Ed stood silently, lost in thought. 'What should I do? I never thought Jake would try to stop me so desperately…' Ed lifted his head and looked into Jake's eyes. 'He really thinks I can do it. That I can make something that can kill a nightmare?'
"Ed, don't go!" Dexter screamed. He and Flair had followed behind Ms. Willow. "You and me! We can make an amazing mech together! Don't make the stupidest decision of your life."
"I agree." Relm lifted her head arrogantly. "The path of a sinner is one that shouldn't be walked. If you go through that portal, then this royal shall personally cut you down someday."
"Ed!" Several other students tried to convince Ed. Some he was close with, others he barely remembered their names. Ed slowly looked over all the students. 'Do I really want to give this all up? To leave it all behind? I'm not bullied here. Almost everyone is from Reef city… They're the closest thing to friends I've ever had…'
"Ed?" World Walker questioned. "What's your decision. I won't force you. You have my word."
Ed look down at his hand. 'To make something that can stop a nightmare… It's a crazy idea.' He looked back towards Jake. His hand clenched into a fist. 'I'll do it! But I can't gain that strength here. This academy limits my potential. It's bogged down with morals and rules. I'll never be able to surpass Jake by going here. I would just end up relying on the others while I hide in the rear. Not even the mech that Dr. Ardy is working on stands a chance against a nightmare. Even 1,000 of them wouldn't be enough… I'll go to Blood-Lust. I'll use any means possible to gain the power and technology I need.'
"Let's go." Ed turned around and walked into the portal.
"Haha!" World Walker laughed. "Excellent! Excellent!" He turned towards Ms. Willow and spoke, "Ta-ta for now. I look forward to when we next meet." He walked into the portal and it closed behind him.
Jake was still kneeling on the ground. He was frozen in shock. 'I never thought Ed would go even after all that… It's not just me that's changed. Ed has changed to…'
"Okay class." Mr. Sai clapped his hands. "Go get some rest. We begin combat training tomorrow. You may have to face Ed and the others in the future. It's best we prepare as early as possible."
The students left the field and headed for their dorms. They were heartbroken by the events that had just occurred. Most of them were from Reef city and felt attached to each other. Many had lost their families and quickly grew close to their fellow students. Today's events had been their first exposure to the enemies they would someday be fighting.
…
Blood-Lust HQ.
Ed, Jarrod, and Mordy were surrounded by unfamiliar espers. Some had grotesque appearances, while others looked completely normal. The trio felt slight fear as these espers studied them.
"Jessica." World Walker spoke. "You can take care of the three saplings. I have business to attend to."
"Okay." Jessica nodded. "Just leave it to me." She turned to look at the three boys. She saw Ed and winked at him. "Listen up boys. This place is very different than an academy. Follow me. I'll give you the grand tour."
The group of four began to walk. They were currently in a large bar. Black couches and pool tables were set up in the center. A dim red light shone from the ceiling. Jessica walked towards the bar and ordered a martini. She took a sip, then began speaking. "This is our meeting area. Mission assignments are done upstairs. The bar is free and you can hang out here whenever you want."
Jessica gulped down the martini and returned the glass to the bartender. She walked towards a door and exited the building. The three boys followed. They entered an alleyway and followed it to a dirty street. They were in a ghetto. The buildings were rundown and looked to be on the verge of collapse. Sketchy people traveled the street while they eyed each other nervously.
"This is the Blood-Lust ghetto." Jessica walked while pointing certain areas out to the boys. "Well, it's not actually called that. It's a nickname. The entire area for the surrounding 15 miles is our territory. We're north of the island we just took you from and south of the New Empire State Building."
Ed looked around curiously as they walked. He saw a brothel with several women standing outside. In another area there was a table with a man behind it. He was shuffling a ball under three cups while people placed bets. He saw a homeless man nearby injecting something in his arm, but nobody seemed to care. He unconsciously sped up his pace to stay closer to Jessica.
Jessica stopped walking. "So, that's the tour. It's a dump, right? That's just how sinner organizations are. We survive on the fringe of society. Try not to piss anyone off. A lot of people here are Blood-Lust members or associates. Any questions?"
Jarrod looked around and frowned. "Why show us all this? Won't we be staying at the headquarters anyways?"
"No." Jessica shook her head. "Our members are very independent. The headquarters is used for meetings, missions, and drinking. You can't live there." She pointed towards a deteriorated building behind her. "You can choose to stay here for free. If any homeless are inside, then just kick them out. You're also free to move anywhere else you want. You can even leave the ghetto entirely, but then we can't protect you."
Ed looked at the building and frowned. "World Walker promised me materials for my research and inventing." He turned towards Jessica. "This wasn't the deal."
Jessica frowned, "If World Walker said that, then he meant it. He'll find out where you're living and send someone to drop off the goods. We don't interfere with our members activities. Missions are completely optional. Since he is providing materials, then I imagine he'll make you agree to some missions. Either that or he'll make you provide gear for Blood-Lust." She turned to face Jarrod and Mordy. "As for you two. You'll definitely be required to take missions if you wish to gain anything. I suggest you prepare yourselves."
"What if we don't want to?" Jarrod questioned. "I just want to use my powers to play around. Why should I bother taking on missions?"
"Tsk." Jessica shook her head. "Don't be stupid. Do you think powers like yours can be used freely without consequence? Espers that can control other people are hated and feared by ordinary people. We're the first ones they'll make an example out of if they get the chance. If you plan on just having fun without improving, then you'll be sent to prison in no time." Jessica turned around and waved her hand. "That's all. You guys can do whatever you want. We won't train you or force you. The ghetto is a dangerous place and only the strong survive."
The trio looked at each other. Worry was evident in their eyes. They hadn't expected this. Mordy took the lead to enter the building behind them. It was three stories tall. It was constructed of concrete, steel, and glass. The other two followed behind Mordy.
The inside was pitch black. Wooden debris, trash, and rats could be seen everywhere. Spider webs hung from the ceiling. There was a strong musty odor in the air. They climbed to the 2nd and 3rd floors. Each floor was a complete mess.
"What should we do?" Jarrod questioned.
Mordy shook his head. "I don't know. It will take a miracle to clean this place."
"Mordy should use weak acid to kill the rats." Ed responded. "Jarrod should take control over some ordinary citizens and use them to clean up the building of debris. I'll reconstruct the damaged parts of the building. You guys good with all that?"
Mordy nodded. "Sounds good to me."
"Hmm." Jarrod rubbed his chin. "My power only works on women… To make them work hard and clean such a mess… I suppose we have no other choice."
The trio set to work. Mordy walked around the building while shooting a light green acid from his fingers. It sprayed out like an exterminator's bug spray. Ed melted sections of the building and reconstructed them to increase their structural stability. He used debris from the ground to patch damaged sections. Jarrod left for several hours. When he returned there were 10 strong-looking women behind him. Their eyes were glowing pink and they stared at Jarrod with idolizing eyes. They carried stone, wood, trash, and other junk out of the building. It quickly formed into a huge pile in the streets.
18 hours slowly passed. It was almost morning when they finally finished. Jarrod had to make several trips to swap the tired women out for new ones. "I can't believe we finished this so quickly. It looks brand new!" Jarrod exclaimed excitedly.
"Mm." Mordy nodded. "It looks quite good, but… what should we do with that?" Mordy pointed at a giant pile of debris outside the building. It took up nearly half the street in front of the building.
"I wish I could keep it, but I don't have space." Ed shook his head. "Go ahead and melt it down to nothing."
"Alright." Mordy walked towards the pile. He shot out dark green acid and the pile of debris slowly started to melt. Several minutes later, there was nothing left. A large burn mark covered the street.
Mordy yawned and stretched. "That's done! I'm going to go catch some sleep. How should we divide up the building?"
"I'll take the third floor." Ed answered. "I'll need it for my work. You two can share the 2nd floor. The 1st floor will be a common area for all of us. Agreed?"
"Fine with me." Jarrod nodded.
The trio headed inside. It was almost completely barren. The third floor had all the rooms combined into one large room. Ed planned to build his lab there. The 2nd floor was reconstructed into two separate large rooms. The 1st floor was divided into a kitchen, living room, and dining room. Bathrooms were also located on each floor. Ed had planned it all out during the reconstruction. He easily welded the pipes into the needed places. They already had running water and a working gas stove. They just needed to get actual furniture for the building now. The trio headed to their rooms and slept on the hard concrete floors.
…
Eight young men could be seen walking down the street in the ghetto. Each one wore black jeans and a red t-shirt. Their faces were covered by black bandanas. They all had spiky white hair and black eyes. Their faces were completely identical! All of them were carrying large boxes in their hands.
"Wow!" one of them yelled. "What happened to the building? It looks great!"
"Totally!" Another one nodded. "It must be the new guys. Let's head on in."
The eight men entered the building. "Hello!" one hollered. "Anyone here?!"
Mordy heard the voice and headed downstairs to look. When he saw the eight men in front of him his eyes widened in shock. "Dupe?! What the hell are you doing here?!"
"You know me?" One of the men asked.
"Don't be stupid." Another own answered. "Of course, he knows us. He just came from the academy after all."
Jarrod and Ed heard the commotion and headed downstairs. "Dupe?!" They both yelled in shock.
"Ah. These ones know us too, huh?" one of the men smiled.
"Allow me to explain." One of the men stepped forward. "It appears you know us, but I would like to clarify that we do not know you. You've probably met our 9th clone at Steam Work Academy, right?"
The trio nodded. A new student had started with them. He was completely identical to the men in front of them. His hunter name was Dupe since he could create a single clone of himself.
"The clone in Steam Work Academy is also me." The men started to set the boxes they carried down in a corner. "When my power awoke in Reef city my body split into three. One body got recruited by Blood-Lust and the other by Steam Work Academy. The third body died. However, I can create ten clones total. I currently have eight here while my body at Steam Work Academy pretends it can only create two.
"Then why don't you know us?" Jarrod interrupted.
"Oh. Right." The man nodded. "I don't know anything about what my other clones experience. Each body is completely independent. When a new clone is created it gains all memories of all previous clones. I must have made all of these clones before I met you."
"What a freaky power." Mordy commented.
"Mm. It is a bit odd." Dupe nodded. "I'm still getting used to it myself. I suppose it's about time for an update though." Dupe pulled a steam gun out from his jeans. It had been hidden underneath his shirt. He aimed it at the clone next to him. Bang! A bullet went through the clone's head. Blood and flesh splattered everywhere. The body fell to the ground.
"Jesus Christ!" Jarrod screamed. "What the fuck, dude?!"
"Relax, relax. I'll just make another one." A black glow lit up on his body. Then, a black shadow stepped outside of his body. The shadow slowly faded, and another identical body appeared. He spoke, "Yo, Ed! I'm surprised you joined us. Mordy and Jarrod I kind of expected. Man, you guys should hear the gossip about you at Steam Work Academy! They're so pissed!"
The clone that killed a body handed his gun over to the new body. The new body aimed. Bang! He killed the clone that shot the previous clone. The body fell to the ground and a black glow lit up on the new body. Another identical clone stepped out. "Woo! I'm tired. I'll have to recover some mana before replacing the rest of the bodies!"
"Haha!" One laughed. "Looks like we're all going to die soon."
"Right." Another one nodded. "Anyways, we came to drop off the supplies World Walker promised. Our mission is complete. We'll be heading back now."
The eight clones left the building. The trio stared at the two dead bodies lying on the floor. They felt slightly queasy when looking at the dead bodies. Mordy rose his hand and fired dark green acid at the dead bodies. A sizzling sound rang out as a putrid odor hung in the air.
"Bleurgh!" Jarrod threw up on the ground.
The bodies slowly melted. Ed forced himself to watch the entire process. His body was trembling, but he felt like he needed to get used to these things. After the bodies completely vanished, Ed asked Mordy to help him carry the boxes upstairs.
Ed opened a box and looked inside. It was filled with low-grade mana-cores. Another box was full of metal ingots. Another had blueprints for all kinds of common technologies. Other boxes contained various types of materials. Ed glanced at his missing right arm. "I've been a cripple long enough. Time to build a new arm!" Ed slowly began to get to work…