Animator vs Animation: The Dark Web

Chapter 13: The Battle Strategy

He tilted his head as if seeing it for the first time. Absent-mindedly, The Second Coming rose up from his chair, gaining everyone's attention. The Chosen One stopped sipping from his tea, waving a hand at him with a silent concern. Was The Second Coming feeling alright?

The Second Coming didn't respond. Instead, he grabbed a red marker from the chalkboard's ledge. Staring at the sketch, The Second Coming circled the crown with a swift movement.

Valhalla approached him, still puzzled as he glanced at the sketch. The crown? He shook his head at him in disbelief. Wasn't Queen of Hearts' crown nothing more than an ornament? It was just a symbol of her authority, right?

He jabbed a hand on top of the sketched crown, his body language urging insistent attention. The Second Coming could feel it—the crown wasn't just Queen of Hearts' accessory. It was more than that; it was connected to the glitch.

His friends exchanged uncertain glances, but The Chosen One raised up his tea at him, a gesture for him to go on.

Pacing in front of the chalkboard, his thoughts raced as the pieces fell together. What he noticed about Queen of Hearts was that she never takes off her crown, even in a fight. He thought she had fused the glitch—its very code—into her crown, gaining her the ability to manipulate the physical and mental capacity of others. It must've explained how he and The Chosen One were overpowered by her when she captured them.

Lace White shrugged at him as she leaned against the shelf. Her shrug showed skepticism, but there was an agreement in her expression about his theory. Rouge, however, suggested otherwise. He tilted his head at him, gesturing a hand to the sketch. The lack of evidence couldn't prove anything true about his theory. But Rouge couldn't deny that The Second Coming's theory was on the right track.

The Second Coming stared back at the circled crown, as if trying to figure out the missing piece of the puzzle he didn't realize he was solving. He pointed back to the crown, clenching his fist in defiance.

If they were right about the crown truly being the source, then the solution was clear; they were to destroy it, to dissipate any connection that the glitch has taken hold of. But if they were wrong, it would cost them their time and everything that they planned.

But something The Second Coming couldn't deny—the crown, for sure, it was the key.

—

The Second Coming was determined to prove that his theory of the crown was right, and by determined—it displayed itself more as an act of desperation.

The Second Coming's friends tried to offer support, but their concern for him continued to grow. Everytime they thought of a high-risk plan to take down the Codeborn, The Second Coming's distress seemed to deepen. He had to ask the question; how could they succeed if Queen of Hearts' crown was still intact?

The group echoed with a collective sigh, mixed with weariness and bitterness.

Rouge and Lace muttered to each other as they stared at the plans pinned on the chalkboard, something about giving The Second Coming's theory another chance. Valhalla leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, adjusting his grey scarf as he occasionally glanced at The Second Coming with worry.

Even The Chosen One, who has an unbreakable demeanor, couldn't help but feel troubled for him. He watched The Second Coming slump from his chair, his leg trembling the floorboards as his mind flooded with something incomprehensible.

Without a word, The Chosen One grabbed The Second Coming by the arm and pulled him out of his chair. He dragged him behind a bookshelf, where they could talk without the three interrupting.