaving a zone of safety later on for the kids when the island became a death field. He momentarily considered sending some of the more...Unique experiments the crazed doctor made but dismissed it just as quickly. He looked back to the screen of Inkwell before the answer came to him.

Sending his soul across the island he possessed one of the sentries and slowly stood up and walked out of cover towards Shockheart.

"Shockheart, I presume? I'm not sure how you found yourself on my island but there is a chance to be...Civil about this. Come out from hiding and let us talk. I am unarmed and the sentries will not shoot at you. There is much to discuss and I'm sure we can find a solution that benefits us both."

His voice was raspy and hoarse. As if this person hadn't spoken a single word in years.

He was confident that she fully understood and appreciated the danger she was in. She had been attacked by creatures that shouldn't exist, saw the numerous hazards and deathtraps that littered the island, and was cowering under fire from one of his countless armed minions. Surely, she would see the reason for talking to him. Either she was willing to have a nice chat with him or she was clearly deranged with no sense of survival and would rather be shot, mauled, or even poisoned.

Waldo aimed at the big Dino before he watched a giant spark explode from the creature’s back. Shock and confusion quickly shifted to a look of horror as the realization slowly crawled up his back. His eyes stayed open as he watched the creature carrying his mentor crash to the earth below, the only hint of impact being a giant cloud of dust and earth exploding upwards in the distance. Internally, he screamed so loud he swore his ears blew out. His mind was racing worse than before as he could feel all the fear rushing back to the surface. He could feel his leg start to shake before he heard a voice hit his ears.
“God..amn…that was……hell…a ride.”
~~
Gearhead felt a quick shock as he pulled his earpiece out and looked at it.
“Fuck, the damn thing must have been damaged in the crash, guess I’ll have to fix it later.” he thought before pocketing it.
he was looking around at the jungle surrounding him, meeting him with a creepy and beautiful scene. A line of knocked-over trees still showed a straight line to his landing point. The giant bird-thing he rode in on was more than certainly dead, has to be after all the electric burns and beating it took throughout the crash landing. He climbed his way back onto its back, quickly trying to pull his bat out only to be met with resistance. He stretched his back and pretended to spit on his hands before grabbing it once again, pulling with all his might was met with nothing but a little give. He bent down and tried grabbing it from the handle, it wasn’t long after that he felt something give way. His celebration was interrupted as he felt his whole self falling backward and off the dinosaur. Landing on the ground with the bat in hand, he could only laugh at what had transpired.
“Someone call Merlin, England has a new king,” he mumbled to himself as he got back to his feet. “Can’t be any worse than the last king James, I’m not dumb enough to invade Ireland.”

The snap of a twig drew his attention toward the trees to his left. He watched the region intensely before slowly turning his bat into an almost fighting stance.
“I know you’re out there,” he spoke with his eyes glued on the spot the sound came from. “If you are Human, speak now. If you’re anything else, give me a roar and I’ll turn you into a chicken nugget.”

~~~

Waldo Panicly fiddled with his arm device, trying desperately to get back in contact with his mentor.
“Crap” he muttered under his breath as all he received back was static. He looked around to get his head back in the game and took a deep breath. “Guess I’m on my own for now”
He walked back to the remaining survivors and got a head count. “Shit,” he thought to himself when his count came back as 13, “we must have lost a couple of them during the attack.”
He rubbed his temples in the hope it would supercharge his thinking process.
“There’re not many civilians left and we’re sitting ducks here. We need to start moving them or we’re going to run out of time.”
Before he knew it, he was walking up to the remaining civilians and getting their attention.
“Okay Citizens, It might be in our best interests if we get a move on.” He quickly gestured to the plane. “We will take one more hour and find whatever we can in and around our arrival transport. After that, We are going to try to make our way to this safe haven mentioned before. If you’re able to fight, find yourself a weapon.” He opened his bag and pulled out the remaining guns he collected. “I only have 4 functioning guns remaining. If you can shoot, I’ll be able to manufacture more bullets but you’ll only have....about a magazine each.”
He paused before looking back to the group, making sure to pick his words carefully. “If you’re injured or are unable to fight, Keep with me. You’ll be safest under my protection.”

Waldo waited for moans of disapproval or some kind of riot to break out after what he said. When he was met with nods and his 13 responsibilities getting to work. He felt a sense of confidence like he’d never seen before. It was gonna be tricky getting to the destination but he knew as long as they kept moving and watched their backs, they should make it there in time. The last thought Waldo had before he was pulled into helping prepare for the trip was simple: “Whatever sick individual caused all this better be a thing of its word.”

Eevi approached with careful, calculated steps, her small frame blending into the shadows of the dense jungle. Her eyes, usually so cold and distant, now held a calculated intensity as she prepared to play the part of a scared, lost woman. She knew how to mimic fear, how to draw on the remnants of emotions she barely felt attachment to anymore. If these heroic types actually believed in their own hype then she had to see if this one would take the bait as easily as her poor friends Taylor and Lyle had.

As she stepped closer, she let out a soft, trembling whimper, her voice quiet and fragile. "H-hello? Is someone there? Please, I need help..." she called out, her voice trembling as she stepped into the hero named Gearhead’s line of sight. She made sure to appear disoriented, her wide eyes searching the area frantically.

Eevi had taken the time while heading towards him to make sure her appearance was disheveled, her hair slightly tousled, her clothes dirtied and torn as if she had been running through the jungle in panic. She stumbled forward, almost tripping over a root, before catching herself. She looked up at Gearhead, her expression a mix of fear and relief.

"Please... I don’t know where I am or what’s happening. I just... I just want to go home," she whispered, her voice barely above a whisper, her hands trembling as she reached out towards him, as if seeking comfort. "I just wanted to get across this jungle. To find the way out like they promised. Please don't hurt me."

Eevi’s eyes briefly flickered with something colder, a fleeting moment of calculation as she assessed the situation, but it was quickly masked by a veneer of vulnerability. She had done this before, many times, but there was always a small thrill in seeing if the deception would work, if the prey would fall for the trap. She waited for Gearhead’s reaction, ready to strike the moment she was close enough. Time to put his heroism to the test.

Wanting calmly looked at Shockheart as her cloaking and sound dampeners deactivated. He made no movements or showed any signs of an emotional reaction to her pressing a sword against his throat.

"I see you brought your suit with you. State-of-the-art cloaking tech, impressive, I'll keep it in mind next time we meet."

He tried to turn around to look at her but she held the sword firmly against him.

"I'd rather I didn't have to talk over my shoulder but I suppose if it makes you feel like you are in control then I don't mind."

He stopped talking and remained as rigid and lifeless as a statue for several seconds. Long enough for Shockheart to possibly wonder what he was doing before he spoke again.

"We met earlier today when I welcomed you to my island but I don't believe I ever gave you my name...You may call me Wanting."

"This event wasn't made with you in mind, nor do I gain anything from killing you. In fact, it is far easier to simply let you go so your hero team doesn't come after me and I don't have to waste the resources I prepared for the children on you."

He shifted but stopped as the sword pressed harder on his neck, drawing a bead of blood.

"Do be patient, killing me will cut our talk short and I will not give you another chance. I'm going to reach into my pocket to show you something."

Without waiting for her to respond he slowly reached into his pant pocket, pulled out a small phone, and held it over his shoulder for her.

"On it is a GPS with the location of a secured and safe place. I'm offering you a chance to save yourself. No nerve gas will be dispersed there if you go. All you need to do is go there, sit, and wait for rescue."

He let the offer hang in the air before speaking again.

"This is the only offer I will give you. I encourage you to take it to save us both the hassle of me stopping you from ruining my event here."

With that, he stood silently, waiting for her answer with casual ease as if he were talking about the weather instead of a life-and-death Shockheart found herself in.

Waldo helped finish the travel preparations, making sure everyone was either set or situated enough to get moving. He’s definitely not his mentor but he was able to mash together enough inspiring words to keep people moving smoothly. By the time his deadline of an hour came, they were already hitting the jungle with a new spark of adventure. With the press of a button and the twist of his arm, he pushed forward using the blade mode of his arm apparatus to cut through the vines and shrubbery like a machete. They were walking for only thirty minutes when his wrist apparatus started to beep. With all the action going on, he forgot about the scan he was running.
“Turns out the tech was some kind of computer chip, must have been the thing controlling the air stewardesses.” he thought to himself as he looked at the results. “Must mean we’re dealing with a bigger threat than I’d hoped.”
He fiddled with his apparatus a little, trying to see if he could get in contact with his lost mentor. “I hope he’s doing okay,” he thought to himself when his only reply was static. He was about to signal to keep moving when he heard a tiny growl from his right. Turning his head slightly, he found himself face to snout with a Utahraptor. A gunshot from behind him caused the creature to lunge towards him.

~~~

Gearhead watched the girl slowly approach before tripping, he laughed a little and smiled as he lowered his bat.
“I have to admit, I didn’t know one of you could survive this far out here.” he made the rest of the way over to her and reached out a hand to help her up. He noticed a flash of spark in her eye, he quickly laughed as he noted to her “You must be real happy to see me then, even brought the spark of life back to ya.” As he got her back to his feet, he heard her mumble something under her breath. “No need to thank me, my dear, it’s all in a day's work.” he told her as he dusted her shoulders and stepped behind her to look into the jungle. He heard the crunch of a twig as she turned to look at him.
“Looks like the jungle is clear for now, makes the next step even more fun.” He heard clothes shift as she raised her arm, he could almost feel the air as her fingers raised to aim at the back of his head. A smile crept across his face before he shook his head and let out a handful of disappointed tongue clicks.
“There is one sad fact to come out of this.” he said as he quickly spun around just in time for the words “Bang” to slip out of her mouth. He felt a burning sensation along the side of his head as he quickly swung his bat out and smashed her in the face. As he watched her stagger back and reach up to touch her nose, blood flowed out her nostrils like a broken dam. He caught and readjusted himself flat onto the ground. He reached up and felt the grazed line that now ran along his head. “Nice shot,” he said as he looked at her. “A little more to the right and I would have even more brain damage." The look of anger on her face only made him smile more.

“Wait, where did I leave off?” He paused for a moment and looked down at the ground, he got lost pondering what they were talking about before. He just as quickly broke out of it before looking back up to her, He watched as she seemed to crack her nose back into place and plan her next move. His eyes suddenly lit up with a laugh.
"THAT’S RIGHT” he loudly spoke as he raised his bat to point at her. “It’s sad we have to be on opposite sides, I’ve been told psychotic bitches are my type.”

Eevi wiped the blood from her nose with the back of her hand, her eyes narrowing as she assessed Gearhead. The throbbing pain from his strike only fueled her rage, but she knew better than to let it cloud her judgment. This man was dangerous, and underestimating him had cost her. She wouldn't make that mistake again.

"Opposite sides, huh?" Eevi sneered, her voice dripping with venom as she regained her composure. She straightened up, her movements fluid and controlled, like a predator stalking its prey. "You think this is just some game, don't you? You think you can outplay me?"

She took a step back, her eyes scanning the jungle around them, calculating her next move. The dense foliage provided cover, but it also hid countless dangers. She needed to play this smart, use the environment to her advantage.

"You have no idea what you're up against," Eevi hissed, her voice low and dangerous. She raised her hands, the familiar crackling energy of her concussive blasts gathering around her fingers. This time, she wouldn't miss. She wouldn't let this arrogant hero get the better of her. "I'll make sure you have had your fill of 'psychotic bitches' when I drop that boy you brought with you dead at your feet."

With a flick of her wrist, Eevi unleashed a blast of energy at Gearhead, aiming not directly at him but at the ground beneath his feet. The explosion of dirt and debris was intended to throw him off balance, to create an opening for her to close the distance.

As the dust and smoke filled the air, Eevi darted to the side, using the chaos to her advantage. She moved swiftly and silently, her body low to the ground as she circled around, positioning herself behind Gearhead. She wanted to disorient him, to make him question where the next attack would come from.

This wasn't about brute force. It was about precision, about outmaneuvering her opponent. Eevi knew that a direct confrontation with Gearhead might not end in her favor, but if she could catch him off guard, if she could strike when he least expected it, then victory would be hers.

Once the dirt began to settle, Eevi leaped from her hiding spot, aiming a powerful concussive blast straight at Gearhead's back, hoping to catch him before he could react. This was her moment, her chance to prove that she was the true predator in this deadly game.

"I'd like not to kill this man!" The heroine said in frustration. Her sword flashed and pulsated a black energy that Wanting couldn't identify. He chalked it up to some unique power the hero had.

He couldn't help but find this thought weird as the blade drew a steady albeit slow trickle of blood from his neck. Why do so many of these supers have unique and strange powers?

He could understand people having super strength as a byproduct of rare mutations or people being able to move objects with their minds using telekinetic power due to intense mental training. What puzzled the scientist was the plethora of unique energies, sources, and one-of-a-kind origins.

Why was it that so many of these people manifest similar kinds of powers but their origin and sources of said power were completely different from one another? Why was there no common denominator? Why was this black energy different from white energy and how did it manifest in one but not the other?

It was as if there were higher powers at work making certain people special and unique simply to make them stand out than to make sense in the world... He would study this bizarre phenomenon when he had more time and didn't have an upset hero holding a blade to his neck.  

Wanting tried to look behind him to meet Shock Heart's eyes but could only turn enough to give her a side-eyed look.

"Then I suggest you stop pressing your weapon against my exposed neck. If you are worried about me fighting then fear not, I would not fight you in such a state. You are deserving of more...Preparation."

He paused to allow her to speak before continuing.

"I understand your caution and I approve of it but I am sincere in my offer. You are more of a hassle to deal with properly than to put you aside. Can I give you any certainty of my words? No, but you have few options and you will just have to trust me I suppose."

He waited again and upon seeing the defiance in her gaze he sighed.

"Very well. I can see you will not consider my offer. Is there anything else you'd like to talk about before I run your sword through my neck?"

He looked at her with a cold and apathetic gaze.

Gearhead held back a cough as the dust splashed on his face. Quickly catching his balance He could feel the presence of his opponent somewhere around him, where they were exactly was hard to determine. It felt like time was slowing down as he tried to pull together whatever his next goal was going to Be. An idea slammed into his mind as he quickly flipped his bat facing downward and hitting it with whatever time and force he had left before everything seemed to return to normal. In mere moments, he watched an electric wave shoot out in all directions. He could feel something shift behind him before he started to move away. He barely made it 5 steps before he felt a burning pain stab into his lower abdomen. If he had to guess, He just got shot in the Colon.

He just made it to the bushes when his mind started working at full function again. It was at this moment, he realized he had made a grave mistake. He looked around from his hiding spot and saw the dirt where he stood before disturbed. Pinned into the dirt, stood an erect monument for his fuck up. He had to hold back every fiber of his being not to scream “SHIT,” knowing it would give him away before he could recover even a little. The only thing he could do in this situation is wait and see what happens next. He twitched a little as his fingers entered the wound and shot out a small electrical spark. At least that will hold him over for now.

~~

Chaos reigned as Waldo found himself laid on his back, the only thing keeping him alive was his Mage shield. Finding every fiber of strength he had to fight back. The durable shell took most of the blow as he slowly wrestled with the creature until he was back on his feet. Trying his hardest not to let the creature get away, he loops his arm around and locks it into a headlock. Holding it into place, he quickly reached for the gun and raised it to the creature’s head. A moment of fear crept up his back as he snapped back to reality, the situation only fully catching up with him after he heard the bang and saw the flash.

“FUCK” was all Waldo could hear mentally as he felt the creature go limp in his arm. “Holy Shit, Fuck Fuck FUCK.” Every part of him was starting to break down, this was a new low for him. A loud snap forced him to turn around just in time to see another one lunge towards him. It barely got three feet from him before another bang sent the Dinosaur flopping to the ground, it slid across the ground and stopped just short of his feet. A hand on his shoulder almost made him jump out of his skin.
“Hey man!" one of the armed civilians loudly spoke to him. “You’re supposed to be the hero here, man, get your shit together!" The next thing Waldo saw was the man getting a big chunk taken out of his neck.

Everything else was a Blur to Waldo, not like it mattered as this was a massive step back. His first time going solo as a hero and he’s already fucking up, instantly broke the instant shit hit the fan. He can already tell the civilians are looking at him funny, starting to question if he’s qualified to call himself a hero. Waldo knows none of that matters right now, he can reevaluate himself later when everything is wrapped up and he watches as at least one survivor is taking that boat ride out of here. Waldo finished laying the dirt and gave the others the signal to proceed, There were only twelve following him.

Eevi kept her movements deliberate and quiet, stepping lightly through the underbrush as she stayed low to the ground. The shot had landed, and she could tell by the subtle shift in his movements. The silence that followed was her confirmation. He was hiding now, wounded but not out of the fight. She could sense the tension in the air, the anticipation of what would come next.

"You’re hurt..." her voice slipped through the environment like a breeze, calm and unsettlingly quiet. She knew better than to underestimate someone like Gearhead, even if injured.

She stayed patient, circling, watching for any signs of his next move. Heroes were resourceful, and he wouldn’t go down easy. But Eevi was just as relentless. She flicked her fingers, readying more shots to fire, feeling the familiar weight settle into her hands as she prepared to strike again.

"I don’t need to rush. You’re already leaking..." she taunted softly, knowing the effect her words might have. She needed him rattled, needed him to feel that creeping inevitability.

Eevi positioned herself, readying another shot. She wasn’t in this fight for anything grand or heroic. It was work for her, and she’d do whatever it took to make sure she came out on top.

Eevi moved with calculated precision, her steps as light as a predator stalking its prey. She didn’t need to see him anymore—just knowing he was hurt gave her the edge. She fired three more shots, each one impacting the ground in different directions, kicking up clouds of dirt and dust. The air around them thickened, adding a blinding sense of uncertainty to where she was hiding.

The silence hung heavy for a few moments before she broke it again, her voice dripping with malice.

"You know I could kill him, right?" she taunted, her tone almost playful. "The other hero you came with... If you can’t stop me, I’ll finish him off too. And you won’t be able to do a damn thing about it."

She kept moving, her footsteps silent as she crept around the perimeter, trying to ensure that Gearhead couldn’t lock onto her position. The dirt clouds would disorient him further, keeping him on edge.

"You know I’m right." Her words were a needle now, designed to drive into his mind, to break his concentration.

Every word she spoke was meant to remind him of his failure. She was toying with him now, breaking him down before she moved in for the final blow.

Wanting tilted his head, his eyes narrowing in thought as he considered her questions.

"Mad? No...Indifferent, perhaps, but not mad. Madness is for those who can't face the truth of their actions. Let me assure you. I fully understand the depravity of my sins...I simply don't care anymore." There was an apathetic tone in his voice, as if he were talking about the weather than confessing to his vile deeds.

He slowly looked towards her sword and then back to her face with eerie stillness with his empty eyes.

"You, what? Do you expect me to monologue like those who dress up and wear capes? The ones who think this is a game where they can play pretend and have a theme? So you can what? Learn how to stop me? Stall me?" He gave a harsh laugh.

His eyes took on a glassy look as his body stiffened for but a mere moment. If one didn't pay attention they would seldom be aware he did anything at all.

"Even as we speak, those children you care so much about are dying. 1 to minefields, 2 to my hunter, and another to raptors." He brought his hand up to the small cut on his neck and looked at his blood.

"Stall me all you want but know that those kids will die for your precious time."

He noticed the slight shift in her stance, her foot inching forward as she took a small step closer and raised his hand in a waiting gesture.

"Take another step and I will release nerve gas over the airstrip. Everyone will die before you even touch me." He wagged his finger at her like a parent playfully scolding their child.

Shockheart's body froze, hesitation clear as day in her eyes.

" A wise choice. Too often heroes act fast and recklessly these days... How about you stand there awhile and let's talk? It would be rude of me not to answer the questions you so nicely asked after all..."

He motioned to the jungle around them with a lazy boredness. The sound of rustling leaves, swaying trees, and birds chirping. It would have sounded idyllic if it wasn't for the gunshots, screaming, and animalistic roars in the background.

"The dinosaurs were easy to obtain. This island used to belong to a genius like myself. Although, he specialized in reviving prehistoric species compared to my more nuanced work. Yet another brilliant man who confined themselves to a theme when they could have been more..."

He slowly shook his head in disapproval. The idea of someone like him limiting themselves in such a way was a mockery in his mind.

"Regardless of his eccentric interests, he left behind plenty of notes. A dead scientist's work... Easy enough to copy when you have the blueprints."

Something shifted as Wanting thought on her other question. His expression, just for a moment, cracked.  For the first time in this interaction, Shockheart could see some kind of feeling in the villain. Exhaustion, deep and bone-weary, etched on his face.

"I ask myself that every day." His voice was soft and quiet as he spoke. Something that almost resembled regret in his tone. "Why this time, Why now?" He gestured aimlessly as if the answer would appear in his hands from thin air. "I always hoped that I would figure it would each time...And yet I am forced to retry, again and again."


He paused for a moment. He wasn't sure why he was bothering to talk to the heroine. She wouldn't understand his reasons nor care about him for what he has already done. None of them ever did in the end. And yet, he spoke anyway.

He looked at her with a purpose. He pointed a lazy finger at her.

"I've read up on you before this. Your team, your career, your retirement..." He tilted his head as he scratched his chin. "I wonder why you retired? Was it boredom, losing the taste for violence, or did you realize the world didn't give a damn about your efforts?"

He gave a cold chuckle as if he just told an inside joke between the two of them.

"I cured children if you can believe that. Gave them a second chance at life. Made vaccines for diseases that burnt out their eyes and ate their minds. I used to watch their eyes light up with joy. Saw them live to see birthdays no one expected them to reach. Now? Here I am. Doing all this. It's tragic how quickly life can change."

He sighed as he thought back on simpler times. Back when there was reason, when there was hope for tomorrow.

"It's almost funny if it wasn't so tragic how quickly everything falls apart." There was no mirth in his voice. Only tired resignation.

"There are your answers. I do have a question of my own. What made you come back to this life? Why choose this over a peaceful one? Was it guilt? Duty perhaps? Maybe even some insane savior complex. Enlighten me."