Climbing the stairs, the two remaining operators soon noticed something heavy seemed to be causing some disturbance. Not only that, but there was some sort of bright light lighting up the room, which was visible while walking up.
"I don't like this one a bit," Number 3 shook his head as he led the ascent, while Hubert was gripping the scanner in his hand tightly.
The last anomaly they have to solve and restore is not as menacing as intruders in terms of creepiness and lethality factor. However, the implications of it are clear as day.
When the two step into the living room after the incident in the basement, they are greeted by a very large light seeping from what seems to be some tearing in the air. It was like the surroundings had been cut open, and a physical tear appeared before them. The light has an ominous red color, which makes the crack more dangerous despite it not showing any sort of danger.
"How in the world is this happening?" Hubert inspects the huge crack in the air and even goes behind it to inspect it, only to still see the same thing. He quickly returns to Number 3's side, not wanting to get real close to the anomaly before them.
"It's like something has cut through the air and also included the reality we are in as well. However, this is very concerning to say the least..." Number 3's face turned cold as he pointed the scanner at the crack.
"What makes you say that?" Hubert frowned.
"Out of all the problems we have taken care of, this should be the most dangerous thing that has appeared before us. Don't you wonder where those monsters we just fought came from? Based on the briefing, we entered a dimension that seems to be different from our real dimension, but still affects the real one just the same. And remember the name of the anomaly we are dealing with. This is a dimension crack, meaning it is a crack in this dimension, which also means there is a possibility that this crack is just a regular anomaly, or an anomaly that has a chance to cause a problem that will make the problems here on this dimension leak over to the real world. Don't you think it is terrifying to meet an intruder or a hostile anomaly in the real world? We will need to get rid of this before things get really bad for us," Number 3 then began the scan on the dimension crack.
Hubert then thought of her daughter over at the hospital and fighting for her life to survive. After the experience he had with the anomalies, he was hoping that his daughter would not experience the hellish situations he had been in. Like Number 3, he aims his scanner and scans over at the dimension crack.
As the two of them scan over the crack, Hubert seems to notice that the crack is physically growing in size.
"Am I hallucinating and seeing things, or is the crack in the air actually growing in size?"
Number 3 also observed the anomaly and grits his teeth after noticing it as well. "Looks like the f*cker is expanding. No wonder it is getting hard to breathe in here. That thing is getting stronger."
Then, their scanners click, showing that their scanners have accepted the report, and the anomaly is now ready to be expunged. But just as they were about to do it, a huge silhouette seemed to appear on the red light, and a chilling noise was coming from inside that crack itself.
"I don't like whatever is in there. Let's close it as soon as possible."
Since it was a regular anomaly, they only had to remove it by pushing the trigger of the scanner to permanently restore it to normal. However, as soon as they did, the scanner started to shake uncontrollably, and the two could feel their grip on the scanner loosen. The process that should have removed the anomaly in one pull of a trigger halts the process.
"Sh*t, is the anomaly actually fighting?!" Hubert grips his scanner tighter.
"It seems that it refuses to be restored. But since the scanner still works...we have to just keep on doing this, perhaps pressing over at the trigger and holding it may work with it. Just not taking the grip off of it!" Number 3 grits his teeth as he pulls the scanner closer to his body.
The two held the grip of their scanners tightly before pulling the trigger and holding it to process the restoration and resist the resistance of the anomaly. It was like a tug of war between the two and the anomaly. At first, the anomaly is showing no signs of change despite their efforts, but the longer they hold their scanner's triggers, the more apparent that the scanner is still working and actively purging the anomaly, just not instantaneously but slowly and surely.
The changes slowly remove the tear off and seem to be closing it little by little. The changes are small, but it is working, and that is all that matters. The pull of the dimension crack is getting stronger, and Hubert is feeling the stress on his hands start to pile up and is slowly risking the scanner to let go. However, his desire to return home alive for his daughter is stronger, and that is what fuels him to push the purging process to continue.
"It's almost gone!" Number 3 screamed as he put his all into overpowering the power coming from the crack.
Just as the crack is about to close and is just a small bunch of light remains, a large finger suddenly pierces through the remaining crack and seems to be trying to widen the dimension crack once again.
"Crap, crap, crap! Let it close, let it close!" Number 3 started to panic over the big finger trying to reopen the closed parts of the crack.
"Get it together, Number 3! Focus on the scanner and keep it steady or else that thing will reopen the crack before we can close it!" Hubert angrily shouted at Number 3 to quickly snap him out of it.
"Sorry. I just don't want to die just yet. And I refuse to do so. Thanks for snapping back at me!"
The two struggled, but they continued to keep the pressure further as they are nearing the final hurdle. Now, it's just them and the giant finger. The finger is now being stuck over at the crack, and the power of the scanner continues to further close the dimension crack, regardless of whether the finger is still there or not.
But soon enough, their struggle has finally paid off, purging the dimension crack that was supposed to remain and even managing to sever the finger poking out of the crack earlier.
The crack disappears, and the dimensional portal that leads back to the real world opens up, true to the words on the briefing that they only needed 5 anomalies to solve.
"Looks like we can finally get out of this hellhole, Number 3!" Hubert smiled happily as he looked back at Number 3, who was exhausted earlier. Perhaps, looking tired from the earlier task, he only managed to give a thumbs up.
Just as Hubert can finally relax, something seems to have moved in the corner of his eyes and before he can even react...
KA-CHA!
A weird sound came from the body of Number 3. Then, his white shirt starts bleeding before a giant fingernail pierces through Number 3's chest. Hubert fell to his butt as he witnessed Number 3 glance over at his chest, before the nail pierces through him like a skewer from a barbecue.
That's when Hubert realized that the finger that fell behind after their struggle managed to remain capable of moving and, in response, killed Number 3, who was not expecting it.
Like some kind of worm, the finger worms its way from the chest of Number 3 and reappeared, this time as an anomaly. Hubert screamed in anger as he pulled his scanner and scanned the finger while also shooting at it with the plasma gun.
As soon as the scanner scanned the anomaly, Hubert quickly pulled the trigger, disposing of and purging the remains of the enemy from beyond. As soon as the finger is out of the picture, Hubert quickly heads over to Number 3, who is still breathing but is currently on the last ropes of his life.
"Number 3! You are still alive!"
"Heh, doubt I will...in the next few minutes. Didn't expect...cough...that the main cause of my death would be an anomalous finger of some sort of entity."
Hubert witnesses Number 3 pull out a pendant in his pocket and put it on Hubert.
"Looks like you will be the sole survivor...for this."
"Don't say that, man. You are not going to die here; you will still live."
Despite that, it is clear as day that Number 3 will not live long...however, he still hopes, he will survive the whole ordeal.