Molly's Return

Chapter 14: Distancing Connections

Molly kept her focus on piloting Black Wing to follow the rest of Team Dark on the ground. Brave and Darkness, sitting in the backseats, looked at her worriedly. However, they lacked the courage to ask her about her morning headache. Eventually, Brave, true to her name, mustered up the courage to inquire.

"Molly, are you sure you can handle this?" she asked in her German accent.
"What do you mean? Of course I can. Why are you asking that?"
"I'm worried about you. You just had a headache. An unnatural one, at that."
"I thought it was natural for everyone to have a headache."

Darkness leaned in with a serious look on his face and replied;
"It is natural to have a headache due to exertion or stress. However, Omega said your headache is not naturally caused. We're concerned about you, Molly. If something is bothering you, you can talk to us. We want to help you."

"No, you can't." Molly snapped back, leaving the second and third Ultimate Lifeforms, surprised. She quickly composed herself and added,
"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound like that. It's just... Please, no backseat driving."

Despite brushing off their concerns, Brave and Darkness exchanged worried glances. They sensed that something was deeply troubling their friend. Molly's insistence on keeping it to herself made them feel helpless. They knew they had to respect her boundaries, but it pained them to see her suffering in silence. With heavy hearts, they focused on the mission ahead, hoping to find a way to support Molly when the time was right.

"Molly, do you copy?" Maria's voice came through the speaker device on Molly's headband. Remembering her instructions on how to use it, Molly tapped the button and answered.
"I copy. What is it?"
"You need to find a place to land. Shadow, Rouge, and I will figure out a way to enter and exit the facility."
"We'll go from here." Darkness replied, opening Black Wing's hatch for him and Brave to jump out and join the rest of the team on the ground. Molly carefully searched for a suitable landing spot nearby and maneuvered Black Wing to touch down.

As she shut off the engines, a migraine hit her, and she heard Moraceae's voice.
"I am so glad you accepted my invitation, Molly. And you brought guests along. Don't worry, we have a special welcome prepared just for all of you."
Confused by what she heard, Molly quickly realized the implication. Panicking, she jumped off Black Wing and pressed the button on her speaker device.

"Maria! Maria, don't go into the facility, it's a trap!"
"A trap? Are you sure?"
"Yes! Whatever you guys do, don't go inside!"
"Uhh... I think we might be a little too late for that..." Maria nervously responded on the speaker, as they were already walking into the facility.
"What? No, get out of there! NOW!"

But the response she received was Maria screaming Shadow's name, along with sounds of fighting and commotion in the background before everything turned to static. Fear and worry gripped Molly's heart as she frantically tried to contact her friends, but there was no response. Without hesitation, she jumped on her hoverboard and sprinted towards the facility, ready to face whatever danger awaited her inside.

With her hoverboard, she entered the facility through the ventilation system. After carefully navigating in the dark, she noticed light shining through a grille on the floor. She peered through it to check the surroundings before removing the grille and jumping down from the vent system when she confirmed no one was present.

Inside the facility, it was evident that something had caused chaos and destruction. However, Molly's main concern was the unusually large amount of vines and plant-like growth covering the walls and floors. Cautiously, she made her way through the wreckage, searching for any signs of her friends. The sound of footsteps in the distance gradually grew louder, causing her heart to race even faster. She quickly turned into a nearby corridor to hide.