The chain clanging sound got louder as they progressed into the cluttered room. 

All the cages animals all stopped screaming as soon as the sound was heard.

"There is something else in here," Yue vigilantly took his sword out while the others loaded their gun ready to shoot it down.

Fan on the other hand was slightly frowning. As they were walking past the many tables, he touched one of them. His black eyes turned a translucent shade of blue.

A small shot of electricity conducted through these things. It was more like a pulse or a small wave of signal that passes through all the items that were in the room.

It echoed back to him at different frequencies. That ability helped him to map out a place even if it was pitch black.

This was how he survived two years without his vision.

Now his skills were a little rusty even, so he was able to sense the whole room.

There were two human figures in here. One crouched down at the end of the room while one was standing ahead of them, unmoving.

'Two? Qian was alone when I rescued him....'

This alternate world was very different from he had expected. Right from the new companions to the new dangerous situation, everything was different.

"Watch out, there is someone up ahead," he warned him softly.

Yue nodded. "I can feel it too. There is an undead here,"

"You think the scientist died," Hary whispered as he was glancing around the animal cages. All the creatures had shrunken to a corner, hiding from something.

"We don't know for sure, but if we see anything dangerous here we are leaving right away," she fell behind Yue a bit. Her powers were fully exhausted, and she also had only a few bullets. Going up front of the team will only put herself and her team in danger.

The only person who can fully fight without any repercussions was Yue.

"Teach me how to use a sword," she whispered.

Yue smirked widely. "I am not that skilled, but I can teach you. I just wish my master Akira was here. He would have really loved to have you as his disciple."

"Akira? Is he Japanese?" Hary moved closer.

"hmm.. I learned my sword art in Japan,"

"Oh, that's what you meant when said you were trained in Japan," Tian mumbled.

"What else did you expect?"

"I thought you were an assassin too," Tian just shrugged.

Yue glanced ahead into the room with a deep frown. "How did you become an assassin?"

"It was not my occupation of choice. It was either kill or die in the ditches,"

Yue froze. "What? You did not tell me all this,"

"Eyes up front," she gently nudged his head up front. "It not a sob story nor is a pitiful one. So I will spare you the details,"

Fan Xui secretly glanced her way. 'An assassin... what about him then?' his gaze went over to Hary, who was peering into the cages.

"Crash!"

A loud crash stopped them in their path.

Fan Xui's eyes could clearly make out the human figure in the corner.

"It's to our right,"

Yue instantly turned his attention to that side, peering past many shelves of glass beakers. "I see a lab coat,"

"It might be our guy," Hary gestured for the others to stay back and slowly walked close. "Mister Qian, is that you?"

"..." the chains clanged one more time.

"Your father sent us here to rescue you. Please let us know if you are alive or not."

"..."

Hary shook his head. "I don't think he is no more."

Fan let out a huge breath, gasping softly.

Yue gently patted his stiff arms. "Wait, I'll check," he moved closer to Hary and swiped the shelf clean of the beakers. The other side was clearly seen. It was a man standing with his back to them. "It's not him,"

The man up front was five foot eight, with black hair. But that head shape and that height did not match Qian's profile, who was six foot tall.

Fan Xui relaxed visibly. "It must be his assistant."

Hary slowly got close and poked the man.

That person instantly turned around and bit into his arm.

"Hary!" Yue and Tian rushed to him.

"It's okay!... it's okay," Hary removed his hands out of its mouth with ease. There were only small bloody stains there. "Look at his teeth,"

Yue leaned low and looked into its mouth. There were no teeth. Only bloody gums were visibly.

"Even his nails were ripped off, sheesh..." Hary sighed, pulled at the zombie's arms.

The zombie rushed to them, but something pulled it back.

"He chained," Tian came up front. "Looks like that scientist is still alive,"

"Might be,"

"I don't understand. Why didn't Qian kill him? He even went through the trouble to rip out his teeth."

Fan Xui looked at the assistant. It was one of Qian's favoured apprentices. He was planning to guide this young fellow to be his successor in that field.

"He couldn't bear it. He was one of the brightest of Qian's assistants,"

"Oh... even so, that is cruel on its own." Hary mumbled, sighing. The zombie was still trying to jump up to him and bite him. He gestured to the small bowl behind the zombie. "Pitying this creature is not a good thing, per se. He is only making the pain worse,"

Yue frowned. "He has been feeding him,"

"Regularly if I might guess," Hary pointed to the huge bin in the corner. It has a few bloody hides. "Your friend is fucked up, man. He is not dealing with this change well,"

Yue did not answer rather, he peered at the zombie. It might seem like a surprise, but this sort of thing was very common. People lost a lot of their loved ones. Some couldn't cope with that loss. Instead of grieving, they held onto that vain hope that the undead will one day revive.

"It's hopeless. A dead can't return nor can it be saved," he took his gun out, ready to shoot him.

Fan Xui's breath slightly hitched.

Yue froze. "We will deal with this one later." He gestured for the others to go ahead.

"Delaying is not good. This one can easily break out of that chain," Hary chuckled, walking closer to the undead. He tore the Id tag from the zombie's clothes and cleaned it with a dirty rag. Without a word, he kept it in his pocket.

"We have wasted enough time. Let's move," Tian urged them as she walked up ahead.

As they walked further in, they heard a small murmur.

Tian held out a hand, stopping them all. With her gun held tightly, she slowly progressed further.

In a secluded corner of the room, a person in hazmat suit stood there crouched over a glass box.

"Mister Qian?"

"...." the figure went on murmuring incoherently.

"Qian," Fan Xui called out this time.

"....."

"Qian Wen!" Fan slowly got down from Yue's back and held his shoulders, supporting his trembling legs. "Qian... look back it's me... it's me Fan,"

The figure continued mumbling softly.

"Qian... please look back..."

He moved close but Yue held him back, shaking his head.

Tian softly sighed. "It has to be done. It's better that you don't see this,"

"No, wait," Fan stumbled and stood in front of the gun. "Not like this. Not like this...."

"Fan...." Yue gently whispered, with tears in his eyes.

"It's not supposed to be like this," his eyes lingered on that crouched back. "I... I will do it," he took the gun from Tian and gripped it with his trembling hands.

He could not hold it steadily. Fan Xui bit his lips hard.

Yue stopped close and supported his arms. "The dead will always be with us. One way or another." He whispered.

Fan Xui wordlessly peered at the figure in the hazmat suit. "He was supposed to be alive,"

"ah! No! no!!" the person suddenly shouted, startling them all.

Qian slammed and kicked the glass and cursed out loud. "Why won't it work?! Darn it! Darn it all!"

"Qian..." Fan dropped the gun. "You are alive...."

The person in the hazmat suit simply kept cussing without even glancing their way.

"Qian, hey can you hear me?"

Qian Wen was too busy kicking the box.

Yue glanced at Fan Xui with his eyes slightly wide. "do you think?..."

"I think he might have lost his mind," Hary whistled. "That scientist went coo coo.... poor guy. He must have been traumatized stuck here for almost a month with an undead,"

"No. That's how he works." Fan casually said, gritting his teeth. "Help me close please"

Yue helped him walk close.

Fan Xui simply kicked Qian's back.

Qian stumbled down on his face. "Hey!"

"Hello there."

Qian sighed. "I am even imagining my dead friend alive. Fan Xui, how is heaven. Do you get an endless supply of peanut butter? I hope they do supply that,"

Fan squatted down and swatted his forehead. "Get up, you are embarrassing me,"

Qian's eyes went wide. "F-Fan... Fan-ah, is that you. Ah!!! It is you! You are alive!" he tackled I'm down in a tight hug. "You bastard, I thought you died. When did you wake up? You look awfully slim, wait I'll bring you something to eat,"

Fan patted his tight arms slightly. "I'm good; did you lose your ability to hear or something? Why didn't you answer when I called? Darn it, I could have shot you,"

Qian blushingly sat up. "I thought you were a fragment of my imagination,"

Hary slightly snickered. "coo coo..."

Yue smacked his arms. "Stop it, you are being mean,"

"Who are they?" Qian looked at Hary's leg curiously. "He is half robot....."

His eyes soon went over to Tian. "Fan...." he gripped his friend's hands tightly. "I think I might be a little coo coo. I see a female version of Zou Yue,"

Yue stepped up. "Qian, this is Tian,"

"Gasp, there are two now. Fan~ I think I'm crazy!" Qian cried, hugging his shoulders.

Fan just pushed his head away with a loud sigh.

Yue sat down in front of him. "That is my sister. And you are not coo coo."

"He is coo coo..." Hary whispered softly.

Tian glared at him intently, stopping his playfully smile. "Now that wwe have found the scientist. Let's get going,"

"Yes, Yue's doppelganger," Qian smirked widely. But all of a sudden, he collapsed to the ground.

"Whoa, what happened to him?" Hary and Tian worriedly ran up to him.

Fan Xui gently placed a hand on his friend's chest. "He is breathing, then why..."

"grrr...." Qian snored loudly.

"He is sleeping..... oh god. This rescue mission is a disaster,"

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