👥 Collaboration Collateral 👥

Chapter 16

The paramedics ran with stretchers to pick up gravelly injured victims and transported them to the nearest hospital.

Carina had to tread carefully now that Stella and Micah were onto her, she may have supplanted the identity of a receptionist but she needed to be cautious around the ones who are familiar with the victim she usurped. If she had blown her cover by making any sarcastic remarks related to aggraveted assault or anything that make her seem out of character, it could raise suspitions.

She couldn't afford getting caught at a time like this, she needed to find an electromagnetic gem immediately before the victim or the I.B.I. agents like Stella and Micah catch her.

“How much longer?” Zack groaned, the most energetic team member of the Dimension Guardians got lethargy after knocking down a masked magician who flew like a kite only to wound up deflated like a whoopee cushion. María and Stacey helped Zack up.

“In a minute!” Sora shouted while she was in her Arivex form, fighting off a witch who wore fishnet gloves and a dark cloak. The witch took a defensive stance, arms crossed, using the devil horn sign while a portal Sora summoned tried to suck her in. The dark cloak flapped then pulled as the portal got wider and stronger as the witch held on.

Thomas dodged the attacks off a hooded teenager with a stylized mask swung the switchblade knife while another one with a similar get-up snuck up behind Thomas to steal the red dimension crystal on his neck.

As the two of them ran with the necklace, they inadvertently ran in the way the portal was dragging its victim. The two masked delinquents were running in the same spot before they were getting sucked in.

“Sora, watch out!” Thomas shouted, while Sora saw the two masked delinquents being propelled to the vortex as the light coming from Thomas's dimension crystal blink. The logo on their hoodies looked like a spiky wreath.

Sora closed the portal as the duo of thieves collided with the dark witch. Thomas walked up to them and got his necklace back.

Scale ran as fast as he could to find Blade and Melon, he wasn't able to find them though he didn't anticipate to find Saw & Claw just around the corner. Scale's heart palpipated and gave a sommersault from the surprise he got upon gracing Claw's imposing face. The reptilian was on the verge of suffering a panic attack if not for Saw chastising her.

“Claw, stop scaring him.”

“I didn't!” Claw glared at Saw.

“Help!” Scale wailed as he desperately needed their help while the bicephalic dragon bickered.

“See! Now he's crying because you scared him.” Saw stated while Claw groaned which sounded more of a roar.

“I need help!” Scale clamoured.

“Scale, remain calm.” Saw advised before Claw's crimson eyes darted from Saw to Scale.

“You know this guy?” Claw inquired.
“Yes, and he needs our help.” Saw replied.

“Alright, who are we clobbering now?”
“Claw--” Saw glowered at her before Claw rolled her eyes.
“Nevermind. What is it?” Scale explained while he brought them to the room where he found Jane Doe. They helped Scale lift her up from the floor while Claw slung Jane over her shoulder as the sheet covered Jane's exposed body and took her to the infirmary.

Patricia was flabbergasted at the sight of fresh corpses of the defuncts and the indifference coming from some of the onlookers. The receptionist couldn't fathom what spurred these individuals from recording the tragic event as if it were a show until she had caught wind of the sudden yet brief resurrection of the same victims who have perished approximately between a half hour to a few minutes ago.