The sun began to its gradual descent, casting elongated shadows across the city and painting the sky in hues of orange and red, F and K were too tired to continue the search.
''Hey, K, what's taking you so long? We've been following the curse trail for 5 hours already, how are we not there yet?''
"I don't know, something feels off about the worm's energy, almost like it's playng tricks on us. I can't get a clear rading.''
''It's the third time you've said this already, I'm starting to think that you don't know what you're doing.''
''It's not my fault that the worm's energy is constantly shifting! I can't lock on it for more than five seconds!''
''We're running out of daylight and you can't track it, that thing is practically invisible right now!''
''How about you stop complaining and do something useful? Maybe you should try to track the worm's energy!''
''How am I supposed to dothat?! I don't know a thing about curses!''
''Then shut up and follow me, we'll find the worm soon.''
The sun's crimson light reflected off the skyscrapers' windows, making it look like the buildings were on fire. As the sky turned violet, F and K realized they were out of time, they were the worm's prey now.
"Well it's night, what do we do now? We can't track the worm but it can track us, we don't know where it is so an attack from it would be difficult to avoid. Any plans, K?''
''I'm out of ideas, I think we should try to hide for now, I don't have the strenght to keep tracking that monster's shifting curse energy.''
''Where do we hide though?''
''We try to get back to the car.''
''That would take some time, around ten minutes maybe? We should move as fast as we can, we don't want to end up as worm food, do we?''
''Right, let's move.''
F and K moved quickly, keeping to the shadows to avoid any danger. They moved past many buildings and neon signs on their way to the car. K noticed that the lights behind them were going out one by one in quick succession.
''It already caught up to us, prepare for combat, F!''
''Roger that!''
The ground shakes, the road cracked open, the big hammerhead worm came out, but it was bigger and orange, while in the photos it was purple. The death worm lunged at F.
"Watch out, rookie!''
K pushed F out of the way of the worm's attack.
''Thanks, you saved my ass.''
''You're welcome, just focus on the fight.''
The worm returned for another attack, this time moving way faster.
"Incoming!''
"I can see that, F! Stand back!''
K cracked his knuckles and prepared for the worm's attack. The worm lunged at K at full speed but K punched the worm so hard that it swerved to the right and crashed into a building.
"What the hell was that, K?!''
"My curse.''
''Right...''
The worm burst through the building, even faster than before. K cracked his knuckles again, waiting for the worm. This time the worm spun right before reaching K, trying to hit him with its tail. K was caught off guard but still managed to block the worm's tail. K grabbed the worm's tail and activated his curse again, petrifying it.
''Now F! Finish it off before it can recover!''
''Roger that!''
F jumped towards the worm, trying to hit its head with a sledgehammer. The worm opened its mouth and it started glowing neon colors. The worm fired a blast of neon light at F while he was still in the air. F threw the sledgehammer at the blast which instantly exploded on impact and launched F into a tree. The worm broke off its petrified tail and charged a neon blast at K but he jumpped away in the last second, narrowly avoiding the blast.
"I would've died if I didn't dodge.''K thought to himself as he was running towards F.
The worm charged another neon blast, this time aimed at the unconscious F.
"NO!'' K said and activated his curse of stone.
The blast destroyed the tree and blasted through the wall of the building behind it. The worm didn't feel F's energy anymore.
"DIE!''
K punched the ground, launching a wave of spikes at the worm. The worm easily manuvered around it and rammed into K, sending him flying. The worm opened its mouth to charge yet another neon blast, this time absorbing every light source around it. The worm's mouth started glowing bright yellow and it's about to blast K out of existance when the worm was stabbed in the back of the head by F with a traffic sign. F tired to stop the worm from firing the neon blast but he only managed to alter its course, sending it upwards but the blast still hit a building, completely destroying it's left corner. The worm fell to the ground, dead. F rushed towards K.
"I can't let that guy die, he used his curse to save me so I gotta return the favor.'' F thought while running towards K. He picks him up.
"K! Are you alright?!''
''I'm fine, I've been through worse'' K said, coughing up some blood
''Let's get out of here, partner''
''Call an ambulance first, idiot, I don't want to die from a worm.''
''Right, I'll call an ambulance.''
F called an ambulance, in the meantime K looked at the decomposing worm, seeing that a shiny tooth wasn't decomposing. K crawled to the worm's corpse and took the tooth.
"Hey, F, look at what I found!''
''What is that?''
''A rare tooth, it's not falling apart so it can be used to make an item.''
''What kind of item?''
''I'm not sure yet, we have to give it to N so she can analyze it.''
''N as in the curse researcher person?''
''Yeah, why?''
''I didn't get to meet her today because of the mission so I'm kinda excited to see what she's like.''
''I suppose you can come with me when I show her the worm tooth.''
"Nah, I'd rather meet her alone. First impressions are important, I can't have her remember me as K's rookie partner, that would suck.''
"I see...'' K said, scratching his head.
''You want a one on one meeting so you can flirt with her, correct?''
''Not really, I don't want to be remembered as your sidekick, that's all.''
''Are you sure about that?''
''Yes, yes I am. I killed the worm so I should get all the praise, not you... And maybe I wanna hit on the hot researcher lady.''
"You're gonna fail miserably but I wish you luck.''
''Thanks, partner.''
Mission status: complete