It was Toby, again. “What now?”.

I continued running following Jason and Harry as I waited for Toby, this felt way too intense. 

“Leo, the big ones after you guys now damn it, you screwed everything up, what did you do?”. 

“Me? I don't know!”. 

“Hold up, the Parasites are all connected, were you in contact with any other Parasites?”. 

I looked back at the two little ones still chasing us, “Kind of, but that's not important right now. What do we do?”. 

“Just stay where you are but stay hidden, if you lead the big one towards you guys, we can do what we need to do”. 

I faced Jason and Harry, they both nodded, “Alright, how long do we have before it gets here?”. 

“Probably 15 to 20 minutes at most, don't worry, I'll be there before it makes it”. 

Well, that happened. I pushed myself to run faster so I could catch up to the others, I didn't expect it but I had to catch my breath before talking. “We gotta get rid of these two behind us, then we set up and get ready I guess”. 

We all three came to a halt, things were boutta get crazy. 

“By the way Jason, the heck you do to that wall back there?” I asked. 

He smiled, “Benefits of turning into a Parasite”. 

I nodded and left the topic at that, had to focus now. I scanned the area, there was surprisingly a lot of light here, the shops were all ordered in the shape of a semi-circle behind me, and in front, there was just a lot of empty space and tables. This wasn't a bad place for our situation. 

BOOM! 

Something loud shook up the entire area we were in, the three of us along with the 2 Parasites trying to kill us all collapsed on the ground. 

“LEO! It’s faster than I thought, I think you guys got 2 minutes before it finds you, I’ll be there but not in time, just don’t die!”. 

I dropped the walkie-talkie, 2 minutes? That wasn’t enough time, what were we supposed to do? 

BOOM! 

The ground began shaking again as I tried getting up, it was so bad the 2 Parasites in front of us began running away! 

I gulped, “Get ready guys”. 

BOOM! 

Harry nodded, “Leo, Jason, even if we die, we died trying alright? It doesn’t matter, barely anyone would do what we’re doing, know that”. 

He glanced at me and smiled, yea, he was right. 

But Jason shook his head, “We’re not going to die today, trust me”. 

I trusted Jason with basically everything, but I didn't trust him right now, not on this anyways. 

BOOM! 

The ground continued bouncing me around, we had to get someplace safe, I began closely listening to the loud stomps, they were coming exactly right ahead of us.

That meant the big one would end up coming in the food court through the main entrance. The only issue was the food court was separated from the mall by what looked like a 50-foot long wall made from glass. 

“Guys, we gotta hide, let's go!” I said. 

We all crawled our way to the closest shop we could find to our right, a pizza joint, it would work. I wiggled my way inside and we all hid under the counter. 

“You guys good?”. 

Toby? How was he here? When did he come? 

“I found a shortcut guys, don't worry about it, anyway, you guys ready?”. 

I nodded, so did the others, it didn't matter, there was no choice to back away now.

Toby handed me the dagger, “You have to stab this anywhere on its body, just stab it and we get the heck outta here alright?”. 

BOOM! The Parasite was getting closer, and it already felt like an earthquake in here. 

I nodded and grabbed the dagger from Toby, “How am I supposed to get close enough, a regular Parasite’s nearly impossible to get past, what am I supposed to do with this?”. 

Toby sighed, “I don't know, we’ll figure it out though. 

CRACK! BOOM! 

I wasn't even looking, but the sound of shattering glass alone told me everything I needed to know, it was here. 

It was actually here, a part of me didn't even want to look at what was standing by the entrance, but I had to know what I was dealing with.  

I pushed myself up to take a peek, what I saw was basically a 20-foot tall mechanical spider with stingers on each leg, oh no. 

This was the thing I had to stab for data? This?! 

How? The heck was I supposed to do? 

“Area Scanning”. 

The “big one” began turning its head around the entire food court. It kept doing this for a good 5 seconds before it stopped, in front of the pizza shop we were in. 

It didn't see us, did it? BOOM! The Parasite began taking big steps, and of course, it was towards us, cover was blown. 

“Run!” I yelled. We all hopped outside the shop and began running in the opposite direction the Parasite was headed. Didn't matter, Parasite caught on to us in seconds and now it was chasing us around the food court. 

Each step it took caused more damage around us, pillars were just violently shaking. This place wouldn't be standing for long. I had to find a way to stab this thing fast. 

“I AM PARASITE!”. 

Suddenly, the big one just stopped, right in front of us, what was happening? 

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! 

In a split second me and the others all collapsed on the ground, there was just no way to stand up at this point, and it was because the Parasite was stomping its foot? Did it know it was bringing this place down with each movement it took? 

“Guys, we barely have time, what do we do?” I desperately yelled. 

Toby looked like he was sweating hard, this guy screwed us all up. 

“Just shoot!” he screamed. That was his plan? 

“I AM PARASITE!”. 

Without wasting another second, I began spamming the trigger as fast as I could…

nothing happened. We were screwed. 

I turned to Toby again, how did he actually come here like this?

Wait, oh no, “HARRY!”. 

No! No! I couldn’t make it, he was too far, no! The big one lifted Harry in the air, holding him up with nothing but the stinger it stabbed through his stomach. 

My eyes couldn’t adjust to what I was seeing, BOOM! The Parasite let go of Harry throwing him inside the same pizza shop we were hiding in. 

The ground still was throwing me around but I didn’t care, I instantly began rushing towards the shop, Harry, his eyes were closed, and the wound was huge. 

I dropped down next to him and grabbed his arm, “Harry, jus-just calm down, I swear, you're gonna be ok alright? You hear me, Harry?”. 

A pool of blood began flowing around me, all coming from him, he looked completely lifeless. 

“He isn't dead just yet, don't worry”. 

I gritted my teeth hearing Toby’s pathetic voice.

I didn't think twice before grabbing him by his collar, “Why the heck are you even talking huh? You said you thought everything through, now you're saying you don't know how to deal with that thing that's gonna kill us all, look at what's happening, you didn't think of anything and now we’re paying the price for that!”.

Toby smiled, “I did think of everything though, even this, I told you didn't I? Back up plan”. 

He pushed me away and struggled to get up, back up plan? 

“Jason, catch!” He screamed. 

He tossed his gun over in front of him, and Jason caught it. Immediately, Jason lifted the gun and pointed it towards himself! 

The heck was going on? 

“Sorry Leo”. 

My reflexes kicked in instantly and before Jason even moved a finger, I grabbed my gun and fired right away. 

BOOM! 

Jason’s gun immediately flew back before he glared at me, “Don't you dare”. 

“You can't stop him Leo, it's not your choice,” Toby said almost laughing. 

“Jason, what are you trying to do?”.

Jason looked down, “Emma was right, if I shoot myself, I become a Parasite right now, then I can hold this thing back!”. 

I turned back towards Toby, “This is the backup plan? You told Jason to let himself become a Parasite so he could fight that thing?”. 

“No, I told myself that!” Jason screamed.“You're not stopping me Leo”. 

I could see tears roll down his cheek, “Well I'm not letting you either”. 

Jason sighed, “Then you do it! Shoot me, come on!”. 

“I’m not doing this Jason, we’re going to get outta here, and you're not gonna die in the process”. 

He shook his head, “Yes I am, and Harry will as well, so will you and Toby. We lost, the mission failed, we can't get what we need, but you guys can live, if you just shoot me!”. 

Now it was me shaking my head, I couldn't do it. 

“Leo, I'm begging you, just do it! Please!”.

Now for some reason, my hands felt numb, I couldn't move, I was stuck. 

“No! I can't, I won't”. 

He had desperation painted across his face, “You don't get to decide! I've wanted to do this since the day I got stung, and I'm not changing my mind!”.

Jason walked up close to me, “I’m going to turn at some point, this way I get to go out how I want, I deserve to go out this way…with a bang”. 

I stared at him, with a bang? 

“I AM PARASITE!”. 

“We don't have time Leo, just do it!” Toby yelled. 

I looked at the Parasite who was continuing to destroy this place, then at Harry coughing blood on the floor, and then back to Jason, he was right, this was the only way. But I couldn't, how was I supposed to do it? 

“Leo, it's what I want, do it for me, you know you can't stop me”.

A huge chunk of the roof came crashing down next to me, the entire room was flooded in smoke, damn it! 

“Leo, do it, it's our only option, and it's for the best,” Toby said. 

I gave him a death stare, “You don't get to talk here”. 

“Screw you!” Toby yelled. 

In an instant, he got up and tackled me to the ground, the gun! BANG! 

“Jason!!!”. 

His body collapsed on the ground, no… I jumped down next to him, the bullet went straight through, his eyes looked stuck, he was…dead. N-no, no! 

I was about to get up to smack Toby but Jason grabbed me, he then took a deep breath, he wasn't dead! 

“I'm going to open you guys an-an exit, get out of here, and make sure Harry doesn't die”. 

Damn it, why was this happening, why?! The base, Emma, Harry, now Jason, why was this happening to me! 

“Le-Leo, we don't have time”. Jason paused to catch his breath, “Just go, and get Harry help, please”. 

I nodded, “Hey you listen to me, nothing's gonna happen to him alright? I'm going to save him, and I'm gonna stop all this, I swear!”. 

“I know you will,” he replied. 

“I AM PARASITE!”. 

“Run,” Jason whispered. 

He was pointing towards Harry groaning on the ground, “Go Leo, I'll deal with this thing, and thanks, for all of it”. 

Damn it, I turned away from Jason and ran up to Harry, Toby came as well and helped me carry him, “Don't worry, the pills I gave him made sure he’ll only attack the big one” Toby said. 

I wanted to kill him, after everything he did, he was still talking, “Just be quiet Toby”. 

“I did what I had to do alright”. 

“Toby, keep your goddamn mouth shut!”. 

“I AM PARASITE!”. 

“Leo, w-wav-wave!” Harry mumbled. 

BOOM! 

“Leo Maxwell, Cryptic Attempt 1 unsuccessful”. 

Cryptic? What? Wh-where was I? It was pitch black everywhere, what was happening! 

“Attempt 2 beginning in 5”. 

Attempt 2?

“4”. 

Who was saying this?

“3”. 

“Who the heck are you!”. 

“2”. 

“1”. 

What?! 

“Cryptic Attempt 2 beginning, good luck, Beta tester 1”.