Epics of Noche 4, Asylum

EON CH 29- ACT 55, HYDRA

MEDUSA'S PLAN.

1777, APRIL 03rd, SUNDAY 11:02pm.

Noche was taken aback as someone rushed into her – arms wrapped tight around her torso. Despite her brain still being in fight mode she resisted the urge to escape the grapple. For it wasn't someone trying to restrain her, it was a hug. Tak was hugging her.

"I-I'm so sorry," tears streamed down his face. "I-I couldn't do anything. I wanted to come save you earlier, but I was too weak. I-I couldn't—"

His words got intermingled into little strained sobs. Noche could only stare at him with a wide eye before looking to the side and back at Tak. She placed her arm on the back of his head and patted him twice.

"There there?"

"If – If I could give you my regeneration, I would," the immortal sobbed.

She didn't understand at first. Then she noticed her raggedy prison clothes and how much blood they were covered in. The wounds and scars that covered her body, her missing left arm, left eye, left ear, teeth, index finger, and big toe. A chunk of her lips was snipped, her nose broken, and the anchor branding on her torso.

"Noche? Oh my gosh. Is that really you?" Shaylin said. "You... You look..."

The blonde continued to stare down at herself. She had forgotten how damaged she had become.

"Yeah, I'm a little banged up," she said. "And skinny. So fucking skinny."

"L-Language," Shaylin awkwardly chuckled.

Noche smiled.

"Once we get back, I can make you some cybernetic replacements," the ginger said. "Heh, we'd both have an artificial left arm and eye. What are the odds of that?"

"I'd like that," she said.

Her eye lit up when it landed on Baxter and then widened at Timmy. He responded by taking a step behind the bear man and avoiding her gaze. She frowned and looked away too.

"Bruh, you're alive," Mary said.

"Noche," Alice stated.

"Still kicking, ey Nachos?" Vida grinned.

The blonde couldn't help but chuckle.

"What is this? The gangs all here,"

A cough echoed from near the stairwell. Everyone turned to Medusa being lowered off Dreg's back. She stumbled when her feet touched the floor and was forced to lean on the white-haired General.

"Medusa! You're alive?" Noche shouted.

"I am. The Grave brothers faked my death and kept me alive in the hopes of gaining some classified intel," she said. "They failed. Both in getting that information and in breaking me. Now, Dreg, what's the status update?"

"General Salt is guarding our escape route," Dreg said. "General Trio was supposed to catch up to the twins and stop them from summoning the hydra—"

"— Hey, I tried man."

"It was your one job."

"They were too far ahead of me – I couldn't catch up. Lay off dawg," Trio huffed. "Besides, I found something interesting."

She took out a handful of papers and threw them at Medusa. The previous President of Cross didn't so much as flinch as the sheets scattered all around her and drifted to the floor. She closed her eyes and she failed to suppress the small smirk that twitched its way onto her lips. With that, she bent down and picked up all the papers.