The alpha screeched at Covie, the other lifeforms did as well. While the lifeforms are distracted, Albur quickly opened the rifle's shell and plugged out the jammed melted metal out and reloaded the rifle.
"Hyper Blast!"
Albur fired a green bullet and caused a huge explosion and sent the 6 lifeforms flying.
Rhea finished crushing the majority of the pack and Mysty handled a few of them. The remaining 5 virus lifeform and the alpha snarled at the crew, whilst backing away.
Just then, the ceiling of the building exploded. Sunlight shone into the building. While the crew was confused what caused the explosion, a purple lightning struck down from the hole. It vaporized one of the virus lifeforms, turning it into ash.
The lifeforms were shocked, so as the crew. They knew exactly who did that.
Then, 5 applauses echoed across the whole building. Again.
Then, 2 figures peeked into the building from the hole on the ceiling. As expected, it is Cluster. And also Wilton, holding the camera.
"Hello, my...."
The crew did not stare nor hesitate. Albur immediately fired a Hyper Blast followed by Mysty firing a Concentration shot and Rhea firing homing missiles.
Cluster, as always, blocked them by summoning a shield.
"Fine, I won't speak too much, in case it ruined the show."
Then, Cluster's staff glowed, it then emitted a bright light that brightened the whole building.
"I showed you quite a lot of my powers, now, its time to show you guys another one..."
Cluster raised his staff, then, it started glowing a black light. Suddenly, the shadow of the crew and the lifeforms were sucked away. They turned into black energy and gathered around Cluster.
The alpha roared at Cluster, Cluster scoffed and sent out a lightning. It struck every virus lifeform, turning them into ash. The crew backed away a little. Then, Cluster transferred the black energy into the gem on his staff. Then, he fired black lightning in front of the crew.
The lightning created a lot of smoke, when they faded, 9 black figures with blue outline stood in front of them. 4 of them resembles the virus lifeforms, one resembles the alpha. One resembles Covie, one resembles Rhea, one resembles Mysty, and one resembles Albur.
The crew was shocked, Cluster chuckled in delight.
"Ever tired of performing on stage? Well then....."
Cluster charged a blue energy in his staff.
"Let the SHADOWS! Take the stage!"
Cluster fired blue lightning that struck the figures. Then, the figures opened their eyes, they are hollow, then, the shadows of the virus lifeforms made a snarl that echoed, the shadows of the crew rose their weapons.
"What the?"
Rhea scanned those shadow figures, the scanner shows there is nothing in front of them.
"Those are illusions....."
Cluster laughed as he teleported away. Wilton continued to record from above. The shadows tilted their head, they slowly walked towards the crew. Rhea's shadow, alongside the shadows of the virus lifeforms slowly approached Rhea. Mysty's shadow cocked her pistol and stared at her. Covie's shadow cracked her knuckles and chuckled, Albur's shadow raised his rifle and pointed at Albur.
"Any plans?"
"Fight your own shadows, I guess."
Albur fired his rifle at his shadow. His shadow responded with a rifle shot too. The 2 bullets hit and canceled each other. The crew scattered, each of their shadows started to chase their original.
Albur and his shadow ran around in the broken stalls. Albur's shadow destroyed the stalls with his rifle shots. Albur tried to use Hyper Blast to wound his shadow, but his shadow fired Disabling Shot and disabled his rifle. His shadow then fired Virus Corruption but Albur managed to dodge it.
While his shadow is reloading his rifle, Albur got the rifle back to work after the 5 second effect of Disabling shot and fired a Hyper Blast straight at Shadow Albur's waist. Shadow Albur dispersed, the shadow rifle fell on the floor. But then, the parts of the shadows started to reform, the pieces joined back together, Shadow Albur had reformed.
"Wha-...oh.....crap..."
Mysty is getting pursued by Shadow Mysty, she fired her pistols at Mysty but she managed to dodge them. Mysty waited till Shadow Mysty reload her pistols. Then, she dashed towards her and kicked her in the face. Shadow Mysty backed off and dashed away. Then, she fired her taser at Mysty, but she forgot the taser have limited range. Mysty dashed towards her and tased her. It stunned her for a while but she recovered and kept distance with Mysty.
Mysty tried to kick her again but Shadow Mysty fired her taser at her. Mysty is stunned, then, she grabbed Mysty's leg and raised her in the air. Then, Shadow Mysty found a sharp edge of a broken stall. She aimed for that sharp edge and prepared to slam Mysty onto it. Fortunately, Mysty reached Shadow Mysty's head and pulled her hair. She pulled it so hard it ripped off her hair. Shadow Mysty yelled in agony as she threw Mysty on the ground nearby. Mysty kicked Shadow Mysty's leg and another kick at her stomach, causing her to hit the wall and disperse. But only to find her reform again.
At Rhea's place, she is struggling. She is facing herself that have the same stats as her and same battle intelligence as her. Both of them are in the battle bot suit but Shadow Rhea is winning. The Shadow Lifeforms are helping Shadow Rhea to beat Rhea. When Rhea destroyed the Shadow Lifeforms, they reform and continue to attack. Shadow Rhea's attacks are as painful as Rhea's.
At Covie's spot, she is battling with her shadow as well. They both have healing powers, the strength to lift 10 tons of masses. But Shadow Covie could reform when she is dispersed while Covie can't.
The crew gathered in a circle. The shadows surrounded the crew, they slowly got closer to them.
" What do we do now.....?"
Rhea clenched her fists hard and fired a missile at the shadow lifeforms. But different from previously, when the Shadow Lifeforms reform, they started to flicker and unable to stand still. The crew noticed that.
"Uh, what is happening to that shadow?"
Rhea thought of what could have caused it, suddenly, a Eureka burst in her mind.
"That shadow...I made it dispersed more than 10 times already!"
The crew stared at the shadows. Suddenly, they have an idea. They looked at each other, and nodded.
Albur fired a Disabling Shot and stunned Shadow Rhea. Then, Rhea used a flash bomb and blinded most of the shadows. Then, Mysty, Albur and Covie separated Shadow Rhea from the other shadows by combining efforts. After that, Rhea fired her fist, she grabbed Shadow Mysty first.
Then, she crushed Shadow Mysty continuously until she starts to flicker. Shadow Albur tried to stop Rhea by firing a Disabling Shot but Rhea fired a rocket to block it. Then, she fired numerous rockets at Shadow Albur. Shadow Covie blocked the attacks, but another wave of rockets hit them again, causing both to disperse. When they reform, Rhea rushed to them and crushed them continuously until they begun to flicker.
Shadow Rhea tried to fend off the 3 using her rockets, but whenever she tried to launch them, Albur disables them. Mysty ran around her and continuously attacked her head. Shadow Rhea used the helmets but Mysty messed with the circuits of the helmet system using her taser.
Then, Covie found the opportunity and pulled Shadow Rhea out of her battle bot suit. After that, Rhea came over and did her job. She crushed Shadow Rhea continuously until she begun to flicker.
The shadows were all weakened and unable to fight properly. At last, Mysty used her grapple hook hiking stick and tied the shadows together and Albur ended them all using Hyper Blast.
A huge explosion occurred. The shadows were defeated again. This time, they reformed, but started flickering dangerously and finally vanished.
"Oh...shows over..." Wilton shut the camera and fled.
The crew looked at the empty battle field, they all sighed in heavily.
Because of exhaustion,
And also relief.
The crew looked at each other, and smiled, but Rhea still stayed away from them. The CI survivor slowly turned on herself, she looked around, there is no more virus lifeforms.
"Wow....they did it...."
The crew helped the CI survivor. Its damages were fixed and fully recharged. Covie set up the moon hut and put it on the trolley, they let the CI stay in there just like how they did to the first survivor.
Before leaving, the crew took a quick look around the food court. Just then, they realized the weapons of the shadows didn't disperse. They just stay on the floor.
Rhea stared at the shadow battle bot suit. And gave it a touch. Albur looked around, and found Shadow Albur's shadow rifle and Shadow Mysty's shadow twin pistols. Albur picked them up, and looked at them.
"Could we use them?"
Mysty walked to Albur and stared at the shadow twin pistols. Albur put down his rifle and took the shadow rifle. He looked into the slots, and it surprised him. There is a shadow version of Ghast's fragments, a shadow Hyper gem and even Shadow Havoc. But Shadow Havoc, due to being a hostile being, Albur threw it on the floor and crushed it 10 times until is dispersed and vanish.
Havoc stared at the shadow rifle for a while.
"Why not we keep it? I mean they don't disappear so I guess we can hold onto them as long as we want right?"
Albur stared at the shadow rifle, and smirked.
"Sure thing, why not?"
Albur walked to the moon hut, he entered it and sat the shadow rifle and the shadow pistols on the dining table. Then, he walked out.
"Just, I don't think I would want a second rifle, I feel like its better to have a melee weapon."
Covie stared at the moon hut, and looked at the special wrench in her hands.
Rhea scoffed as she put a lollipop in her mouth. She opened the energy detector,
"Guess its time to move on."
The crew nodded, then, they continued to follow Rhea. Leaving the shadow battle bot standing there.