In a military base outside New Eridu, a group of officers were in a meeting.
"Well, has Number 11 returned yet?" the Major at the head of the table asked.
"N-no, sir. Still no word," a nervous Second Lieutenant replied.
"Tsk! It's been three days. Is she dead in a Hollow or something?" the Major grumbled.
"It's hard to say. Trigger also reported no sign of her. It's likely something has gone wrong."
"Hmph, I've said it before, the Silver Squad project was a complete failure. And Number 11, the so-called 'last legacy,' is a piece of trash," a Captain sneered.
"It's too late for that now," the Major said. "If she's dead, she's dead. That was the plan, anyway. But we still need to find her body."
Find her body? his subordinates groaned inwardly. In a Hollow? Everything that dies in there turns into an Ethereal.
Just then, the lights in the room began to flicker, and then went out completely. The room was plunged into darkness, and the sounds of gunfire and screams erupted from outside.
"What's going on?!" the Major yelled, his hand on his sidearm.
A bone-chilling cold filled the room.
"Major...!" a Lieutenant's voice trembled. "This feeling... it's him...!"
"Him? Who?!"
A black figure materialized in the center of the conference table, his heavy metal boots landing with a dull thud. He was clad in black armor, his eyes glowing with an eerie blue light.
"It's him! The madman!" one of the officers shrieked, recognizing him.
...
Last year, this same man had appeared in their room, beat them all to a pulp, and warned them to stay away from Number 11. They had tried to find him, but there was no record of him anywhere.
And now, he was back.
An overwhelming pressure filled the room, and the officers found themselves struggling to breathe.
"Wh-who are you?!" the Major demanded.
"I'm Batman," Mo Wang said in a gravelly voice.
"Batman?"
"Hehehe, my name is not important. You can call me the Reaper, or the Black Light, or the Phantom. I don't really care."
"Enough with the nonsense! I'm asking you a question!" the Major yelled, and opened fire.
The bullets sparked against his armor, but left not a single scratch.
"Impossible..."
"Save your breath," Mo Wang said, and held up his hand. The spent bullets floated in the air, then were crushed into dust.
"It's true!" the Captain who had mocked the Silver Squad laughed hysterically. "I knew that trash Number 11 would bring trouble! You monsters should all go to hell—"
His voice was cut off as Mo Wang grabbed him by the throat and lifted him into the air. "You're right," the distorted electronic voice from behind the helmet whispered. "But the elevator to hell... you'll have to go down first and scout it out."
"Wh-what do you want?!" the Major screamed.
"What do I want?" Mo Wang slammed the unconscious Captain against the blast-proof glass, and then pinned the Major against the wall. "I seem to recall telling you, if you touched Number 11 again, I would turn this base into a nursery for Hollow creatures. Now, tell me, who approved the 'recovery mission' for her?"
Suddenly, a giant blue dragon's head materialized behind him, filling the entire room with its terrifying presence.
"A-a dragon?!"
"Forget it. Even if you don't tell me, I can probably guess who gave the order," he said, and the pressure in the room subsided. "After all, if I just... eliminate all of you, then the matter of the Silver Squad and Number 11 will be irrelevant."
"You... you can't! This is a military base! If you kill us, the entire Defense Force will—"
"Will what?" Mo Wang interrupted. "Send more cannon fodder like you to die?"
The officers' shadows began to twist and writhe, wrapping around their limbs. The blast-proof door was torn from its hinges, and a dozen silver-haired girls, all in Silver Squad combat uniforms, filed into the room.
"Number 11?!" the Major gasped, and then his eyes widened in horror. "Cui... Cui Ji?!"
"It's been a long time, Major. I'm so glad to see you're still alive," Cui Ji said with a chilling smile.
"N-no! Impossible! It was you?! You revived the Silver Squad?!" the Major stammered, looking at Mo Wang.
"No, no, that was all Cui Ji. I'm just here to help her, and Number 11, get their revenge. But, I guess you could say she's one of my people now."
Cui Ji grabbed the Major by the collar. "This is for my sisters who died in the North District Hollow!"
With a sickening crunch, the Major's jaw was shattered.
"We... we believed in you..." Cui Ji's voice was a distorted whisper. She tore open her combat suit, revealing a torso covered in scars and stitches. "Look! Look what we gave for you people! And what did we get in return?!"
Her military knife plunged into the Major's stomach, and she twisted it, her face a mask of pure, unadulterated rage.
Mo Wang leaned against the cracked window, watching the bloody trial unfold. He had already investigated the officers in this room. They were all scum.
When it was over, the Major was a mangled corpse, and the other officers had been dealt with by the clones.
"Tired? How do you feel?" he asked, walking over to Cui Ji.
"Relieved. So... this is revenge?" she said with a hollow laugh. "I can't believe you actually let us do this. You're a madman."
"Hmph~ Call me a madman, I don't care. As long as my cute little sister-in-law gets her revenge, it's all good." He then ruffled her hair. Hmm, this feels... even better than Anby's? Is it because she's the brains of the operation?
"This is going to be... very troublesome," she said, but for the first time, a genuine smile touched her lips.
"Trouble is my middle name," he said with a shrug.
This time, the tools that had been discarded had finally found a new master.