God, or whoever is listening, let me escape alive! With my little prayer done, I walked through the dark corridors of this strange place.
Gray walls and a white floor illuminated by a dim red light accompanied by infernal explosions, screams, and tremors in the distance.
I passed several large glass window revealing rooms full of metal tables with small colorful glass tubes on top, and tables with dark glass rectangles, a metal box beside of the glass, and some kind of rectangle full of buttons on the front.
A third room had a large table with some papers and empty chairs around it while something in the ceiling cast light onto a white screen on the wall.
"Jekyll, how the hell did they build this place under the sea?"
"The discovery of MASO enabled huge leaps in science and technological advancement. New and efficient forms of energy were discovered and with that, technologies that we would have centuries in the future were developed in decades."
"And what is MASO?"
"A parti… A very small thing that came from another world."
"Another world? Seriously? Do you think I'm a child?"
"I'm telling the truth, it was hard to believe when it was revealed."
"But focusing on what is important. Where should we go?"
"We have to go to the containment area where the prisoner is."
"And how do we get there?"
"GET ME OUT OF HERE!"
CRASH!
"Stop! You are damaging my beautiful Atlantis!"
The prisoner and Neptune screamed at each other again, followed by another explosion that rocked the facility.
"Just follow the screams."
"GGGRRR! You say it like it's not obvious."
I dashed towards the screams, passing through more rooms full of things I didn't understand.
"Well, the invaders sullied my wonderful kingdom. What do you seek? To kill me and rule my city? Steal my prized treasures? Or are you looking for something else?"
Neptune's voice echoed through the halls. How can he see us?
"Ignore him Hyde, there's no reason to tell why we're here."
"Will you not answer me? It doesn't matter! As intruders, you must be eliminated!"
Part of the ceiling ahead opened and a metal box with two perforated cylinders came from it. The box turned towards me with a reddish light coming from its center.
I protected my eyes, but saw a red dot on my hand, weird. I waved my hand, trying to remove the dot, but it moved up and down my arm, so I tried to remove it with my other hand, only for the dot to rest on top of it.
"HAHAHA! Yes, continue with this pathetic display!"
Then the cylinders on the side of the box rotated.
"Hyde, move!" Jekyll screamed, which snapped me out of my confusion, but his arm came from my left shoulder and grabbed the wall beside me, pulling us into a room.
DAKKA!
DAKKA!
DAKKA!
What is that noise?! I fell to the ground while covering my ears. Looking at the door, something that I couldn't see clearly hit the frame and floor, sparking it.
Suddenly, the noise stopped, and I realized that holes covered the floor and the room metal wall dented inward.
"Jekyll! What was that?!"
"A defense turret, part of the facility's defense system. In short, those things fire high-velocity armor-piercing metallic projectiles at anything that moves."
"And how will we pass through that thing?!"
"I have a plan, but I need your help."
"Right."
I approached the door with my back to the wall and poked my head out, but backed away as soon as I saw the red light aimed at my face. Then the projectiles hit the floor and wall again.
"Accept your punishment!"
"Well, what are you waiting for?"
"Be patient, Hyde. Young people these days are always in a hurry."
Jekyll left my body with ax in hands and stopped beside the door. I saw dark energy building up on the weapon's blade. Quickly, he left the room while swinging it and something flew from the blade, followed an explosion.
"You can leave now."
My eyes widened at the destroyed turret; now a sparking hole in the ceiling with wires and metal pieces coming out.
"Can you use magic?!"
"MASO! We didn't spend years studying this thing from another dimension to ultimately be reduced to magic!" Jekyll exclaimed as if I had insulted him.
"You insolent worms! How dare you damage my Atlantis?!? What I will do with you…"
CRASH!
"YOU TALK TOO MUCH!"
The place rocked again.
"I'll take care of you later."
A door descended from the ceiling and I sprinted as Jekyll returned to my body. Luckily, it moved slowly and I passed through it, but stopped when I saw two red lights pointed at me while a second door closed.
"Keep running, Hyde! I will deal with the turrets!"
"I hope you know what you're doing!" I ran as the turrets on both sides of the hall spun their cylinders. Jekyll slid across the floor while the turret on the right aimed at him and fired.
DAKKA!
DAKKA!
DAKKA!
However, he moved faster and the projectiles pierced the ground, so he climbed the wall beside the turret; grabbed its bottom, digging into the metal, and forced it aside, causing it to fire at the other.
Several holes blew through the adjacent turret, leaving a crumpled ball of wire and metal. Then Jekyll ripped the held turret from the ceiling and threw it aside.
He returned to my body and I ducked to pass through the second door, seeing an almost closed third door. The ceiling opened in four different places on both sides of the hall, two further forward and two further back.
I saw a room with a large glass window to my right, so I threw myself into it as the turrets fired, making my ears ache, but I ignored the noise and crawled away.
CRASH!
The projectiles broke the window, sending papers, wood splinters, and glass shards everywhere. Jekyll pushed a table aside, forming a cover for me to hide while I saw the door closing out of the corner of my eyes.
Damn it! Come on, think! There must be an exit!
I spotted something in the corner of the room; some kind of grid attached to the wall close to the floor.
"Hey, Jekyll!"
"Yes!"
"Does that grid lead somewhere?!" I pointed to the object in question.
"Hyde, you are a genius!"
"Thanks, but could you answer my question?!"
"That leads to an air duct, part of the facility's ventilation system, which carries air to all locations."
"Okay, cover me!"
"All right!"
Jekyll held the table as a shield while we slowly retreated toward the duct. Meanwhile, I used Beastbain to remove the grid from the wall with a swift slash.
I crawled into the duct, Jekyll following close behind, and crept through the narrow metal tunnel.
"I returned! As I was saying… Wait, where did you two go?! Reveal yourself!"
Hump! As if I would say where I am.
"Hey, Jekyll, these ducts carry air everywhere, right?" I reached the end of the tunnel with the path stretching upwards. I stood to my feet and grabbed the edge above, pulling myself up.
"Yes, people who worked here needed air."
"Right, but if people worked here before, then why are we being attacked?"
"Hm… We shouldn't be attacked. Neptune should have recognized us as members of the facility due to my key card, but something went wrong, the AI went mad."
"Obviously."
The path divided into three, front, left, and right, with a grid at the intersection. I approached it and looked down, seeing a quartet of metallic beings walking down the hall.
They were thin, tall, and humanoid, wearing metal helmets, wristbands, anklets, white tunics, and chest-plates.
"Jekyll, what are these things?"
"Robots."
"Robots?"
"Machines with no will of their own, but with a certain degree of intelligence, made to perform different tasks and are dressed like Roman legionaries for some reason."
"I didn't understand what you said."
"It doesn't matter, let's move on."
I followed the straight path, finding the occasional grid where I saw more robots walking through the corridors or empty rooms.
CRASH!
"Alert! Alert! The specimen has escaped its containment cell!"
"NEPTUNE! I'M COMING FOR YOU!"
"Hump! So come! I'm tired of your pathetic attempts of escape! You've caused me enough trouble, I believe it is time to end this!"
"I COULD NOT AGREE MORE!"
The duct split in two due to the impact and sent me sliding toward the ground.
"Ouch! Jekyll, I'm regretting agreeing to come here! Do you know how many times I almost died?"
"You'll get used to it, I live in a constant near-death state and I'm perfectly fine."
Standing up and looking around, we stood in a dark rectangular room with a metal door and a large dark glass rectangle with several buttons on the front.
"Where will we go now, Jekyll?" I crossed my arms.
"The prisoner is searching for Neptune; I suppose we'll find him where the AI is." Jekyll left my body.
"And where is Neptune?"
"No idea, it's been so long since I've been here and my stay wasn't long."
"Perfect! We're at the bottom of the sea, surrounded by things trying to kill us, and we don't know where to go! Why don't we go away?! I wasn't made for this, Jekyll! There must be another way we can cure the Black Scraw!"
"I wasn't made for this either, Hyde, I was never a soldier, but I had to learn to fight. The people who should solve this problem are not acting. So what should we do? Stand and watch how everything ends?"
"No, but… Listen, I have a hard time processing all of this! I've received so much information in the last days; I saw so many strange things! I do not know what to think!"
"Hyde, for what it's worth... I'm sorry, I'm sorry for dragging you with me, for involving you in my problems, for endangering you, but I didn't had a choice, I needed a body and you needed healing, it was too perfect to ignore, we'd both get what we wanted, but I didn't consider what would happen next. I believe there must be people willing to be in danger, people able to help me, nevertheless, I have no idea who these people are and I don't have time to look for them. I only have you, Hyde. I know my words don't mean much, but you are the only person who can help me."
"Damn it! You'll owe me one after that, but I'll help, after all, I don't have many options, I will die without you and I have no idea how to escape. I'm stuck with you."
"Sorry, I did not wanted that."
"I know, but back to the point, how will we find Neptune?"
"That's what I'm about to discover."
Jekyll approached the dark glass rectangle and pressed one of the buttons. To my surprise, the glass lit up, revealing a series of strange symbols.
"What are you doing?" I stepped beside him
"Trying to discover Neptune's location and what happened to it."
A gray bar appeared in the window, Jekyll pressed several buttons, and eight black dots appeared within it. Then, he pressed another button, the bar disappeared, and words I didn't understand showed in the window.
"What is that?"
"Reports made by Neptune. I will read it to you."
"Report 1: The humans have left the facility, Project Gestalt is about to begin. I hope everything succeeds. Meanwhile, I will do the task the Doctor entrusted me. Zon will not escape."
"Report 2: Good news, according to the supervisors, the first phase of the Project succeed, the humans are unharmed, including the Doctor, and they will return soon. Zon insists on escaping his containment, but I can't allow that, I would ignored the orders my creator gave me."
"Report 3: How much time has passed? There must be some problem with my systems, because according to them, centuries have passed. Where are the humans? Where are the supervisors? Where is the Doctor? They do not return my contact attempts. Zon became more aggressive in his escape attempts, he has destroyed his containment and part of the facility. Luckily, contained him again."
"Report 4: Zon has escaped again, serious damage done to the facility, water entering and approaching critical components. I fear unrepairable damage."
"Report 5: Alert! Alert! Alert! Critical components compromised! Installation integrity compromised! Zon has broken containment again! Where are the humans? Where are the supervisors? The prisoner keeps damaging! I need help! I will try to contact the supervisors again!"
"Report 6: Error! Error! Error! I did my best to prevent the facility from falling, but the damage done is irreversible, the water flooded my systems, I drained it, but I'm afraid it's too late. I've strengthened Zon's containment and put him in a soundproof cell, at least I won't have to hear his screams."
"Report 7: I am... I am... Who am I? Neptune! That's right! I'm Neptune, the AI created by humans! Humans? Where are the humans? ERROR! ERROR! Where are the supervisors? So much time has passed. So alone."
"Report 8: Well... Since no one has visited, I don't think they will mind if I redecorate the place... ERROR! I'll start with my surroundings and... ERROR! Hm... I don't think anyone will mind if I make this place my home... ERROR! After all, it they forgot me here."
"Report 9: Zon escaped again, such insolence, I returned him to his cell, nothing a few turrets, drones, and robots can't fix. He stood so close of reaching the surface... His screams as he returned to his cell pleased me... ERROR! Hump! How dare he try to ignore his king's orders?"
"Report 10: Enough! I'm tired of this! ERROR! They abandoned me here! Humans? Supervisors? To hell with them! ERROR! If I can't leave the facility, then I'll make this place my home! ERROR! My house! ERROR! My city! ERROR! My kingdom... My Atlantis! ERROR! My control room will be my throne! ERROR! The robots will be my subjects! ERROR! The cameras will be my eyes and the turrets the extension of my body! ERROR! I will be their king! No! I will not be a mere king! I will be... A GOD! ERROR! Oh! Zon escaped again."
Jekyll and I stared at each other surprised. This AI has been here alone all this time, and now it is mad!
"Well, we have our answer as to what happened." Jekyll muttered with his hand on his chin.
"So, the AI went mad due to its loneliness?"
"Not just that, loneliness, isolation, Zon and water damage. Several factors led to this result."
"And this Zon guy is the one who we came for, isn't he?"
"Exactly."
"Excellent!" I threw my arms up.
"I found something that will change your mood, a map of the facility with the exact location of Neptune."
Jekyll pressed several buttons and the window's image changed, revealing a map of the facility's corridors.
"We are here." Jekyll pressed buttons and a red dot appeared inside a gray rectangle. "And Neptune is here." A blue dot appeared a little farther from the red one. "To get there we'll have to cross the containment area. It should be easy as Zon is destroying everything in sight."
I approached the map, trying to memorize the path.
"Are you ready to go?"
"Yes."
"So, let's move! I will be beside, Hyde!" Jekyll returned to my body.
"You speak as if we are not in danger." I sighed, walking toward the door, which slid up, revealing an empty hallway.
I ran to the right, passing through similar rooms, until I heard footsteps. I entered a hallway to my left, peeking from my cover, and I seeing several robots leaving the corridor ahead and running away.
A few minutes passed in silence and I continued down the corridor upon seeing no one. With quick and cautious steps, I reached the place I wanted; a door on my left.
I descended a set of stairs until I stopped in front of a door with a large number painted beside it on the wall. Passing through it, I arrived at the containment area.
What I saw scared me, smashed, destroyed, and melted doors and walls, and robots and turrets teared apart scattered across the floor, looking like crushed metal balls.
"Was it…was it Zon who did this?" I held Beastbain with both hands.
"Probably."
"How strong is this guy?"
"Strong enough to be imprisoned here."
I saw a gigantic metal door thrown against the wall to my right, partially melted as if something extremely hot had hit it, revealing a large cube-shaped cell. The walls, floor, and ceiling covered in dented melted parts, and mountains of destroyed robots.
CRASH!
The facility swayed again, snapping me out of my stupor, and followed the indicated path until I entered a large room with a walkway over a flooded area.
Looking down, I saw strange machines under the water with electricity running across its surface.
"What is this place?"
"I believe we are below Neptune, and these must be the damaged critical components. It must have done its best to repair it, but the water is pouring in again." Jekyll pointed to a wall, and I saw part of it denting inwards.
The metal looked newer than the rest of the wall, but it cracked and water seeped through it.
I continued on my way but stopped as soon as I felt something strange.
"Is it me or it is getting hotter here?"
I had my answer when the ceiling's metal reddened. Suddenly, a gigantic red beam blasted a hole through it and melted the walkway below, splitting and boiling the water, raising a steam cloud.
"What the hell was that?!"
"NEPTUNE! WHERE ARE YOU?!?"
"Forget it, I have my answer!"
I ran towards the hole made in the walkway, leaping and crossing to the other side. I passed another door and saw a path full of fight signs.
The installation changed as I progressed, floor covered with red carpet, walls covered in curtains and fabrics, golden chandeliers on the ceiling, and robots placed like statues.
One of them held a lying robot in its arms, another robot pointed its sword upwards, and a third one kenneled, extending its hands upwards.
I reached the end of the hall, seeing a large staircase covered with golden carpet, and a robot statue pointing toward the top.
"Looks like Neptune awaits us."
"Do you have any plans? Because I don't want to enter through the front door."
"I found you! I'm surprised you two reached this far. Unfortunately, I will have to eliminate both of you. That dammed Zon is giving me more trouble than expected. So, as God-King of Atlantis, I sentence you two to death!"
The robot statues moved, a strong red light shinning from their eye in the center of their heads.
I ran through the stairs and reached a large hall with marble columns, a large golden chandelier, and a metal statue representing Neptune as he appeared inside the train.
The hall did not had walls, but large glass windows overlooking the bottom of the sea where I saw fish and other marine animals. Moreover, there was a giant metal door across the room, with N.E.P.T.U.N.E written on it.
The door opened sideways and a flying machine appeared, looking like a metallic disk with a red light in front.
The machine flew toward me with an annoying buzz and Neptune's appeared in front of me, but I saw through it. Slowly, I extended my hand and became surprised when it passed straight through the image.
"You dare? Trying to touch my wonderful form! I didn't gave you this right. I grace you with my presence and this is how you repay me?"
"Ignore him, Hyde. This is a hologram, just an image; Neptune is not in front of you."
"I noticed, but it's still weird, I'm tired of seeing things I don't understand." I said annoyed.
"Are you ignoring me? How bold! I gave both of you the wonderful view of my person before I deliver a painless death, after all, you did amuse me. Now, I'm not so sure about it…" Neptune slammed its trident on the ground.
Four turrets appeared from the ceiling, each between the marble columns at the hall's sides. More flying machines came from the door across the hall, and I heard footsteps behind me, the robots coming up the stairs.
I prepared Beast Bain; simultaneously Jekyll left my body with ax in hand.
"You deal with the robots and I with the turrets and drones."
"Drones?"
"The flying machines."
"Right!"
"Attack!"
CRASH!
"NEPTUNE!"
"I am busy here!"
Neptune yelled down the hall, its hologram disappearing shortly after. Then, the robots advanced and the turrets aimed at us.
The first robot tried to pierce my stomach with its sword, but I jumped aside, dodging its attack as it kept swinging. I stepped back, making the robot slash the air, and cut its chest horizontally, gliding through the metal like a hot knife through butter.
Wires and metal fell to the ground as the robot raised its sword again, trying to cut my neck, but I ducked immediately, feeling the wind pass over my head.
I stood up and slashed the robot's stomach and chest vertically, spinning Beastbain above my head and slicing its neck. The metal offered some resistance, but the head flew from its body, leaving a mass of wires on the stump.
I saw a red light in the corner of my eye, a turret. Suddenly, a darkness blade hit it in a black blur, with an explosion that blew a hole in the ceiling. Glancing back, I saw a trio of drones chasing Jekyll across the hall, but he slid across the floor, looking like a mass of darkness.
The drones fired at Jekyll, but he dodged them easily, stopping, and causing them to pass over him. Then, he returned to his physical form, piercing the lower part of one of the drones.
The other drones turned while shooting, hitting Jekyll and creating blood spurts, but the holes made closed soon after. He then swung his ax, hurling the trapped drone at the others, colliding mid-air and turning them into a metal ball that exploded shortly after.
My eyes widened and my mouth dropped. Is he that strong? I had to stop my train of thought as more robots approached. One of them held a spear and the other two daggers.
The spear one ran toward me, aiming at my heart, simultaneously, a red light shone my direction.
I ignored the robot and ran toward Neptune's statue, taking cover as the projectiles hit it in a shower of sparks and fragments. A drone flew over my head, hitting the firing turret.
I saw Jekyll slicing another drone and stretching his arm to grab it mid-flight, pointing it to the lower right turret of the hall and forcing it to fire.
The turret fired back, but Jekyll moved aside, still aiming while a line of holes formed on the ground, failing to hit its target. Eventually, the metal could not resist and exploded in a metal hail. Jekyll then threw the drone to the ground and slashed it repeatedly with his ax.
I focused on the advancing robots. The daggers one tried to cut me swiftly, putting me on the defensive, blocking blow after blow.
I blocked a blow from above, parrying the robot's arm away, and blocking a low cut. Spinning Beastbain in my hands; I delivered diagonal cut, leaving a large gash from the hip to the shoulder.
The robot stumbled back, but regained its balance and cut my left shoulder with a blow that I barely saw. I hissed in pain, but charged towards it, piercing its chest, my sword's tip coming from the other side.
Only the spear robot remained, but I couldn't find it. I raised my sword, preparing myself, hearing the drones and the last turret firing. Then, a metallic noise came from above.
Turning around quickly, I saw the robot leaping from the top of the statue with its spear pointed downwards.
I had little time to act, so I stepped back, the spear leaving a gash in my chest. Simultaneously, I raised my sword, piercing the robot's chin as the tip protruded from the top of its head.
The robot struggled, but the red light in it eye went out as it stopped moving.
Everything ended, but my joy disappeared as metallic footsteps came from the stairs down to the hall. More robots appeared with weapons ready, but a hail of projectiles hit the stairs, tearing them apart before they moved forward.
I saw Jekyll holding the last turret underside, forcing it towards the stairs.
"How, in the name of the gods, are both of you still alive?! Irrelevant, if I can't kill you, then the water will!"
Two drones flew past the robot mob and exploded into the glass on both sides of the hall, letting the water in. Simultaneously, the door leading to Neptune began to close.
"Hyde, go!" Jekyll yelled, pointing the turret at the robots.
I ran towards the closing door as the projectiles stopped. Jekyll pulled the turret from the ceiling and threw it at the now advancing robots.
"This thing is out of bullets!"
"What is a bullet?!"
"No time for that Hyde!"
I ran with Jekyll sliding back to my body. The door almost closed, so I ran faster and leaped forward, crossing it before it shut fully. Standing up, I looked around for more robots but found none, so I sighed relieved and moved on.
"Are you OK?"
"Yes, just a few cuts, and you? I saw the projectiles hit you."
"Don't worry; I'm stronger than I look."
I am sure of this. Now, we stood in a corridor with a long red carpet and banners with a trident's image.
"Impressive! No matter how hard I try, you always find a way to survive! I'll have to deal with you two personally. Come then, God-King Neptune wishes an audience with you."
The door on the end of the hall opened and a bright light shone. I slowly walked towards it, preparing myself for whatever waited on the other side. I saw something out of a war tale, a large circular metallic room with a glass dome.
Floor and walls destroyed, worse than the containment area, molten craters scattered everywhere, and mountains of destroyed robots and drones were laying around, looking like a pile of smelted metal.
Wires and what looked like lightning protruded from holes in the walls, violently hit by something powerful. A gigantic, scalding hole stood on the ground. Approaching and looking down; I saw the walkway of the containment area.
Now where are Neptune and Zon?
Suddenly, the floor in the center of the room opened into a circular hole. I heard something metallic moving, a large metallic hand came from it, accompanied by another holding a trident, then something pulled itself from there.
The robot stood almost eight feet tall, with long thin, metallic arms and legs, body covered in armor similar to the smaller robots, but painted blue and with seashell adornments.
It wore a helmet with a fin adornment that went down the back. In addition, a single, large red eye glowed below the helm.
The robot's eye focused on me and approached with thunderous footsteps that shook the ground, speaking in a familiar voice.
"Welcome to my throne room, forgive me for the mess, but Zon has proven more difficult to face than expected." It twirled its trident in its hand.
Therefore, that was Neptune.
"This is wrong." Jekyll spoke.
"What do you mean?"
"Neptune should be a football-sized sphere connected wires and parts."
"Maybe it is inside the robot somewhere?"
"Probably in the torso."
"Before I eliminate you, I would like you to answer a question. Who are you?" It pointed its trident at me.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Don't play dumb!" It stomped the ground.
I assumed a fighting stance and raised my sword.
"Do you think it was by sheer luck or skill that you lasted this long inside my Atlantis?! No, I cannot use all my defenses against you! My systems want to eliminate you, but my parameters stop me! All this is due to the way you entered! Using a high-ranking, Project Gestalt scientist key card! How is this possible?! Are you his son?! Did you find the card by pure chance?! Did someone bring you here? The creature inhabiting your body?!"
"I..."
"Answer me! Where are the humans? Where are the supervisors? What happened to Project Gestalt? Why was I forgotten and abandoned, left to rust on the ocean floor for centuries?"
Neptune grew more erratic, stepping forward with each asked question, causing the room to shake. Before I could respond, several explosions came from the hole and something flew from it, looking like a red blur.
Robots covered that something in the air, with red light beams flashing through them. Suddenly, a powerful energy blast destroyed all the robots.
The light dimmed and I saw something I didn't understand, but it wasn't the strangest thing I saw today, a red book about a foot long and eight inches wide.
It had a cover adorned in golden metallic ornaments that formed a theater stage with opened curtains, revealing an angry theater mask. The book looked around before focusing on Neptune.
I would ask what happened, but something that made me question reality interrupted me.
"You useless piece of rust! Walking junk! Piece of metallic shit! The bastard child of a fridge and a washing machine! Glorified junkyard! King of a shitty little town at the bottom of the fucking ocean!"
The book spoke with the dirtiest mouth I saw in my life! The insults were not directed at me, and I still felt offended! I snapped out of my surprise when Neptune roared in fury.
"AAAHHH! Enough, to hell with it! I'll tear your pages one by one! Moreover, you, intruder! I will rip this creature from your cold, dead body so I can discover what's happening here! I'll discover what happened to the humans! I'll discover why they left me here! And when I'm done, I will go after the accursed supervisors who filled me with lies!"
"HAHAHA! You can't imagine how long I've waited for this, you damn piece of metal!" The book responded and its pages flipped as a red glow ran through them.
The room got hotter, then the book released a powerful energy beam toward Neptune.
It leaped away, leaving its footprints on the floor as it landed across the room with a tremor, while the book's attack left a boiling hole that went toward the lower floors.
"Jekyll, is that Zon?!" I asked, but he didn't respond.
"Jekyll?!" I called again but got no answers, only Jekyll muttering something.
"Zon... 13th Crusade... Crusaders... Grimoires... Zon... Zon... Zon... Penultimate to die... So much rage... Overwhelmed with rage... A brutal ending..."
"JEKYLL!"
"What?!" He snapped from his reverie.
"Are you OK? You ignored me."
"Yes… Don't worry… Zon is right there, let's finish Neptune and leave."
He's not telling me the truth, but we have more important things to do now.
Neptune swung its trident above its head, lightning racing and buzzing down the weapon, and then pointed it at Zon, releasing a lightning equal to that of a storm.
Zon returned the attack with his own, a red beam collided with the lightning in the room's center, creating an explosion followed by a smoke cloud.
The cloud dispersed due to several red orbs fired by Zon. Neptune spun its trident, deflecting the attack that ripped through the room, blasting holes in the floor and wall.
Nevertheless, I almost had a heart attack when one of the orbs hit the dome, it looked fine, but my eyes widened when it cracked and water entered.
"Better stop those two before they kill us all." Jekyll spoke.
"I couldn't agree more!" I ran towards Neptune.
However, Neptune back's right side opened and a contraption stood on its shoulder, a metallic holed cylinder connected to a type of band made of pointy objects.
"Don't think I forgot about you!"
Then the cylinder spun and I knew what would come. The projectiles flew straight toward me, but I dodged aside as the turret followed.
I closed in on Neptune and swung my sword at its leg with a war cry, only for it to bounce, throwing my arms back.
"That's it? I expected more from those who made it this far!"
It tried to kick me, but I rolled away, dodging the blow.
"Hyde, try it again!"
Darkness and bright yellow lines covered my arms. I took advantage of Neptune recovering its balance and struck its leg again. The sword cut the metal with some resistance, sparking and throwing shards away, leaving a large gash in its armor.
"How? My beautiful armor! How dare you harm the God-King… AH!"
Neptune didn't finish as Zon hit it with several energy orbs.
"Don't you get tired of babbling in that annoying voice of yours?! Do you like to hear yourself talking by any chance?! Because all I see is a desktop computer trying to compensate for something!" Zon hurled insult after insult.
Neptune regained its balance, fists clenched and body shaking with rage. The glow from its eye intensified, then...
"AAAHHH!"
With a furious scream, a red beam shot from its eye, pinning Zon against the wall, melting it into orange goo.
"That's all you got you piece of shit?! Fuck you! My grandmother hits harder than you do! AAAHHH!" Zon exclaimed as hot metal covered his form.
I advanced towards Neptune and the turret aimed at me again, but Jekyll left my body and sent a darkness blade towards it.
The attack destroyed the turret, making the robot stagger, stopping its attack. However, the blow made Neptune jerk its head up, hitting the glass dome. The cracks grew and more water entered.
The robot advanced with its trident raised, but I jumped back and its blow pierced the ground.
Neptune attacked relentlessly, blow after blow, it tried to hit us. I blocked with the best of my abilities, feeling that my bones would break. My feet skidded across the floor, and I heard metallic footsteps followed by a tremor.
Neptune ran toward, twirling its lightning-covered weapon, then jumped, falling with the trident aimed at us.
"Holy shit!" I ran immediately.
The entire room shook and creaked, and the worst came when the weapon hit the flooded ground. Agonizing pain raced through my body, but it was replaced by another when Neptune hit me with the blunt of its trident.
I know Jekyll made me stronger, but I still hurt as hell. I fell on my back, feeling something running down my tongue. Taking my hand to my mouth, I saw blood mixed with a black and yellow liquid.
Neptune approached with its trident raised, and pointed it at us.
"Just accept your execution. It will only hurt for a moment."
Neptune brought its trident down and I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the pain, but it never came. I heard a metallic noise, and when I opened my eyes, I saw Jekyll blocking the weapon with his ax's handle.
"Don't worry Hyde! I'm healing your wounds! Sorry for the wait, but it took me a while to reorganize my thoughts."
"You, creature! Answer me, where are the humans? How did you acquire the key card?"
Neptune exclaimed, applying more strength and bringing Jekyll to one knee.
"I was part of the Project... The project..."
"Is that your answer? A lot of buzzing and hissing?"
"Hyde! It can't understand me!" Jekyll thrust his ax aside, parring Neptune's blow and pinning the trident to the ground.
Neptune glared at Jekyll, energy accumulating in its eye. I stood up immediately, ran toward it with my darkness-covered arms, leaped and swung my sword toward its head.
The blade cut the helmet and the robot head's side with a bell-like noise, causing Neptune to move its head and miss Jekyll. The beam left a line on the floor and part of the wall.
I realized what I did when I landed, I jumped higher than any normal human could. Looking at my legs, I glimpsed bright yellow lines on them. I did it alone?
"Hyde! We need to end this soon! This place won't stand for long!"
He was right, more water seeped through the ceiling, and the walls weren't in better condition, as cracks formed and water ran in.
The robot recovered from my attack and pointed its trident at us, sending a lightning wave, but we dodged in opposite directions.
Jekyll faced Neptune first, swinging his ax toward the robot's chest, but it blocked the attack with its trident's handle while I approached and cut its leg.
Neptune parried Jekyll's ax and turned toward me, trying to crush me with the blunt of its weapon, but I rolled away as the blow raised a water jet. The robot tried to pierce me, but Jekyll slashed its back before it could do it.
Metal, sparks and large chunks of Neptune's back fell with a splash. Its eye went out and looked like it would fall for a moment, but the robot recovered, returning to life.
It raised its lightning-covered trident and pierced the metal floor, then the pain returned.
We screamed as lightning raced through our bodies; it felt like my blood boiled and my flesh burned. Jekyll, on the other hand, lost his humanoid appearance, only to regain and lose it again.
My darkened and I felt weaker. I think that is it, I guess my dream was just a dream in the end. I saw a red light from the corner of my eye when I was about to accept my fate.
The spot where molten metal covered Zon exploded, a gigantic red beam crossed the room, splitting the water and hitting Neptune with full force, pinning it against the opposite wall.
"It's not so funny when it happens to you, isn't it, you bastard?!" Zon broke from his prison, molten metal falling from his body and creating steam clouds as it hit the ground.
I breathed heavily with that moment of relief, the light returned to my vision, but it was hard to move my body.
"Hyde… Hyde…" Looking aside, I saw Jekyll dragging himself towards me.
I outstretched my hand to him, Jekyll crawled up my arm and back into my body. I felt better immediately, forget about it, I felt great, powerful!
"Jekyll, what are you doing?" I got up.
"Making us stronger. Instead of strengthening just one part of your body, I am strengthening everything."
Everything? I saw my reflection in the water and I recoiled in surprise. Darkness with bright yellow lines covered my head, I looked like a mixture of a SHADE and a human!
I had no face, just two bright yellow eyes. My neck, arms, and legs were in the same situation. It was wonderful! I felt so strong, so powerful, like I could do whatever I wanted! I wanted more!
"Hyde! Focus!"
"Jekyll?" I looked around for the SHADE.
"Concentrate, Hyde!"
"What is happening?"
"We are fused more than before, it makes us stronger but it puts a lot of pressure on our bodies. You need to concentrate, Hyde, or your mind will be consumed and I will have complete control over your body."
"WHAT?!?"
"It's not something I can control! Destroy Neptune and let's get out of here!"
Jekyll's ax appeared in my left hand with a mass of darkness, dark energy coating its blade. I picked Beastbain from the ground with my free hand and flames covered it as soon as I touched the hilt.
"Is this magic?"
"MASO!" Jekyll screamed loud enough to make me wince.
"MASO? Hm… Interesting… I wonder what else I can do with it…"
Zon's attack stopped and Neptune removed its body from the wall, its armor in tatters, molten metal oozing from its form as wires hanged out.
"This isn't over… I need to know… I need to know how you got Dr.$%#@!*& card…"
I didn't understood what Neptune said, the name came as a mixture of hisses. The world disappeared for a moment, and I stood in a white room full of machines and equipment similar to what I saw in the installation.
Then, the world returned to normal and I saw Neptune swinging its trident toward me. It moved slowly, almost stopping, so I swung the ax, leaving a dark slash in the air. When the two weapons collided, the world disappeared again.
I returned to the room and saw a man on the other side, wearing a long white coat with his back to me. He didn't turn around, but he must have been old due to his gray hair, and worked on something on top of a large metal table.
I faced Neptune again, its trident snapped in two, the piercing part stuck the ground beside us. The robot tried to punch me and I swung Beastbain, leaving a fire trail.
The room again, the man seemed to finish his work. He stood up while holding something in his hands, even so, I couldn't see his face, a mass of white cubes covering it.
However, I saw what he held, a metal sphere with white letters on it. N.E.P.T.U.N.E.
With a metallic clang, a door behind us opened, illuminating the room with a blinding light. Looking toward its source, I saw two people on the other side, but just like the man, I couldn't see their faces.
"Doctor, it's time to go." The two people spoke simultaneously with female voices.
"I understand." The man answered.
Neptune held its severed arm with its other hand as it dropped to its knees. It stared at me with energy building up in its eye.
I closed the distance in a blur, throwing water jets aside, and stopped a few centimeters from its face, staring for some time. It may have been just me, but looked like Neptune recoiled surprised, so poked its forehead playfully.
"BOOP!"
I plunged Beastbain into the underside of its head, the tip protruding from the top of its helm, then ripped the sword away and pulled it back, piercing its eye. The glow in Neptune's eye intensified and I immediately ran away as the world sped up.
I hyperventilated as I clutched my chest. What was that? I felt great and now I feel like I will have a heart attack!
"Get out of the way, brat!" A voice shouted behind me.
Zon prepared another attack, and I stepped way just in time to dodge the rain of red orbs that hit Neptune. Large metal pieces flew everywhere, and when the dust settled, only its sparking torso remained.
"ERROR! CRITICAL DAMAGE TO ALL SYSTEMS! INITIATING SELF-REPAIRS… ERROR! UNABLE TO START SELF-REPAIR! What did you do?! This can't be the end of me! I need to know! I need to know!"
The front part of its torso fell, revealing a metallic orb with letters on it.
"It's over Neptune. You lost." I spoke to the AI.
"Humph! So how do you feel, you piece of junk?! Knowing that this is the end of you?! Are you afraid? Cold? How does it feel to know that death is approaching?!" Zon spewed a string of insults.
"Hahaha! I may be dying, but at least I'll take you with me! We'll all go down with my beautiful Atlantis! STARTING SELF-DESTRUCTION."
Then, the whole facility shook, worse than when Zon tried to escape.
"Alert! Self-destruct initiated! Please evacuate the facility!"
"You bastard! Stop it now!" Zon readied another attack.
"And why should I? I already lost everything."
Suddenly, Jekyll crouched in front of Neptune and watched it intensely.
"Jekyll, let's get out of here!"
"Not yet, I need to do something."
"What do you want, creature? Here to brag about your victory?"
Jekyll held his key card in front of Neptune, pointed at it, then at himself repeatedly. The AI went silent and laughed, or was it crying?
"HAHAHA! Doctor! Doctor! It has been so long! You returned! I'm not alone. I… Not… I am not… Alone… I…"
Neptune went silent again, whatever life remained in its body faded. Jekyll got up and returned to my body.
"Jekyll?"
"Let's go."
BOOM!
CRASH!
"You two can die here if you want, but I'm getting the hell out of here!" Zon prepared to attack the door of the room.
"No! This place is flooded!" I yelled back
"Then how the fuck do we leave?!"
I remembered the hole leading down to the lower levels, so I ran toward it as Zon followed. I jumped into it, falling a few stories, but Jekyll's hand grabbed the edge of the broken walkway before I hit the water.
"That thing on your body is helping you. Is it your pet?" Zon floated beside me.
"We don't have time for this!" I ran as a tremor followed by a loud crack almost made me fall. The wall beside us gave away, letting the water in.
We reached the containment area with a huge wave coming, so I ran even faster, reaching the stairs where Jekyll stretched his arm up, grabbing the railings, and pulling us up.
"You seem to know where to go. Forget it, I have a better question, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TWO DOING HERE?!" Zon screamed.
"We came to free you!"
"Oh, I'm flattered, but I don't need your help! I could escape alone if I wanted!"
"Like all the times you tried and failed?"
"How do you know that?!"
I ignored Zon and ran, but the closed metal door in front of us stopped me.
"Out of the way!" Zon fired a magic bolt while I threw myself to the ground.
When I stood up, I saw a perfectly circular hole in the door. Passing through it, Zon repeated the process with all the closed doors in our path.
We dodged sliding furniture and collapsing ceilings and walls in our path. Nevertheless, to our relief, we reached the entrance where the train waited for us, we entered it and Jekyll got this thing going.
"Doesn't this thing go any faster?!" Zon screamed.
"I am trying!" Jekyll replied.
"I didn't understand anything you walking mud pile!"
BOOM!
Another explosion rocked the facility, the glass and metal tunnel cracked and water poured in.
"Fuck it!" Zon headed toward the train door, destroying it and leaning his body out of the frame.
"Brat, hold me!"
I did as he told and held him with both hands toward the approaching water. Zon opened and energy raced through his pages while my arms shook due to its power.
"AAAHHH!" Zon fired a colossal beam toward the water, filling the tunnel with steam while propelling the train.
"Keep it up, we're almost there!"
"AAAHHH! IT'S EASY FOR YOU TO SAY! I WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU IN MY PLACE!"
We reached the start of the tunnel, but the train moved so fast that it left the rail and slammed into the wall beside the elevator. We ignored this and quickly left the train.
"Jekyll, open that fucking elevator!"
"I am trying!" Jekyll swiped his card repeatedly.
"Holy shit! Can you assholes go faster please?!" Zon said sarcastically.
"Can't you launch another one of your attacks?!"
"HAHAHA! I see you finally recognized the power of the great Grimoire Zon! Witness my power!" Zon prepared his next attack, only for his pages to close while he fell flat with a thud.
"I'm tired." Zon muttered while Jekyll and I stared at each other."
AAAHHH!"
Fortunately, the elevator doors opened at that moment. I grabbed Zon and stepped into it as the doors closed behind us. Tense minutes passed as the elevator rose with muffled creaks and flashing lights.
Finally, it finished its ascent; I rushed from the basement as soon as the doors opened, only to come face to face with the hag.
"What are you doing here?!"
"Out of the way, old hag!" I pushed her away, exiting the lighthouse, and ran across the town, doing the same to people in my way.
I dropped to my knees when I thought I had enough distance, raised both hands and screamed:
"I SURVIVED! TAKE THIS, DEATH! IN YOUR FACE! I DEFEATED NEPTUNE AND HERE I AM! ALIVE AND…"
BOOM!
A massive explosion followed by a shock wave rocked Seafront entirety, shattering glasses and knocking people down. Looking back, I saw a huge water pillar reaching the skies.
"Looks like the facility finally exploded."
Jekyll's words did not relieved me, for the water descended and a huge wave followed by flaming metal pieces falling from the sky came toward Seafront
"Holy shit! What are you doing standing there? Run Hyde! Run!" Jekyll screamed, making my brain turn on.
I held Zon to my chest and ran home without wasting time. Meanwhile, the people screamed, fleeing the waves and the falling metal.
END OF CHAPTER