112-05 Queens Blvd, Suite A. Forest Hills, Queens, NY, USA – February 23, 2023 | 03:33 P.M.
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The hospital was in ruins. Electrical cables dangled from the ceiling, still sparking intermittently.
“Are you sure there aren’t any Biohazards in this place?” Sievernich asked, drawing his phaser as he cautiously surveyed the corridor.
“I checked the perimeter, not the inside,” Tetsuo mumbled, clearly uneasy. “Too creepy without the lights on. I wasn’t going into the basement alone.”
Sievernich rolled his eyes and gestured for his team to head downstairs and restart the generator. He turned back to find Tetsuo lounging casually on the waiting room couch.
“Where’s Starling?” Sievernich asked.
“She said she was going to find medical supplies.”
“You let her go alone?” Sievernich’s tone sharpened. “You should’ve told me.”
“And what, so you could play nice with her? Get closer to her?” Tetsuo snapped back. “Face it—you can’t replace Felix.”
“Felix is dead. No one wants to stay trapped in the past,” Sievernich said flatly. The words hit hard, and Tetsuo’s expression darkened.
“I know you’ve been following her—especially when she’s hunting in the city,” Tetsuo muttered, arms folded.
“You were stalking me?” Sievernich scowled.
“Stalkers get stalked,” Tetsuo shot back.
“You and Felix never understood her,” Sievernich said with quiet conviction.
“What makes you say that?” Tetsuo stood abruptly, ready to confront him.
Sievernich chuckled. “I knew her long before Weiss was brought in as her ‘baby sister.’ Where we grew up, Stargazers were forged into elites. Only the best became Administrators. You think Evangeline reached her status without the approval of the others?”
Tetsuo remained speechless.
“And you—you—have no idea how our world functioned before we lost it,” Sievernich continued, coldly. “Starling only values people who serve a purpose. Felix, Eva—they were just stepping stones.”
“You’re different then?” Tetsuo retorted bitterly.
“Of course,” Sievernich replied with a self-assured smirk. “I know what she’s really after. That makes me her equal. Her chosen.”
Without warning, Tetsuo lunged, throwing a punch. His fist collided with Sievernich’s face—but shattered on impact. Sievernich didn’t even flinch. Tetsuo collapsed, clutching his damaged hand in agony.
“Felix would’ve survived—if he had been chosen. But he wasn’t,” Sievernich said, turning away. “I was. That’s the proof.”
He walked off, leaving Tetsuo trembling and alone. A moment later, Starling appeared behind him.
“You know I’m not a fan of clingy boys,” she said dryly.
Tetsuo jolted upright like a startled animal. Turning, he found Starling staring at him with a trace of pity.
“I thought you were gathering supplies,” he said, wincing as his hand slowly regenerated.
“I did. The med room was just around the corner.” She placed two red-orange duffel bags on the couch and sat down beside them.
Tetsuo lowered himself onto the opposite end, the bags between them. “Tell me… what are you?”
Starling said nothing.
“Are you Starling?” he asked again.
“Yes.”
“Then that means… you’re Alice. Dr. Alice Elizabeth Starling. Right?”
Starling leaned her head back, staring at the ceiling. “No. But I am her.”
Tetsuo blinked, mind processing like a glitching machine. “What does that even mean?”
“I’m a fragment. A remnant. A shard of what she was.”
“Because you died in the MAD?”
Starling turned to him sharply. “How do you know about that?”
Tetsuo squirmed. “Lucy. She knows... things. I don’t know where she gets it all.”
“Makes sense,” Starling murmured. “I was split—into seven parts. By the spear you threw at me.”
“I’m sorry,” Tetsuo whispered, guilt-ridden.
“You split into seven?!” His voice cracked with horror. Starling casually plugged her ears at the outburst.
“Yes. Each of us is Alice. Same memories, same experiences. But our origins, our skills, our beliefs—those differ.”
She continued calmly, as if reciting a lesson from memory.
“Constantine embodies her courage—her dream of being powerful and inspiring.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWqNRWDOkJI
Eureka is her intellect, creativity, and invention.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ESkaQ9KrU
Lorelai was Alice at her peak: beautiful, unyielding, and confident.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAg1HmJJ6SN
Irene represents her willpower and defiance.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ01WVbMdi5v
Arisu is the child she buried—pure, kind, and compassionate.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8c1XR3Ga5B
And me? I’m her truth. The cold, manipulative, ravenous part. The predator.”
She spat the last words like poison.
Tetsuo wanted to say something comforting—but stopped. “That’s six. Who’s the seventh?”
Starling hesitated. “Elizabeth…”
She fell silent. Her expression shifted—uncertainty creeping in.
“I can’t remember who Elizabeth is…”
Panic flickered in her eyes. Then—fractures. Shimmering crystal-like geometries spread across her body and distorted the air around her.
“That’s okay. You’ll figure it out later!” Tetsuo blurted.
The crystalline effect faded. Silence hung between them.
“Hey,” Starling said eventually, breaking the tension. “Thanks for distracting Sievernich when I was in New York.”
“Huh? Oh. No problem… couldn’t have done it without Lucy.”
A beat passed before Tetsuo asked, “Why are you always waiting in that diner?”
“Because that’s where I’ll always wait for him.”
Tetsuo looked at her sadly. “Starling… Felix is gone.”
She turned to him with a cold, unwavering glare. “He. Is. Alive.”
Tetsuo flinched. She must be in denial, he thought, watching her expression turn inward—fondly by the memory of a Valentine’s night in New York.
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***
Valentine’s Day…2023.
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Sievernich watched as Starling struck a Void towering like a skyscraper. The night sky, now clearer than it had been in hours, shimmered eerily in the aftermath of Zeus the Djinn’s departure. The building beneath the creature collapsed, spreading and glitching as the massive entity slumped forward, unconscious. Starling drove her fangs into its neck and drank deeply from its ichor. After quenching her thirst, she tore a piece from her own wrist and reshaped it into a cup.
She filled the M.J.O.L.N.I.R.-forged cup with the flamboyant multicoloured fluid, cradling it steadily in her palm.
A single drop slipped, falling faster than light and piercing through the structure below—boring a hole clear to the other side of the Earth. Starling frowned, annoyed at her carelessness. With a snap of her fingers, she summoned Chronos, God of Time. Time reversed, and she caught the drop on her tongue before vanishing in a blink.
From a distant rooftop, Sievernich had observed it all—until the building beneath him groaned and collapsed. Muttering a curse, he leapt to avoid detection, seeking cover among the debris-strewn ground, farther from the heart of the Void infestation gripping Manhattan.
He dusted himself off just in time to spot Starling walking calmly down the street, heading toward Queens. He followed—unaware that it wasn’t Starling at all, but Lucy in disguise, her eyes wide, a red wig hiding her identity, sweat gleaming on her brow. She marched with urgency, successfully luring Sievernich away from the real Starling.
Back in the ruins, Tetsuo emerged from the crumbled building Sievernich had used as a vantage point. He brushed dust from his jacket, satisfied that the structure had collapsed with enough plausibility to pass as natural failure.
Then, unexpectedly, a light flicked on inside a nearby diner.
To his surprise, a swarm of Voids converged on it—only to take their seats calmly inside, each one holding a menu, seemingly relaxed as an old radio crackled through the cold, silent street.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtLcy4otUra
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“Midnight street lights61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGUFnAzWjjP
Haunted lonely, unforgiving61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWfzmmDYAPh
Star crossed lovers61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5c9RUFuiwD
We all know the outcome61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS0h4sfBSDW
That place between sleep and the dream61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡybC0zi9mXi
This is where I'll wait for you”61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYM0Lme4D0t
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Inside, Starling sat at the corner booth. She lifted the ichor-filled cup and sipped from it as if it were coffee. A cheeseburger and Oreo milkshake sat untouched before her—likely prepared by her Eidolon, Andhrímnir.
Tetsuo’s gizmo buzzed violently with frantic messages from Lucy:61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡobkRBYYAdh
“Hurry. Meet me at the rendezvous. He’s f#$%ing fast!”
He turned and vanished into the shadows, leaving Starling to her solitude.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXollVucEB9
She stared blankly at the food in front of her. Memories stirred, uninvited. On Valentine’s Day...A long time ago.
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“What do you want to get, Felix?”
Thirteen-year-old Starling scanned the diner menu, nestled in a cracked leather booth at 614 9th Avenue, New York. Her oversized white NASA-logo sweatshirt draped awkwardly over her thin frame. She turned to Felix—a scrawny boy with unruly hair and dark circles under his eyes, his crooked grin betraying the joy he felt in that moment.
“Cheeseburger and Oreo milkshake,” he replied, eyes on the waitress. She jotted it down quickly and smirked.
“Is this a date?” she teased.
“We’re planning a heist,” Starling deadpanned.
The waitress laughed, shaking her head. “Same order for you?”
“Yes. Honey latte and fish & chips,” Starling confirmed.
“Careful with that caffeine, sweetheart. You’ll be twitching like an old woman by your twenties,” the waitress warned.
“Dani! Don’t jinx me!” Starling waved her hand as if swatting away an invisible curse. Dani laughed and disappeared behind the counter toward the kitchen.
“She knows you,” Felix remarked.
“Yeah. I come here a lot—work on my projects, drink way too much coffee,” Starling replied, leaning back, smiling brightly.
Felix leaned in and whispered, barely able to contain himself. “So… did you get in?”
Starling’s eyes lit up. “I did. I got hired—me and three other prodigies. We’re spearheading and co-founding NIX Corp. The founders are already being called the Four Horsemen. And… I just got my first paycheck after days of hard work.”
She bounced excitedly in her seat. Felix joined in, clapping once. “Hey, I couldn’t have done it without you,” Starling said, “You helped me 2 years ago, sneak into the Javits Center, and you pushed me to submit my prototype. You believed in me.”
“I'll meet you at the corner61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0yyBeF6SWh
I have a full tank61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2jObLZGw7R
And a heart full of dreams61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm6iqNgnebL
Find what you love61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ31StoC6r4
And let it kill you61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsrdoKG4o2T
That place between sleep and the dream is where I'll wait for you”
Felix scratched the back of his neck, blushing. “I wasn’t about to let a bright, pretty girl live on the street.”
“You… you think I’m pretty?” Starling tucked a wild auburn curl behind her ear, trying to look composed. She’d made a clear effort that day—hair neat, shoes clean, sweatshirt freshly washed.
“Yeah, you really are. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” Felix puffed out his chest with mock bravado.
“I can agree on that,” Dani interrupted, placing their plates in front of them. “Oh, and I nearly forgot—”
With a twist, she popped a party cracker. Glitter burst into the air as the other diner staff blew birthday whistles, startling the teens.
“Congratulations on getting the job at NIX Corp,” Dani announced. “I hear it’s hard to get in. You won’t regret it—starting in science this young? That’s the dream. Enjoy your meal!”
She turned and shouted to the staff, “Let’s go, people—other customers to serve!”
As they ate, Starling heard a song playing on the old jukebox. She grinned and tugged Felix’s sleeve. “Come on, dance with me.”
Felix blinked. “But I don’t know how to dance!”
“Neither do I,” Starling laughed, dragging him to the empty floor.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm3WsEm1mAx
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“Let's stretch across the highways61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoSZN3NTqTT
Until our voices echo through the dunes61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6jzpW3iC7h
Life takes no prisoners babe61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo5RFlU6iyf
We have to do all our living soon”
They moved clumsily, but remained close. Starling suddenly blurted, “Let’s live together.”
Felix blinked. “Huh?”
She looked down, embarrassed, then gathered her courage. “I rented a room. You don’t have to sleep on the streets anymore. It’s warm, it’s quiet. We can be cozy, play games, read books.”
Felix frowned, eyes distant. “I don’t know if… I deserve that.”
Starling cut him off, firm but gentle. “You do. You really do. You gave me a place to rest, protected me while I slept, even went out of your way to get food. You deserve a home, too.”
He was silent for a long moment, making her nervous.
Then, quietly, he said, “Okay.”
They both laughed, overwhelmed with relief, and continued to dance together—awkward, imperfect, but free.
“We are the wild ones61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqIqZ7rEpAD
There is no hope for us now61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCQu2h7tqTZ
We are the lost souls61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVBoM04p1P6
We might as well drive unto the edge”
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Starling jolted awake, the leather booth now cold under her. Her Eidolon, Kaali, stood beside her.
“Milady, Valentine’s Day is over. Dawn is breaking.”
Starling gave a tired nod and dismissed her with a wave. Across the table, her untouched cheeseburger and Oreo milkshake were gone. In their place, a note:
“Tag—you’re it.61Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJx2hOWOGkC
P.S. The food was delicious. Ace. Thanks.”
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***
112-05 Queens Blvd, Suite A. Forest Hills, Queens, NY, USA – February 23, 2023 | 03:39 P.M.
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“Eto? What’s taking them so long to switch on the generator?” Tetsuo muttered, frowning.
Starling snapped out of her daze. She felt it too—something was off. Their eyes met. Without a word, Starling followed Tetsuo as he descended into the basement.
Dim, flickering lights provided brief flashes of clarity. At the bottom of the stairs, they turned the corner—and froze.
The rebels were dead. Limbs grotesquely twisted, torsos torn open, their entrails painted across the walls in chaotic arcs of crimson and black.
Both Tetsuo and Starling stared, expressionless—dead fish eyes masking the jolt of revulsion. Above them, something stirred.
The lights flickered again.
From the ceiling, a massive quadrupedal creature clung to the concrete—its slick, blood red body stretching unnaturally. Its elongated tongue unfolded grotesquely, revealing a secondary, gaping mouth lined with jagged teeth.
It growled. A low, guttural sound that meant only one thing: prey.
Starling burst through the fire exit into the hospital’s main hall, slamming the door shut behind her.
“Don’t lock me out!” Tetsuo screamed, sprinting behind her. She flung the door open again, grabbed him by the arm, and yanked him through just as the creature crashed against the barrier, shaking it violently with each blow.
From the hallway, Sievernich emerged—just as another creature tore through the floor behind him. Its attention snapped toward Tetsuo and Starling, who sprinted toward the medical supply cache.
But their path was already blocked.
A dozen more of the creatures—crawling, skittering, twitching—emerged from within the hospital. Tetsuo and Starling ducked instinctively as Sievernich unleashed his beams of the cathedral-like structure, a divine beam of light that sliced through the monsters with terrifying precision.
But the burst of holy energy didn’t go unnoticed. It awakened the slumbering Biohazards.
The three mounted their bicycles and bolted out of the compound. Behind them, the basement barricade exploded into splinters—the original beast, the Raptor, bursting through in a fury, ploughing through the Biohazards as if they weren’t even there.
The Biohazards, disinterested in the Raptor, instead turned their attention to the fleeing trio.
Tetsuo glanced back and instantly regretted it. The Raptor was gaining.
Sievernich fired his Seraph’s Ray, vaporising a chunk of the Biohazard horde. But more came, drawn by the sound and light.
“We need to split up!” Starling shouted.
“What?! Why?” Tetsuo shouted back, his voice cracking.
“To divide and conquer! I’ll draw the Biohazards away. You two handle that thing—whatever it is. Here—take the medical supplies!” Starling swung her pack onto Tetsuo’s bike.
“You’re insane! We should stick together!” Sievernich protested.
“And let that thing follow us to the shelter? Are you stupid? Just follow the plan and we all make it out alive.”
Starling didn’t wait for another argument. She veered off at the next junction.
Tetsuo hesitated, then muttered, “Fine—you’re on your own!” and sped ahead.
Sievernich grunted and chased after him.
Starling turned down an abandoned street and began smashing parked vehicles with her Vorpal, setting off alarms, fires, and chaos—her siren song to the Biohazards.
But the creatures didn’t follow her. They followed Tetsuo and Sievernich.
Only the Raptor stayed on her trail.
Starling screamed and pedalled faster.
Meanwhile, Tetsuo and Sievernich unleashed phaser blasts into the swarm, slowing but not stopping them. They reached the barricaded Glendale-Turnpike zone where Paradox rebels opened fire.
Within moments, Lucy appeared—dispatching the rest with unnerving precision.
“What the hell happened?” she demanded, walking toward the breathless Tetsuo.
“There’s… something in the hospital. It slaughtered Beta Squad. I’ve never seen anything like it,” he gasped, panic creeping into his wide eyes. “Starling’s plan was to lure the Biohazards while we killed the creature… but they followed us instead.”
He collapsed from sheer exhaustion. Lucy caught him before he hit the ground.
Suddenly, a burning object streaked across the sky and crashed nearby.
Lucy motioned for the others to carry Tetsuo to the shelter. She grabbed his bike and sprinted in the direction of the impact.
From behind, Sievernich quietly retrieved the bag of medical supplies and headed into the apartment complex. No one noticed a second, much larger object entering the atmosphere—its burning trail slicing across the clouds.
Starling struggled uphill, her legs burning. She dismounted and ran to the top, then mounted again to fly down the slope at blistering speed.
A fireball tore into the MTA Jamaica train yard ahead. She barely glanced at it—her attention was locked on the creature still behind her.
The Raptor was persistent.
Thinking quickly, Starling diverted toward an unfinished construction site. She skidded to a halt, ditched her bike, and ran inside.
The Raptor crashed through the site’s perimeter, destroying scaffolding and sending clouds of dust into the air.
Starling reached a ladder and climbed as fast as she could. The Raptor demolished floor after floor to reach her, its roars echoing through steel beams and concrete dust.
At the top, she sprinted to a pulley system, slashed the rope with her blade, and gripped the line. It yanked her upward—several storeys in seconds—as the Raptor bellowed in frustration below.
The chaos destabilised the foundation.
Concrete cracked. Beams groaned.
The Raptor, too heavy for the weakened floor, plummeted into a pit beneath the site.
Panting, Starling climbed onto a rooftop crane. Her eyes flicked toward the crash site at the train yard.
An idea sparked.
She scaled the crane and found a nylon rope tangled on a nearby maintenance crate. Her bow, Lookinglass, emerged from her arm. She tied the rope to an arrow and fired it at the closest rooftop overlooking the yard.
She removed her blazer, looped it over the line—and zipped across just as the Raptor burst onto the rooftop, its claws narrowly missing her.
The building beneath it crumbled from the weight of the beast. The entire structure collapsed as Starling touched down safely, rolling into a crouch.
Covered in dust and sweat, she exhaled a long, ragged breath.
Then turned toward the impact site.
Whatever had fallen from the sky—it wasn’t over.
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