Grey didn’t know how long he would fall. It felt endless, but at a certain point after the first ten seconds or so, he realized he was definitely going to die.

There was simply no way he could survive a fall like this. He had already hit terminal velocity, and though his body was resistant and powerful enough not to be too impacted by it, the moment he hit earth he was definitely finished.

However, the fall seemed insistent on making him wait that death out.

’Fuck me.’ Grey cursed. ’Where are those hands when you need them. Take me out or something. What the hell is this bullshit?’

Luckily, Grey knew that he wouldn’t fall forever. If he fell for so long that the day ended up running out, he would be sent right back to the cot, but he also didn’t like the idea of wasting a day like this.

’Wait, can I?’

Grey’s gaze flickered as he realized something.

He pulled the Dark Kin Cycle from his inventory, making sure to hold on tight so it didn’t suddenly slip away. If that happened, then he’d really be screwed.

’You said I could ride beneath the earth, right? Well, show me.’

Grey revved the bike, and though it was impossible to see clearly in the endless darkness, he felt a spark light between the item and himself, a solid connection forming that forced shadows to roll off its spurs into the formation of two spinning wheels of vaporizing black fog.

A wide grin spread across Grey’s face and he kicked the bike into gear, pulling the bars up until it rolled out into a wheelie.

"WHOOO!"

Grey hadn’t ever driven a bike before, he had been too enamoured with cars and beefier engines. But if he ever made it back to Earth, he’d definitely have to re-evaluate that.

The bike shot off like a rocket engine. From a straight plummet down to earth, Grey found himself cutting through earth like butter. He felt himself hitting solid rock, and yet he passed right through like it wasn’t there.

Grey forgot for a moment that he was in a life and death struggle, the rolling hills making him feel like—

BANG.

—

[You have died. Better luck next time. Oh wait, there won’t be a next time. Toodle-oo.]

—

**

Grey shot awake, his eyes widening as he gasped for breath, pressing a palm against his chest.

It took him several seconds before sound faded into his ears and he heard Mauve trying to check on him.

"Grey? Are you alright?"

Grey took deep breaths, the shock in his eyes slowly fading as he realized what happened.

The bike should be able to fly right through any barriers, yet he had crashed and died, the speed so fast he hadn’t had a chance to save himself at all.

The good news was that the bike was fast, supremely so. In fact, it had still felt like he was accelerating when he died.

The bad news was that it seemed the bike could pass through Instance barriers.

’What a fucking stupid way to die.’

Grey rubbed a hand through his hair, only to be pissed off that it was gone again.

"Fuck." He cursed.

Because he had triggered an Instance before he fell through the abyss, the Genesis System had reacted like he was trying to escape it and put up a barrier. He wasted a loop on something so stupid.

What he didn’t understand, though, was why he had fallen down so far, and yet it only took him a few brief seconds to run into the edge of the barrier when going sideways.

’The Instance barriers don’t have a limit downward? That might be useful information in the future, I guess...’

Grey took a breath and exhaled.

He would have liked to fight the alien at least once during the last loop. Now he only had eight more remaining and he didn’t know if his Helion Frame would be enough.

No. It wasn’t completely useless. He had learned something, and an idea was starting to percolate in his head.

Also, even if that cloak of Amunet’s was worthless to him, that bike... he would most definitely be taking it. Just some interest for the backstabbing. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Grey stood up. "I’m fine. Stay here."

Without another word, Grey left the tent, his Resonant Frame’s sixth sense pulsing outward.

A concentration of red-gold energy formed around his scalp and his hair began to rapidly grow back. By the time he was stepping outside, he already had healthy growth again. Well, it was almost too healthy. His hair really did seem to shine with its own glow.

He ran his hand through it, grinning as the cool wind of dawn hit him.

Grey’s head turned toward a certain direction and he shot out. He appeared before a tent in an instant, using a forearm to lift the flap up as he stepped inside.

"WHO—?!"

The voice was cut clean off as Grey grabbed a fat neck.

"I just really don’t fucking like you."

Grey stabbed the fang dagger through Alvin’s gut.

Seconds later, Grey was stepping outside again. The bodies inside the tent were left in nothing but piles of ash.

Grey clapped his hands. "Now onto the important things."

Before anyone even understood what happened, Grey swiftly appeared before one of the largest tents in the hub, one barred from any approach at all.

But when the first shadowy figure tried to come after him, he drove a fist into their gut that sent them sprawling across the ground and rolling back into the tent flaps.

Grey stepped over him and into the tent.

"WHO—?!"

"Do we have a fucking owl infestation in this place or something? Do you know any other words besides ’who’? It’s me, bitch. Now, Amunet, I’m going to give you three seconds. Step out or I’m going to start spraying, and I’m not talking the bukkake kind. Though, if you want to explore that, I’m open to hearing you out."