Mercer: Between Different Worlds

The sheer force with which Bazz-B kicked the door sent it flying off its hinges, crashing into the soldiers who were standing guard outside. They didn't have time to react before the door struck them, knocking them off their feet. The brief moment of chaos was enough for Bazz-B to leap into action, tearing through the stunned soldiers with vicious swipes of his claws. His red eyes glowed with an intense fury as he shredded through their ranks, moving like a blur as he sought the fastest way out.

"Shit, I need to figure a way out!" Bazz-B muttered under his breath, eyes scanning the unfamiliar equipment in the room. There were various apparatus, screens flashing with strange data, but he couldn't afford to waste time exploring. The walls seemed to close in on him, and the need to escape had never been more urgent.

A few soldiers, still groggy from the initial shock of the door, regrouped and opened fire, their bullets ricocheting harmlessly off his toughened skin. Despite their ineffectiveness, the constant stream of gunfire was irritating, and Bazz-B hissed in frustration.

"Arghh!! This is literally a pain in the ass!" he growled, finally fed up.

With a furious roar, he dug his claws into the floor, sending spikes of solidified reishi shooting up from the ground. They impaled the soldiers with deadly precision, the sound of their bodies being pierced like fragile paper filling the air. But unlike the walkers, these soldiers didn't disintegrate into smoldering remains. Instead, they were simply left hanging from the spikes, skewered and lifeless.

"Not exactly the cleanest kill, but it'll do for now," he muttered, glancing around the room for a new exit.

He moved into the next room, only to be confronted by yet another wave of soldiers—this time armed with riot shields and stun batons. The scene reminded him of the previous encounter with soldiers, but now there was an added layer of difficulty. The shields blocked his attacks, and the batons could incapacitate him if they got close enough. Bazz-B gritted his teeth, feeling the frustration build as he tried to adjust.

"I don't have time for this crap!" he snarled, lunging forward.

His claws slashed at the soldiers with riot shields, but the shields absorbed the blows, deflecting his attacks. The soldiers with stun batons moved in, attempting to catch him off guard. In that split second of realization, Bazz-B's instincts kicked in. He slammed his left foot into the ground with a force that rattled the entire room. A shockwave exploded outward, throwing the soldiers off their feet. The wave of energy carried a strange pulsating force that rippled through the air, disintegrating everything it touched— turning the soldiers into ash.

Bazz-B blinked in surprise as the last of the soldiers crumbled into nothingness. "Whoa, that was not Burning Stomp ... That was something else."

The sheer power of the attack left him unbalanced, a nauseating sensation swirling in his gut as the aftershocks of his own assault affected him. Staggering, he forced himself to keep moving, his mind focused on the goal—escape.

"Fuck... They're really not letting me out," he muttered under his breath. 

His balance wavered, but he sharpened his claws, preparing for whatever was next. Just as he was about to charge into another wave of soldiers, the metallic door on his right flank opened with a loud screech. Before he could react, the door crushed several soldiers into the ground, turning them into paste with brutal efficiency.

From the new opening emerged a slender, young woman with long, dark hair, her appearance strikingly familiar. She wore little more than a tattered miniskirt and a bra, but the most noticeable feature was the dark, jagged scars on her chest and shoulder blade—scars Bazz-B recognized all too well.

No way… he thought, his heart racing for a moment.

The woman stepped forward, her monstrous, fist-like arms flexing as she approached, her face locked in a neutral expression.

"Surprised to see me alive, rooster head?" Bambietta Basterbine's voice cut through the tense atmosphere, her eyes narrowing as she insulted him.

Bazz-B blinked, momentarily thrown off guard. "You're the one to talk, lady gorilla," he shot back, a grin forming as he retorted with his own jab. Bambietta blushed, clearly unprepared for the insult, but it didn't faze her much.

"Whatever," she said dismissively. "You lead the way."

"Why would I do that?" Bazz-B raised an eyebrow.

"Because you're the fastest?" Bambietta pointed out, her massive arms swinging slightly.

"Right now all I got is a huge punching glove and a shield. I really wanted to take the lead if only those things aren't ten times as heavy as fuck, so you're the only viable option if anything happens in between."

Bazz-B chuckled at her pragmatic reasoning. "Heh, since when did you become a combat pragmatist?"

"Shut up... I can think sometimes, all right?" she retorted, her face flushing with embarrassment as she pushed forward.

Wasting no time, the pair made their way out of the lab, passing the mangled corpses of the soldiers they had taken down. Bazz-B couldn't help but feel a slight amusement at the sight of their remains—the chaos they had caused leaving behind a grisly trail. As they entered through the door, the room ahead of them opened into a much larger space, filled with towering, metallic cylindrical containers, rows of complex computers neither of them understood, and four separate cages containing people.

"Looks like we've found the real prize," Bazz-B murmured, his gaze locking onto the cages.

Bambietta glanced over at the prisoners with a hint of curiosity. "Any idea who these are?"

"I don't know," Bazz-B said, walking over to examine one of the cages. "But I'm betting they aren't here for a vacation."

The two of them stood at the entrance, surveying the room carefully. Every piece of the lab seemed to hold some mysterious, dark purpose, but the immediate concern was getting out— and perhaps figuring out what to do with the people locked up here. It wasn't a task Bazz-B was interested in at the moment, but with Bambietta's help, they might be able to make their way through this maze alive.

"Let's make it quick," he said, already moving toward the next exit.

The pair were ready for whatever came next. With Bambietta's brute strength and Bazz-B's tactical mindset, they made for a formidable team. But as they approached the next door, the weight of their surroundings began to settle in. They weren't out of danger yet.

The sterile white walls around Bazz-B and Bambietta felt suffocating, stretching endlessly in every direction. The room was cold, unnervingly clean, with a faint hum of machinery vibrating through the air. The dim, artificial lighting cast harsh shadows on the polished floor, and the lingering scent of antiseptic filled their lungs.

Bazz-B shifted uncomfortably, his muscles tense as he took in their surroundings. He had expected restraints, maybe even torture—but this? This was different.

"What the hell is this place?" he muttered, his voice laced with unease.

Bambietta stood beside him, arms crossed, her sharp gaze scanning every detail of the room. There were no windows, no visible doors—only sleek, metallic walls that gave nothing away. A controlled environment, built to contain them.

"I don't know," she admitted, her tone cool but edged with suspicion. "But one thing's clear—whoever put us here sees us as something to be studied, not killed." She scoffed, shifting her weight. "Cages for animals. That's what this feels like."

Bazz-B clicked his tongue, fists clenching at his sides. "Like hell I'm letting them keep me here."

The two Sternritters exchanged a look of disgust. They were ruthless, yes, but this level of inhumanity—the grotesque captivity they had witnessed—was something neither of them could stomach. It was beneath their standards, a level of cruelty they had no interest in indulging in. Bambi couldn't help but think of Giselle, that zombie idiot, and how he would've reveled in making those captured prisoners his playthings. The thought disgusted her even more.

"Enough of that," Bazz-B grumbled, snapping his attention back to the task at hand. "Let's just get out of here."

Without wasting another second, Bambietta transformed her arms into Hammerfists, their massive size making her movements a bit cumbersome, but no less deadly. She swung one fist with such force that it smashed the doorway wide open, sending debris flying.

They were immediately greeted by an army of soldiers clad in black armor, their weapons drawn and aimed at them. Bazz-B wasted no time in unleashing his claws, dashing forward with incredible speed, tearing through the soldiers as if they were paper. Bullet after bullet struck him, but his thick skin absorbed it all as he shredded through the line of defense, turning every soldier he came into contact with into a bloody mess.

Bambietta, equally ruthless, stepped forward, her eyes narrowing as she gathered a group of soldiers together. With a grunt, she grew her Hammerfist even larger, and the sheer weight of her hand sent a shockwave through the room. She slammed it down with all her might, the combined force of her reishi obliterating the soldiers in a single, powerful blow.

Just as they were about to clear out the last of the soldiers, a massive armored tank appeared at the gate, its main weapon trained on Bambietta.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me," she growled, stepping back.

In a flash, she withdrew her Hammerfist, disappearing in a burst of speed as she used

Hirenkyaku to evade the tank's blast. She grunted in relief, narrowly avoiding the powerful shot.

"Phew... That was close. Good thing I'm still able to use Hirenkyaku , or else I'd be a goner."

Then an idea sparked in her mind.

With a smirk, she transformed her Hammerfists again and dashed towards the walls. The tank adjusted its weapon, aiming for her path, but Bambietta was already one step ahead. The tank fired, but its blast only punched a hole in the makeshift lab, causing sparks and debris to fly.

However, the tank crew didn't notice the danger approaching from above.

Bambietta had already used her Hirenkyaku to move high into the air, her fists charging with energy. A hundred and fifty feet above them, she gathered her strength and shouted, "Meteor Fall!"

With a yell, she dropped down from the sky like a comet, her Hammerfists leading the charge. Upon impact, a massive explosion erupted from the top of the tank, sending shockwaves through the entire facility. Bazz-B had to brace himself against the force of the explosion, debris and rubble flying everywhere. The facility partially collapsed, with concrete walls crumbling like sand.

"Bambi, you madlad," Bazz-B shouted with a grin, impressed by her reckless bravery.

"I told you I can think sometimes," she replied weakly, lying amidst the wreckage of the tank, still feeling the aftereffects of her attack.

"Well, there's no time to waste," Bazz-B said, pulling her to her feet. "We've got to go." 

The pair dashed away, the threat of more soldiers always looming over them. However, as they ran, they found themselves increasingly drained. The effects of Hirenkyaku were taking

a toll, and they quickly realized they couldn't use it without feeling exhausted.

"Bambi, let's head for that building ahead!" Bazz-B called, pointing toward a tall structure.

"Are you kidding? That's a dead end!" she protested.

"There's only one way to find out."

With no other options, Bazz-B jumped, his claws digging into the building's walls as he scaled the structure with inhuman agility. Bambietta watched in disbelief, amazed at his strength.

Screw this, If he can do it, so can I.

Without hesitation, Bambietta followed suit. Her arms transformed into powerful limbs that helped her launch herself upward. As she reached the building's walls, she grabbed on with surprising ease and followed Bazz-B as he ran along the building's surface with his own two legs

"What the hell?" she muttered under her breath. "How can he do that?!"

With no time to waste, she pushed herself harder, running along the walls, trying to catch up.

The two leapt off the edge of the building, landing gracefully on the rooftop, where they paused to take in the surreal sight before them.

Countless buildings stood tall, their designs intricate and complex. The city stretched endlessly before them, illuminated by the setting sun.

"Bazz? What is this place?" Bambietta asked, her voice tinged with awe.

Bazz-B stared, equally captivated by the view. "Believe me, I was also speechless the first time I came to this place," he replied, his voice quiet and contemplative.

Before they could discuss further, a voice interrupted them. It was calm, composed, and carried an air of authority. They turned to see a bespectacled teenage man leaning casually at the door frame. His lab coat fluttered in the wind as he adjusted his frameless glasses.

Alarm bells went off in Bazz-B and Bambietta's minds. They immediately transformed their arms into their respective weapons—Bazz-B's claws, Bambietta's Hammerfists—preparing for a confrontation.

The man, unbothered by their sudden hostility, slowly raised his hand. To their surprise, he summoned a light-colored bow, the weapon almost as tall as he was, with semi-straight arms tapering off into points.

Is that... a spirit weapon? Both Sternritters thought simultaneously, surprised to find a Quincy in this strange place.

"Ah!" Bambietta suddenly yelped, realization hitting her. "You must be the other Quincy from Karakura Town. How long have you been here?"

The teenager didn't seem fazed by the recognition. "On the contrary," he replied, his tone calm. "I wasn't trapped here. I merely accompanied the one who created this hidden realm from his own memory. Right now, I'm trying to familiarize myself with this city."

"So you're more of a lapdog for him?" Bazz-B quipped, his usual rude self.

"No," the teenager responded with a slight shake of his head, "we're under a contract."

"Your master must be someone powerful to create a place like this," Bambietta mused aloud, nodding in admiration.

"He is powerful," the man acknowledged. "Speaking of which, he is already coming to meet with you. I have to go try to get more familiar with this place. Please, wait here."

Before either of them could say anything, the teenager disappeared in a flash, leaving them to sit in awkward silence on the rooftop.

"Lucky him," Bazz-B muttered. "He gets to use Hirenkyaku without any ridiculous drawbacks."

Bambietta, still catching her breath from the earlier fight, sat down on a nearby ventilation system. "Anyway," she said, her voice thoughtful, "if his master created this place, then he might be the one who patched us up and threw us into that pit. I'm guessing that's why we're stuck here."

Bazz-B scowled. "Well, I wanna slug that guy for giving us a headache."

"You're fucking ungrateful," Bambietta shot back.

But before they could continue their argument, a dark, ominous feeling washed over both of them. It was a sensation they knew all too well—a voice, cold and cruel, echoed in their minds.

You'll make a fine addition to my army.

Bambietta froze, her heart sinking. "Hey... How did you end up with that scar on your stomach?"

"Oh, this?" Bazz-B replied, tapping the scar on his chest. "I got impaled by Mercer. But I don't know how I got patched up."

You shall never die on my watch.

Both Sternritters' blood ran cold as they slowly put the pieces together. The clawed arms, the heavy fists, the strange weapons—everything was pointing to the same conclusion.

The world they were in... the circumstances they found themselves in... the new weapons they had... It all belonged to one man.

And that man was none other than Alex Mercer.

The voice spoke again, this time from behind them. "You're both awake now. That's fortunate."

They turned, their eyes widening in horror as the man who had nearly destroyed them stood before them, his presence chilling and unmistakable.

" Mercer… " they whispered, their voices full of dread.