Mermaid Effect

Rand looked at the line of writing and the pile of things. For a while he stood there, silent, the intense pain in his heart made his cheek muscles twitch slightly.

"Rand—"

Munster looked at him worriedly, then turned his head and sniffed the lingering scent in the air.

"If you need, I can find the way for the siren experiment to go back."

It's serious.

Rand wiped his face sharply, the cut on his eyelid opened by his rough movement, some blood trickled down, and he wiped it carelessly with his sleeve.

"Thanks, Munster, but I don't think it's necessary. Vincent doesn't want me to find him. He just wants to run away, so he won't leave any clues. But... do you know what hide-and-seek is?"

He lowered his head, then spoke hoarsely.

Without waiting for Munster to answer, he continued to talk——

"When I was very young, I always played this game with Vincent...I was very good at it...Vinson would always be found by me, no matter where he hid? Some people may say that is because of letting Me, but I know no, I know where he is, always. He's my brother, and a brother always knows where another brother is, doesn't he?"

A tear dropped from his chin.

"Tick tock..."

He raised his head and looked at Munster—as if some kind of invisible, heavy shell had been removed from his body, Munster saw the bright light in Rand's eyes.

It was as if he had made a decision that would change the rest of his life.

After a few seconds, Rand closed his eyes again.

Traveling through the fog of memory and thoughts, Rand tried to remind himself of himself many years ago, back to that wonderful and warm villa, back to his small room covered with beige wool carpet...

[Light, the light should be soft, it is the golden-red light of the setting sun.

Vincent would come home from school in the afternoon, and they would finish dinner together at the long walnut dining table.

There should still be a hint of macaroni butter aroma lingering on Vincent's hair.

Mother is tidying up the kitchen.

Father is on the couch.

"Play with him for a while, Vincent?"

His voice would come from behind the couch.

Vincent stood up slowly, with some reluctance, but after meeting Rand's gaze, he would show a gentle smile... Looking over from a low angle, the figure of the young Vincent made Rand Feel warm and secure.

"Okay, Rand, is it still hide and seek?"

……

"So go ahead, close your eyes, baby. Start counting."

……

"1, 2, 3, 4..."

Rand opened his eyes, his eyes were distracted.

The cold walls, the emergency lights, the debris on the ground, the stench in the air... gradually blurred in his vision.And that kind of thing that can't be seen with the eyes and can't be described in detail, called intuition—or, blood ties, draws a simple path between Rand and another person.

Rand took steps on that path.

He and Munster walked down the long corridor together, past the deserted living quarters, then the research area, the central elevator was as deliberately destroyed as they had imagined, but Rand managed to use the elevator shaft all the way down.There was no object to hide from, and they arrived at the confinement area used to store experimental animals more smoothly than normal, where they saw a large number of corpses, as well as the confinement containers that were destroyed in anger to the point where they could not recognize the prototype.

Then they began to walk towards the bottom of the base along the perimeter of the prison area.

Rand believed that Vincent had noticed his pursuit. Below the confinement area was the area where the experimental animals were examined and anesthetized. Of course, it was now destroyed.

Sanitizer spilled from the container, and the smell was almost choking.And the long hose swayed gently in the water, like a living worm.

Rand suddenly felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up...

He turned his head suddenly, and saw the red pupils unique to some siren subjects, and the reflection of their scales when they dodged.

Where Rand passed, more and more siren subjects gathered.

They, or rather, Vincent seemed desperate to stop Rand...but he was as afraid of being seen by Rand as he was of death ray weapons.On the other hand, the attachment to Rand surging in Vincent's heart is projected onto these monsters, and they can't help but want to get close to him (even if they are actually afraid of him).

It is precisely because of this that in the end the whole scene becomes weird - you can also say it is ridiculous - Rand walks in the front like the piper in a fairy tale, and behind him are followed by a large number of restless people. Siren subjects.

Hey, this is Vincent, his clumsy brother.

Rand thought inwardly.

Behind him, Munster's scales now completely turned bright red like a demonstration.Completely different from Rand in a half-trance state, his spirit was tense to the extreme, and every once in a while, he couldn't help turning his head back and screaming silently at the siren subjects who were getting closer and closer—— It immediately angered the group of monsters...including Vincent who lived in the minds of the monsters.

Tentacles and claws protruded soundlessly from the darkness, and sparks were drawn between the claws on the ground and walls.

"&...%￥——"

Munster suddenly showed his fangs and mouthparts...

"Relax, Munster, Vincent is just habitually uneasy about my interpersonal interactions, he is afraid that I will be hurt." Rand suddenly said, his steps slowed down a little, and his eyes glanced quickly A flat face poking its head (the animal has been stuck to the ceiling, moving at the same speed as Rand), "Also, Vincent, this is Munster, he is a close friend of mine, he will not hurt me."

"puff--"

The monster above them spat at Munster.

Munster dodged, and his saliva landed next to its tail, corroding the metal wall into a palm-sized black spot.

"I don't think your brother will like me."

Munster said sharply.

The breath it exudes now reminds Rand of a cat with fried hair.

The monsters peered at them from the ceiling, the walls, and behind Rand, crimson eyes gurgling, scales rubbing against slime.Although there was no sound, Rand still felt that he heard someone's angry curses and objections in a trance.

Some subtle, imperceptible attacks occurred between Munster and the group of monsters, but Rand never stopped his footsteps.

As he moved forward, the resistance of the monsters became more and more fierce.

Of course, they didn't hurt Rand. The person who bothered was Munster-more and more attacks were concentrated on it.Rand tried to help Munster solve some troubles, but then the situation became worse. Rand's asylum to Munster, or preferential treatment, undoubtedly made Vincent, who was already very chaotic, even worse. angry.Under Vincent's command, the group of monsters became more and more crazy... Fortunately, they still have great kindness towards Rand, and they will deliberately avoid Rand to attack, so that Rand and Munster have the possibility Get a little respite from the attack of such a large number of siren test subjects.

In the end, Rand had to speed up his pace... After running wildly with Munster for a long time, he finally came to a gate.

On the rough concrete door frame, you can vaguely see that there should be a very heavy door here before this.The oldest kind of lead door, which has been used from World War II to today, of course, there may be ceramic interlayers in the drill bit that may appear...but that is just a memory.

On one side of the walkway, the door had been torn out and twisted into wreckage.Instead of the gate, there are layers of white scales.

The twisted, overlapping layers of the barrier are reminiscent of a wasp's nest.Rand pushed a little, and found that they were unusually strong, with a thick layer of slime floating on the surface.He raised his head and surveyed his surroundings a little, and was a little shocked to see traces of similar slime on the walls and ceiling.

And he knew instinctively that Vincent was behind the gate made of these mucus.

"Vincent! I know you're here..."

Rand turned around and picked out a convenient steel bar from the ruins of the corridor, weighed it in his hand, and then smashed it towards the shell formed by the solidified mucus.It felt like hitting some kind of rubber-wrapped steel——Rand's tiger's jaw felt a sharp pain, and the steel bars flew out, but there was only a light white mark on the surface of the "door".

A tentacle stretched out from the darkness without a sound, wrapped up the steel bar and dragged it away rustlingly.The monsters got closer, they looked anxious and irritable, and of course, a little confused.

A thing similar to a titan python hung down from the ceiling. It didn't make any sound. It suddenly opened its mouth, and its sharp teeth pierced out from the bright red gums. The jaw opened 180 degrees and swallowed Munster's tail suddenly. .

"hiss--"

Munster let out a hiss!

"Munster!"

Rand suddenly turned his head, and saw the scene where the monster's throat tightened to form a vacuum inside the mouth, and then relied on its huge size to go straight to the scene where Munster swallowed it in one gulp.It dropped a puddle of shocking saliva on the ground, and bounced into the depths of the corridor like a bullet.

Rand subconsciously aimed the gun at the monster——

"Bang bang bang-"

The bullet grazed the monster's chest and hit the wall.

The strong emotions in the body rushed through every blood vessel and nerve like flames.

Rand chased after the monster, but more siren subjects stood in his way.Without Munster's obstruction, they easily controlled Rand's actions.He was carried on the back of a flat, worm-like creature with long, tough tendrils binding his shoulders and hands and legs.Then quickly slide in another direction...

They, no, it was Vincent who made the choice with actions, and it wanted Rand to leave this damn floating island base.

"Vincent! I know you're looking at me, spying on me! Let me tell you, don't do it!"

Rand struggled desperately, his voice distorted from yelling, hating his own powerlessness more than ever.

"It's going to be alright...Rand...it's going to be alright, I'm going to find you..."

A distorted head appeared beside Rand's ear. It stared blankly at Rand, whose face was flushed with anger, and said hoarsely.

"Vincent! Stop it! Damn—"

And at this moment, there was a rustling electric sound in his ears.

"Rand? Can you hear me? Rand?"

"Simon?"

Rand paused.

"It's me... oh my God, thank God I finally got a response, I turned down the communication frequency so I can temporarily talk to you through the barrier..."

Simon's voice seemed to have been sanded, and the gaps between words were filled with white noise.

"...Listen, Rand...we'll be leaving here in four hours...we've made plans...the base commander is dead...the siren subjects have escaped...weapon systems from the mastermind's systems The middle is cut off... once we escape...the base will blow up...you have to get out before then...no back door, no goddamn support..."

Before Simon and Rand made the initial plan, they did not expect that the entire interior of the base had been completely breached.

From some perspectives, this may be a good thing-at least Simon's blasting plan has become easier to carry out than before.He only needs to directly implant the worm program into the main brain and activate the self-destruct program.What's even better is that just a few hours ago, the trapped personnel trapped inside the base, as well as Simon and others, unexpectedly discovered that the electronic security and the fleeing siren subjects had lost all interest in them.

They rushed into the deeper part of the base one after another, and did not show their figures again.

Of course, Rand knew where they were going (they followed him).

Simon seized the opportunity - the worm program was successfully implanted, and they also got the hangar key of the small plane.Everything looked so smooth, like a Hollywood movie ushered in an unfinished end.But on the other hand, once the base explodes, no one can respond to Rand.That meant that he had to struggle for a long time in the sea at minus [-] degrees.

The only person who is not a beneficiary is Rand.

"...I've done my best to give you time! Rand! No one wants to stay here any longer...you have to...be here...before..."

Simon's voice gradually became indistinct.

Rand bit the tip of his tongue violently to force himself to calm down, his brain was spinning rapidly.

"Simon! I know you can hack into the system! I need your help, close it..." He glanced at the dim aisle, and there was a not very eye-catching sign at the intersection he just passed, "D-21 Floor 789 No... No, emergency door 790! I need your help!"

"Rand... hiss..."

Simon's voice was completely covered by a burst of white noise.

Rand gritted his teeth and struggled. He had no doubt that if he didn't make a move, Vincent would instruct these damn monsters to stuff him into a lifeboat and send him out of the base.Leaving aside whether he has the ability to survive the extremely low temperature outside in that situation, there are people inside the base who he cannot give up--Vinson, and Munster who was taken away!

"damn it--"

Rand cursed.

The mucus of the siren test subjects made his skin itchy, their eyes were empty and their breath was chaotic, but their bodies were so full of power.

Is it really necessary to give up like this?

——No, never!

Rand thought.

As if responding to his thoughts... Rand suddenly heard a different sound from the friction between the scales and the ground.

"Kakaka-"

That's the sound of metal moving!

Rand raised his head in surprise, and sure enough, at the end of the aisle, an emergency door was falling.

"Oh, Simon, you are an angel!"

Rand couldn't help muttering.

The siren infestation stopped, and some of them began to hit the door. It didn't take long for them to break through the barrier, but overall, Rand bought himself some time.He rubbed his fingers hard beside his belt, and finally touched the hard handle of the gun, and then he used his index finger and ring finger to pull it out of the holster with difficulty.

"I would never leave here without you!" He continued, knowing that the siren infection around him would hear it, and Vincent would hear it too.

"No...Rand...no...you shouldn't see me like this..."

Through the roars of the siren subjects, Vincent repeated it over and over again, those monsters shook their heads, and the slime on their tentacles and scales rained down the corridor.

Rand glanced at them and pulled the trigger.

"boom--"

The bullet went down his calf, obliquely breaking the whiskers that bound him.

As a result, he had a long and narrow wound, and blood gushed out.But at this time Rand didn't have time to care about his wounds.

At the moment when the whiskers were severed, he struggled and rolled off the back of that disgusting siren test subject. Several new whiskers surrounded his ankles. Rand arched his body and came in that direction again. One shot.The pain caused the monster to howl instinctively, and one of its tentacles lashed Rand's abdomen heavily, sending him flying out.Of course, then Vincent's consciousness once again overtook his spirit.

"Rand..."

It hissed and lunged in Rand's direction.

Only this time, its attempt failed.

"boom--"

A tail covered with sticky blood and tissue fluid seemed to appear out of nowhere, and suddenly slapped the monster. The monster turned over and hit the wall hard with its head.

"Munster!"

Rand raised his head and saw Munster hanging upside down from the ceiling, but it looked very embarrassed compared to before. From Rand's perspective, its body surface was full of blood and unknown pieces of flesh, making One feels sick.It was completely irritated, with visibly deformed nails and mouth.

Rand only had time to see a shadow.

Munster had already rushed towards the siren infected body.

The stinky wind mixed with blood fell on Rand's face.

"do not do that……"

Rand yelled at the monsters on the other side.

But his efforts to stop it had little effect. Under the stimulation of Rand's bloody smell, Munster completely lost his mind. It can be said that he did not have any skills. siren infection.

The thick smell of blood in the air was almost impossible to breathe.

The skin is torn.

Internal organs were ripped out.

Bones shattered on impact.

……

"Stop it! Munster! Vincent!"

They nearly wrestled again—until loud gunshots interrupted their confrontation.

Rand leaned his shoulders against the wall, ignoring the blood running down his legs, and slowly, slowly stood up with guns in both hands, staring at them, panting.

"stop--"

He raised the gun and aimed it at his temple.

"Munster... come to me."

He added.

Munster was panting, his pupils were crimson like a devil, and his nails were sticking out sharply. In order to vent that uncontrollable intense emotion, he tore the metal panel uncontrollably with his claws on the floor. .

Its vision was bright red.

"Munster... come."

Rand held out his free hand to it.

Munster's throat gurgled, panting heavily, and slowly came to Rand's side.The tail tightly wrapped around Rand's body.After seeing the wound on Rand's leg again, a whimper-like sound leaked from its throat.

"It's all right, Munster."

Rand spoke to it softly.

Then, the black-haired man set his sights on the group of siren test subjects.

"Vincent, let me repeat one last time, I won't leave here without you. If you don't want to see me, then I'll give myself a bullet. After all, I won't let myself leave you and live in the of this world."

Rand said.

In fact, he hates his current behavior, threatening another person with his own safety?Before this, Rand swore that he would never do that, but now the situation has made it impossible for him to make any sensible and effective methods.

"Let me see you!"

All the movements of the monsters stopped like a tape with the pause button pressed.

The red eyes turned one by one, and their gaze stayed on Rand intensely as if they had substance.

"Woooooooo..."

It seems that some siren subjects are crying, of course, most of the siren subjects remain silent.

Munster stared at Rand, who stood there hand in hand with Rand, their bodies tightly pressed against each other.

Munster's hair has resurfaced that pink that conjures up images of girly, Barbie and Strawberry Bubble Gum.It was an obvious demonstration to the old siren—of course, Rand didn't see it.

But the Siren Infested stirred, and a ripple that couldn't be caught by sight opened up between them.

Rand felt that his trouser legs were wet and sticky against his skin, and blood was flowing down.

His palm holding the gun was a little cold sweat.

Will Vincent listen to him?Rand couldn't be sure.

In front of him, the monsters parted like the Red Sea facing Moses.Rand limped past them and returned to the door made of scales formed by the frozen slime.It's just that the "door" has changed significantly compared to before he left.

The mucus exuding a strong fishy smell accumulated on the ground like melted hot wax. In the very center of the "door", a round mouth appeared there like the open throat of a beast, from which leaked a strong white light.

"Sirens……"

Munster's scales turned bright red.

It rushed to the front of the gap, hissing and howling.

A depressing, heavy breath leaked from the gap.

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