Chapter 34: A Second Wind

Henrietta can't speak a word at this revelation as Water and Wind form behind them.

Water: "What's going on?!"

Audrey: "Relax Henrietta. Celebrities do this shit 24/7."

Henrietta falls onto her knees.

Henrietta: "(squeaking) But why? Why would anyone do this?"

Audrey pulls Henrietta away in time so Diamond doesn't see them when she leaves the room.

Audrey: "There she goes."

Henrietta looks down at her hands.

Wind: "Well, what're you going to do?"

Diamond heads to a staircase nearby and heads to a higher floor.

Henrietta: "(distraught) I-I... don't know."

Audrey: "(cracking knuckles) I think I'll go give her a dose of reality."

Audrey heads for the stairs as zombies bash down the front door.

Water: "Watch out!"

Henrietta manages to slice them into pieces as the sounds of breaking glass echo above them.

Audrey: "(pissed) Now we don't have a choice!"

Audrey charges ahead as Henrietta's knees refuse to let her stand.

Wind: "You can't just sit here! Lives are in danger!"

She takes a deep breath as her eyes glow light green for a second.

Henrietta: "(calming down) I'll get her to stop while I do it."

She gets onto her feet.

Wind: "How do you plan to do that?"

She picks up the pace while heading towards the stairs.

Henrietta: "... I don't know."

She bumps into Audrey on the second floor.

Water: "These things are relentless!"

Two try to get the jump on Audrey, but Henrietta deals with them in time.

Audrey: "I was wondering when you'd show up!"

Henrietta: "Sorry to keep you waiting."

They charge ahead to save as many lives as possible.

However...

Diamond is currently sitting atop the roof, ready to delve into the word of heroin.

Diamond: "Now that I'm done with those, 'adoring fans,' it's finally time to get away from these bastards."

She rolls up her sleeve and prepares to inject herself as the sounds of a dripping liquid behind her.

Diamond: "Another leak or something!"

The moment she presses the needle against her skin and begins injecting, some black blood lands exactly where she placed the needle, injecting herself with it and causing her body to spasm out of control.

Diamond: "(in pain) What the hell?!"

The zombie that's falling apart flies above her before it heads off as her skin goes grey and her veins glow purple.

Diamond: "(in pain) What's happening to me?!"

One hour later...

The girls help a bunch of set designers get to safety from the 6th floor.

Water: "Is that everyone?"

Henrietta: "Not Diamond..."

They look towards the roof access.

Wind: "Then all that's left is the roof."

Henrietta heads for the roof, but Audrey grabs her shoulder.

Audrey: "Do you really think that a drug addict is worth saving?"

Memories of Henrietta being brought up from the darkest times with Diamond's music fills her heart.

Henrietta: "Any life is worth saving."

She charges up to the roof.

Water: "W-Wait!"

Henrietta is already at the access as she opens the door.

Henrietta: "D-Diamond?"

She exits to find no one there.

Wind: "How biz-"

Henrietta's throat is caught by a grey, lifeless hand.

Henrietta: "(choking) What the hell?!"

She looks up to find the lifeless Diamond, grey and lifeless with four long arms sprouted from her neck, standing atop the access.

Audrey: "Oh shit!"

Henrietta gets tossed over the edge of the roof, but she's still holding onto the edge.

Wind: "What happened to her?!"

It's at least a 50 meter drop to the pavement.

Henrietta: "(panicking) Audrey! Help!"

Audrey is currently struggling to hold the enemy back with her staff.

Audrey: "(struggling) I kind of got my hands full!"

Audrey gets pinned to the ground.

Water: "We need you Henrietta!"

She can't pull herself up from the edge due to her crippling fear.

Henrietta: "(crying) I can't pull myself up!"

Wind is frantically flying around her as Audrey is being forced through the cement.

Wind: "You can't let your fears hurt you when you need to fight!"

A memory of a couple falling off a tearstained cliff echoes in her mind.

Henrietta: "(crying) I-I'll just end up like my parents!"

Wind: "You won't end up like your parents if you stop living in the past!"

The flow of tears grows stagnant.

Henrietta: "Huh?"

Audrey begins to scream in pain because the monster is trying to rip her limbs off.

Audrey: "(screaming, pissed) Any day now!"

Henrietta uses all of her willpower to pull herself up.

Henrietta: "Mom... Dad..."

The light green light flickers in her eyes.

Henrietta: "(deep breath) ... please watch over me."

Wind's body is beginning to return to it's former glory.

Water: "Look!"

The monster stops and changes focus.

Audrey: "(in pain) Seriously?!"

Wind: "Y-You're using Breezy Tranquility?!"

Henrietta's eyes change to light green.

Henrietta: "We can't win if I don't remain calm, right...?"

Audrey: "(in pain) She's going through a Realization?!"

Wind has returned to her dragon form as she becomes physical.

Henrietta: "... Gustailex?"

Audrey gets onto her knee when Henrietta is about to be pushed off the edge again.

Henrietta: "We'll finish this nice and quickly."

Gustailex grabs the extra arms with her claws as Henrietta begins to spin around.

Gustailex: "Sounds quite right!"

She drops the enemy as the fans fly towards it like a tornado.

Henrietta/ Gustailex: "Target Eliminated."

The fans repeatedly slice the enemy into nice, thin discs all the way down to the bottom, leaving it as nothing more than a pile of flesh when the fans return to Henrietta and Gustailex returns to her ghastly form.

Water: "That makes three Realizations!"

Henrietta stumbles in place.

Henrietta: "Do you think you can take us back home?"

Henrietta falls to the ground as Audrey gets back on her feet.

Audrey: "(rubbing shoulders) I really hope I don't have to go through some crazy shit like that soon."

She walks over to Henrietta and hoists her onto her back.

Water: "You've heard about what happens to trigger a Realization. It's entirely likely that you'll go through one next."

She shakily walks towards the stairs.

Audrey: "(struggling, pissed) You remember what I said! You'll be dead by the time you see me cry!"

She heads downward, clearly aware of what kind of hell awaits her...

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