You heaved out a sigh once you caught up to Yuri, panting out air as you attempted to catch your breath. You never would have imagined her to be the type to run as fast as she did, but it appeared that your whole concept of reality was being flipped as you knew it. Damn, maybe you should've taken gym class more seriously...

"It's another Mask," Yuri declared, pursing her lips as she turned to you. "We have to kill it."

You raised your eyebrows, taken back by her bold statement. You looked across the way, your E/C orbs tapering at the sight of a Mask in a maid uniform, her hand resting on her cheek as she taunted you.

"Well," you acknowledged, "we could also try to run away, couldn't we? We have some distance, I'm sure we could lose her if we ran fast enough."

Yuri scratched her cheek at the suggestion, entering a state of consideration. You bit your cheek, rubbing your nose lightly (a nervous habit that you had picked up over the years) as you anticipated her answer.

"No, it's okay. We're at a distance, as you said, so I could probably get some shooting practice off of this one."

You gave her an awkward half-smile, chuckling stiffly. You were sure that the girl wasn't even aware of the words that had just left her mouth, let alone the seriousness in her tone. She stared at you quizzically, and after a few moments of unpleasant eye contact, the familiar emotion of realization accumulated in her eyes.

"Did I just say 'practice'? Right before murdering someone?" The conflict in her veins was almost painfully visible, so you walked forward and pushed her arm down gently, assisting her in relaxing her muscles.

"Masks aren't people, right? Am I losing my mind?" She turned to you, eyebrows slanted up with worry.

"There's still a lot we don't know about this place, Yuri. The Masks could be just as human as we are, we aren't aware of why they're doing what they're doing," you breathed out, looking over at the Mask who was still staring at you with an aura of eagerness. "I think it's best that we avoid any contact with them. Who knows how strong these guys are."

"You're right." Yuri nodded, letting out a regretful sigh. Her eyes stayed glued onto the woman on the other building, her head tilting slightly as she questioned her actions. "She's turning around, is she letting us go?"

You followed her gaze, looking at the Mask just in time to see her twirl around and start sprinting towards the gate of the building. She propelled herself up onto the top rail, giving herself a boost as she jumped over to your building.

"H-Huh...?" you mumbled, in awe at the distance of the jump. The girl landed successfully on the ground, standing up as she turned to Yuri and yourself. She lifted up her hand, pointing the blade stained in red directly at you.

"What?!" Yuri shouted, lifting up the gun and pointing it at the Mask, hesitation evident in her stare. You were stunned, still attempting to process the length of the jump.

What type of person can jump that distance without a sweat?

The Mask took your confusion and Yuri's reluctance as an opportunity, lunging at you without a word. Yuri took in a sharp breath of air, pushing you out of the way. "Watch out!"

The blade sliced the side of Yuri's skirt as you fell to the ground. Yuri quickly recovered, pointing the gun at the woman while clenching her teeth. "You monster!" she shouted, pulling the trigger. The shot of the gun rang through your ears as you flinched, looking up at the maid who gave a simple shrug at the missed shot.

"You..." Yuri shot the gun twice more, the Mask dodging and wagging her finger at you jeeringly. You raised a brow at the behavior, watching as Yuri stood up slowly. You followed her footsteps, dusting off the plaid skirt resting on your legs. The maid kept her eyes on Yuri, entranced by her behavior.

"Just to let you know," Yuri informed, sticking her hand straight out. "I'm jumping off now. She is too."

"We totally give up now," she stated, a smile on her face. You opened your mouth to protest, snapping it shut as Yuri gripped your arm and began to steadily walk backwards. You ran into a bar, turning your head to look over the ledge.

Ah, I understand now.

"Haha, we're so high up." Yuri's acting voice was distressingly fake, but you decided to play along anyways.

"Yeah, I've never faced a drop like this before," you added, your tone more monotone than you intended. You awkwardly looked away as you climbed over the railing, praying that the Mask didn't notice your subpar acting skills.

"You know, it seems like my big brother is in this world too. If you see him, let him know that I died. My name is... Yuri Honjo." The two of you were now fully over the railing.

You nodded, accompanying her ideas. "Mhm. I have a boyfriend in this world, too. He'll be super upset to hear the news, but I think he deserves to know either way. I'm Y/N L/N."

Wow, Y/N. That story was totally believable.

As you finished up your story, Yuri gripped your hand, stepping back with you. The two of you fell, the wind rushing through your hair. The landing on the platform below was much softer than you thought it would be, but Yuri didn't get as lucky, falling straight on her behind. After a few seconds of recovery, Yuri took her chance to point the gun directly up at the railing. The maid leaned over the railing seconds later, coming face to face with your smug grin and Yuri's determined expression.

The shot rang out, nailing the mask on her head as she fell back. Yuri shot a second time, this bullet hitting the railing. You grasped your hands together, turning to Yuri with a wide smile. "You did it, Yuri!"

She gave you a small smile before a look of pain washed over her face, her hands coming into contact with the sore area. You grimaced, letting out a low whistle as you looked away. "It'll go away in no time, Yuri."

Reaching the top of the ladder, you stepped onto the building, Yuri following behind you. Your eyes widened at the sight ahead. The Mask was standing up shakily, the bottom half of the white face covering completely blown off.

"She's human..." you muttered, Yuri getting in a defensive position to prepare for more combat. Yuri grabbed the gun out of her holster, pointing it at the Mask as she stalked forward.

"Hey! I want to ask you something!" Yuri directed her voice strongly. You were close behind, a skeptical gaze shooting out from your eyes. The panting maid held up her hand, sweat rolling down her cheeks.

"Wait! Don't get any closer. I'll end up killing you!" she shouted, teeth clenched. You arched a brow, intrigued at her words.

She doesn't seem to have any free will... is the mask controlling her? Now that it's broken, can she somewhat control herself?

You brought a hand up to your chin, contemplating her words as she went on.

"My brain is still being controlled. I do what the Command tells me to do." Desperation was evident in her words.

The Command? What the hell?

"Never look at the back of the mask! I think it's something electronic." She began to stumble backwards, reaching the railing behind her. "The next command... I have to do it."

She heaved out her breaths as she spoke, quoting the so-called command. "'If the code is damaged, quickly suspend all functions.'"

"What?" you questioned, furrowing your brows at the sight of her. Yuri's gun was now down at her side, her fists clenched as she shouted.

"Take the mask off! That should do it!"

"No. I can't disobey the Command." There was a prominent sadness in her words, each syllable laced with more despair than the last.

"Then I will!" Yuri shouted, running forward. You gripped her arm, downcasting your eyes as she looked back at you.

"Stay away!" the maid yelled. "I just can't anymore. Yuri... I hope you get to see your brother. Y/N, I hope you find your boyfriend."

Tears were streaming down her face, a sorrowful smile painted on her face. The right side of her mask fell off, revealing her gorgeous green eyes before she closed them, fully accepting her fate. She leaned off of the railing, tipping over the edge.

Yuri ran forward, hand outstretched as you stood by mournfully. "No! Wait!" Yuri shrieked, reaching the metal bars as soon as the girl fell. You winced at the sound of the impact, closing your eyes.

"Masks are human. They're not monsters." Yuri fell to the ground, and you took it upon yourself to walk up to her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. She looked up to you, tears in her eyes. "I was able to communicate with them. I just shot a person."

You gave her a doleful look, squeezing her shoulder. She lifted up her hands to the sides of her head, letting out a painful scream. "I'm losing my mind!"

She stopped screaming, looking at the bars in front of her. She clenched her teeth, letting out a shout. "You're wrong!"

You knitted your eyebrows together, crouching down next to her. "Yuri? Are you okay?"

She gasped, looking at you and snapping out of her trance. She collected herself, wiping her damp eyes before standing up fully. You looked up at her crossing your arms. "What's on your mind?"

"Masks are not our real enemy. They're given commands. The Command is our real enemy!" She shouted, grabbing your shoulders, anger spreading across her face. "We'll survive! No matter what!"

"Yeah..." You nodded, eyes filled with worry. "You sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine." She turned around, picking up the maid's weapon and turning to you with a resolute smile. You returned it with a compliant one. Her stomach let out a loud grumble, her smile faltering.

You chuckled. "Hungry?"

She blushed, shutting her eyes tightly. "I haven't eaten anything... Do they even have food here?"

You peered around the corner, a gasp escaping your lips at the red backpack leaning against the wall. You walked forward, picking it up and examining it.

"What's that?" Yuri questioned, crouching down next to you. You zipped it open, a satisfying hum erupting from your vocal chords as you grinned up at her.

"Looks like we found ourselves a meal."

She clapped her hands together with excitement, mouth watering as you handed her a rice ball, taking one for yourself as well. You scrounged through the rest of the bag, breath hitching when you came into contact with a gun. You cringed, retracting your hand and giving the bag to Yuri, who had her mouth full.

"There's a gun in there, you take it." You took a bite, waiting for her response.

She gulped down the rice in her mouth, staring at you with confusion. "You don't have a weapon yet, Y/N. I think you should take it."

"Oh, no, no. Your aim is really good. You'll put it to far better use than I can. Besides, there's probably a knife or something in there that I can use. I'm much better at close combat. At least, I think I am, haha..." you trailed off with a short laugh, hoping that the raven haired girl wouldn't question you any further. She shrugged, reaching into the bag and pulling out the gun.

She handed the bag back to you, gesturing for you to continue your search. You complied, digging deeper into the red backpack. A wave of satisfaction washed over you at the feeling of a basic hunters knife hitting your fingertips. You brought it out of the bag, waving it in front of Yuri. "See?"

She grinned, swallowing the last bite before zipping up the bag and throwing it over her shoulders. She gave you a confident beam, loading the gun. "Ready to go?"

You returned her question with a thumbs up, adjusting the knife in your hand to get a feel for the handle. You looked at the building ahead, pointing out the obvious. "That building looks like it has three bridges connected to it, it's probably a hot spot."

"There's definitely a Mask in there," she groaned, letting out a playful whine. You snickered, pushing her shoulder playfully. Her face of discontent was soon taken over with mischief as you joined her on the bridge, a certain smugness coming over her.

"So, you have a boyfriend here?"

Your face slowly flushed as you looked at the ground, embarrassed. "N-No...! It was just a story, I was improvising with you! You should know that!"

She sniggered, looking straight forward. "I know, I was just teasing."

She was cut off by the loud rumbling of a helicopter ahead. Your eyes trailed up to the aircraft, tilting your head a bit. Since when did helicopters fly around freely in this world? Well, I guess it wasn't your place to answer that question. Had you only been there for a day? It felt like much longer.

"Hey, you don't think that-"

Your words were interrupted by an unexpected shakiness coming from the bridge, a wire snapping next to Yuri's feet. The two of you lost your footing on the wood planks, the bridge tilting to the side as Yuri let out a loud scream. You reacted quickly, grabbing the supporting wires of the bridge to keep your grip. Unfortunately, your feet didn't get the signals sent from your brain quick enough, and were left to hang.

You gritted your teeth, holding on tighter, the uncomfortable sweat secreting from your palms making things all the more hard. You looked to your right, seeing Yuri attempt to stabilize herself. Your eyes trailed to the blade in the backpack, shouting out to her.

"Yuri, use the blade to help you reach!"

Your message seemed to click in her mind, as she reached for it and hooked it onto the top of the wooden boards.

"Brace yourself!" she yelled. You nodded, tightening your grip on the wire. The bridge steadied itself out, Yuri reaching out a hand for you while simultaneously keeping the bridge in a firm position.

After a laborious few minutes of harsh and terrifying attempts to get the both of you settled and safe, you finally were able to make your way into the building. Yuri took the lead, holding the gun in front of her while carefully checking around the corners. You looked behind you and back down the dark hallway, an unsettling feeling blooming in your stomach.

Yuri let out a screech, alerting you. You jogged forward. "What's wrong?"

She pointed down to the ground, your gaze following her finger until you were met with the sight of a woman, a gunshot in her head. You turned your head away, biting your lip in discomfort. "Poor lady."

"There must be a Mask around. They're not going to make this easy," Yuri stated, scanning the room for anything else. After confirming that nobody was there, she crouched next to the woman and examined her wounds. You did the same, glowering at the sight.

"Maybe we should go back," Yuri whispered to you, sweat dripping down her forehead. She was panicking, similar to you.

You shook your head, standing back up. "We almost died trying to get in here, we might as well check it out, right?"

Yuri nodded in response, examining the body once more. "There's something in her pocket."

This piqued your curiosity, causing you to stare down at the folded piece of paper in her pocket. Yuri picked it up, handing it to you to unfold and read out loud. You cleared your throat, announcing the contents of the paper. "Routine Helicopter Service. We regularly operate an exit service via helicopter."

"That thing earlier?" Yuri inquired, placing her finger on her chin. You nodded, confirming the both of your suspicions.

"Sounds like it." You looked back at the paper, continuing your monologue. "If you wish to exit this realm or wish to return to the ground, please head to the depot."

At the last words, you gulped, your eyes dulling almost immediately. The words you read were anything but acceptable, and to say they upset you was an understatement.

"Y/N? What's it say?"

You grumbled, folding the paper and handing it back to her. "The maximum capacity is one person."

Yuri gasped, opening the paper and reading it herself. "Eh? This is ridiculous! But..."

You raised a brow at the word, gesturing for her to go on.

"I think we should go, even if it's a trap! Maybe we can convince them to let two people on, or at least let you on. I still need to search for my brother, but you deserve to get out of here alive. You're a good person."

Oh, wow. That definitely wasn't the response you were expecting, especially in such a tense situation. You were awaiting a laugh, maybe a 'just kidding', or her telling you she was joking around, but nothing came.

She's giving me way too much credit.

"Yuri..."

"Staying here won't do either of us any good. We're bound to find something there!"

You breathed out, about to open your mouth and respond, but your soon-to-be sentence was quickly disturbed by gunshots and pleads of help coming from a man. His voice was filled to the brim with desperation and woe. You looked over at Yuri, nodding your head towards the direction of the sound. She began to tip-toe over, you not far behind.

"I have an elderly mother and an even more elderly dog waiting for me back home--"

His cries were disrupted by another gunshot hitting the glass behind his head.

"That hurts! What was that for? Let me go! What did I ever do to you?"

You held your hand out to Yuri, putting a finger over your lips as you turned your head around the corner, Yuri doing the same with her head placed a few inches above yours. Both of you were met with nothing but surprise to see a high school girl, gun pointed at the man's face. Her blonde ponytail was high up on her head, and her bangs covered her eyes darkly. Another gunshot went off, shutting the man up. Your mouth was open with astonishment, an aghast look in your eyes.

It's a person? I can't seem to catch a break, can I...

chapter factoids:
-Maid Mask thought that you were stunning. She totally believed your lie about having a boyfriend, and wasn't surprised to hear it.
-Yuri wasn't sure if she would snap out of her trance after Maid Mask jumped. She was heavily affected and was very grateful to you for grounding her.
-Maid Mask recognized your name when you told her, but couldn't remember the face or name of the person who asked for you. Who was it again...?

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a/n: 

here's the second chapter and the end of the first episode! i hope it was to your liking! i did a very brisk proofread, but it's possible that there are still some mistakes left. feel free to point any out!

we should be getting a little more interaction with Sniper Mask soon, so hold out for just a little longer!

hope you enjoyed the chapter! thank you for your support, stay safe!

-aly