Maroon opens her eyes, her skull slowly forming on the ground, pulling itself together piece by piece as her gaze darts around. A loud crack echoes from her body as her jaw snaps into place, her neck starting to form. Muscles form in her jaw as her shoulders are rebuilt. Her gaze shifts to her right side as an arm begins forming at the end of her shoulder. She reaches forward, grasping at the dirt before pulling herself forward, her half-formed skeleton being dragged across the ground. She then reaches with her other arm as it is pieced back together, her ribs snapping into place around the mass of flesh, being built one by one. She stops as her legs start to form before pulling herself upright. She stumbles as she places weight on her legs, most of her skeleton now reformed, held together by purple energy. She begins walking, her teeth forming in her mouth. She eyes a collection of wooden buildings in the distance, her heart forming in the center of her ribs as she slowly stumbles towards the structures.

  As she grows closer, muscles form around her bones, allowing her to sprint. She stops in front of a suitcase, staring at it as nerves start to spread over her body. She kneels, grasping the zipper and pulling open the container, staring at the clothes inside. She reaches forward, grasping the clothing and pulling it over her skeleton.

  Maroon pulls herself back to her paws, her eyes looking down at her bony hands as skin begins spreading over her body. She gasps and falls back down to her knees as it reaches her head, allowing her to breathe. She grips the dirt, glancing up as brown hair falls in front of her face. She snarls, pulling herself to her paws once again. She glances at the trail of destruction, her hands shaking slightly as she exhales.

  “How…” she mutters, her gaze shifting to the decimated mountain. “This… makes no sense, everything has gone my way for the past ten years… why is this happening?” She grips her shirt, her hands trembling as her breathing becomes heavy.

  “This isn't how it’s supposed to go… He was supposed to die! Why… How did they get so much power? How did they get any power at all?” she adds, exhaling. “Did Shank… did he help them? Why else would both of them be alive?” She grips her hair, snarling as she takes a step back. She then starts sprinting forward, leaving behind small patches of fire where she steps.

  Shank sits on a metal bench in the hall, staring at the ground. He takes a shaky breath, glancing at the door. He then looks back down at the floor, grasping his right arm.

  “Maybe… it's time…” he mutters to himself, his right arm twitching. “Think, Shari… It’s been ten years, you can't keep doing this… You can't keep going behind her back to help people; it’s only a matter of time until she finds out. I want to do better… I want to be better… But she’s… stronger than me… All I can do is alter my body, and she can control fire.” Shank glances at the door beside him, leaning back.

  “I wonder what would happen if I… Did it again… If I got another dose from the crystalline,” Shank mutters to himself, pulling himself to his paws.

  Maroon bursts through the door, her brown hair crackling with sparks as she glares at Shank.

  “Shank!” she screams, her fists bursting into flames as she steps closer.

  “Maroon!” Shank exclaims, stepping back as she snarls. Maroon continues to move closer, breathing heavily.

  “You said that you had killed that pink woman, yet there she was, looking healthier than ever. In fact, she was beyond healthy; she was powerful,” Maroon remarks.

  “What do you mean?” Shank asks, taking another step back as Maroon bares her teeth.

  “I said she was powerful. She took multiple hits straight to the face, and even an explosion. And Mark is no better than you. He claimed to have killed Amber, but he was right by her side. And not only was he powerful, too, but it was beyond anything I've ever seen. He vaporized my entire fucking body and sent me flying,” Maroon adds. Shank bumps into the wall, watching as Maroon continues to approach.

  “Is that… why your hair isn’t pink anymore?” Shank asks.

  “I was reduced to a ball of broken bones and flesh,” Maroon begins, raising her hand into the air. “Of course the hair dye burned out!” She swings her arm, striking Shari, her claws tearing large gashes into his cheek. He falls to the ground, gripping the wound before crawling back.

  “You and Mark are failures! With Mark, I can believe it might have been a mistake, but you? You’re weak, pathetic. I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if you were the one who led her to the crystalline,” Maroon snarls. Shank pulls himself upright, tears forming in his eyes. “When I found you, you were homeless, abandoned by your family for the abomination you turned yourself into. I took you in, gave you a purpose.” Maroon swings again, missing again as Shank takes another step back. He turns as a door opens, watching Mark step into the hall. Shank looks back at Maroon before she kicks him in the stomach, causing him to collapse to the ground once again.

  “I’m sorry! I don't know how she got away, but I did all I could, and I thought I killed her!” Shank replies, sobbing as Maroon steps over him.

  “I don't believe you anymore. You're a traitor, and I cannot risk you becoming an enemy. I have to teach you, Shank,” Maroon mutters, clenching her fists. Fire spreads over Maroon’s body, forcing her hair into a mohawk as it wraps around her head. Shank clenches their fist, glaring at Maroon.

  “I’m done!” they scream, her arms shaking as they jump to their paws. They reach for their mohawk, grabbing it. “And I hate this mowhawk you fucking cemented to my head!” They rip it off, the entire structure staying in shape, blood dripping from the base. Maroon’s face contorts in anger as she eyes the mohawk.

  “How… dare you!” she shouts, raising her hand again. She attempts to strike Shank, only for them to grab her hand. Shank stares into Maroon’s eyes as hair emerges from their scalp, falling in front of their face. They drop the mohawk, allowing it to crash against the ground, denting the floor.

  “I’m… done…” they mutter, glancing at Mark, who remains still. “I’m done being Shank…” Their grip on Maroon’s arm tightens, causing the bones inside to crack audibly. Maroon attempts to lift her other arm, only for them to swing her around and slam her into the wall, snarling as they hold her in place.

  “My name… is Shari… And I know you hate that, but I can’t be bothered to give a shit anymore,” they mutter. Maroon’s frown turns into a grin before she starts to laugh.

  “You think I care what you want?” Maroon remarks, staring into Shari’s eyes. “You were born a man, so that is all you’ll ever be… It’s wrong to be anything else.”

  “I don't care what you believe anymore!” Shari shouts, tears forming in her eyes. “You have no place to say what’s right and what's wrong! You’ve killed countless people!” Maroon’s grin widens as Shari continues to hold her against the wall.

  “And so have you… In your own words, you have half as many kills as I do,” Maroon remarks.

  “Well, I fucking lied!” Shari replies, her voice cracking as Maroon’s smile fades. “Every word I've said to you is a fucking lie!” Maroon pulls away from Shari, stumbling back as she growls. Maroon opens her mouth to speak, being cut off by Shari.

  “I don’t care what you have to say anymore… I’ve been listening to you run your mouth for ten years… I hate you, and I hate your voice!” Shari adds, watching as Maroon glances at her. Shari turns to Mark, watching as he backs through one of the doors. Maroon turns around, tilting her head.

  “What are you looking at?” she begins before Shari strikes her in the head, causing her to fall to the ground.

  “Fuck!” Maroon shouts, looking up as Shari sprints past her and through the door. Maroon leaps to her paws, turning towards the door, watching as Shari slides to a stop. Shari then turns to the forest and leaps towards it, vanishing in the shadows. Shari sprints through the forest, tears running down her face as she slides to a stop. Her eyes then widen, and she turns to the road.

  “Those two, they… She said they were powerful… but how do I find them?” she mutters, her hands shaking as she grasps the trunk of a tree. Her skin bubbles as she wipes her face with her arm. “Maxwell… maybe Maxwell can help.” She dashes towards the road, her body beginning to reshape itself, taking on a more feminine form.

  Maroon snarls, grinding her teeth together as Mark steps into the hall. She grips her head and exhales.

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  “I gave him so much, I gave him a purpose, I gave him power, and all I ever asked of him was that he obey, and he couldn't even do that. I always knew he would turn his back on us, but after ten years, I hoped I wouldn't have to do this. Mark… Go get Slasher ready,” Maroon demands, her fists clenched.

  “Are you sure? Once you do this, you can't get her back,” Mark replies.

  “Her?” Maroon mutters, bearing her teeth. “Watch what you say, you know what I can do if you fall out of line, you know what I have. Go… Activate Slasher.”

  “Yes, Maroon,” Mark replies, walking past her as she turns to the door.

  “Ten years in this disgusting world, waiting for a way home to present itself, putting up with the filth of this place,” she mutters, approaching the door. “It’s so… colorful… and clean. The men are weak, and nobody is willing to snitch. I wanted to be a god of a perfectly chaotic world, but instead I got a world of nothing but pussies.” Maroon steps through the door, snarling. She pushes her hair from her face as it falls back down, her breathing becoming heavy.

  “Fresh cement is rare, and I don’t know how to make it. I can find the pink dye, but I’ll still never get my style back,” she adds, taking a deep breath. “Amber… How did he get so Powerful… He seemed pretty manageable until I… attacked Lana. Fucking hell, he was so angry. His punches were weak, but when I grabbed her throat, his fist flew forward, as if on its own. And before I could even announce that I was going to blow them up, that last attack… I’ve never seen anything like it. He only spent about half a second charging it… and it was so powerful.” She walks across the grass, looking up at the city before her.

  “But at the same time… I’ve been getting bored, and I've never felt more powerful than I did after that hit. But… if he had aimed for the sky, I don't know what would have happened. Can I survive without oxygen?” She mutters, sprinting forward. “And those rings… Keven mentioned jagged golden rings… when describing something he called the Golden Star.” She slides to a stop after reaching the street, looking up at the massive hole in the ground.

  “This is where Mark said he dropped him… I could have sworn there was a building here,” she mutters to herself, moving closer. She glances down the large opening, exhaling.

  “Deep,” she remarks, placing her hands on her hips. “I’m running out of people, I might have to take another prisoner…” She looks around, clicking her tongue.

  “It should only take a few minutes for Mark to power up Slasher, and I need to find a way to entertain myself until then.

  A male Variant with reddish-pink fur rummages through a pile of garbage, his cat-like ears twitching as he pulls a can of soup from beneath the trash, his eyes lighting up. He drops his backpack to the ground, unzipping the large pocket and stuffing it inside, glancing at a picture of him and two other Variants, the image stitched into the fabric of his bag.

  “We love you, Hal,” is written below the picture.

  “This should be enough food for tonight,” he mutters to himself, closing the zipper and standing. Hal slings it over his back, stretching. He freezes, his ears twitching as the sound of a door opening echoes from the distance. He backs away, gasping as he bumps into a shopping cart, causing it to crash against the wall.

  “I hear you,” Maroon’s voice calls, causing his breath to become erratic. “Come on, don't be rude… I thought you people were wecoming.” Hal grips his heart, choking back tears as he turns to the door behind him. He sprints towards it silently, pushing through as he bites his tongue to keep from crying.

  You don't need to be shy… why run when there’s nothing you can do? I might even let you live!” she calls, her steps echoing through the building. Hal slides to a stop, turning to a staircase. He sprints up the stairs, sobbing quietly.

  “Come on, aren’t you a bit curious what I’m going to do?” she adds, causing Hal to cover his mouth as he darts through a small office, sliding under a table. The sound of Maroon’s steps causes Hal to flinch, gripping his mouth. “It worked for me a while back, maybe it’ll work for you too. It only hurts for a little bit, but I need a new ally, and I know you won't join me as you are now.” Her steps trail up the stairs as tears run down Hal’s face.

  “All it takes is a few… precise cuts, and then, you’ll feel better than ever before… just like me.” She calls. Hal bites his hand, trembling as Maroon’s steps make their way into the office. “I mean, come on, is there anything else left to lose? I sure as hell know you have nothing to gain.” Hal takes a slow breath as her steps draw closer, stopping right beside the table.

  “And besides… afterwards… I can give you power… everyone wants power, right?” Maroon begins, a low laugh echoing from her throat. Her hand suddenly clamps around Hal’s throat, causing him to scream as she pulls him from beneath the table. He scratches at her arm, the wounds quickly healing as she grins.

  “You're a fucking bitch, I hate you!” Hal screams, tears running down his face.

  “Quite immature,” Maroon mutters, her grin still plastered on her face. “Tell me, boy, how old are you?” she demands, slamming him down onto the table, causing him to gasp. “Answer me!”

  “I’m… I’m eighteen!” he replies, grasping the table as she grins.

  “Then act like a fucking adult!” she shouts, lifting him up before slamming him back into the desk, causing him to cry out. Maroon then scrunches her nose in disgust, looking down at his fur.

  “What the hell is this color?” she scoffs, pulling him away from the table. “You should be ashamed, this color is so… girly.” Hall pulls against her, gasping as she tightens her grip on his throat. She forces him closer before slamming her head into his, knocking him unconscious.

  Hal gasps awake, looking up to see Maroon standing on the other side of a glass wall, a grin plastered on her face.

  “Where… Am I?” he mutters, gripping his head.

  “You don't need to worry, everything will make sense soon. I left some food in the corner for you, so relax… because as long as you stay calm, you’ll get to live.” she remarks, watching as Hal takes a shaky breath.

  What… are you going to do to me?” he mutters, crawling away as Maroon exhales.

  Nothing yet, because I have things I need to do… but once I get back, you’ll thank me.” Hal sobs, backing into the wall as Maroon walks away. At the other end of the wall sits another Variant, concealed by heavy clothing. A bag rests over their head, with multiple tubes tucked underneath. His gaze shifts to the life support beside them as he curls into a ball, his hands trembling. He glances over at the corner, a pile of stale bread lying on the floor.

  Mark stands from a chair, eyeing the monitor in front of him as he exhales. He turns, eyeing a large robot atop a pedestal in the center of the room, built similarly to Shari, but with a longer blade, extended, sharp, black metal hair, red eyes, and a fully metallic dark grey body.

  “Is it done?” Maroon asks, pushing through the door into the room as Mark steps towards her.

  “It should be done… You just need to turn it on,” Mark replies, watching as Maroon approaches it. She reaches forward, grabbing onto the plate covering the stomach, and pulls it open to reveal a hollow chamber. She places her hand inside, her palm bursting into a purple flame. She pulls away, leaving the fire in the opening before slamming the metal plate shut.

  “What can he do?” Maroon asks, turning to Mark as the red eyes start to glow.

  “Slasher is made for fighting, and is about several hundred pounds. He’s built to tear things apart and protect you,” Mark answers, watching as Maroon grins. “He’s also able to access the trackers, like you asked. Most importantly, I had the computers reverse engineer the artificial assistants they have here, so that he can be much smarter than if we used the AIs from our world… Also, a lot safer.”

  “It’s beautiful,” Maroon remarks, watching as it flexes its hands. “What do you think Shank would think?” Maroon asks.

  “I'm not sure what… he would think,” Mark replies, watching as Maroon stares at the machine.

  “Slasher, tell me where Shank is!” Maroon demands, watching as Slasher turns to her.

  “Shank is…” Slasher begins, its robotic voice freezing.

  “What’s wrong with it?” Maroon mutters.

  “Shank’s tracker has disappeared from the map,” Slasher finishes, stepping down from the pedestal. “His last known location was at the supplier’s home.”

  “That dumbass,” Maroon remarks, her grin growing. “Slasher! Bring us there.” Maroon watches as Slasher approaches the door, following close behind.

  “Anything special about Shank going there?” Mark asks as they walk through the hall.

  “I killed that guy, blew him up,” Maroon replies, laughing to herself as they approach the exit. ”Slasher! How far is it?”

  “The coordinates are about a four-minute drive,” Slasher replies, stopping randomly. He turns to a door in the hall, stepping closer. He grabs the handle, bending it in his grip before pulling the door open, revealing a garage. Maroon passes Slasher, stepping into the chamber.

  Maroon yawns as they drive along the road, the streets quiet. She looks up at Slasher, who is driving the car.

  “So, Mark, did you teach him how to drive?” She asks.

  “No, that was inside the building's database, so I just plugged it into him,” Mark replies.

  “Well, once we kill him, I got work to attend to,” Maroon adds, leaning back. Slasher then starts to emit a static noise, causing Maroon to look up at him.

  “What are you doing?” she asks as the car comes to a stop.

  “We have reached our destination… though I am receiving a signal,” Slasher replies as the car starts to slide forward. Maroon looks out the windshield, her smile fading as she sees a large crater, a strange shape in the center, a large crack in the air itself, another landscape visible within it, slowly spreading as it pulls small chunks of land into itself. A loud boom thunders through the air, causing the ground to shake as the cylindrical machine below it quivers, feeding energy into the opening.

  “Mark, sit up!” Maroon demands, gripping the handle to open the door as Mark does as she says. She pushes against it, noticing a stream of electricity surrounding the car as it starts to slide towards the fracture in the sky faster.

  “Slasher! Drive!” she demands, watching as it slams its metallic paw down onto the pedal, causing it to speed forward. “Stupid fucking robot, that’s not what I meant!” she screams as they fly off the ledge. The vehicle then starts to rise, crashing against the machine below the fracture before the car is suctioned to the opening, being held against it. Another thundering boom shoots past them, shattering the windshield as the car is folded in half, being violently ripped through the hole.