Apocalypse: Building And Hoarding My Way Through.
Chapter 101: I’ll Make You Scream So Loud.

Chapter 101: I’ll Make You Scream So Loud.

Scarlett turned to face them, her eyes blazing with determination. "I’m going back to Austin’s organization as Ayra," she declared, her tone steady and unwavering.

Both men stared at her, their expressions filled with shock and confusion.

"Wait... what?" Louise asked, blinking as though he hadn’t heard her correctly. "What are you saying?"

"You heard me," Scarlett replied firmly, her voice unwavering. "I’ll infiltrate his organization and find out exactly where they’re keeping Garvin and the others. If we’re going to save them, we need to hit Austin where it hurts and we can’t do that without information."

The forest fell silent again, save for the faint rustling of leaves as Scarlett’s words lingered in the air.

Louise frowned, breaking the silence. "I know you want to hit Austin or whoever right where it hurts, but what I don’t understand is you saying you’ll infiltrate his organization as Ayra. Has Austin gone blind that he wouldn’t recognize you from Ayra?" His expression was puzzled, his confusion evident.

Scarlett’s lips curled into a sly smile.

"Yeah, how’s that even possible, Scarlett?" Kayo chimed in, a smirk plastered on his face, his arms folded over his chest.

"I have the ability to take the form of anyone else now," Scarlett revealed, her tone calm yet confident.

Louise’s eyes widened in shock and horror, his jaw dropping slightly. Kayo, on the other hand, remained composed, though he cleared his throat, his surprise barely concealed.

"What are you saying?" Louise asked, taking a cautious step back. "Is that some kind of new ability or what? Do you gain abilities when you die and come back to life? Because, if I remember correctly, this is the second time you’ve died and come back!" His voice rose with curiosity as he pointed a trembling finger in her direction.

Without a word, Scarlett closed her eyes briefly, concentrating. Within seconds, her form began to shift and morph until she was the spitting image of Louise.

Louise yelped and stumbled backward, falling to the ground as his eyes widened in terror. "What the...!"

Even Kayo flinched, though he quickly masked it, letting out a sharp cough as if nothing had happened.

"Whoa! This is insane!" Louise exclaimed, his voice trembling with disbelief. He scrambled to his feet, pointing at Scarlett, now a perfect duplicate of himself. "No one would ever know the real me from you!"

"Exactly," Scarlett replied smoothly, her voice now identical to Louise’s. "That’s the whole point."

Kayo’s smirk widened, his eyes glinting with amusement. "So, that’s your answer, Louise. She’s got a new ability, and it’s because she died a second time. Guess coming back to life isn’t without its perks."

Louise furrowed his brow, brushing dirt off his pants. "So, what happens if you die and come back? Do you get new powers too? Is that how it works for you people with powers?" He shot Scarlett a wary glance, still unsettled by her transformation. "And you," he added, waving a hand in her direction. "Change back to yourself. I’m going to lose my mind if I keep looking at... me."

Scarlett let out a soft laugh and reverted to her true form.

Kayo leaned against a tree, his expression unreadable. "Not everyone gets a second chance, Louise. And even if they do, they don’t always come back with powers. I’m not Scarlett, and I’m definitely not coming back if I die." He sighed heavily, rubbing the back of his neck.

’Yeah you’re now on your third system.’ Scarlett thought to herself, her gaze fixed on Kato.

"Anyway, enough questions. If Scarlett’s infiltrating Austin’s organization, that means you and I can’t follow her. We don’t have her ability." Kato added.

Scarlett nodded, her expression serious. "That’s right. You two need to find a safe place to hide and wait for me to return with Garvin and the others."

Kayo began pacing, his brow furrowed in thought. "This infiltration should be easy enough. You can now gain memories of places you visit, right? Since Ayra is Austin’s sister, I’m guessing they’ve spent a lot of time together. Once you’re inside the organization, you can access her memories to deal with Austin."

"Exactly," Scarlett agreed. She took a deep breath, her resolve clear. "I’d better get going."

Without hesitation, she transformed into Ayra, her features shifting seamlessly. She glanced at her reflection, now visible in the holographic system hovering before her. Scarlett was gone, she was now Ayra, Austin’s sister.

"Time to save my companions from that bastard and take down his organization once and for all," she murmured to herself, determination burning in her eyes.

Kayo stopped pacing and turned to face her. "Be careful, Scarlett. Louise and I will wait for you in the mountains. The moment you step out of Austin’s organization, we’ll know where to find you."

Louise shivered but nodded. "Just... don’t get caught."

Kato grinned, his sharp teeth flashing. "It’s a pity, though. I won’t get to rip apart any of Austin’s men. I miss the taste of fresh intestines."

Ignoring Louise’s words about feeding on human intestines, Scarlett merely nodded in response. She offered him a warm smile before turning to Louise, who was swallowing hard, clearly unnerved by Kayo’s unsettling remarks. The fear in Louise’s eyes was evident, as though he were wondering if Kayo might decide to feast on him before Scarlett returned.

"I’ll be right back," Scarlett said softly, her tone reassuring. She flashed Louise another warm smile, then turned and walked away, her determination radiating with each step she took into the shadows.

_________

In a dimly lit room, the darkness was pierced only by a faint beam of moonlight streaming through a small opening in the ceiling. It illuminated the figure of a man tied tightly to a chair. His eyes and mouth were covered with strips of cloth, and his body strained against the bindings as he struggled futilely to free himself.

The room was silent, its soundproof walls ensuring that even his muffled grunts of effort went unheard. This man was Garvin.

But Garvin wasn’t alone. Maya, Larry, and Ethan sat similarly restrained in chairs nearby. Their eyes and mouths were covered, and their frantic attempts to break free were met with the same futility. Each of them wrestled with their bonds, their muffled cries of frustration filling the oppressive silence.

From a shadowed corner of the room, a low, mocking voice broke the stillness.

"Are you all going to keep quiet, or do you need me to beat some sense into you?"

The voice belonged to Jones, the man tasked with guarding Austin’s organization when its leader wasn’t present. He stepped forward, a cruel smirk playing across his lips. At his signal, the room was suddenly flooded with bright artificial light. The slight opening in the ceiling sealed shut, plunging the space into a stark, sterile brightness.

"Consider yourselves lucky," Jones continued, his tone laced with mockery. "Austin doesn’t want to spoil the festive mood of the free citizens by executing anyone tonight. He wants them to enjoy their celebrations before they witness your deaths tomorrow. A little reminder never hurts." He grinned wickedly, twirling a sharp-edged sword in his hand.

Jones gestured toward four muscular, naked men who stood silently behind him. "Remove the clothes from their mouths and eyes. Let them talk. Let’s call it their last chance to express themselves before their executions."

The four men stepped forward, obeying Jones’s command without hesitation. They roughly pulled away the cloth bindings from the captives’ eyes and mouths.

As the captives blinked rapidly, adjusting to the sudden influx of light, they coughed and spat, their faces contorted with discomfort.

"Let us go! We haven’t done anything wrong!" Maya was the first to speak, her voice trembling with a mix of fury and despair. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she glared at Jones. "You’re the ones who betrayed us from the start! I don’t want to die here, not at the hands of you bastards!"

Jones rolled his eyes, his irritation evident. "Isn’t that the same tired line you’ve been repeating since you were brought here? You’re starting to bore me." His voice dropped, taking on a sinister edge. "And for the record, we’re the bastards? Funny, coming from someone who’ll be feeding the monsters soon enough."

He stepped closer, the blade of his sword catching the harsh light. "But before that, I think we’ll have a little fun. We’ll start by cutting off your limbs. Sound good?"

His words sent waves of terror rippling through Maya, Larry, and Ethan. They renewed their struggles, thrashing against their restraints, but their efforts were in vain.

Larry and Ethan were both injected earlier, a potent drug coursing through their veins, leaving them unable to summon their elemental powers. They were rendered helpless, weaker than they had ever felt before.

Garvin’s voice broke through the tension, raw with desperation. "What happened to Scarlett, Kato, and Louise?" he demanded, his tear-filled eyes fixed on Jones. "Are they really dead?"

Jones chuckled, his smirk widening. "What do you think? Plenty of people have met their end in that cave. It’s a graveyard for fools like you."

"You bastard!" Garvin roared, his voice cracking as tears spilled freely down his face. His body shook with fury, his veins pulsing as he strained against his bonds. "How dare you hurt Scarlett?"

Jones laughed openly, thoroughly amused by Garvin’s outburst. He stepped back, his gaze flicking toward Maya, ignoring Garvin totally. "You know," he drawled, his tone dripping with malice, "before I start cutting off limbs, I think we’ll have a little fun first."

Maya’s eyes widened in horror, her breath hitching as Jones continued, his words sending icy dread coursing through her veins.

"I’ll start with you," he said, his gaze predatory. "I’ll make you scream so loud you’ll run out of breath. And when I’m done, the others can have their turn. No reason for my men here to miss out on the fun."

The smirk on his face widened as he gestured toward the four naked men standing behind him.

"Bring her to my room," Jones ordered, his voice cold and commanding.

Maya began to thrash violently in her chair, screaming at the top of her lungs. "You sick bastard! Don’t touch me!" Tears streamed down her face as her voice cracked with desperation.

The four men stepped forward, their movements mechanical and without hesitation, ready to carry out Jones’s order.