Not A Small-Town Girl

----

“We swing across," David said, leading the way.

Before anyone could blink, David grabbed the rope, swung

across in a perfect arc, and landed on the other side with

ease.

One by one, the bodyguards followed, swinging across the

pit like a well-oiled machine.

It took them less than five minutes to cross, while Danielle

had spent hours thinking of a way to get past it.

David’s unease grew with each passing second.

Back on the other side, the fight between Danielle and the

mask-wearers raged on. She had been hit several times,

but her focus never wavered.

The Darling family, hiding in the shadows, watched in

agony, unable to help.

Then, a glimmer of hope: Danielle’s eyes lit up as she

pulled out a few silver needles and drove them into the

head of one of the mask-wearers. The weak spot!

----

Just as she was celebrating her success, another mask-

wearer appeared behind her, silently preparing to strike.

His fist came crashing down toward her back.

Xavier, who had been watching Danielle’s every move, saw

the threat and rushed forward without hesitation.

"Danielle, look out!" he shouted.

In an instant, Xavier was in front of Danielle, taking the full

force of the blow to his chest. The sound of cracking bone

echoed in the air.

Danielle turned in shock, seeing Xavier collapse. Blood

spilled from his mouth, his body trembling.

"Xavier!" she screamed, her heart tearing in two.

Xavier coughed up blood in torrents, his body shaking

violently with the pain, unable to utter a single word as

blood kept pouring from his mouth.

----

Danielle’s eyes were filled with tears, but she dared not let

her guard down. Around her, a dozen or more faceless

figures stood, their eyes glowing crimson, staring at these

unnatural, monstrous beings.

----

She moved with brutal speed and precision. One of the

faceless figures swiped at her, its iron-like claws raking

down her back, leaving five bloody gashes.

"Danielle!" Howard, cradling Xavier in his arms, turned just

in time to see his daughter hurt.

Danielle seemed almost numb, her rage overpowering the

pain. These wretched things had harmed Xavier—she

would obliterate them with her own hands.

With a swift spin, she delivered a spinning kick to a

faceless figure behind her, throwing a silver needle that

pinned it in place.

----

One by one, silver needles struck the

heads of tity faceless figures,

immobilizing them. Danielle had ~~

intende study them in a lab, but

now, Xavier’s wounds stilldfesh,

she felt there was no way to. g€ase

hisSuffering until they wergall dead.

----

Her hand gripped a dagger, its edge sharp enough to slice

through steel. Her eyes glinted with bloodlust—weren’t

these things invulnerable? Fine. She’d carve them apart

with her blade.

Danielle yankéd off the mask of one

faceless fi and struck, her

dagger cutting into its face again ¢~

and agaih Blood poured from itsS

wound) but she didn’t stop. She

swuny the blade and cleavediits

in two.

----

She slashed open the arteries of each one, letting them

bleed out. No faceless figure was spared.

Soon, the ground was soaked with blood, and the air was

thick with its scent. The dead bodies of the faceless figures

lay sprawled in every direction—heads split open, blood

completely drained.

Howard and Vivian watched Danielle

in stunned silence, unsure of what to

say. epee deeply concerned >

that shed ight relapse into a fiLoF

poisomminduced madness. Caréfully,

Howard asked, "Danielle... areyou

okay?"

----

Danielle stared at the carnage on the floor, her eyes

flickering between red and black, as though an internal

battle raged between a little devil and a little angel.

She was fighting desperately to suppress the searing pain

inside her.

Vivian called her name several times, but Danielle didn’t

respond. Both parents knew something was wrong—

Danielle had been triggered again.

No one dared approach her. They tried calling her softly,

“Danielle, it’s Mom... Xavier’s still vomiting blood. Can you

come and see him?"

The pain in Danielle’s head felt as if it was tearing her

apart, the only way to ease the agony was through

bloodshed.