London Sea Life Aquarium
Team 1—Syd and Toshi—and Team 2—Mickey and Sera—had successfully made it into the building.
Jody Johanson had been left outside with Roxy Barrett. The two said nothing to each other, and the silence made Jody feel awkward.
"..."
She glanced over to see Roxy tapping away on her laptop, focused and efficient. Within moments, she'd hacked into the aquarium's security system.
"…Cameras are up," Roxy radioed to the team.
"…Huh. I thought hacking would be harder than that," Jody said, trying her best to sound casual and avoid sounding snarky.
"Mhm."
That was all she got in reply. Nothing more. No follow-up conversation.
Inside the Aquarium
"Stick together for now. Once we get upstairs, we split up," Syd instructed.
The four of them arrived at the ticket counter. Sera moved to join the queue.
"…Oh, they've got great white sharks here too…" she murmured, flipping through one of the brochures before putting it back.
Suddenly, Mickey pulled her arm back.
"…? "
"We're not going in that way," he said.
"…Then which way?"
"Look behind you."
The three boys walked past the main entrance toward a narrow staff corridor tucked beside the ticket booth.
You guys… you're seriously doing this?
Soon enough, the staff door clicked open.
Creeaak.
"E-Excuse me! That area's for staff only—"
"Shut up, asshole."
THWACK.
Syd dropped the man with a single punch.
Toshi caught the guy before he hit the floor, then dragged his body into a corner. When he emerged again, he had fully shapeshifted into that same staff member.
The group navigated deeper into the building, finally stopping in front of an elevator. Mickey summoned one of his signature green energy wires and plugged it into the elevator panel, hijacking the system to bring the car down.
Even though there was a steel door blocking the shaft, Sera could hear the elevator descending.
Whirrrrrrr… DING!
When the doors opened, they revealed a well-dressed female staffer looking thoroughly confused.
"W-What's going on?! Why'd the elevator come all the way down here?! Wait, you're not staff—how did you even—?!"
"Shut it, bitch."
SMACK.
Down she went.
Syd pulled the unconscious secretary out. Mickey turned to Sera and handed her something.
"Here. Take this."
"..."
It was a compact pistol.
"…A gun?..."
Her eyes widened in disbelief.
"Lightweight, low recoil, easy to use. It's a women's pistol. I use it too," he said, flipping off the safety before offering it to her.
"..."
Sera swallowed hard.
"..."
This was the first time in her life she'd ever held a gun. Her hands were visibly trembling. She tried to play it cool, but Mickey could see right through it.
"D-Did you… already take off the safety, Mannix…?"
"Can't tell?"
"...W-Well... I've never used this model before…"
"Safety's the same on every model."
"…I-I didn't know that! Just take it off for me already!"
"..."
"I already did."
"...?! ..."
Busted.
"If you don't know how to use it, just say so. What's the point of pretending?"
That shut her up instantly.
"Hah. Should've brought Jody instead."
"..."
That one cut deep.
Another reminder that no matter what she did, she was always second place to Jody.
So Jody still comes out on top, huh?
She took the gun with a look that had completely changed. The playful spark in her eyes was gone. Toshi, the only one who noticed, glanced at her with concern.
"You're tougher than you look. You'll handle it just fine," Mickey said as he stepped into the elevator.
"…This thing's huge. Could fit a whole car in here," he muttered.
Sera remained still, clutching the gun tightly, jaw clenched.
Maybe Mickey genuinely thought she was just as capable as Jody, and was nudging her to rise to the occasion. Or maybe he said it just to sting her. Either way, it hurt.
She thought meeting them would reset everything between her and Jody—level the playing field. But clearly, they respected Jody more.
"…It's okay. Just use it to defend yourself," Toshi said, gently touching her shoulder from behind.
"It's always like this the first time. Don't stress. Wanna shut him up? Prove you can do it."
That gave her a surge of confidence. Sera stepped forward and joined the others inside the elevator.
Mickey plugged another green wire into the control panel.
The elevator shot upward—to the VIP level.
Then Roxy's voice crackled through the comms.
{ Crap… There's no surveillance coverage on the top floor. }
"..."
"Guess we're going in blind," Syd said.
"Clear 'em all out," he ordered.
The others drew their pistols without hesitation.
The shift in atmosphere sent a chill down Sera's spine.
DING.
The elevator doors opened.
A T-shaped corridor stretched before them. No one was in sight.
"…Split up," Syd said.
He and Toshi took the left.
Sera followed behind Mickey as they headed down the right.
"..."
"..."
Sera followed quietly behind Mickey through a maze of corridors, one after another. The interior resembled a never-ending network of hallways—staff rooms, conference rooms, offices.
But one thing stood out.
It was completely deserted.
"…It's too quiet," Sera muttered, peering into a nearby office window. Stacks of documents. Staff nameplates. All completely normal.
"Yeah… Quiet enough to be scary," Mickey agreed, his expression tense.
They moved cautiously, sweeping the area with sharp, deliberate steps.
Click.
The door to an office wasn't locked. Mickey slowly opened it. But inside, it was empty.
Then—just as Sera turned—she caught something.
A shadow.
A brief flicker of movement across a branching hallway.
"Hey!"
She snapped around and pointed her gun at the intersection, eyes narrowed and locked in.
"What is it?"
"I saw something—down that hall."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah… I'm sure."
There was nothing to do now but trust each other.
Mickey took point, moving to investigate. When they reached the hall, they found another T-junction.
"…This is getting weird. Like a maze," he murmured.
"…Yeah."
"Do you remember which—"
He didn't finish.
Because right then, a maid—wearing an old-fashioned black-and-white uniform—darted out from the left side of the T and disappeared into the right hall.
"!? Mickey! Did you just see that maid?!"
"I did."
Without hesitation, they both gave chase.
"She's gonna alert Candy!"
As they turned the corner, Sera spotted the woman still fleeing.
"Stop!"
She slapped her hand onto the wall. Instantly, her pink aura surged across the surface, causing a solid wall to grow out from the floor and seal off the hallway in front of the maid.
"Don't move!" Mickey called out as he approached.
"..."
But something felt off.
"Mickey! Stop! Wait!"
"What is it?"
"Something's not right…"
She squinted at the woman.
"The employee signs I saw—everyone wears blue uniforms. Why is this maid wearing a black-and-white Victorian dress?"
That detail was small. But enough to make Mickey pause.
"..."
"I've seen that outfit before… It's something from over a hundred years ago… not modern staffwear!"
Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted. A chill ran down the hallway.
The woman—the "maid"—turned slowly toward them.
And smiled.
"Hee hee…"
She giggled.
Why?
"…What the hell…?" Mickey muttered.
SHUNK!
Without warning, a spear shot out from the wall and pierced the woman's throat.
"!?!"
Blood sprayed out. Sera instinctively clutched her own neck.
But it wasn't over.
The spear was attached to a cable—it retracted, dragging the maid's limp body back into the wall.
The scene was grotesque. Surreal.
Mickey ran up to the wall, following the blood trail, only to find—
Nothing.
The gap in the wall was barely wide enough to fit an arm through, let alone a body.
Creeeaaaak…
"..."
"It's a trap," he muttered.
"We should get out of here!" Sera urged.
Mickey reached for his earpiece to report—
BANG!
A conference room door suddenly burst open nearby.
They both turned, weapons raised. Mickey quickly reported into the comms while aiming at the source.
"We've been compromised."
{What?! Where are you?!}
"Right split. T-hall."
Then—
A troop of ancient soldiers on horse-drawn carriages came charging out from another corridor.
The pounding of hooves and roaring wheels echoed through the hall.
"?!"
Sera knew her gun wouldn't do anything.
She slapped her hand on the wall again, forming a thick barricade between them and the oncoming stampede. Mickey darted backward.
"This is insane!" she shouted.
But then—
CRASH!
A tank burst through the opposite wall and slammed into Mickey, sending his body flying through another wall.
Dust. Debris. Concrete filled the air.
Sera threw one arm over her nose and mouth, the other pointing her gun into the haze.
"Mickey!!"
She screamed.
Even with Syd's protective buff, a hit like that—
Before she could move—
WHOOOOO! WHOOOOOO!
A steam locomotive—yes, an actual train—barreled toward her from behind.
She twisted her body, leapt aside, and hugged the wall—but when her shoulder hit it—
It passed through.
Sera phased through the wall like it wasn't even there.
Dazed, she stumbled… and opened her eyes—
She was surrounded.
Completely. 360 degrees.
An illusion.
Her head spun, trying to find a point of reference—but nothing stayed still. Everything shifted, twisted, waved like heat mirages.
She wanted to vomit.
She turned to flee—and smacked into something solid.
"Ow?!"
It had to be a wall.
She staggered, one hand on the surface. Then… her hand slipped through.
"My hand… it went through?!"
That couldn't be.
"This… this isn't a wall. It's… it's an illusion!"
But she realized it too late.
The hallucination faded—reality returned.
And her head was now caught in the open space of an office doorway.
Right between the door and the wall.
SLAM!!
A steel folding door snapped shut with brutal force—smashing her skull between its edge and the concrete frame.
Sera collapsed instantly.
The blow sent shockwaves through her brain. Blood trickled from her temple.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"
She cried out, clutching her pulsing forehead.
And when she looked up—
He was standing over her.
Candy Candido.
Not a word.
"You little brat… You've got some nerve barging into my territory."
THUD! THUD! THUD!
He stomped on her, driving his heel into her skull repeatedly. Blood from her temple now streamed down the side of her face.
"You and that green-haired bastard are dead, you crazy little freak!"
Sera raised her arms to shield herself—but it didn't help.
Then Candy noticed her gun—lying a few feet away.
He kicked her hard in the gut.
"!!!"
The wind left her lungs. She couldn't scream. Her stomach convulsed.
Candy picked up the gun. Aimed it right at her.
Sera was panting. Her vision swam.
Was this how it ended?
Just like that?
She could feel it—that certain feeling people talk about before death. The stillness. The finality.
But then—
"Hey."
A voice from behind Candy.
Mickey Mannix.
"...If you're that brave, go ahead. Pull the trigger."