The remaining members of the Collective and Kuro and Midori all sit in the infirmary in silence. They had been there for over an hour since the round had ended, yet there were no signs of Joseph entering at all. A nurse entered the room with a clipboard in hand.
Nurse: I decided to check our files and it looks like Joseph is being held in a different infirmary. Looks like he was listed to stay there, separate from his group. I hope that helps.
Midori: Thank you very much, missy. We'll talk things over from here.
The nurse left the room as everyone turned to look at one another. Moll let out a sigh before lying back in his bed.
Moll: I wonder if he asked for that room change himself or if it were those two rich snobs that asked for him. Either way, it looks like the Collective is slowly starting to crumble.
Hamadeen: What are you trying to say, bro?
Moll: Joseph is growing really distant and basically changing his alliance with us. It isn't fair, you know.
Kuro: That fucker is hardly worth our time. He lost even harder than the ghost punch here.
Moll: I would want to talk with him, but there's not much point. I'll have to consider retiring soon. When I was in my prime, a strike like this would have never hit me. But here I am, with one less leg. I guess that would be an interesting note to leave off on, eh?
Midori: As much as it pains me… It's true. We left our prime long ago, Moll.
Moll: Yeah. I guess I'm just an old man clinging to my former glory.
Hamadeen: Bro, what are you saying?! You're still one of the best! If you were washed up, you wouldn't be here with us right now! You wouldn't still be in the top ten! You're still one of the best, don't you dare say otherwise!
Hamadeen stood up from his bed, Kuro and Moll's eyes darting to him. His eyes burned with a passion that Moll had long but lost. Moll closed his eyes with a smile as he let out a chuckle.
Moll: I'm happy I got to meet you, Hamadeen. You definitely have a different type of strength to you. You fought until your final breath in that match against Jason. And here you are, reminding me of something that should be obvious. You're one hell of a kid, but you can't deny the facts. I've lost my foot and I'm not strong enough to fight without it. What good is a fighter that can't stand to fight?
A knock came on the door as Moll finished his sentence. Hamadeen glanced over at it, walking over and opening the door to reveal a woman in a lab coat and glasses. She wore her hair up in a bun, a smirk on her face. She held a briefcase at her side, one that looked decently heavy.
Hamadeen: Who are you?
Doctor A: Just a friendly doctor passing by. Feel free to call me Doctor A. I have a small proposition for Mr. Moll Sonata.
She walked into the room, where all eyes lay on her. She grabbed a rolling table and placed her briefcase down. She turned it around and looked up at the fighter in his bed.
Doctor A: I happened to hear about your little leg problem.
Kuro: Were you eavesdropping on us, you bitch?! I'll whoop your ass!
Midori: Stop Kuro. I want to know what she has to say.
Midori raised an arm in front of Kuro, nodding at Doctor A to continue. She smirked as she released the locks on the briefcase. She opened it slowly as she looked directly into Moll's eyes.
Doctor A: With this, you'll be able to fight at your full potential. No- You'll fight beyond your full potential.
Moll's eyes left Doctor A's and fell upon the contents of the briefcase. His eyes scanned it before meeting Doctor A. Hamadeen watched closely as he saw the uncertainty in Moll's eyes. The silence of the room was broken by Moll sitting up in his seat.
Moll: I'll do it.
…
Thong slowly opened his eyes, the sunlight shining brightly. He raised his arm to block the light as he heard the sounds of wildlife surrounding him. He sat up as his eyes crossed the sight before him. He was no longer in the infirmary or the woods near the Eclipse's tournament building. He was now in a place that seemed familiar but he could not discern what it was. He pushed himself off, feeling his breathing hit something immediately in his face. He looked down, noticing his mask was back on his face.
Thong's thoughts: What… Where am I? Why do I have my mask again?
Thong walked through the wildlife that surrounded him, entering a clearing where a path was not too far from him. He looked up and down the road, seeing a wide fence on one side and a lone home on the other. His hands trembled as he looked at the house, but he couldn't tell why he felt this way. He walked onto the road and towards the house. Looking around his locations, he could tell the land was rural, but not similar to rural America.
Thong's thoughts: This place is so familiar, but doesn't feel like America at all… Where am I?
Thong walked along the road, taking in the scenery that surrounded him. It was tranquil, without a single human in sight. Despite its peaceful nature, Thong couldn't help but feel unsettled by the location. Something about it felt awfully wrong. After he reached the house, he stared up at the door, his head beginning to throb. He placed a hand on his head as he heard several hard hits on the other side of the building. He shook his head and ran to the other side of the house, seeing someone launched to the ground as an older man stood over them. Thong ran at the old man, reaching for the pipe that he held in his hand. His arm phased through the old man, Thong's eyes growing wide.
Minh: I see you finally reached us.
Thong looked at the ground, seeing himself on the ground. A version of himself that wore a deep red for his eyes. His other self, Minh, laid bruised and beaten on the ground. The old man turned his back on both men and walked into a shed that was several meters behind the home. Thong reached his hand out, helping Minh onto his feet.
Thong: You're… me. The me that I've heard for so long…
Minh: Yeah, now you can see that there's really no difference between us. I can't help but feel weaker when I'm here, however.
Thong: Weaker? Is that why you were losing to that old guy?
Minh: You didn't recognize him or this place, can you?
Thong blinked blankly at Minh. His head began to throb and pulse once more, forcing him to stagger back. Thong forced one eye open to look at Minh, who had turned into a noticeably younger version of Thong. A version that seemed unnaturally thin and malnourished. The part that horrified Thong the most was the bleeding cuts all over his mouth.
Minh: You need to remember, Thong. I can't do this by myself forever. This is something we need to accept.
Thong: What… What are you saying?! Where am I?! Who was that old man?!
The pain in Thong's head dropped him to one knee as he clutched both sides of his head. Minh looked down at his other self, Thong barely seeing his other self collapse to the ground. He laid on his side, his eyes locked on Thong's.
Minh: Unless you come to accept this part of yourself. You will never become whole. I have been holding this information for myself for so long, but if you wish to survive in this tournament, you need to accept the past.
Thong's thoughts: The past? What does he mean? Wait… the past? Does that mean that man was-
Thong's eyes shot open in the hospital room. The room was pitch dark as the only person who sat there was Eve, looking at a computer screen in the corner. She perked her head up, looking over at Thong's bed. She stood up and let out a gasp, quickly running to his side as she looked over his body and his vitals.
Eve: His heart is racing! But he's awake! He's actually awake!
She turned to Thong and gently placed her hand on his. She looked deeply into his eyes as she wrapped both her hands around his.
Eve: It's okay, Thong. You're safe here. It's around the middle of the night now. So don't feel rushed by any means. Get all the rest you need. I'll be here all night if I need to, so don't feel rushed to get up. Rest and recover. Your friends will be so happy to hear that you're okay.
Thong opened his mouth to respond, but his face felt odd. It felt as if something was dug into his skin. Eve didn't respond to his concern, meeting him with a gentle smile as she continued to gently hold his hand. Thong's readings returned to normal as Thong closed his mouth and smiled. Thong and Eve stayed in silence for an indeterminable amount of time. Thong's eyes slowly shut as he fell to sleep, Eve letting go of his hand and returning to her desk. She sat with a smile as the night passed by. A peaceful night to contrast the hectic day that had transpired. A night where most parties would fall peacefully to sleep…
…
The sun slowly rose on a new day as people began to move once more. Theodore with Gonzalez and Theresa by his side walked to Xavier's infirmary early in the day.
Gonzalez: I see that not knowing about his condition has left you quite restless, my king.
Theodore: I can't help but feel concerned. If Xavier is to slip up even once, I would never forgive this betrayal.
Theresa: You said that Jason boy had a lot of faith in him, so I think we should too.
As Theodore, Gonzalez, and Theresa reached the end of the hallway, they were met with the sounds of several security guards surrounding Xavier's infirmary. They ran to the entrance, with one guard attempting to stop them.
Daymond: Let them pass.
The trio looked back to see Daymond arrive with Dianshi at his side. Daymond waved the guard away as Theodore stared at him.
Daymond: I am aware this is where one of your children is, so please, feel free to look inside.
Theodore: Thank you.
Theodore and Gonzalez rushed into the infirmary, only to be met with two bodies on the floor. The corpses of two of the Eclipse's doctors laid on the ground with their heads facing the opposite direction. They had been dead for an unknown amount of time, but only two other bodies sat in the same room. Two security guards stood on both sides of Xavier, who had his eyes glued to the body of Abraham in front of him. Theodore and Gonzalez rushed over and looked at the status of Abraham's body. A tarp was over his upper half as Xavier worked on one part of his body. He gently injected a syringe into one of Xavier's bones, the contents of the syringe depleting.
Theodore's thoughts: So this is the method that Jason had mentioned? Something that would help fix and even improve the bone of whoever undergoes the treatment…
Gonzalez: This treatment is quite unique. It's so quiet, but I can hear it. There are so many little moving parts in it.
Daymond: If it wasn't obvious enough, it appears our mystery intruders have struck this infirmary.
Dianshi: The two victims were long-term doctors of the Eclipse. They started their careers here just a year before the Deacon Era of the Eclipse. The attacker struck them from behind and killed them in an instant. However, they did not attack Xavier or the body of Abraham.
Daymond: The case wants us to move these two out of here and have Xavier questioned. But I can tell just from his physical condition, he has done nothing but drink liquids and focused on the body of your child.
Theodore: What do you intend to do, Daymond?
Daymond: I intend to have my guards and Dianshi take over this investigation and let Xavier be freed from all accusations. I don't want to waste time training over this, I won't have my difficult victory over you be what costs me the tournament. I hope to see you again when I prove myself once again at the top.
Daymond left the room with an ominous smile on his face. Dianshi nodded and turned to talk to one of the guards. Theodore turned to Gonzalez.
Theodore: If he intends to train, then we will too. Let's go, Gonzalez.
Gonzalez: Agreed, my king.