Hive Lara: Infested

As Takashi and Lara reached the elevator and were about to enter, Perry noticed them below headed to the 68th floor through the elevator he didn't mind it that much as he led to the Laboratory.

Meanwhile, Martin said to Mark, "I feel I should go and check on them"

Mark replied, "I don't think that would be good since we would be needing you for what is about to come"

Martin asked, "What do you mean by that?"

Mark said, "Perry is headed this way with Seth on his shoulders, he looks badly wounded"

Martin replied, "I don't think you mean that... I am not a doctor, you know!"

Mark said, "That is not it, He also had Cathy inside a cage probably C built it to bring it here"

Martin took a minute moving around and then said, "Alright! but keep an eye on Lara, make sure they are safe"

Mark said, "Of Course!", and then tapped on the earplug to cut the call.

Mark was then thinking, "Those kids are also to enter into Hive, It will be a bit troublesome for us if they meet"

And then he got a beep on his earplug so he tapped it and Martin asked, "I almost forgot! Which Piece was she headed to?"

Mark looked over at the screen and then said, "The 1st Piece"

Martin sighed and then said, "Connect me with Takashi's earplug... I am sure he is keeping his earplug... he still believes me"

Mark didn't question him and tried his best to connect him with Takashi. At the time, Takashi and Lara were already in the hidden elevator from the 68th floor headed down to the 49th floor. Takashi's earplug beeped, he understood it could either be Mark or Martin on the call. They were only one forth the way to the 49th floor. Takashi tapped his ear and Martin shouted, "Couldn't you at least wait for a while!" Takashi was shaken as if his heart had jumped out of his body.

Takashi took a heavy breath in and then said, "No!... because you would have stopped her will"

Martin sighed again and then said, "Hmm... you are right, but know one thing that you are headed for the Hive when it is completely infested that to the worst one among the other Piece. I make it hard for every single of the Pieces, as you reach there she will immediately detect you. By that, I mean a Havek and a big one that too, you can say she is like a queen ant in the ant colony. You will probably have no chance against those Haveks so..." As he continued, Lara synced with what he wanted to say and said along with him, "Stay with Lara!"

Martin then smiled and said, "you know I heard that right!... It is alright though... just *takes a deep breath* just stay safe there" and then cut the call with Takashi. Takashi was confused and was thinking, "how did Lara hear Master through my earplug" and then said out loud, "How?!"

Lara looked at him and said, "I have good hearing that is all", but that was not all since she is a synthetic human[homunculus] she had enhanced hearing and her abilities to crystallise anything she touches at will but that doesn't mean she can do the same with a human being since it is her origin. She does not say this to Takashi because she feels she might scare him like the others were. Takashi already knew a bit about what Lara is after The talk with Martin back at the Laboratory.

Takashi was thinking, "Lara... I... I really want to know how you feel right now after taking your decision on leaving here... but I can see you don't want to right now. Maybe it is because of Martin understanding your sand in all of this... But Honestly! I don't see Master letting her go that easily, it could be a ploy to his plans ahead... I guess? I shouldn't be thinking about that right now, protecting Lara is what should be doing right now"

Lara wanted to speak with Takashi too but she was a little frightened to be alone. Lara then said, "Listen... I am a...", Takashi then immediately looked at Lara since she spoke up but as she was about to continue the elevator stopped moving. The door opened up in the middle of the Hive where Lara was shaking with cold and fear seeing there that there were a lot of Haveks just outside the door just standing in wait. The Hive was as cold as a mortuary at the time when they entered. As Takashi turned around to see about 100 Haveks behind them, he was certainly frightened but he had to stay strong to protect Lara.

Takashi slowed time around him and grabbed Lara over his left shoulder and got out of the elevator then squeezed past the Haveks to the stairs leading upwards he couldn't actually say which path he had come from due to the number of Haveks standing there. As he reached halfway on the stairs up he stopped using his ability. Lara was amazed by Takashi's ability and asked, "So, how many times can you use it?"

Takashi was panting and said, "Ah! Wha... What Ah! do you *inhale deeply* What do you mean?"

Lara asked again, "I meant how long can you use that teleportation up to?"

Takashi looked down the stairs to look if any of the Haveks had noticed him and saw none coming then looked over to Lara and said, "Probably once every hour because I can't breath when I use it, it takes a lot out of me"

Lara didn't look surprised hearing that and looked away down the stairs and said, "Then I have to do it..."

Takashi was hurt hearing that and said, "Hey! I am still here, you know", glaring at Lara.

Lara then said after a few seconds, "I am different from the others..."

Takashi was confused at what she said and said, "Huh!? What was that... you... different? What way? and don't be ridiculous"

Lara said, "I was born in here... like those humanoids, you saw before in those capsules"

Takashi didn't look surprised and slowly walked down and said, "I kind off guessed that. I still don't see anything different from us except the way you have been treated. Most of us here lost everything during the 1st phase of the war... I was merely a child along with the others but you haven't had to go through that. I...", Then he turned over to Lara and continued, "I am glad, I got to meet you", that's when the stair under where Takashi stood turned into a trapdoor that he fell into. the trapdoor was a snarl leading to the 2nd Piece.

The Trapdoor was set off by Mark on Martin's commands.

Takashi tried to slow time and get away but as he tried to do it he fainted because his brain shut down temporarily with the force applied to it. Takashi then was unconscious while he slid his way to the 2nd Piece bottom of the Hive.

Meanwhile, Lara was shocked after Takashi fell into the trapdoor. When she tried to get closer to the trapdoor it shut. Lara knew it was Martin doing all of this.

Lara said, "What is it that you want now? I did say I am serious and you still want to stay? I said I won't so, No!"

Then she heard an alarm go off for a few seconds and then stopped. And a hoard of screams that was headed her way the stairs that she standing on started to shake as if an earthquake was about to happen.

And still, that didn't waver her. Lara looked calmly up and asked, "You know this can't stop me right?"

Lara closed her eyes and stood in a fighting pose with her palms facing down the stairs. Her shoulders to her elbow crystallised and also her knees too to protect her from Haveks. Then she opened her eyes and said, "Watch me!"

Meanwhile, at the 2nd Piece, Takashi just got up but he was a bit bruised on his right elbow. He was on the middle floor of the Hive. He didn't see any Haveks there as he went up the stairs. Takashi shouted, "Lara?!... La!... Lara, Where are you?", he was in a lot of pain as he went up. He didn't know that he was on the 2nd Piece. As he reached the top he saw the elevator open and Danny, Noella and Josh coming out. Danny came out saying, "This! looks like it is getting interesting from here on out"

Takashi asked, "Who are you all?"

Danny noticed Takashi and that he was hurt on his right side and then replied, "Woah! Are you all right?... and we are oh, I mean I am oh sorry again this is Noella, and he is Josh and I am. Oh sorry! I forgot to ask your name, what is your name?", As Takashi was about to speak Danny continued, "Oh! I am Danny by the way forgot to tell mine"

Takashi gave a glare and said, "So, Are you done now?", Danny nodded in agreement and so Takashi continued, "I am Takashi, I was just stranded in here, So, where am I exactly?", Takashi was acting the part as if he was also a victim to get along with them.

Danny then just walked past him and said, "So, you will be the brain between us..."

Takashi asked, "What do you mean?"

Noella continued for Danny and said, "He said that because you are injured and that he sees a strategist in you", and then she also walked ahead following Danny.

Josh said, "You will understand as we go on ahead. What he meant was to see how capable we are!"

Back at the 1st Piece, Lara was fending off the Haveks one after the other. That was when Alexa and the others had step foot inside the Hive, she suddenly felt the urge to end to use her ability at its fullest and as she did she crystallised completely as if she were stuck in an iceberg with all the Haveks pierced by the spikes of the iceberg like crystallisation. Mark watching all this with Martin who just arrived in was shocked at what Lara achieved. All the Haveks started to deform into dust. Lara then broke off the iceberg and fell off the stair to the middle floor of the Hive but luckily her ability saved her from the drop by crystallising a slide for her and then placing her laying next to the wall.

Mark said, "Her ability can manifest on the will of its own... that is magnificent isn't it? Martin?!"

Martin was awe-struck looking at it, as it gave him memories of the past during the Pandemic when he and the others had got away from the swarm of CHs[Corrupted Haveks] named after Jonal Boldin originally. He then said, "There might be hope after all with her too... We should leave her to take her own path", he said that with a smile.

Mark sighed and then said, "Well! Good Luck little one!"

In the 2nd Piece, Takashi was amazed at Josh, Noella and Danny. They took out all the Haveks with ease and headed downstairs to the bottom of the Hive. Takashi was thinking, "How!? How did they make it seem as if it was easy? They are not someone I would go up against, now I know that much"

Josh looked back and asked, "Do you understand now?", that was Noella smiled and gave a thumbs up at Takashi.

Takashi couldn't say anything there but just nodded.

Then Danny turned around and said, "Now that was a nice plan you came up with Takashi!"

Takashi was confused by what he meant.

Noella continued for Danny and said, "Your plan made it easier for us"

Takashi got a vague idea of what they were doing there. Takashi was thinking, "Are they telling this to me to... get to Martin? but Martin wouldn't care less about this group, will he? He might be a person Martin knows probably... I can't do much either I have to just play along with them"

Takashi then said, "Oh thanks! I didn't do much though you guys were the ones protecting me"

Martin was confused and said, "When was Takashi a tactician I am sure he is a fighter more than a planner... or am I wrong", Mark chuckled hearing Martin's opinion on Takashi but he knew something was not right there. So, that is why Mark took over as Viceroy while Martin went over to check on the injured.

And Meanwhile at the 1st Piece, James and the others just got to Lara. And now that brings us to the present...