Chapter 12: Power Outage

Inside the cell of the assumedly deceased monster classified as 'Cable', two researchers are hard at work examining the creature. One of the researchers sets their coffee mug down on a nearby stand as they look at the creature's hand.

"Hey come take a look at this," one researcher tells the other.

Curious, the two researchers examine closely the gray hand that's sticking out of the white sheet. As they look at the hand, a gray fleshy cable snakes its way around the room.

"Didn't this one come from out of town?" the other researcher asks, "If you told me that it was alive I'd have believed you."

The gray fleshy cable gets closer and closer to an outlet.

"To think a monster's body can still function even after death," one of the researchers proudly claims, "We gotta tell the others, they'll be pissed that they didn't discover it first."

As the researcher turns to the door, he trips and falls over something. When the researcher looks back, he sees he tripped over a gray fleshy cable. A cable that is attached to the monster underneath the cloth. A cable that has just connected into the wall.

"It's alive," the doctor realizes.

Before the other can react, the monster rises from the bed, grabs one of the researchers with its big veiny arms, and then slams their head into the wall, crushing it with ease.

As the cloth falls, the researcher gets a good look at the giant monster. It stands on two muscular legs and has two arms, but where its head should be is just several long fleshy gray cables. The other man rushes out of the cell, forgetting to lock it in the process.

He tries to make it to the door and sound the nearby alarm, but before he can do that, the fleshy cables wrap around his legs. As the researcher falls to the ground, he screams as the cables pull him closer to the monster. His nails scratching the ground in the process.

Eventually, those screams stop.

And when they do, the monster's cables then turn the alarm that the man tried to pull, and they begin to connect to it. And as the red alarms begin to light up and blare, the monster has become one with the facility's security system.

PROJECT MONSTER

Inside the research facility's cafeteria, Dmitri & Katina are talking to Razor at the cafeteria.

"Wait, so that's why we can't use body wash in the dorm showers?" Razor questions.

"Yeah," Dmitri smirks, "Pretty twisted huh?"

"It is but why did you tell me this during lunch?" Razor gags.

"Hey we didn't even get to the main part of the story," Katina remarks.

"There's more?!" Razor questions.

"Yeah we haven't even told you about the lotion inciden-" Dmitri begins to say before being cut off by the sound of several alarms beginning to blare.

As the room turns red, several large security doors begin to slowly descend downward onto the cafeteria floor.

A robotic voice over the loudspeaker echoes, "WARNING! Security Has Been Breached, I Repeat Security Has Been-"

A spark of electricity courses through the loudspeaker causing it to rupture, the doors to the cafeteria open, and out steps Cable. The security walls continue to fall but before they can, Anastasia & Arsenii both make it to where the monster is.

"Papa!" Katina screams as the gates finally reach the bottom.

Trapped on the other side with no way of telling what is going on the other side of the wall, Katina begins to panic.

"That thing was an A-Class!" Katina shouts.

Hearing that, Razor turns into his blast form and begins to slam at the security wall trying to break through to the other side. As they all hear screaming echo from the other side of the wall, their desperate attempts to break down the security door only increase.

But with every punch, every kid, every attack they do… the door still stands strong.

Eventually after managing to get a good dent in, Razor gets ready to fire off his laser as a latch ditch effort to get to the other side.

Though just as he's about to fire…

The lights return to normal and the doors open up, revealing that the A-Class monster has been hacked into several pieces in just a few minutes. Anastasia and Arsenii look totally fine except for some of Arsenii's clothes being a bit ripped. Arsenii slides something into his pocket as others start to approach.

"How did you?-" Razor asks, stunned.

"Man, you really gotta put me to work, eh Petrova?" Arsenii jokes.

Anastasia rolls her eyes as Katina runs over to hug her dad.

"Thank god you're okay," Katina laments.

"Petrova's a professional," Arsenii says as he glances over to her, "She's good at doing her job. Right?"

Anastasia ignores Arsenii's remark by saying, "Well thanks for the tour Mister but I think we've all gotten what we needed out of this."

As Anastasia begins to walk away, Arsenii lets out a coy smirk.

"Really? That's a shame," Arsenii begins to say, causing Anastasia to stop moving, "I was just about to offer drinks all on my tab."

Anastasia stands there silently.

The group wait for a response from her.

And wait…

And wait…

And eventually…

"Go on," Anastasia sighs.

_______________________________________

"Cheers!" The crowd shouts as several glasses are lifted into the air.

The group is all at the newly renovated Underground Tavern celebrating a job well done. Razor is over at the bar with Katina, Dmitri, & Tire. Anastasia is standing by the wall while Arsenii is chatting it up with the bartender. One of the bar's regulars wearing a yellow rain jacket is trying to pass by the crowded table of Bastard, Destiny, Red, Xavier, Violet, & Frank Walker. And Nikita Agapov has entered the bar alongside Sebastian Turner and another researcher with red horns.

"Wow I didn't even know this place existed," Katina remarks stunned, "Good find."

"Thanks," Razor says before looking at the other table, "Though how come you guys are here?"

"When someone's offering free drinks, word gets around," Red whistles.

"I'm only here since someone needs to keep these imbeciles in check," Violet sighs.

"Tell me about it," Tire says as he sips a glass of apple juice, "Can't drink yet we can sign up for the military, what a joke?"

"Settle down Tire," Dmitri encourages, "When you turn eighteen I'll make sure to take you to all the best bars in town."

"I don't think I'd be a fan of the bars you frequent," Tire laments.

Dmitri chuckles as the lively atmosphere continues in The Underground Tavern.

Eventually, as the festivities begin to settle down, Arsenii walks on over to Anastasia who is far away from the others.

"I think my wallet isn't going to recover for a few weeks," Arsenii sighs.

"Serves you right," Anastasia utters.

Arsenii chuckles before taking out a lighter and asking, "You still carry any cigs with you?"

"No, I quit a while ago."

"Damn, guess I'll have to ask Turner," Arsenii laments as he puts the lighter away, "Still I find it hard to believe you gave that up Ana-"

Hearing her old nickname, Anastasia goes to slam Arsenii to the wall but stops herself as she doesn't want to cause a scene.

"Sorry about that Petrova," Arsenii apologizes, "Force of habit y'know."

"Force of habit huh?" Anastasia questions, "That's one way of saying it."

"You got another?"

"Yeah, I just call it being lazy. Then again, that's probably why you make such a good lapdog."

Hearing those words, Arsenii's demeanor changes from a sly one to straight anger and rage. 

"Don't forget who saved your life back then," Arsenii hisses, "And if I wasn't there today then that whole thing could have ended badly."

"I'll give you that," Anastasia admits, "You managed to snag yourself a pretty rare blast type mister Law-Maker."

As the two stand there they can't help but think back to what happened earlier that day.

As soon as they managed to get to where the monster was, the security doors shut behind Arsenii & Anastasia.

"Do it!" Anastasia commands.

Arsenii without hesitation takes out two metal needles from his pocket, he manages to slam one into one of the monster's cables while he inserts the other into his hand.

As soon as Anastasia sees blood drawn from both creatures, she takes out some sand from her pouch and blows on it until it forms a sand sword.

"Go ahead," Arsenii smirks, "I'm all set anyways."

Anastasia, after some slight hesitation, takes the sand sword and plunges it deep into Arsenii's heart. After pulling it out, she begins to hack and slice off his limbs. As Arsenii lays on the ground in pieces, the monster begins to charge at Anastasia.

Though just as the creature is about to lay a hand on Anastasia, its body begins to fall apart as if it was just hacked and sliced into pieces by Anastasia's sword. As the creature dies out, Arsenii's limbs begin to reattach to himself and he is perfectly healed minus his ripped clothes.

Back in the present, Arsenii is looking at the two needles he stores in his lab coat.

"Yeah, acupuncture can get messy but it is useful," Arsenii remarks.

As an air of professionalism returns to Arsenii, he begins to walk towards the others.

"Well, that was a fun chat," Arsenii lies before saying, "Though I think it's time I put my mask back on, I suggest you do the same, Petrova."

Anastasia looks at Arsenii as he walks over to the others. When someone asks Arsenii what he was talking about to Anatasia, he lies saying it was just work stuff. Though when Anastasia takes a look at Katina, her mind begins to wander.

Katina's one of the most compassionate people she's met, and she's the daughter of a truly despicable man. How that managed to even happen she couldn't tell. Though as she goes to chat with the others – a fake smile now on her face – she realizes that she has no right to talk…

Her hands are just as bloodied and despicable as Arsenii's.

See You Next Chapter!~