After scaling the battered carcass of a flipped truck, the winded girls laid their eyes on what should’ve been the Mall’s plaza.

It was nothing complicated. It was just completely simple. All it was, was just a large stretch of land, smooth concrete that housed four rows of squared-off grass and trees—themselves rather large with a framed white border finish. All neatly aligned on the sides, tying together with a long, coral-colored brick road leading to the Mall itself, with spaced lights embedded into the road’s sides.

It was barely recognizable.

Some parts were subsumed by expanding snow. Haphazard ramps were zigzagging from various parts. Dirt was contaminated, brick dug up, and lights picked clean of their machine components completely.

And, in a manner of speaking, the parking lot was eating itself.

“Okay,” Jackie was too tired to hide her exasperation, turning towards her group. “Ready to run for your lives?”

“What’s different about this time…?” Maddie quipped.

Jackie looked at the madness. Purposely staring back at it.

“We’ll finally get something out of this shitty mess.”

“If I may be so bold to suggest…” River referenced… Something--making her already rather low voice deep, so she could bring something up.

Jackie turned to her, trying to hold back her confusion. River was… A quiet sort. Never really having the confidence to communicate due to her over-the-top fears about herself and being worthless. The references at least, gives her a buffer to say things. So in the end, Jackie just let it happen—hoping the others—namely one Maddie Solomon—doesn’t call her out on it.

“You sure you guys are ready to keep running…?”

Jackie looked herself over. Her tracksuit was ripped up, wet. The worse part, was the siVis effect that got into it—the patterns, stitching—all warped and reversed. Say nothing about her skin, glancing at her hands either still pink due to the water or the tuff-like-welts on her knuckles.

Glanced over towards Maddie. She took off her jacket, wrapped the jacket’s arms around her waist. Her arms were crossed, to distract the fact she was shivering. Half or more of her body was scalded, there were puncture wounds dotted across the body—only an inch thick and up to eight or ten.

Above all, that’s not even getting into the things the duo can’t see about themselves. They could be slurring their words, tittering side to side…

“Good point…” Jackie nodded. “We gotta play this smart, at the very least.”

“Yeah, we’ve been doing really dumb things so far—” Maddie shrugged.

“—Soooooo,” Jackie cutting her off. “Tracy, my left. River, my right. Aiko at the back, you three circling us two as we move and move fast.”

“W-why don’t we just use River’s steam and have cover--?” Tracy asked innocently.

“I’m gonna say right now; there’s multiple enlightened people duking it out—I’m sure they’re going to notice a smoke cloud just appearing out of nowhere,” Jackie answered. “Way too many eyes on us, we might as well have her on stand-by and act like a pod of squid.”

“Shouldn’t I just find a car, get you guys in, and just crash into the Mall?” Aiko’s eye twitched, without her knowing. “Why am I at the back--?”

“Because you’re the one with the most lethal and useful ability here,” Jackie answered again. “We need you to regain yourself for a bit, and have you as a secret weapon.”

“—So we’re just running?” Tracy asked nervously. “That’s it, that’s all really, just running--?”

“Run and push things out of our way—” Jackie stated. “Kinda our only option.”

“But we have physics-defying abilitieeeees—”

“That we still suck at using—”

“This sounds so hard--!”

“Which makes this much more important to do—now let’s get into formation—”

Tracy groaned as she shut her eyes and moved up forward, River following after, flanking Maddie.

“We’re going to move ahead--!” Jackie shouted. “Aiko, you’re behind--?”

“I am!” Jackie heard her voice behind her.

“Then we’re going, girls! Let’s goo--!”

“Oh God--!” Tracy squeaked out.

As a unit of a mess, they rushed forward. Running and running as they hear various things, phrases, shouts, screaming—all around them. Hoping none of them hit.

Even with the enhanced senses they’ve been gifted with, it was nigh-impossible to know which way was forward—maybe even what’s up or down. Unhealthy lights, differing sensations coming and going as the lights flashed by along with them. And with every step, it just feels like traveling into a changing plane that took wanderers into diverse biomes, with different rules and different physics as soon as they lifted their feet. The definition of disorientating.

So of course, a tree man stood in their direct path, chuckling as he spotted them.

His skin was modeled after bark, not made of. As if he used his new control over his body to fashion into tree bark. It was like looking at a full-body, overly detailed tattoo. The grooves, how they curved and intangible. Even his hands and fingers, turned into “twigs”—to the point that there’s only three fingers on each hand. All of this makes his entire body bloated, thick.

“SISSSTERS--!” he put on a gravelly voice. “COME TO ME—LET US BATTLE AS OUTLIERS OF LIFE ITSELF--!”

“yeah no—” Tracy mumbled.

PERSPECTIVE FLIP!

Suddenly, the girls were instantly launched upwards. Everyone made a good scream, before getting cut off, all of them looking to a trembling Tracy who had her arms jutted down.

“GOOD WORK, TRACY--!” Jackie praised as she course-corrected herself midair, feeling the grip of gravity.

“VERY GOOD WORK—” the tree man bellowed. “BUT ONCE YOU COME DOWN; I’LL STILL GIVE CHASE~!”

Each girl landed back on the distorted ground, and started to feel the nip of vines against their respective heels.

They book it, running with energy already being drained, as they continued to hear the crawling of vine against the broken brick, and the noise continued to multiply and grow louder.

As if that was the least of their worries. Or their only worry.

Buoyant, green spheres started to rain down from the skies, causing the girls to cover their faces—as they not only bounced off—seemingly trained towards open surfaces: but gained speed every time it hit a new surface.

“For fuck’s sakes--!” Maddie braced her eyes. “What?!”

“Just keep going--!” Jackie yelled. “Stay in formation and stay close--!”

“OH NO--!” Aiko screamed. That caused everyone in the group to pause.

Because if she’s screaming, she’s not having fun. And if she’s not having fun, then whatever’s happening is truly scary.

“THEY CAN USE THE FIRE BALLS LIKE THEY’RE FUCKING KAMEHAMEHA WAVES--!”

With that, they all couldn’t help but to look back, towards what Aiko was seeing.

The person was trenchcoated and hat that obscured their being, as they rode a moat of withering flames, having more moats coming out of their raised hands—dripping from them as they laughed maniacally. Teteering within the air.

Despite being cloaked from head to toe, they looked down at the girls. Like a tiger finding their prey in the wilds.

They resumed laughing again. Low, methodical, snickering.

They put their moated hands forward.

“RUN--!” Jackie commanded.

Without missing a beat, they bolted—they didn’t care if they’re exhausted, didn’t care how much their legs ached. They had to go.

Because as they ran, blasts of fire scattered around them—along with the green spheres turning into fast blurs.

Everyone was instantly pelted with the green sphere, as they exploded upon impact—causing them to jerk, to crumble over. But they still ran, with throbbing spots coated with green liquid.

Green liquid, that started to sizzle and smell. While not a disgusting smell, it made the nose tingle.

“FUCK--!” Maddie shouted, holding her eye. “IT GOT IN MY FUCKING EYE--!”

“Shit--!” Jackie yelled. “Do we need to leave--?!”

“It’s whatever--!” the small girl strained. “We got tree people and pyromaniacs on us! We gotta go--!”

“YEEEES, YOU HAVE TO KEEP GOING~!” the distant voice chimed in. “I’M COMING, MADDIE! MADDIE~!”

Jackie looked beyond, trying to focus, using her enhanced site to see if they’re close.

She sees the Mall’s entrance. Battered, the glass automatic doors busted open, the pieces and machinery still moving in and out, trying to figure out it’s lost purpose.

“WE’RE ALMOST THERE—HANG ON!” Jackie shouted.

Just almost there, this horror scene seemingly unending, as if the Mall just gets further and further.

Until they realized that was exactly what was happening.

Jackie looked down, seeing the path turning into a wide track being pushed forward, like a natural treadmill.

“OH—for goodness--!” Jackie angrily shouted, looking towards the user.

He was weaselly, with a bucktoothed grin with curly hair. He was crouched down, hands on the ground, creating this structure.

She glanced about, seeing the others teetering forward in exhaustion and getting tired by the second.

“FUCK IT--!”

INNATE DRIVE!

The girl exploded forward, her legs being propelled by the explosion, rocketing Jackie towards the user, who’s mousey grin quickly fell away.

She tackled him, landed full-on onto him, and quickly used her arm against his throat—pressing against it as he squirmed and squirmed.

He tried to push off—she instinctively tried to anchor herself and push forward with her legs, but they’re currently dead. The skirmish just drifted across the stone-y floor, and Jackie just pushed down by grabbing her wrist with her other hand, and did it again. Closing her eyes.

Soon, the weasel stopped moving.

“C’mon, Jackie--!” she heard a voice behind her. And within moments, felt two people pick her up.

She could feel it. The energy, completely gone. And they JUST made it to the damn entrance.

And they couldn’t keep on, not like this.

“Go to the sides—” Jackie ordered. “Tuck onto the right…”

They dragged themselves, to angle themselves towards the right, where it was nothing but a corner into the design. Another entrance, but not the main one.

They make it to the wall, all of them leaning onto it panting.

“How the fuck is everyone suddenly some superhero all of a sudden--?” Aiko panted. “I thought we had a head start—they should suck as much as us and they have a month less!”

“We’ll discuss it—” Jackie gestured and snapped. “Water bottle, anything--!”

“OH, RIGHT—” the girl took off her pack, opening and ravaging into it until she pulled out a metal bottle, throwing it to her.

Jackie leaned towards Maddie, the girl grabbing it, leaning forward, and squirting the infected eye with water.

Maddie stopped, blinking rapidly. “Well, I can see—but I know I look like a fucking train-wreck right now.”

“That was insane—” Tracy sputtered. “That was—I can’t—There was nothing about that was good! I didn’t think—I didn’t sign up for this!”

“None of us did--!” Jackie shouted. “We joined together because we’re facing anything together!”

“We don’t even know what your deal is, Goodwin,” Maddie pointed out.

“H-helping people!” Tracy quickly answered. “Doing everything I can to help and make things better for mys—us… I’m just saying… A-asking… When does it get, uhm… Better--!”

“I just wanna do cool shit,” Aiko grinned.

“I’m only helping you guys,” River shrugged. “Whatever help I can amount to.”

“I mean, say it with your chest,” Maddie looked at Tracy. “You’re like me. Surviving means pairing up right now, you’re just waiting for the next thing to do.”

“We can’t do this right now!” Jackie yelled. “We’re RIGHT here!”

“We’re saying that we don’t WANT to be here, Jackson—” Maddie shot back. “But we are—but we’re having second thoughts in rushing into things we should be crawling over—”

“Us stopping this means it not showing up anymore!” Jackie argued. “We’ve been through this! Time and time again!”

“J-just saying—” Tracy piped up. “F-fear can be good—pain is created so that we’re aware of what we’re doing—so we can stop! This is a clear escalation--!”

“YES—AND IT’S GOING TO CONSTANTLY ESCALE UNTIL SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING!”

A hush fell among the group. Jackie broke the silence with a sigh.

“I get it. It’s too much. Everyone’s better than us, we’re living a waking nightmare. But think about it. If we were just cuddled in some hole we call home—we’ll be instantly buried by something—whip cream ability or whatever… But we have to fight. And fighting means getting hurt. But we fight to make a statement. To make a stand.”

“’We’re fucked and an easy target—?’” Maddie pointedly asked.

“I think your leader is right…!”

They all turned and stiffened. They saw a middle-aged man. Chin-strapped beard with pointed edges and a comb over of black. Very noticeable black.

“I-I’m just a regular person, hello--!” he continued. “I never seen a group of siVictims before like this—and you seem like you have a common and good goal! I like it! What’s your name…?”

“Uhhh…” Jackie just darted her eyes around. She had an idea, but… She can’t tell it to this stranger.

“siVis…Pride.”

Cue the instant chortles that went across the rest and Jackie instantly regretted it.

“I hate every single one of you—” she said dejected.

“I thought we were going to put it to a voice or something--!” Maddie laughed. “I like it! I want it! We’re siVisPride--!”

“I very much want to be called siVisPride—” even River sounded amused.

“siVisPride it is!” Aiko chuckled. “It sounds like a help network like A.A. or something--!”

“Right—” the man seemed to ignore the reaction, looking around. “siVisPride. I ask of you, for your first mission of good… Can you help an old man gain a new power? Something he can’t ever lose…?”

Jackie just looked him up and down, and even glanced towards Maddie, who stopped laughing instantly to stare at him.

“…Look grandpa—” Maddie grumbled. “We’re not here to help your mid-life crisis. There’s less permanent options like—Iunno—fixing model ships or whatever. Leave us out of it.”

His face crumpled up, ignored Maddie, and looked to Jackie.

“…This only brings you nothing but pain,” Jackie answered. “You’re going to know things you shouldn’t, feel things you always did—and you regret it every day. You’re given perspective… Given awareness… And all it does is paint all of the worst of life vivid.”

“But it’s power…!”

“It isn’t,” Jackie rebutted. “If it was just powers… You’d think this would less complicated.”

She pointed towards the strife, for good measure.

The man’s eyes go wide, just searching each of the battered girls.

“Just go, sir,” Jackie said wistfully. “Get away. Run away.”

He gibbered a bit, before rising up and sprinting away, hearing his haggard breathing until they were drowned by the background noise.

“Anyways—” Jackie restarted the conversation. “Yeah. Clearly, just running isn’t the best idea. So let’s just crawl—crawl and hide. Wait for an opportunity.”

“Now THAT’S a great plan, fearless leader!” Tracy beamed. Jackie rolled her eyes after, sighing.

“We use River to come in with smoke for good measure,” Jackie stated.

“Good, because I felt completely useless during that run—” River nodded.

“We get up at three—” Jackie readied herself. “One… Two… Three—”

They shot up—

SLIPSTREAM

Soon, a plume of smoke covered the area, as the girls darted from the corner, running into the broken entrance.

There was soon a light, that glowed an aquamarine symbol, before fluttering while emitting a whining noise—causing them to stop.

And not just stop, but to completely fall into the hypnotic lull that it created.

Standing still, they were hit—from various things coming from various people, unable to move, unable to run, unable to hide.

They walked into another waking nightmare.