March 2022
Midnight Writers
Table of Contents
Cover: “Buried Violet”, a photo by Vérité This Page: “First Blossom”, a photo by Vérité Page 3: Ask Aphro & Dite • stealing pencils • spaghetti adventures Verily Vérité • climate change A Dose of Fandom • genshin impact (derogatory)
Page 4:
“Shaded Path”, a photo by Yucheng Shao “Only Natural”, a photo by Vérité “Rabbits”, a memoir by Lirui Fu “Splash”, a photo by Yucheng Shao
Page 5:
“Morning Bell”, a photo by Vérité “Alice in Other-Land”, a story by Vérité
Page 6:
“Burning Fire”, an illustration by flaming elmo “Dear Hoomans”, a poem by Apollo “Ides”, a haiku by Carl Marks
Page 7:
“Sunset Walk”, an illustration by flaming elmo “Treasure Hunt”, a poem by Vérité “A Fortunate Misfortune”, a story by Vérité
Page 8:
“KTxME: Tetanurae: Issue 1: The Giant Southern Lizard (Part 5)”, a comic by AgonysEmbrace
Page 9, 10, 11:
“Rabbit Hole: Part Three: The Rise of A Hero”, a story by Mastermind 2
issuu.com/midnightwriters wchs.midnightwriters@gmail.com
Ask Aphro
Ask Dite
Dear Aphro, At the beginning of the year, I bought a new pack of pencils that I thought would last me through the year. But there’s still a full quarter left, and I’m down to my last pencil! I know the person who sits next to me in English has been stealing them, but every time I try to confront them, they say the pencils are their own. Help? Sincerely, Penny Pennsylvania
Dear Dite, I have accidentally turned all of my friends into spaghetti and do not have the capacity to turn them back (I was expelled from wizard school and shortly thereafter exiled from general wizard society). Please send help. Sincerely, Struggling
Dear Penny Pennsylvania, Sounds like you’re in a bit of a pickle! From your letter, I’m assuming that your pencils are typical #2 pencils--making it difficult to prove that they’re stolen--and I imagine your English teacher wouldn’t be much help here either. (They’d probably just offer you new pencils. As if they could ever replace the ones you’ve lost!) Therefore, I propose a more involved solution: An Evil Plan. That’s correct. An Evil Plan is the way to go. It’ll go in three steps, as follows. First, you’ll need bait: a pack of fake pencils to leave atop your desk every English class. Second, the surveillance: a miniscule camera to tape to each pencil. And, finally, if it comes to it: the confrontation. Once you plant the fake pencils, if this student really is committing theft, you’ll begin to notice. Their pencils mysteriously won’t work. They’ll begin to grumble about it. And then you’ll know. (The cameras--which I’m sure will be incredibly easy to acquire--can serve as the backup plan.) Once the data confirms your hypothesis, you can move forward. Confrontation. Take them to court for all the poor pencils they’ve stolen from you, present all your evidence, and this student will never dare mess with you or your pencils ever again. Best of luck! With love,
Aphro
Dear Struggling, What a frustrating situation to be in, my dear! I extend my deepest sympathies to you; I know how it feels to be exiled. But fear not, you’ve come to the right person--I have just the advice for your unfortunate conundrum. You must normalize spaghettification in wizard society. It sounds difficult, I know. But it’s actually far simpler than it seems! Let me explain. Your first step will be to start a Twitter trend going (awful, I know, but better than the alternative), normalizing the spaghettification look. This will be far easier if you tie spaghettification to the space-related phenomena of the same name, in which one is stretched beyond comprehension when within the vicinity of a black hole. Galaxy prints are trending right now! Once you’ve accomplished this, your friends will hardly stick out. They’ll be in company with fellow spagettified-wizards. While this won’t turn them back, it will definitely improve their quality of life as they live out the rest of their days as lowly pasta packs. With love, Dite
Verily Vérité Happy March, one and all! The Spring equinox has come and gone, which can mean only one thing: Spring has arrived at last. Warmer skies, nicer weather, and lazy days outdoors await… or do they? Oh, wait. That’s right. We live in Maryland, where our weather is about as sensible and predictable as a two-headed piglet boar on a merrygo-round. So how are we all feeling about that delightful dose of March hail? I, for one, am getting rather sick of this whole charade. I love snow days as much as the next person, and usually I’m all for getting an extra snow day or two in March, but I’ve had my fill of below-freezing for the year and I’d like it to end now, please. I’ve also had it with the characteristic Maryland indecisiveness of it all; can we please stop getting a pleasant seventy degree day followed by a deep freeze?
A Dose of Fandom On March 30th, 2022, Genshin Impact welcomes their newest 2.6 update filled with new events and areas to explore. The 2.6 update introduces a new five star character by the name of Ayato, along with banner reruns for the characters Ayaka and Venti. Despite Ayato’s debut, the main character of this new patch is undeniably Venti (written with absolutely no bias at all), the Anemo Archon. As a literal God, his skill set makes him one of the best crowd-control supports in the game. And, despite his common reputation as a support, his playstyle remains extremely versatile. He can be utilized in many different ways, whether as a burst dps, an elemental damage dps, or even a physical dps. Either way, Venti’s banner will leave on the 19th of April, so make sure to pull for and play as him soon!
I call upon the Board of Maryland Weather to put an end to this madness, now. Give us Spring already. We’ve had enough sweater (and coat) weather to last us the rest of the school year. At the very least, if they have to give us more snow at the end of March, at least let it be on a school day. À la prochaîne, Vérité
Special thanks to Sra. Steele, Cupid, Vérité, AgonysEmbrace, and viento de levante 3
Rabbits
by Lirui Fu Rabbits are common animals. They are people’s favorite, since they are really cute. They can bring happiness to our life, because they are quite well-behaved. Sometimes they love to bite the wires around your house. It is really fun for the rabbit (though definitely not for you). My cousin once had two rabbits called Little Gray and Little White. They brought fun to my cousin’s life. The reason is that he was an only child. But having an animal always has a disadvantage. That is death. When both rabbits grew old and sick, they were sent back to the wild, and it took him one year to finally get out of that. Rabbits also are the symbol for Easter. One time when I was shoveling snow, a rabbit jumped out. It was really cute at the moment. People love them because of their personality and look.
“Splash”, Photo by Yucheng Shao “Shaded Path”, Photo by Yucheng Shao
Only Natural by Vérité
In an empty, crumbling road, A lone berry bush grows, Splitting the stones down the middle It cares not for its home, Or for the destruction sows, To which it remains second-fiddle. The berry bush grows, And the berry seeds drop Into cracks that they’ll never call home And the road is paved over, Its dynasty stopped, With nothing but cracks to atone.
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chin on her hand. The rabbit is so much shorter than her that really, at this point, she thinks it would be ruder of her to stand for this conversation than it would be to remain sitting. “Alice is my cousin. She told us the tale last summer--though I suppose none of us believed her.” “I see.” The rabbit sits back on its haunches. “And would you be so kind as to point me in her direction? There are urgent matters and we require her presence. We’re running quite behind on time.”
“Morning Bell”, Photo by Vérité
Diane arches an eyebrow. How curious. And what unfortunate timing. “She’s gone to France for summer holiday. Forget Wonderland, she’s in another land entirely.” The rabbit tilts his head. “Alice is in Other-Land?”
Alice in Other-Land by Vérité
Diane is reading lazily under the birch tree when the rabbit comes. It has white fur and dark eyes, which is ordinary enough, and a buttoned up waistcoat with a ticking pocket watch, which is decidedly not. It approaches her with a slow and steady pace, and she tracks its motion with still, cautious eyes. The rabbit tilts its head. Diane does the same. “Well,” the rabbit says, finally, “You certainly aren’t Alice.” If Diane had been a girl of lesser constitution, she would have screamed shrill enough to frighten the birds off their branches. Instead, as it were, she lets out a surprised puff of air and recollected herself promptly. Talking rabbits. So her cousin wasn’t making up that wild tale of hers after all. “Are you from Wonderland, then?” she says evenly, because she is a proper young lady and is always capable of polite conversation, even when it is with talking rabbits. The rabbit gives her a peculiar look. “Yes,” he says. “I am, indeed. And how would you know of it?” Diane sets aside the book and leans forward, resting her
“I suppose so.” The rabbit begins to pace--hop, really--in a frantic circle, muttering to himself all the while. Diane watches with burgeoning curiosity. He stops abruptly. “There may be a solution.” Diane waits for him to continue. Truly, once the novelty of a talking animal has worn off, this conversation is rather dull and she’d rather it finish sooner than later. “Would you be willing to stand in for Alice for the ceremony?” Diane blinks. “What?” “Well?” the rabbit says impatiently. “Would you?” Diane splutters. How absurd! Her, go to Wonderland. Trailing after a talking rabbit. If the tales Alice told her really are true, then Wonderland is truly the worst place for someone like her to go. Filled with perils and danger and near-death experiences and mud. Absurd. And yet. And yet, her governesses had always stressed the importance of courtesy and hospitality. This rabbit, if her cousin is to be believed, is a dear friend of Alice. If she doesn’t want to go to Wonderland for this ceremony, well, then-“I have a far better idea,” she says levelly. “Why not host your ceremony here?” The rabbit tilts its head again. * When her father returns home that evening, he has quite the shock.
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“Burning Fire”, Illustration by flaming elmo
What’s with these costumes You force me to wear? They’re goofy and silly And mess up my hair! I would not mind If you kept this in our house. But, when you post it online You are definitely a louse! Even without costumes, You still make me look funny. You force my arms to move So you could make some money.
Dear Hoomans by Apollo
Dear Hoomans, We need to talk! Let me be clear. If you want me to be your cute little pet, There’s something you need to hear! I like what you feed me And I love the treats! But being a great pet Is not all that I eat! I’m cute and I’m cuddly And if you want me as a great pet Then, let’s knock off These trips to that monster, the VET! You hear her smile. She talks with glee. But I want to scream When she touches me. But ya know what’s worse than that? Here’s a hint: it’s here at home. Since you make me do skits On the Tic-Tac cell phone! 6
I don’t get the benefits Of whatever you do. You get the money And I don’t have a clue! If you don’t stop taping This dumb stuff, I swear, The next thing I will do Is to chew what you wear! With love from your pets, -
Your dog, Buster Your cat, Buffy Your hamster, Benny Your goldfish, Bubbles Your parrot, Birdie
Ides
by Carl Marx Caesar on the floor Glint of knives staring him down Blood blood everywhere
“Sunset Walk”, Illustration by flaming elmo
A Fortunate Misfortune by Vérité
The doorbell chimes. The secretary looks up with a glazed over gaze and rolls her eyes. “Welcome to the Lucky Life Inc. Offices, where gold always glitters and the sun always shines, et cetera, et cetera. How may I help you today?” The man that enters gulps nervously and pats at his suit pocket. Frankly, it unnerves him how monotone the secretary’s spiel comes out. It makes her sound like some sort of robot. “Hello,” he says, then clears his throat. “Uh. I’m here for a refund?”
Treasure Hunt by Vérité
i. The journey begins With an old forgotten map Alone in a chest. ii. Winding paths are traced Wide hills and mountains traversed Even oceans crossed. iii. The “X” marks the spot And the spot is overturned Nothing to be found.
He walks up to the desk and holds out a receipt. The secretary snatches it, looks it over, than raises an eyebrow. Silence. “Right,” he says awkwardly. “So. I ordered a shipment two weeks ago for my anniversary, but it came spoiled and it didn’t quite work out. Actually--” his eyebrows knit together-- “It was a complete disaster. I think you all ended up sending me misfortune instead of good fortune, because our reservation at the restaurant was lost, it ended up raining whenever we were outside, and my wife ended up in the hospital. So I’d like a refund, please. And a replacement shipment.” The secretary looks up at him with her eyebrows still raised, then looks back at the receipt. She blows a bubble of bright pink gum then pops it. Then she sighs. “Sir,” she says, voice still flat and monotone. “Is your wife Sally Martin?” “Yes…” the man says slowly. The secretary mumbles something under her breath. “Yeah,” she says, handing him the receipt back. “Nothing we can do. Your luck came fine; she just ordered more of it than you.” “What?” he says, aghast. “Did hers come spoiled too?” The secretary rolls her eyes again. “No, sir,” she says. “She ordered bad luck.”
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“KTxME: Tetanurae: Issue 1: The Giant Southern Lizard (Part 5)” by AgonysEmbrace
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Rabbit Hole: Part Three: The Rise of A Hero by Mastermind XI That voice belongs to Dr. Hare and he wants to see me. With my life possibly on the line, I tell Olivia “I’m sorry, but I just can’t live like this” and she chokes on the words. “You really haven’t changed, Bolt-Brain.” I hold in my tears as I am dragged to a car with a coat of paint as black as night. Inside, there are two armed S-3 Rabbot Infiltrators next to where I am instructed to sit. After what seemed like five hours, we arrive at the gate to an unmarked cube-shaped building. The speaker box at the gate asks for the entrance password, and the Rabbot driver says a code-like word “M1ndL03k” and the gate then opens. I look around the hallways I walk down in suspicion. Rabbot bases usually stay active 24/7, I think to myself, what’s going on? We soon stop at the door to a room marked GA-1, and inside there are paintings that show unimaginable pain, but pleasant music fills the room while a fireplace crackles softly. “Take a seat,” a hoarse voice beckons to me, and so I do. The voice of the man watching the fireplace turns his chair around, and I am staring at the metal cyborg that is Dr. Hare. I hear a squeak in my voice as I ask him, “What are you planning to do with me?” He chuckles then says to me, “Don’t worry I can explain everything.” “You see,” he starts. “What I find hard to understand is how have I, with what is currently the largest army in history, not won this war yet? But the answer is simple: the human mind. It’s keeps coming up with reasons to fight against me.” “Well yeah,” I say with no clue where he’s taking this. “Even after 100 years you’ve still got Junkboys that take you and all you’ve tried to teach them as well, junk.” The Rabbot Infiltrators that were guarding the room point their guns at me, but Dr. Hare calls them off. “What you say is true,” he tells me while trying to conceal his rage. “Although, what if there was a way to craft people’s lives for them? Like, say… an AI brain that controls their destiny?” I suddenly feel nervous. Trying to stay calm I ask him, “How would that work?” He hesitates for a moment. Then he says sinisterly, “It would have to tap into the minds of two of the best examples of workers in our society. We’ve gotten enough information to craft a Junkboy after going through your kind’s minds.” “You copied their brains?!” I shout at him appalled.
“Precisely,” he repiles smugly. “Now, the man who we used for the technician part was never the same after going through our first method. But, with all of the records of your
I feel my blood harden like ice in my veins. Olivia was right, I think to myself. I’m trying to please a rabbot! I haven’t changed! Not knowing what else to do, I grab an infiltrator’s gun and shoot both of them down. Then I run thinking, but I will now! XII As I run down through halls infested with Rabbot security, I think to myself: I should have killed Dr. Hare when I had the chance. As I gun down the Rabbots in my path, I hear the lockdown siren echo throughout the base. I’m far from the entrance, and even if I make it out of the building, I would never make it past the gate. I feel my heart race as metal barriers start to come down around the windows and doors. I gasp, Of course! The windows! I shoot at a window until it breaks, but then I notice the barrier. I hear the Rabbots charging down the hallway and then I see a troop transport truck coming to the gate. Without any other options, I squeeze past the barrier, jump out the window, and grab onto the top of the truck. As the truck drives around Russia I think to myself, What can I do now? The entire Rabbot army is probably out to kill me, and I can’t be protected by Olivia anymore. Who is there left for me to trust? The truck then comes to a stop and I see it is at the retirement home my parents live in nowadays. Dad probably won’t mind me staying with him. After all, on the day I was being sent away to the junkyard, he gave me a thumbs up. As for Mom, who knows what she thinks of me now. As the troops head inside the retirement home I duck into a bush to stay out of sight. I try to think of a good reason why troops would be sent to a retirement home when I hear what I believe to be gunshots and screams. Two minutes later, I see an old woman being dragged into the truck screaming, “You monsters! You killed him!” “Well that was disturbing,” I mutter to myself but then I recognize that voice. It’s my Mom’s. “No, no, no, no!” I say as I run to the window of my Mom and Dad’s bedroom. As I climb inside I feel something on the floor. I slowly look down and see Dad bleeding out on the floor. Bullets through his chest, bullets from the troops. They came here to take mom to be my replacement in Dr. Hare’s plan. Dad grabs my shirt, and with blood coming out from his mouth he says to me “Free… Russia… and make… the streets… run with Rabbot blood!” Then his heart stops beating.
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XIII I clench my dead father’s stone cold arm with burning fury. I will make sure the Rabbots never get to see the light of day ever again! I think to myself. Then I see a Rabbot news truck and look at the calender in the room. Today is May 31st. The day where Rabbot news crews broadcast to their enemies the back-breaking work the Junkboys are doing to let them know that this is what many of them will be forced to when the Rabbots win the war. If only I could get a message out to the world they might come to stop them, I think to myself. The streets are lined with Rabbots on patrol. Luckily the darkness of night aids me as I travel through alleyways. When I find the right junkyard, the sun is on the rise, so the crew must be inside filming. As a garbage truck comes out, I make a mad dash to the gate. I get inside but my Junkboy shirt is caught in the gate, so I rip the back of it off and sneak over to the camera crew. “I believe that your leaders will be put in intense confinement like Derek Ikes or Olivia Lakerman,” I hear the Rabbot reporter say. “Before the day is out we will prevai-aiee!” he screams as I gun him down. “Keep rolling if you want to live,” I tell the camera crew. They nod in fright and I begin what I rehearsed in my mind on the way here. “Attention brave souls out there. For years I thought of you as foolish people for denying the power of the Rabbot empire. But now, through unimaginable pain and loss, I see you differently. So I ask you to come and fight the Rabbots here in Russia. If you don’t, consider the world in the hands of heartless monsters.” The Rabbot guards shoot down the camera crew after they are done filming, then one points his gun to my head. “Any last words, idiot?” he asks me. “I’ve fulfilled my father’s wish. And tell Dr. Hare he’s a coward.” “Wow, you’re just like Olivia. Too bad she won’t see her double alive again,” he mocks me. Just when I think it’s all over for me, a swarm a Rabbot drones come down firing on the Rabbot guards. Chapter 14 Once the guards have fallen, the drones free all of the Junkboys from their cells. I rush over to Olivia and she gasps when she sees me. “You’re alive!” but then she frowns. “So, you see I was right.” “Okay, fine!” I shout at her. “You were right. The Rabbots were going to mess with my mind. But that doesn’t matter now. They’ve got someone to take my place in their operation. So let’s go!” We pick up guns from the dead Rabbots, but just when we think we’re home-free a squad of S-3 Rabbot Infiltrators spots us. The leader yells “Kill them!” My heart pounds as I remember a video on Infiltrators showing how deadly they can be in combat.
XIV Once the guards have fallen, the drones free all of the Junkboys from their cells. I rush over to Olivia and she gasps when she sees me. “You’re alive!” but then she frowns. “So, you see I was right.” “Okay, fine!” I shout at her. “You were right. The Rabbots were going to mess with my mind. But that doesn’t matter now. They’ve got someone to take my place in their operation. So let’s go!” We pick up guns from the dead Rabbots, but just when we think we’re home-free, a squad of S-3 Rabbot Infiltrators spots us. The leader yells “Kill them!” My heart pounds as I remember a video on Infiltrators showing how deadly they can be in combat. I could only kill two idle ones, but just then a transport breaks through the gate and runs over the squad. The door opens and I see Simon with a gun holstered on his back. He says “Get in if you want to live!” so we pile in. Before the door closes, Derek grabs hold of it. “What do you want?” Olivia asks. “To get out of this stink,” he replies. “We’re full up,” I tell him. “Oh well, I guess I could just--- Hey scrap heads! The’re getting aw-” Olivia covers his mouth and says “Just be quiet.” “Touchy, touchy,” he says. As we drive around I see the city revolting against the Rabbots with the aid of the drones, flags are being burned, Rabbots are being maimed, and the people are screaming for death to the Rabbot Empire. “What is wrong with you?!” I hear Olivia scream. I turn around and see her beating up Simon. “You betray your best friend, then one month later you come back to help him like all this wasn’t your fault! You bastard!” As she prepares to punch him again I get in her way. “Stop!” I shout. “He probably knows more about what’s going on than any of us, so why don’t we let him tell us.” “Well, I would have told you the day you barged into my workplace,” he replies. “But I would have died as a result.” “What are you talking about?” asks Olivia. “What I am talking about,” he explains, “Is that I had a chip attached to my brain by the Rabbot scientists that would instantly kill me if I said anything about their plan. That’s why I tased you Dave. But I had it removed by a rebel spy and I helped him install malware to make the drones turn on the Rabbots.” I can’t believe it, I think to myself Simon does still care about me. “So what are they planning anyway?” Derek asks. “If I have to be in a van with you losers it should be for a good reason.” Simon starts to draw something while he explains everything. “They are planning to make humans perfect by eradicating the rebels and Junkboys forever. They will do it by distributing specialized signals from space that will cover the whole world with this.” He shows us a blueprint description for what looks to be a giant rabbit-like satellite. “This is what those technicians and mechanics were sent to finish,” he says grimly.
Derek bursts out laughing. “This thing will last at least a thousand years before its power is completely gone.” Olivia slaps him. “You idiot. The blueprint says it runs on solar power.¨ “It’s also going to be stationed at the equator so it can receive all the necessary power it needs,” Simon says. I look out the window and see a cracked jumbotron showing the satellite in space with a countdown time of one hour. Olivia says, “Great news, we’re almost at the base so we can stop th-” “It’s already in space!” I shout over her. “We’ve only got an hour before the signals are sent out!” “Itś impossible!” Simon exclaims. “The base is under heavy security. The people and drones attacking it have already have spent two hours trying to get halfway inside. There’s no way we can-- Uh guys, why is the driver in the back with us? And where’s Der--oh no.” The next thing I know, Derek is driving us towards a vehicle elevator just as the doors are about to close, smashing into dozens of Rabbots along the way. “Looks like this is meant to go down to floor ML,” Dereks remarks. MindLock, I think to myself. All that night I was told the entire plan in code. Very clever, Dr. Hare but I figured you out. Derek presses the intercom button and a Rabbot asks “Where are you delivering to?” “Floor ML my brother,” he says with a perfect Rabbot impression. “You need to have someone with clearance to let you through. Please tell them to insert their identification card,” the Rabbot says. Derek looks around and sees a crushed Rabbot with his card dangling in his hand. He quickly grabs and inserts it into the card reader. “Thank you for confirmation, Commander Evans. We will let them enter now.” Soon we arrive and when I get out I think to myself, Derek, you’re a crazy man. The other Junkboys run along with Derek because he was a part-time janitor down here, but me, Olivia, and Simon proceed with caution. We all wonder the same thing: Why is there no security around? This area is extremely important to the Rabbot Empire, so why have no one guard it? Once we make it to the control center that sends messages to the satellite, we see that the Rabbots operating it have been slaughtered. “Okay,” Simon tells us. “I’ll work on making the system collapse with Dave and Olivia guarding me. Derek, you take the others to guard the door.” But once they are in position, a capsule comes up from the floor, and out from it comes the specialized security here. The challenging, terrifying bane of rebel squads, an S-10 Razor Rabbot. XV The artificial terror slices through Derek’s squad like sushi with its sword-like arms, and it punches Derek straight towards Simon. As his face swells up and blood runs down his nose like a waterfall, Simon cringes, then shouts “Dodge left!” as the Rabbot lunges forward. Olivia and I dodge just in time, but the beast turns towards Simon ready to strike. “We gotta keep him away from Simon!” Olivia shouts. “Shoot him!” He chases us down a few halls, then in one room the Razor Rabbot locks the door.
“Great idea, locking yourself in so we can kill you,” I tell him tauntingly. Then, in an eerily familiar voice, he says, “I think that will kill you first,” and points to a sign that says ‘Reactor Room’. This is it, I think to myself, but then I remember the voice. “Dr. Hare?! I thought you were aboard the satellite?” ¨I’m on there all right, and yet I’m down here at the same time,” he explains. “I can make this Rabbot obey my every command through this device.” “So, you’re doing what you usually do, but with more fancy gear?” Olivia replies sneeringly. Dr. Hare reactivates the S-10’s sword arms and says imposingly, “I wouldn’t act so lively if I was on the verge of dying.” I chuckle then tell him, “We can just go into that station over there and deactivate your digital radiation protection suit without a problem.” “Um, Bolt Brain?” Olivia asks worriedly. I start to retort, “Okay, after everything I’ve done today you can’t call me ‘Bolt Bra–” but then I see them. My mother and Olivia’s brother. She is terrified beyond comprehension and his mind is somewhere else. Unlike mom, he is unaware of the Rabbot officers with guns ready to fire. “I’ll make you a deal,” Dr. Hare says a few seconds later. “If you let me kill Simon, you and your relatives will be free to go. Try to stop me and they die before you. So what’s it gonna be?” Just then an alarm goes off with a Rabbot on the P.A. saying “Warning! Our satellite is on a direct collision course with this base in T-Minus 3 hours. Please evacuate. This is not a drill.” The Rabbot officers flee and Dr. Hare shouts, “Cowards! You will be destroyed once I’m done here!” before lunging at us. We end up on different sides of him. Olivia shouts, “Get in there! I’ll hold him off!” Then she pulls out what looks like a metal rod, but it turns into an electrified sword like Dr. Hare’s. I run into the station and find my mom crouched on the floor shivering in fear. “Don’t worry, we’ll be out of here soon,” I assure her. I soon find a file on the S-10 we’re fighting and deactivate its force field protection. I wait for Olivia to come in and say that we did it, but nothing happens. Her brother then says in a vacant tone, “Rabbot holding lady over railing.” I turn and see the S-10 holding Olivia by the throat over a vat of uncovered nuclear material. I open the door ready to fight, but Mom says “You’ll be killed!” Just then Olivia rolls her deactivated sword over to me. “Not while I have this,” I say while beating back the S-10. As I help Olivia get back onto the walkway, I tell her to run away then turn to fight Dr. Hare. It’s not easy for the S-10 because its lack of protection is making it sluggish, but I feel weakened as well. However, Dr. Hare’s refusal to go down allows it to overpower me and he pushes me down. As Dr. Hare prepares to decapitate me he says, “Any last words?” I see my mother’s face pressed against the glass on the station door as she mouths to me, “Your friend has collapsed.” My blood boils, and I say, “Don’t mess with the Junkboys, you piece of Rabbot trash!” Then I slash open the S-10. He freezes, then stumbles backwards and falls over the railing into the vat. As he burns to death, I try to open the station door, but I collapse. The last thing I see before my vision goes dark are men in non-digital radiation suits. When I wake up, I see Simon standing by me. He says, “Glad you’re finally back with us. I think you’re going to like living in America.”