Bang!

  The door smmed open, smashing into the chem-hound and sending it sprawling onto its side as Cggor charged through. Orion followed closely behind, the others sprinting past in a blur of motion.

  Click-BANG

  A deafening gunshot echoed through the chamber, followed by a siing thud as the hound's head hit the stone floor. Powder let out a terrified shriek with Mylo's panicked voice ringing out, "Go go go!"

  Horrifying, gurgled wails tore through the air. Bloodshot eyes bzed with rage as it limply dragged itself upright. Loose scraps of metal cttered across the floor, adding to the chaos of the moment. Its movements were jagged and unnatural, like a tortionist maniputing its limbs in an eerie dance.

  With terrifying speed, it luoward Orion, its grotesque, rotteh gnashing and snapping at empty air, driven by uing fury to rip out his throat.

  Orion smmed the butt of his pistol into the creature's temple, feeling its unnatural flesh and bone der the force. The blow stu briefly, but it didn't stop the charge.

  Deformed fingers cwed and dug into his arms as they both smmed into the ground. The creature nded on top, f a pained cry from Orion.

  For a moment, the ghoul's bloodshot eyes locked with his, bloodlust radiating from its unblinking stare. Without hesitation, it resumed its fretacks, snapping its jagged teeth toward his throat. Its fingernails cwed painfully into his arms, f him to drop the gun.

  Gritting his teeth, Orion shoved a hand over the ghoul's eyes, eling magic through the pain. Specks of blood and murky water sprayed out as the creature's cws dug into his skin. The creature thrashed violently, its gnashing jaws snapping blindly in search of its prey. Suddenly, a bright fsh of blue light erupted from Orion's palm.

  Wails of paied from the ghoul as its body vulsed backward, its nails digging into its face, as if desperately trying to remove the light. Orion panted, relief flooding him as the gamble paid off. Bright light, he thought, was still a weakness of any creature that lives in darkness.

  A wet, gurgling rasp echoed through the room as the ghoul hit the ground. Orion scrambled to his feet, sing the floor frantically until his eyes nded on a jagged, one-inch thick metal rod, which he snatched up without hesitation.

  By the time the creature regais posure, Orion was already standing above it.

  Crack

  A siing crack silehe wailing of the creature, followed by deafening silence.

  ---------------------------

  Heightened gasps and wide eyed stares fixated on shadows as the gang sprinted out of the Old Hungry. Oside, they slowed to a halt, eae gng back, waiting for a figure that never emerged.

  Powder whimpered, her teary eyes pleading, "Are we leaving him behind?"

  "W-We have to help him!" Vi's voice wavered, filled with emotion. A rare sight for the gang- to see her faltering so openly between guilt and fear.

  Moments like this brought them together. Cggor stepped forward, speaking out fidently, "Yeah, he's one of us now!" He shot a g Mylo, whose look of disbelief softeo a knowing smirk, "You bet. Who else argue with Vi and live?"

  Vi breathed relieved chuckles through emotional breaths, wiping her own tears that were beginning to form. Even Powder was at Vi's side with small eyes of shiniermination as she clutched her hand.

  Then, as if in answer, a sharp cry of pain echoed out from the dark entryway, freezing them all in pce.

  "e o's kick its a-" Vi's words faded slowly. A shadowy figure emerged from the dark smog, its t presence making them all pause.

  A low, familiar gruff voice cut through the silence like a beast's snarl. "We'll talk whe back."

  "Vander, I expi-" Vi started, her voice trembling, but quickly fell silent as she realized her words were falling on deaf ears.

  Vander's eyes were sharp, his jaw ched, and broad shoulders teh trolled anger. He strode straight past them toward the entryway without a further word nce.

  The gang exged troubled gnces. Cggor and Mylo shifted nervously, knowing they were in trouble. Powder clutched more tightly onto Vi, who swallowed hard as she felt her heart sinking.

  Regardless of whatever Vander might say, Vi broke into step after Vander after he was several paces ahead. Her eyes held clear resolutioe the anger she might instill further.

  The rest of the group hesitated for a moment before following. They still wao help Orion, but a flicker of shared curiosity pulled them further, eager to witness Vander destroy the creature.

  Vander came to an abrupt halt just beyond the doorway, his massive figure expanding as he sucked in air, eyes widening to reflect visible shock.

  Vi, following closest behind, tensed immediately. She had never seen Vander falter like this. Her gaze darted to the se ahead and she froze, her expression shifting into an even mix of shod horror. The rest of the gang, trailing behind her, mirrored the same stunned rea.

  For Vi and Powder, it was as if the bridge se had e to life again. A shadowy figure loomed over a writhing corpse, jagged metal rod raised high before smming it down with tremendous force. The siing ch of bones, apanied by a wet impact, reverberated through the chamber.

  Blood of various hues sprayed aetallic surfaces, pooling in distorted colors in the chemical puddles below. The overwhelming st of blood, rust, ah mingled grotesquely with the se, ting itself into the minds of those watg.

  The shadowy figure panted heavily, slowly straightening as it turo face them. Clothes tattered and torn, with blood seeping from multiple cerations across his arms and body, Orion's gaze lifted slowly.

  Equal shotered his expression upon seeing Vander and the gang standing frozen in the doorway. Still, Orion exhaled sharply with relief, a wry smile crossing his face as realization dawned on him.

  "Ah, so that's how they escaped," he muttered with a tinge of exhausted amusement.