𝐊𝐔𝐋𝐅𝐘𝐑𝐀𝐙

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There was something glowing in the rubble and he wanted it. He’s been digging through it for the past few minutes until he finally gets it unstuck. Once it was finally free, its light had already faded. He shook it once and it turned on, but only for a second. He shook it even more and watched the light shine brighter. It even made a rather obnoxious sound. He grinned, knowing exactly who to annoy with this little light.

With that in mind, he stores it on his belt and continued on. He was careful to not run into the expendable prisoners that were being sent down here, but there was always a few that catches them off guard. It was nothing an angler couldn’t handle while he escapes elsewhere, and the angler didn’t even have to kill them either. As long as it slowed them down and allowed him to escape.

Corky eventually finds the open vent in the wall and crawls through, only to find the room empty. Everything was moved. His fins lowered as he scowled. Sebastian moved shop again. If anything, it was probably because those Urbanshade guardsmen did a sweep of the area or got a little too close for comfort. He groaned at the thought and crawled back out. With how large the facility was, it was anyone’s guess where he could be now.

Back to more exploring then, was his only thought as he looks for a new route to explore.

Along the way, he chased off a wall dweller that tried to sneak up on him and yelled at the bull shark out the window for scaring him, but she couldn’t hear him. That’s when he spotted a certain item sitting on the desk, so he quickly picked it up and flashed the shark with the beacon before running off. He doesn’t bother taking it with him.

Once the shark was finally off his tail, he slows down and continues to explore and search through the drawers. He eventually opens a door and pauses at what he sees on the other side. A hotel lobby?

He steps back, closing the door. He took the green flashlight off his belt and shook it to process what he just saw and to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating. He opens the door again and the room remains the way he found it. A hotel lobby, one that looks oddly taken care of but no one has been here for a very long time. There’s the sound of rain just outside too, but how is it raining? Everything is made out of wood too which wouldn’t be possible to keep out all of that water from outside, right?

He stomps his foot on the wooden boards, and it did make the kind of sound you would hear. He listens for that familiar muffled sound of the water outside, but it’s only rain. Thunder too. It was like he was suddenly brought to the surface. It couldn’t have been that easy.

“Oookayy…” He sighs, “Totally not weird at all,”

He goes to open the next door, and the hotel continues. He continues to shake the green flashlight as he continued on. The numbers on the doors kept going up as well. Sometimes there were plus shaped rooms, and other times there were T-shaped rooms. Nothing seemed to be hiding in the walls, the anglers were nowhere to be found, and there’s no way the bull shark can find him here.

As he opens the next door, the lights suddenly flickered.

“Huh? An anger?”

His fins stand up as he hears an unfamiliar sound. A loud, distant yet quickly approaching sound. He turns towards the door he just stepped through and sees something glowing a bright green approaching. That’s not Chainsmoker. It’s moving too fast.

As the face of the incoming monster becomes clear, Corky yelps and immediately darts inside the nearest closet. The creature remains in the room for a moment before it retreats. He opens the closet door slightly to peak through, only to feel something crawl up his tail. Almost instantly he jumps out of the closet with his tail in his hands.

“H-Hey!! Hands off!”

But there’s no one in the closet. His fin twitches as he hears the creature coming back.

“Seriously?!” He goes back into the closet and holds it shut, “That’s not Froger either! What the hell?!”

The creature leaves again and he steps out once its screams had faded. He remained close to the closet in case it came back.

“Corky?”

His fins perked up. He recognized that voice, “Hey, Oberon! Is that you?”

“Oh dear… I’m so sorry, you’re in one of the rooms I dragged here,”

“So this is your doing. Wow. Pretty impressive there, but how do I get out?”

There was a brief silence before a padlock fell from one of the closed doors, “Enter through that door. You will return to the blacksite,”

“Really? Just like that?” Corky walks up to the door and turns the handle.

The door is suddenly pulled open which causes Corky to stumble forward and bump into someone.

“Yes. Just like that,”

Corky looks up at the masked angel and smiles. He quickly stands up and hugs the angel tightly.

“Oberonnn!!”

“Hello Corky,” he hugs back.

Corky pulls away and shows him the green flashlight, “Look what I found,”

“Oh?” He leans down to look at it, “Well now, that’s not something you see down here often. Where did you find such a thing?”

“It was stuck under some rubble and I dug it out. Oh, by the way, Sebastian moved shop again. You seen him anywhere?”

Oberon nods as he stands up straight, “Why yes. I was just there a moment ago before I eventually sensed you wandering through those rooms,”

“Perfect! Take me to him!” He demands, “I wanna annoy him with it!”

“I believe it is called a “gummylight,” Oberon laughs, “What a funny name,”

“Ah, who cares what it’s called! It makes this ANNOYING sound when I shake it!”

Corky starts shaking it rapidly and the flashlight lets out a clicking sound. It would keep going for as long as he shook it, so Oberon gently catches his hand and stopping him from shaking the flashlight.

“Alright, alright. I was going to head back anyway once everything in those rooms were done, but seeing as it was only you, I suppose I’ll entertain you on the way,”

Corky laughs, “You came all the way here for lil’ ol’ me? Wowww, I wouldn’t for you,”

“Not even for your favorite angel buddy? Corky, I’m hurt. And after all we’ve been through…”

“Ughh!! Jeez, don’t be such a drama queen! Now c’mon,” he claps his hands, “It’s only a matter of time before that guy moves shop again,”

“Unfortunately, it may take longer than you’d like. I may have gotten here rather quickly through my abilities, but we’ll have to walk,”

“Aw, really?” Corky slumped, “Why?”

“Remember last time? The force had knocked you out cold for half a day,”

“Man…can’t believe this whole angel stuff is so difficult. My body has to get used to that? But I’ve been like this for years!”

Oberon sighs, “I understand, but you are not purely an angel. You were not created as I was,”

Corky rolled his eyes at that and huffed. He really had no other option, so walking is exactly what they’d have to do. The situation itself wasn’t that bad, however. All it meant was that Corky gets to spend quality time with Oberon as they talk. Oberon can also lead the expendables away should their paths cross at some point, so it was perfect. He wouldn’t need to call an angler to chase them off.

One of the rooms they’d come across would have pipes sitting on a wall. There’s an electrical hazard near the bridge as well. Oberon narrows his eyes as he looks to the pipes on the wall, then up to the camera sitting in the corner. He tilts his head, only using his finger to knock it off its stand then returns his attention to the pipes. He curls his fingers to form a fist and the pipes are snapped clean off. Water begins to rush through and soon begin to flood the bridge that connects the platforms.

“What was that?” Corky turns around. He was already in the next room.

“Oh, nothing. I’m just giving the prisoners a new problem to solve on their way to the crystal,”

The water should be electrified by now. Anyone stupid enough would walk through it, and part of him hoped that didn’t happen any time soon. It’s only meant to slow them down anyway. Hopefully he can also make sure knocking out some cameras can cause the sinners to lose track of their prisoners, but he doubts it’d be that easy. He hopes they’d find some way to escape from their clutches, but alas, the reward seems to be way too enticing. He’s learned quickly anyone would do anything for money.

They’d soon come across the server farm, and right now, Oberon’s only concern is the Good People. He hopes Painter sees it’s only them and leads the Good People away. As Oberon walked down the stairs, Corky had other plans. Instead, he jumped onto the support beams and balanced his way across the room.

Hearing the lack of footsteps behind him, Oberon turns and looks up, “Corky. How did you get up there?”

There was no bitterness in his tone, he wasn’t annoyed or angry but seemed to be playing along. He knew how he got up there, but he asked anyway.

Corky laughs and points to the stairs, “Take a good look. Perfect angle, and a nice little spot to lay on,”

Oberon tilts his head as he puts his hands on his hips, “Really? Is that so?”

Corky sat on the beams and tested the comfort by lying down. It didn’t take long for him to sit up, “Yeah, never mind,”

“Alright, come on down,” he walks up to him with his hands up, ready to catch him.

Corky smiled and pushed himself off. The other angel caught him without problem, and he jumps out of his arms and runs ahead. There was a code breacher sitting on the table beside the door he just ran through, and Oberon decides to take it along with him. He doesn’t often take the items with him as he leaves them for the expendables to pick up, but he makes a few exceptions.

Upon entering the next room, Corky seemed to have started looking through the drawers. There was a side room as well, but it was locked. Luckily for Oberon, he has a key to open it.

“Ah, hold on a moment,”

“Hm? What’s up?” Corky stops and turns to Oberon as he puts the strange sealed envelope down.

“Sebastian may like to have some of those loose assets inside,”

“Those are for those expendable guys, just leave ‘em!”

“Yes, but then those same guys will likely get eaten and swallowed up by a wall dweller, pandemonium, or even possibly fall into a hole. Or perhaps into lava, which means the data is lost and chances of leaving are further reduced,”

Corky scoffs, crossing his arms, “I hate it when you’re right…”

The door slides open after Oberon presses a few more buttons and heads inside. There were quite a few stacks of documents and a few flash drives inside. Corky decides to take a look as well and finds another code breacher in a locker.

“I’m guessing you want to take this along?”

“Yes. I have been seeing quite a few rooms with these locked sections,” Oberon holds out his hand and Corky gives it to him, “Besides, should the expendables be unlucky enough to not have one on them either, then that means less data,”

“Yeah yeah, I get it,” he groans, “Less data, no escape for us. No need to repeat yourself, jeez…”

Oberon skims through some documents before stacking them into a neat pile. He turns to Corky and holds a few flash drives to him, “May you hold onto these for me?”

“Fine,”

Corky stuffs the flash drives into the small pouches strapped over his chest. Oberon stands up with the documents in his arm and Corky follows him out into the next room.

“By the way Corky, the Eyefestation has been rather feisty. You didn’t do something to her, did you?”

“Huhh? Me? Nooooo, never!!” He smiled.

“Corky. You know I hate it when you start lying,”

“Ugh, alright fine! She scared me, so of course I had to do it!”

He lets out a faint chuckle and adjusts the documents in his arms, “My, she didn’t deserve that Corky,”

He huffs and turns away. Oberon stops walking as he closes the door behind them, knowing what room is up ahead. The path leads directly to the DiVine.

“Oh come on… I can’t stand going through their rooms…” Corky shivered.

“As long as you stay off the grass, they’ll leave you alone,”

“I know, but man some of them like to crowd around the door! It scares me every time!”

Oberon gently ruffled Corky’s hair before continuing on, “We’re almost there. Sebastian set up shop in their rooms,”

“Of course he did…”

The moment Oberon opens the door, Corky lets out a yelp as they see the humanoid vines surrounding the entrance.

“Ah, they think they’re being funny,” he laughs.

“They are so not!! I hate it whenever they do that!”

“No more fussing, let’s go,”

Corky pulls up his hood and stays behind Oberon in the mean time. Some rooms had their lights knocked out, so Oberon would make a small ball of light in his hand to light the way. It wasn’t too bright to actually bother the squiddles, but if they did stand too close for too long then they may react.

A distant scream is soon heard which makes Corky rather quick to defend himself, “I didn’t do that. She found her way here on her own,”

“I know,” he smiles, “Here, this room should keep is safe,”

The DiVine was in there as well, but didn’t seem to be doing much. The floor trembles as the pink angler passes by which does cause the DiVine to react, but they only turned towards the noise the angler had made.

“Ugh, does she have to be so loud? It hurts my ears…”

“Well, at least the lights don’t break whenever she’s here,”

In one of the rooms, the bull shark finds them again and seems pretty upset to see Corky. So he just makes sure he’s out of sight by using Oberon as a wall between him and her. Oberon did give her a wave before they entered the next room. He suddenly stopped walking which made Corky bump into him.

“Hey, why’d you stop?”

Corky leans to the side to see why Oberon stopped walking, but he quickly got his answer. Upon seeing the vent in the wall, Corky points at it with a huge grin on his face as he looked to Oberon. He didn’t need to say it as the angel already knew what he was going to ask, so he just nods. He watches Corky practically dive into the vent.

Oberon looks to some of the DiVine who were surrounding the light. One seemed a bit curious and was reaching towards it. He decides to turn it so it was directed away from the vent which causes a reaction. The DiVine moves away. With that, Oberon goes to join the other two.

“Hey Sebastiaaaaan!!” Corky then yells, “Guess what I found!”

The taller fish groaned, sitting up from the desk with piles of documents and vials and flash drives scattered about, “Ughh… What-?”

The moment Corky came out and held up the green flashlight, his ear fins lowered.

“Oh, no…”

Oberon stands up and dusts himself off, stifling a laugh, “I did not take him to the A-0001 containment room. He found it all on his own,”

“And you didn’t think it was necessary to take it from him? It’s so obnoxious!!”

“I’m not one to take someone else’s toys, my friend. Although, I find it quite amusing,”

“Oh, my suffering is amusing, huh?” Sebastian retorts, towering over the angel, “But look what I have here! A Necrobloxicon. Would be a shame if I opened it, huh?”

“I’d advise not to do that,”

With the DNA of aquatic creatures, there were tests to see if Z-0RC-4 can breathe underwater. This was done before his body had finished reforming and researchers recorded the average amount of time a human can hold their breath. Around the time Z-0RC-4 had succumbed to the effects, the Guardian Angel of the Banlands has been contained in the facility. To further test the limits, Z-0RC-4 was given a sample of DNA extracted from the angel. After three hours, Z-0RC-4’s vitals returned and a dark halo had formed above his head. There had been no other physical changes to Z-0RC-4 as of late other than his body completing its reform.

Tests resumed to see if Z-0RC-4 can now breathe underwater, but it resulted in him only being able to stay underwater for 15-20 minutes max. The goal has not been met and the form his body had taken was undesirable.

As of late 2014, Z-0RC-4, or Corky as he started to refer to himself as, was originally meant to be executed as he held no monetary value but due to the angelic blood that won’t allow him to die, it was decided to keep him contained. Z-0RC-4 was observed to have attempted numerous times to stay dead but vitals returned each and every time. After a few days, Z-0RC-4 ceased attempts.

Later in 2015, Z-0RC-4 was put into underwater maintenance work. Despite the limit to how long Z-0RC-4 can stay underwater, it didn’t hinder the results of his work. However, Z-0RC-4 has made a habit of trying to escape which resulted in having to make sure a guardsman is always watching him. Some attempts had resulted in the guardsman having to shoot him down to bring him back to the facility. After his 5th attempt that led to killing him, he was pulled from underwater maintenance work and sent back to containment.

4 hours into the lockdown, CCTV has observed Z-0RC-4 wandering through the blacksite alongside Z-13. Operatives also report seeing Z-0RC-4 swimming to the docking bay for unknown reasons, but theorize he is delivering items to the EXR-P teams. While Z-0RC-4 doesn’t seem to be hostile towards the EXR-P teams, operatives seem to suddenly run into the anglers and its variants more frequently. It is recommended that all operatives listen for the incoming anglers should they spot Z-0RC-4 and make sure they are out of sight.