The crew exited the building, everyone gathered around Rhea who is holding the walkie talkie. She pressed the button.
"This is agent Rhea, reporting to HQ, HQ, do you copy? I repeat, do you copy?"
At first there is only statics, but then, there is starting to have muffled conversations.
"This is agent Rhea. Headquarters, do you copy? Hello? Hello?"
Then, there is footsteps, then, a click sound.
"Agent Rhea?"
Its Rale Towelestone, the crew all sighed in relief. Rhea sighed in happiness.
"Director Towelestone! Finally! I managed to contact y'all!"
"Wha- how did you manage to contact us?" Rale asked in disbelief.
"We used.....the telecommunication machine in telecommunication center-2 of Xectar City, we made a signal path using Harry's virus that doesn't gets affected by the purple viruses."
"Oh.....I see...that's great, we can keep y'all posted now."
Rhea looked at Albur, and let out a heavy sigh.
"How are the investigations?"
"Wait, we need to get our scientists here first. Their still working on attempting to contact y'all and opening a new portal, I'll notify them to stop."
"I don't think the same trick works for the portal opening, let them continue to try."
"Right."
They waited for a while, Rale responded shortly after.
"We did researches on the virus lifeforms. The 2 mutation variants which you guys called 'Alpha' and 'Consumer' all happened like how virus pathogens mutate and have new forms. Consumers appears to be made of different kinds of materials and minerals."
"How about that intelligent mutation?"
"We named it the 'Remaining Intelligence', its original human identity is still unclear. With the data you've share and the life sign detecting devices, it could use its special vocal chord to mimic human language, and it appears to have basic knowledge to the languages."
"My..."
"Also, the tumor is getting more dangerous, it grew 5 times bigger. The corrupt splinters are providing the tumor even more energy and resistance against weapons, its a matter of time the virus lifeforms get affected by those splinters. Earth seems to be slowly dying, we evacuated all residents under the order of Lord Oswald."
"By the way.....how much time do we have left, if we don't consider the tumor core growth?"
"(sighs) Earth will die in 10 days, if the situation isn't handled. Why the questioning?"
"Uh.....Agent Filix.....lost an arm."
"Agent Filix what?"
"He lost his right arm. We encountered a couple of consumer lifeforms of nuclear weapons. They seem to originate from the bomber jets of the plan days ago."
Rale went silent for a few seconds.
"Is he alright? Is he good?"
"Managed to remove the radioactive substances on him. He is pretty good now, he could still walk, communicate. But, its very hard for him to survive considering he only have 1 arm."
Albur looked at Rhea.
"Copy that.....we will try creating another portal, to bring Mr. Filix and the survivors y'all found along the way out of this place."
Albur blocked his hand between Rhea and the walkie talkie.
"I'm sorry, what?"
Rhea pushed Albur's hands away.
"You're going out of here. You can't fight now."
"What do you mean by that? You are seriously leaving me out and you guys handle the situation?"
"You lost an arm, rookie. Its best you leave this damn place and like, get a robotic arm or something."
"No. I'm not leaving!"
Rhea's eyes widened and locked onto Albur.
"Excuse me?"
"Agent Rhea? Do you copy?"
Rhea pressed the walkie talkie.
"Director, make the portal opening quick, get Mr. Filix out of here ASAP."
"I said. I am not leaving."
Rhea glared at him.
"You will die if you keep staying here! Considering your condition, its best you....."
"I won't leave out anyone! We are a team! We're the Glitch Wipeout Crew! I won't left you guys behind and, j-just leave and get a life comfortably!"
"This is related to your life! Its for your own good!"
"I'm not afraid to die! Whatever you do, you can't make me leave!"
Rhea stepped back, she glared at Albur, and gently nodded.
"I can't huh? I can't huh?"
"I won't leave...."
Rhea cracked her knuckles, and lunched her fist at Albur's face. He quickly pulled out his shadow blade to block it. Rhea then performed kicks which Albur had trouble blocking all due to he is not used to fighting with an arm. Mysty tried to stop them, but Rhea's actions are too quick. At last, Rhea kicked his leg and punched him in the chest, sending him flying tens of meters away.
Mysty was shocked, she quickly hurried to Albur. Covie flew over and healed him. He groaned as Mysty helped him up. Rhea simply just chuckled sarcastically.
"You can't even protect yourself..."
Albur stared at Rhea.
"And you are risking to stay here to lose your life...."
Rhea gripped her fist even harder.
"Its like we all don't care about your departure if you die!!!"
Albur widened his eyes, he heard every word Rhea said. He never thought of what will the crew feel if he actually dies in front of them.
He felt that kind of feeling before, he knows how painful it is. He never thought of the crew cared about him as well.
Mysty and Covie heard them as well, they stayed silent, with their heads looking down. Albur slowly stood up, he avoided eye contact with Rhea he let out a sigh.
"Fine....."
Albur sighed.
"Fine....."
Albur looked at Mysty and Covie, and slowly wrapped his arm around his body, before walking back to the moon hut. Rhea's head turned as he continued to walk to the hut.
"What? No more words?"
Albur paused for a while,
"I'll leave when the portal open.....I won't be a burden to you guys..."
He walked into the hut. Mysty sighed and looked at Covie, who also don't know what reaction she should give now. Rhea smirked.
"That's what I thought."
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
At a place far away from the crew, the base of the Deadly Circus sits at a place of the tumor. The whole base turned from a measly old circus tent to a large metal base. The whole base is like a tent like structure. Computers are seen inside, with a couple of enslaved scientist glitches working on a project. Behind them is a huge structure with a platform, showing a weapon under development.
In the room of the head officer, which is on a platform above the weapon platform. Cluster sat on his boss chair. On the purple gem of Cluster's. The sight of the crew slowly fades away. Cluster chuckled, it sounds even more chilling, even more devious, even more quirky.
Wilton who is smoking near him noticed his weird behavior.
"Yo, Cluster, you alright?"
Cluster chuckled as he stood up while dancing.
"More than ok..."
Cluster fired a beam into Wilton's head. Which made him see what is the crew doing now.
"Look at them! They are falling apart! Ah....all according to plan...."
Wilton chuckled nervously, Cluster just walked out of his room and headed to the end of the platform above the weapon. He stared down at the weapon, Wilton walked to his side.
"I don't think I would need this to destroy them. They are already falling apart slowly."
"Hey, don't underestimate them, they are not like a weakling."
"I know.....what am I doing."
Cluster looked back into his room, a chess set is sitting on the table. He used his staff and made the set fly to him.
On the chess set, the white's queen is gone, all pawns are gone, what's left is a rook, 2 knights, and a bishop with its top sliced off, making it look like a pawn. The black's queen and king remains, their rook, knight are still there, with all pawns still remained. The black bishop however is at the white's side. Cluster chuckled and slowly pushed the white's bishop and captured it. He pushed it off the chess set, then.
"BANG!"
Cluster pulled out a flintlock from his robe. Wilton stared at the shattered white bishop, frightened by the sudden gun fire. He thought that was directly to him.
Cluster grinned, and blew the black smoke off the flintlock's gun hole.
"Nice, very nice."
"Uh...mind if I ask what is..."
"A flintlock, an armed weapon commonly used in the 19th century. You know, I got my hands on these through some....illegal way."
"Oh."
Wilton don't know how Cluster had a flintlock with him. He cleared his throat
"So um, we're not getting Shy back?"
"Let him stay...he could update to us and tell us more about their planning."
"OK."
Cluster chuckled as he put down the chess set.
"I'm going out to have another stroll, watch the base."
"Wait what?"
Cluster raised his staff, the gem on it glowed, purple aura covered every part of Cluster's body. He hit the end of the staff to the floor, after that, he instantly vanished. Wilton was left standing there, stammering, but he stopped the moment he realized Cluster is gone.