The hollow hemisphere boat with an open top made of the amber hexagon shards floated on the rising virus liquid poured down from B3. Albur and Mysty managed to slowly catch their breath from the panicking earlier.
They both checked their equipment, fortunately none of them were damaged by the virus liquid. The only problem is that their virtual hazmat suit is flickering repeatedly due to it is being damaged by the prolonged contact with the virus liquid.
Albur looked at the hazmat barrier generating medal, the barrier's condition is classified as 'Poor'. He thought they might need to let the device regenerate another barrier to replace this one. Albur turned to Havoc who is still glowing red hot.
"Hey, Havoc, do you think we could like, let this device form another barrier and...."
Havoc emitted a scanning wave and analyzed the hazmat barrier device without letting Albur finish his sentence. He then scanned the air around them, then went silent for a while.
"I wouldn't say no but, it's not recommended either. The virus molecules in this floor is way denser. Removing the hazmat barrier would let them enter your eyes, lungs, and..."
Albur suddenly coughed twice, that startled Havoc and made Mysty who was trying to slowly recover wake up.
"...considering you are now coughing already, maybe don't reset the barrier this soon."
"Whatever then.....the barrier itself is already weak..."
Mysty looked at her hazmat barrier device, like Albur, its condition is classified as 'Poor'.
'Mine too.' She thought to herself.
Havoc stayed silent for a while, then thought for a couple of seconds.
"You know what? Maybe you do reset the barrier. I could try emitting my virus particles into the air and prevent them from like, you know."
Albur raised his head and looked towards Mysty, she noticed him and gently nodded. While slowly wrapping her arms around her body.
Albur took the hazmat barrier device off, though the hazmat barrier still remains. Albur slowly examined it, he then found a button on it, he gave it a press. It activated voice command mode, Albur sighed, and cleared his throat.
"Deactivate barrier."
"Order received. Hazmat barrier deactivating."
The hazmat barrier slowly deformed, and at last vanished completely.
"Uh...re-generate new hazmat barrier?"
"Order received. Regenerating damaged hazmat barrier."
It then showed a loading bar that indicates how much longer it takes to regenerate a new barrier. Havoc then wiggled himself near to Albur, he emitted a little bit of his virus particles and formed a long, rectangular rainbow colored object.
"Here, use this like a face mask."
"Thanks."
Albur took the rectangular object, he held it in his hands, it is flexible. He wrapped it around his face, covering his nose and mouth.
"Can you breathe through it?" Havoc asked.
Albur took a deep breath, he then gently nodded.
"So this thing kills the AC-23 virus that stuck on it?"
"It works more like blocking them off."
"Huh."
Mysty stared at Albur, but then, she focused her eyes on the rectangular object on Albur's face.
"Wait, Havoc?"
"Yes?"
"How did you manage to generate this much virus particles without high energy source?"
Havoc stayed silent, Albur blinked and looked at him.
"This....uh.....eh...." he stammered to speak.
"I'd rather not say. Its nothing important. "
Mysty leaned back onto the wall of the hemisphere.
"Hmm."
Havoc then used his virus particles and formed another rectangular object and put it next to Mysty's legs. She noticed it, she gently nodded to him. She deactivated her hazmat barrier and wrapped that obejct around her face. Covering her mouth and nose.
"Still, this won't protect out eyes right?" Mysty asked.
"Yeah it won't. Don't worry, the device is in good condition. The barrier is regenerating pretty quickly. I estimate it only takes about a minute."
"Ok."
"Don't directly face towards the virus liquid though, there a huge risk the virus particles would enter your eyes."
Albur immediately retracted his head back into the boat as soon as he heard Havoc say that.
Mysty breathed slowly though the mask, as she looked at the hemisphere boat. Albur pushed his glasses closer to his face, and closed his eyes, deciding to take some rest again.
"What you looking at?" Havoc noticed Mysty kept staring at the hexagon shards of the boat.
"How does these hexagon shards float on virus liquid? These shards are like..."
"All I can say is you guys should be grateful none of you are overweight. The virus liquid is denser than this boat plus your two, its shape is just enough to displace the liquid to support the weight of 2 people."
"That's just rude..."
Havoc let out a cold smirk.
Mysty closed her eyes, trying to prevent the virus particles in the air to enter her eyes.
After a while, the hazmat barrier devices made beeping sounds. The barrier finished regenerating. Mysty opened her eyes and looked at them. She took one of them and attached it back onto her shirt. Mysty then took off the rectangular object Havoc made, he dispersed the object and recalled the virus particles.
She activated it, and a new virtual barrier layer formed and covered her body entirely.
Havoc then looked towards Albur, but soon realized he fallen asleep.
"Bruh, sleep head."
Mysty sighed and took the hazmat barrier device and attached jt onto Albur's shirt before activating it. Havoc dispersed the object on Albur's face and recalled the virus particles of it before the barrier formed and covered his entire body.
Mysty leaned back onto the boat wall. She looked around her, then stuck her head out of the boat. The virus liquid is still pouring down, but the water level did not rise. It seems that there is a hole leading to B5 that led the liquid down.
She begun to notice bodies in the water, all of them are unlucky virus lifeforms that had drowned. Some survived by climbing up to high places, they hissed at Mysty, but did not attack. The height of B4 is around 5 meters, just like other floors. She stared at the virus liquid, it appears to slowly flow but it is not enough to push the boat to anywhere.
Mysty retracted her head back into the boat. She tried to call Rhea again using her walkie-talkie. However she heard nothing other than statics. She grunted in frustration, before putting it back into her pocket.
"Damn it.....I can't even train here...." she whispered to herself.
She crossed her arms, she had nothing to do but listening to the sound of the virus liquid pouring down from ceilings, collapsing of walls, the crunchy sounds of cracks and virus lifeforms screaming. All which are not good sounds.
"Now this is boring." Havoc spoke.
Mysty glared at him, and sighed.
"Boring? We're literally in a life or death situation here. We just prevented ourselves from drowning, who knows if there will be more cave ins?"
"You know, sometimes its best not to be a jinx."
"This ain't about luck. We're here, sitting on a boat, surrounded by creatures that may or may not kill us, and a terrain that is very unstable! How is this about luck and which part you found it boring?"
"Albur talks better than you do."
"I..."
Mysty coughed a couple of times. She took a bottle of water from the telescopic bag and took a huge sip. Havoc watched her gulp down every last drop in the bottle and gave a heavy sigh.
"I'll be honest, you've changed alot while being down here."
Mysty's eyes opened wide. She turned to Havoc and stared at him.
"What?"
"You seem uneasy, and easily irritated. And for some reason, you kept avoiding any kinds of conversation with or about Albur. What's wrong?"
Mysty blinked, then slowly retracted her legs that were laid straight.
"Nothing is wrong, I'm just tired."
"Lies."
"Proof?"
"Yesterday, we already been through a full night rest. Albur even got up super early to train with Rhea. You had a clear mind and is energized enough to move on. Yet when near Albur, you still showed uneasiness, uncomfortable signs."
Mysty still kept her lips shut tight, not revealing anything.
"It's sure that it isn't about your fear towards how people see you. Its just you are specifically uncomfortable around Albur."
Mysty raised her eyebrow. She never told Havoc she has that kind of fear.
"Who told you that?"
"Nothing you need to worry about. So, answers?"
Mysty looked down at her hands, then at Havoc.
"Can I trust you to not tell Albur about this?"
"I'm a bad goal keeper, but a brilliant secret keeper. I think."
Mysty leaned back harder on the boat wall, almost hard enough to push the boat to move. She is uncertain if she should trust Havoc.
Havoc made a click tongue sound, then, he played a recording, a recording of Albur's voice.
"Tell us what you are struggling with anyways. You're a member of the Glitch Wipeout crew, we're a team, no one gets left behind."
Mysty clicked her tongue, extremely annoyed. Though she thought that by far Havoc has never done anything harmful to the crew, other than spitting insults. She decides to give him a chance.
"Fine...."
Havoc listened closely. But Mysty just rose one of her arms, and opened the fingers on her hands.
"How many arms do you see I have?"
"Two, duh."
"Then, what about Albur?"
"He have o-"
Havoc paused, he had a realization of something. He turned his vision onto Albur.
"I actually feel guilty about it."
Mysty retracted her arms and continued.
"Why? This bozo blocked that nuke splinter on his own."
"Yeah, he did that just to save me and Covie! He lost an arm and have to suffer to adapting it!"
Mysty slammed her fist onto her knees,
"And remember why he is even here in the first place? He saved me again! And now he is trapped under here with me and you!"
"I mean, you could have died if it wasn't him."
Mysty did not answer Havoc, she just looked at the floor.
"He could have just gone out, he could recover with ease outside the tumor.....he is trapped here..."
"Balrrrrright, I heard enough. You're another one that has that stupid survival guilt kinda like thing."
"No, just.....I feel like he saved me too many times."
"Huh?"
"He saved me from too many dangerous situations....he would even do that even if it costs something of his..."
Mysty sighed heavily.
"Like, I don't know how I could face him right now. It was already so much suffering to squeeze my words to yell at him. Right now he is unable to fight properly...yet I couldn't help him much...."
Havoc stared at Mysty, and thought for a second.
"That's why you desperately want to improve. Cus you wanna return a favor?"
"Uh....not entirely. Like, I'm actually tired of being constantly protected.....I wanna like, have some big contributions to the crew. I-.....I felt like most of the time I'm just.....supporting and, when I met true danger all I can do is run....I wanna be able to defend myself as well, I wanna be independent, I wanna be someone that can protect as well."
Mysty then turned to Albur.
"Also, seeing him suffer, struggle with only one arm, while I had two, its just so hurting and guilt-ridden..... I wanna do something for him..."
"I see."
Havoc chuckled, much to Mysty's confusion.
"You had already contributed a lot. You saved Albur from Juggler's deadly strike. You kept the team together. You're even the one that carried Rhea back into the moon hut last time she fought Siwel until her body overheats."
"Those are- those are just small contributions."
"Who said contributing must be fighting at the frontline?"
"T- I know, but my other contributions are just....."
"Who said they have to be big?"
"I- I want to....."
"You did the best you could. That alone is already enough."
Mysty pressed her lips together, the air became silent for a few seconds.
"Though I won't deny the truth that you should improve. It's good that you want to be independent, you wanna prevent more Mr. Ripped into...John situations. Just, don't let that urge of independent become too extreme, like some guy."
Havoc said as he turned to stare at Albur. Mysty stared at him, and sighed, while using her hands to cover her face.
"Don't worry, if we were to improve, we improve together. "
Mysty tilted her head and looked at Havoc, she sighed, and looked away.
"I don't know."
"What?"
"I don't know." Her voice raised.
"You didn't listen to what I say?"
"I did, all of your saying is like I done a lot of contributions, you're talking about the times I contributed, while I'm talking about the moments I did not contribute!"
She paused for a second.
"Right now I am kept being protected behind shields and....whatever things. I wanna help too!"
"Independence does not mean not needing help."
"I kn-..."
Mysty paused, she stopped what she wants to say and think. Havoc smirked.
"You don't. I understand that you wanna improve because of Albur....."
"Not entirely.....you don't get what I wanna say.....I don't want to think about where to run or how to escape or wait til someone come save me, I wanna try and solve it myself."
"So you don't want to feel helpless?"
"Of course I don't wanna! Who would wanna?"
Just then, Albur slowly opened his eyes. Havoc and Mysty noticed him. He groane, and rubbed his eyes gently. They both stared at him, silently.
"What's with all these noise? What happened?"
Mysty and Havoc looked at each other, but they didn't say anything.
They both fell silent, leaving Albur confused.