"It sure is dark in here!"
Continuing their traversal on the dark passageway, both Louis and Red encountered nothing but an endless set of stairs going down and the darkness which fills the room. Careful with their steps as to not trip, their travel was quite a slow one which was annoying the ever-restless Red quite a bit. But knowing the potential dangers that may lay ahead in their path Louis still continued to be careful and slow despite Red's dismay.
"You know... bringing a light in here would have been much easier." Red spoke.
"Even if I did bring the flashlight here, I still wouldn't use it."
"Boo... that so typical of you."
"Not many survives doing this job so taking precautions to increase your survival is something to at least consider." Louis explains "I'm pretty sure I already said this to you many times."
"Yeah-yeah... no need to remind me."
After a few minutes of just making their way to said stairs, they finally reached what seems to be an end. And despite the lack of light present in the current place, both of them easily recognized that what was in front of them is yet another door.
"I bet tonight's dinner that it's locked."
Ignoring Red once more, Louis slowly made his way to the door. Seeing how there isn't any key hole of some sorts present, he carefully reaches his hand into the door and tried opening it.
[clink!]
"It's locked from the other side." Louis spoke.
"Hell yeah! You owe me steak for dinner tonight."
"Since when did I agree to your bet?"
"Boo..."
"Enough fooling around will you, it's your turn now."
"Yeah-yeah, open sesame."
Flickering blood into the door, Red once again used her ability to unlocked the door. With it now accessible, Louis then opens the door and raised his gun as he enters. Yet despite the place being another section of the hidden passageway, it still is cloaked in darkness.
Why is this place so dark...? Louis spoke in his mind as he tries to inspect the room that they are in.
"This place reeks of Nightmare scent, Louis."
And just as Red spoke those words, a pair of red glowing dots that resemble a pair of eyes suddenly appeared near where Red stands. Quick in with his hands, Louis immediately points his gun into where the mysterious creature is and opened fire.
[Bang!]
"Ahhhh!" Red screamed quite surprised at Louis's sudden action. "What the fuck was that fo-"
But just as Red was about to question why Louis did what he did, a sound of something dropping into the floor quickly echoed the room in which both of them stand. Quite confused as to what that sound was, Red turns around and saw a silhouette of a small creature that is bleeding and struggling intensely in the ground.
"What the fuccc..."
The suffering creature soon met its end short after as it bleeds out into the ground. Taking a closer look into what the creature is, both Louis and Red found out that the creature is a bat; a quite large one compared to normal bats and monstrous in looks. Its eyes glow bright red and its fangs is large and sharp. Looking at its appearance Louis quickly deducts that the creature they are seeing is no ordinary bat.
"E-ew... what the fuck is that!?" Red asked, quite disgusted at what she is seeing.
"What? Never seen a bat before?"
"That is a bat!" Red shouted quite surprised at what she just learned. "Jeesh... And here I thought you were ugly but damn... never knew this world's bats are this ugly."
"Could you at least use your common sense? There's no way in any place is this considered normal."
"Ehh... I don't believe you."
"Believe what you want. In any case can you verify if this creature is a Nightmare or not?"
"Nope. Doesn't smell like a Nightmare to me."
"Huh... how odd."
Looking much closer at the creature, Louis still can't believe that what his seeing isn't a Nightmare. But knowing that Red won't lie about such a detail, he can only conclude that the appearance of the creature might likely be a caused by one. He himself have encountered some Nightmares that can change the appearance of creatures and even things in his career, so it's only natural that he can think of such a thought.
"Though... despite that this creature's blood do smell like one." Red suddenly spoke.
"Blood?"
"Yeah, there's actually two types of blood mixed in this creature. One of them definitely is from a Nightmare."
"I see... that concludes it then."
"Conclude? Conclude what?" Red asked.
"The appearance. The reason why this creature looks the way it is. It's a work of a Nightmare." Louis answers. "This is also tangible evidence that paranormal activities are at play in this place."
"Right... umm.. What about it?"
"Normal people should not even at vicinity at such places." Louis explains. "It's punishable offense hiding and even using Nightmare's or related things without a permit."
"I see... so it's illegal you say? Does that mean we can beat whomever the culprit is?"
"No!" Louis sighs. "Just store this creature for now so that we can use it as evidence."
"But we left our equipment back in the van."
"Shit..."
And as the two was discussing about the creature, an odd sound can suddenly be heard in the room. Looking up from where they stand, both saw a sea of red dots and silhouettes of the similar creature in the ground just lurking in the ceiling.
Sensing a bad feeling from what they are seeing. Louis immediately grabs Red's hand and run to the exit. But just as they began to move the sea of bats immediately moved from where they are and blocked the exit up.
"Red!"
"Right!"
Seeing that some of bats are heading their way, Red then bites her thumb which injured it. With blood flowing in her finger, she then creates a red sword in her hand and used it to slash the incoming bats.
"Red blade!"
Managing to cut some of the bats, the flock of bats that were approaching them halts for a moment before immediately scattering. Sensing another attack from a different direction, Red swings her blade which resulted much of the same outcome. But unlike before, just as she finishes swinging her sword another group of bats immediately attacks before she can even see them.
[Bang! Bang! Bang!]
Unloading his remaining bullets into the bats, Louis was able to kill some of the bats and stop the incoming attack to Red.
"Almost shot my head there!"
"Be quiet will you and check your surroundings next time."
"Aye."
Continuing the fight, Louis and Red were able to kill a bunch of bats which turned the floor into quite a mess. But seeing how the number of the bats seems to not end, Louis can already see their situation getting worse if they don't do something.
"Ahhh!! Why are there so many of these fucks in here!?" Red complains as she continues to swing her sword.
"..."
With the exit up blocked by the bats, Louis can only think of venturing further in the place and hoping that they'll find a way escaping the massive hoard of bats.
"Fuck it! I'm blowing this place up!"
But before Red even enact that plan of hers, her arm is once again grabbed by Louis.
"Ey!" Red complains.
Ignoring the loud Red, Louis grabs Red and headed straight to the opposite direction of where the exit is. Seeing nothing of use that can help remedy their situation, Louis can only continue running as a sea of bat follow suit.
But just as Louis was about to give up hope, he conveniently sees another section of the place that has a bright light unlike what they have encountered so far. And seeing how the only entrance to said place is an open door, he immediately sprinted to said entrance as fast as he can and hastily close the door.
[Thud! Thud! Thud!]
Not giving up on the duo, the bats tried breaking in by crashing themselves into the door. Seeing the activity of the bats and the barely holding door, Louis tries holding the door himself with his strength.
[Thud! Thud! Thud!]
Goddammit... Louis curses in his mind.
"Stand back Louis!"
Seeing the troubled Louis, Red joins in and tries to hold the door as well. With her abnormal strength holding the door with all her might, the bats weren't successful in their goal and soon after backs off from what they were doing.
.
.
.
[Minutes passed]
"Eh? It seems the bats stopped breaking in." Red utters.
But wanting to make sure that such is the case, Louis tells Red to continue holding the door and wait a bit more.
.
.
.
[Another time passed]
"It seems the bats indeed have stopped." Louis spoke.
"Thats great." Upon hearing what Louis have said, Red immediately let's go of her hold.
"At least try and act as if you care." Louis sighs.
"You said so yourself. The bats have stopped."
"And if they weren't, we would be dead."
"Pffttt... you worry too much, Louis. Again I could have blown those things up if the situation becomes too dire."
"[Sigh...]"
"Now then where are we?"
With them now in a new area of the place, Red can't help but be curious as to where they are. But before she can truly see much of the place, a large blurry silhouette suddenly moves from where they are.
"Red!"
Seeing the thing quickly approaching the unsuspecting Red, Louis hastily pushes Red out if the way which made her fall into the floor. Not understanding what just happened, Red turns around and sees a large bat like creature holding Louis with its leg in view.
"Louis!"
Knowing that it's an enemy, Red once again prepares to fight. But before she can even summon her sword, she was fling away by the creature's large wing which stops her from her tracks.
"Aghh!!"
Rolling in the floor once again, Red can't help but be pissed at the creature. Pointing her finger at the large bat, Red once again prepares for another attack. But just as she does it, the bat suddenly presents Louis; whom still is in its leg, in front
"Don't think that just because you are using the old man as a shield that you'll escape from this!" Red shouted.
But once again before she can even begin to act, a different voice suddenly echoed in the place which momentarily made Red stop.
"I advise you to stop whatever it is that you are doing you Nightmare."
"!?"
Looking at where the voice was coming from, both sees a man with a fancy suit standing around far from where they were. No doubt from its looks that the person they are seeing is none other than chairman of the Help and Prospering Association himself.
"You..." Red utters.
End of Chapter