“Leo, I'm begging you, just do it! Please!”. 

My hands felt numb, I couldn't move, I was stuck. 

“No! I can't, I won't”. 

He had desperation painted across his face, “You don't get to decide!”.

2 Hours Earlier:

“Toby, we need to get in contact with you, where are you? Over”.  

No response, of course, he wouldn't respond, he probably left his walkie-talkie in the truck or something. 

Not good, we were for sure going to die if we stayed on this floor, the number of Parasites here was just insane. We had to get upstairs, but the entire mall was so big I didn't know where the heck I was going.

The mall’s only source of light being the daylight outside, and the fact that this place was 70 percent destroyed didn't help either. 

Couldn't stop moving though, “Guys, get in the store”. 

I was pointing at a small tech shop in front of us, the sign upfront was broken, but the name was painted on the walls as well: Tecryptictal. 

Huh, just like what Luis was talking about, Cryptic. 

“Leo, come on!”. 

Harry was grabbing my shoulder, “yea my bad, let's go” I said. 

Me and Jason followed him into the store, the entire place was basically a small square with broken glass and desks. 

If a Parasite found us in here, we wouldn't make it, the place was too small to do anything, “Guys never mind, we should get outta here. Let's look for a different shop to hide in for now”. 

“I am Para-Parasite”. 

Crap, one was close, I couldn't see anything right now but it was still dangerous. The entrance of the shop really wasn't standing anyways, and we were all right in the middle exposed, had to move. 

“Guys, there's a back door”. 

Jason was already heading towards the door he was talking about, I followed him to the back. 

It led to a staff room, completely pitch black, there was still some light outside but this place was covered up fully, that meant even the walls weren't down. 

I could barely see crap, but with flashlights on our guns could work for now, besides, this place was much safer than the rest of the mall. No Parasite could find us here. 

Jason pointed his light at me, “Leo, try getting in contact with Toby again”. 

I nodded, there was no way he was going to reply though. 

“Toby, we need help, we're stuck on the lower floor, come find us. Over”. 

Alright, had to use this time wisely, I took off my bag and began going through it, “Any of you hurt, you guys need anything?”.  

They both shook their heads, guess not. Damn it, unless we got in contact with Toby, all we could do was hide in here. 

This mission was going horribly, Toby really screwed us up. 

“Guys, Toby isn't going to reply, we gotta move. No point staying in here” Harry whispered. 

I sighed, “Emma was probably right, she knew Toby would do this”. 

Harry glared at me, “She wasn't, the mission isn't over yet, don't ever say Emma was right!”. 

Well, this was going great, just great. 

“Guys, im here, tell me where you are, Over”. 

It was Toby, he replied!

I quickly picked up the walkie-talkie,  “Toby, we're in a shop on the bottom floor, it's called Tecryptical, Over”. 

“I am Parasite”. 

Oh crap, one was outside, and why wasn't Toby responding now?

“Toby, did you get that? Hurry! Over”. 

“I am Parasite”. 

Damn it, even louder than before. The Parasite was getting closer”. 

“Leo, say the name again, I can barely hear you man!”. 

“Toby it's called Tecryptical, lower floor, hurry!”. 

“I am Parasite, would you like as-assistance?”. 

“I AM PARASITE!”. 

Randomly I began hearing a noise, felt like a loud charge?

“Leo, it's a beam!” Harry whispered with horror in his voice. 

Oh no, he was right! That damn Parasite was boutta blast a beam, we were stuck in this room, and the Parasite was right outside! 

“Leo, it's called Tech what?”. 

I put the walkie-talkie away, there was a beam about to blast right outside, nothing could tank it now. 

“I AM PARASITE!”. 

BANG! 

A loud noise caught my attention before I saw a little bit of light. I turned my head to see the wall to my left destroyed, just a massive hole leading outside to the main mall. And Jason was on the other side!

“Guys, come on” he screamed. 

I had no idea what the heck happened but that wasn't important, I shoved myself up and began running damn fast. 

It only took seconds for me to get close enough so that I could leap through the hole making it to the other side. 

BOOM! 

“Harry!” I shouted. 

No answer, oh crap. I jumped back through the hole into the tiny room we were in. There was nothing but smoke, I couldn't see him. The beam left the room barely standing, only 2 walls were still up now. All I knew was he didn't get hit, otherwise this entire place would be covered up in blood. 

“I am Parasite!”. 

Through the smoke I saw a blinking light, it was the same Parasite. Screw this, that thing was dead! 

I pulled out my gun and pointed it right at the bright light, without wasting another second, I pulled the trigger, nothing happened. 

Oh, of course, Toby’s dumb guns weren't working, didn’t matter, I ran towards the light ignoring anything else, BANG! I smashed the gun on something hard. 

“Assistance? Would you like assistance?”. 

BOOM! 

Something hard whipped my arm sending me flying to the back of the little room we were in. It was probably the Parasites stinger hitting me, thank god it was just its leg. Ahh, I definitely heard a bone crack, something was probably broken.

Alright, I still had the second gun I grabbed earlier, I wasn't done yet. 

“Leo move!”. 

What? BOOM! I got smacked again on the same arm hard. I didn't just hear it, this time I felt a boke crack, yep, something definitely broke. 

“Le-L-Leo, you there?”. 

It was Toby, what great timing. I grabbed the walkie-talkie with my functional arm and began running to the opposite side of the room away from the Parasite. 

“Toby, I'm here”. 

“I found out where the big one is. It's on the lower floor, in a bank called Cryptic Cash, hurry up and get here, this is it!”.  

The floor we were on, and Cryptic? I had to find Harry first, the only place I could think of would be underneath the big chunks of wall that fell. 

I couldn't do anything to lift them though, and this Parasite was making all this a lot harder. 

“Leo listen, deal with the Parasite, I'll find Harry and get him out of here!” Jason yelled.    

I nodded, alright, this made things easier. I pulled out my second gun and aimed it as close to the left eye as I could, BANG! 

Damn it, I missed. I instantly began running through the box of a room we were in, charging the Parasite again, “I AM PARASITE!”. 

Huh? I looked to my right to see a stinger rushing towards me, there was another Parasite here!

BANG! 

I threw my body back avoiding death by inches, this wasn't good. 

“Leo, I have Harry with me!”. 

“Run!” I shouted. 

Both of them instantly began following me through the massive hole Jason somehow made earlier, we wasted no time running as soon as we made it to the other side. 

Out here was the…food court. Well, here we go. 

“Leo, the big ones after you guys now damn it, you screwed everything up, what did you do?”.