Chapter 56: Search and Rescue
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A blitz of blue lasers came out of Brielle's gun. The shots hit the Ogre in the face, with one of them penetrating its eye. It moved backwards, holding the injured section of its face with one hand while the other swung about madly, crashing into one of the furnaces with the back of its fist. Gurk leapt forward as it stumbled backwards, pinning it to the ground after using its backwards momentum to push it on its back.

"We need to get that Ogre out of here before it hurts one of the Exterminators!" Janus said to Brielle. The officer felt around her body for any more rounds of ammunition. 

"I'm out of shots, so I don't think I'll be much help," she said. "I know some hand-to-hand techniques, but they won't work on something four times my size!"

Janus remained silent as he quickly analyzed his surroundings. He took a glance at the hole in the floor and then at Gurk wrestling the Ogre. The creature's massive arms bashed the crocodile in the side repeatedly.

"Maybe we can get it down on the ground level. I don't think this section of the floor could hold its weight—" Janus said as she pointed towards a long crack that started from the hole. He stopped his sentence when he saw Itzel's hand grab onto the ledge. Brielle and Janus both reached down and pulled her up. 

"Where's Enidri?" Janus asked. 

"She locked herself in the mines with her brother," she said as she took a deep breath.

"What?" both Janus and Brielle cried simultaneously.

"She sealed the metal doors to the mine shut with her Ion Blade so that Donva couldn't escape. I think she plans on sacrificing herself to take her brother out!"

"Why would she—" Janus began.

"Because Enidri always has to make things dramatic!" Itzel interrupted. 

"We need to focus on stopping that Ogre and making sure this floor is safe for Ringa and the others," Brielle said. "Can you two and Gurk deal with it?"

"I think so..." Itzel said with hesitation. The other three turned and saw the Ogre push Gurk off it and upright itself. "I've gotta help him,' Itzel said to herself as she ran to the battle. 

"Trying to break the floor anymore is a bad idea," Janus said as she eyes scoured the ground. "I think if it cracks anymore, the entire room might collapse in."

"I’ve got a feeling you're right," Brielle responded. 

"We might just have to kill it as quickly as possible."

"That's easier said than done."

Janus sighed. "Well, we're not going to weaken it by coming up with a plan. The more people we have fighting it, the sooner we can take it down." Janus got up from his crouching position and ran towards the ensuing fight. Brielle stayed behind, checking on her partner's condition's one more time. Ringa was breathing, but still unconscious. The officer stood up, leaving Ringa alone as she ran through the narrow pathway between the rows of conveyor belts. She fired her last shot at the Ogre. The burst from the laser round briefly illuminated the area that the Ogre blocked off. For a second, she had a full glimpse of the wall of that the monster stood in front of. There was the outline of a smaller individual pinned against the wall.

"Ven!" the officer shouted as loud as she could. The other three turned around and saw Brielle pointing to the wall on the other side of the monster. They were close enough to the wall that with squinting eyes, they could see the young child trapped inside the Essencima gunk like the others. Brielle ran towards the battle. Gurk continued to wrestle with the burly Ogre by pushing it to the side to give the others enough space to retrieve Ven.

The creature fought back, interlocking its hands with Gurk’s as they both fought to overpower the other. Gurk was on the losing side, trembling as the Ogre pushed down with all its weight. The crocodile’s legs quivered as it struggled to keep the narrow section open enough for Brielle to get by.

"You go get Ven! We'll keep things clear for you!" Itzel shouted while keeping her attention focused on the Ogre. She tossed a Serrated Gale at the monster's direction only to have it dissipate into nothingness on impact. 

"Do you think it'll be alright to just... tear him out of there?" Brielle said as she approached the gunk. Janus ran towards the wall as well, pausing when he saw Ven’s small face barely jut out from the substance that kept him trapped. The purples veins slowly expanded and contracted as if they were transporting something.

"Would you rather Essencima keep using him as a living battery?" Janus replied. "I think it's best to get him out of there and go outside and try to call in for some help!" With Itzel and Gurk focused on taking down the Ogre, he ran to the opposite side of Brielle. Together, they both placed one hand between the wall and one of Ven's leg and slowly pried him off. A rhythmic pulsation could be felt emanating from the dark gunk as it slowly peeled off the metal surface that it was attached to.

"Ven!" Brielle exclaimed as the remaining stringy bits of Essencima sludge snapped off the wall. With Ven free, Janus and Brielle and lowered him to the ground. The officer hovered her big mouse ear over his chest.

"Is he..." Janus began, his eyes opened wide.

"He's breathing. I can hear it,” Brielle replied as she kept listening to his heart. 

The child turned his head slightly, his closed eyes pinching even tighter as he took in a deep breath. The sludge that coated him dripped off his body and onto the floor, becoming more viscous with each passing moment that he was free. Brielle brough him closer and embraced him in a tight hug. 

"Ven! Can you hear me?" she asked, on the verge of sobbing.

"A-aunty?" The child muttered with a weak voice. His eyes remained shut while his lips quivered. 

"Ven!" Brielle lifted her nephew up, carrying him with both hands as he rested his chin on her shoulder. She rose to her feet as she and Janus watched the others continue to battle the Ogre. Gurk had just taken an uppercut to the side of his arm, sending him staggering to the side.

"Get Ven out of here and see if you can call in some help,” Janus said as he advanced towards the Ogre. “I'm going to help out Gurk and Itzel. They need all of the assistance they can get!"

The officer nodded, holding onto her nephew tightly as she made her towards the exit that led to the lower floor. With the officer and Ven gone, Janus turned to face the Ogre. Itzel performed an Advancing Tempest directly into the back of the Ogre's leg, only making it wobble forward. It was still able to defend itself from Gurk's offense by raising both of its arms to block a clawed slash.

Upon seeing the might of the massive Essencima, Janus could feel his entire body shaking. The Ogre hit Gurk on top of the head with both of its hands winding an overhead slam, sending him stomach down first onto the floor. Then with a backwards swing of its left arm, it struck Itzel and sent her soaring down the corridor.

They need you, Janus. Now or never.

He took in a deep breath and dashed forward into the fray.

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