Pixelate 3: Final Stand

Chapter 15: Now is Not the Time to Cry

Within a half hour, the remaining heroes ascend the elevator of PR HQ.

Micheal: "Kyle, why did you decide to act like a hero?"

Zack is still in tears.

Cole: "This hit Zack the hardest."

Robert: "Why?"

Asaka: "He and Tori were..."

William: "That would hurt."

Top floor...

Roy: "Walker..."

Walker is beating himself up.

Walker: "(crying) If only I got through they wouldn't be gone!"

Caleb is also crying in the corner.

Emily: "Walker..."

Walker: "(calming down) What am I going to say?"

Almost everyone is either crying or looking at their feet, except Risa.

William: "I wish we could've-"

Risa: "Listen to yourselves!"

Serena: "Huh?"

Risa: "If those two didn't sacrifice themselves than Asaka and I would be in their spot!"

Isabel: "So no matter what we would've lost two of us."

Zack: "(crying) How do you think I feel?! No one else had emotional feelings for one of them."

Roy walks up to Risa.

Roy: "No matter what someone would be crying at this moment."

Andrea: "Why?"

Roy and Risa blush.

Emily: "Wait..."

Asaka: ".. you two are..."

Micheal: "... DATING???!!!"

Risa: "(blushing) Yeah."

Roy: "That isn't what we really wanted to discuss, all I'm saying is that Kyle and Tori are the ones who decided to take the hit. Plus aren't their ID's still active?"

Walker does a quick glance and finds both ID's.

Walker: "Y-Yes."

Risa: "(determined) All we need to do is take the chance that they're okay and continue the fight. Also wouldn't they be saying that we shouldn't be standing here crying our asses off and be saying that we just need to be better prepared next time? Anti-Aegis wants all of us dead or whatever they're doing with the Players."

They wipe away the tears.

Cole: "Yeah."

Roy: "So for the next one we just need to double check our gear to make sure we don't let what happened to them happen to anymore of us!"

Zack: "(sniffling) Then let's get ready."

Walker: "I have some information on that strange energy born from your rage."

Anthony: "Well tell us!"

Walker: "The strength of a weapon is determined by your emotional state. I found this system in the code."

Edo: "The more rage we have the harder we hit."

Walker: "Correct."

They enter the elevator.

William: "Try and see if you can get control out of Anti-Aegis's grasp."

They descend.

Meanwhile...

Kyle: "(dizzy, confused) Where am I?"

Tori and Kyle awake on the same platform as the original encounter with Anti-Aegis.

Anti-Aegis: "Two more join us."

Tori/ Kyle: "No!"

The last thing they see is a flash of binary code.

Back with the others.

Zack: "I'll get everyone together next week. Make sure we have everything ready."

Shining Hope: "Okay."

Everyone heads home, with both sadness and determination flowing through their veins.