DEFILED BAXY.

1777, APRIL 06th, WEDNESDAY 9:55 pm.

Child Noche walked through the room with the caution of a seasoned warrior. Her eyes darted from place to place as they scanned everything in sight. There was the shattering of something ceramic in another room. She ran that way and found a broken vase. In the cracks were pulsating organic flesh.

"Well that's disturbing," she muttered.

She turned and found a large mirror leaning against the wall. Noche froze and stared at her reflection. Her gaze lingered on how unblemished her skin was – not a scar to be seen. She looked just like a little child, innocent, and unharmed.

"Is this me? Was this what I really looked like at one point?" She whispered.

Her fingers raised to the reflective surface and traced down it. Without being conscious of it tears welled up in her eyes and one streamed down her face.

"When did I get so broken?"

Both eyes widened when she noticed the tears. She wiped them away before anyone could see her. Not that anyone could in this place, but old habits die hard. However, when she had finished a chill had filled the air. Her body tensed the moment rotting flesh filled the air.

"Creeps," she swore.

Noche clenched her fists as she scanned about. She couldn't find the monster.

"Where are you, you sonova—"

Creeps loomed over her and Noche was dunked into a bath of ice water. As much as she wanted to fight this thing, she couldn't. It would've been a pointless endeavor. Noche ran.

The monster gave chase as her tiny legs carried her from room to room. Up ahead was Baxy, the little stuffed toy had managed to open a door. He head inside and Noche was close behind. Creeps swiped at her and the blonde leapt – she crashed past the door and landed in the room.

Her adult body crashed on the floor. She tried to use her left arm to help get up, but it was gone once again. Noche used the other arm to stand up, but halfway her gaze lingered on her missing index finger and all the scars that trailed up her skin. For a moment, she allowed herself to feel grief for how damaged she was.

Then she shook it off and forced herself to toughen up. She couldn't allow herself to be weak, she could never be weak. It was dumb to feel these feelings. Noche let out a scoff and took in her new surroundings.

Her single eye widened at the sight before her – Edward was injured. Extremely so. Noche stood in the middle of a battlefield and Edward was surrounded by DeathTech soldiers, but he was on death's door.

"Retreat!" Medusa yelled. "Cross, retreat!"

Noche turned around to see Medusa and a handful of Cross soldiers retreating. She stared at them – only a few remained, not enough to fight the DeathTech soldiers, but still. Edward was right there. They could end this all. She could end this – get her revenge.

"Noche! What are you doing! We need to retreat!" Medusa yelled.

The blonde stared at the president and turned back to Edward. He was getting away, she could still get him if she—

"Noche, your orders are to retreat!"

The blonde hesitated.

Creeps appeared and its hand stabbed Noche in the gut. A spew of blood left her lips as her pain blossomed across her chest. Her body went cold as she stared at the monster.

"You bastard," she muttered before dying.

Noche woke up on the battlefield once again.

"Retreat!" Medusa yelled. "Cross, retreat!"

"So this is how it's going to be," Noche muttered.

She stood up and locked her single eye with Edward's. There was no more hesitation, Noche charged.

"Noche! What are you doing! Your orders are to retreat!"

She ignored Medusa's orders. So what if she got in trouble with Cross – as long as she got her revenge, she could deal with Cross later. Noche caught up to Edward, summoned her sword, and decapitated the bastard. A smirk fell across her face at the irony.

The world became a blur and Noche found herself in her child's body once again. She stood in an empty room in that large house.

"That was easy. Not hesitating to defy orders from my boss. I can do that," Noche said. "Maybe this won't be so hard after all."

She exited the room and searched the halls. It didn't take long for her to find Baxy as he ran to another door. Noche gave chase and it was fortunate she did, for Creeps was a breath behind her. The skin on the back of her neck prickled as the monster got closer and closer. She reached the door at the last second.

Adult Noche slammed it behind her as she entered a new scenario. The moment her eye landed on the sight before her she froze. Shaylin with Edward's arm sticking through her stomach and out her back. The President of DeathTech removed his fist and Shaylin crumpled to the ground.

"Ahh, Noche~ It's so wonderful to see you," Edward said. "As much as I'd love a quick scrap, I really must be going."

With that, Edward took off flying. He was fast – too fast. Noche could catch up, but only if she left now... Which meant Shaylin would die. The blonde froze up, she couldn't leave her friend to die like this, could she?

Noche ran over to Shaylin.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" The blonde stammered. "It's going to be ok Shaylin. It'll be alright."

"I-It's ok. I've taken bigger," the ginger laughed, then coughed up blood.

Noche forced a laugh.

"Y-Yeah, I bet you have. You crazy girl you," Noche fumbled and looked around. "Medic! I need a medic over here!"

The blonde created bandages and tried to stop the bleeding. She cursed herself, she didn't have any healing powers. She had corruption and immortality, but it's not like she could gift the later to her friend.

"Grim gel! Do you have any Grim gel!"

"Sorry, used it all up," Shaylin said. "Noche... I don't think it's gonna be all hunky dory."

"Don't say that Shaylin. It'll be fine. It's going to be alright."

Creeps then appeared. Noche couldn't move away from her friend. She sat motionless as the monster's hand encased her head and crushed it like a dropped watermelon.

"Ahh, Noche~ It's so wonderful to see you," Edward said. "As much as I'd love a quick scrap, I really must be going."

The blonde gasped. She was back here again. Is this what she had to do? Choose between saving Shaylin or catching Edward. Maybe if she didn't hesitate to save her friend she would've had more time to get help. Noche tried that. She got next to Shaylin and immediately started treating the wound as Edward fled.

"You chose me... I didn't think you would," Shaylin smiled.

"Of course I would. You're injured."

"But Edward is getting away."

"I will deal with him later."

Shaylin chuckled. "You still have that mirror I gave you?"

Noche paused. "Yeah?"

"I think you'd like the person you'd see in it now."

The blonde froze when Creeps appeared again. She tried to pick up Shaylin and run, but Creeps was faster. Within seconds it caught them both in its claws and tore them apart. Noche's last sight was her severed limbs intermingling with Shaylin's.

"Ahh, Noche~ It's so wonderful to see you," Edward said. "As much as I'd love a quick scrap, I really must be going."

The blonde froze. Ok, third try. She got this. She could save... Or could she? Was it a lost cause? On a whim, Noche took out the mirror. Her reflection was calm, too calm. The expression staring back at her almost seemed to ask did you figure it out yet? Do you know the solution to this problem? Are you willing to go that far?

Of course she knew what she was supposed to do. It just wasn't what she wanted to do. How could she make a choice like that? She thought she was willing to do anything for her revenge, but she never thought she'd have to do something like this.

Shaylin was dead the moment she got that injury. Noche knew that, but she just didn't want to accept it. She wanted to save her friend, even if it was impossible. That hesitation allowed Edward to escape. This scenario was never about making a choice between the two, it was about stopping Edward.

She had spent too long thinking. Edward had escaped and Shaylin lay motionless on the ground. Noche's fist tightened around the mirror as Creeps appeared. It reached for her neck. SNAP!

"Ahh, Noche~ It's so wonderful to see—"

She didn't give him a chance to finish that sentence. Noche had launched herself at Edward with her sword drawn. He managed to duck under her swing, but he couldn't avoid the kick she threw next. Edward was pushed back, but he used the momentum to turn around and fly away. He laughed as Noche gave chase.

She stumbled into a wall as the scenario ended and she found herself in a child's body once again in an empty room. After recovering, Noche took a moment to stand there and stare at the wall. She reflected on everything that had just occurred.

Did she really just do that? Did she just ignore her friend who lay dying just to get revenge? Sure there was nothing she could do, but was it the right choice? Noche let out a sigh. The scenario was over, so she guessed it was. Still, what was this feeling? This empty, discontent feeling.

Child Noche walked out of the room and mentally prepared herself for the next scenario. Her eyes caught Baxy around a corner. This time instead of giving chase she casually walked towards the stuffed bear. Around the bend was another door. Noche let out a sigh and pushed the door open.

Adult Noche walked into a crowd of people. They were shouting and yelling, some even had the balls to try and push her back. It didn't take much effort to see they were angry at her for some reason. In the distance was Edward, he was slinking into an alleyway. With that, Noche could figure out what this scenario was about.

"Move!"

The blonde tried to push through the crowd, but they still managed to hamper her. She didn't dare to use more strength, lest she should hurt someone, but she had to force her way through.

"I said move damn it!"

Noche grabbed a person and threw them aside. Still, the crowd reformed around her and pushed her back. Was she really going to have to do this? Did she really have to hurt a bunch of innocent people?

She bit back on the bitter taste welling up in her throat. Of course she did. That was the point of these god damn trials. To throw her into scenarios that made her uncomfortable, that would make her hesitate, and force herself to get over them.

Anger boiled within the blonde. She didn't want to do this, even if she knew it wasn't real, but if she was going to get through this stupid fucking training she was going to have to force herself.

Noche raised her only arm and charged a dead light canon in it.

"Last chance – get out of my way."

Some people froze, others fled, but a majority of the group stayed behind and blocked her path. As the DLC finished charging she had one final moment where the thought of not doing this passed through her mind. Regret filled her for an instant and then was gone as quickly as it came.

Noche fired into the crowd.

The moment it exploded a clear path became available. Noche took it and ran, but not before she heard the screams. Not before she saw the blood and looks of horror. Their expressions burned themselves into her vision.

"It's not real. It's just a scenario," she told herself.

Still, it didn't get rid of the horrendous feeling welling up inside her. The sick, gnawing, disgust that filled her very core.

"It had to be done. I can't hesitate. I need to focus."

When the screams were far behind her, the scenario ended and Noche was a small child in an empty room once again.

"Fuck!" She shouted. "God fucking damn it!"

She punched the wall.

"Damn it... Do I really want to be that kind of person?" She muttered. "Was there really no other way?"

Noche grabbed a bicep in each hand and shook her head. Once she calmed herself, she left the room and searched around. She could just make out Baxy going up some stairs to the second floor. The blonde followed and once she reached the top the nearest door hung ajar. With a grimace, Noche pushed her way into the new room.