Chapter 58: Hide and Seek

She was wearing a high school uniform, but it never had a school logo attached to it so they conclude she just likes wearing those types of uniforms, She introduced herself to Tazer and Annie who were still processing the situation,

"You two are in the presence of the 2nd newest member of the Executioners squad, and let's begin with the second test now shall w--!."

Tazer's brows furrowed as he raises his hand with a dull look on his face, as if he was looking at a chuunibyou girl,

2nd: Y-Yes?

Tazer: Where are the other trash around here?

She was confused at first she placed her fingers on her chin thinking on what he meant by "other trash" that's when she figured it out, she snapped her fingers and replied,

2nd: You mean the other contestants! *claps* Well some might be in the forest hiding, or waiting to strike.

Tazer: [What is she talking about? when we entered the forest there wasn't anyone in the forest]

2nd: Don't worry you'll run into someone sooner or later, now without anymore distractions I'd like to discuss the test now.

They were silent and obviously still had a lot of questions to ask her, but as they try their best to ask a question, they'd get half an answer and she would directly goes back to ask whether she can discuss to them about the test for this floor.

2nd: Good, There are two rounds in this test, You and that kid over there.

Hearing how she called her a kid really made Annie pissed, she clenched her fists tightly as her veins could be seen, Tazer chuckles at the situation as the 2nd continues explaining the test.

2nd: The first round is simple, both of you have to enter the Forest from here and reach the other side before midnight.

Tazer: What happens if we don't get there before midnight?

2nd: You'll be stuck there forever.

After hearing her answer, Tazer got shivers down to his spine for the first time, he thought [What was that feeling now?] It was truly the first time he reacted to something that could determine his future.

2nd: *claps* Now I suggest you two get started It's a long way to the other side.

She sits on her chair and takes a sip on her glass, as they were heading back inside the forest, she opens her left eye and thinks [Hmm let's see if that Mage of Flowers really is right about this] as she was in deep thought she just noticed a pink rose petal landed on her cup as she lets out a wide smile she then says to herself,

"Let's begin shall we?."

Tazer and Annie were continuing towards their destination which is the other side of the forest where the 2nd would be waiting to give them their next instructions for the second round, while they were walking Tazer asks a question,

Tazer: How do you know which is good or bad in your power?

Annie: Hmm? when it's someone I think to be a friend, that person's mark turns blue from my radar when it's someone I don't know or think to be an enemy it's simply red.

Tazer: So does civilians count as red from what you see? or is there another color?

Annie: Black

Tazer: Huh? that doesn't make sense.

Annie: I don't know either, I haven't quite figured out why my radar sees civilians as black dots yet, but I do know why a person's red or blue from my perspective.

Tazer: I see, what color do I have?

Annie: Huh? excuse me?

Surprised from the question she was flustered and didn't know how to respond, it was the first Annie acted like this since she was born, she thought to herself [What is this feeling?] she then replies timidly.

Annie: B-Blue of course since we're allies for now

her look seemed depressed when she said "for now" she hid her face from her long hair.

Annie: But right now, I don't know if the color changes by time or I don't know..

Tazer: Huh? you're not making any sense here?

Annie: It's nothing, let's just keep going.

Meanwhile the 2nd member was in contact with the 3rd and 1st members, she asked,

2nd: Tell me 3rd, how did that girl end up getting caught?

3rd: *sighs* She was betrayed by her own teammates.

Once Tazer and Annie finds a river near by they decided to stay and rest for a while, but Annie was still concerned about the time, since they were given to get to the other side before midnight.

Tazer: Don't worry kid, we'll get there.

Annie: I'm not worried, It's just that...

Tazer drank water from the river as he looked at her she said,

Annie: I was just wondering who were that people who attacked us before.

Tazer: I couldn't get a hit on them.. Oh yeah we should head back there again I'll teach them a lesson or two for hitting me

Annie: You'll just end up injured at this point.

Tazer: Is that a challenge you're giving me?

She nods in disagreement so he wouldn't turn this into a game and rush towards their last place where they were ambushed.

Annie: But what concerns me is where did those people come from?

Tazer: Oh yeah I thought you could see from a wide range for anyone passing by or heading towards us.

Annie: I can but for some reason those people just popped up out of nowhere.

Tazer: Well we'll worry about that later, for now we need to rest you sure you're going to be fine?

Annie: Yeah, Yeah don't worry I'll keep watch here.

Tazer: But if you're feeling sleepy don't force yourself alright, I'm relying on you to help us if there are other villains around approaching us.

He faces the other side as he tries to go to sleep, it was still broad daylight but thanks to the leaves almost covering the entire forest it almost looked like it was night.

She whispered to herself while looking at her radar, there was no one but her and Tazer,

"That's what they told me too."

He managed to hear her even if she was whispering, he lets out a sigh and closes his eyes as he thought [I can't ask you about that... I guess]

A few hours later Tazer was slowly waking up, he sees Annie waking him up, yelling "Please wake up!!." again and again as he was fully awake now he stood right up and asked,

Tazer: What's going on?

Annie: It happened again! they all popped up out of nowhere!

Tazer: Is it the same people from before?

Annie: I think so

Tazer: How many?

Annie: Too many! we're surrounded!

from the distance they could see the silhouette of the people who were surrounding them.

Tazer grabs Annie and leaps from the branches and escaped like he did the last time he encountered them.

2nd: I don't think this will work on them again Tazer.

She snaps her fingers as two of the people were following them through the branches, Tazer was surprised to see how they adapted on such a short time.

Annie: I believe there was one who swung to the trees towards me right?

Tazer: Yeah and I did this!

While Annie was at his back he launched a stream of black electricity on the next branch they would land on, it broke the branch and the two people who were chasing them fell to the ground.

Tazer: That should buy us some time.

As the two were falling Annie got a glimpse on the ones falling as they fell from where a ray of sunlight was thanks to the breeze of wind moving the leaves.

Annie: Tazer put us down!

Tazer: Huh?

meanwhile 2nd who was still at the open field sipping from her cup says,

"Now is it time for her to notice my little puppets?"

Tazer landed to where the two people fell earlier, Annie pointed to the top where the sky was as she asked to blow a hole.

He lets out a sigh and says "I'm not your personal maid you know." but does it either way, he leaps from tree to tree and slash up a hole by his claws giving them light as she thoughts [Couldn't he just blown it off like he did with the branches earlier?] Going back to the main topic she took a look at the two who were pursuing them and as she sees the two were made of clay she freaked out.

She uses her power again and sees her's and Tazer's dots and an additional two coming from the ones they destroyed.

Tazer: Well if you look at that, they're mere puppets! that takes out the fun if they don't feel pain! I wanted to teach them a lesson earlier but now It seems pointless Tchhh.

Annie: But why do they register as living beings on my radar? That's impossible.

denying the fact she closed her eyes, both hands were on her head, she was confused and slowly wondering why they looked like living beings, she took out a pocket knife and stabbed the clay,

Tazer: What are you doing! that won't solve anything if yo---! what the hell?

Blood was coming out of the person shaped clay, as if it were a person in the first place, she takes a frightening look at Tazer as she drops the pocket knife smeared with blood on the ground,

Tazer: Move

He pushes her away from the bleeding the clay thing as he picks up the pocket knife she dropped and breaks open the clay, stabbing it multiple times and tearing it open with his electric arms.

As they found out he yelled out [Don't look!] she was shaking, for the first time he heard Tazer yell at her in a father like tone that made her remember her past as a child.

She was trembling in fear, breathing heavily, she was about to faint sooner or later meanwhile what Tazer saw was another person inside the clay shaped one, he concluded the clay is skill probably the 2nd is using, he believes she traps and controls other people within this area and uses them like puppets.

Seeing that there was no screaming when she stabbed it earlier meaning the person inside here was dead not long ago, but that wouldn't explain why they would pop up out of nowhere in Annie's radar which is suppose to detect heat.

That was still something Tazer was busy thinking about, he hears someone near by and without hesitation he grabs her again but this time he wasn't leaping from the branches he simply took her and ran.

Tazer: I don't know if this'll solve it but I believe the people that are inside the clay are being used as skeletons and the heat your sensing are people that are still alive.

Annie: Huh?

Tazer: Think for a second, if those clay things wouldn't have humans in them would they move or not?

Annie: But that wouldn't explain why they would just randomly pop up on my radar, if what you said is accurate then they have no means on showing up towards you without me seeing them actually heading towards you.

Tazer: Can your radar detect things that are underground?

Annie: No, why---- I see now.

Tazer: What if they were below us the whole time? that would make sense why they would appear out of nowhere right?

Annie: It is possible.

Tazer could hear their numbers growing more and more as they run away from them.

meanwhile Annie was slowly accepting the logic Tazer just told her, about how they could just appear out of nowhere, or why she sees them as humans when there are actual human beings trapped in the clay, and thanks to the darkness the forests offers they couldn't really see that much from them considering it was dark.

Annie: Tazer!!

He full stopped in the middle of nowhere as Annie's radar was stating they're surrounded again, but this time there were no other ways for their escape, she could see some on the tree branches watching over them, and from her radar all around them.

She clenches Tazer's shirt saying,

"Leave me here."

Tazer: Huh? what garbage are you spouting?

Annie: Aren't you just gonna abandon me like the rest of them!?

Tazer: What the hell are you talkin----!

Annie: I know once you get out of here you'll just leave me in the cruel world.

He pushes her off his back, as she falls on the floor crying from what she just said he immediately glares at her with his cold eyes and says,

"Since when have I ever said I'm like the rest of them, Huh!?."

Tears were still flowing out, she couldn't contain them from the fact she thought he would do the same thing to her.

Tazer: I don't know what sad story broke you, I'm not gonna ask about that. not until you're okay with it so for now be a good little girl and tell me where the enemy is you brat!.

aside from calling her a brat, her tears stopped as she heard what Tazer said, she found someone who wouldn't abandon her, not even on times like this.

She was abandoned by her teammates, by her own older sister when they were doing some random heist and were surrounded by the Heroes,

*Past*

Annie: There are a lot of them Sis!

Juliet: What do we do? if what your sister's saying is true we'll be done for sure.

Aurora: Nothing personal, but we'll use you as bait!

They continued to tied her up with a bomb and left her in the bank as they drilled a hole on the other side, not understanding her own sister's reasons for leaving her behind, she flailed around like a fish out of the water as she tries to break free, the timer the bomb was set was almost done, she tried her best on escaping, she thought [This is a joke right!? Sis!? where are you!?] over and over again until the Heroes came and diffused the bomb tied to her,

Her cover was blown but she never told any information containing her teammates, she'd pretend to have amnesia to the investigators, but even with her bluff they still knew a lot about her and threw her in the Tower.

*Present*

She wipes the tears from both her eyes and her right eye (Where she usually sees when using her radar powers) lit up, her range was growing larger and larger by the minute, as she could almost see the whole forest from her power,

Annie: Behind you!

Tazer ducked and grabbed it's leg, as Annie says "On your left!." He then slammed the clay person on his left with the one he was grabbing unto.

He pulled her right towards him as one came plunging towards her coming from the branches, he kicked it as hard as he could, one came up from behind them and tried to aim for his legs.

Tazer dodged it by jumping up and kicking it's head, smashing it into pieces, it was bloody battle although from how things are going now with Annie's foresight power and Tazer's strength they make a formidable team.

And for Annie who was being protected got pissed as she could handle herself as well, as each opening she could have she would throw darts at the clay people from a far, aiming for their head killing them with one blow.

She doesn't have a class as of yet but already has a power, was still young her skills are still growing as she too is growing from this unfair world they both live in.

Tazer grabs on the clay people and smashes its head and throws the body at multiple of them, causing them to be knocked over.

They made an opening and took it, as Tazer was running towards the opening Annie was busy throwing darts at anything that would come towards them, and completely kill them.

She throws three darts and lands a successful hit again, with no more of the clay people following them she lets out a sigh of relief as she was interrupted by Tazer,

Annie: Thank god it's ove--!

Tazer: Don't you dare say it! It's still too early to think like that!

As Tazer leaps from a couple of them forming a blockade, he then thinks [Who's the one controlling these things!?] Annie was also thinking [There must be someone here who's controlling them, but even with my power upgraded I can't seem to find anyone else except for us and those things chasing]

With the clay people chasing them and growing more with their numbers Annie says,

"We're almost out Tazer! I could see the open field!."

One plunged towards them as he blocked it by using his prosthetic left arm and tossed it behind him causing the ones following them to trip and fall over,

But the one clay person he tossed had torn out his prosthetic left arm with him, so Tazer had only one prosthetic arm left, and for exchange for his missing one he focused on his left exposing arm and made his electric claws as compensation for his missing one, although that would mean he'd be wasting his mana by simply keeping it there, It was a risk he would take in order to protect him and Annie, since they were almost out of the forest anyways.

He would just have to deal with it until they do, Annie was throwing what darts she has left for those clay people who were still chasing them, she lands a perfect hit one by one, as one got closer Tazer leaned to the left and dodged the strike and then used his left electric arm to slice it up.

A few seconds left and they managed to get out of the forest.. it was the same glade from where they met the 2nd at the front, they heard clapping,

Tazer: Don't tell me we just came back where we started.

2nd: No, this is the other side you both wanted to reach, I was just clapping from how both of you survived without the need of sacrifice anyone, well it's just the two of you so I doubt that *chuckles*

Tazer and Annie were both exhausted, but mostly Tazer was for doing all the running, he dispersed his own electric arm and since he lost his left prosthetic he'd have to make due with his right one from now on.

2nd: You see, there was a way for those things to stop chasing you.

They were curious on what they needed to do in order for those clay people to stop chasing them. She rose her pinky finger as if she were to make a promise with someone and said,

"All you needed to do was sacrifice one of you and they could've stopped right there, but the most interesting thing is that none of you chose to do that, none of you even thought about abandoning the other, unlike others who would simply break one of their partners legs or knock them out unconscious whatever gender they maybe or what role they had, if it's for survival they'd kill and kill showing their true colors, but for you two to simply survive the obstacle and got both each other out the forest you have my respect."

Tazer: Tchh

2nd: besides if one of you actually betrayed each other you'd end up like them as well.

She points to the forests as the clay people were in sight of them, they were standing, waiting for a chance to attack, but because of the forests power they can't seem to leave it.

Tazer: So you're saying?

2nd: Those aren't random people, those are villains who chose to betray their own partners.

Annie: But I thought if they got out of the forests they'd get to do the second round?

2nd: The key word I said was "The both of you." not one of you, that's what's happens to people who chooses to betray their own partners, they become the very thing they tried to avoid.

Tazer: Thank you for the useless information now the second round if you don't mind!

Annie was embarrassed from the way he would casually talks to them like they are his personal friends, meanwhile the 2nd simply laughs and says,

2nd: HAHAHAHAHAHA I'll tell you about that, but for now you might wanna take a rest from that hut for a while.

They turned to the left and see a hut as he asks Annie "Hey, was that hut always there?" She simply replies "I was about to ask you the same thing." meanwhile the 2nd laughs out loud again as she wipes a tear from her eyes from laughing she says,

"Don't worry I won't do anything to the both of you, besides you both clearly won the first round fair and square."

Tazer: [Fair and square? do people still talk like that?]

Annie: Come on Tazer, I want to go to sleep so badly (>w<)

2nd: Now enjoy some rest for the time being.

Both Tazer and Annie proceed to head towards the Hut and they managed to have a long rest up to 10 hours of sleep.

End of Chapter 58: Hide and Seek