Tori has been searching for her tracks and finally found them at the plaza. It's the only place she recently stand.
Tori: Wait, I thought she went home? Why was she still at the plaza anyway?
She follow the tracks, but it's lead along with the road instead of floating everywhere.
Tori: She...drives?
The tracks are leading her like some vehicle riding on the road. And it's kinda nonsense since Palivia doesn't really drive/ride any types of vehicle that much.
She continue follow the tracks, and turn out it's just her high school.
Tori: Wait—I already got home. Why would she go to my school anyway?
She got confused and check if she can get through the gate. With no thoughts, she immediately pass it.
The parking lot is full of trucks...with a Nox logo on it?
Tori: Wait wait wait... Since when my school hires them? Ah...no no no, they never do that...
Tori stands in the middle of the gate for too long she seems doesn't really focus. Unexpectly, a "person" is behind her as she didn't notice, and immediately unconcious her. She's now in a weird, dark place...
____________________________
Inside Tori's room, Nikal felt very worry, so she decided to check on her on computer. She turn on the system that can see everything where Tori's battlesuit located, but it's very dark and have low signal.
Nikal: Wait—What's going on with her?
She tried to figure out what happen by keep checking on her screen.
____________________________
Inside a dark, mysterious room, Tori got tied on the chair. She heard a mysterious, familiar voice from her ear.
???: Buttercup, wake up! Hey wake up!
Tori: ...Huh...? - She woke up with soreness eye
Palivia: It's me, Tori. Are you alright?
Tori: Au—auntie?! What are you doing here?!
Palivia: sighs Long story short... But first of all, we need to get outta here.
Tori: Right! But the "rope" is too hard to remove...
Palivia: Well I can't change my battlesuit right now... Can you try something else? I think yours would work best.
Tori: Oh... right... Hey, I can perform elemental powers!
She try to cast a fire power and it actually works, it burns the rope.
Tori: Hey!! It works!
Palivia: Amazing! C'mon, untie me already.
Tori: Okie dokie!
Tori's about to untie her aunt but suddenly hear noises from the outside of the room caming towards.
Mysterious Entity 1: Do you think that's gonna work? - Sounds like a feminine, teenager voice
Mysterious Entity 2: Don't worry, young lady, they're need to treat a little testing~ - Sounds like a masculine voice
Tori: Th—they're about to come to this place..
Palivia: Tori, hide, now!
Tori can't go invisible or camouflage, but rather hide on the celling and watches from the below to check Palivia's fine.
The door opened, it was Maku and Stance (aka Jess) coming inside the room.
Maku: Oh, hello there, "Merc"! How's the sleep?
Palivia: ...Shut.
Stance's mood suddenly changed, and slightly shivers.
Stance: I-is this the person you talk about? - She asks
Maku: Yep, her. She, Palivia, is a super-thief that have like 1 million fans in our town, y'know? As you can see, I hate thiefs. So I wanted to "stop this" anyway.
Stance: But seriously, testing her like an animal using your dangerous experiment!?
Tori: (D—dangerous experiment?!)
Maku: Why? That's a good way to make everything peaceful!
Stance: aggresively stomps on the ground Do you even understand what are you talking about?! Call the police to stop her being a thief is a right thing but consume her using your experiment is like a killer! - She explained
Maku: I'm tired of your words anyway...
Maku sighs and was about to leave the room, but he still have something to say.
Maku: I'll see you later at the underground lab, 'kay? 'Cuz I promised meeting you there. Best wishes! - He leaves anyway
Stance looks at Maku's arrogance and her sanity drops rapidly.
Stance: ...Asshole.
Tori: (Damn, Jess is nothing look like her back then...)
Stance moved her body towards Palivia and stares at her to see if she can speaks.
Palivia: Now what the actual fuck you wanna do?
Stance: ...Where's Ray?
Palivia: Escaped.
Stance: Ok. Anyway, Maku's about to test you like a rat but me... I need you to explain about your identity.
Palivia: What?
Tori: (Wait... Don't told me that...)
Stance started to take off her hood out of her head and became a whole different but true identity.
Jess: Explain. Why did you do this?
Palivia: Oh, it's you, Jess. - She raised her eyebrow like nothing happen
Tori: (No....way.... Palivia just knew her for a long time?! I thought she...)
Suddenly, a voice call from Nikal ringing. It seems to be very urgent.
Tori: Nikal! connects voice call Yeah hey, Nikal.
Nikal: Oh, Tori... I saw everything....
Tori: See what? - She got confused
Nikal: Your aunt, or a person I'm a big fan of. She's about to get killed or...something?
Tori: No, she's definitely fine, trust me! Do you saw Stance standing next to her right now?
Nikal: Yeah. Also, your mom's probably worry about you. Where were you right now?
Tori: I'm at the secret plaza that Maku hides in our school. We got trapped but we'll be managed to escape soon ASAP.
Nikal: Our school? OUR SCHOOL!?!?!
Tori: I don't know what happen, but this is too long to explain so later!
Nikal: HEY WAI—
Tori quickly disconnects her voicecall and continue to look down again to watch the tragic scene.
Stance: Now tell me. Why would you trick the whole people just to steal the precious items then act like you don't need it? You went too far.
Palivia: It's my job. - She replied sarcastically
Stance: For what? For your fame? Tch, didn't you say to my younger self that "sTeAlInG sTuFf iS nOt gOoD fOr yOu" and you seriously did this?
Palivia: Hmph! All I need is attention anyway.
Stance: Attention?! You did all of this for attention?!
Palivia: I just...need some people who attracted to me and care about me.
Stance: Wow, commit the robbery and ruin the peace for everyone just to attract people's attention? I see, you weren't popular anyway, heh. - She rudely laughs
Palivia: Then what are YOU planning to do with your gangsters for?!
Stance: ...!!!! - She shook with guiltiness
Palivia: I know I stole stuff just for attention is too far... But you, do all of this for what? Money? Get more friends?
Everything is complete silence. They look at eachother with guilts while Tori is looking at them at the above with concern.
Stance got so mad that she angrily left the room and disappeared completely. Tori finally get down and decided to untie Palivia.
Tori: Auntie, I'm so sorry for hear all of this I—
Palivia: It's okay, you're not deaf anyway. As long you don't talk about it.
Tori: That was...truly disturbing.
Palivia: Although, I need to learn more about why Stance, or your friend, Jess, did all of this. - She exclaimed
Tori: ....Okay. Now, can you dress your battlesuit now?
Palivia: Of course. Just blink like how you normally blink.
Tori: Why? - She confusely ask
Palivia: Blink.
Tori: Uh-? Uhm okay...
She did what Palivia told. As she didn't open her eyes, Palivia has already finished changing just in a super fast blink.
Tori: Woaaaahhh! How did you do that?!
Merc: Just don't ask how. - Her voice became deeper and slightly different
Tori: You sounds... older.
Merc: My mask did it, not me. - She replied with a cold but sarcastic expression that makes Tori concerned
They stopped the chit-chats and begin to look everywhere in the room and found a vent on the wall.
Tori: Hey auntie! I think we can go through here!
Merc: I don't like vents. - She applied emotionlessly
Tori: B-but how are we supposed to escape this place!?
inhales
Merc: Wall.
Tori: Wh-what? - She asks with confusion
Merc: I have super-abilities so we can go through a wall.
Tori: Oh yeah!! You're amazing! - She acknowledged with excitement
Merc: Well... But don't rush yet. We need to check what's behind the wall.
Tori: How? - She asks confusely
Merc (or Palivia) hands over an electronic pad.
Merc: We can analyze it! - She stated like an instructor, yet deep
Tori: Oh, okay.
Merc put the pad on the wall at the right side and the pad screen shows what's behind the wall. Behind the wall, there's some group of guards standing.
Merc: ...This is not safe. Let's try another one.
Tori: Hey, what about we beat up those guards??
Merc: Not today. - She dictated seriously and sarcastic at the same time
She started to put the pad on the left side of the wall and look at the screen. There's still more guards and even a camera.
Merc: Aight, this is still not safe...
Tori: How about check the last side of the wall?
Merc: I'll try.
Merc put the pad on the behind-side wall again. The screen shows that's there no guards and no security cameras, which is super safe and silent.
Merc: This is the place! - She rejoiced and casually go through the wall.
Tori: A-auntie..? How did you do that!?
Merc (behind the wall): Just go through and done! Nothing more. - She belted with concern
Tori: I can hear you talking from the behind... Okay, I'll risk it!
She replied with a face full of fear and try to go through the wall, and ends up did it.
Tori: Woah... I did it! How did you do that?
Merc: I selected "Confirm" so it can makes the wall automatically transparent like an invisible wall.
Tori: T-that's amazing! You're even better than me! Maybe someday I'll tell Nikal to make some special ability like yo—
Merc: Don't. - She insisted in serious tone while Tori didn't even finish a sentence.
Tori: ...why? - She asks with confusion
Merc: Just don't!
The silence started in the middle of the room.
Tori: ...Okay. I won't tell her. - She answered with an upset expression
Merc: sighs Thanks.
Tori: Oh right! We don't have much time, c'mon let's get outta here!
Merc: First of all, before we leave this place, I need to destroy the Biologic as soon as possible. - She concernly demanded
Tori: Why? That would be impossible right? - She asks as she gets closer to her
Merc: To achieve world peace.
Tori: World peace..? Wait wait wait... I have a simple, dimple question..
Merc: Yeah? - She asks as she turns her head at her
Tori: Imagine, if you activate the reactor with the Biologic...what will happen next? - She asks with confusion
Merc looked away while struggling on how to answer this like it's no big deal, but whatever...
Merc: The entire town will be blown up.
Tori's jaw dropped on the floor again and almost went crazy.
Tori: BLOWN UP!? Wait wait, y-you're not serious aren't you?
Merc: Before you actually went to this place, Maku told me that your town, your home, your FAMILY, YOUR NEIGHBORS will be blown up... just for money.
Tori: How dare he!? - She shout arrogantly
Merc: No need to wait, we better go and destroy the Biologic now! - She leave quick as a wink
Tori: Hey! Wait for me! - She try to catch up on her
They both quickly ran at the wide hallway and found the stairs, and it's so...high from above.
Tori: Holy moly! The stair is soooooo long at the below! Wait, no elevators? - She surprised as she realized
Merc: The rooms I scanned that have guards around actually have elevators. But this is the only room that have no staircase soooo... Let's risk our energy. - She explained
Tori: Uhm... Alright! I will do my best as I can! - She confidently breathes out heavily
They confirmed to go downstairs that are super long. The windows near the staircase are full of reactors and guards from afar, but they are very far from them so it's hard to make them notice.
Merc: Don't stand near the window, they might see you.
Tori: Understand, cap'n! (captain) - She does the salute pose
TBC