Stacy: I’m crazy, but not stupid. With these wounds I’m smart enough to know I lost. But I’m not dumb enough to die for this shit.

He elbows the ground to the side of him. A manhole cover. What he was tapping earlier were screws making them lose function. The hole bursts open as he slithers inside. Ame runs over the manhole and jumps in. He’s nowhere to be seen.

Ame: Dammit!

--- Chapter 21 ---

Sole: So. Yah.

Elias: Yup.

Moments of awkward silence go by.

Elias: I'm going to catch some sleep.

Sole: Ok.

Sole walks over the window, looking out onto the nighttime city. Unbeknownst to him, several buildings away, standing on top, a man dressed in black stares him down.

???: Hmf. My next work of art.

On the other side of town, Hiro just finished his battle. He looks down at his previous robotic foes.

Hiro: Now, I gotta get back.

Hiro starts to walk, but is cut off by clanking. The limbs start to detach from them. The cover arm for the barrel hand, the left arm of the magic, left and right leg of the quick one and tone. And the torso and upper arms of the buff one. They all start crawling away.

Hiro: The hell?

Hiro follows them into a backroom. In the room lies a head staring at him. This catches Hiro off guard but he realizes it's also robotic. The parts start to reconnect.

Hiro: So you're controlling them.

Robot head: Indeed.

Hiro stabs his rapier into the heart area of the torso. The torso and limbs seize for a moment before falling lifeless.

Hiro: I can't let you do that.

Robot: Outcome 100% expected.

Hiro grabs the head and brings it with him.

Hiro: I need to tell them.

On the other side of town, Sole remains looking out the window. The figure, sitting at an easel with paint is clipped to the side. He seems to be painting Sole looking out the full window.

???: Done

He cleans his paintbrush and dips it into the red paint.

???: Art is an expression. Art can be anything one wants it to be. A painting, a love story, all is art in the eye of the beholder. Including gore in some eyes. A bloody mess, natural art.

He brings the paint brush to Soles leg.

???: This just happens to be my favorite kind of art.

He swipes the paintbrush leaving a red streak across his leg. In that moment Soles left leg slices with a burst of blood. The man's easel changes like a flip book to Sole starting to fall, then to him on one knee. Red paint seemingly growing on the canvas, matching the bloodbath that is partaking in their room.

Sole: The hell?!

Elias: What? Holy! What happened?!

Sole: It just burst, I think we're under attack!

A drawing of elias begins to form on the easel.

???: Heh.

He draws a line of red down his torso.

Elias: Agh!

He falls back.

Elias: Can you see him?

Sole looks for him.

Sole: No I don't.

They both crawl behind a bed. Hiro sees Ame and they head back to the hotel together. They walk into the room to see a wounded Elias and Sole. Surprised they kinda real back before Sole and Elias grab them and pull them behind the bed.

Hiro: What happened here?

He whispers.

Sole: Someone is out there, they can attack long range without a physical attack.

Hiro: Then this sounds like a perfect job for me.

Hiro activates one of his eyes and looks at Soles' wound. A red mist flows out of it and around the bed. He looks over and sees the mist float through the window to a figure in the distance.

Hiro: I got em.

Hiro proceeds to tell them where he is.

???: Where the hell are those guys. We were just starting to have fun.

Following this sentence Ame springs up and starts firing her hand guns at him.

???: Shit!

He starts to run. But Elias springs up as a black dagger forms in his hand. He throws the weapon out the hole Ame made. As it touches the darkness it disappears. The blade starts to rapidly appear and disappear around the guy, slashing him all over. The slashes and shots continue until he falls over immobile.