Present time...

Terry and Cody are just as equipped and ready to go as the others.

Cody: "This'll uh... be an experience."

Grace and Nia are just behind the counter restocking some items.

Grace: "It was for us."

Ethan: "(awkwardly) Then it was a nightmare for some of us."

Nia: "We know that you loved fighting back in the good old days."

Ethan: "(flustered) After I was done having a heart attack."

Haley: "These fights would give anyone a heart attack."

The owners are growing uneasy.

Faith: "Just... just go."

Sakura: "(awkwardly) Good ide-"

Arin: "Three steps ahead!"

They're all in position.

Heroes: "Zero Fiction!"

Time begins to slow down.

Johnny: "So what'll it be this time?"

Haley: "A dog kennel gone demonic? A prison filled with twists and turns?"

The possibilities are nerve wracking.

Dan: "H-Hopefully neither!"

Their weapons form as reality starts to take shape.

Emma: "Wherever we go it won't be good."

They find themselves in a large factory that's seemingly abandoned.

Terry: "A factory?"

They examine the bleak surroundings.

Sakura: "Cold and empty..."

Cody: "Cold? Yes."

Footsteps begin to echo.

Terry: "I wouldn't say empty though."

They ready their weapons.

Arin: "That sounds about right!"

They begin their exploration of the area at a slow and steady pace.

However...

Tenacity is currently sitting on the floor of the main control room, curled up into a ball.

Tenacity: "I'm no killer. These kids don't deserve to die."

He clenched his skin.

Tenacity: "But either way, I disappear."

He lets go.

Tenacity: "I accept my fate either way."

He looks upward.

Tenacity: "A fate as cold and cruel as the place I had called my life..."

A few hours later...

The heroes have arrived at the door to the main control room with a black key card in hand.

Haley: "This should work."

Terry has an idea?"

Terry: "Should we swap?"

Emma: "Good idea."

All heroes have their eyes flash.

Johnny: "Can't let you guys hog all of the fun."

Johnny inserts the card, causing the lock to disengage.

Dan: "Good luck..."

Arin: "Who needs luck when you've got skill?"

Emma: "You."

Awkward moment of silence...

Cody: "Come on."

They open the door to find Tenacity standing in the center, hammer in tow.

Arin: "Housekeeping?"

Johnny: "Please don't."

He looks at them with a dead stare.

Tenacity: "My name is Tenacity."

Haley: "Glad we're already done with that."

He snaps his fingers as they step inside and the door locks behind them.

Sakura: "You'll fail like Love and Curiosity!"

Tenacity: "Then there are the others who have fallen, Humor, Stupidity, and possibly as we speak, Ignorance."

They're confused at this information.

Terry: "I thought only two were through?"

Sakura can feel a knife strike her heart where it hurts.

Sakura: "(in head) Ace?"

He readies his hammer.

Arin: "It doesn't matter. You lose, we go home, and have some ice cream. End of story."

Tenacity dashes towards Johnny and has a strike blocked in time.

Tenacity: "Are you sure about that?"

He dodges Arin's ball and Cody's chakrams.

Sakura: "He's faster than he looks!"

He knocks both weapons off course so two are left defenseless.

Arin: "Aw come on!"

Tenacity: "Pathetic. You can't even touch me."

Haley gets up close and personal before he can ready another swing.

Emma: "Are you sure about that?"

Haley unleashes a flurry of rocky punches straight into his gut.

Tenacity: "(in pain) Not bad..."

A final punch sends him flying towards the window.

Tenacity: "But I'm not finished."

He crashes through the window, causing him to descend towards the ground floor.

Johnny: "You guys get you stuff and meet us down!"

Cody: "On it!"

Haley and Johnny jump through, landing on their feet with a twinge of pain as Tenacity's body begins to ooze blood.

Haley: "That's gotta sting."

Tenacity suddenly sits straight up before getting back to his feet.

Tenacity: "I'm not done yet."

The heroes adjust their stances, but Tenacity manages to slug a guarding Haley straight into a wall.

Sakura: "Emma! Haley!"

Luckily, they're not breaking anything.

Haley: "(in pain) Just go on!"

Arin: "Not alone!"

Arin and Cody have leaped from the upper floor as Arin kicks his ball.

Terry: "We're coming!"

Tenacity uses his hammer like a bat to send the ball back to Arin.

Dan: "Nice try!"

Arin and Dan swap, allowing Dan to kick the ball back harder straight into his chest.

Johnny: "Nice shot!"

However, Dan can't stand when he hits the floor.

Arin: "That was risky!"

Terry: "Dan!"

Dan is beginning to cry as Tenacity drops the ball and revealing a circular burn on his chest.

Emma: "No! Dan!"

Tenacity: "Two of you are easy kills..."

Johnny and Cody are the only real fighters left.

Cody: "Does anyone have a plan?"

Sakura has one.

Sakura: "Charge at full force Johnny! You guys know what to do!"

Johnny: "Huh?!"

Sakura communicates directly to Johnny only.

Sakura: "(in head) You'll act as the diversion as Cody turns him into an inverted screw."

Johnny: "Oh..."

Johnny charges forward with his spear behind him.

Tenacity: "Now there's only one."

Johnny barely blocks the hammer, but little does either side know, the fight has already been decided.

Sakura: "You just lost."

Tenacity: "Huh?!"

Both chakrams are heading straight for his neck.

Tenacity: "You have set me free..."

Terry: "Set you free?"

The chakrams slice his head off and barely graze past Johnny as reality begins to tear and his corpse becomes a Soul Coin.

Haley: "(in pain) We'll see you guys back home."

Johnny grabs the coin.

Arin: "(in pain) That was a nice finishing touch."

Cody: "Thank Sakura for the idea later!"

They quickly leave Zero Fiction...