“What are you up to…?”

That was all Hundred could think, before and during the launch. She stared at Ten intently, as if she might eventually see through her head and read her mind.

It was bizarre that she had been chosen over Fifteen. Another captain from another class would have been a valuable addition to the sortie. Especially one who had lived far longer than she.

And yet, 404 said that Ten had specifically requested her. Even Fifteen looked surprised.

Hundred opened her visor, letting the cool night air rush into her helmet. She had seen something like this on TV once.

The popular girl invited the poor loser to do something with her group, and everyone was shocked. But it turned out that the popular girl had only been luring the loser into a situation where she could embarrass her in front of everyone. In the end, the loser slunk away, even more of a loser than she had been when she came.

Hundred hated TV.

Still, Ten couldn’t possibly be planning something so petty, could she? This was a serious mission. She had no idea why it was so serious, but she knew that it was. All the captains seemed tense; even 404 looked uneasy.

Just what was going on?

The Phaetons began to land, perching atop an evacuated skyscraper. Ten stood at the front of the group, looking out at the black, oily mass clambering over the buildings below. Her back was turned to Hundred.

“86 was wrong about you. You don’t have what it takes. You don’t even know what it takes,” she said.

Hundred gripped her sword hilt. She had to try to stand up for herself. “Wh-what’s your problem??” she stammered.

Ten turned around. “Hey, I’m trying to be nice, believe it or not. Sorry, but this is the best I can do right now.”

She sighed and stretched. “If the others knew why I wanted you to be here, they would’ve been against it. Because…I’m going to let you in on the secret. I feel like, since you’re practically an honorary captain, you have a right to know.”

She turned around again and unsheathed her sword. Hundred followed suit. “What secret…?” she asked.

“You’ll see.”

+++

After the dispersion, it was the usual dark bedlam of firewheels.

Hundred kept her focus, backflipping out of the way of every projectile. If the plan was for her and Ten to support the more fragile Finishers, then she decided she would use her sword only when called upon.

She recalled all the time she had spent on the field at the 5th, practicing her acrobatics alone, while the other Phaetons whispered on the sidelines. They didn’t see the point in learning to do flips. Some even said she was just doing it for attention, which was partly true, but it still stung.

Her method of movement, which no one ever asked her to explain, was designed to constantly store up Potential. Gravity was the most abundant source of energy they had available to them, and yet they hardly ever used it after the initial launch. Hundred had made that realization at a very young age.

Since then, she had practiced her flips and parkour every day. It made her strikes strong, and helped her to live as long as she had.

Best of all, it helped to quiet the flame of rage.

“Um, we could use some assistance at 85,32!” she heard a voice in her helmet cry out.

Before Ten even looked up, Hundred zipped off to the coordinates. With all the Potential flowing through her sword, she had only to hold it out and let the firewheels slice themselves to pieces on contact. By the time she slid to a stop, the circle enclosing the panicked Finishers had been broken up.

They cheered her in thanks as they went their separate ways. Hundred felt the warm feeling again. As usual, she was appreciated most on the battlefield.

She was about to return to Ten at 0,0, but another cry for help came in over the com: except, this one was simply a scream.

Hundred readied her sword, looking frantically around the inky blackness. “State your coordinates!” she yelled.

The screams just multiplied. Her helmet filled with static that hurt her ears. She tore it off and started running.

She could hear the screaming in the air now, echoing all around her as she ran.

“HELP, PLEASE!”

“FORM UP ON THE PERIMETER!”

“RUN! JUST RUN!”

“WAIT FOR ME! DON’T LEAVE ME HERE! DON’T—”

Just above the screams, she heard the laughter of a small child.

+++

The ground began to break up. Hundred jumped forward, but found herself still falling where she thought she would land. Eventually, something metallic and solid hit her in the stomach, forcing her to a painful stop.

She winced. Solvent came up from her throat, spilling out of her mouth. She coughed, and pressed her wrist com. “Th-this is Hundred. I’m at 32,40. If there’s anyone nearby…please, come in.”

After a few seconds, someone answered. “This is Ten. I’m coming for you, Hundred. Stand by.”

Great.

By her headlights, she could see that there was water a few feet below her. Straining, she pushed off the pipe she had been hanging on and let herself fall.

In the murky water, she found her sword. She put it back in its sheath and tried to stand. It hurt immensely.

She dropped back into the water and crawled. “Is this the secret Ten mentioned?” she wondered. “The plan fell apart…so many Phaetons died…did they know this would happen? Why would they keep it a secret??”

Hundred heard the child-like laughter again. She stopped.

Suddenly, a glowing, snake-like arm shot out of the darkness towards her.

Just as suddenly, Ten jumped in front of her with a red-hot blade.

She held it out until the arm had sliced itself in half a fair amount. It then retreated, dragging itself back into the shadows.

Ten turned to her. “Can you stand?” she asked.

Not wanting to look weak, Hundred struggled to her feet and stood up straight. “I’m fine,” she said, ignoring the screaming pain.

“Good. We need to keep moving.”

The Phaetons sloshed through the water. Hundred realized that they were in a sewer.

“You know, without your helmet, you can’t receive long-distance transmissions,” said Ten.

“I know. I took it off because of the interference from all the…anyway, please tell me the situation.”

“It’s not as bad as it looks. Most of the sortie managed to gather on the perimeter. But then the ground started collapsing, and not everyone made it. As far as I can tell, we’re the only ones left in the middle that are still standing. Anyone else here who’s still alive is probably hurting, hiding and praying for a miracle.”

Hundred wiped a dribble of solvent from her lips. “Is anyone coming to help?” she asked.

“The other captains. Fifteen is even launching from the base, just in case. But with the core’s arms running interference, I don’t think any of them will get here in time. Just consider us on our own.”

“Please…tell me what’s going on.”

Hundred held Ten’s arm, stopping her. “No more secrets. This isn’t a game!”

Ten slowly turned around. She sighed.

“…We’re calling it the Residue. It’s something the Exhaust has been leaving behind in the System all this time, and now it’s making the current Exhaust stronger. As a result, our armor isn’t as effective, and the core doesn’t even have to hide anymore.

“Although, this is the first time it’s gotten so…extreme. That arm that just tried to kill you— that was from the core being. I think it’s been hiding down here the whole time. And all those…screams, before…”

“It launched a surprise attack,” Hundred finished. “I knew it. The naked Core, the thickness…it was all connected. This Residue…the end result is almost like the Exhaust that’s said to form from our life-like energy. It’s smarter, tougher.”

“Kinda makes you wonder why they even bothered to burn us up in the first place. I mean, if it was gonna end up like this anyway…” Ten let out a morbid chuckle.

The core being chuckled back.

“…Get ready,” said Ten. “Remember that it’s strong enough to break through the walls. I’m not even sure where its center is, or how many arms it has…”

“Right.”

“…In case…in case anything bad happens…I don’t want to die with regrets. So I want you to know that I don’t hate you. I just—”

Before she could finish, the world around them exploded.

+++

When Hundred finally opened her eyes, the other three captains had arrived. Her ears rung, and she couldn’t hear. She could only watch their dance, around and around the mass with a thousand arms.

Yellow.

Blue.

Green.

Red?

Ten was nowhere to be found.

She felt herself being pressed into the ground. Cement rubble had pinned down most of her body. If her torso had been crushed before, it was puréed now.

Solvent poured out of her mouth and nose. Through heavy-lidded eyes, she continued to watch the dance. No matter how many arms the Phaetons cut away, the core being grew more and more. It was a losing battle.

If she were a captain, she thought, she would call the rest of the sortie. The core no longer had the element of surprise; if they just had numbers, they could win.

But would it be before or after another captain lost her life?

Hundred decided that she didn’t want to wait and see. For all she knew, she was already at death’s door anyway. Might as well be useful.

Slowly, she clawed herself out from under the rocks. She could feel it: her suit had stored up Potential from their impact. She just hoped it would be enough.

She watched the dance as she staggered to her feet one last time. Yellow on the left, Green in the back, Blue on the right. There was a spot left, front and center, just for her.

Finally. That was all she had ever wanted.

As her body began to move, she screamed a scream she could not hear. Muscles pulled on broken bones, propelling bruised and bleeding flesh forward.

She hit top speed in ten steps.

Even a core being couldn’t prepare for the impact. The red blade ripped into its body like a lightning strike. Hundred poured every ounce of energy she had into the attack, allowing even her armor to dissolve into the sword. In her condition, she needed it all just to come close to a Finisher’s strength. Still screaming, she willed her very life into the charge.

At last, the blade cut through.