Mikey's eyes locked on the ceiling. The lights. It wasn't much of an answer, but it was the only one he had, it was enough. There was a question that had gnawed at him since the beast first stepped out of its cage:
'Why didn't it move when it was locked inside?'
The only difference had been the darkness. The lights had been off. At first, Mikey thought it was just for show — dramatic reveal for the audience. But that was too simple, it seems like a copout. There had to be something more. So Mikey pondered:
'The tarp… it stayed still until I ripped it off… it definitely smelled me… so why didn't it move?'
The answer came to him, sharp and sudden.
'What if it can't move in the dark? What if this thing… only hunts in the light, during the day?'
It clicked into place. The tarp, the cage, the reveal. This wasn't just about smell — the beast needed the light. No light equals no movement. That was how he would buy himself time. That was how he'd immobilize it long enough to finish this. Killing it was still a problem, sure, but he already had a plan for that. Because of course he did. He was a Grant after all, like his mother and father before him.
Mikey reached for his rifle, the barrel still jammed into the bear's ruined ear. He calmed his breathing and dropped the mag, counting the remaining rounds. Seven, only seven. He glanced back at the ceiling. Eight heavy spotlights swayed from chains above the dome, only four of them burning bright. He bared his bloody teeth in a grin.
"Yeah… okay… I got this…"
His head turned just slightly to the right, to his friends, to Amelia. She was leaned forward, eyes fixed on him. He knew they probably weren't allowed to interfere — but he needed her. Not just Amelia, but her.
"NADIA!!!" he roared.
Her heart jumped at the sound. No one else would understand, but she did. She rose from her seat instantly, the soldier guarding her raised a curious eyebrow.
"Where are you going?"
She turned, her voice cool.
"Bathroom."
He waved her off, afterwards, she shoved her hands deep into her hoodie pocket and slipped past the members of Savior. The second she was out of sight, Amelia sprinted along the edge of the dome. She pulled her hood up, came to a stop, and leaned over the railing just above him.
"I'm here," she whispered.
Mikey didn't look back, he didn't want to risk it. His eyes stayed forward, his voice stayed low.
"I need you to do something for me…"
In the stands, Bobo leaned toward Luce, eyes narrowing. "Is that Lia?"
Luce followed his line of sight, catching the hoodie. She smirked faintly.
"Sure is. And yeah… they're talking."
Down below, Amelia nodded, quick and sharp, then scanned the seats. Her eyes found what she needed — a man with a beer bottle, setting it down on the floor at his feet. She bolted toward her seat, "tripping" deliberately into him.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" she gasped.
"Watch it, girl!" the man snapped.
She scrambled up and moved on, her hoodie now weighed down, studded with something she'd palmed in the stumble. By the time she slipped back into her row, she peeled the hoodie off, hands buried deep in the pockets, and slid into her seat.
Luce whispered sideways, "What was that about?"
Amelia's eyes stayed forward.
"Nothing. Just… when the time comes, if I look at you, you'll know what to do."
Luce frowned at the cryptic tone but nodded anyway.
"…Alright."
The crowd, restless, had no clue what was unfolding. To them, Mikey was just standing there, raising his rifle, but little did they know he was scheming up a storm. Suddenly, Mikey racked the slide and took aim through the scope, crosshairs lining up with the lights.
BANG!
The first shot whistled past the chain. Sparks, but no kill.
"Damn…" Mikey muttered, teeth grinding as he reset.
BANG!
This time, the round clipped home. One of the four burning lights sputtered and fizzed, then went dead. Just three lights remained. Isaak and the other brass leaned forward sharply. One of the men hissed under his breath, "Dammit… he's figured it out…"
Another barked, "Get the other lights on. Now!"
In Savior's row, Luce's lips curved into a trembling smile. "Mikey… you stud. He's using his head…"
Beside her, Bobo's eyes gleamed, his voice low and proud. "Atta boy. C'mon, kid. Prove 'em wrong."
Mikey took another shot, but the bullet only clipped the edge of the next light. The bulb flickered stubbornly.
"Shit…" He was running out of time.
BANG!
The second light finally shattered, leaving half the dome was swallowed in shadow now, but below, the Blood Bear had finished with the tarp. It spat the shredded cloth onto the ground, the stink still thick in its nose. Then it sniffed again, this time, it found Mikey. Its ruined ears twitched, its body lowered into a crouch. The lock-on was instant, and Mikey didn't even notice. His crosshairs steadied on the third light, breath slow, finger tightening. But before he could squeeze—
BOOM.
The bear's charge seemed to shake the dome itself. The ground split beneath its paws, the quake jolting Mikey's shoulder mid-shot.
BANG!
The bullet missed, whistling harmlessly into the rafters. Mikey's eye shot away from the scope in time to see the beast ripping across the floor, closing in fast.
"Shit!"
He whipped the barrel up, aiming frantically at the lights overhead.
BANG!
He missed again, making his stomach drop instantly, he only has one bullet left but the bear was already on him. It swung a paw the size of a slab of steel. Mikey couldn't move in time, the impact blasted him across the arena, his body skidding before crashing against the floor with a sickening thud. Blood coughed from his lips as he forced himself, wheezing, to grab the rifle. The bear roared, charging once more.
In the stands, Savior broke apart. Bobo leaned forward, eyes wide with rage. "No… no, dammit!" Ryosuke turned away, shame biting deep into his chest, while Tobi buried his face in his palms, trembling, then there was Luce, her eyes brimmed with water, but she couldn't look away. Only Amelia kept her focus, sharp, waiting. Her eyes darted to Bobo and she hissed through the noise in a loud whisper, "Bobo! Create a distraction... now."
He blinked at her, shocked.
"What—"
Her look was all he needed to see.
Bobo clenched his jaw, turned to the soldier who had threatened him earlier, and sneered.
"Hey buddy! I didn't like that little stunt you pulled on me…"
"What are you—"
CRACK!
His fist dropped the man cold. The section of the stands exploded into chaos, people screaming and shoving. Amelia's eyes found Luce's, steady and urgent. Luce didn't know what Mikey had whispered to her earlier, but she didn't need to because she already understood. Her pistol came free from her waistband, sleek and silenced. In the chaos, no one noticed the faint flashes.
Pew. Pew.
Two muffled shots, followed by two bullets, were sent towards the ceiling. Luce's aim was impeccable, as always. Above, glass cracked and filaments snapped. The last two lights had died out, the entire dome was shrouded in darkness and sure enough the bear's noises had stopped.