He soon regained balance and let out a blaring scream. "GRRRHH!"

Quinn turned back. "I can't do this if that thing keeps screaming."

Aegon exchanged glances between Eli and Mira. "Let's shut him up then."

They charged forward together.

Eli with a punch to the midsection that made him take a step back, Aegon torching his face to keep Extraordinary's hands busy and Mira freezing his legs in place.

Then the tides soon turned. Extraordinary freed a hand caught Eli's punch and sent him flying into Mira.

He then ripped the ice off his legs and took a step closer to Aegon.

Time slowed for a second as Aegon's mind raced.

'Fuck this." He took a deep breath, channeling the heat through his cheeks so much it singed.

"BUUU!"

He blew out with the force of a piston and breath of a dragon. Forcing Extraordinary to either step back or burn.

Extraordinary stumbled back, burnt but quickly healing. Aegon took the chance and touched Eli on the floor.

Steam rolled off his body as his chest heaved in and out. He turned back to Extraordinary. The fifteen second timer already running in his head.

Suddenly Aegon's shirt seams ripped at the edge from his muscles instant bulge, his eyes pink slit, his vision clearer and he could feel the horns on his forehead.

"Come on you overgrown gorilla." He hissed as he readied himself for Extraordinary.

Extraordinary caught his punch and sent him flying into the wall. The monster's knee soon met Aegon's face.

"How much longer Quinn?!" He spat blood as he shoved Extraordinary away.

"It's open!" Quinn screamed as the doors of the vault creaked slightly open. "Come on!"

"Eli. Mira. Get out of here." Aegon ordered as he met Extraordinary punch for punch.

Eli and Mira scurried back into the vault as they now waited for Aegon.

Extraordinary lunged just as he got close to Aegon.

Aegon grabs his leg, twists—

He doesn't budge.

Instead, Extraordinary grabs him by the collar and yanks him up—

Aegon headbutts him, hard. Once. Twice. Blood explodes from his own brow, but the beast only staggers.

Aegon lands a clean elbow to the jaw. That was all the separation he needed.

His fifteen seconds were up and he could already feel his body shrinking back to size.

He sprinted for the vault but the beast was close behind.

He turned back for a second. Mouth filled with blood and spit. Puffed his cheeks and hallowed them as blood ignited flames met Extraordinary's face.

They locked the door and collapsed onto the floor.

The room was pitch dark. Even the dull red of the corridor would be a star in here.

Aegon laid sprawled on the floor not far from the rest. His head pounding, sweat clung to him like a plague and his breath laboured.

~BAM!~

The comfortable silence was shattered by a deafening pound. They all turned to the door.

~BAM!~

Extraordinary wasn't ready to give up yet. He continued hammering against the vault door.

"Quinn." Aegon managed through his strained breaths. "Please tell me that door's gonna hold."

~BAM!~

Another bang as plaster dust bellowed down from the ceiling.

"If it does, I don't think the roof will." She answered honestly. "Isn't that the hero Extraordinary?"

"Yup."

Aegon answered.

"I thought he disappeared." Mira cut in. "And why's he looking for Nightwalker? And why's he in the school basement trying to kill us?"

Aegon finally shot up from the floor. "Nightwalker may have killed his entire team and... him too."

Quinn chuckled. "Classic Nightwalker."

"Classic Nightwalker?" Eli stood up. "The man's a hero. He'd never do something like that without a valid reason."

"..."

They were silent for a moment. Before the three others laughed, as if they had heard the funniest joke in the world.

"Why are you guys laug—"

Before Eli could finish his statement the lights returned. Flooding everything in a white light and forcing them to squint until their eyes balanced.

They simultaneously turned to the other side of the room.

The vault was mundane compared to what they'd had thought. Except a coffin sat in the corner.

Cara's voice returned in the speakers.

[ Guys, I'm in the full system and you need to get the hell out of there now. ]

"No shit, Sherlock." Mira hissed. The sudden change in her tone captured Eli and Quinn's attention.

"How, Cara?! ." Aegon gestured around the room. "In case you don't understand, we're in a vault and a blood thirsty beast is out that door."

[ I'm not worried about Extraordinary. You have more of a chance beating Extraordinary than you do scratching what's in that coffin. ]

Her words made them shift back towards to door and drew all attention towards the coffin.

"What's in there, Cara?" Aegon said as stared at the coffin.

[ It says here that this entire underground floor is called project Nemesis and it's designed to make a Paragon level being that can rival Nightwalker. ]

"Then why haven't they used it." Quinn asked.

[ Either because they're not on Nightwalker's level yet or because they're too unstable and cannot be controlled. ]

"That doesn't answer my question." Aegon pushed. "What's in the goddamn coffin?"

[ They say it's an Arbiter ranked hero who died and was brought back to life by another Paragon, Reaper. ]

"Then what the hell is she doing in a coffin, Cara?"

Aegon's patience was hanging on by a thread.

[ Because her affinity is telekinesis, and when someone's power is that strong it stops being just telekinesis... so technically, she's a witch.

And now that she was brought back from the dead she draws on both Aether and corrupted Aether which makes her— ]

"A Paragon level threat."

They all said in unison.

"Why isn't she up?"

Mira asked.

[ Because the entire vault is lined with Aether dampeners. They're in every corner and as long as she doesn't feel any spoke in negative emotions she's a corpse. ]

~BAM!~

The cracks in the wall were becoming more and more evident. Extraordinary wasn't far now.

Aegon's mind raced for a solution. He already knew the four of them had no chance of taking out Extraordinary.

Maybe before but with his exhaustion and the dampeners in place, they couldn't even use their affinities.

~BAM!~

Extraordinary was constantly reminding them to not forget about him.

He took a deep breath and pulled his hair back. He went to the corner and wheeled the coffin to the center.

They all flinched back. Even Cara's voice in the speakers was lined with skepticism.

[ What are you doing Aegon? ]

"Why negative emotions?" He placed his hands on the coffin's polished wood. "We don't have time, why negative emotions?"

[ Ehmm... Because that's what corrupted Aether runs on. Jealousy, fear, pride, anger and lust. ]

"Lust?" He let out a little crazy laugh under his breath before he flipped the lid of the coffin open.

They shuddered in response. "What are you doing?!" Eli screamed.

Aegon's eyes remained fixed on the lady in the coffin. Unlike an undead he'd ever seen.

Beautiful porcelain skin, silver white and black hair that fell behind her shoulders with a symmetrical face that could make skip hearts.

He finally answered Eli. "That thing is gonna get in here in any second and we have no way to fight it off."

"What's your incredibly dumb plan Aegon?" Mira hissed.

He walked up to them before grabbing Quinn by her hand and leading her back beside the coffin.

"What are you doing Aegon?" She asked as she exchanged glances between him and body.

"Do you trust me?" Aegon said, pulling her closer.

She didn't answer, just a quick nod before he did it.

His lips collided with hers.

Her eyes went wide with confusion, unsure of what was going on before she finally dissolved into it.

She opened her lips fully and let his tongue explore every part of her mouth until her cheeks and ears were red with anticipation.

He finally pulled back. His eyes were on hers for just a second before he turned to the body. "Lust."

"..."

The witch's eyes peeled open.

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