Jasmine POV
As soon as the announcement ends, the world around us flickers and warps. Blue, semi-transparent screens flash before everyone's eyes, floating like ethereal barriers, obstructing their view. The atmosphere shifts, and a strange hum fills the air. At first, the crowd is confused, staring up at the screens in shock, unsure of what's happening. Then panic strikes.
People were trying to escape, but a barrier surrounded the entire mall, sealing us in as though we were trapped in some strange, high-tech cage. No one can leave. People react in different ways. Some scream, their hands flying up to wave in front of their faces as if trying to rid themselves of the hallucination. Others refuse to believe it's real, laughing it off as some elaborate joke or prank. Paranoia spreads quickly as some people start whispering that it's a government test. A few of the younger crowd, especially the kids and anime enthusiasts, are thrilled, yelling about "becoming the main character" in some kind of game. Some try to break the mall doors, their fists and feet slamming against the glass, but the barrier holds strong. The older folks seem lost, struggling to comprehend what's going on as they look at the status windows, unable to make sense of it all. Meanwhile, a few people whom I know are in shady business adapt quickly, their eyes scanning their newly revealed stats and abilities, figuring out how to use them to their advantage.
I'm already on the move, and I'm not waiting for the confusion to settle. My eyes quickly flick toward Sol and the gang bangers. I need to get to them, make sure they're ready, and keep them safe.
I barely glance at my status window, knowing I'll figure it out later. My attention shifts briefly to Nicole, which makes the blue screen disappear. Her reaction is more confusion than anything. She's rallying her team, trying to make sense of what's happening, but the lack of understanding on her part is a good sign. She wasn't in on this.
I turn back toward the gang bangers. They're already looking at me, waiting for direction, and that's when I notice Nadia barking orders to her agents. She's organizing them into crowd control teams, trying to maintain some semblance of control over the situation. But she's not interested in me anymore. She's focused on trying to contain the panic and making sure no one gets hurt.
I don't care about her. I've got my own plans.
Nicole POV
I watch as Nadia's cool, calculating eyes scan the room. She doesn't even flinch at the growing tension. She's watching the crowd, barking orders at her agents, keeping them in line.
"Secure the area. Control the flow. Establish perimeters!" Nadia commands, her voice sharp and full of authority. She's focused, but not on Jasmine anymore. She's making sure that the situation doesn't spiral out of control. For her, this is about looking good for Ortega, about keeping the government presence together, and ensuring that the operation doesn't fail.
I hear Nadia mutter something under her breath as she watches Jasper, who is panicking because he has lost sight of Jasmine. She is getting more frustrated by the second, but honestly, I don't care. I need to follow Jasmine, so I start to move towards her, and the team automatically starts surrounding me. I give a nod to Logan, and we rush towards where I last saw Jasmine, who was running into a maintenance hallway with Sol. The last thing I hear from Nadia before I am out of earshot is "Idiot. You'll ruin everything."
Jasmine and Sol lead the gang bangers through the maintenance corridors with practiced precision. There's no hesitation, no wasted movement—just careful, calculated steps. Jasmine is currently in control. She's too calm, too efficient. It's not a civilian instinct, not something born of panic or confusion. No, this is experience. And as I move through the chaos, watching her, I can't help but think—there's more to this woman than meets the eye.
My team follows close behind me, moving in tandem, but even I can't deny the truth of the situation. Jasmine is too skilled and too sharp for me to feel entirely in control. There's a disquiet in my chest, an unsettled feeling. I need answers. I need to know where this confidence comes from. I need to know what she's hiding. Sure. This confirms that she is Medusa, but how did she escape? How did she find her kids? What made her who she is?
I don't believe whatever that's happening here is happening here doing but the woman I know and the woman I heard stories of must have a contingency plan. Jasmine looks like a woman on a mission, and I'm smart enough to recognize that. She's got the advantage here. But not for long. I won't let that happen. I will make sure my team, Jasmine, Sol, and I get out of here alive. They are all my priorities.
While following closely behind Jasmine and her group, I hear Jasper trailing behind, shouting at his team to hold back. "Let them corner her, then we'll take over," he orders. His voice is strained. I could hear the desperation in his voice. I know he only wants to prove himself, but the truth is, he's only going to make things messier. I didn't give him a response. I don't even look in his direction; my only focus is on Jasmine, trying not to lose her in the crowd.
Jasmine POV
I led my group, moving swiftly through the maintenance corridors, staying focused. Sol was by my side, his eyes sharp as he kept pace with me. I could feel the tension behind me—Nicole's team was right on our heels, matching our every step. But they were too slow. I had already mapped out the path and planned the escape. Every move was calculated. I could feel Nicole's eyes on me, but I wasn't worried about her catching up. We all had bigger problems right now, and that was staying alive.
We came to a corner, and my instincts screamed to keep moving, to not stop. But I heard the heavy footsteps of someone approaching fast. I turned just as Jasper and three other men emerged from the shadows, guns raised.
"Stop! Jasmine West—hands up!" His voice was a shout, loud enough to freeze anyone who wasn't prepared.
The words barely reached my ears before I raised my hands, just a little, as if to humor him. My gaze didn't flinch. I wasn't afraid of being shot, but I did move in front of Sol to protect him. Jasper looked crazed and desperate throwing away all the pretense of the strong and confident façade he was carrying earlier.
"You're wasting time," I said, my voice steady, colder than the chill in the air.
He hesitated, unsure of whether to press forward or retreat. He knew I was right, but would he admit it? We had less than a minute to get to safety.
Nicole didn't hesitate. She stepped forward like a force of nature. There was no question in her mind. She stood between Jasper and me, and the tension in her posture told me she wasn't planning to let this go any further. She didn't need to speak much to make it clear she was taking command.
"Jasper, stand down." Nicole's voice was like steel cutting through the noise of the crowd. She didn't give him room to argue.
Jasper hesitated, but it didn't matter. Nicole was already in motion, shifting her weight with the precision of someone who had led in situations far worse than this.
"We're not here for panic. We're here for control. Move or I will move you," Nicole continued, her words firm and steady.
She didn't look to anyone else for support. Her team instinctively repositioned behind her, moving with perfect synchronization. The way they reacted was a testament to Nicole's command, her absolute certainty that she was the one in control of the situation.
Meanwhile, Jasper's agents stood around like amateurs, unsure, uncoordinated, waiting for someone to tell them what to do. The three men lowered their weapons following her orders.
I kept my gaze on them, but my thoughts were elsewhere. I was already planning my next move. Sol was still with the group, and the last thing I wanted was for him to get caught in the crossfire. He had to stay safe, no matter what.
The minutes felt like hours. The air was thick with tension, and my body was coiled, ready to react. The longer we stood there, the more danger we were in.
The timer in my mind ticked closer to zero. A sense of unease built up in my chest until I couldn't ignore it any longer. The world shifted—the sound of the crowd murmured, and the tension crackled in the air.
Then it happened. The timer hit zero.
Suddenly, a loud, unnatural roar echoed through the halls, causing every muscle in my body to tense. Dammit, we were too late, all because of this dumbass.
A bloodcurdling scream followed, slicing through the tense air like a knife.
Everyone froze. All eyes shifted toward the main corridor behind us.
We watched in horror as a mall worker sprinted towards us, eyes wide with terror, but before he could reach the safety of the group, a small, twisted humanoid lunged from the shadows.
The creature was nothing I had ever seen before. Its skin was mottled, a sickly greenish hue, and its sharp, pointed ears twitched as it snarled, revealing jagged teeth in a grotesque grin. The creature's body was hunched, its limbs long and spindly, moving with a predatory grace. It had a loincloth wrapped around its waist and a knife that it pulled out of what seemed like nowhere, stabbing into the man.
The man screamed and begged us to help him, but that only gave the goblin a chance to sink its teeth into the worker's neck with sickening precision.
The worker thrashed in pain, gurgling blood as the goblin's grip tightened. The creature ripped flesh away with brutal strength, snarling as it tore into its prey.
Above the goblin's head, a red name tag flickered, hovering with an eerie glow. The words "Goblin – Level 1" were displayed in stark contrast to the chaotic scene below.
Everyone was still in shock watching the goblin viciously tear into the helpless man. I flinched, feeling a hand in mine. I looked down to see Sol pale and his hand shaking in mine.
This wasn't a drill. This was real, and I must get us out of here.
My mind raced as I pulled Sol closer, making sure he was ready to move.
Nicole's eyes hardened in an instant, her gaze shifting from command mode to survival leader without missing a beat. The sounds of the chaos that had broken out faded into the background as she immediately took control of the situation.
"Defensive formation. Protect the team. Move on me," she barked, her voice cold and commanding.
Nicole snapped everyone else out of their stunned state and I couldn't help giving her a nod of approval. Sure, she most definitely was only talking to her team, but she was right. We had to move fast, and she was heading in the direction that I wanted to go anyway. I was impressed and a little bit turned on by her attitude. Nicole wasn't waiting for anyone. She wasn't asking for permission. I guess I have never actually seen her work in action, so at least I know she is somewhat dependable.
As Nicole's team fell in line, weapons drawn and positioned to protect, I positioned Sol in between them making Nicole glance at me before nodding in understanding. We both knew that we would have to put our differences aside to get out of this situation. I decided to keep my distance. I work better alone, and I didn't want to interrupt Nicole's team.
The goblins were coming, and we all knew it was time to act. So with Nicole's team-leading, then me, then Mitch's group, and lastly Jasper's group holding the rear, we all started running down the corridor, hoping the goblin would finish his meal and not chase us.