The ambulance ride was short. K and F were in the hospital before they could realize. F wanted to stay with K but he got a call from B.
''F where are you?'' B asked.
''I'm in the hospital, why?'' F said.
''How'd you do that? I just sent the ambulance your way.'' B said.
''Then who drove us to the hospital?'' F asked.
''Get out of there immediatly, it's not a hospital.'' B said.
''I GOTTA GET K!'' F said ran back inside K's room.
"It's empty?'' F looked around the empty room.
F instinctively dodged a kick and turned around just in time to block the second one. The kick from the assailant, a hooded figure covered in white, sent F across the room. Then the assailant spat a fireball at him but F rolled to the side, dodging the attack. The assailant continued spitting fireballs at F and after ten or so blasts he got him. F was sent flying through the window, but he managed to punch a hole into the wall, stopping his fall. The assailant heard the loud sound of shattering concrete and jumped back just in time to avoid two pieces of concrete aimed at him, but F still managed to pin him to the ground.
''Where the hell is K?! Talk or I'll smash your head to pieces!'' F yelled.
''You can't scare me, blondie. I know you're bluffing.'' The assailant said.
F punched a hole into the floor right next to the assailant's head.
"TALK!'' F screamed at the assailant.
''Fine, I'll talk. Your buddy is being transported to a van outside. We'll kill him and sell his organs or at least the working ones. That's what I was told.'' The man said.
"How many of you fuckers are outside?'' F asked.
''As if I'd tell you. Now die!'' The man said and tried to make a fireball but F was quicker and tried to punch him.
The assailant kicked F in the stomach, sending him into the wall. F grabbed glass shards from the floor and throws them at the assailant. The assailant dodged the shards, spitting another fireball at F. F flipped the bed over to block the fireball. F kicked the bed at the assailant who spat another fireball at it but F punched through the bed, knocking the assailant through the door and hitting him with the bed.
"That took too long, gotta run!'' F said and ran as fst as he could.
F ran through the hallway as fast he can, suddenly hearing commotion outside.
''Good, he's still outside, I still have time.'' F said and ran even faster.
F burst through the door, incapacitating one of the assailants.
''K! I'm here!'' F said and ran towards K.
''Took you long enough.'' K said as the men surrounded F.
F kicked another assailant in the face, knocking him out.
''Shut up! I'm trying to save you.'' F said and jumped over another man.
F dodged an attack from another assailant and knocked him out .
''See? I'm saving your ungreatful ass.'' F said.
K broke the chains on his arms and killed an armed assailant.
''I appreciate your help.'' K said and cracked his knuckles.
''Let's finish these guys.'' F said, smiling.
''Yeah.'' K said.
K and F rushed the remaining men, F jumping over their attacks and K charging through them with his strenght. A man tried to attack F from behind, but he managed to dodge it. The man went for another punch but F jumped over him.
''Get him, K!'' F said to his comrade.
K punched the man and sent him flying.
''I got him. I think we're done here. Let's call B and get out of here.'' K said.
''Alright bet, we'll get out of here in no time.'' F said and called B.
''Hey B, we dealt with those fucks, what now?'' F asked.
''That's good to hear, I'll send the ambulance to you. Where are you exactly?'' B asked.
F looked around. He didn't recognize the tiny hills around him or the hospital in front of him. The entire place looked odd. F walked around the hills and looked for anything familiar to him, only seeing the buildings in the distance.
''I'm not sure, there's a hospital behind me but it's definetly abandoned. There are some big buildings in the distance, maybe skyscrapers? That can't be right, we can't be outside of the city, the ride was too short for that. I need a minute to look around.'' F said.
''Put K on the phone.'' B said.
''Alright, on it.'' F said and handed K the phone
''B wants to talk to you.'' F said.
K took the phone and F walked away to look for clues.
''What is it boss?'' K asked.
''What's your location? F said he wasn't familiar with it so I thought you might know.'' B asked.
''Somehow we're outside the city, judging from how far the skyscrapers are, we should be five or six blocks away from the worm's extermination point, but I can also see a lake next to the hospital and there are no buildings around us except those in the distance... Something isn't right. There are no lakes this close to the city and there's no way we're that far... unless...'' K said, trying to figure it out.
K's eyes widened in shock.
''We're in an anomaly realm! I have to find that idiot F before he gets killed!'' K said and and started looking around, trying to spot F before anything could happen to him.
''Find F, kill the anomaly casting the realm.'' B said.
"Yes ma'am.'' K said and hung up.
K started running around, trying to find F.
''F! Where are you!'' K screamed, trying to find F.
Suddenly, the realm turned upside down, causing K to fall into the inverted sky. The realm's sky changed from purple to dark gold and the clouds became pitch black. The ground turned blue and the upside down buildings turned white. K saw F flying through the air.
"Hey K! Help me, please. Please!'' F screamed as he was flung through the air.
''I can't stop you from flying around until the anomaly is dead!'' K said.
''How do find that fucker?!'' F asked.
''I'll try to find it's cursed energy but it will be difficult.'' K said,trying to focus his energy.
''I'll find it and you'll kill it, how about it?'' F said.
"Alright let's do it!'' K said and shifted his energy into his curse.
F tried to sense the anomaly's energy but he failed The realm cut into F's skin and sent him flying higher into the air.
''AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! THAT HURT!'' F screamed.
F tried to locate the anomaly's energy again. The anomaly's realm tore into him again but this time he saw a glimpse of the anomaly's body. The anomaly had a skinny, malnourished body that seemed to be torn apart from the waist down, empty eye sockets and long black hair. It's lower jaw didn't have any skin and its teeth were rotting. The anomaly pointed its elongated, skeletal fingers at F. F's eyes started bleeding and he almost lost conciousness, but he still managed to signal K to shoot.
''Shoot it now, K!'' F said.
K created some stone spikes and shoots them at the anomaly. The anomaly was impaled through the head. The anomaly fell to the ground, its realm disappearing. F fell to the ground as well.
''Ouch.'' F said.
''Are you alright?'' K asked.
''No.'' F replied.
''You'll be alright.'' K said.
''I'll manage.'' F said and got up.
The ambulance arrived a few minutes later.
''Look, it's the exterminator ambulance.'' K said.
''Is it the real one this time?'' F asked.
''Yes it is.'' K replied.
The ambulance took them to the exterminator infirmary.
''We're finally safe from monsters, curses and other sickos!''
F saw a exterminator nurse.
''Exterminator nurse lady, awesome.'' F said.
''Don't disturb her, she's working.'' K said.
''Right.'' F said.
F and K sat quietly in the infirmary. F thinks about things.
"Hey K?'' F asked.
"Yeah?'' K replied.
''Do you think I did well on this mission?'' F asked.
''Why are you asking?'' K asked.
''I know it was my first and all but I feel like I messed up big time. You took a lot of hits for me and I couldn't do anything to help you in return.'' F said.
''It's alright, F. You did well. We beat the worm and came out with relatively small injuries. We didn't expect those men and the anomaly, but you still managed to spot it and that's why we're alive.'' K said and put his arm on F's shoulder.
''But you're very injured because of me.'' F said.
''It's alright. I expected to take a few hits for you so I'm fine.'' K said.
''So I wasn't a complete failure?'' F asked.
''You did better than I expected so you're not a complete failure.'' K said.
''That means I won't get fired from this job on my first day!'' F said.
''Now now, boys, you have to rest. Those injuries are pretty serious even though we patched you up.'' The nurse said.
''Okay, cool nurse lady.'' F said and went back to his bed.
''Oh and before I forget, F.'' K said.
''Yeah?'' F asked.
''Don't blame yourself when someone decides to take a hit for you. It's their decision after all.'' K said and went back to his bed.
F closed his eyes and frifted to sleep. In his dream, F saw hundreds of monster worms and a giant version of the anomaly, all dead and ripped to pieces. F looked up to see the Sun disappear and the sky turn black. Everything became dark and F looked back at the place the anomaly was. He saw a giant stone mask staring back at him. F woke up in a cold sweat.
''Holy shit! What was that?'' F said and looked around. It was night and K was sleeping.
''Okay, just a stupid dream, I'm alive.'' F said and went back to bed.
F woke up two days later, only to find the infirmary empty.
''Why is this place empty?'' F thought to himself and got up. F walked around the infirmary, trying to find the exit.
''How the hell do I get out of here?'' F thought as he walked.
''F?! You're awake?'' The nurse asked in shock.
''Yeah I'm awake.'' F said.
''And you can do things again?'' The nurse asked.
''And I can do things again.'' F replied.
''How did you recover so fast? I know curse healing exists but completely recovering from anomaly realm injuries in only two days is insane!'' The nurse asked in shock.
''I don't know what you're talking about, I had a few scratches.'' F said, looking at his injuries.
''You came here with missing chunks of flesh!'' The nurse yelled.
''I did?'' F asked.
''Yes you did!'' The nurse said.
''Alright, what the hell is up with all this noise?'' K asked.
''K, did I come here with missing flesh and stuff?'' F asked.
''I'm not sure, I don't remember your injuries being that severe.'' K said.
'''See, cool exterminator nurse lady? I told you I wasn't that hurt.'' F said.
''Fine! You weren't that hurt! I'll pretend that you didn't have chunks of your forearms bitten off.'' The nurse said.
A man with long dark hair and dark blue eyes entered the infirmary.
''I knew I'd find you here, K. Get up, the higher-ups want all captains for a crucial meeting.'' The man said.
''What is the meeting about, T?'' K asked.
''It's most likely about the growing number of non-exterminator curse users and anomalies around the country. I heard from B that you were ambushed by curse users and an anomaly after your mission. Sounds pretty bad for your first mission with a rookie.'' T said.
''It wasn't that bad, F can hold his own in a fight.'' K said.
''I doubt he can, judging from your current state. How many hits did you take for him?'' T asked.
''None, I was careless and I got injured.'' K said.
''That's not a good first impression for your rookie, you know? Try to be more careful on your next misson. I think it's time for us to head to the meeting room. Would you like me to push your wheelchair for you?'' T taunted.
''I can walk just fine.'' K said.
''You will fall over before the higher-ups are finished talking, you wouldn't want to embarass yourself in front of them, would you?'' T asked mockingly.
K got up.
''Don't underestimate me, I'll be just fine.'' K said.
''Let's go then, otherwise we'll miss the meeting.'' T said.
K and T left the infirmary. F left soon after.
''I have to prepare for whatever is next.''
F went to B's office and knocked on the door.
To be continued.