Vermillion sheathed both of his daggers in his uniform as he jumped from one rooftop to the next, swirling red wind launching him forward. He landed on the next roof with tiny balls made from wind appearing on the soles of his boots to cushion his landing. He didn't stop at one leap. He kept moving, never stopping to catch his breath. He had to keep moving because he knew that the second he stopped, he would start thinking about how this was a horrible idea. Vermillion was reckless, but he wasn't stupid. He knew that getting involved wouldn't be good for him or anyone else. Still, he continued to jump from the roof of one building to the next, rising so far in the sky that he felt like he was breathing in the black mists of the night.

Vermillion eventually slowed down. He landed on one building, racing toward the edge. When he reached the small fence that was created to dissuade suicide jumpers from chosing this building, he jumped straight up instead of forward. When he was at the apex of his jump, he started to hurtle towards the ground. He would have gone splat against the pavement if it wasn't for the emergence of winds that created a soft cushion around his body. When he landed, one of his knees touched the dark gray concrete that formed the sidewalk while his other knee cut into his thin breastplate. The wind dispersed as soon as he was on the ground, blowing away a few posters that hung precariously on the alleyway walls. Vermillion pushed off the ground with his fist to help him stand on his feet.

He heard slow clapping as soon as he was standing. Vermillion whirled around with his daggers coming out. They glistened in the moonlight as he brandished them against the person who was clapping in the shadows. The person who was clapping stepped into the light. It was a young woman wearing a deep red bodysuit with a dozen roses circling around her arm. Her hair was pulled into a high ponytail, and her face was covered by a black mask with metallic red roses drawn onto the surface. Even though she looked different from her other appearances, Vermillion knew exactly who she was. This was Hannah Rose Dude, the adopted daughter of Sam, and she was also Rosa, one of the Warden's sidekicks. Tonight, however, she probably went by the codename Thorn, her title as a fighter in the Pit.

"That was quite the landing, Vermillion. I'm impressed with how much control you have over your powers," Thorn said with a surprisingly sweet smile coming to her face. Hannah and Rosa could smile like this, but Thorn was only known for her dead eyes and cruel smirks. Vermillion shook his head. He was acting like these different titles belonged to different people. He had spent so long trying to separate Vermillion and Tommy that he was doing this to other people. Thorn was equal parts Hannah and Rosa. She just had a purpose tonight that required her to reclaim her old name.

"You say that as if you aren't impressed with everything Vermillion does," Another voice added before Vermillion could respond to Thorn. Vermillion's eyes widened when he saw a young man wearing a black bulletproof vest over a thick purple shirt. He had black pants on that covered his feet, and it seemed it was a bodysuit considering the man's hands were covered by black, fingerless gloves that disappeared beneath his hoodie sleeves and a cloth had been pulled up from his neck to cover the lower half of his face. He pulled a hood low over his face, but his glowing purple eyes were unmistakable in the darkness. He had a sword strapped to his back, and his arms folded over his chest. Vermillion didn't know his true name, but he could recognize Indigo, another one of the fighters he had saved all those years ago.

"Eh, it was kind of cool," A third voice added, and Vermillion realized that he shouldn't be surprised anymore. Afreet still wore his blood red horns that pierced through his dark hair. He wore a dark gray breastplate with black pants underneath a dark red-gray poncho stained with what Vermillion assumed was blood. Afreet wore metal gauntlets over his hands, flexing his hand as he looked at Vermillion with a half-shrug. Afreet wore a painted mask over his face, the deep oranges and saturated yellows of the mask highlighting his dark red eyes.

"Can we just start on the mission? We need to be back soon, Ro- I mean, Thorn," A voice Vermillion didn't quite recognize spoke. A man wearing a dark green bodysuit with crystalline white roots draped across his shoulders. He wore a frog-designed bucket hat on his head, clearly defining him as Anura, the Warden's other sidekick. Vermillion didn't know much about Anura. The frog-themed hero came after Vermillion had left the heroes. He seemed a little innocent for this sort of mission, but Thorn had brought him along for a reason. He must have some power or skill that Thorn was certain would be useful for their mission.

"Vermillion, this is my friend, NA. Since Beau isn't here, he'll be our fifth squad member!" Thorn said, nudging Anura- or NA- towards Vermillion. The hero stared unimpressed at the new addition as he sheathed his daggers back where they were meant to go.

"I'm offended. How could you all set up a reunion without inviting me?" A voice sounded in the alleyway. This voice didn't belong to a present body; it came from the frameless goggles. The goggles were translucent red, making Vermillion's eyes look purple. They served as a mask for his upper face, and it was also attached to a technological system that allowed Beau to talk to him and see what he saw. She was running support back at her apartment.

"Beau! How are you?" Thorn said, excitedly. She rushed towards Vermillion in order to hear more clearly what Beau was saying. Instead of allowing the conversation to play out, Vermillion pushed Thorn aside while turning away from the group. He put his fingers against the side of his goggles, switching Beau off speaker. When her words only filled his ears, he asked her if they were ready.

"Yeah, of course, we're ready. I have the security cameras up on my computer right now. The Pit's activities are in full swing. They started an hour ago so no major fights have happened, but most of the regular bettors are already there and the participants are ready for their fights. What's your plan?" Beau responded with only a little bit of frustration in her voice over not being able to talk with Thorn. Vermillion rolled his eyes. The two of them could catch up later. Right now, they had more important things to fret about.

"Alright, pussies, listen up. I'm going in there to search for information. I need to know which fucker is making and distributing the drug that's making hybrids go batshit. I'm sure you little shits want to free the prisoners in the Pit and make the bettors pay. That's fine. Do whatever the fuck you want as long as you're ready to take responsibility for it yourself. I'm not here to fucking save lives. I'm here to find enough proof to get those shits who call themselves heroes to actually investigate and take down this place. After that, I'm back in retirement. I'll have to move and get a new job apparently," Vermillion said. He was still very angry that Thorn, and whoever else agreed to help her, was able to find him. He didn't want anyone from the hero world to know where he was. He was even considering moving districts now. He wasn't a hybrid, so he could make it somewhere else. It felt wrong to abandon his district like this, but hadn't he already abandoned it in the most crucial ways? He was clinging to Logstedshire like an idiot. Even Vermillion knew that he needed to move on.

"We can split up into teams. Vermillion with the assistance of Beau can find the information that he's looking for pertaining to this drug along with some other information about where the next Pit meeting is and maybe who runs these shows. NA and I can free the prisoners. Afreet and Indigo can deal with the bettors and the guards stationed in the aboveground. We'll all meet back up here once we've each completed our own objectives. We can come up with a plan moving forward after that," Thorn told them with her signature sugary sweet smile blooming across her face like the largest rose in a meticulously kept garden. It was a smile that Vermillion had swore to protect because he wanted her to be happy after her bloody past. Vermillion had made that same oath for everyone standing in front of him (besides NA). Vermillion wondered if he had ever come close to keeping his promise. He had broken so many that he was having a hard time believing that promises meant anything.

"You should just agree with the plan even if you aren't going to follow it, Red," Beau said in his ear, and Vermillion knew she was right. He was going in solely for the information about the drug. He wasn't going to actively search for anything about the Pit's leaders or their next location. He wasn't going to meet up with the others once he had found everything he was looking for, and he definitely was not going to make a plan 'moving forward' with them. After this night, they would all go their separate ways. Even he and Beau would be going in opposite directions. She would return to her college studies and news website. Vermillion would look for a new apartment and job that was outside of Logstedshire. This would be the last night he would ever be Vermillion. It had to be because if Hannah could find him, surely she could, too.

"Alright, come on you fucking saps, we don't have time for this," Vermillion said as he turned his back to them. He wondered if they would assume he was agreeing with the plan or if they knew that he wasn't going to be there when they got done. He didn't want to see their faces, so he kept walking away from them. He kept moving because Vermillion knew that he would break down if he stopped.

—

A long time ago, an earthquake hit Essempei. Logstedshire took the brunt of the earthquake, and the district officials didn't bother with fixing the damages. This meant that no attempts were made to fix the large crack along the outer edges of Logstedshire that truly separated the district from the protective wall that kept Essempei safe. Since it was going to remain there, the people of Logstedshire transformed it into the Ravine, an underground section of the city made from stone staircases and rooms built into the wall. It was in the Ravine that the Pit, along with other shady businesses, really got its start.

Vermillion descended the steps with the other four close on his trail. He could tell they were looking around unabashedly like naive tourists, and he wanted to hit them all in the back of the head. The merchants of the Ravine were going to eat them alive if they weren't careful. Vermillion should know; he had once been as naive as they were now.

Before he was Vermillion, he was just a child with no real world experiences. He had wandered into the Ravine by accident. He had been overwhelmed by the lights, colors, and sounds of the Ravine's marketplace. He had nearly crashed into every patron or nightwalker. He was about to be kidnapped by human traffickers when he heard a female voice call out, "What in the world do you think you're doing here?"

Vermillion froze. He could have sworn he heard the woman's voice saying the same exact words she said years ago out loud. Vermillion looked around, and he met the eyes of a blue eyed woman wearing a black mask over the lower half of her face. Her blonde hair fell down across her black sweater. She wore maroon, knee-length shorts, showing off her long legs and black boots. She jumped down from the wooden porch she had been sitting on, landing on the ground a few feet beneath her. When she landed, she flicked her hair behind her shoulder. She raised an eyebrow at Vermillion, crossing her arms. "I thought I told you to never come back."

Despite the rude words, Vermillion's heart suddenly felt a whole lot lighter. He was even fighting off a smile as he took one step towards her. He hesitated, but she sighed with her crossed arms unfolding to welcome him. Vermillion was glad for that as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She hugged him back, resting her chin on top of his hood like she used to do all the time.

The Disappearing Lady was an infamous woman. She didn't interact with anyone unless it was absolutely necessary and unavoidable. She was a deadly assassin with the ability to break into anywhere, steal any life, and not leave a single trace of herself. The police were never able to find a single clue about who she was. They didn't know what she looked like. The most they could figure out was that she was, in fact, a 'lady'. They weren't even able to determine her powers. They assumed it was some form of invisibility, but they would never know if it was more complex than that.

Alyssa, her real name, was a young woman accidentally born between a famous hero and a prostitute. She was hidden away by her mother for her safety. The brothel-keeper would have killed Alyssa if she was discovered, and there was no guarantee that Alyssa's father would want to keep her around. Alyssa learned the art of existing without anyone knowing, and she mastered that skill before she even knew how to read or write. It was by chance that she met Dream, Unfound, Combust, Halo, Caribou, and the Warden. They were young heroes at the time, hoping to prove themselves to the older heroes. Alyssa had assisted them in navigating the Ravine and gathered the information they needed for them. Even after their mission was over, Alyssa and the heroes maintained their friendship. Alyssa was even able to meet Ponk, the hero's personal doctor and medic.

After her days of being the Disappearing Lady were over, Alyssa hid out in the brothel her mother used to work for. The ownership had passed, and Alyssa was allowed to stay without needing to work for the brothel as long as she stayed out of everyone's way. Alyssa easily agreed since she had dealt with that for a lot of her life. It was here that she had found a poor, blonde kid who didn't know anything about the world. For whatever reason, Alyssa took pity on this boy. She even gave him a name, 'Tommy'. Once he had been taught everything he needed in order to survive, Alyssa brought him to an orphanage in Logstedshire. She told him never to return to the Ravine. Not because she didn't want him to be there with her, but because the Ravine wasn't a place for him. She knew the moment they met that Tommy was meant for so much more than the Ravine would allow him to have. She was right- she always was Tommy learned- but he had come back despite his promise not to.

"Would you believe it's because I miss you?" Vermillion attempted as he pulled back. Alyssa rolled her eyes, nodding towards the porch she had been sitting on when they locked eyes. It was a side porch for the brothel Alyssa lived at. In some ways, it was Vermillion's first home. It was much more of a home than the place he was born at.

"You were always a horrible liar," Alyssa told him as they climbed the wooden steps up to the side of the brothel. Alyssa opened the back door, holding it open for Vermillion, Thorn, Indigo, Afreet, and NA. The others gave each other curious glances as they glanced between each other. Alyssa directed them into a side room. It was a small cubicle with a bed. Thankfully, there was a balcony hanging off the side that allowed the room to be much larger than it technically was. Alyssa tried to close the door behind them, but a hand slammed against it. Alyssa audibly groaned as the door swung open.

If Alyssa was the one that taught Vermillion about the world, H. Bomb taught Vermillion the best ways to annoy people. He was the owner of this particular brothel, and he owned a cat cafe somewhere else in the Ravine. Bomb wore a red and black plaited shirt with jeans. He had gray cat ears peeking through his dark brown hair, and his eyes were a rich deep blue. He certainly didn't look like someone who lived and loved working in the Ravine. He was a person who could be happy no matter where he was even when he ran businesses that exploited a person's base desires. Vermillion never really liked Bomb, but the man had been an integral part of Vermillion's childhood. If it wasn't for Bomb, Vermillion would have never learned cuss words. More importantly, he never would have discovered how freeing it can be to only care about oneself.

"My little kitten has returned!" Bomb said, raising his arms like he was going to hug Vermillion. His first step into the room resulted in him tripping over Alyssa's outstretched leg. As Bomb landed across the ground, Alyssa closed the door behind him. Vermillion was grateful for the opened balcony. He would have gotten claustrophobic otherwise.

"Are you sure this pitstop is worth it?" Beau said in Vermillion's ear. The vigilante didn't acknowledge her. He had told everyone that they had one place to go before they went to the Pit. They had hesitantly agreed. This was the place Vermillion needed to go to. He needed to speak with Bomb. Seeing Alyssa was just a happy coincidence.

"Quit calling me 'little kitten', you fat shit. I am a Big Man," Vermillion hissed as he leaned down onto his knees. He grabbed Bomb's chin, pulling the man far enough up that they could lock eyes. Alyssa leaned against the door. She placed one of her boots on Bomb's ankle, her eyes glaring down to keep Bomb in his place. Vermillion took a deep breath. "I came with a warning. Someone is spreading a drug around that forcibly activates hybrid traits. Mob hybrids will start to become hostile, and animal hybrids will lose their reasoning skills. Both will regress to a feral state. I believe the Pit is spreading it, if not manufacturing it. You will do well to alert your girls and guys that they shouldn't drink anything a stranger gives them. Spread the word to other businesses as well. I know you don't like helping the competition, but if this drug gets out, the Ravine will be the first place the police look for the drug and clues."

"You're so cruel. You couldn't have come here with good news?" Bomb said with a devastated frown as he stretched his limbs. He turned around like a cat rolling around in the sunlight. When he landed on his back, he folded his hands behind his head and crossed his legs. He looked up at Vermillion with an upside down cheeky grin. "I've heard rumors about this drug. They call it Impulse. From what I've heard, it does everything you've said, and it can apparently also heighten a hybrid's base abilities. A spider's poison is deadlier, a creeper's explosion has a wider radius, an elytra's senses for the sleep deprived are sharpened, and other things like that. It's been causing a panic down here, but panic has always been good business for me. People want to feel safe when they're scared, and my workers are exceptional at making people feel relaxed."

"Yeah, I'm not here to get fucked or feel like I'm going to but don't actually. I'm just here to warn you because I know you can't keep your fucking mouth shut. Remember what I told you. We'll be gone now. We're heading to the Pit," Vermillion told Bomb and Alyssa. He stood onto his feet, looking at his companions. They stared at him with expressions he wasn't sure he wanted to know the meaning of.

"Be careful," Alyssa warned, grabbing Vermillion's arm. She had stepped over Bomb. The cat was rising to his feet slowly without any rush. He casted his lazy gaze over to Alyssa and Vermillion. "The Pit is under new management. Some guy named Johnny took over. He's part of Arch, some new organization no one's heard of before."

Vermillion's blood ran cold. Arch.