Epics of Noche 4, Asylum

EON CH 22

ENTRANCE ENCOUNTER.

1777, APRIL 03rd, SUNDAY 8:50 pm.

As Noche, Baxter, and Timmy stepped onto the stairwell the golden lighthouse portal closed behind them in a puff of black mist. The blonde didn't waste any time and began her ascent up the stairs. It didn't take long for them to reach the top.

This time there wasn't a slightly ajar door or surreal room waiting for them. It was a normal door that led to the real penultimate room. She destroyed it with corruption and entered a floor with jail cells lining the walls.

"This is it," she muttered. "The next floor is the ground floor."

Baxter nodded and Timmy grinned.

Noche destroyed the door blocking the path to the final stairwell. They rushed upwards until they reached a small square room with a second set of stairs going up on the opposite end. In addition, there were two massive green doors covered in barnacles and algae. As well as an eyeball scanner adjacent to it.

"There it is! The front doors," Noche shouted.

With a grin, the blonde manifested a left arm made of pure corruption. However, she fell to the floor when the entire asylum shook – it was as if a meteor struck outside.

Before anyone could react, the front doors were thrown open, the Grave brothers rushed in, and the door slammed shut. A heartbeat later there was an explosion that sounded like a nuke went off as a small dent appeared in the metal.

As the noise died down everyone just stared at each other. The wardens appeared to be the most flabbergasted, their wide eyes locked on Noche. Timmy threw his hands up in the air and Baxter stood motionless. However, the blonde got into a fighting stance as a fire burned in her.

It was a flame that was as hot as the sun – it scorched her muscles as she stared at her tormentors. Everything went red as her skin was flayed, her nerves exposed, and her left eye dissolved to a needle full of acid. As she stared at them it was like relieving each of her tortures over again.

"Prisoners escaping?" Red muttered. "How?"

"It must be Medusa," Blue said. "That's why the Generals are here. She had a contingency plan for this day."

A small part of Noche was surprised to hear that. Her premonition was right, the Generals had come today. If she hadn't decided to escape earlier, then she might've lost her chance to confront the Grave brothers. A smaller part of her wondered how she had such an omniscient feeling warn her today was her last day to get revenge.

"But why wait so long to escape?"

"Does it matter? She escaped and left a path open for others."

"Maybe the blonde knows where the former President is?"

Both Grave brothers turned to Noche; Baxter didn't hesitate to throw himself between them and her.

"Noche, run!"

The blonde opened her mouth, but no words escaped her lips. Only a splattering of warm iron landed on her tongue – as a spray of blood exploded out of Baxter's back. Red's arm and clenched fist sticking out of the bear man's torso.

It caused a momentary flashback to that hallucination of Creeps holding her own heart. The feeling of cold pins and needles overtaking her occurred once again.

"B-Bear buddy?" Timmy stuttered.

"I've always wanted a bear skin rug," Red tossed Baxter's body to the wall. "Too bad I don't have time to enjoy skinning you alive."

Noche's world became an inferno – she ran without thinking towards Red. The man grabbed her by the neck, hoisted her into the air, and slapped her.

"Where is Medusa."

The blonde struggled in his grasp and threw a kick at his head. He didn't so much as flinch, but a grin did emerge on his face.

"Guess we didn't break you as well as I thought."

"Uhh, brother," Blue said. "I think something's wrong with the eye scanner."

Red turned to the device which was glitching. A small symbol of a tree inside a gear flashed on the screen for an instance.

"They found someone who can hack that?" Red shouted. "How? That's the best security system in the world!"

"We don't have time for this. We have to get to the top of the asylum."

"The hydra, I know."

White fire flickered in the spot where Noche's left arm was, but not before Red tossed her to the floor and left. He turned to the blonde and grinned.

"Consider yourself lucky, pet," he said. "Tell Medusa we will free create. With or without Cross. Even if we have to die in the process."

The twins ran up the stairs and towards the top of the asylum. Noche shot to her feet and stared at Baxter's motionless body and then at the stairs. There was a moment of hesitation before she turned to the stairs.

"Noche wait! We ave to save Baxter!" Timmy shouted.

She didn't respond, but before she could take the first step he grabbed onto her arm. Noche lashed out with all her strength. She turned to the sound of gurgling. There was a large gash across Timmy's neck. Both his hands went up to the wound and blood trickled between his fingers.

"W-Why?"

He took a few steps back before crumpling to the wall. Tears streamed down his face as red bubbles came out of his neck with each gasp. Noche's eye widened at the sight, before she grimaced, and ran up the stairs after her revenge.

A second later the front doors opened; Shaylin and Dreg stepped inside.

"Dreg, these guys are still alive," Shaylin said. "I'm gonna try to save them."

"Understood. I'll head towards the main objective."

The white-haired general moved down the left stairwell at super-sonic speed. As he left, green fireflies escaped Shaylin's three cybernetic arms.