"Andi!!" they shouted.
"Get a hold of yourself.." Andra exclaimed, holding her cousin's arms who's desperately reaching his head, trying to get rid of something crawling inside his head. "You're hurting yourself!!"
"It hurts!!"Andi cried. "Somebody get this out of my head, please!!" he cried louder. "There is something inside.. Ahhhhh!!" he shouted.
Everyone gather around Andi, who was screaming in pain in the open ground outside their tents, dressed in panic and confusion. The guy is throwing himself on the ground, wringing in pain, grabbing anything near him, hoping for some kind of relief.
"Can we do something? How can we help him?" Michiyo stood shaking behind Andra. "Can we use an item or—"
"I dunno.." Jayson replied. "But, if he'll stop struggling, he'll end up like the others.."
"Save him—" Andra asked desperately.
"What did just happened?" Alex exclaimed, punching the nearby debris. "All of a sudden, everyone fell one after the other..and"
"I have no idea.." Jayson replied, still thinking of what to do with Andi. "But for now, we have to do something for Andi.."
"What can we do?" Andra looked helplessly on Jayson's eyes. "He's not beyond help, right? Ne, Jay?? "
The guy doesn't have anything to say. He knows that he's just trying to lift their spirits up.
"I can do something about that.." a grasping voice came out of nowhere. His voice is coarse as he struggle to get every breath out.
They all stared at him, clothed with different expressions.
Where have you been? What happened? How will you do it? Can we still trust this guy?
They randomly thought.
Knowing all of these things based on their expressions, Hachiro moved towards Andi without a single doubt and reached his hand. He dulled his senses to overcome the anxiety everyone is sending his direction.
"Let me take care of it.." Hachiro said. "I know how to get rid of of that thing.."
Andra laid Andi's head on the ground but she still held his hand. Hachiro then reached his head putting it between his palms. His watch glowed after he said a command before he started to move his hands on Andi's head, massaging it back and forth.
"Will that really help?" Andra bluntly asked.
Michiyo placed her hand on Andra's shoulder and said, "Don't worry, he knows what he's doing.."
"There!" Hachiro exclaimed. He threw his right hand from Andi's head and to their surprise, a finger-huge centipede crawled desperately on the ground.
Jayson knew what he has to do so he immediately grabbed his weapon and burned the creep to dust "Where's the other half?" he exclaimed.
"Shi-chan!!" Hachiro exclaimed, holding his arm near the elbow. "Faster!"
Jayson saw what he's looking for. The other half crawled under Hachiro's skin making a bulk on his forearm that made him hold it to isolate its location on his arm.
The fox, on the other hand, leaped to his master's arm, unsheathed his claws, scratching the centipede out from Hachiro's arm. The creeping bug fell near Sandra so she grabbed her weapon and dealt the final blow.
"Ha-chan, you're bleeding…" the fox exclaimed. "We need to stop the bleeding.."
"I'm on it." Dave sat near him and dressed his wound. "You could've said what you're going to do so we can help.."
"I'm sorry, I didn't thought of any other way…" Hachiro explained. "It's all on me..my bad."
Andra was relieved seeing her cousin sighing in relief. "You idiot.." and she threw him a hug.
"I thought I'm a goner.." Andi whispered, still holding his head.
"Hey, don't you have a wound, Andi?" Jayson asked.
"No, he's not bleeding.."Andra replied. "I saw the centipede clothed in a thin mana as it gets out from Andi's head.
"How did that happened?" Jayson said.
"Ha-chan used the mana skin." Shichiro said. "That was what the command activated on his watch and sent mana inside Andi's head. He then isolated the bug and removed it manually. But the bug split in a moment and Ha-chan didn't expected that, he was not clothing himself with mana skin since he's concentering it to Andi, that is how it get inside his arm." The fox added.
"So, that is why he needed to be treated. But why wound him?" Jayson asked.
"It was impulse…"
They sat on their places and sighed but their eyes pinned on Hachiro, waiting for him to say a word.
"I used a program on my watch as what the spoiler fox said..." He sighed and sat on his place as well. "It's meant for extracting a virus from a host without getting it damaged. Just a sort of perk in my specs." Hachiro started. "I pulled it out safely but in a millisecond, it struggled and got inside me, though only its half."
"Seems like it." Michiyo asked.
"And this?" Hachiro showed his bandaged arm. "Oh, it's Shi-chan's fault."
"My bad.." Shichiro curled behind his master.
"Ehh?" Jayson sighed. "So, why did it happened anyway? Where did that centipede came from?"
"The real question is, what happened to everything?" Alex spoke with blunt eyes.
"By all means," Hachiro blandly said. "…the hacker got us."
The all fell silent. A cold air started to blow on their direction. Crows sound beneath the dark sea of brewing storm. As if a spark of electricity run in their head.
"What do you mean?" Michiyo asked though she knew what answer she's expecting.
"The virus that was implanted in us was a centipede egg. It was injected by the moment we wore that watch at the port."
"Hey, did you knew it was like this from the very start?" Alex irritatingly asked.
"No, I didn't. All I know is that it was activated when the hacker showed his trump card a few minutes ago. The update was just a fiasco to direct our attention from his real plan…" Hachiro explained. "It seems like that centipede it eating our brain that will eventually lead to apathy syndrome."
"So, that's what happened to them.." Jayson said. "Is that the same with what happened even before the AR was updated?"
"Probably.." Hachiro replied. "But it was bound to happen when the time limit came. Those eggs that were implanted in our brains will be hatched even if we oppose when their right time comes. Seems like only a few of us survived, huh.." he sighed.
"I, Andra, Andi, Jayson, Alex—" Michiyo counted with her fingers. "Sandra, Dave and his two friends Ken and Brent, Yuri with Mike and Kath surveyed the area in case of immediate enemy attack; though I can't believe they can act rationally in this situation. Tori is manning the tower to see the situation above. And we have the two of you, Hachiro and Shi-chan.."
"In other words, we only have 14 people to survive, huh.." Hachiro sighed.
"This number will do…" Jayson positively said. "We'll make up for the lost hands…"
"I wonder…" Hachiro said under his breath. "You should just focus on saving lives. You should get everyone near the port and continued what we've planned. I still have to continue the fight."
"There you are again.." Sandra glared fiendly to her friend. "You're trying to solve everything on your own like you're one hell of a hotshot…"
"I'm not acting like one. It's just, if I won't, we'll all fell in danger." Hachiro bravely answered. "At least we can have someone who will survive.." He knew he needed to take a stand, it's their final resort.
"What do you mean?" Sandra argued, raising a brow. "All of those we've talked inside was a lie? You're going to abandon us again, huh?" she stepped towards him and grabbed his collar. "I knew you were a coward, Markus, but I never knew you were a liar!"
"It can't be helped, Sandra. The hacker is mine to fight. You people need to get to safety no matter what. This has become too much for you to handle."
"And what?" Sandra exclaimed. "You're planning to die alone? What the fuck was that all about, Markus?! We supported all your selfish actions before but this is by far the worst! Damn with all the excuses!"
"You're just getting involve too much. I don't need your help!"
"You don't need it?" Sandra repeated. "But you can use it. And I doubt you have something in mind to end all this!"
"I do, and you're out of it!" Hachiro exclaimed.
"Ahh, so you've excluded us already? How touching. Do I need to feel thankful for that?"
"No!" Hachiro exclaimed. "But if that will save you from danger, I don't need you to be thankful."
"The hell was that?!" Sandra replied. "You're screwed from the core Markus."
"Yeah, I've always been! And I don't have to tell you everything about me, Sandra. You're not my mom!"
"I may not!" Sandra shouted. "But I know you very well and I know that this is just you being selfish and immature!" she exclaimed. "I'm done with all your selfishness and all!"
It's the first time Dave saw them fight. He never once recalled any instance that Markus tried to argue with Sandra. Almost every argument they have before was led and won by Sandra herself. But now, the tables are turned. Markus was putting up a fight. Dave knew deep inside him that Markus wanted to give his point and that his point will never be shattered by any means. He unconsciously stepped between them, facing Sandra, shutting the two up.
"What are you doing, Dave?" she asked.
"That's enough, Cass.." Dave held her arm and she let go of Hachiro's collar. "Stop this already.."
"What do you mean? I'm just trying to pound some nerve on this guy!" she exclaimed, still mad of their conversation. "You heard him right? He's out of his mind."
Dave shook his head. "That's enough…" he said. "Let's not give him more trouble than what he has now."
"Dave, you.."
"Yes, this time I will side with him." his eyes burned with conviction. "If that's what he thought was the right thing to do, I wont say a damn word."
"But!" Sandra argued.
"But—" Dave faced back. Hachiro saw the glare of his friend. "If we see you in danger, you will not also give a damn word if we tried to help."
"Wha—" Hachiro said but his mouth was shut by Dave's hand.
"Promise me, Markus." Dave said, putting both his hands on Hachiro's shoulder, eyeing him like a manly conversation. "This is the last time you'll ever become selfish."
"Dave.." Hachiro tried to argue.
"I wont take a No for an answer." Dave said.
And the wind suddenly died around them. But,
"Ma..ma.." Jayson spoke. "Let's not fight among ourselves, can we?"
Everyone stared at him. Michiyo felt relieved.
"I kinda know we'll end up in this conversation given what has happened a while ago, so…" Jayson stepped in a debris to emphasize something. "I thought of this thing to get us to understanding."
"What do you mean?" Hachiro asked.
Nice move Jay! Michiyo thought.
"Ahh.. well, it doesn't change that you will be taking the hacker. But as for us, we have our own way fighting back." Jayson said. "The Circa will not stand still waiting to be saved, We are not as helpless as you think, Ginsei Hachiro. We can also put on a fight. We came from GSHigh anyway. So, I thought of this plan."
"If it will not give that guy trouble,.." Sandra said, turning her back from Dave and Hachiro. "That saves us time."
"I thought so." Jayson replied. "So,, this is what we'll do."
Jayson explained his plan, reaching even the ones in patrol. Everyone agreed. Even the doubtful and confused Hachiro didn't say a word.
"But, about the game to clear the palace.." Alex said. "We'll have at least 5 people to play it, right?"
"Not necessarily.." Dave replied. "The rules have changed; we can send as many people in it. In that case, we'll get a higher chance to clear the game, but I doubt we can send everyone, we should have people to send the others to the port, right? I just hope the hacker will not crash the program when we're on it."
"I doubt that.." Sandra said in disagreement. "We'll never know when he's snapped."
"Well, at least we have more people to watch each other's back in that case." Jayson joined the convo. "Our greatest priority is survival and that wont happen if we wont work together to get the key."
"I thought so.." Sandra agreed. "Work TOGETHER.." she stared at Hachiro who then evaded her gaze.
"I'll get the car ready so we can get moving.." Kath said the moment she arrived. She and the others heard the plan since Jayson broadcasted it in their hotspot network.
"Please do.. we're running out of time." Jayson said. "So, I guess we're settled." He added. "You go to your posts now and lets start cleaning this mess up."
"Hai!" everyone shouted.
Just as planned
Hachiro stood from his place and walked towards the exit wearing a grin on his face.